his evill way and so on Neverthelesse they would not heare me saith the Lord but have provoked me to anger to their owne hurt therefore saith the Lord of Hosts because ye have not heard my words I will doe so and so unto you Here in this text there are very sad and heavy judgements and very great and dolerous calamities threaten'd against brought upon Judah and Jerusalem Gods owne people But then marke what follows in the 15. Vers For thus hath the Lord God of Israel spoken unto me take the cup of wine of mine indignation at mine hand and cause all the Nations to whome I send thee to drinke it and they shall drinke and be moved and be madd because of the Sword that I will send among them It is true it followes in the 18. Vers That Jerusalem must drinke of the cup and the Citties of Judah and the Kings and Princes thereof But Pharaoh â—ing of Aegypt and his Servants and Princes and all his people must pledge them And all sorts of people and all the Kings of the Land of Uz and all the Kings of the Land of the Philistims and Ashkelon and Azzah and Ekron and the Remnant of Ashdod Edom and Moab and the Ammonites and all the Kings of the North far and neare and all the Kingdomes of the World which are upon the earth Therefore say thou unto them thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel drinke and be drunken and spew and fall and rise no more because of the Sword which I will send among you But if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drinke then tell them Thus saith the Lord of Hosts you shall certainly drinke for lo I begun to plague the Citty where my name is called up on and should you goe free you shall not goe unpunished for I will call for a Sword upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth Now let the wise judge if the people of the Lord who are a Citty of Citizens who have and doe call upon the Name of God thorow all ages have beene wasted by Warr and the temporall Sword as both Scripture and other Histories doe affirme And in particuler the Waldenses and Albingenses the Germans and Rochellians the Irish and English and many others certainly there is yet a world of Heathens and Papists who shall have blood to drinke Truely for my own part I tremble to thinke of that which I thinke the sword of the Lord will doe up and downe in the VVorld now in a short time and yet in reference to some events which will certainly follow I doe desire to rejoyce But to goe on with the Prophets worke Therefore Prophecy thou against them all these words and say unto them the Lord shall roare from above and thrust our his voyce from his holy habitation he shall roare upon his habitation and cry abroad as they that presse the Grapes against all the inhabitants of the Earth the sound shall come to the ends of the Earth for the Lord hath a controversy with the Nations and will enter into judgement with all Flesh and he will give them that are wicked to the Sword Thus saith the Lord of Hosts behold a plague shall goe forth from Nation to Nation and a great whirlewind shall be raysed up from the Coasts of the Earth and the slaine of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the Earth even unto the other And it is observable that it is the wicked who are in speciall given up to perish by the sword let all the ungodly in the World of what Religion soever they seeme to be of thinke of this I will suggest but one Scripture more to this purpose and then apply in a particular way it is the 24. of Isa Behold the Lord maketh the Earth empty and he maketh it wast he turneth it upsidowne and scattereth abroad the Inhabitants thereof the Earth lamenteth and fadeth away the World is feebl'd and decayed the proud people of the Earth are weakned feare and the Pit and the snare are upon thee O Inhabitant of the Earth and he that fleeth from the noyse of the feare shall fall into the Pit and he that commeth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare for the VVindowes from on high are open and the Foundations of the Earth doe shake the Earth is utterly broken downe the Earth is cleane dissolved the Earth is moved exceedingly the Earth shall reele two and fro like a drunken man it shall be removed like a Tent and the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it so that it shall fall and rise no more The Earth shall never be in such a posture againe as it was in before and in that day shall the Lord visit the Host above that is on high even the Kings of the World that are upon the Earth And now I should come to apply against Heathens and Papists in a particular way but that me thinks I heare some say that all this is old Testament and is already veryfied and fullfilled upon the times and People which are past and therefore doth not relate to these times I Answ The Old Testament is the sacred word of the Eternall God and it indures for ever is it not a Prophecy and a Foundation of the New And is not the New Testament a veryfying and a fulfilling of the Old were they not both for substance brought forth together as it were like two glorious twins flowing from the gracious Bowels and infinite wisdome of God who is from everlasting to everlasting God over all blessed for evermore and whatsoever things were written aforetime were they not written for our learning Surely the everlasting God is now in these our times a fullfilling many of his words which are written in that Old Booke of his which is called The Old Testament The Lord our God is now a performing much of his worke upon Earth Christians should now be much at worke in Heaven by Prayer and upon Earth by Observation that so they might magnifie God in his works which are great and sought out of those which love them unworthy are they which do'nt in such a time as this is plentifully eye God in the glorious goings of his holy Providence who is now risen like a Giant refreshed with VVine to helpe the meeke of the Earth and is now making it appeare that his Excellent Majesty judgeth in the Earth and that there is a reward to be given on Earth to them which truely feare his Holy Name This is our God we have waited for him and he will save us O England England what is the God of Heaven doing in thee what is the Lord of the Earth doing for thee O England strive against thy heart and tongue-Divisions lay asside thy carnall plea for self-interests cease from thy reproachings bite not thy Children neither slander thy Mothers Sons 't is sad to thinke of this that Christians doe manifest a
kind of delight in opposing and in disgraceing of one another tell not this in Gath publish it not in the Streets of Ashkelon least the Daughters of the Philistims rejoyce least the Daughters of the Uncircumcised triumph rather then doe thus labour to stirre up the Gift of God which is in thee pray repent reforme beleeve waite he that is thine helper will not forsake nor faile thee for he is a present helpe in time of need the Lord of Hosts is his name the God of Jacob is thy refuge fight couragiously if need require the God of Victory is on thy side who is God and will be exalted among the Heathen and among the Papists and among all the Enemies of this Reformation and they shall know that they are but men But I am gone a little two farr from the thing in hand I doe not deny this but that there is much of the Scripture already fulfilled in this and in other respects yet I thinke they are not fully verified and fulfilled as for men times and Nations they may be bound they have beene so but the word of God is not bound as the Apostle in another case speaks it is a truth that there shall not onely be Warrs in the dayes and times of the Gospell but there shall be Warrs and rumours of VVarrs and Nation shall rise against Nation and Realme against Realme I shall not long detaine my selfe from what I intend I shall but consider and compare a few Scriptures and presently come to that I have promised the Scriptures are these Isa 21. and Isa 47. Jer. 50. and 51. Chap. 17. 18. Rev. Behold this mans Chariot commeth with two Horsmen and he answered and said Babell is fallen it is fallen and all the Images of her Gods hath he broken unto the ground I was wroth with my People I have polluted mine Inheritance and given them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy O Antichrist remember this but thon didst lay thy very heavie yoke upon the ancient and thou saidst I shall be a Lady for ever so that thou didst not set thy mind to these things neither didst thou remember the latter end thereof therefore now heare thou that art given to pleasures and dwellest carelesse she sayth in her heart I am and none else I shall not sit as a Widdow neither shall know the losse of Children but these two things shall come to thee suddenly on one day the losse of Children and Widdow-hood they shall come upon thee in their perfection so on to the end of the 17. of Isa the 50. 51. chapters of Jer. Almost through out a cry of Battail is in the Land and of great destruction how is the Hammer of the whole World destroyed and broken How is Babell become desolate among the Nations I have snared thee and thou art taken O Babell and thou wast not aware thou art found and also caught because thou hast striven against the Lord the Lord hath opened his treasures and hath brought forth the Weapons of his wrath for this is the worke of the Lord God of Hosts come against her from the uttermost border open her storehouses tread on her as on Sheaves and destroy her utterly let nothing of her be left destroy all her Bullocks let them goe downe to the slaughter Woe unto them for their day is come and the time of their visitation Agreeable to these Scriptures is that of the 18. of the Revelation which is New Testament And he cryed out mightily with a loud voice saying it is fallen Babylon the great Citty and is become the Habitation of Devills her sins are come up to Heaven and God remembred her iniquities in as much as she glorified her selfe and lived in pleasures so much give yee to her torment sorrow for she sayth in her heart I sit being a Queene and am no Widdow and shall see no moruning therefore shall plagues come in one day death and sorrow and famine and shee shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which will condemne her 'T was Babylon in the Old Testament 't is Babylon in the New Testament the one called Easterne the other called Westerne Babylon the which is Rome called Babylon a Mystery great Babylon the mother of Whoredomes Rev. 17.5 The Easterne Babylon is destroyed God did destroy it by a temporall VVarr because Babylon would shew the People of God no mercy the westerne Babylon which is Rome and those which it comprehends is and must be destroyed because they neyther have nor will shew the People of God any mercy they are in the purpose of God and must be in reference to an eternall and visible accomplishment in the sight of men and times it seems God will destroy under this name or notion see or read to this purpose Master Brightman upon the Revelation Master Dent upon the Revelation Master Perkins in his Reformed Catholick p. 3. Doctor Taylor in his Booke Dedicated to The Honourable House of Commons Assembled in Parliament in the Yeare 1624. In which Booke there is this passage at the latter end of one of his Sermons say they were warned and called out but now cannot be eyther pittyed or helped As Lots Cosins though they made a merriment of Lots admonition yet they saw the Lord in earnest and then too late wished they had departed according to the voyce of the Lord. But now God will not and Lot cannot help them neither can they shift themselves out of the fire when the dreadfull shower falleth doe thou sit out the summons at thy perill but one of the two thou must choose eyther thou must goe out of Babylon or goe into her destruction And now I come to that which I call produceing and applying of Scripture as it doth most evidently and certainly threaten ruine and destruction to the generality of Heathens and Papists in this present VVorld by the Sword and temporall Warr severally and in a particular respect I now proceede and apply against Antichristian Papists though I named Heathens first and in my conceite the second Chapter of the Prophecy of Habukkuk doth speake clearely and fully to that seat of iniquity that cursing and that cursed Antichrist that great than of sin the Pope and Popes of Rome and their professed Adherents I shall as I have begun cite this Scripture Behold he that lifteth up himselfe his mind is not upright in him yea indeed the proud man is as he that transgreffeth by VVine therefore shall he not endure because he hath enlarged his desire as the Hell and is as death and canâ—ot be satisfied but gathereth unto him all Nations and heapeth unto him all People Now who but the Pope and Popes of Rome hath done thus especially in both respects I meane spiritualy as well as temporally See a place in the New Testament 2 Thess 2. Let no man deceive you by any meanes for that day shall not come except there come a
each stake Next to this there is mention made of threescore women who were brought to the Rack by the Fathers of the Popes inquisition who all perished by their horrible cruelty In the History of the Albingenses there is mention made of one hundred and forty men and women who because they refused to submit to the Church of Rome were all of them throwne into a fire at one time and burnt to death by the Earle Simon and the Popes Legat. These few instances fell in by the way there is enough upon record to prove that Antichristian Papists have beene the most bloudiest and the most devouringst Woolves that have had a being upon this Earth therefore for my part I beleive the Lord God will punish this Romish Babylon and will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up and the Nations shall not flow together any more unto him yea the Wall of Babylon shall fall and the dayes are come in which God will doe judgement upon the Graven Images of Babylon and her whole Land shall be confounded and all her slaine shall fall in the middest of her I have now done with Papists only I wish to as many of them as doe belong to the election of grace a visible repentance from sin and Idolatry an actuall faith in the true Scripture 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God a holy and a harmlesse life and preservation to their bodies from that Warr and from that destroying Sword which is already occasionally drawne and will be extended to and excercised upon the generallity of willfull stubborne and obstinate Papists all the world over I call it an occationall Sword in a twofold respect First the Papists by committing more sins then I am able to mention and greater sins then I know how to paint out have justly occasioned God to bring the Sword of warr upon them and they have occasioned you I may say inforced the Saints I doe not say to bring Warre upon them but in their owne just defence to maintaine a Warr against them They the Antichristian Papists I meane have beene many hundreds of yeares raising and acting of most cruell and bloudy Warrs upon the people of God called Protestants of late yeares they have made long furrows upon their backs in the parts of Germany in France in Ireland in England for they have beene the hatchers of all these Warrs and they have beene the maine actors of them too and they will continue to raise and to act warr in Ireland in France and it may be in Scotland too they will never end their warr till warr hath ended them or at least their power they will continue their malicious endeavours to destroy the true Church of Christ upon this Earth by warr in that faggot and fire hath now failed them the which God hath made a defensive Citty an Iron pillar and Brazen wall against them and they shall fight against it but they shall not prevaile against in Jer. 1.18.19 for the Lord of Hosts is with his Church to deliver it from the power of every destroying enemy as well temporall as spirituall ones and the Church of Christ shall be upon this Earth in the appointed time as a Citty sought out and not forsaken for glorious things are spoken of thee o thou Citty of God One word more and I have done let all those Papists take notice of this which doe harbour in them the same mind which ha's beene in their Fathers who have not onely by Warr for a long time destroyed the true Members of Christ but by most exquisit and incredible torments as well in prisons and Caves of the Earth as upon Scaffolds and at Stakes have most barbarously and most unhumanly murthered the Saints of Christ see Master Wadsworths booke to this purpose I say seeing that you the seed of those evill doers have now called us into the Field who doe professe our selves friends and Servants to Jesus Christ whom you have mocked and Brethren to those his Servants whom you have cruelly murthered I say take notice of this that you are like to find as much gallantry as you have acted cruelty 〈◊〉 know will fight but we professe to fight faiâ—â— whether it be in Ireland or elsewhere therefore now you brave English spirits shew your selves gallant still ' for the Sword must doe great things according to that which Master Brightman hath sayd that the time shall come when disputing by the pen should cease and that the Sword should end the controversy between the Papists and the Protestants I beleeve this time is now come and be you assured of these things that as these Antichristian Papists shall make Warr with the Lamb so the Lamb shall over come them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull Rev. 17.14 One word to those amongst them that truely feare God thus saith the Lord My people goe out of the middest of her and deliver yee every man his soule from the fierce wrath of the Lord least your heart even faint and yee feare the rumour that shall be heard in the Land a rumour shall come one yeare and after that in another yeare shall come a rumour and violence in the Land Ruler against Ruler Jer. 51. and 45.46 And I heard another voyce from heaven say Goe out of her my people that yee be not pertakers in her sins and that yee receive not of her plagues Rev. 18.4 I now come according to my promise to produce and apply Scripture against the Heathens of these times I desire what I said at my beginning may be remembred that is that I have in some respect spoken to these already and therefore now I shall no◠〈◊〉 much to them onely I shall take notice that there is a very great people now in being upon this Earth who are professed enemies to the Lord Jesus Christ and that these are distinct from Papists and that they have beene and still are great Oppressors of the people that profes Jesus Christ and his Gospell and that the power and pride of these Heathens shall be brought downe by the temporall Sword in these latter dayes and that then they shall become the Inheritance of Jesus Christ to whome God the Father will give the Heathens of these times unto for an Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth to him for his possession by the way I confesse that I am little or nothing seene in the knowledge of the Histories of times neither am I so much in consultation with them as with the God of times I know but very little either of the past or present State of forraigne Countries nor of the externall causes nor humane reasons of the severall new framings and mouldings of those Nations in the remore parts of the Earth nor of those severall new constitutions into which they have in severall peeces of time beene put into by the overruling
and all-disposing hand of the great God of Heaven who is the Lord of the Earth and doth whatever he will both in Heaven and Earth and will doe what he hath promised to doe and likewise what he hath threatened to doe it is true the vision is for an appointed time it shall speake and not lye this time is certainly come yea the set time is come and God is now manifesting of himselfe by theexcercise of the temporall Sword to Nations Families and to particular persons I confesse as I said even now that from a want of the knowledge of such things as I have made mention of I remaine unable in some respects to steere a course suitable to the apprehensions which I have of the present face and appearance of things when I thinke of them according to the glorious word and unfathomd workings of the great and mighty God who is in his judgements unsearchable and in his wayes past finding out 't is true the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath acted his great works and made his almighty power to appeare in all ages in which he hath beene wonderfull in his doings towards the Sonnes and Daughters of men and that in reference to the setting up and casting downe of Nations and people in and by the excercise of War and the temporall Sword but yet I verily thinke I speake with submission that the Lord is now a doing and a bringing to pass such a peece of work by the excercise of temporall warr at this time as there hath not in the world yet appeared the like in reference to all events notwithstanding mens Opinions to the contrary for my part if in this I erer 't is for no bye end this is the thing I observe First the blood of many thousands in severall ages who have truely feared God hath beene shed by the cruelty of the Nations now 't is very cleare to me that the Lord will never give up his people to such a dreadfull cruelty that they should destroy people in cold blood as we say as they have beene even multitudes of them destroyed some have beene burnt to death others Racked and so by diverse other exquisit torments they have beene murthered Secondly 't is as cleare to me that the Lord will by the hand of his people make inquisition for blood and that by the same hand will avenge the blood of his Saints whose blood hath beene shed by the Nations therefore Nations shall be dealt withall by the Sword of temporall warr the Nations have in a private Murtherous way made themselves drunke with the blood of Gods Saints the Lord will deale with the Nations in a publick way he will make his Arrowes drunke with the blood of his and his Peoples enemies and the sword of the Lord in the hands of his people shall eate the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of mighty men Rev. 19.18 Againe me thinks this is somthing to be considered of what are the Nations now a doing truely they be now a gathering themselves together what to doe To destroy if they can all the Inhabitants of Zion I meane all such as doe truely and sincerely seeke and serve the true God according to the rules of his holy word the Scriptures But to the thing in hand Now also many Nations are gathered against thee saying Zion shall be condemned and our eye shall look upon Zion but they know not the thoughts of the Lord they understand not his Counsell for he shall gather them as the sheaves in the barne Mica 4.11.12 Observe surely that dark and dismall Cloud which now hovers upon the world is like for some time to grow somwhat thicker and the storme is like to be somwhat more terrible then yet it is before these present Warrs now in excercise come to a full end the Nations are now gathering themselves together What to doe to destroy spirituall Zion they say the Church and people of God shall be condemned and they will be the Executioners but they know not the thoughts nor the purposes of the Lord they little thinke what God will doe by this their gathering together they gather and the Lord God gathers but for contrary ends they intend one thing and the Lord meanes another they an extermination of truth and true Christians God intends a preservation of both yea a great deliverence and a glorious enlargment too I speake with reverence to God who will at this time doe two works at once even use the Sword of temporall Warr with the Sword of his word and with the delivering of his people will performe the ruine of his and his peoples Enemies Behold in that time when I shall brâ—â—gagaine the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will also gather all Nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scatrered among the Nations Joel 3. Assemble your selves and come all yee Heathen and gather your selves together round about there shall the Lord cast downe the mighty man let the Heathen be weakned Observe those the enemies of God which in Scripture are sometimes called mighty are here prophetically destynated to weaknesse Let the Heathen be weakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I set to judge all the Heathen round about put in your Sithes for the Harvest is ripe come get you downe for the wine presse is full yea the winepresses run over for their wickednesse is great O multitude O multitude come into the Valley of threshing for the day of the Lord is neere in the Valley of threshing the Sunne and Moone shall be darkned and the Starrs shall withdraw their light That is as I conceive in this their day of Gods visitation they shall finde no help in Creatures neither in the Sunne the Moon nor the Starrs in and by which the Heathens of all times have beene so much led as appeares by the words of Jer. 10.2 Thus saith the Lord learne not the way of the Heathen and be not dismayed at the signes of Heaven for the Heathen are dismayed at them I have read some Authors which affirme that there are Heathens of these times who doe worship the Sunne and the Moone to whom I may speake as the Prophet speaks thou art wearied in the multitude of thy Counsells let now the Astrologers the Star-gazers the monethly Prognosticatours stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee Isa 47.13 Againe this may admit of a spirituall meaning whence we may take notice that the light of the glorious Gospell which both hath and doth shine in the World as the Moone and as the Sun shall stand them in no stead in this time of great distresse which have contemptuously banished it from them or refused to give it entertainment when the Lord in mercy hath made a tender of it unto them certainly both Papists and Heathens have done this and now the Lord God in his just judgement will shut up all light from them and darknesse shall be upon them till they perish in the same The Lord sayth the Prophet shall roare out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem Observe in those dayes and times in which the Lord God shall what his glittering Sword and shall with his hand take hold on judgement and shall execute vengeance on his enemies and reward them that hate him that then the Lord will roare from Zion then God will appeare terrible to his and his peoples enemies from and by his spirituall Zion in the excercise of temporall meanes God will thresh them with the Sword Agreeable to this is that of Mica 4. last Arise thresh O Daughter of Zion for I will make thine horne Iron and I will make thine hoofes Brasse and thou shalt breake in peice many people Jacob shall be a fire and Joseph a flame and Edom shall be as stubble Mal. 4.3 The Enemies of God have beene drunke with the blood of Gods Saints and the Lord God will make his Arrowes drunke with the blood of his enemies and his Sword in the hand of his people shall eate flesh yea and that for the blood of the slaine and of the Captives when I begin to take vengeance of the enemies Deut. 32.42 Now in this day and time the Lord God will be the hope of his people and the strength of the Children of Israel Joel 3.16 I will but suggest that of the Prophet Isa 2. and I have done certainly in such a day and time as this is it will be thus The high looke of man shall be humbled and the loftinesse of men shall be abased and the Lord onely shall be exalted in that day for the day of the Lord of Hosts is upon all the proud and hauty and upon all that is exalted and upon all the Cakes of Bashan and all the high Mountaines upon all the hills that are lifted up and upon every high Tower and upon every strong Wall and upon all the Ships of Tarshish and all pleasant Pictures and the haughtinesse of men shall be brought low and the loftinesse of men shall be abased and the Lord shall onely be exalted in that day and the Idolls will he utterly destroy then they shall goe into the holes of the Rocks and into the Caves of the Earth from before the face of the Lord and from the glory of his Majesty when he shall arise to destroy or to shake terribly the Earth FINIS
A SHARP BUT SHORT NOISE OF WARR OR The Ruine of Antichrist by the Sword of Temporall Warr Hinted Written By FRANCIS LIN And I will punish the World for their evill and the Wicked for their Iniquity and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtinesse of the terrible Isa 13.11 These shall make Warr with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them For he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull Rev. 17.14 LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons next doore to the Golden Lyon in Aldersgate-Streete 1650. A sharp but short noise of Warr Or the ruine of Antichrist by the Sword of Temporall Warre hinted THough Warre may be said to have more Fathers then one yet as a punishment to the Inhabitants of the Earth it comes from God who being displeased with and provoked by the wickednesse of a People doth many times manifest his displeasure and execute his wrath upon them by the excercise of Warr now in this respect and in reference to VVarre as a judgement comming from God all Warrs upon Earth may be called occasionall because that by the wickednesse of people God is provoked and by their sins the Lord is occasioned to bring Warr upon them and this the Lord God hath done upon three sorts of People Viz. His one people Heathens and Papists God hath inflicted Warr upon his owne People who among you shall hearken to this and take heed and heare for afterwards Who gave Jacob for a spoyle and Israel to the Robbers Did not the Lord against whom we have sinned for they would not walke in his wayes neither be obedient unto his Lawes therefore he hath powred upon him his fierce wrath and the strength of Battail Isa 42.23 Son of man when the Land sinneth against me by committing a Trespasse then will I stretch out mine hand upon it And so on to the 20. and 21. Verses Though Noah Daniel and Job were in it as I live saith the Lord God they shall deliver neither Son nor Daughter they shall but deliver their owne souls by their righteousnesse when I send my four soare Judgements of which the Sword is one which shall kill them without and in the Chambers feare both the young man and the young Woman the Suckling with the man of Gray haires I said I would scatter them abroad I would make their remembrance to cease from among men save that I feared the fury of the Enemy least their adversaries should wax proud and least they should say our high hand and not the Lord hath done all this Deut. 32.25 Thus we see that Warr is not onely threatned but hath beene in flicted upon Gods owne People when they have sinned against the Lord You onely have I knowne of all the Families of the Earth therefore I will visit you for all your Iniquties Amos. 3.2 Now by this very meanes of inflicting Warr upon a People hath the Lord brought them to Repentance The Children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight against Judah and Israel was sore distressed and then they cryed unto the Lord saying Wee have sinned against thee Jud. 10.9 10. Awake awake and stand up O England and Ireland O England and Ireland who hath drunke deepe of this cup of Gods wrath for you have drunke the dreggs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out according to that of Isa 51. 17. It followes that the Lord God both hath and will bring Warr upon Heathens But now before I come to instance in a way of proofe I desire to looke upon all these Scripture Instances which I shall make use of as recorded by the holy Ghost to remaine through all ages in full force and authority against and in Gods due time to be verified upon a Succession of the heads and members of Heathens and upon a Succession of the heads and members of Papists I shall take notice of the metaphor and of the sence of things as I goe along and shall apply my selfe to the present time and things with which I have to doe I shall shew my thoughts and refer it to others this is the perswasion of my mind and heart that the Lord God will not onely bring Warr but by Warr wil utterly destroy the beauty and power of Mahomet which hath ruled among the Turks and Heathens the beauty and power of the Pope which hath ruled amongst the Papists the beauty and power of all such of the Inhabitants of the Earth who shall in spirit Judgement and practice cleave and adhere to Heathens and Papists Let all such consider what the Lord God is now a doing and submit to providence least by Warr they be broken in peices Now there is one thing more to be hinted before I proceed in a way of proofe in the producing of Scripture precedents consisting either of Persons or Nations who may be term'd types of such who shall in the latter dayes be by temporall War ruined or destroyed according to this Scripture Behold the Tempest of the Lord goeth â—oâ—â—â—ith wrath the whirlewind that hangeth over shall light upon the head of the wicked the fierce wrath of the Lord shall not returne untill be have done and untill he have performed the intents of his heart in the latter dayes be shall understand it Jer. 22. and 23. But that which I was to doe was this I must make some distinction betweene the Types of the heads of Heathens and Papists in my producing and applying of Scripture-Texts against them the which I shall endeavour to performe by applying such Scriptures against them as I shall apprehend to be most suitable to them in a way of resemblance betweene them in the first place I shall ranke them both together and in a generall way apply such Scriptures against them as doe seeme to me to threaten the ruine of them and then I shall apply against them severally by themselves in a particular way I shall in an indifferent respect sometimes take the one for the other as there is in them comprised all those which are indeed the professed enemies of God his truth and people to this purpose and in reference to the whole Worke I shall make use of the 25. of Jerem. In which Chapter the Lord God imployes this Prophet against his owne people in the first place but in the next more mainly against the Nations and the World against his and his peoples enemies so now judgement is begun at the house of God as in Germany Ireland and England but God will make an end with his and their Enemies but to returne to the thing in hand The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all Judah in the fourth yeare which he delivered to the people the Lord sayth he Hath sent all his Servants the Prophets rising early and sending them but you would not heare nor encline your eares to obey They said turne againe now every one from
departing first and that that man of sin be disclosed or revealed even the sonne of perdition which is an adversary and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God and then shall the wicked man be revealed he shall have a visible being in and upon this Earth Who is this the Pope and Popes of Rome which is that Antichrist whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightnesse of his comming I conceive this is meant of the faithfull sincere powerfull preaching of the Gospell of Jesus Christ King of Saints who appeares by his spirit in the preaching of his word and by this glorious mean es both hath and will consume and abolish the spirituall power of that mistery of iniquity held forth by that man of sin the Popes of Rome whose comming is by the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders that this is so see Luke 10.17.18 And the seaventh returned againe with joy saying Lord even the Devills are subdued to us through thy name and he said unto them I saw Satan like lightning fall downe from Heaven See Isa 14.12 How art thou faâ—â—en from Heaven O Lucifer sonne of the morning and cut downe to the ground which didst cast lots upon the Nations yet thou saydst in thine heart I will ascend into Heaven and exalt my Throne above beside the Starrs of God I will fit also upon the Mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North. What should this meane but the Church of God upon Earth to this purpose see Rev. 18.20 Yet further I will ascend above the height of the Clouds and I will be like the most high alas poor Pope but thou shalt be brought downe to the Grave to the sides of the pit and they that see thee shall looke upon thee and consider thee saying is this the man that made the Earth to tremble and that did shake the Kingdomes if this 14. of Isa doe as happily it may relate to some perticular King of the Nations yet surely withall it doth relate to a succession of Popes concerning whom it may be said the Lord hath broken the rod of the wicked and the Scepter of the Rulers Observe according to this account that a succession of Antichrists are held forth sometimes in Scripture under the notion or forme of a man Observe that this man is very like to and is compared with Satan the Devill observe that this Devill-like-man or manlike Devill Antichrist the Popes of Rome who did not onely aspire but did get into high places and did attaine so great preferment in the Church of God upon Earth and in the Church did take it upon him as if he had beene God and in this respect had built his nest as high as Heaven in his owne vayne conceite from whence the Lord God will fetch him downe with a VVitnesse his spirituall power by spirituall meanes and his civill and temporall power by civill and temporall meanes to this purpose see Hab. 2.6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him and a tanting Proverbe against him and say Ho he that encreaseth that which is not his how long and he that ladeth himselfe with the thick Clay shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall stirre thee and thou shalt be their prey because thou hast spoyled many Nations all the remnant of the people shall spoyle thee because of mens blood and for the wrong done in the Land in the Citty and unto all that dwell therein woe unto the Popedome of Rome who hath built Townes with blood and erected a Citty by iniquity Call up the Archers against Babell all ye that bend the bowes besiege it round about let none thereof escape recompence her according to her worke and according to all that shee hath done doe unto her for shee hath beene proud against the Lord Jer. 50.29 Even against the holy one of Israel here and in Rev. 17.6 Antichrist is set sorth under the notion of a Woman And I saw the Woman drunken with the blood of Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Christ and when I saw her I wondered with great marvaile therefore shall her young men fall in the Streets and all her men of Warr shall be destroyed in that day saith the Lord. Now Antichrist is spoken unto as a man Behold I come unto thee O proud man sayth the Lord God of Hosts for thy day is come even the time that I will visit thee now that we may take notice that the Lord God doth not confine his meaning to the person of any one particuler man or woman 't is thus recorded and the proud shall stumble and fall and none shall raise him up and I will kindle a fire in his Citties and it shall devoure all round about him 't is Citties and Nations which God doth threaten with dessolation but to the next Verse Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the Children of Israe and the Children of Judah were oppressed together and all that took them Captives held them and would not let them goe Litterally I beleeve they shall be let goe in a short time spiritually there be Children of Ifrael now in England and in many other places and parts of the World the People of God true Christians are the Israel of God in all ages and to such as doe truely feare and sincerely serve the true and the living God the maker of Heaven and Earth in this present time wherein we now live it may be said to them that their Redeemer is strong whose Name is the Lord of Hosts he shall maintaine their cause that he may give rest to the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babell the which are such where ever they dwell as doe in spirit judgement and practice professedly declare themselves to be either Heathens or Papists or notoriously wicked let the generallity of such know that now in this very instant of time wherein we live that the Sword of the Lord God of Hosts is now upon such Chaldaeans as these a Sword is upon the Chaldaeans sayth the Lord and upon the Inhabitants of Babel and upon her Princes and upon her wise men a Sword is upon the soothsayers and they shall dote Romenish and Malignant Priests they shall prove fooles a Sword is upon her strong men and they shall be afraid a Sword is upon their Horses and upon their Charets and upon all the Multitude that are in the midst of her and they shall be like VVomen a Sword is upon her treasures and they shall be spoyled Babell is suddenly fallen and destroyed howle for her bring Balme for her Soare if shee may be healed we would have cured Babell may all the faith full Ministers of the Gospell of all Countreys say but Babell neyther would
nor could be healed forsake her let us goe every one to his owne Countrey for judgement is come up unto Heaven and is lifted up to the Clouds 't is high time for all every where who meane to have their souls or bodies preserv'd to draw home to Jesus Christ the Saviour of all them who by a right rule doe trust in him for Salvation Oh that men would heare and take notice in the behalfe of themselves as it may be of concernement to them what the Counsell of the Lord is which he hath devised against Babell and his purpose which he hath conceived against the Land of wicked Romish Chaldeans see and compare Jer. 51.13 with Rev. 17.15 O thou that dwellest upon many Waters abundant in treasures thine end is come even the end of thy coveteousnesse Now if it be asked by whom will God bring this great destruction upon his and his peoples enemies Answ And observe when the Lord of Hosts shall have an Army of men in the Field whose hearts shall be set at liberty to worship Christ in the beauty of holinesse and to praise his Holy Name with courage and constancy then shall the enemies helpe destroy one another 2 Cron. 20.23 Againe Israel is the rod of his Inheritance the Lord of Hosts is his Name marke what the Lord God saith to his People Thou art mine Hammer and Weapons of Warr for with thee will I breake the Nations and with thee will I destroy Kingdomes and by thee will I breake Horse and Horsman and by thee will I breake the Chariot and him that Rideth therein Jer. 51.19 To this purpose is that of Rev. 18.6 Reward her even as shee hath rewarded you and give her double according to her works and in the cup that shee hath filled to you fill her the double But one note by way of parity or likenesse and I have done with the Romish Antichrist for this time 't is cleare to me that the old Heathenish Babylon was a manifest Type and visible figure of the Romish Babylon which now is as yet in being and that as face answers to face so in reference to their actions they have very clearly portraied out each others lineaments for what was done against God his truth and people by the one hath beene practised and acted by the Other and that to thelife as we say and against more light and knowledge and with greater strength of malice hath the Romish Antichrist persecuted the Church of Christ beyond the Heathens therefore certainly God will be avenged upon such a People as this for true and righteous are his judgements for he hath condemned the great Whore of Rome which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication and hath avenged the blood of his Servants shed by her hands and hath which showes the certainty of the thing now that the Kings of the ancient Heathens were in some respects Types of the Romish Popes and they the Antitypes of them I refer to the reviewing of these Scriptures Isa 14. Jer. 50. 51. Hab. 2. Rev. 17. 18. To all which I shall add Revel 13. In which I observe that the Popes of Rome are set forth in the forme of a Beast and that this Beast hath received his power from the Dragon which is the Devill And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying who â—s like un-the beast who is able to Warr with him and there was given unto him a Mouth that spake great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to doe forty two Moneths and he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and it was given to him to make VVarr with the Saints he was permitted so to doe Observe Antichrist makes warr with the Saints or upon the Saints I understand this meant of a temporall VVarr and of Antichrist his putting the Saints upon a defensive VVarr though to his owne ruine Observe the Saints who are a People that doe not delight in VVarr simply as it is a destruction to the life and well being of man yet the Saints doe and must mannage a temporall Warr when justly occasioned and necessitated thereunto in the behalfe of truth and of themselves But to the words againe with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over every kindred and Tongues and Nations that is to Antichrist the Pope and Popes of Romish Babylon this is that Satan-like and Beast-like man which hath made the Earth tremble and the Nations shake This is the man who hath led the Saints for some hundreds of yeares into Captivity it is he that hath killed them with the Sword therefore it is he and his Adherents that must be led into Captivity and that must be killed with Sword of the Lord of Hosts put into the hands of his People I observe by the way that this Scripture I meane Rev. 13.10 is not to be aleadg'd against those noble minded Christians which doe in these dayes and times out of conscience to God and in love to truth and their Country hazzarâ— their lives in the high places against the enemies of God with a desire and purpose if possible to preserve truth and peace and true Religion in their persons Families and Nation wherein they live I rather conceiue it a Prophecy which relates to the temporall destruction of Antichrist by the Sword of Warr who is aforehand with the people of God for he and his Adherents have already led them into Captivity and hath killed them with the Sword I shall mention a passage or two out of a Sermon which was preached in the Arch Palatine Court in the yeare 1617 that only in Belgia containing the 17. Provinces of the low Countries whilst CHARLES the Fifth lived were slaine and murdered fifty thousand Christians and that the Duke of Alva cruelly boasted that in the space of six yeares after he had beene Governour of that Countrey there had beene eighteene thousand persons killed by his Commandement and also from the yeare 1576 to the Agreement at Gaunt there had perished by the Tyranny of Papists thirty thousand yet sayth the same Author there was a greater vintage and harvest in France for sayth he it may be prov'd by arguments worthy to be beleev'd that from the yeare 1564 to the yeare 1586 that is in the space of twenty two yeares that one hundred and forty thousand godly persons were put to death besides those already mentioned besides those that were put to death by the Papists in England in Queene Maries dayes and besides those slaine In King Charlses time I have likewise read in the History of the Waldenses of one Panza one of the Popes Inquisitors who did cut the throats of foure score Christians and then quartered them and caused stakes to be set up for the space of thirty miles and caused a quarter to be fastened to