the thoughts of idolatry Iosh 22. the Lord God of Gods the Lord God of Gods he knowes and Israel he shall know say the two Tribes and an halfe to the ten being accused of an intention to revolt from God if it be in rebellion or if in transgression against the Lord save us not this day that we have built us an Altar to turne from following the Lord c. let the Lord himselfe require it Iosh 22.22 23. Much more shall the Reformation be excellent in the last ages wherein it is promised that there shall be new heavens and new earth new Church and new Common-wealth wherein righteousnesse shall dwell 2 Pet. 3.13 In the amplitude and extent of the Church before it was sometimes contained within the narrow bounds of Jury afterwards the Nations of the Gentiles had it successively first the easterne Nations then the westerne c. But now the Church shall be generally if not universally spread over all the world The Kingdomes of the world that is all the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Revel 11.15 And so when the judgement hath sate and the Beasts Kingdome is consumed to the end then and not before then the Kingdome Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven it seemes to be spoken without all hyperbole shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high Dan. 7.26.27 When the stone that is the Kingdome of Christ hath smitten the Image upon the feet and broken them to pieces it selfe shall become a great Mountaine and fill the whole earth Dan. 2.35 Then shall all Nations rejoyce in Christ Psal 67.2 3 4. then a great multitude not of a few but of all Nations and Kindreds and Peoples and Tongues shall stand before the Throne and before the Lambe praising God Rav. 7.9 Nations shall be borne in a day Isa 66.8 All Nations shall serve him Dan. 7. ult In the excellency of the government Christ shall then take to himselfe his great power and reigne Rev. 11.17 and the Saints under him The Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdome and possesse it for ever even for ever and ever age after age for many ages Dan. 7.18.27 they shall reigne on the earth Rev. 5. to 20.4.6 a thousand yeares They shall then indeed be the head and the wicked the taile Many tough and tedious disputes about government which exercise the Church now may haply be of small use in that Reformation It is to consist in the affluence and confluence both of spirituall and externall prosperity for the Lord having humbled and broken his by the earthquake may now trust them The Church hath been before like an homely huswife or like a poore woman living in a cave having scarce a rag to cover her nakednesse and bringing up her Children very hardly whereas Antichrists Strumpet in the meane while hath beene gorgeously attired in Purple with gold and precious-stones and pearles but now the Church shall be like a bride adorned for her husband Rev. 21.2 Now her peace shall be as the Rivers the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to her Rev. 21.24.26 Wait for it and hasten it by faith and prayer Use unbeliefe doth a world of mischiefe Our Saviour could not doe many mighty workes in his owne Country because of their unbeliefe Mat. 13.58 see also chap. 17.16 17 20. How it hindred the healing of the Lunatick the old Israelites for unbeleefe were debarred from entering into the Land of Promise Heb. 3.19 It hindered the building of the second Temple for it is remarkable that whilest the Jewes gave over the worke upon the complaints of their adversaries and the inhibitions of the Persian Kings unto whom they were then subject it never prospered but when they hearkned to the Prophets Haggai and Zechary and beleeved the promises which they brought from God they went on thoroughly and perfected the worke the Persian King Darius Nothus though the adversaries afresh complained consenting who also forbad their adversaries to hinder them upon their greatest poenalties yea commanded them with all possible diligence to further the Jewes in the worke God who hath the hearts of Kings in his hand so framing that Kings heart that he entreated the Iewes to pray for his life and the life of his Sonnes He had lost one or two before and now feared he should lose the rest Ezra 6. and this was almost six score yeares after they had laid the first foundation for in divers Kings reignes they were absolutely hindred Ezra 4. and were at times six and fourty yeares as it seemes in building it Iohn 2.20 I shall never see this Reformation Quest Thou canst not certainly tell Answ 1 the eye sees the Sunne I doubt not that shall see the beginning thereof Seeing thou wilt buy houses and lands yea reversions which thou never lookest to enjoy thy selfe for thine heires forward this for their sakes to come that the little ones may goe in and see that good land c. Faith is the substance of things hoped for it breeds such an apprehension of things promised and to come as gives comfort and confidence concerning them as we may behold in Abraham who rejoyced to see the day of Christ so many hundred yeares before it came Iohn 8.56 and in the old Saints Hebr. 11.13.40 who beleeving in him to come were saved Thou maist by the tastes of these clusters of Grapes set before thee in the former Priviledges discerne what a good Land it is Thou mayest by them as from off the top of Mount Pisgah behold it with thine eyes and view the Land round about The beleeving praeapprehension of these things will give a sweet fruition of them in measure before hand unto the godly Lastly beleeve and wait and though thou misse thy part in the new Ierusalem here on earth yet shalt thou certainly be a Sharer in that Ierusalem which is eternall in the Heavens FINIS A passage or two pretermitted 1 The westerne Roman Empire was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which did let the appearing of Antichrist which when it was taken away then was the man of sinne revealed 2 Thes 2.6 7 8. This belongs to the first Indice spoken of in the fourth Signe 2. The two Witnesses include all those that did sustaine the Cause of Christ against Antichrist and his Gentiles for the Text divides all within the visible Church during Antichrist's reigne into two ranks and no more viz. two Witnesses or Prophets the same are called worshippers and Gentiles Rev. 11.1 2 3. 3. The 1260. dayes of the Witnesses and the 42. months of the Beast begin and end together For else Christ should have none to be for him during some part of Antichrist's reigne For none are for him but the Witnesses Besides the Church was to be all that time in the Wildernesse for which provision is made Rev. 12.6.14 Errata Page 1. line 9. read ranne l. 10. r. houses p. 2. l. 12. r. Ezra 3. p. 3. l. 7. r. hieroglyphicall p. 6. l. 9. r. Tabernacle p. 13. l. 9. r. penitent p. 36. l. 19. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 41. l. 6. r. learned Curteous Reader if there be any more verball or literall mistakes as I doubt there are many pardon the Printers over-sight and correct them with thy Pen.
Die Mercurij 28. Augusti 1644. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament that Master Erle doe from this House give thanks to Master Reyner for the great paines he tooke in the Sermon he preached at the entreaty of this House at Saint Margarets Westminster it being the day of publique Humiliation and to desire him to print his Sermon and it is Ordered that none shall presume to print his Sermon without licence under his hand-writing Hen. Elsyng Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Samuel Enderby to print my Sermon William Reyner BABYLONS Ruining-Earthquake AND THE RESTAVRATION OF ZION Delivered in a SERMON before the honourable house of COMMONS at Margarets Westminster at their publique Fast August 28. 1644. By William Reyner Pastor of the Church of Christ at Egham in Surrey and a Member of the Assembly of Divines Dan. 7.26 27. But the judgement shall fit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him LONDON Printed by T. B. for Samuel Enderby and are to be sold at the signe of the Starre in Popes-head-Alley 1644. To the Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses Assembled in Parliament and now sitting at Westminster Honourable Senators HAving had for a long time strong apprehensions out of the word of God of an approching storme upon the Nations of Europe for the ruining especially of Antichrst's Kingdome I thought it not unmeet for the times Auditors having your honorable call to the Worke to treat in your presence upon such a subject The Kingdoms states of Europe are grown old a man would think were come even to their years full ripenesse in all kind of sinfulnes prophanenesse but chiefly in idolatry persecution in the Ecclesiastical in tyranny and oppression in the Civill state and that under and against a great deale of light and meanes that either they had or might have had And there is a mervailous concurrence and agreement both in the generall Comminations of the word against sinnes so aggravated besides the examples and in the particular Prophecies and Praedictions of the last times all of them pitching upon this as that period of time wherein the Lord will visit The Lord is certainly driving on a great Worke both of mercy and justice of mercy towards his owne though by a way of severe correction in their Humiliation Purgation Probation Reformation Redemption from bondage and at last in the Restauration and great enlargement of the Church Of justice against his incurable enemies of all sorts and sizes in their perdition We must not be moved that the Worke is so long in finishing among us being haply not much more then begun There is assuredly a great deale for a publique calamity still to doe alas too much in every Country City Towne Parish Family Person many both persons and things are yet as it is to be feared among the Litigants on both sides that are to be removed and subdued Besides the Lord useth to deale with men as men the great power of the wicked cannot by humane meanes which God is pleased to use be suddenly and easily breken Neither can the godly â—â—sa 48.10 whom the Lord will not refine as silver purging out all their drosse at once be suddenly hammered unto a sufficient humiliation reformation c. But this divine agent chooseth to worke upon them according to their receptivity Neither let any be scandalized at some interruptions and rebates as I may say in the Lords proceedings and at some successes now and then granted to his Churches adversaries you shall find the like in all the great acts of God that be of the same nature But all things are carried on by the steady hand of the Almighty though through many oppositions repulses contingencies c. among men to their designed end and appointed period Not to speake of this that had not the enemies some encouragements as the Lords worke would hardly by them be perfected and finished upon his owne people so neither would they be hardned to their owne destruction If Pharaoh had never been released of the first plagues he would scarce have perished in the Sea at last I hope it will neither be unprofitable nor unacceptable as a Watch-man to put your honours and by you others in mind of these things I doe not deny but in the course of humane affaires there will be treaties among men for the composing of those differences that God casts in to be the occasion and meanes of executing his decrees Yea there must and for some reasons peradventure there ought to be such But I know I speake to men too wise to beleeve that God's quarrels can be taken up by humane treaties but they will without faile attaine the issue by God himselfe before prefixed and by his Word threatned and promised Neither doe I doubt but that the Church shall obtaine her desired peace and rest in the end when God's Worke is finished though no such meanes were used at all and give law to all her enemies till which time I looke for no solid and durable quiet to be by the people of God enjoyed yea I am confident upon the faithfull word of God that the Saints shall then enjoy things which would be but by a few even of themselves now desired and by the adverse party never yeelded The Temple of Salomon was built in a peaceable the latter Temple in a troublesome time but now though there be great noyses of Axes Hammers and tooles of Iron partly about the preparation for the new building but chiefely about the pulling downe of the old which is the great worke in hand yet when the appointed time of building is come the Church may promise unto her self from God and undoubtedly expest an absolute cessation from all these disturbances in Church and Common-wealth and a time farre above all that ever were of admirable freedome serenitie and tranquillitie There are some few things concerning the happy estate of the Church in her promised future reformation which time would not then suffer me to bring in I have here made bold briefly to adde them without which the former would have been imperfect I have purposely pretermitted some things subject to doubt and exception I humbly present all to your judicious view whom God hath thought worthy to make his Instruments to begin so great a Reformation in these Nations which will I feare not have a good influence by divine blessing upon others also abroad hoping stedfastly that the same God will through his infinite mercy in Christ by your hands in due time finish the same Which is the daily desire and prayer of him that is Humbly devoted to your service in the Lord WILLIAM
c. They have beene slaine all over the greatest Answ 1 largest and most famous Churches as hath beene declared It is unknowne to me how the Prophets have beene used in those Churches at least in a great part though I know they have beene used badly enough But it will not follow we know it not therefore it hath not beene To which answer I will sticke the Beast was to kill the Witnesses indefinitely set downe Rom. 11.7 that is generally but not universally It is no where said he shall kill all and singular that beare witnesse to the truth the text tels us Exod. 9.6 that all the cattell of Aegypt dyed of the Murraine but yet if we read on to the 20. verse when the plague of the Haile was threatned we shall finde the Aegyptians that feared the word of the Lord driving their cattell into their houses by which it appeares that all and singular of the cattell dâ—ed not of the Murraine but the cattell generally or the cattell of all kindes The Pharisees said the world was gone after our Saviour Ioh. 12.19 when as yet the hundred thousand part of the world did not beleeve on him then but the meaning is the people of the Countries round about flocked after him so here the Prophets were slaine generally on for the most part not universally The Prophets doe yet Prophesie in sackcloath ergo Object this slaughter and triumph is not past Whether this slaughter be past or to come Answ certaine it is by the Text that the Prophets shall prophecy in sack-cloath after it be both come and gone even untill the Beasts dying day for he and they are contemporanyes as hath been mentioned before their prophecying in sack-cloath and his reigne as they began together so they must end together So long as he lives he will push with the horne and spurne with the heele and woe to them that stand neare him By the mercy of God and the means of this Parliament the Prophets here are a little stagger'd up upon their feet but one of the Beasts fillips would throw them downe again Could but he reach them either with one of his armed hornes or hierarchicall heeles which he mainly endeavours they were gone A mistake concerning the two Witnesses may peradventure make us looke for the earth-quake that shall ruine the Beast's Kingdome as a thing a farre off when yet our selves may be in the middest of it The fifth Viall is not powred Object for that is to be upon the seat of the Beast that is Rome whereby his Kingdome becomes full of darkenesse that is Rome is destroyed Rev. 16.10 therefore it is in vaine to think upon the earth-quake that is to ruine the Beast's Kingdome which comes not till the seventh Viall be powred out For answer Answ 1 I acknowledge Rome to be the seat of the Beast and that darknesse is often put for affliction and misery but I deny the darkning of the Beasts Kingdome there spoken of to be the destruction of Rome there be degrees of darknesse and misery inferiour to destruction Is not Rome darkned in her reputation and so the Beasts Kingdome How many thousands yea millions be there that deny her to be the mistresse of the Faith and the mother of all Churches that account her the mother of harlots that contemne her decrees c Is not shee darkned in her revennues when as so many Nations have withdrawne their supplies from her which were formerly swallowed up in her as in a deep gulfe If Rome be destroyed under the fifth Viall this difficulty or absurdity will follow then have ye Babylon the great to destroy under the seventh Viall Rev. 16.19 whereas Babylon the great in all other places of the booke of the Revelations is constantly put for Rome The fixt Viall is not poured upon the river Euphrates Object which must be before the earth-quake come under the seventh Kev 16.12 c. Answ 1 I must here deprecate the offence of many worthy earned men if lassent not to their expositions of that Viall It shall suffice in a few words to give that which is to me more then probable the sense therof The river Euphrates running through the middest of the world between the farthest west and uttermost east hath bâ—en for many ages a kinde of Land-marke to separate the western Nations from the eastern so that they have had little communion one with another Now this impedimentall River hath been dried up ever since these Navigations Voyages have been found out into the Indies and other orientall parts Whereupon the Beast finding himselfe mortally wounded here in the west hath as it followes in the text by the unclean spirits his emissaries by which I understand not onely Jesuits and others that are Papists by profession but all Antichrists Agents though cloaked under the name of Protestants with infinite strange and uncouth wiles and wonders laboured to involve not onely the Kings and Kingdomes of these parts of the world but even of the east also into Hormageddon that is a cursed warre as hath been said before This feat the Frogges have most efficaciously wrought for him in these parts of the world as every observing eye may abundantly see and although the Papists doe frequently lye in their reports of the east yet certaine it is that they have made many Countries and States there one way or other more or lesse obnoxious to the Pope as either to submit and acknowledge him as those of Japan c. are said to doe or to oppugne his enemies as the Persian to assaile the Turke whilst they are accomplishing their designes here in the west or at least by way of Merchandize and traffique to be subservient to their supply so that notwithstanding any thing in these two Vials the earth-quake may be at hand And let us beware that mistakes about them doe not make us put the earth-quake further off then indeed it is to our owne detriment and prejudice The Uses are of two sorts some directing us what to doe in respect of the publique others concerne our owne particulars For the publique every one should assist the Lord in his place in shaking downe the Kingdome of Antichrist and all his supporters Object The Church will be shaken too True Answ but it will not be shaken downe by the earth-quake but better rooted and setled Now that we may assist the Lord in this worke three things are to be done We must shake the Kingdome of the Beast by the Word Vse 2 this is to be done by all the Saints especially by the Ministers of the Churches and by them authoritatively Every true Christian hath the Word of truth dwelling in his heart as for instance the doctrine of Gods free grace in Christ for a mans justification and salvation the foundation upon which the Church is built that God is to be purely worshipped in spirit and truth according to his owne prescriptions and such like by these truths he
26. Hate the evill love the good and execute â—udgement in the gaâ—e it may be the Lord will be good to the remnant of Joseph Amâ—s 5.15 This doth as it were make the gap up against Gods wrath Let judgement therefore run downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame Amos 5.24 If you wovld not have God execute judgement upon us all for when men faile to doe it God at last will doe it then doe you execute judgement for the Lord. There be other Uses to be made of this doctrine that concerne nor selves that we may be fitted and prepared for such a storme and earth quake and find mercy in it as God having revealed and threatned it we trust beleeve it 〈…〉 I say beleeve it I say againe cordially beleeve it This I count a point of highest importance the true and diligent use of all other meanes depending thereupon This faith will breed feare for as faith in a promise will breed confidence so faith in a threatning will breed feare and feare will put a man upon the strong use of all meanes of prevention of a plague or of provision against it The true reason why wicked men doe not feare divine comminations and so why they forsake not sinne embrace not Christ nor use other meanes of escaping is because they beleeve them not For were they cordially perswaded of the certainty of the threats of the Word they durst not continue in sinne and affront Heaven as they doe And the reason why they beleeve not the threats of the Word is the Atheisme of their hearts making them deny Gods holinesse justice c. to make a slight matter of sinne and of the Word forbidding and threatning sinne they will beleeve its threatnings when they see them Isa 5.19 as we heard before I had once thought to have passed by this point because that whereas the Prudent man hath long agoe foreseene the plague in sinne deâ—erving in the Word denouncing it and otherwise the Toole now begins to see it But I revoked my selfe and now put it in the â—â—ont of these duties considering that the fools faith comming by sight and sense if there be no more added to it neâ—er doth any good Nâ—ab beleeved upon hearing and feared things of which there was â—o sight to be had as yet and so using meâ—ns eâ—capâ—d Heb. 11.7 whereas the unbeleeving world perished Gen. â— tâ—e like we may see in Lot his sonnes in law and the Sodomites Gen. 19. â—eâ—shazzer was so farre from beleeving the threats of the God of Israel against Babylon and his promises for delivering his people by Cyrus our of the Babylomans hands which promisâ—s he knew had encouraged Cyrus as that he did of purpose make an impâ—oâ—s feast when his City was besieged in contempt of God profaned the Vessels brought from Jerusalem praised the Gods of silver and gold wood and stone above the true God of Israel as Daniel accuseth him as one who could not save his owne Temple and Vessels out of his Grand-father Nebuchadnezzar's hands but whilst he was in the middest of his prophane jollity suddenly appeares the hand-writing upon the wall against him that put him into a desperate feare that night was he slaine his City taken his Empire destroyed and ended Behold here the terrible effects of this Atheisticall unbeliefe and contempt of the denunciations of the Word Beleeve we therefore the threats of the Word To speake the truth this act of faith in beleeving threats goes before and that not onely in nature but in time also the act of beleeving promises Hee that slights sinne will slight Christ he that apprehends not the severity of God against sinne set downe in the prohibitions and commnations of the law will hardly ever or not at all heartily embrace Christ set forth in the promises of the Gospell Be upright in thy generation and walke with God thus did Noah and so escaped the floud Gen. 6.9 7.1 Thou shalt enter into the Arke saith God for thee have I seene righteous before me in this generation When great stormes were comming upon the world and all the foure winds were ready to breake out for the ruine of all the Lord gives speciall charge to the Angels that had the command of the winds that they doe not let one puffe or breath goe out to doe the least hurt till the servants of God were sealed in their fore-heads Rev. 7.1 2 3. c. God remembers them when he makes up his Jewels and will spare them as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him Mal 3.16 17. Though the tribulation be never so great yet thy people shall be delivered saith the Lord to Daniel even every one that is found written in the Booke Dan. 12.1 for God will ever preserve a holy Seede of Saints unto himselfe Isa 6.13 A man must be a mourner in Ston one that laments first his owne sinnes and truly endeavours to forsake them hen the sinnes of others the horrible prophanenesse licenciousnesse blasphemies idolatries heresies of the the times Such an one was Lot who vexed his righteous soule in seeing and hearing of the sinnes of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 and when they perished he was delivered Thus the Lord causeth one with a vvriters Inkehorne by his side to set a marke upon the fore-heads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the middest of Jerusalem when he was about to destroy it Ezek 9.4 Because Josiahs heart melted when he heard of the severe denunciatâ—ons of God's anger against the Land for the sinnes thereof therefore had he a speciall promise made him of being gaâ—hered to his fathers in peace before those judgements should be executed 2 Chron. 34.27 28. Contest and contend for God for his pure Word doctrine of Faith pure worship and wayes against the world He that is for God in a time of publique defection God will be for him in a time of publique destruction Caleb fâ—llowed the Lord fully as it was in his heart and stood against the ten false Spyes that brought up an ill report upon the land â—f promise and against all the people that tooke part with them and therefore when six hundred thousand of these Murmurers fell in the wildernesse he onely with Joshuah escaped that storme and entered into the Lords inheritance Numb 14.24 Josh 14.6 7 8 c. Memorable examples hereof we have in Eliah and Ieremy In Eliahs dayes the people of Israel forsooke Gods Covenant threw downe his Alâ—ars stoned his Proâ—hâ—s by heapes and hundreds now did this make him comply with them and fall into the streame No he was therefore the more zealous for God all full or futy and zeale for God 1 King 19.10 Well what became oâ— this Eliah if we doe but read 2 Kâ—n. 2. we shall finde that when Ahab was slaine and his Army destroyed he was sent for up by a fiery hartot into heaven Ieremy was a man that
stood for God in his time against all men against the Kings Princes Priests Prophets and people of Iudah they mightily opposed and maliciously persecuted him he was even weary of his life they reviled slatidered him whipped stock'd imprisoned him laid him in fetters and almost starved him he was brought to that extremity that sometimes he wished he had in the Wildernesse a Cottage for way-faâ—ring men that he might never come among them that his head were a fountaine of teares that he might weepe abundantly for their pride c. Sometimes that he had never beene borne he cryes out that he was deceived and that God had deceived him for when he was sent to them armed with Gods commission he thought every one would have stooped to his Message but he found all contrary God often makes use of his Servants and Ministers to such puâ—poses as they thinke not of but yet he constantly held it out for God to the end as his History sheweth What was the issue At last when the City was taken all the great Princes and Priests shine and the Nation captivated the King of Babylons chiefe Captaine takes him out of prison knockes off his fetters that the Jewes had put upon him sets him at liberty offers him his choyce whether he would goe to Babylon with promise of all kind usage there or stay in the Land of Judah tells him the whole I and was before him gives him a reward and so dismisseth him Now who but Jeremy how glad would Zedekiah the King have beene if but halfe this kindnesse had beene offered to him Well let us remember to practice this duty May not a godly man be taken away in a publique calamity Quest The maine thing the Lord aymes at Answ 1 is the preservation of the body of the Church an holy seed Isa 6.13 and he writes them that shall escape downe in his booke Dan. 12.1 For however the Church consists of individuals yet this or that or many singular persons may be taken away and yet the Church be preserved Every Christian shall be preserved untill he hath finished the worke the Lord hath given him to doe but when that is done God may take him off from his station in such a way as he may best glorisie God yet so as generally there is some marke of mercy upon him as he is either taken away before or in the beginning of a storme as Josiah was and they Isa 57.1 Or Secondly he sometimes survives it as Daniel did who outlived the whole time of the captivity and long after and that in muâ—h honour Or thirdly he is taken away in an ordinary manner as no doubt many godly ones were during the seventy yeares of the captivity of Babylon Or fourthly he is taken away in a way of testimony as Jeremy who as it is reported was stoned by the Jewes in Aegypt And so the Disciples and Apostles of our Saviour who although they had power over Scorpions Lyons poyson duâ—ing the terme of their Testimony yet at length were taken away and did glorifie God by violent deaths for their Testimonies sakes Unto this may be referred the sufferings and deaths of the Saints now under the mercilesse cruelties of the Cavalleeres for Religion's sake Or fiftly in propugning the Cause of God in a generall combustion which when it is undertaken out of love to the Truth it is an high honour to a Câ—ristian to lose his life in the quarrell Usually in such times God puts glory upon his Saints and makes their deaths which are precious in his sight to be honourable But most of all if they have beene great mourners in Zion and contesters for him And if he have further use of them he doth continue them yea and sometimes strengthens their faith with confidence that it shall be so Psal 91. However the godly are but taken out of this vale of teares and brought to eternall blisse in his Kingdome of glory Seeke meekenesse quietly and humbly to submit to the common calamity when it cometh Zeph. 2.3 To which purpose it will be available to admit into our thoâ—gâ—ts these considerations That God is the Author of the calamity whatsoever evill is done God doth it That stopped David's mouth Psal 39.9 He hath absolute soveraignty over men he is greater then man why should we contend with him for he gives no account of his doâ—â—gs Job 33.12 13. Would it not be a brave sight to see man sitting upon the Bench as a Judge and God summoned to stand at the Barre as a Delinquent holding up his hand and man to passe censure and sentence upon his actions out of his owne shallow conceptions and irregular affections That God's will is the rule of justice it is therefore just because he wils it and does it He that hath many reasons in the bottomlesse Abisse of his Councels that we see not we are not able to sound to the boâ—tome of it nor to fadome his doings and sometimes they are such as are not fit for us to know That sinne deserveth worse then any plague or earth-quake God sends upon the world Ezra 9.13 That sinne it selfe is the worst of all plagues and so to be esteemed If the heart be thorowly humbled for sinne it will accept of any outward punishment see Levit. 26.41 and David's example who meekly submitted to the cursing of Shimei 2 Sam. 16.10 11 12. he being then in the very act of repentance for his great sins of murder and adultery which God was even then also actually visiting upon him in the unnaturall rebellion of Abselom according as he had threatned 2 Sam. 12.11 The man that is thorowly grieved for the idolatry heresie prophanenesse and luke-warmnesse of our times will thinke any outward evill easier then those sinnes and will be contented to submit to sword or any other plague even to the burying of a great part of the Nation under the earth provided that they may be removed That all outward evils shall turne to the Churches and Saints good in the end Rom. 8.28 A thing that we now come to shew in the next poynt Great and notable restaurations of the Church use often to follow after great ruines and desolations of States and Nations Doctrine 2 Amos 9.10 11. After the Lord had made a great destruction in the Nation among the sinners as we see in the verse before In that day that is after that saith the Lord I will raise up the tabernacle of David which is fallen c. see also Zeph. 3.8 9 10 11 12. Zeph. 13.8 9. It was so in the land of Canaan after the stormes of Aegypt and the Wildernesse and in Judah after the captivity of Babylon the Lord made his peopâ—e take rooting downwards and bring forth fruit upwards it will be so and that more then ever when the earth-quake shall have shaken downe Antichrists Kingdome Quest Wherein shall this great restauration and reformation of the Church consist In the fruition and