feet of his Will Set up as much of Christ and his Kingdom in thy Family as thou canst suppress sin in it as far as thy power will go set up Duties of Religion in it bring all under the power thereof Oh that Magistrates would not stand consulting chiefly what sutes best to the Interest of the State but what sutes best to the Interest of Jesus Christ and will most help on his Kingdom Certainly setting up standing by and countenancing in Spiritual Powerful Ministery not suffering Sabbaths and Ordinances to be prophaned and affronted good Learning and Holiness maintained in the Universities and other inferiour Schools Judgement and Justice executed without respect of persons I say doubtless these things would contribute much towards the enthroning of the great King of kings Oh but some man will say I am a poor wretch I can do noting towards the hastening this Kingdom you speak of That 's strange Canst not thou go into thy chamber or Closet and there lament the Antichristianism that is in the present Governments of the World tell God that he 's Omnipotent and so is able to remove whatsoever stands opposition to the Kingdom of his Son minde him of his many promises that he will do it Ask him if he should fail what would become of his Faithfulness of his great name Jehovah and then cry Lord let thy Kingdom come Lord how long yet Lord when shall it once be Be assured of it God may be stirred up much by fervent praying to hasten his Work You have a very notable place for this Psal 102. ver 13. to ver 19. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof So the Heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. What shall be written for the generations to come what shall the People which shall be hereafter created praise the Lord for Why this that when the Lord shall build up Zion and so appear in the glory of his power and grace as to make the heathen and all the kings of the earth to fear his name he will therein have regard to the prayer of the destitute The word that is here translated destitute signifies arbusculum nascentem in deserto a poor shrub in the wilderness which every beast is ready to bruise or tread upon a poor shrub that is low and mean and despicable When the Lord shall appear in his Glory and build up Zion in its Glory he will do it in reference to the prayers and sighs and wrestlings of such poor shrubs as the weakest and meanest of you are and therefore says the Prophet Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence give him no rest till be establish till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isa 62.6 7. q.d. You that are Saints indeed and make mention of the name of God in prayer follow him hang about him let him not have a quiet day when argument fails yet importunity may do much till he have broken Antichrist and all the powers of this World that stand in the way of the Gospel till he have set up the Kingdom of his Son made his name great and glorious in all the earth You poor of the flock may do more toward this work then you are aware of Wherefore I beseech you stand fast in the faith pray without ceasing quite your selves like men Oh! but I shall not live to see it nor share in the joy of Gods People and glory of this Kingdom My Answer to thee is thus 1. If God take thee to Heaven before thou canst be no great looser by that thou shalt drink there at the Fountain-head of glory when those thou hast left behinde must drink but of the streams of Grace at a far greater distance 2. The News of this Kingdom set up will be quickly brought to heaven and spred all up and down there thou mayest as well enjoy the comforts of it there keep a day of thanksgiving there and sing thy Hallelujahs with the spirits of just men made perfect to Him that sits upon the throne 3. Get upon mount Nebo however and thence look into the Canaan that flowes with milk and hony setting an eye of faith upon the Prospective of Promises thou mayest bring it very near to thee and have a very clear view of it Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen v. 13. These all dyed in the faith not having received the promises i. the matter of them but having seen them afar off were perswaded of them and imbraced them Though the great things promised were far off from them yet by saith and strong perswasions of the truth of them they brought them very near so that they took them in their arms and saluted them as the word in the original imports Abraham though he lived many hundred years before Christ yet he rejoyced to see his day He saw it and was glad Joh. 8.56 he could improve faith and promises to as much comfort and joy of heart as old Simeon did the very taking him up in his arms it applies it self I remember what Jacob when he lay upon his death-bed said to his son Joseph Gen. 48.21 Behold I dye but God shall be with you and bring you to the land of your fathers Thus when thou liest upon thy last bed thy children and friends coming with blubber'd cheeks and heavy hearts to take their leaves of thee thou mayest tell them Behold I dye but this is the support and comfort of my heart God shall be with you God will let you see the good dayes he hath spoken of in his word even from generation to generation I dye and must never see the glory of Jesus Christ in his Churches upon earth yet Posterity shall see it the Saints of God in after-ages shall enjoy the comforts the blessednesse of it and that 's life to me in the midst of death I rejoyce in that and glory in that with joy unspeakable FINIS Reader I Would have thee rest thy heart assured of this That the 21 22 Chapters of the Revelations are a Description of a State of a Church here below yet in allusion to Heaven Amongst many reasons which might be given for it take these three 1. It is called the New Ierusalem coming down from God out of Heaven And behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them chap. 21.2 3. The Church triumphant is taken up from the earth into heaven and the spirits of just men made perfect may more properly be said to dwell with God then God with them 1 Thess 4. Then shall we for ever be with the Lord. 2. It 's said the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it v. 24. Into the Church of Christ on earth for the further completing of the Churches happinesse We all know the glory and honour of earthly Kings is of no esteem in heaven can adde nothing there 3. It is said The leaves of the Tree Rev. 22.2 are for the healing of the Nations meaning the Spiritual sores and wounds of hte Nations But surely there are in Heaven it self neither whole Nations nor persons that stand in need of any healing whatsoever VVherefore it may safely be concluded the 21. and part of the 22 Chap. of that Book are a Description in high expressions and metaphors of the State of a Church here upon Earth E. H. * Thursday Lectures at Horsham in the county of Sussex * Ann. Christi 66. Ann. Neronis 11. In this as also in many other Prophesies Evangelical matters are clad with legal and old terms * Though under Legall terms * Some judgment or destruction that all must acknowledge to be from God
the seed of Gods people they have lain a great while under the clods as if they had been lost or quite dead but God hath a day wherein his seed shall spring up into a harvest of joy and all that see them shall acknowledge they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed as it is Isa 61.9 Thirdly after these the residue of the Nations shall be the Lords Zach. 8.22 23. Many and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hoasts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. And in those dayes it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you That which was done Act. 2. will not agree to this Text for we do not read of many and strong Nations coming in then You will say how can many and strong Nations come in to Jerusalem at any time Doubtless it will be by Agents or Messengers according to Zach. 7.2 3. when the Jews shall send forth their Emissaries into all Lands to Preach Christ to them there shall go a great blessing a mighty power of the Spirit along that the hearts of the Nations generally shall be mightily taken with them and there shall be certain men out of every Nation and Language authorized to take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew and say we will go up to Jerusalem with you for God and Christ are with you to have the most exact and perfect Directory that we and our whole Nation may worship God aright Once Christ in his Rule and Government was kept within the narrow bounds of Jury then he stretched forth the arms of his power over the Gentiles first the Eastern then the Western Churches but the day is coming wherein he will lift up a Scepter over all the Nations of the world Dan. 7.14 There was given him Dominion Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him He reigns a glorious King indeed that is King of all Kings of all Kingdoms Nations in the Earth Sixthly Christ will then given his People more purity and power of Ordinances then ever the Churches did enjoy Take me I pray you in my own sense Ordinances as they came from the Apostles themselves were pure perfect because they were the immediate inspirations or breathings of the Holy Ghost but consider them in the hands of divers others and in the hands of succeeding Officers and Churches and what Errors yea damnable Doctrines were there presently found amongst them Which increased daily grew worse and worse till at last there came out of the womb of them the great Antichrist But when Christ shall set up this Kingdom whereof we speak there shall be no danger by any gross Errors or seduction by false Teachers Isa 30.25 26. There shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the Towers fall Moreover the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his People and healeth the stroke of their wound These rivers and streams of Ordinances shall break forth in all the Churches in the day of the great slaughter and when the Towers fall i. e. when the Pope and towring Kings shall be brought down Rev. 19 17. to 21. There shall be this wonderfull increase of Gospel-light when God shall heal that spiritual wound the poor Jew lies so sick of to this day when he shall bind up the breach that is between the ten and the two Tribes making them one in faith and love Rev. 22.1 He shewed a pure river of water of life clear as Chrystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Romish Ordinances were the blood of a dead man but the Ordinances of Christs Kingdom shall be a river of life most clear and pure ver 2. In the midst of the street of it and of either side the River was there the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every moneth and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations Christ in his Ordinances will be a wonderfull tree of life bearing both all plenty and all variety of fruits free and open for every one to pluck and feed upon a healing vertue there is in the very leaves thereof the most outward parts of Ordinances will have saving efficacie upon mens hearts God will then send forth men of eminent parts and graces Obad. ver 22. Saviours shall come up on Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords In the day when the Lord shall take the Kingdom to himself there shall be Saviours raised up upon Mount Sion in the Margent of your Bibles you have a parallel place put 1 Tim. 4.16 Save the self and those that hear thee q.d. be a Saviour to thy self others Obadiah cals the then-Ministers of the Gospel Saviours because their Gospel-dispensations shall be in the holiness power of the great Saviour of men the Lord Jesus Christ And there will be the most zealous and impartial exercise of Church-discipline that ever was to keep out to purge out both the prophane and the erroneous for which take two or three Scriptures Rev. 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into it i. e. into the holy City which comes down from God out of Heaven any thing that desileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs book of life Not but that doubtless there will be hypocrites in the Church but they shall be so close they shall so artificially paint and varnish themselves over with seeming holiness that they may very well be taken in the judgement of charity for such whose names are written in the Lambs book of life but if once they appear to be defilers of themselves or others any kinde of way nay if they be but catched in lying if such offer themselves they shall not enter shall not be received if they be got in they shall quickly be sent packing again Zach. 13 1. In that day when there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem because of him whom they had pierced Chap. 12.10 11. There shall be a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness i. e. abundant streams not only of Doctrine and Worship but also of Discipline for it follows That Idols and false Prophets shall be cut off ver 2. And if any one continue to Prophesie or Preach lyes even his Father and Mother that begat him shall cause him to be thrust thorow with the sword of the Spirit or Church-censure such zeal and impartiality will there be
THE Rise Growth and Fall OF ANTICHRIST Together with The Reign of CHRIST By Edw. Haughton Minister LONDON Printed by R.W. for Francis Tyton and are to be sold at his Shop at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet near the Inner-Temple Gate 1652. HAving perused this Discourse concerning the Rise Growth and Fall of Antichrist together with the much desired and waited-for succession of the Reighn of our Lord Jesus Christ I conceive the publication of it in Print very usefull and seasonable for these Times both to settle the minds of some about the Great Motions and Changes through the wonderfull Providences of God lately made among us and to stirre up the spirits of all to higher actings and more earnest prayers towards the accomplishment of that more glorious Change Octob. 10. 1651. Ioseph Caryl To the Reader IF thou art learned and studious in Divine things these Country-pieces were not intended for thee That they now appear in the Light must be ascribed to that commonly pretended but trully in this no so Midwife of Friend-Sollicitations drawing me much beyond my first Purposes who hearing them preached were at a stand as if so be some new and strange things had been brought to their ears such is the darkness of these parts in the great things Christ is about to do but freely and frequently confessed they brought the evidence of truth and certainty in their very foreheads and so divers of them grew impatient to feed also their eye with them that whetting them upon their spirits by study and meditation they might come more fully to understand these ways of God and grand Designs Christ hath in hand Here thou hast the Picture of the Pope Rampant I would it were more in the hearts and mouths of the People that he is the great Antichrist his strange but certain ruin and the application of both Thou hast a Discourse engraffed concerning Kings the Subject fairly leading to it particularly of the last Race of the English Monarchs and upon what account the late Charls fell these VVars on foot being indeed part of the Battel you read of in the 16. and 19. chapters of the Revelations I say the begun quarrel between Christ and Antichrist and that he with his Armies fell as the Popes second Howbeit they neither did nor yet do think so the Devil having put other glosses and interpretations upon things I pray God open mens eyes more generally to see into the devices and depths of Satans delusions in playing his game A Tract also of the so much talked-of desired Kingdom of our Lord some oppose it by forcing the streams of Prophesies to run in other channels thereby sufficiently discovering both their wilfull blindness for they say they see and dis-affectation to Christ and Holiness which God will build up and establish upon the ruins of the Man of Sins Kingdom Therefore I thought I had not done my VVork till I had spoken something to that also enough only to provoke abler VVits and Pens Aud now if thou shalt make by these my Labours any addition to the Stature of thy Knowledge Zeal Resolution of contending for the Faith delivered to the Saints and Kingdom of our Lord agaist the Common Enemy as thou 'lt answer it another day banish me out of thy thoughts in giving Glory to Him who sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb. These two things are enough for me 1. That a few Saints confessed their bowels refreshed by them yet nothing thence is due to me 2. That I have the clear Testimony of my Conscience in this undertaking both in the Preaching and Publishing I had no Designe above or equal to this the Advancement of Christ and his Kingdom in the VVorld 't is the constant breathing of his Spirit at the Throne of Grace who is Thine E. H. TO MY Godly learned and reverend Friend Mr. Edw. Haughton Upon his Book called The Rise Growth and Fall of Antichrist With the Reign of Christ SEe see what desolation now appeares In many Countries mourn and shed thy teares O wretched Rome thou blind and bloody place For thy foundations God intends to race What mean the Wars of England and the fall Of Kingly Lordly and Episcopal Power I pr'e thee see what alterations Are lately made in three adjacent Nations Read Stories both Prophane and Scriptural Thou shalt not find such Conquests in them all As GOD hath given to his Servants here Canst thou know this and not be fill'd with feare Surely this Cup of Trembling maketh haste Vnto thy palace thou O Pope must tasaste The dregs of Gods displeasure Thou hast slain The Saints of Christ and this will cause thy pain That we may sing for joy now Babylon Is like to mourn let 's often look upon This Book of Comfort for it doth contein Antichrists Ruine and Christs Gospel-Reign Randolph Yearwood Carmina quaedam Latine De opere Autoris optatissimo PErdite Papa precor quo vades nonne coronane Christus habet nunc est Romaruina tua Descendit regnum Domini nunc omnipotentis In terram praese flectet omne genu Christe venito veni sic Spiritus orat omnes Sancti cum toto corde precantur Ego Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dico Randolphus Yearwood THE Rise Growth Fall OF Antichrist c. 2 Thes 2.3 That day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the Son of Perdition THe Devil transforming himself into an Angel light brought some into the Church of the The ssulonians who taught the day of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was just at hand would take them in the flesh This shakes their hearts exceedingly that they are in danger of denying and casting off the whole fath of Christ Now for the clearing up of their understanding in the point their confirmation in the Doctrine and work of Christianity the Apostle doth beseech them as brethren yea adjure them by the comming of Christ and their appearance before him to receive rewards of glory that they would not be shaken in their minds or troubled at the Doctrine broach'd amongst them what plausible pretences soever they had for it though they pretended the spirt for many false spirits are gone out into the World whereof this is one though they pretend the Word i. e. that we have imparted this Doctrine privately to them by word of mouth as if it were an Apostolical tradition No nor yet though they shew you a letter for it as from us believe it not t is a forgery Thus the Apostle plucks up every foundation-stone those false teachers could possibly buid upon Spirit Word Epistle though they offer to confirm their Doctrine by any or all these wayes or testimonies yet be not deceived by any wile by any means be not moved or troubled at it 't is all false And to his assertions and exhortations hee adds as a back of steel a strong convincing argument taken from Gods
Prophesie But they who shall be so far honoured and blessed of God to be called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb as the expression is Rev. 19. to see this Kingdome drawn forth in all the just parts and lineaments of it set up to the height of its greatnesse and glory I say the least of them will be greater then John the Baptist my meaning is will be far more able to preach forth the excellencies of that Kingdome in all the dimensions of it then were those who were spectators of Jesus Christ when he was but at work upon it Therefore Reader I say again since you ought in reason let it answer your expectation if I set before you only some unpolisht draughts of it The Church of God will have more knowledge of this businesse ere it be long Dan. 12.4 Shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased The context rightly under stood clearly gives it thus That when the time of Antichrists reign and the Jews captivity shall draw towards an end men and matters will be hurried to and fro there will be great stirs in the world but then the sealed Book will be opened the knowledge of the Popes ruine calling of the Jewes the starry lustre of Christs kingdome will break forth increase and shine more and more unto the perfect day Which is the daily and fervent prayer of Your true Friend and Servant in the Lord E. H. The Reign of CHRIST Rev. 19.6 The Lord God Omnipotent raigneth THe four and twenty Elders we read of ver 4. are the Representative of the Church of Iews and Gentiles arising out of twelve Patriarks and twelve Apostles The four Beasts there also mentioned are the Ministerial Embleme who are elswhere said to have the face of a Lion of an Oxe of a Man and of an Eagle that by their special courage laboriousnesse wisdome speed the work of Jesus Christ in its time might be effectually carried on in the four parts of the world These four Beasts and four and twenty Elders something they do and something they say that which they did was this they fell down and worshipped him which sate upon the throne that which they said was Amen Allelujah be it even so as God hath done and praise and honour and glory be given to God Two grounds they lay down for this their posture and carriage the first this that he had judged the great Whore which did corrupt the earth he had pull'd down Babylon the second this he had set up himself as 't is in the text The Lord God omnipotent reigneth There needs but little explanation of the words The Lord God that is the Lord Christ for Christ is truly God 1 Joh. 5.20 This is the true God as might abundantly out of other Scriptures be proved yea the next word makes it good an incommunicable Attribute is given to him Omnipotent the Lord God omnipotent he is elsewhere called the mighty God Isa 9.6 which is of no lesse import then Almighty or Omnipotent Reigneth i. he is King Why was he not King before yes but not so as he is now now he reigns to some purpose The words thus opened and relatively taken afford us this point Vpon the breaking to peeces of the Church of Rome the Lord Christ will reigne and King it so as he never did in the world before Christ hath reigned from everlasting by Gods decree he hath reigned actually since mans fall he hath reigned eminently since his ascension and mission of the Holy Ghost but he will reigne gloriously upon the expiration of the reign of Antichrist The wonderfulnesse of this Kingdome we speak of appears to us many wayes First from those Scripture-epithites and adjuncts of him and his then-government In the very text the Lord God omnipotent reigns Omnipotent such a rule and government shall be set up that all shall be convinced and say Nothing under nothing lesse then the Omnipotencie of the Lord Christ could set it up Rev. 11.17 Thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned then Christs great power will be seen in his reigning Isa 24.23 Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in mount Sion and in Ierusalem and before his Ancients gloriously You remember what I have spoken to the immediately preceding verses there is the great Earthquake v. 18 19 20. see Rev. 16 18. the ruine of the Kings of the earth and of the whole world v. 21. see Rev 16 14.16 the visiting and calling forth of the imprisoned Jews v. 22. the reigne of the kingdome of Jesus Christ v. 23. Take Sun and Moon how you will Politically for the supreme powers of the Nations or literally for the great lights of heaven the Sun and Moon will be ashamed of themselves and confounded as not being the greatest glories and admirations of the world When his Ancients the Jewes shall be fully brought in Christ will reign so gloriously as shall cast shame and darknes into the face of Sun and Moon If you say this Scripture hath been at any time fulfilled I will not deny it but affirm this that a prophesie may have a gradual fulfilling Jer. 31.15 A voice of an old Grandmother raised out of her grave was heard in Ramah lamentation and bitter weeping Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted because they were not This was fulfilled when Israel went captives into Babylon which will be undeniably clear if you read on to the 22 verse and yet when Herod kill'd the children upon his search after him that was born King of the Jewes Mat. 2.17 18. then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet saying In Ramah was a voice heard lamentation c. If Isaias prophesie of Christs reigning before his Ancients hath been at any time fulfilled much more will it be fulfilled in the day may Text points at then it will be fulfilled to the uttermost fulfilled gloriously you see 't is epithited A glorious reign Secondly Christ his then-mannagement of affairs the Holy Ghost sets it forth in such high language to answer the reality of the Kingdom as hath deceived many thousands as if it should be a glorious personal raign 2 Thes 2.8 Then shall the wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming The Lord hath two wayes to bring down Antichrist First He consumes him by the spirit of his mouth i. e. by the ministry of the Word ever since Luther the Pope hath been in a Consumption you might see it in his face The second is by his own coming the brightness of his coming some take it for a personal appearance to give him his deaths wound Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which peirced him and all
as to the end of the World an eternal excellency i. e. an excellency while the World stands according to Dans. 2.44 In the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people but shall stand for ever Dan 7.14 His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed But you le say how can this be reconciled with that Rev. 20.7 8 9. When the thousand shall be expired Satan shall be loosed out of prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battell the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the Saints about and the beloved City hoping to make an end of them at once that the world might be troubled with them no more Where is the glorious Kingdom of Christ at this time shall it not be even broken and lost I answer 1. 'T is nowhere said Christs Reign in the height of its excellencie and utmost amplitude or extent of it should be everlasting we do not anywhere read that 2. A people Christ will have all the Saints will be his and be they never so few he may truly be said to rule in and over the kingdome of the Saints Earthly and worldly kingdoms may but none of the Spiritual kingdome made up of Saints ever was or ever will be taken from him 3. Thought the Devil turned loose deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth yet I do believe Christ will hold his own in the nation of the Jewes Isa 60.20 21 Thy sun shall no more go down neither shall thy moon withdraw herself for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Thy people shall be all righteous generally righteous they shall inherit the land for ever Isa 59.20 21. The Redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord as for me this is my covenant with them my Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of them mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth even for ever To convince you that this place is properly alleaged for this purpose see Rom. 11. where all confesse the Apostle purposely sets himselfe to treat concerning the calling of the Jews v. 25. sayes he Blindnesse in part is happened to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written Isa 59.20 There shall come out of Sion the Diliverer and shall turn away ungodlinesse from Jacob. And sayes God when I shall make this good unto them I will bind my self to them by covenant that my Spirit which I shall put upon them my word which I shall put into their hearts and mouth shall not depart from them nor from their seed nor from their seeds seed while the world stands I say surely the people of the Jewes when once they are brought in to Christ again they 'l not forsake him any more for ever which will be enough to make Christ a visible kingdome upon earth And when all the powers and policies of the world are united in this designed of compassing and so destroying the holy City Christ will not suffer his Scepter to be wrested out of his hand nor the visibility of his kingdome and dominion to faile and therefore fire comes down from God out of heaven and destroys them Rev. 20.9 whereupon the glory of this Church and Kingdome will revive and flourish again and thus his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed When we speak of the great and glorious Rule and Kingdome of Christ over the generality of nations peoples and languages as here we do of this we say only it shall last a long time it shall continue a thousand years it shall be the joy of many generations You see the Point I doubt not to say it is a sure and impregnable truth viz. Vpon the breaking to peeces of the Church to Rome the Lord Christ will reign and King it so so gloriously as he never did in the world before Vse 1. For application thus But little cause have all Gods people to let their hearts be sadded when they see the famous Governments and Grandeour of this World broken to peeces and laid in the dust Did they rightly understand their true interest it would no more trouble them then the pulling down of an old rotten smoaky cottage doth any man that a strong stately house may be set up for him in its room It God throw down the powers the greatnesse of the kingdoms of men it is that he may bring in the place thereof the power and greatnesse of the kingdom of his Son T is storied when the War began in Germany ann 1619. that a great Brasse-image of S. Peter that had Tu es Petrus super te adificabo ecclesiam meam engraven upon it standing in S. Peters Church at Rome a great and massie sone fell down upon it and so shattered it to peeces that not any word or syllable of that sentences was legible but only these Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build may Church Certainly out of these Wars that are now on foot as I touched in the close of the last point out of the ruines and ashes that shall be made he will bring forth the most glorious Kingdom and frame of Government that ever the World saw Carnal Reason may say 't is pitty that such persons such families such constitutions should be shaken to pieces but I speak to those who profess to live by a principle above Carnal Reason above flesh and blood to you that profess your selves born of God Members of Christ Subjects of his Kingdom that profess 't is your everlasting joy to see the Crown set upon the head of Jesus Christ T is a hard Riddle to me that it should at all go to your hearts to see great but barren Mountains cast into the Sea that so the way may be made plain for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and for his Kingdom Vse 2. The second thus It were to be wished that every one would set themselves upon the stretch to hasten to bring on this Kingdom Set up that Kingdom in thy self which comes not with observation as our Saviour speaks that Kingdom which consists in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 Let Christ his Truth and Worship rule in thee and over thee Lay down thy self thy name thy estate thy All at the