untwining of this close combination against himself and the kingdom of his dear Son and he will not leave untill he have done it To what degree in the severall Nations this shaking shall proceed I have nothing to determine in particular the Scripture having not expressed it This onely is certain it shall not stop nor receive it's period before the interest of Antichristianity be wholly separated from the power of those Nations 2. By the previous works he doth How many of these doth our Saviour give as signes of the destruction of Jerusalem and so consequently of propagating the Gospel more and more to the Nations Matth. 24. Luk. 21. How fearfull and dreadfull they were in their accomplishment Josephus the Jewish Historian relateth and how by them the Christians were fore-warned and did by them understand what the Lord was a doing Eusebius and others declare When saith he you shall see the abdomination of desolation the Romane Eagles and Ensignes standing in the holy place Matth. 24. 15. or Jerusalem compassed with Armies as Luk. 21. 20. then know by that that the end thereof is come and your deliverance at hand The works of God are to be sought out of them that have pleasure in them They are vocall speaking works the minde of God is in them They may be heard read and understood the Rod may be heard and who hath appointed it Now generally he begins with lesser works to point out to the sons of men what he is about to accomplish By these may his will be known that he may be met in Righteousnesse Now what I pray are the works that the Lord is bringing forth upon the Earth what is he doing in our own and the Neighbour Nations Shew me the Potentate upon the Earth that hath a peaceable Molehil to build himself an habitation upon Are not all the controversies or the most of them that at this day are disputed in letters of blood among the Nations somewhat of a distinct constitution from those formerly under debate those tending meerly to the power and glendour of single persons these to the interest of the many Is not the hand of the Lord in all this Are not the shakings of these Heavens of the Nations from him Is not the voice of Christ in the midst of all this tumult And is not the genuine tendance of these things open the visible unto all What speedy issue all this will be driven to I know not so much is to be done as requires a long space Though a Tower may be pulled down faster then it was set up yet that which hath been building a thousand yeers is not like to go down in a thousand dayes 3. The expectation of the Saints is another thing from whence a discovery of the will of God and the work of our generation may be concluded The secret wayes of God's communicating his minde unto his Saints by a fresh savour of accomplishing prophesies and strong workings of the Spirit of supplications I cannot now insist upon This I know they shall not be led into temptation but kept from the houre thereof when it comes upon the whole earth When God raiseth up the expectation of his people to any thing he is not unto them as waters that fail Nay he will assuredly fulfill the desires of the poore Just about the time that our Saviour Christ was to be born of a woman how were all that waited for salvation in Israel raised up to an high expectation of the kingdom of God such as that people never had before and assuredly shall never have again Yea famous was the waiting of that season through the whole Romane Empire And the Lord whom they sought came to his Temple Eminent was their hope and excellent was the accomplishment Whether this will be made a Rule to others or no I know not This I am assured that being bottomed on Promises and built up with Supplications it is a ground for them to rest upon And here I dare appeal to all who with any diligence have enquired into the things of the kingdom of Christ that have any savour upon their spirits of the accomplishment of Prophesies and Promises in the latter dayes who count themselves concerned in the glory of the Gospel whether this thing of consuming the mystery of iniquity and vindicating the Churches of Christ into the liberties purchased for them by the Lord Jesus by the shaking and translating all opposing Heights and Heavens be not fully in their expectations Onely the time is in the hand of God and the Rule of our actings with him is his revealed will 4. Whether the fears of his Adversaries have not their lines meeting in the same point themselves can best determine The whole world was more or lesse dreaded at the coming of Christ in the flesh When also the signes of his vengeance did first appear to the Pagan world in calling to an account for the blood of his Saints the Kings and Captains presently cry out The great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Revel. 6. 17. I am not of counsel to any of the Adherents to the Man of Sin or any of those who have given their Power unto the Beast I have not a key to the bosomes of the Enemies of Christ I am neither their Interpreter nor do they allow me to speak in their behalf yet truly upon very many probable grounds I am fully perswaded that were the thoughts of their hearts disclosed notwithstanding all their glittering shews dreadfull words threatning expressions you should see them tremble and dread this very thing that the whole world as now established will be wrapped up in darknesse at least untill that cursed Interest which is set up against the Lord Jesus be fully and wholly shaken out from the Heavens and Earth of the Nations And thus without leading you about by Chronologies and computations which yet have their use well to count a number being wisdom indeed I have a little discovered unto you some Rules wherby you may come to be acquainted with the work of God in the dayes wherein we live and also what that work is which is our first Vse The next shall be for direction to guide you what you ought to do when you know what is the work of your Generation Be exhorted to prepare to meet the Lord to make his way straight and this I would presse distinctly 1. As to your Persons 2. As to your Employments 1. As to your Persons Give the Lord Jesus a Throne in your hearts or it will not be at all to your advantage that he hath a throne and kingdom in the world Perhaps you will see the plenty of it but not taste one morsell Take first that which comes not by Observation that which is within you which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Take it in it's power and you will be the better enabled to observe it coming
to the appointment and unto the acceptation of the Lord Jesus The temple of God and the altar being measured anew the outward Court defiled with Gentile-worship is left out Revel. 11. 1 2. 3. The glorious and visible manifestation of those Administration in the eyes of all the world in peace and quietnesse None making afraid or hurting in the whole mountain of the Lord Isa. 65. 25. For the Personall Reign of the Lord Jesus on Earth I leave it to them with whose discoveries I am not and curiosities I would not be acquainted But as for such who from hence do or for sinister ends pretend to fancy to themselves a terrene kingly State unto each private particular Saint so making it a bottome vivendi ut velis for every one to do that which is good in his own eyes to the disturbance of all order and Authority civill and spirituall as they expresly clash against innumerable promises so they directly introduce such confusion and disorder as the soul of the Lord Jesus doth exceedingly abhor It is onely the three things named with their necessarie dependencies that I do assert And lastly of these it is said they must remain that is continue and be firmly established as the word is often used Rom. 9. 11. The words of the Text being unfolded and the minde of the holy Ghost in them discovered I shall from them commend to your Christian consideration this following Position The Lord Jesus Christ by his mighty Power in these latter daies as Antichristian Tyranny draws to it's period will so farre shake and translate the politicall Heights Governments and strength of the Nations as shall serve for the full bringing in of his own peaceable kingdom the Nations so shaken becoming thereby a quiet Habitation for the people of the most high Though the Doctrine be clear from the Text yet it shall receive further Scripturall confirmation being of great weight and concernment Dan. 2. 44. And 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 it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand for ever That this is affirmed of the kingdom of Christ under the Gospel none ever doubted Three things are here remarkably intimated of it 1. The time wherein it shall most eminently be established and that is in the dayes of these kings of which Daniel was speaking 2. The efficacy of it being set up it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms 3. It s own stability it shall never be destroyed For the first there is great debate about the principall season of the accomplishing of this prediction much hesitation who those Kings are in whose dayes the kingdom of Christ is eminently to be established In the dayes when the two legs of the Romane Empire shall be divided into ten Kingdoms and those kingdoms have opposed themselves to the power of Christ that is in the dayes wherein we live say some Yea most of the Ancients took this for the Romane Empire and to these the bringing in of the kingdom of Christ is the establishment of it in these dayes Others understand the Syrian and Aegyptian branches of the Grecian Monarchy and the bringing in of Christs kingdom to be in his birth death and preaching of the Gospel wherein certainly the foundations of it were layed I will not contend with any mortall hereabouts Onely I shall oppose one or two things to this latter interpretation as 1. The kingdom of Syria was totally destroyed and reduced into a Romane Province 60. yeers before the Nativity of Christ and the Aegyptian 30. So that it is impossible that the kingdom of Christ by his birth should be set up in their dayes 2. It is ascribed to the efficacy of this Kingdom that being established it shall break in pieces all those kingdoms which how it can be when at the first setting of it up they had neither place nor name nor scarce remembrance So that it must needs be the declining divided Romane Empire shared amongst sundry Nations that is here intimated and so consequently the kingdom of Christ to be established is that glorious administration thereof which in these dayes their dayes he will bring in Be it so or otherwise this from hence cannot be denyed That the kingdom of Christ wil assuredly shake and transtate all opposing Dominions untill it self be established in and over them all {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is all I intend to prove from this place The ten-partite Empire of the West must give place to the stone cut out of the mountain without hands Dan. 7. 27. The Kingdom and Dominion and Greatnesse of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him Hitherto is the end of the matter Either Antichrist is described in the close of this Chapter or one very like him St. John painting him in the Revelation with all this mans colours Plainly intimating that though in the first place that mad raging Tyrant Antiochus the Illustrious was pointed at yet that another was to rise in his likenesse with his craft and cruelty that with the assistance of the ten Horns should plague the Saints of the Christians no lesse then the other had done those of the Jews Now what shall be the issue thereof v. 26. His Dominion with his Adherents shall be taken away and consumed and then shall it be given to the people of the most High as before Or they shall enjoy the kingdom of Christ in a peaceable manner their officers being made Peace and their exactors Righteousnesse It is clearly evident from these and other places in that Prophesie that he who is the onely Potentate will sooner or later shake all the Monarchies of the Earth where he will have his Name known that all Nations may be suited to the interest of his kingdom which alone is to endure Isa. 60. in many places indeed throughout holds out the same V. 12. The Nation and Kingdom which will not serve thee shall be broken to pieces that is all the Nations of the Earth not a known Nation but the blood of the Saints of Christ is found in the skirts thereof Now what shall be the issue when they are so broken V. 17 18. I will make thine officers Peace and thine exactors Righteousnesse Violence shall no more be heard in thy land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy wals salvation and thy gates praise See at your leisure to this purpose Amos 9. 11 12 13 14 15. Jerem. 31. 23 24 25. Isa. 33. 21 22 23 24. I shall onely adde that punctuall description which you have of this whole matter as Daniel cals it in the Revelation with respect
in it's glory Seek first this kingdom of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all these things shall be added unto you Oh that it were the will of God to put an end to all that pretended holinesse hypocriticall Humiliation self-interested Religion that have been among us whereby we have flattered God with our lips whilest our hearts have been farre from him Oh that it might be the glory of this Assembly above all the Assemblies of the world that every Ruler in it might be a sincere Subject in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Oh that it might suffice that we have had in our Parliament and among our Ministers so much of the form and so little of the power of Godlinesse that we have called world Christ and lust Christ and self Christ working indeed for them when we pretended all for Christ Oh that I could nourish this one contention in your Honourable Assembly that you might strive who should excell in setting up the Lord Jesus in their hearts You may be apt to think that if you can carry on and compasse your purposes then all your Enemies will be assuredly disappointed do but embrace the Lord Jesus in his kingly power in your bosomes and ipso facto all your Enemies are everlastingly disappointed you are the grains which in the sifting of the Nation have been kept from falling to the ground Are you not the residue of all the Chariots of England Oh that in you might appear the reality of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus which hath been so long pretended by others that sound righteousnesse not a Pharisaicall rigid supercilious affectation nor a carelesse belief and comportment the issue of novell fancies might be found upon your spirits that you may be thought meet to rejoyce with the Lord in his kingdom otherwise this day of the Lord which we have described however desired and longed after will be darkâ—esse to you and not light 2. In reference to your great Employments whereunto the Lord hath called you and here I shall briefly hold out unto you one or two things 1. That you would seriously consider why it is that the Lord shakes the Heavens and the Earth of the Nations to what end this tendeth and what is the cause thereof Is it not from hence that he may revenge their opposition to the kingdom of his dear Son that he may shake out of the midst of them all that Antichristian mortar wherewith from their first chaos they have been cemented that so the kingdoms of the Earth may become the kingdoms of the Lord Jesus Is not the controversie of Sion pleaded with them Are they not called to an account for the transgression of that charge given to all Potentates Touch not mine Anointed And what is the ayme of the Lord Jesus herein whose mighty voice shakes them Is it not to frame and form them for the interest of his own kingdom that he may fulfill the word he hath spoken to Sion I will make thine officers Peace and thine exactors Righteousnesse Consider then I pray what you have in hand wait upon your King the Lord Christ to know his minde If you lay any stone in the whole building that advanceth it self against his Scepter he will shake all again digge you never so deep build you never so high it shall be shaken Nay that there be no opposition will not suffice He hath given light enough to have all things framed for his own advantage The time is come yea the full time is come that it should be so and he expects it from you Say not in the first place this or that suits the interest of England but look what suits the interest of Christ and assure your selves that the true interest of any Nation is wrapped up therein More of this in the Treatise annexed to my Sermon of Jan 31. 2. Be incouraged under all those perplexities and troubles which you are or may be wrapped in lift up the hands that hang down and let the feeble knees be strengthened I is but yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The more you are for Christ the more Enemies you shall be sure to have but the Lambe shall overcome He is come to revenge the blood of his slain upon this Generation and to free the residue from the jaws of the terrible He is our Rock and his work is perfect what he hath begun faster or flower he will surely accomplish It is a thing of the most imaginable indifferency whether any of our particular persons behold these things here belowe or no if otherwise we shall for the present have rest with him and stand in our lot at the end of the dayes but for the work it self the Decree is gone forth and it shall not be recalled receive strength and refreshment in the Lord Wonder not when the Heaven is shaken if you see the stars fall to the ground we had some who pretended to be Church-starres that were meerly fixed to all mens view and by their own confession in the Politicall Heavens The first shaking of this Nation shook them utterly to the ground If others also tremble like an Aspen leaf and know not which winde to yeeld unto or sail backwards and forwards by the same gale wonder not at that neither when men lay any other foundation then the immovable corner stone at one time or other sooner or later assuredly they will be shaken Let the professing people that is amongst us look well to themselves The day is coming that will burn like an oven Drosse will not endure this day we have many an Hypocrite as yet to be uncased Take heed you that act high if a false heart a defiled heart be amongst you there shall be no place for it in the mountain of the Lords house The inhabitants of Sion shall be all righteous Isa. 60. 21. Many that make a great shew now upon the stage shall be turned off with shame enough try and search your hearts force not the Lord to lay you open to all The Spirit of judgement and burning will try you Tremble I pray for you are entring the most purging trying fornace that ever the Lord set up on the Earth Be loose from all shaken things you see the clouds return after the rain one storme in the neck of another Thus it must be untill Christ hath finished his whole work Seeing that all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all manner of holy conversation Let your eyes be upwards and your hearts be upwards and your hands be upwards that you be not moved at the passing away of shaken things I could here incourage you by the glorious issue of all these shakings whose soretast might be as marrow to your bones though they should be appointed to consumption before the accomplishment of it but I must close See the vanity folly madnesse of such as labour