Princes put on Sackcloth and the Priests put on Sackcloth and the people put on Sackcloth So here the Witnesses clothed in Sackcloth What doth this mean but their sad and afflicted and mournful condition Such it is and must be in Antichristian times For is it not a sad thing and mournful for the holy City to be troden underfoot by the Gentiles so it shall be in Antichristiâ—n times Is it not a sad and mournful thing for the Church of God to be hidden the inner Court to be hidden Indeed a hidden Church is a true Church a scattered Flock is a true Flock and a scattered Church is a true Church But is it not a sad thing for Churches to be hidden the Church of God to be hidden Why so it must be in Antichristian times I remember Mr. Brightman saith when the Woman is in the Wilderness she must not think that there will be Congregations so visible but in a Wilderness here and there or in a Forrest here and there is a house and here and there you meet with a man But you meet not with great Towns and Corporations in a Wilderness or in a Forrest So when the Church is in the Wilderness here and there a knot of Saints and here and there a knot of meeting But Corporations and Churches then are hidden Is it not a sad thing now I say Yet thus it must be Is it not a sad thing for the Vessels of the Temple to be defiled So it must be in Antichristian times Is it not a sad thing for the solemn Assemblies to lie under reproach So it is and must be in Antichristian times Is it not a sad thing for the Saints and People of God and the Daughters and Sons of Sion to be persecuted to the very Gates of Sion yea into the very Gates of their Trade So it is and must be in Antichristian times and therefore no wonder that the Witnesses lie in Sackcloth But then they lie in Sackcloth 1260 daies what 's that That is 1260 years a day being put for a year as it is ordinary in Scripture And if you ask When doth this time begin or end that we may know where we are I answer If you can find the beginning from whence this time doth commence you will soon find the end now these 1260 daies or years are all one with the 42 Months spoken of before that the Gentiles shall tread down the holy City They are all one with the 42 months of the Beast Take a day for a year and 42 months come to 1260 years take a day for a month and then 1260 daies comes to 42 months These 42 months of the Beast then and the 1260 daies or years that the Witnesses are clothed in Sackcloth are all one Now when did the 42 months of the Beast begin In likelyhood about the year 400 or 406 or 10 or thereabouts for to speak to a year or so is not safe Chronologers have been deceived I say in the year of our Lord 400 or thereabouts For look when that that hinders was taken away then the man of sin was discovered The mistery of iniquity did work in the Apostles time In 2 Thes 2. The mystery of iniquity doth already work verse 7. Only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way and then shall that wicked one be revealed When is that As Jerom and all agree the Roman Empire was the thing that let and about those times was the Roman Empire taken out of the way In 410. the Goths and Vandals broke in upon Rome it self about that time was that that let taken away And Secondly I do but touch upon this and touch I must upon it look when the Roman Empire did fall asunder into ten Kingdoms then did the Beast begin his forty two months Rev. 17. 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet But receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast But when did the Roman Empire fall asunder into ten Kingdoms About the year 400. 'T is observed by good Historians and divers that in the year 406. Brittany and these Nations fell off from the Roman Empire to be a Kingdom standing by it self Now then if the time did begin about 400. surely the end of the time we must needs be about I confess indeed It is a sad thing for Christ's Witnesses to lie in Sackcloth and to lie in Sackcloth 1260. years but so it must be not a day abated but to a year to a day Why should you be offended friends then at the Sackcloth and mourning condition of the Church and Saints and People of God Why is not this the habit of the Witnesses Sackcloth and will not you be content to be habited as they are habited as Christ's Witnesses are habited to wear the same clothes that Christ's Witnesses do And if Christ's Witnesses shall lie in Sackcloth 1260. years will not you be contented to be in Sackcloth three or four years Christians will not you be contented to be in Sackcloth three or four years Me thinks we should rather look to the duty of a Sackcloth condition there should our hearts and our thoughts be But we are very apt evermore and consider what I say not only in reference to this point but to others we are very apt to mind Gods work and neglect our own 'T is Gods work to fulâ—â—l the Promise 't is our work to apply the Promise but we mind the fulfilling on 't and neglect the applying on 't mind Gods work and neglect our own work 'T is Gods work to deliver his people 't is their work to be humbled under the mighty hand of God But we mind deliverance which is Gods work and neglect our own work humiliation under the mighty hand of God 'T is Gods work saith the Martyr to take care 't is our work to cast care Cast all your care upon God there 's your work for he careth for you that 's Gods work To take care is Gods work to cast care is our work but we mind Gods work and are taking care and neglect our own work which is to cast all our care upon God 'T is Gods work to take off our Sackcloth 't is our work to wear it but we mind Gods work the taking of it off When shall this Sackcloth be off and neglect our own work to wear it handsomly Why should we not I say mind our business what is the duty of a Sackcloth condition more Why then when we are in Sackcloth surely then 't is our duty for to lay by our Ornaments Let the Bridegroom go out of his Chamber in the day of Sackcloth if any body may rejoyce the Bridegroom may But let the Bridegroom go forth of his chamber in a Sackcloth day Lay aside your Ornaments friends lay aside your Ornaments In the time of Sackcloth 't is our duty then for to fast and pray and cry
power forth the vials The Angels that come out of the Temple they shall have an hand in pouring out the vials And what then Why then the men of the world they shall be tormented and gnash their teeth and bite their tongues for pain The pouring out of the vials is another thing were-in they shall be instrumental for the angering of the Bestial party But then the Fourth thing is The setting up the Kingdom of Christ So you have it in Revel 11. The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever c. What then And the Nations were angry When Christs Kingdom comes to be set up then the Nations are angry 'T is the setting up the Kingdom of Christ that angers the Nations and therefore in the second Psalm Wâ—y do the Heathen rage and the Kings and Princes take counsel together It follows I will set my King upon his holy Hill I will set up my Kingdom and the Kingdom of Christ shall be setup for all they are so angry at it I will do it But this is another thing that shall raise the anger of the men of the world in the latter daies I but is this so that there is such a deal of anger and wrath in the hearts of the wicked against the people of God Be not offended at it it alwaies was so and it must be so in the latter daies But Secondly If there be so much wrath and anger in the hearts of wicked men against the Saints Why should we not all make sure of the love of Christ O the Love of God in Christ will weigh down mens anger What need I care though men be angry if God love me though men frown so God smile If God be angry and wicked men angry too how shall we bear that how shall we stand under that Wicked men are angry and full of anger and 't is a persecuting time and wicked men are very angry against the Saints if God be angry too how shall we bear it Therefore labour to make sure of the Love of God in Jesus Christ Thirdly If that the wrath and anger of wicked men shall turn to the praise of God Why should we fear when wicked men are angry why should we be afraid When men are angry we are apt to fear but in Isa 51. Who art thou that art afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man that shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker that hath stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth c. Who art thou that art afraid of a man that shall dye Is that all the Argument There 's another Argument before verse 7. Hearken unto me ye that know Righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings why for the Moth shall eat them up like a garment They shall eat out themselves as the Moth eats out her self For the Moth shall eat them up like a Garment and the Worm shall eat them like Wool But my Righteousnesse the Gospel of my Righteousness and the Righteousness of Christ that 's my Righteousness shall be for ever and my salvation from Generation to Generation Fear not why God will turn all their wrath and anger unto his praise And therefore why should we fear But fourthly If God will turn the wrath and anger of wicked men unto his own praise why should we not be contented satisfied and comforted under all the rage and malice of unreasonable men in such a day as this Will you say O but they are not only angry but they are furious Why their fury shall turn to the Lords praise You will say O but they are not only furious but they hate and they are enraged and their rage ascends up to Heaven All this shall turn to Gods praise Their great design is to damp the Spirits of the People of God But they waxed bold by my bonds saith Paul speaking of the Saints Their great design is to scatter the people of God But by the scattering of Gods People shall his truth be scattered They scatter Gods people and Gods people scatter Gods truth it shall turn to his praise Their great design is to destroy the Gospel to suppress the Gospel But saith Paul my bonds turned to the furtherance of the Gospel Thus God will work it to his praise And therefore when you see the wrath anger and malice of wicked men breaking out to such Persecution be quiet be contented be satisfied be comforted all this shall God turn to his praise or he will restrain it But then fifthly If these things be so why should we not now stand still and behold the Salvation of God See what God will do expect the fulfilling of all this 't is a day of anger 't is a day of great wrath there is abundance of anger and wrath and hatred and malice in the hearts of men against the people of God at this day who doth not see it Well then Friends stand still you know how angry Pharaoh was when he followed after the Israelites and saith Moses stand still and see the Salvation of God So say I you shall see all this turn to Gods praise You shall see the restraining of prayer turn to the inlarging of Prayer You shall see the seeking to suppress the Gospel turn to the furtherance of the Gospel Now in such a day as this be righteous in your places For saith the Lord say to the Righteous It shall go well with him Say Who should say it Why Ministers say it Christians say it one to another Let every man say to himself Say to the Righteous It shall go well with him therefore be righteous in such a day as this And then secondly Fear before the Lord In such a day of Anger be sure that you fear and fear before the Lord. Look what is said in Eccles 8. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his daies be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him That fear before him What 's that That is a man that fears the Lord walking up and down in the presence of God But what Case doth he speak to Look into the 9th verse There is a time saith he wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt and saith he because they rule thus and sentence against wicked men is not executed speedily but they go on and prosper in their rule and Government therefore the heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil But saith he Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him
we do that we may so remember Lot's Wife that we may not decline or look back in declining times I shall not speak at large unto the Argument Onely thus If you would not look back in declining times shut your eyes and your ears against all the allurements and threatnings of the World For the Devil he tempts much now in these daies to false Worship as he tempted our Saviour Christ when he said All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me That was false Worship So now the Devil saith All this living and preferment will I give thee if thou wilt worship me so This Cupboard with Plate will I give thee this Chamber hung with Tapestry will I give thee if thou wilt worship so This great living and preferment will I give thee if thou wilt worship so If thou wilt not worship all this will I take from thee Would you therefore be kept that you may never look back Shut your eyes and shut your ears go blindfold into Gods Commandements as Abraham your Father did 2. If you would not look back in declining times Take heed of leaving any Nest-egg in the day of Reformation if there be an Egg left in the Nest sure enough the Hen will return to the Nest to lay yet So in the time of Reformation If a Nest-Egg be left as God knows what Nest-eggs were left among us But I say If in a time of publick Reformation Nest-eggs be left there will be a return of the Hen to the Nest-egg there Will you know what that good man said Mr. Dearing before Queen Elizabeth The house is swept and the Dirt is behind the Door there comes a Hen and scrapes it all out again But I put it into this If a Nest-egg be left be it a publick Reformation or a private Reformation yet if a Nest-egg be left there will be a returning back again 3. If you would not look back in declining times Then be sure that you never part friends with any sin Some will part with their sin but they will part friends with it Saith one By the grace of God I will never commit this sin again and I 'le go but this time into this company but after this time I will never go to them again and so they part friends with their sin Why if a man be to part with his friend he goes part of the way with him and having parted friends they look after one another And so when a man parts friends with his sin he will certainly look back again But if a man would never look back to his sin in declining times let him part as an enemy to it He that will part friends with his sin will certainly return to his sin again 4. If you would not look back in declining times be sure of this That you do not run a share or a part in the Vessel that God is about to destroy Where my grief is there is my finger where my love is there is my eye If I have a share and a part in the Vessel that God is about to destroy I shall look after the Vessel what becomes thereof Why now Babylon that art to be destroyed Babylon is not to repent Babylon that art to be destroyed Babylon is not to be reformed Wash dirt an hundred times and you cannot make clean the dirt Babylon is not to be reformed but to be destroyed Take heed therefore of running a part or a share in the Boat or Vessel that God hath laid out for destruction for if you have a part and a share there you will look back But 5. If you would not look back in declining times let us consider in the fear of the Lord what an evil thing it is to look back Briefly thus 1. Thereby you lose all you have wrought Thereby you will lose all your losses There is much gain in losing for Jesus Christ There is gain in our losses by looking back you will lose all your losses and the gain thereby 2. Thereby you will lose the Testimony of your own Integrity Yet saith God Job held fast his Integrity And if we don't look back in declining times then our hearts will tell us we were upright before him but if we look back in declining times our consciences will tell us we were never right before him 3. Thereby also you will lose the comfort of those glorious times that are to come Friends and Beloved glorious times there are a coming that are at the back side of this hedge that are but a little way off that are on the back-side of this affliction glorious times that are a coming and when they come if ye stand and hold out you will have the comfort of those glorious times But if now you look back in the interim you will lose the comfort of all those glorious times when they come and come they will and come they shall 4. Thereby also you will and shall be satisfied with your own waies for the back-slider in heart shall be satisfied with his own waies you will look back and you shall have enough on 't saith God 5. And thereby also you will be made unmeet for the Kingdom of Heaven For he that puts his hand to the Plow and looks back is unfit for the Kingdom of Heaven 6. And thereby also you may be made a Pillar of Salt and an example unto after Ages for God is quick with Apostates and with them that do look back You have heard how quick the Lord was with Lot's Wife and she was but a Type Now therefore as ever you do desire Friends and Beloved as ever you do desire that you may not lose what you have wrought for so many years as you do desire that you may hold fast and not lose the gain of your former losses as you do desire that you may hold fast your Integrity as you do desire that you may have the comfort of those glorious times that are a coming as you do desire you may not be satisfied with your own waies and as you do desire you may not be unfit for the Kingdom of Heaven and as you do desire that you may not be made examples for after Ages I beseech you in the Name of the Lord and I desire this Exhortation may take upon my own heart as well as yours Let us remember Lot's Wife It was the Lady Times speech to Harding that Apostate Harding Harding Remember Judas Harding remember Francis Spira And let us remember Lot's Wife And if you will ask How should we so remember Lot's Wife that we may not decline in declineing times Work these things upon your hearts This story and example upon your hearts Take this for a constant Rule that Passion is the best door-keeper of Memory The more I am affected with a thing for the present the more I shall remember it for the future and therefore if you would remember Lot's Wife go and work this story now upon your own hearts and as the times are declining the more declining the times are the more do you rub your Memory with this Example of Lot's Wife and call upon your selves Come O my soul remember Lot's Wife Brethren Friends Beloved our Saviour Christ hath left you this Example he hath commanded you and me to remember Lot's Wife 'T is an Example that he hath sanctified that we may take heed hereby and therefore at all times call upon your selves and your own souls come O my soul hast thou forgotten Lot's Wife Thou beginnest to grow cold and dead and dull hast thou forgotten Lot's Wife Come O my Soul remember Lot's Wife Thus shall you be able to stand and not to look back and I pray think upon it that we may not be of the number of those that draw back unto perdition but of those that do believe to the saving of your souls Think therefore of these things and remember Lot's Wife FINIS THere is lately Printed an Excellent Treatise called the World Conquer'd Or a Believers Victory over the VVorld laid open in several Sermons on 1 John 5. 4. By R. A. The Author of Vindiciae Pietatis Sold by Nath. Crouch at the Cross-Keys in Bishops-gate-street near Leaden-Hall