〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an opportunity of temptation are fallen away and are become actors and advocates for those things and persons which before they were resolute against and all their former deliverances are but a Resurrection to shame Dan. 12.2 The Iewes in their first deliverance are to meet with such trouble as they had not since they became a Nation which is to last five and forty yeeres in which time many that had a share in the first deliverance shall be discovered to be unsound and false hearted and their former deliverance shall bee to their eternall shame and dishonour before the Saints Surely there are trying times coming when no house will stand but that which is built upon the Rocke It s the righteous onely that is an everlasting Foundation There are three observations which I desire to adde to the explication before I come to the reasons and grounds of this emnity First Obs 1 when mens hearts are once in judgement turned to hate the Saints the maine pleasure of their lives comes in by their opposition to them and they take very much delight in it As Sathan not having yet his full torment the maine pleasure that he takes is in opposition against God and to see his plots to take in a way of revenge so it is with the enemies who are acted in a high degree by the spirit of Sathan in their opposition against the Saints A mans meat and drinke in the Scripture Fruitionem denotat delectationem Glass Rhetor. sacr p. 373. is that by which the pleasure and the comfort of his life cometh in It is my meat to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his worke Jo. 4.34 And to note that the mayne pleasure of the enemies lies in their opposition it is said to be their meat and drinke It is their meat Psal 14.4 They eat up my people as they would eat bread they are the food that their malice feeds upon Mos est in urbibus Palestinae usque hod ie peromnem Judaeam vetus consuetudo servatur ut in vicculis oppidis castellis rotundi ponantur lapides gravissimi ponderis ad quos juvenes exercere se soleant eos pro varietate virium sublevare alii ad genua alii ad umbilicum alii ad humeros capur nonnulli super verticem erectis junctisque manibus pondus extollunt and this is their drink also Rev. 17.6 I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus Though it prove a cup of poyson and of trembling in the end yet they drinke if downe as sweet wine Zach. 12.2 This is their recreation also and that wherin they shew forth their strength and activity which Hierome conceives to be intended by the Holy Ghost in that expression of a burdensome stone Zach. 12.3 alluding therein to the custome of the Iewes and of all those Easterne Countreys where in every towne and village were great round stones which the yong men for recreation and to shew forth their strength did use to lift pro virium varietate some to their knees some to the loynes some to the head c. And thus as matter of recreation are the enemies lifting at the Church every man according to his ability and as any one dare doe more then other this way hee accounts himselfe the more valiant and gallant man which made Saul in this zeale this way which he after saw to be madnesse to go beyond his fellowes The last enemies of the Church shall surely be the worst Obser 2 The fourth beast was divers from all the other beasts that went before and exceeding dreadfull whose teeth were of brasse Dan. 7.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. But upon the last head of the fourth beast there arise ten hornes for the Romane Empire is broken into ten Kingdomes and after them o behinde them there doth arise a little horne that speakes great words against the most High and whose design is to we are out the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dicitur de calceamentis inveteratis Josh 6.13 de pannis affritis Jer. 38.11 Dan. 7.24.25 The Originall word doth signâ—fiâ— to weare out a thing with long and continued use or as a Garment is worn out by degrees with long and constant wearing so under this little Horne which must be Antichrist because hee riseth with the ten hornes upon the last head of the fourth beast and in whose judgement the beast is slaine and his body destroyed given to the burning flame ver 11. the witnesses prophesie in sackcloth and ashes 1260 dayes in a persecuted mournefull and afflicted condition that by a long and continuall oppression they may be worne out even as a garment Thirdly the last acts of these enemies shall be filled with the greatest cruelty and with a rage that shall reach to heaven Antichrist shall make it his businesse during all the time of his raigne to weare out the Saints but at last they shall be killed Rev. 11.7.8 and that in the most inhumane maner their dead bodies shall be cast out into the street and they shall rejoyce in their death and deny them a buriall in the last attempts they shall expresse more cruelty and bitternesse Rev. 16.16 then in many hundred yeeres before And after the resurrection of the witnesses and Romes downefall they shall attempt with greater violence when the Kings of the earth and of the whole world shall be gathered together to the battell Armageddon Rev. 20.8.9 And lastly when Gog and Mâ—gog shall gather the Nations together to battell from the fowre quarters of the earth in number as the sands of the sea and they shall go upon the bredth of the earth and compasse the campe of the Saints round about and the beloved City Satan shall have great indignation seeing his time is short For in the last dayes shall be the most glorious Reformation the greatest refinements shall passe upon the world by him who sits as a refiner answerable to the degrees of reformation Mal. 3.3 such shall the degrees of opposition be when there shall be the perfectest reformation there shall then be the highest opposition and the bitterest persecution 2 Tim. 3.5 In the last dayes the opposition to Godlinesse in the power of it shal be by them that have a forme and the persecution of Religion shall in a great measure be under a profession therof men sinning against greater light and higher workes whose hearts the Divel hath touched 1 Jo. 5.18 and left a speciall impression of divellishnesse upon and who are thereby qualified for a higher way of sinning In the last dayes shall the great and glorious deliverances of the Churches be when all the persecuâ—ing Monarchies shall be destroyed Esay 2 2â— and the mountayne of the Lords house be exalted on the top of the mountaynes that all Nations may flow to
his children And as grace though it be in it selfe but an accident is dearer to God then the soules of all men without it so his people though they be but few and as an accident to the world yet are they dearer unto God then all the Kings and Kingdoms of the Earth besides they being the first fruits to God and to the Lambe Esay 43.3.4 Ps 105.14 and therefore he gives Kingdomes for their Ransome and reproves Kings for their sakes 3. Thirdly Who are these enemies We are the Church of God even this whole Nation therefore none of these are to be found amongst us These enemies are of severall sorts 1. First all prophane men that are enemies to holinesse they are the Churches enemies whose God is their belly who glory in their shame who are enemies to the Crosse of Christ These are spots in our feasts a blemish and a dishonour to all our Churches We labour at present under a double evill of damnable doctrines on the one side and divelish practises on the other and both these thinke to justifie themselves by objecting one against another The Heretique declaimes much against Prophanenes and thinkes that hee hath well acquitted himselfe and the prophane man on the other side cries out heresie heresie but these are both enemies unto Christ and to the Church of Christ Prophanenesse hath gotten so much ground there being no Magistrate as it is sayd of Laish or master of restraint to put them to shame that they declare their sinnes as Sodomâ— Judg. 18.7 and it is with us as Salvian in his dayes found it De Gubern Deid 3. Genus quodammodo sanctitatis est minús esse vitiosum He is a holy man that is not extreamly wicked and he little lesse then a Saint who is not a very Divell 2. Secondly Heretiques in Opinion and Idolaters in Worship They bee the enemies to the Witnesses Revel 11.5 men that speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perverse things Act 20.30 turning all upside down Eph 4.14 denying principles overthrowing foundations affirming horribilia de Deo 2 Pet. 2.3 2 Pet. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epâ—st Polycarp ad Philip. terribilia de fide men that use a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great deale of artifice and skill to deceive there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new coyned words and canting language to corrupt the minds of the Saints who set the Scripture upon the Rack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and make it speak that which the Holy Ghost never intended wresting it to their owne destruction and the subversion of others Such the people of God should looke upon as enemies and avoyd their communion 2. Iohn 10. If there come any to you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house nor bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is pertaker of his evill deeds If a man be once taken with an itch of novelty as to defire to heare what every man sayth he is neere to be seduced and it is a great judgement of God to be given over to believe a lie Vincentius Lirinensis hath this observation of the ancient Saints Advers haereses cap. 9. it may serve for our direction Quo quis foret religiosior eo promptius novellis adinventionibus contrairet 3. Thirdly all those that rejoice in the low condition of the Church of God and deride them when they are downe these the Church calls enemies Mica 7.8 yet such there are in the Church sonnes of the bondwoman that wil be scoffing who with Haman can sit down to drinke when the people of God are in perplexity men that rage and rayle and onely expect a day when with a despitefull heart they may revenge themselves Ezek. 25.8 This was Moabs enmity they sayd Behold the house of Iudah is like unto all the Heathen for all their boasting of their God they are layd waste as other Nations there is no difference Therefore thus sayth the Lord I will open the side of Moab take away her strong frontier Cities an enemy shall enter into her bowels and she shall be no more remembred among the Nations 4. Fourthly all men that reserve themselves and affect a detestable neutrality in these active times that lie at a close guard till they see which is like to bee the stronger side and come not forth to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty Meroz is as truly an enemy as Iabin the king of Canaan for in this case Christ sayth Hee that is not with me is against me and hee that gathers not with me scatters These consult not their present duty but their future safety how they may so demean themselves that they may ingratiate with this or that party that doth prevayle Therefore sayle by a side winde and live upon futura contingentia all their dayes To such a one I say thou art an enemy to the Church of God and God is an enemy to thee 5. Fifthly they that cleave to the Church of God by flattery and proffer to build with them that they may destroy them whose hearts are truly set against that worke of Reformation they professe to further for in their persons they hate to be reformed Who court the Saints of God and salute them but it is to betray them with a kisse and with Ioab to stab them in a complement Ezek. 29.6.7 The Lord sayth of Aegypt Thou hast beene a staffe of Reed to the house of Israel they had incouraged the Iewes to rebell against the King of Babylon and had promised to assist them they were in promissione baculus but in solutione arundineus A Lap. in loc and so became an occasion of all the misery that befell Israel in this designe When Israel came out of Aegypt there was a mixt multitude who did cleave to them by flattery and murmured and deserted them when trialls came It may be sayd of many a man as Ruoeus of the Carbuncle translucit in modum ardentis prunae Lib de Gemmis if you heare their words and looke upon them at a distance you would thinke them to be as hot as a fiery coale but come neere to them and observe their actions and you shall find them to be key cold 6. Sixthly all Apostates that fall from their former principles that now plead for that which not many yeeres it may be not many dayes since they were violent against The greatest enemy that ever God had was an apostate Angel The greatest enemy that ever Christ had an apostate Church and the greatest enemies to the Saints are Renegado professors Take heed of an Alexander a Demas a Julian There was a time not long since when you all sayd we will admit no heresie in doctrine no super stition in worship no tyranny in government no man shall have dominion over our Lawes or domination over our consciences but many have met with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
be gathered together as sheaves in a floore that they may be threshed by the daughter of Zion and where they seeke the Churches destruction they may there be sure to finde their owne and in the same floore where they did intend to thresh the Church there they themselves shall be threshed It s therefore drinking a cup of poyson Zach. 12 2 3. Venemum mortiferum appellatio forte a tremendo Nam quaedam venena frigida sunt So Mercer doth conceive the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie and to be no other way a cup of trembling but from the effect of this poyson there being some poysons cold in so high a degree that they will cast a man into a trembling till he die and he that drinkes poyson hath a hand in his owne destruction It s lifting at a burdensome stone and men burden themselves with it and are broken to pieces by their own attempts Math. 21 44. It s falling upon a stone and dashing at it as a ship against a rocke and thereby sinking it selfe Act. 9 5. It s kicking against the pricks the iron would hurt no man of it selfe neyther would the Saints but men rush against it and are wounded thereby Lucun Nec vulnus adactis debetur gladiis percussum est pectore ferrum As the Lord sayth of himself Jer. 25 6 7. Provoke me not to anger with the workes of your hands and I will doe you no hurt so he sayth of his Church also if they be kindly intreated they are to the Nations where they live as dew from the Lord Mich. 5 2. and as showres upon the grasse but if men exalt themselves against them and seeke to cast downe the host of heaven they become like a hearth of fire among the wood Zach. 12 6. and like a torch of fire in a sheafe and they devour the people round about on the right hand and on the left so that the cause of their destruction by them is their opposition against them Secondly Posit 2 it will be an universall destruction of all those that persicute and persevere in their opposition against the Saints whether they be enemies without or within the Church and the great overthrowes that have beene in the world upon the enemies have beene brought about by their opposition against the holy ones Wee may observe it 1. In all the enemies from without Gen. 14. There is a famous example in one particular Saint four kings were confederate for enlarging their dominions and they conquered and subdued all the neighbouring Nations tooke the spoyle and carryed it away safely that I may say as the Prophet doth of the conquest of the King of Babylon Esay 10.14 They gathered the riches of the Nations as one gathereth egges there was none that moved the wing or opened the mouth or peeped They came at last to Sodome a people that for their wickednesse were even humani generis opprobrium whom God had appointed unto the greatest judgement that wee reade of rayning upon them brimstone and fire gehennam è coelo from the Lord out of heaven this City they tooke plundered carried away many prisoners and departed But among these was righteous Lot Abrahams brothers sonne and in taking him they dranke poyson and they must vomit him up againe to their owne destruction for God stirred up the spirit of Abraham to pursue them and hee gave them as the dust to his sword Esay 41.2 and as driven stubble to his bow When Israel sojourned in the Land of Aegypt Psal 105.25 Psal 74.14 Dan. 7.2 Jer. 50.28 Vindicta Dei activè sumitur pro vindicta Deus quaÌ„ exer cebit vindicta Templi passi vè ponitur pro vindicta qua Deus ulciscitur contumeliam Templo suo illatam Calv. while they dealt well with them they prospered for their sakes but when the Lord in judgement turned their heart to hate his people and deale subtilly with his servants he brake the head of Leviathan in the waters in the pursuit of Israel and they perish in their owne opposition Afterward there were to arise fowre beasts or great Monarchies successively in the world and they all perish in their opposition against the Church of God the Chaldean perisheth but it is by the vengeance of the Temple the inhabitants of Zion shall say the daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floore its time to thresh her for Nebuchadnezzar the King of Baabylon hath devoured me he hath crusht mee hee hath made mee an empty vessell hee hath swallowed me up like a Dragon he hath filled his belly with my delicates be hath cast me out the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon and my bloud upon the Inhabitants of Chaldea The Persian Monarchy ended also by the same meanes for the Lord of hosts by reason of their cruelty against the Saints Zach. 1.14.15 is jealous for Hierusalem and for Zion with a great jealousie and is sore dâ—spleased with these heathen because when he was but a little displeased they helped forward the affliction God did intend to correct them and the enemies intention was to destroy them and for this their cruelty wrath arose against them even hot displeasure and hence the angel from the Lord went forth to fight against the King of Persia in the Churches quarrell Dan. 10.20 and he stirres up the spirit of the King of Grecia and gives him a successe in his enterprise because the Angell went out before him Thus also the Grecian Empire came to an end for in the latter times thereof when the transgressors were come to the full and they had filled up the measure of their impiety there came forth a little horne which waxed exceeding great Dan. 8.9.11.23.24.25 even to the host of heaven and cast downe some of the host and of the starres to the ground and stamped upon them That is as it is expounded afterwards there stoode up Antiochus Epiphanes a King of a fierce countenance understanding darke sentences and hee did destroy the mighty and the holy people the maiâ—e of his rage did break forth against the Saints yea hee did stand up against the Prince of Princes and perished in his owne opposition for he was taken away without hand The Roman Empire also as Pagan must come to destruction this same way by their opposition against the Saints Rev. 12 7.8 for as a great Red Dragon they made warre with the Saints fought against Michael and his Angels and prevayled not but in their very persecution they were destoyed for it proved the ruine of all their Idol-worship and all the Princes that did endeavour to uphold it The Turkish Empyre now the terrour of the world Rev. 16.12 must be destroyed also in this very way Euphrates must be dryed up that the way of the Kings of the East may be prepared Dan. 11.40 At the time of the end sc toward the
end of the Romane Empire the King of the south the Saracen and the King of the north the Turk shall come against the Romane as a whirlwinde and shall overflow and he shall wax great and shall subdue all the neighbouring nations and they shall be all at his steps sc at his devotion and at his command And towards the end of his Empire he shall set himselfe against the Saints and he shall plant the Tabernacle of his Palace betweene the seas in the glorious holy mountaine and then he shall come to an end irrecoverably none shall helpe him And in the end of the world though in respect of the former persecutions Satan shall be bound up that he shall not stir up men to rage and cruelty against the Saints as he had done during all the time of the foure Monarchies Rev. 20.7 yet when the thousand yeares of the Churches Peace and glory are expired Satan shal be losed againe and having but once liberty granted he will betake himselfe unto the same course that he had used in former times to stir up the wicked of the world in a way of persecution of the Saints Rev. 20.9 and Gog and Magog shal be gathered together to battle and they encompasse the Campe of the Saints and the beloved City and in this their opposition they perish now fire shall come downe from God out of Heaven and deveure them thus all the Churches enemies without do perish in their owne opposition It s true also of all enemies within some there are that fight against Christ under his owne banner and persecute the Saints under the name of Saints Cant. 5.7 sometimes the watch men that goe about the City smite the Church and wound her and the keepers of the wall take away her Vaile yet even these enemies their opposition will prove their destruction as we may observe both in the Jewish and in the Gentile Churches In the Church of the Jewes Numb 16. there were a company of men rose up against Moses and Aaron 250 Princes famous in the Congregation men of renowne but they did it against their owne lives as they are called sinners against their own soules for the Lord created a new Creation the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and when the Lord came in judgement to destroy that Church and Sate this is the sin that hath especiall influence into their destruction Mat. 23.34.35 Behold I send unto you Prophets and wisemen and Scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucifie and some of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues and persecute them from City to City that upon you may come all the righteous bloud shed upon the earth therefore they that are enemies to the Saints among themselves shall not escape In the Gentile Churches also all that ever had their hearts turned against the Saints it proved the forerunner of their destruction The Church of God had beene in hard travaile 300. yeares and at last brought forth a man childe Rev. 12.5 and he was taken up to the throne of God that is they obtained of God a Christian Emperour this wrought a great change in the Empire and they became in shew many of them Christians but then arose among them a generation of persecutors the floud powred out after the Woman which had swallowed them up had not the earth succored the Woman and God given her the wings of a great Eagle to flye into the wildernesse now the Lord will not suffer the persecutor even by them that live in the Church to goe unrevenged therefore he doth in judgment devide the Empire the easterne parts he gives to the Saracens and Turks and the westerne part to the Goths and Vandalls those barbarous Nations brake in upon them as a floud and did overflow all The Westerne part of the Empire being broken by the Goths there arise in it ten Kings Rev. 17.12 and they contribute all their power to set up Antichrist Rev. 17.13.17 they give their Kingdomes to the Beast to this end and this Beast persecutes the Saints more then all the former persecutors had done and in their persecution they perish Rev. 18.8.21 for her plagues shall come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be cast into the Sea as a Milstone and shall be found no more at all and the cause of all this shal be that God may recompence upon them the controversies of Zion that he may avenge the bloud of his servants at her hands because in her was found the bloud of the Prophets Rev. 18.20 24. and 19.2 and of the Saints Rev. 18.16 and of all that have beene slaine upon the earth And in the reformed Churches in the ten Kingdomes whom God will reserve for the ruine of Antichrist and will use them in this great worke yet there shall arise a persecution among themselves also and in them shall the Witnesses be slaine for their enemies shall dwell in the same street where their deads bodies shall lye unburied this persecution shall end in their destruction Rev. 11.7.8 for when the witnesses shall rise from the dead and ascend to Heaven in a cloud their enemies beholding them the same houre there shall be a great Earthquake and not onely the tenth part of the City shall fall but in this Earthquake shall be slaine seven thousand of these men Rev. 11.12.13 there shall a very great destruction come upon the enemies to the Saints in the Reformed Churches Reliqui pontificiae prius religionis agnoscentes in Istorum Ecclesiasticorum excidio calamitate justam Dei ultionem tribuebant gloriam Deo caeli id est ad verum creatorem conversi sunt Brightm Esay 34.5.6.7.8 Ad contendendum pro Ziona ejus causam vindicandam Forer Annus quo rependet Deus talionem Idumaeis qui jugiter â—ixati sunt belli gerarunt cum Iudaeis a Lâ—p Et quod de Idumais dictum est ad universos Ecclesiae hostes extendi certum est Calv. Ad excidium Sodomae Gomorthae alludit in quo perpetuam â—â—ae Dei imaginem habemus they pertaking with Rome in the sin shall be made pertakers of her plagues and the remnant shall be affrighted and converted by this destruction upon others and shâ—ll give glory to the God of heaven Thus it will be an universall ruine no enemies eyther within or without the Church if they persist in their opposition ever did or ever shall escape 3. Thirdly that the enemies shall bee sure to meet with in their opposition to the people of God shall be an utter destruction and exceeding fearefull they shall not perish in an ordinary way nor by the common death of other sorts of sinners but there is a high degree of vengeance prepared for them There is a fearefull wrath comming upon Idumea The sword is bathed in heaven it shall come downe upon Idumea the people of my
battell And when the Lord will use an ungodly people as weapons in his hand they shall mightily prevayle If hee will use Babylon as his battle axe Jer 51.20 he will with him breake in peeces the Nations and destroy the Kingdoms how much more when he will make Judah his battle axe and his weapons of war Joannes Foxe in Comment suis whom he doth much more delight to use and honour some do conceive that in reference to this victory heere by the waters of Megiddo that last great battell hath its name which shall bee betweene Christ and Antichrist called therefore the battell Armageddon Brightm Rev. 16.16 which some render mons deliciarum the mountayne of delights unto God and his people and others render it mons excidii Par. the mountayne of slaughter and destruction to the Churches enemies The Churches enemies have comonly fallen by their hand in the end Esa 31.8.9 The Assyrian shall fall by the sword not of a mighty man and the sword not of a meane man shall devoure him Whence then shall his destruction come Not so much from any instrument but from the hand of God made bare therein Ignem hanc accendi foveri dicit in medio populi sui ut significet impios non impune Ecclesiam persequi c. Calv. in loc and the Lords fire is in Zion and his furnace in Ierusalem it is out of Zion that the fire comes that consumes the enemies and it is into this fiery fornace they are cast when they are destroyed Ezech. 24.14 I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall doe in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury saith the Lord God They that are with the Lamb called and chosen and faithfull Rev. 17 14 18 6. they shall burne Rome with fire and reward her according as she hath rewarded them and shall double to her double according to her works in the cup that shee filled to them they shall fill unto her double 2. By their prayers Rom. 4 13. The Lord Jesus having made the Saints together with himselfe Heyres of the world hee hath also given them a great hand in the Governement of the world as they shall have in the Judgement of it at the last and great day 1 Cor. 6 1 2. therefore their prayers are Decrees as wel as the prayers of the Angels and are called by the same name Iob. 22.28 Dan. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the great executions and transactions of things in the world doe passe through their hands Psal 49 8 9. they binde Kings in chaynes and Nobles with fetters of iron this honour have all his Saints It s observable that in all the great turnings of the world the prayers of the Saints have had the great hand Exod. 14 15 16 17. Exod. 17 11 12. Psal 76 2. Aegypt is destroyed in the red sea but it is by the prayer of Moses Amaleck is routed by prayer Thereby armies discomfited victories woon in Salem God breakes the arrowes of the bow the shield the sword and the battell And they that scape the fiercest pursuers among men prayer will overtake them hee that escapes the sword of Hazael and Iehu shall Elisha slay 1 King 19 17. Gladionon corporali sed spirituali A Lap. Ad horribilem famem sub Joram refertur quia Deo impe travit Elisaeus cum ab idololatria Israelitae nollent discedere Pet. Martyr in loc Rev. 4 5. Rev. 6 10. and yet we know he was not a man of war one that did handle the sword onely the word did goe out of his mouth and tooke effect upon them And all the great turnings in the Christian world since Christs time have beene no other then the fruit of the praiers of the Saints The Seales in the booke of the Revelation set forth the judgement of God upon Pagan Rome and they are all in answer to prayers for out of the throne sc the presence of the Lord in the midst of his people proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voyces And in answer to the cry of the soules under the Altar who cryed with a loud voyce How long Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth The Trumpets set foorth the judgements executed upon Rome Christian and these also proceede from the prayers of the Saints for the fire cast upon the earth in those plagues was taken off the Altar Rev. 8 5. and there were voices and thundrings and lightnings and an earthquake c. The Trumpets sounded but it was in answer to prayer after there had beene silence in heaven for the space of halfe an howre sc during the time of the incense offering The Vialls set forth the judgements of God upon Rome Antichristian and the great voice that commanded these Angels to powre out their Vials upon the earth came out of the Temple that is Rev. 16 1. De Templo venit quando precibus sanctorum aliquid impetratur quibus mandandi partes hic tribuntur ut sciamus quantam vim habent fideles precationes Brightm Rev. 11 5 6. from the prayers of the Saints and whosoever shall observe the great changes in the world that all these set forth wil be forced to acknowledge what a mighty power there is in the prayers of the Saints And that it may appeare it was not only so in ancient times he sayth the witnesses even in these latter dayes shall have a power to shut heaven that it shall not raine to turne waters into bloud and to smite the earth with plagues as often as they will And that this is the misery of all the Churches enemies If any man will hurt them fire shall proceed out of their mouthes and devour them and who ever he be he must in this maner be killed 3. By their praises for out of the mouthes of babes the Lord hath ordained them Psal 8 2. that he should still the enemy and the avenger when Iehosophat and all the people promised God in the beauty of holinesse the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab 2 Chron. 20 22 23. and Mount Seiâ—… which were come against Iudah and they smote one another When Paul and Silas sung in the prison the earth did quake and so it commonly doth at the praises of the Saints The enemies of the Church doe fall before their praises as well as their prayers Let us now come to the Application of these three points for a conclusion They serve for Admonition for consolation and direction First Vse 1 for Admonition unto all the enemies of the Church cease your rage against them your plots your hopes refraine from them let them alone they are but passengers and Pilgrims they are going unto Canaan if the world be your countrey let them quietly and peaceably passe through it without