great earth quake was at least sixty yeares in doing its worke for so great a body as the Empire could not by created humane meanes be ruined in a short time And it is very remarkable both because it made so great a change in the Kingdomes of Europe and Affrick planting them almost universally with new Nations and names and in specially because that storme brought our fore fathers into this land setling here a new Nation and language It is thirdly also observable because in it the sixth head of the Roman Monarchy the Emperour went off and the seventh the Pope came on onely the question is about which of these times and degrees of the Empire destruction Haply not so high as Julians death for the Empire stood in good strength after that for thirty yeeres at least Nor so low as 455. when it was quite broken and not long after lost its very name but somewhere between viz. either about 410. when Rome it selfe the head of the Empire was taken or rather about An. â—96 when the Empire first began to be ruined that is plus minus about 400. yeers after Christ Even as the seventy years of the Jewes captivity are not to be computed from the 11. of Zedekiah when the City and Temple were taken and burnt and the State dissolved for from that time there be not sixty years in all till their returne under Cyrus but they must be reckoned from the captivity of Jehojakim ten or eleven years before even so very probably it is here Now if the Beasts reigne began about 400. after Christ then is there above 1240. gone of his 1260. yeeres so that the ruining earth-quake must needs approach And a man may wonder that so much worke should be done in so short a time as seemes to be remaining to it throughout Europe yea throughout the world but that the Text tels us it is the greatest earth quake that ever was Object The sixth head of the Empire continued long after the death of Theodosius the great Not in strength Answ 1 but was still more and more broken unto its dissolution It is not absurd to imagine that the sixth head and the seventh might be in some degrees together For first it is but a comparison not like the naturall head of which there can be but one at once more makes a monster and truly this Beast is a monster Besides the Imperiall and Papall head did not so thwart and crosse one another at first as afterwards they did so that it might be with them as Logicians say of contrary qualities they may consist together in the same subject gradibus remissis non intensis they might both of them have their power and yet not intrench upon each other Popes at first medled in a manner onely with matters of the Church as being desirous to settle their ecclesiasticall authority and the Emperours on the other side almost wholly busied themselves about the civill State to governe and defend the Empire And yet further which may lessen the absurdity before that you should have in the Roman goverment sometimes as it were two heads at once as Consuls who were for their yeere and a Dictator chosen it may be for three months or six mouths upon some extraordinary exigences and necessities of the State who was for the time supreme and namely in matters of warre as the Consuls were supreme for other civill affaires The earth-quake whereby Antichrists Kingdome is to be ruined approaches or is already entered as may apreare by this second Indice or evidence Because it is almost 1260. years since the ten Kings began and the Beast began with them as may appeare Rev. 17.12 The ten hornes which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdome as yet but received power as Kings one houre with the Beast The ten Kings are the many Kingdomes that sprang up out of the ruines of the Empire as the Kingdome of England the Kingdome of France the Kingdome of Spaine c. These are called hornes aptly because Antichrist did with them as the Beast doth with his horne so the Dragon i. e. the heathen Empire had done before with them whilst they were his hornes Rev. 12.3 that is propugne himselfe and oppugne his adversaries For this hath been Antichrists course all along to push downe and gore even to death for the most part all those that opposed his idolatries and haeresies in all Nations by these hornes that is by the Kings and peoples of those Nations who have given their power and strength to the Beast Rev. 17.13 and who doe generally continue it to the Beast with one mind and consent making warre for him against the Lamb almost all and that most desperately unto this day Which have received no Kingdome as yet For when the Apostle wrote there were no suâ—h Kings in rerum natura or existent in the world as the King of England the King of France c. These Kingdomes then were hornes of the Dragon i. e. Provinces of the Empire and therefore in the description of the Dragon Rev. 12.3 the Crownes are not said to be upon the hornes that is upon the Kingdomes who had then no Kings of their owne but upon the heads that is upon the imperiall head at Rome as for instance this Land Brittaine was in the Apostles time a Province or Kingdome but it had no King of its owne and so no Crowne that was upon the head of the Emperour at Rome and he had supreme power over this Islrnd but whenas these Kingdames became the hornes of the Beast they came also to have peculiar Kings of their owne England had and hath its King France its King c. And therefore in the description of the Beast the Crownes are not said to be upon the heads but upon the hornes upon his hornes ten crownes Revel 13.1 But received power as Kings one houre with the Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Kings and the Beast began their reigne together Now the Kings and Kingdomes began to arise about An. 400. after Christ when the Empire began to be destroyed haply some of them a little before for they had begun to breake the Empire foure or five yeeres before and therefore might then begin to be called Kings for God lookes at and so are we to looke at realities The Histories indeed doe not speake much of them under the name and notion of Kings untill after 400. or 410. but the Histories are very confused and no wonder for those were times of most strange confusion The Beast is said to begin with them at one and the same houre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the word may be interpreted the first houre the word in the Greeke text that signifies one as all that have any smattering in that language know signifies also first and so it may be interpreted that the Beast began to rise the very first houre the Kings began to rise rather then the
wâ—e against them from the Lord Isa 5.18 19. though they be an idle generation yet they will work like Cart-horses to commit sinne they will draw iniquity to them with cords of vanity and sinne as with Cart-ropes How might one know them might some man say why by this they say let him make speed and hasten his worke that we may see it let the councell of the holy one of Israel draw nigh and come that we may know it as much as if they had said we would see what he will doe we would see his threats executed we will beleeve them when we see them I so did the men of the old world just of this temper and sped accordingly The most desperate Gyant of them all when he saw the waters to cover the tops of the highest mountaines no doubt beleeved the floud but then it was too late to beleeve it Blessed are they that beleeve though they never saw If Noah had been of that mind also he had perished with them The like we have in the place cited before Amos 9.10 All the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword note they are called sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in a high degree who Why those that say the evill shall not overtake nor prevent us They scorne the Prophets comminations then ver 11. In that day when they are taken off God will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen meaning the Church but he will first knock them downe Multitudes of such were removed in the captivity of Babylon before the Lord restored his Church in Judah The second sort are the obstinate resisters of Gods spirit Sort 2 striving with them in the use of his Ordinances and meanes of grace For his spirit shall not alwayes so strive with men in vaine as we see Gen. 6.3 When the Lord is forced to say of a people unto whom he hath afforded all his Ordinances for a long time as he doth of his Vineyard which he had choicely planted and drest c. Isa 5.4 What could I have done more to this people then that I have done meaning in an ordinary way of meanes setled by himselfe and God useth not to save Nations though persons sometimes by a prerogative why then it must be expected he will deale with that people as he did with his fruitlesse Vineyard break downe the hedge about them with his owne hand let the wilde beasts rush and runne in and depopulate all This was one cause of the captivity of Babylon The Lord rose up early and sent his Prophets long before plagues came but they mocked his Messengers despised his words and mis-used his Prophets untill the wrath of God rose against his people untill there was no remedy whilst men are without meanes there is hope they might be reformed if they had meanes but when as they have for a long time prophaned all meanes their case growes hopelesse therefore now the Lord brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who destroyed all 2 Chron. 36.15 16 17. So because our Saviour would have gathered to him the Jewes by his word as the Hen her Chickens under her wings and they would not therefore their habitation should be left unto them desolate Mat. 23.37 38. Sor. 3 A third sort are the cruell persecutors of his people persecution ever goes along with prophanation and contempt of the means of grace spoken of before When the Husband-men reviled beat and stoned the servants whom the Lord had sent to demand rent and fruits of the Vineyard he at last in fury sends out his men of warre and kils those Husband-men and then le ts out his Vineyard to better Husband-men that will yeeld him his fruits in their season Mat. 23 33 34 c. A fourth sort of enormous transgressors Sort 4 whom the Lord takes off in a publike calamity as the great impediments of Reformation are the proud strong and otherwise invincible supporters of false worship errors haeresie Idolatry prophanenesse as the Popish Hierarchicall generation both of the ecclesiasticall and civill estate Thus the Lord destroyed the High-priests and other supporters of Idolatry in the captivity of Babylon 2 Kin. 25.19 20 21. 2 Chron. 36. And so the Scribes and Pharisees and the whole Jewish state in the last destruction of Jerusalem and this is to be one maine effect of the earth-quake before the Churches future reformation in a word the Lord will take away whatsoever in Church or Common-weale is unreconcilable unto his Sonnes Scepter even Kingdomes and all see Dan. 2.34.35.44.45 In the dayes of these Kings speaking of the last times and of the Kingdomes that issue out of the feet of the Image or the iron Empire of the Romans viz. the Kingdomes of Europe shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome that shall never be destroyed and the Kingdome shall not be left to other people but it shall breake in peeces all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever ver 44. this interpretation is sure ver 45. see for this also Rev. 19.17 18 c. Quest Shall all of all these sorts be taken off in a publique calamity Answ As many as necessity enforceth for freeing Gods way in the worke of Reformation God usually takes off the tops principals and ring-leaders of all these kinds he fels the great Cedars for clearing the ground where the City is to be built and stand whose name is the Lord is there Quest Why are these kinds removed Answ 1 First because they have highly and in so extraordinary a manner provoked God that we parallelling them with such in other Scriptures may justy suspect God hath sworne against them in his wrath and then he will never reverse his threats then their sinne cannot he purged away with sacrifice and offering for ever as it said of Ely's house 1 Sam. 3.14 Then though Noah Daniel and Job should pray for them they should not prevaile for a man may sinne himselfe past and beyond mercy so that though he should repent yet the externall plague should not be removed Secondly because they are not counted worthy to see the good that God will doe for his people as the Text speaâ—eth of the false Prophet Shemajah the Nehelamite Jer. 29.32 that made the Lord take off the old generation in the Wildernesse Thirdly they are unframable for God's building they would never lye even nor keepe a due proportion with the foundation and the rest of the building God hath tryed them sufficiently before Fourthly they would spoyle all Gods work If all the six hundred thousand murmurers had come into the Land of Promise how would they have hindred the advancement of Gods Kingdome and worship they being so inured to Idolatry murmuring c. and so hardned therin such would be like the enemies of the Jewes Ezra 4.2 they would needs assist the Jewes in building the Temple but they would have marr'd all the worke they would have made a wise
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
it is meant concerning Christ by anticipation who was to be afterwards the desire of the Nations The words are to be read thus Object The desire of all Nations they shall come a Noune of the singular number joyned to a Verb of the plurall and therefore they cannot be meant of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The learned in the Hebrew affirme such a Synrax Answ not to be unusuall among the Hebrewes and namely when they set forth the dignity and excellency of a person so that we may take it thus Christ cloathed with all his Excellencies Attributes Offices and Merits shall come Neither doe I see why this should be more absurd then the joyning of a Noune of the plurall number to a Verb of the singular as we find Gen. 1.1 In the beginning Godcreaâ—ed word for word Gods he created denoting out the Trinity of the persons in the God-head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the unity of their Essence and Act in creating the World And I will fill this House with glory Not with an externall glory of silver and gold nor with a ceremoniall glory such as the Arke which was called the glory of Israel 1 Sam. 4.21 22. Psal 78.61 which was now quite taken away Jer. 3.16 for God would now teach them to take their hearts quite off from ceremonies and to look directly for the Messiah but he would fill it with the glorious presence of Christ who had the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God John 1.14 who is the Lord of Glory James 2.1 who is the true Glory of Israel Luke 2.32 who shewes his people the way and is himselfe the undoubted means of glory Now from the words thus understood we may observe these two generall Doctrines one from the commination the other from the consolation First that great concussions Doctrine 1 shakings and alterations of States and Nations great warres and sometimes desolations both oft civill and ecclesiasticall State doe in the course of Gods administration often times goe before great and notable restaurations and Reformations of the Church Secondly Doctrine 2 great and excellent Reformations of the Church doe often times follow and ensue upon great combustions and concussions of Sates and Nations We will begin with the former of these and in opening of it observe this method First we will set downe some proofes and examples of it in the Scriptures Secondly give some grounds and reasons of the Lords proceedings in this manner such as the Scripture leads unto Thirdly we will declare some signes and indices of such an approching storme and earth-quake and then apply it First therefore we shall find such earth-quakes foretold and threatned before the Reformation of the Church wherein the Lord intends not to ruine the Church as we are apt to imagine but to restore and reforme it See for this Amos 9.8 9 10 11. Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinfull Kingdomes and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord for loe I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as Corne is sifted in a sieve c. All the sinners of my people â—all dye by the sword which say the evill shall not overtake nor prevent us In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it as in the dayes of old c. Loe here the Lord will first destroy the sinfull Kingdome though not the whole Nation for those are two things He will sift the whole Nation so that no graine shall escape tossing and cut off the enormous transgressors among his people and then when this is done he will restore his Church set forth under the Type of the Tabernable of David as we see it expounded by the Apostle James Act. 15.14 15 16 17. other predictions we have of this kind Isa 4.1 2 3 4. Zech. 13.8 9. We shall also find instances in the Scriptures of such mighty earth-quakes in the course of Gods providence going before notable Reformations of the Church and we will begin with this mentioned in the Text. There have been foure famous Monarchies in the world the Babylonian the Persian the Graecian and the Roman Monarchies The Babylonian was lately fallen it was now about the middest of the Persian Kingdome which continued for some 228. years and then was utterly overthrowne by Alexander the Macedonian called Alexander the Great He brought in the Graecian Kingdome which continued divided amongst his successors but with infinite troubles 200. and odde yeers and then was subdued by the Romans All these great changes besides very great ones among the Romans themselves happened between the time that the Prophet Haggai flourished and the comming of Christ The people of God the people of the Jewes were under all these Monarchies Neh. 9.36 37. and held their Kingdom in vassalage of them and as tributaries to them and therefore must needs partake of their commotions as indeed they did for there were great alterations in the Jewish State both in Common-weale and Church For the civill State sometimes they were under a Prince of their owne Nation sometimes under a forreigne Governour as Pilate the Roman Deputy was over Jerusalem and the principall part of that Country in the time of our Saviour Sometimes they were under Princes of the house of David as Zerubbabel and others Sometimes their Princes were of another Tribe as the Macchabees who are said to be of Lev by the Fathers side and of the Tribe of Judah by the Mother till at length Herod the Idumaean tyrant by the favour of the Roman Emperours usurped the Kingdome slew Hircanus the King his Father-in law together with his owne Wife and Sonnes being all of the Blood-royall and line of David many of the Nobles of Iudah the whole Sanhedrim or Councell of Elders And so that prophesie of Iacob was fully accomplished Gen. 4â— 10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill Shiloh come meaning Christ Sometimes their Governour had the title of a Prince sometimes of a King they were now under a King then under a Queen as Alexandra Sometimes their Governour was both King and Priest as was Hircanus a little before our Saviour came in the flesh These changes were usually made with many mighty stirres and dismall battels There were semblably great changes in the ecclesiasticall Sate it seems they had sundry High-priests together sometimes as Luke 3.2 Annas and Caiaphas sometimes the High-priest was but annuall or but for a yeer in his office whereas by the law there was to be but one High-priest and he for terme of life There were divers different Sects of Religion risen up among them and some of them strange ones as Sadduces that denied the Resurrection
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
enjoyment of certaine priviledges Answ such as the Church hath not at other times at least not in the like degree The Priviledges are of two sorts Privative and Positive The Church shall be freed from the inundation of prophanenesse with which it hath beene miserably annoyed leavened and infected before Such shall be the piety and strictnesse of the government Ecclesiasticall and Civill that there shall not enter into the Church in any wise any thing that defileth Rev. 21.27 She shall be purged from errors superstition idolatry false and formall worship It is sufficient to prove it that we finde no such thing mentioned in the Scriptures that speake of the state of the Church in the last times besides what hath beene said already and shall be by and by During Antichrists reigne men have beene and still are so zealous and tenacious of their old mumpsimuses they can in no wise indure to heare of parting with them like Micah of mount Ephraim Judg. 18.23.24 that followed after the Danites crying and complaining they turned about and asked him what he ayled Ye have taken away my gods saith he which I made and my priest which he himselfe had consecrated for a priest who should have blessed me and doe you aske me what I ayle What have I more I protest I had as live you had taken away all that I have So it is with the men of our generation from these things shall the Church then be freed She shall have exemption from oppression and persecution both Civill and Ecclesiasticall God shall wâ—pe away all teares from the Saints eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying c. Rev. 21.4 That must needs be ment of the Church in this world as appeares by the cortext Then shall the Lyon and the Lambe lye downe and feed together and the Tygar become tame the Childe shall play with the Aspe and Cockatrice Isa 11.6.7 65.25 Rev. 7.16 There be two reasons of these privative priviledges The earth-quake going before shall shake downe these evils and all their supporters as we have heard the Beast his Hierarchy his hornes the Kings of the earth that shall defend him to the last And as the Lord did destroy not onely the heathen Empire guilty of so much blood cruelty and idolatry but would not let so much as that very forme of government to stand so it is probable if not more that all theâ—e dignities that have so desperately opposed the Scepter of Christ shall be taken away Dan. 2.34 5.44 Rev. 19. from ver 17. to the end God will purge out rebels Ezek. 20.38 that at last none shall dare so much as to speake for false worship formall worship c. Then and I doubt not till then will all these Sects and Divisions have an end Sathan shall then be bound and chained up that he shall not seduce the Nations to idolatry and persecution as he hath alwayes before done Rev. 20.2 He hath beene cast downe before as Rev. 12.9 but never bound nor shall be till Antichrist's fall And so this prevents that which might be objected though the wicked be taken away with the Earth-quake yet sinne will revive againe Answ No Sathan shall be tyed up from seducing that he cannot play such reakes in the world as before mans corruption wanting those bellowes to blow it up which did formeâ—y inflame it The positive priviledges of that reformed State are divers The first consists in the purity and plenty of the Ordinances of God and meanes of grace which that Church shall enjoy Thus Râ—â— 11.19 After the 〈…〉 the Beasts Kingdome the Taberraâ—â— or Temple of 〈…〉 in Heaven in the Church and the Arke of his 〈…〉 Chrâ—â—â— represented by the Arke was before kept hid and the Temple shut true preaching forbidden men were not acquainted with the natures and effects of Christ set forth by the Arke as now they shall be the wood of the Arke a â—â—pe of Christs humane nature the gold â—verlaying it wholly a type of the divine to which the humane was hypostatically united the Tables of the law in the Arke setting forth the fulfilling of the law in Christ and in the Saints by union with him and power from him the Mercy-seat or cover of the Arke representing Christs righteousnesse covering the sinne of man and the Tables of testimony wherein the curse was contained so as no curse could be seene This purity of the meanes is intended in those expressions Rev. 21. that Gods Tabernacle is with men ver 3. new Jerusalem hath the glory of God ver 10 11. no Temple therein ver 22. There is no need of any such fixed place as the old Temple was but every where his people should have communion with him in his Ordinances Joh. 4.21.23 they shall have no need of the Sunne nor Moone c. ver 23. meaning the spirituall light and glory shall farre exceed all externall and chap. 22.1 2. they shall enjoy a pure River of water of life cleare as chrystall proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb the tree of life also with his twelve manner of â—â—â—its c. The second priviledge consists in the multitudes of converts in Antichrists time but a few Witnesses two but an hundred fourty foure thousand sealed ones a man should not need any great art of Arithmeticke to count them but now a great multitude that no man could number Rev. 7.9 then shall those promises in their height be fulfilled the Church shall wonder at her owne fruitfulnesse and aske who begat her those Children seeing she had lost so many being life alone that is a Widow without any earthly protector Isa 49.18 19 20 21 c. Yea her children shall aske her more roome to dwell in ibid. Shee is bidden to lengthen and enlarge the place of her tent c. and promised that shee though a Widow shall breake out on the right hand and on the left and abound in Children for her maker is her husband c. Isa 54.1 2 3 4 5. The Children proceeding from the wombe of the Church shall be like the dew of the morning lying thick upon the ground Psal 110.3 Christ's flock shall not then be a little flock compared with the times which were before the Devill was bound In the excellency of the converts Where the Sunne shines most clearly it heats most fervently The City of the new Jerusalem hath a light like unto a stone most precious even like a Jasper-stone cleare as Chrystall it is of pure gold Rev. 21.18 God is in it dwels with his people he and the Lamb are the light of is Rev. 21.3.22 in this and other respects it is named the Lord is there Ezâ—k 48.35 the people of it shall be all righteous Isa 60.21 What an admirable Reformation was that which followed the storme in the Wildernesse when all Israel both the ten Tribes and the two of Gad and Ruben and the halfe Tribe of Manasseh abhorred