heretofore heard Then as he discovers their Religion to be generally corrupt as the bloud of a dead man so hee pours out the next Vials upon the Rivers and Fountains of water those that carry this Religion up and down the Countries and Nations the Lord exasperates Civil States so far against them that they force them to drink bloud their own bloud as they made Martyrs to drink bloud so the Lord gave them to drink bloud for they are worthy as you heard it opened this day seven-night He first begins with the common Catholicks then with Priests and Jesuits Well doth he here stay when the Lord sees what little fruit groweth hereby Verily no for here is no Reformation of the common sort they still continue in their Ignorance and Superstition and Idolatry And what are the Priests and Jesuits any thing reformed It is nothing so nor do the lights of that State either the lights of the Imperiall world of the Provinces or their generall and grand holy Father the Pope as they call him none seek Reformation what then Then let the Imperiall state and Pope that claims Lord Paramountship over all let him look it the next Vial fals upon his head and the Lord doth this by degrees first upon his supreme lustre and glory as he rules by day And the next fals upon his Throne and that is a great blow to him and still the Lord goes on pouring to pour out and striking to strike till at length he crusheth the man of sin and all his abettors For their religion is corrupt and all that drink of it perish and the cōmon people Priests Jesuits shall smart and then the Pope Emperor whoever are their great lights let thē be lights in Church or Common-wealth for I will exclude neither they both partake in the sin and shall partake in the punishment of it The four Angels they may be severall persons but they have one common work they pour Vials upon the lights of both States and truly so the Lord did in Christian Rome this is Antichristian but when Rome was once Pagan and then became Christian in Constantines time and under the Christian Emperors Constantine and the rest opened the doors of the Church so wide that all the garden of God was become a wildernesse by an inundation of carnall people Christians in name but Pagans in heart that were let in and then that which was once a garden inclosed was now made a wildernesse when they took down the Pale and let in all dogs and swine that will come in the wrath of God breaks out against them then the Trumpet sounds a shrill sound and what was that In the 8 of Revel 7. The first Angel sounding there followed hail and fire mingled with bloud and they were cast upon the earth c. and that is upon the lowest sort of Christians there was given grievous hail cold hail-storm they received not the truth in love and being cold in Christianity they were hot in Emulation and Contention And then the second Trumpet sounding there was as it were a great Mountain burning cast into the Sea and there was a third part of the Sea became bloud there was high preferment cast into the Officers of the Church and a great part of the Administrations grew corrupt Then the third Angel sounded and there fals a Star from Heaven called Wormwood Wormwood of Heresie and corrupts the Priests many were infected with the Heresie of Arrius and Nestorius and Eutyches Afterwards all Scriptures came to be darkned with Allegoricall and Hereticall and corrupt Interpretations that Christ is scarse discerned in all their writings and the light of Scripture is darkened and the light of humane Learning that there is little light left And then the next Angel he sounds and smoke comes out of the bottomlesse pit and there comes Locusts upon the earth and they have a King set over them which is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit which is the Pope over the Friars and Monks So thus the Lord begins to deal with men first he fals upon them in one degree upon the earth first and then upon Religion in them and then upon Ministers the publishers of that Religion and after grows higher and higher till in the end there comes the Antichristian state the seventh head and he surmounts all Christian Emperors leads them all captive and hath the Key of the bottomlesse pit to destroy their souls whose name is Abaddon in Hebrew but in the Greeke Apollyon and then comes the Turk in the sixth Trumpet and he destroys and swallows up all So the Lords manner is first he breaks forth against the common people then against the Ministers then at last he riseth to the great Lords of the world the Rulers of the State they smoke for it at last What should be the Reason of the Point The Reason is Reas 1 First because ordinarily the first beginning of corruption is with the people and they being first corrupted then indeed it is meet that they should first be plagued for look as the Church grew to be corrupted in the Christian Emperors time so the Church came to be plagued in Antichristians time the earth was first corrupt in the Christian Emperors time and the first that is plagued is the earth then the sea then the rivers so by degrees The Lord goes the same way in plaguing as they did in degenerating the same way in executing judgement as they in sinning Reas 2 And secondly when the cōmon people are corrupted for their sin sake it pleaseth God either to send them corrupt Rulers like themselves or else to lead their good leaders into temptation to corrupt themselves and their people You read Prov. 28.2 For the wickednesse of a land many are the princes thereof many and wicked Rulers too They never lived long nor well after once the house of Israel had cryed out What portion have we in David or what inheritance in the son of Iesse The Lord never gave them good King in Israel after not in Israel I say Judah indeed had sundry times good Kings but for Israel the 10 Tribes that rejected the yoke and the house of David in regard of the hard payments that Solomons son put upon them and therefore in their prophanenesse cryed out What portion have we in David c. Then immediatly after that the Lord never gave them any good King 1 King 12.16 So there grows Religion to be corrupted in the people and then for their wickednesse God gives them wicked Princes I gave them a King in mine anger and took him away in my wrath O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Hos 13.9 10. Israel corrupts it self provokes God and he gives them a King in his anger and takes him away in his wrath And it is written as a heavie curse of God in Lev. 26.17 If you still trespasse against me I will set Princes over you that shall hate you Mischievous
Princes odious Princes that shall be odious to God and malignant to the people If you still provoke me and for all this turn not to me I will set such over you them that shall be odious to me and odious to you that shall make you more and more to corrupt your wayes And if God at any time give them good Princes he will leade them into temptation for their sin In 2 Sam. 24.1 you read there the wratâ— of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he provoked David against them to say Go number Israel and Iudah The wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he provoked David c. To what end That so a plague might come upon Israel So that minde you how the sins of the time rise from the contagion of the hearts and lives of the people That look as a man catcheth cold on his feet it fils the head with distempers Catch but cold in the lowest part about the ancles or feet or suppose the stomack be somewhat annoyed through ill dyet or ill digestion what then It strikes up to the head presently you cannot annoy the feet ancles or middle parts but the head will feel both So if either Ministers be corrupt or common people the head the Rulers will straightway bee corrupt it will not bee otherwise If the Prophets prophesie lyes and the Priests bear rule by their means and the people love to have it so what will be the end Do you think there will come any Princes that will reform them Do you think the Lord will take any course to reform such great evils as these be As evill first begins with the common people so they are first plagued For a third Reason As evill first begins with the people and they are first plagued and as for them it is derived to the Priests and Princes and they are by that meanes corrupted either are not good or led into some temptation Reas 3 So thirdly the Lord is deeply provoked against the lights and guides of the Church whether Civill or Ecclesiasticall Church-mâ—n or Common-wealths men the Lord is provoked against both for suffering their people to bedable themselves with some corruption in Religion and religious conversation In the 34. Ezek 7 to 10. Heare this O yee Shepheards of Israel and he speakes as best Interpreters expound it both to Ecclesiasticall and Civill Shepheards to the Priests in the Church and the Princes in the Common-wealth he speakes expresly to both Heare O yee Shepheards because you have suffered my people to wander and my flock to be a prey therefore I am against you and he professeth he will rend his people from them and rend the very cause of their heart and execute judgement upon them and he will judge betweene the Rams and the Hee Goats and tender Kids and will deliver them and set them one Shepheard over them that shall be more faithfull to him and his people even his servant David he meanes Christ and they that are of David's spirit that shall in his name rule his people So that mind you the wrath of God is carried an end in this course he begins with the people first because they are first corrupt and then with Rulers for had not they been soon corrupted it had not been possible that the Church should so quickly have become a wildernesse So here he begins with the common sort and then with Ministers and then with the great Lights that rule by day that rules the affaires of the Church and Common-wealth For the use of this point briefly Vse 1 It may serve then to be a watchword and warning to the common sort of Christians First look you to it men and brethren and beloved in Christ Jesus look you to it tenderly and seriously that neither doctrine nor worship of God nor Church Government be corrupt to your best discerning but preserved by diligent examination of all things according to the patterne shewed in the Word as it hath been hitherto held forth to you Looke to it that the Sea you wash and bathe your soules in be not defiled let it be so clear that the vertue of the bloud of Christ may be discerned in it otherwise beleeve it though you may think it least concernes you Let Church-officer look to it and let Civill Magistrates see to it it is their calling to look to Worship and Government in their time and place though that be true they must look to it and God will require it else at their hand yet if you look not to it the wrath of God will be powred out upon you If men unprepared shall most giddily rush into the Church what will the issue be The Lord will powre a cold haile-storme upon you never such coldnesse fell upon men as there wil be when they rush into Churches before they be warmed with the bloud of Christ Jesus Revel 8.7 that was the first Trumpet of Gods vengeance there heavy grievous hailestones great hailestones and which is wonderfull you will think it marvellous but it is true as they were cold in Religion so they were zealous for contention and Coveteousnesse and Ambition and personal respects that if they got an opinion by the end they contended for it as pro aris focis for fire on the hearth as if there were no warmth but in that though the opinion were never so unsavoury when men thrust into the Church and take it very ill if they be examined What will the issue be Nothing but cold shill dead-heartednesse falls upon them and then a wild fire of rage and crotchetly opinions and then grow so zealous therein as if religion lay in some quintessence notions of theirs therefore first look for and beware of corruption in the common people Then secondly let the Lords Ministers I speak to my selfe Vse 2 as much as any other in a speciall manner look to these things that we diligently looke to religion and the purity of doctrine and worship and of every ordinance of God with circumspection and faithfulnesse and diligence and sedulity and watchfulnesse that nothing of the holy things of God may be corrupted that are committed to us for we shall next feele the smart of it For as religion will be corrupt in the people first and so far as that you shall have no power nor life of godlinesse in it and the bloud of Christ will be as the bloud of a dead man So then the Ministers of the Gospell must looke to it for the next thing will bee some heavy judgment or other God will bring upon them if they be not vigilant to see that all things bee done according to the true platforme left to us in the word you know the Prophet Malachy complaines of it in Malac. 1.11 12 13. that men began to waxe weary of sacrifices and snuffed at the cost of it and brought the blinde and lame and any thing for Sacrifice and the Table of the Lord was
Earthly Religion and so to the Princes of Earthly religion they goe forth therefore they goe unto the Kings of the Earth And of the whole World They doe not containe themselves in the limits of Christendome but the other Princes the Princes of the whole world that is to say to Pagan Princes They would have power to prevent if it were possible this great mischiefe to themselves that they might crush these Christian Kings that brought in the reformation Therefore they goe forth to the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World To gather them to battell To the battell of that great day of God Almighty That 's not the last judgement as some have thought there will be no warring then but every day of great execution is called a great day of God Almighty But that we shall speake to God willing when we come to it of that great day of God Almighty But what day is that yee have it expounded in the 19. Rev. 17. It is the day of Gods great Supper that yee may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of mighty men c. This is the great day of God Almighty on which these worldly and wicked these Popish and Pagan Princes with all their power and all their forces and armies they are able to make shall come forth against the Lord Jesus and against these Christian Princes that have beene serious and studious in the reformation of Religion and in the drying up of these streames of corruption Thus you see the words opened and the plaine and true meaning of them I cannot speake of the comming of Christ now and of the gathering together to the great battell of Armageddon and I would not open more then I am able to finish at this present Therefore now consider the Doctrine againe and the truth of it how it doth plainly arise from the words of the Text. Upon the powring out of the sixth Viall that is to say upon the drying up of the current and streames of the corruption of Antichristian religion or Christian religion for Antichristian religion is but the corruption of religion in Christendome The Dragon that is to say the Devill and the Beast that is to say the Roman Catholique visible Church and the false Prophet that is to say the Pope the head of the Church did send forth out of their mouthes that is to say out of their commands three uncleane spirits that is Cardinalls and Bishops and Jesuites To stir up the Princes of the Earth and of the whole World that is both Popish and Pagan Princes to a great battell To what end ye may see by the occasion of it is was upon the powring out the Viall of the wrath of God upon the streames of corruption of religion therefore they would turne the streame againe to prevent the way of the Kings of the East that is the conversion of the Iewes by bringing in old Idolatry and superstition spirituall Adulteries and Whoredomes and Witchcrafts for the maintenance of the Sea of Rome Thus you see the point plaine from the Text neither is there any difficulty that remaines for the opening of it that I doe discerne Now then for the Reasons of the point and so briefly to come to the use The reasons are two why that upon this drying up of the streames of corruption of Religion these three great commanders should thus send forth such kinde of Emissaries instruments that will bee active and nimble to gather such a fearfull Battell against the Lord and against his servants The first reason is taken from the nature of their Kingdome Rea. 1 Antichrists kingdom is contrary to the Kingdome of Christ his Kingdome is not of the Earth theirs are from beneath his Kingdome is not of this World But theirs are of this World These are of the World saith Iohn speaking of Antichrist in the 1 Ioh. 4. Chapter 6 Verse And therefore minde yee the weapons of their warfare are carnall full of malice and full of envy and devillishnesse their instruments are not spirituall but carnall and worldly And therefore being thus shaken as they are their returne is not to Fasting and Prayer or the power of the holy Ghost or the power of spirituall gifts or so forth these are estranged from them And now they fall to carnall policy and worldly power and devillish engines and instruments these are fit for this use This is one Reason Rea. 2 The other reason is taken from their implacable malice and hatred against the reformation of religion and the conversion of either Iew or Gentile to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus there is nothing more grevious to these spirits then the prosperity of religion they gnash their Teeth for paine in the former Viall this is that will vex them more then all the rest to see these Rivers dried up and these streames dryed up and now the holy City of Rome blasted this doth stirre them up to implacable malice and mischiefe and now they care not who they confederate withall so they may crush the Christian Princes and hinder reformation It was truly prophesied of by the Apostle Paul That evill men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Timothy 3 13. So it is with these evill men here if they see they cannot get victory over Protestants though they have pretended warre with the Turke for the recovering of the holy Land yet now they will consent with him they sticke not who they agree with so they may mantaine their war To come then briefely to make some use of what ye have heard the use of the point is thus much Vse 1 First it may teach every noble wit and every active spirit and every man of cleanly conveyance not to pride himselfe much lesse to blesse himselfe in such gifts and parts what ever they be pride not your selves blesse not your selves in them you see heere is a Generation of nimble spirits and active wits cleanly spirits spirits of as neat and cleanly conveyance as ever the World saw men full of wit and full of dexterity men good for Church as they count it notable there and not able for the Common-Wealth they are marvelous fit for all kinds of imployment in their owne wayes and that 's very large for their owne ends and yet see they are but made instruments to the Dragon to the Beast and to the false Prophet so that verily if a man now should take pride in his gifts and blesse himselfe in the activenesse of his spirit and cleanly conveyance aplaud himselfe in such kinde of inlargements as these be I tell you the Devill hath as quick wits as you are and as active spirits as you are and men of as dexterous conveyance as you can be And therefore never pride your selves in these they are such as are as fit instruments for the Devill as for Christ and many times the Lord Jesus takes lesse delight
shall lie downe with the Kid c. So great is their change in their hearts that mens Ravenous tyrannies are taken away and there is wrought in them a kindly sweete unshaken frame that will so breake forth against Gods people as formerly thus doth the earthquake shake out drosse and corruptions and establish the heart in a sweete gracious frame of Spirit 2. Secondly The knowledge of Christ will breed division as well as conjunction Thinke you saith Christ that I am come to send pâ—ace I tell you nay but the sword To set men at variance among themselves the father against the sonne and the sonne against the father and the mother against the daughter c. And this division is made in Cities and in Kingdomes Act. 14.4 The city was divided and part held with the Apostles and part held with the Jewes so it is in the Text the great city was divided into three parts some are hardened in their ignorance and some are drawne out of it and a third part will stand Neuters betweene both to see which way the ballance will turne and these are also hardened in their blindnesse 3. Thirdly the saving knowledge of Christ hath in it this power to cause men to rise up in armes against all the enemies of the Gospell of Christ in a lawfull way of God There is a power in true Religion thâ—t maketh the hearts of the timerous to be stiffe and strong that where as men were before afraid of the power of the house of Austria and of the King of Spaine and of the rest of the Catholike Princes there is a power in the Spirit of Christ that will dispell all these had but men the zeale of God in their hearts it would make all these feares to be like Scar-crowes and makes men bold to bid battell unto all those that stand out against Religion so farre as the Lawes of a State may beare them out 4. A fourth power of this knowledge is to blow up all the inventions of men in the worship of God wherby men have deluded themselves and others when once mens hearts are lifted up in the waves of the Lord as it is said of Johoshaphat that his heart was 2 Chro. 17.6 and then he tooke away the High places and groves out of Judah So when the zeale of God lifteth up the hearts of his people then will they not endure a consecrated place in all the world where they come And when this Viall is poured out the earth shall be full of this knowledge of God and then all the Chappels of Ease and Churches of state and Temples of glory whereby the world hath beene deluded they will not leave them a stone upon a stone that shall not be throwne downe This is the second Reason taken from the power of saving knowledge which subdueth mens wilde natures worketh holy division giveth courage and the power of zeale against all superstitions and inventions of men though now in some places you may not passe through with a burden nor looke upon the wall thereof The zeale of the Lord of hoast will blow them up those places will be laid open to the rest of the streetes and become but common soyle they will not then be regarded but trampled upon Reas 3 The Third Reason is from the just judgement of God upon all that are not effectually wrought upon by this saving knowledge of God if men come not in on some measure to a perfect accomplishment of Gods worke in their hearts there will fall such a plague of haile upon them as will teare away their vaile and rend away their hypocriticall shifts and goodly pretences and wash down their untempered dawbings wherewith they have dawbed the walls of their standing in the Church of God He will so rend them to pieces that if they will not come in he will leave them to such open blasphemies that you shall clearely see there is no more hope of their conversion nor salvation The Use of this point in the first place may serve to teach Vse 1 you a just reproofe of the Popish conceit That ignorance is the mother of Devotion unlesse they meane it of their owne devotion True it is the mother of their devotion indeed so long as their people are hood-winked with it they will thinke they doe God good service if they be in the Church though they understand nothing there and if when they die they be buryed in a Church-yard they thinke they are the better and yet better if they be buryed in a Church and yet better if it be in a Chancell and better then so if it be under the Altar and better then that if a Fryars Cowle be wrapped about them This is indeed the mother of whippings and scourgings of auricular confessions and of all Popish superstitions for in truth take away this ignorance and all Popish devotion doth of it selfe fall to the ground if once this vaile be removed from the face of all Nations Secondly Learne from hence to see what great need wee Vse 2 have all of us to grow up in saving knowledge and in prayer for the increase thereof that we may propagate the same daily more and more you see what wonders it will doe Gods people of old prayed for us Psal 67.1 God be mercifull to us and blesse us and cause his face to shine upon us And for what end That thy way may be known upon earth and thy saving truth among all Nations And when once the light of the Gospell is dispersed it will bring in all Nations it will thunder upon them and never leave untill it have changed them If this knowledge of God come amongst an army of men they will not touch any thing that is their brethrens not meddle not make with any to doe them harme no mans purse shall be taken from him no mans goods taken away without due recompence only they will not be deluded with shaddowes nor suffer mountaines to overtop them neither will they be encompassed with hands they will raise such an earthquake first in Church and Common-wealth as you will at length wonder at for though it begin in a corner of the world it will not cease till it have shaken all Christendome for when men once begin clearely to see which is the true Church of God that it is not Cathedrall nor Provinciall nor Diocesan but congregationall only the officers whereof are godly Pastors and Teachers and ruling Elders and Deacons And when they see that the Saints which they have embraced and esteemed are not the true Saints of God nor these the Churches nor those the officers of Christ wherewith they have been gulled but they see now who are the Saints of the most high and can put a difference now between precious and vile In this way men will goe on to raise such an earthquake and that not besides the Law neither that if any City rise up against them fall it must and stoop
live better then an hypocrite this is the true meaning of the second viall The first note that we may gather I will not be long in it nor Doct. in this place the matter requires it not in some places it might As upon the corruption of common Christians followes the corruption of religion so by the discovery of the corruptions of Christians or upon the discovery of the corruption of common Christians followes the discovery of corruption in Religion This note followes upon the former words compare this verse with the second trumpet vpon the sounding of the second trumpet there was brought in corruption of religion in the Imperiall Christian world as in the 8. Chapter of this booke and the 7.8.9 ver The first Angell sounded and there followed â—aile and fire mingled with bloud whereby all the green grasse was burnt up c. The first Angell poured out fire and bloud that is vncharitablenesse and contentiousnesse and so corruption grew in the spirits of common Christians and what followed upon that And thereupon the second Angel founded and there fell a great mountaine burning with fire cast into the sea on the contentiousnesse and quarelling of common Christians and their ambition There grew contention about primacy in Church Governours and that so far corrupted the sea A mountaine of high prefermâ—nt being cast into the sea that a third part of the sea became bloud here was a third part a great part of their religion specially that which concernes governement became bloud very noisome both their doctrine and governement so that looke as on the corruption of the lives of Christians presently religion grew corrupt so on the discovery of corruption in common Christians In this second viall follows the discovery of corruption in religion it self in this second viall and looke by what degrees the trumpets sounding brought in corruption into the Church by the same degrees the vials bring forth the discovery of corruption in the Church the vials of Gods wrath discover corruption pollution in Religion The reason of this point is taken from the powerfull efficacy Reason of all religion to transforme the sincere professors of it to the like nature with it selfe looke what the religion is such is the spirit of all that are sincere and serious professors of it and therefore if there come in any corrupt doctrine corrupt religion our Saviour tells us by their fruits ye shall know them for such as their corruption is in judgement such will it bee in their lives in Mat. 7.15 Beware of false prophets c. by their fruits you shall know them a good tree cannot bring â—orth evill fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fâ—uit and so it was with the Pharisees though they were the strictest sect of the Iewists Religion Act. 16.5 Yet as they were corrupt in their lives so their Religion was corrupt and those that were Proselites to it Mat. 23.15 They made them twofold more the children of hell then themselves 2 Tim. 3.13 Evill men and deceivers waxe worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and the ground of that is this the concurrence of the spirit of God with his owne word and the concurrence of the spirit of Satan with his ordinances and instructions there is a spirit goes with both that doth assimulate and transforme a powerfull professor of sincere Religion to be sincere in heart And the Professors of corrupt Religion to transforme them into the nature thereof In the 59. of Esay verse 21. My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Gods spirit goes with his owne Ordinances where ever they are rightly and sincerely received as alway by some they are where ever they have free passage they will have some good issue and some persons or other on whom they will worke such a change in 2 Cor. 3 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of God are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. Consequently if Antichrist come with his delusions hee shall come with all the power of Satan whose comming saith the Apostle 2 Thess 2.9.10 is after the working of Satan and with all power of signes and lying wonders with efficacie of delusions a signe these delusions are not meerely Nationall but effectuall to transforme the heart like unto the minde their will like unto their judgement and their life like unto both that you shall have the whole frame of their state such as is their Religion if the lives of Catholike Professors be corrupt an evident argument their Religion is corrupt and if their Religion be corrupt their lives cannot bee sound they that live by that Religion must needs be corrupt so that upon the discovery of the corruptions of the lives of Catholikes then men began to scruple their Religion at first it was fairely interpreted of some Catholikes that were reformed and brought to the truth they thought that all abuses found in the Friars Monks was but from the lives of men their religion was better their religion did not teach them so and therfore thought still they might appeale to the Pope himself as Luther did they thought it was the ignorance of the Priests that brought Pardons into the Countrey to sell them for groats and shillings but this was but a charitable opinion and in truth the Priests the ministers of that Religion did but act the spirit of that Religion the whole heart was sicke and the whole head and body mortally distempered The Use is thus much it must be a word of holy admonition and warning to all Professors Vse 1 in this Countrey and Church members to all that professe they came out of England for purity of Ordinances to be very circumspect pure and faithfull and zealous in all their whole conversation for beleeve it you will finde this true and remember it while you live if you bee corrupt in New-England if you be unfaithfull here if you be worldly minded here false of your words and promises here injurious in your dealings here beleeve it one of these two will unavoidably follow either all England will judge your Reformation but a delusion and an invention of some of your Magistrates or Elders or otherwise looke at you as not sincere but counterfeit This unavoidably you will finde true you cannot poure forth a Viall of more wrath on Religion as it is heere reformed and established through the blessing of God you cannot load it with a heavier Viall of Gods wrath then if heere you shall grow worldly and covetous deceitfull and contentious and unbrotherly Are these your Church members such such things were done but I hope it was not your Church Members are we not all brethren Doth our Estates
come to passe that there will be a way made for the Kings of the East to come in for yee heard that by the Kings of the East are properly meant the Iewes as being of old called Kings A royall Priesthood so that way is made for them by this reformation of religion in Christendome The removing of those abuses to wit of the corruption of religion and popish superstition and idolatry way is made for their conversion and doe but dry up those streames and then you leave Babylon dry and you leave the Turkish Monarchy weakened for the staffe of the Turkish Monarchy is the superstition of Antichristianisme From hence therefore yee have heard already these two notes gathered and handled the first is this that the dayes are comming wherein Christian Princes shall dry up the streames of antichristian corruption in Religion And thereby also dry up the Fountaines of the streames of the Turkish tyranny Secondly yee have heard this note also gathered and handled That upon the drying up of the streames of corruption of Antichristian religion and of Turkish Tyranny way is made for the conversion of the Iewes the antient people of God Of these two wee spake the last day and thus much was needfull to be repeated that yee might understand where wee are To proceede to the next note then the third that concernes this Viall but the first at this time Let me first gather the note and then shew you how it rises out of the Text then give some grounds of it and make use of it as the Lord shall helpe the note is this Upon the drying up of the streames of the corruption of religion Doct. 3 in Christendome the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet shall send forth their choisest instruments to stir up and gather together both Popish and Pagan Princes unto a great battell to withstand the reformation of Christians and the conversion of the Jewes This is the summe See all these points expresly and distinctly delivered and fully in these two Verses the 13 and 14. For further then so I shall not goe at this time And this one note opens both these Verses and all the passages therein First yee see upon the powring out of this Viall upon the river Euphrates and the drying up the streames thereof that is upon the drying up of the corruptions of religion superstition Idolatry Murthers and Whordomes restraining and drying up all such Fountaines what followes He saith the Beast the Dragon and the false Prophet sent out of their mouthes three unclean spirits like Frogs which goe forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battell of that great day of God Almighty To open this doctrine and the words a little First for the Dragon yee have heard it noted before from the 12. Rev. 9. verse him to be the old Serpent Satan but taken chiefly as he doth act and govern and dwell in the Roman state And therefore he is described to have seaven hads and ten Hornes in the third verse of the 12 Chapter But take him as he is Satan spiritually and he hath neither heads nor hornes Take him as he governes Rome and so he hath seven heads and ten hones The seven heads are seven hilles And the ten hornes are ten governments who then is the Beast the Beast as ye have heard he is described by the very same Characters seven heads and ten hornes 13. Rev 9. verse It is said to be him to whom the Dragon hath given his power and his seat and great authority it doth therefore hold forth the Roman state not Rome Pagan nor Rome Christian as yee have heard It remaines therefore to be Rome antichristian which is that The Roman visible Catholique Church that 's the first Beast which claimes all the power by pretence of religion which old Rome and the Roman Monarchy claimed by force of armes Who is then the false Prophet The false Prophet hee is never mentioned before in this booke not by name and yet hee is spoken of here as well knowne It appeares therefore this false Prophet is the 2 Beast in 13 Rev. 11 verse to the end The second Beast there is said to worke Miracles in the 13 Verse he doth great wonders c. And 18 Verse he deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the meanes of these miracles c. And the same yee shall reade of the false Prophet in the 19 Rev. 20 Verse The Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the marke of the Beast And them which worshiped his Image c. The description is the same of the false Prophet and of the Beast both of them holding forth the head of the Roman Church The false Prophet Balaam the Bishop or Antichrist of Rome So that it doth imply thus much that the Dragon and the Devill himselfe did stir up not the Pope onely but the whole Catholicke Church to gather into some councill or some other solemne meeting some chiefe concurse of them who by common content shall out of their mouthes that is to say by their commands their Cannons and Decrees for that is out of their mouthes out of their commands out of their edicts out of their injunctions shall send forth their uncleane Spirits Spirits they be for nimblenesse and activity Spirits they bee for impetuousnesse and strength Spirits they be also for close and cleanly conveyance There is no stoping the gates against Spirits yee cannot so stop the Cinque-ports but they will in they will enter into any Court Princes Palaces or great mens Houses there 's no hindering of them they have a cleanly conveyance and secret and close passage And they are also Spirits of Devills It is not the ordinary word Devill but Daemon the which is wont to expresse Spirits for their knowledge and learning They are learned spirits and yet Devills for their deceit and mischeife Ye are of your Father the devill the works of your Father ye will doe Iohn 8 44. Liers for deceit Murtherers for mischeif these are the spirits he sends forth which surely comming as they doe out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet they are not spirits properly so called They are therefore Emissaries sent forth by them men of nimble wits and parts active for nimblenesse and close conveyance and full of deceit and mischiefe And these are the spirits are sent forth and here said to be three spirits comming out of their mouthes not as if one came out of the mouth of one and another came out of the mouth of another but all three of them came out of all their mouthes together at once It is not rightly translated here that he saith he saw them comming out for the word comming out is not in the originall but hee
in such as these then hee doth in plainer and simpler men Yee see your calling Brethren saith the Apostle Paul in the 1 Corinthians 1.26 How that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called It is I say therefore an abasement unto all flesh and unto all the glory of the flesh all flesh is as Grasse and the goodliest of flesh and bloud is but as the flower of the Field that fadeth away take it at the best it s but a Flower but take them as they may bee improved by Satan none more mischeivous none more active instruments for the Devill for sinne for Corruption then these fine quicke wits and spirits bee These nimble wits these active spirits pride not your selves in these things I say these are the most dangerous if the Lord set not in to take hold of them pride not your selves therefore in these things The more learned and witty you bee the more fit to act for Satan will you bee if the Lord leave you the more neat handed and quicke witted and nimble spirited you bee the more notable and profitable will you bee for the Devill if hee take hold of you pride not your selves therefore in these much lesse allow your selves in sacrificeing of these to Satan But see you doe sacrifice your wts and spirits and dexterity and what ever you bee or have as a living sacrifice to Christ Jesus to his advantage or else they will bee improved to the service of the Devill and his instruments The great and monsterous Beast the Roman Catholique visible Church and the head thereof the holy Father the Pope as they call him Secondly it may take off the fond doting of the sonnes Vse 2 of men upon the lesrning of the Jesuites and the glorie of the Episcopacy and brave estate of the Prelates I say bee not deceived with these pompes and empty shewes and faire representations of a goodly condition before the eyes of flesh and blood bee not taken with the applause of these persons yee have many at this Day that stand and wonder upon the reading of the Jesuites at the witty inventions and marvelous dexterity of judgement They are strong perswaders and strange practitioners of what they take in hand marvelously are men taken with the strength of their judgements and the strength of their wits And dote mervalously upon the Cardinalls and upon the Bishops and upon the Jesuites and upon holy Catholique Mother Church and their holy Father the Pope These are the gods many of them doe adore I pray doe but looke well upon them all what are they all of them Let but the holy Ghost give his judgement of them who is onely wise let his Counsell bee taken and what They are spirits indeed but uncleane spirits spirits of Devills that come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast the Roman visible Catholique Church is in the esteeme of the Holy Ghost a monsterous Beast as yee heard in the 13 Chapter Revel 1 Ve. And the head of the Popish Church a false Prophet And what are these nimble wits and goodly glorious persons yee speake of uncleane spirits neither fit for meat nor sacrifice neither fit for Church nor Common-Wealth Oh ye will say they are fit for both But saith the holy Ghost they are Frogs and not Church-men as they call them and uncleane and not fit for civill use neither fit for Church nor State but fit to corrupt both and breed corruption in both Frogs they are and their Songs are much what as Frogs are if yee mind them their note is alwayes much at one either visible succession and that 's one note the Judge of controversies which they say must bee the Bishop of Rome and the Roman Catholike visible Church the holy Mother Church as they call it these are their notes their Song but it is but a Frog-like Song what ever they thinke and yee shall ever finde it that when Religion hath been most lightsome and Princes and States-men have beene most warme in Religion then yee shall here no noise of these Frogs they ly close in the mud But when Religigion growes darke once the shadow of the Sunne growes low and large when Christians wax cold and Courtiers begin to be Popish or carnall or I cannot tell how conformable to the corruptions of the times then they begin to croke loud and all things must be as they will have them but I say take them as they be and they are but uncleane Frogs that doe corrupt both Church and State And mind yee they are confederate with the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet Yee shall finde it in time that they will be confederate with Turke or Russian Indian or Infidell they will be ready to confederate with them all and make no scrupill of these things And yet they as men thinke are the onely Patriarkes and make the greatest shew of religion bee not deceived you see how the holy Ghost describes them And let those that are of God learne what they are And thirdly this may serve to teach Christian Princes Vse 3 and States that when Religion comes to bee reformed they must looke for battells and great battells There is no hope that Satan will rest the Dragon cannot rest when his Kingdome is shaken And hee hath such of his confederacy the Beast and the false Prophet that cannot be still Especially when the streames of Rome begin to decay the streames that doe water and refresh Rome Then looke for Warres and Tumults of Warres great Warres mustering up of Popish Princes and their Armies and pagan Princes and their Armies there will be no backwardnesse in these earthly spirits in this case to the captivating of all if it were possible to the maintenance and supportance of Rome And last of all and so I make an end Let this bee Vse 4 the last use It may serve to be some ground of stay unto Christian Princes and such as shall bee instruments of this reformation which this sixth Angell brings with him Instruments of this wasting and drying up of the corruptions of Religion which shall waste Rome I say though great Warres may arise from all the chiefe Princes of the VVorld both Popish and Pagan and a great day of battell it will bee when ever those dayes doe shine forth as hasteing they be why yee shall finde this to be the comfort of it a great day it shall bee It is so said in my Text but not a great Day to the Beast nor a great Day to the Dragon nor a great Day to the false Prophet They looke for a Day of it but it shall be a great day of GOD Almighty men are afraid if they stirre they shall bring Warres about their Eares true they shall doe so they will arise at once but though the battell will bee great and terrible yet never the lesse most comfortable to the People of
neere Endor Psal 83.9 10. Thus wee have an allusion to all these three notable and memorable battels whereas had he said in a place in the Hebrew tongue Gilboa then had hee limited the allusion unto Sauls battell who was indeed a destroyer of Religion but so other effects of this battell fought in this Text had not beene pointed at Therefore that hee might graspe in all those Events which those battels that were fought about Megiddon brought forth he saith the place was called Armageddon and it is an usuall thing that battels in the hill are pursued to the valley and in the valley to the Hill the hill and the valley lying neere together And indeed the same Events will this battell bring forth which fell out upon all the former battels at Megiddo So then the summe is that these spirits went forth to gather these Popish and Heathen Princes together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon where the battell shall have the like successe that it had of old unto the destruction of Gods Enemies the utter ruine of Antichrist as of Saul the setling of the Kingdome of Christ upon David unto the conversion of the Iewes who shall upon this occasion mourne bitterly over him whom they have pierced Onely let us a little further cleare one scruple which may somewhat remaine why shall the Iewes come in mourning at this victory shall they mourne with Indignation for the successe of Christian Princes and States or shall it bee a mourning of compassion for the destruction of Rome no verily the text is plaine they will rejoyce for both and joyne together with the rest of the Christian Churches to praise the name of the Lord with Hallelujahs in the 19. chapter of this booke and the 1. ver After these things that is after the destruction of Babel I heard a great voyce of much people in Heaven saying Hallelujah So againe ver 3.6 they shall praise God with an Hallelujah as well as the Latines with a Laudate Dominum It is therefore neither a mourning of Indignation for the succ sse of the Saints nor of compassion for the Rivers of Babell but what is it then It is a mourning of compunction whereby they seeing in this battell that Christ is indeed the true Messias they shall mourne that they have beene so long estranged from him for two maine stumbling blocks will this battell remove out of their way First that which is their great stumbling block to wit the Pope who is counted the Father of Christian Churches and yet himselfe liveth like an Epicure and maintaineth Idolatry and superstition and though many in the world abhorre his wayes yet they looke at them but as Sects and inferiour people and States in respect of the Pope and Popish Princes but when they shall see that the Zeale of Christian Princes hath dryed up those streames of Superstition to the utter confusion of the man of sinne then will they also see that that Iesus whom they have resisted all this while even that Iesus is the Messias 2. There is also another stumbling block which some of their more learned stand upon that when the Messias comes he shall destroy the foure Monarchies spoken of Dan. 2.45 The stone that was cut out of the Mountaine without hand brake in peices the Iron the Brasse the clay the Silver and the Gold Now say they if your Iesus be the Messias how commeth it to passe the Monarchy standeth upon his two feet the Turke and Pope but they might have considered that the Lord Iesus hath been crushing them a great while together and hee never told them that he would doe it as soone as he came though he will never leave untill he hath crushed them to the dust and when once this battell is fought that there shall be no more remaining but what is the Jewes worke to doe then shall they see the Prophesie of Daniel fulfilled when the battell in Armageddon shall end in the destruction of the man of Sinne and then shall they see Jesus Christ held forth in the purity of the Gospell contrary whereunto no word of the Prophets shall bee found and then shall they see him whom they have crucifyed to be indeed both Lord and Christ Then shall they see that the name of the Lord Iesus which they now curse in their Liturgies is blessed for ever now they will grieve that they have cursed his name blasphemously praying that it might perish from under these Heavens and from above this Earth for these things will they mourne bitterly Object But you will say that to see the successe of a battell is not a sufficient meanes to convert a people to the Lord that are fully possessed with their owne wayes Here indeed may be a removens prohibens that may somewhat help forward but it is needfull unto their Conversion that some word of God bee set home to their hearts to convince them that the curse of the Law which belongeth unto them it is Christ onely that hath borne it for them Ans It is no small meanes of conversion to see the Lord bearing witnesse against the corruptions of Religion in destroying the Enemies of his people You know the story of Iethro who was a Prince or Priest of Midian when he commeth to see his sonne Moses who told him of all the great deliverances that God had wrought for his people Exod. 18. 8.9 10. what saith he now I know that the Lord is greater then all Gods for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly hee was above them This is the effect of his hearing of the wonders that God had wrought for his people so that you need not doubt it but when these battells are fought though they shall bee noe parties on the one side nor on the other yet they shall heare what will be reported upon this occasion in the publick Ministery of the word which will bee sufficient to convince as a Priest of Midian so a Iew that this is the Lord Iesus who hath so fulfilled all that hee hath spoken of in his word And moreover I doe beleeve that great will bee the power of the Ministery of the word in fighting of this battell by declaring the powerfull presence of Christ with them and for them thus shall the sword of the Ministery of the Gospell prevaile mightily by animating Christian Princes and people according as it is said chap. 19.21 of this booke the remnant were slaine with the sword that proceedeth out of his mouth that is out of the mouth of Iesus Christ and when the word of Christ goeth along with the sword of Princes you need not wonder if it doe not onely prevaile against the Beast and false Prophet but also to make Satan fall downe from Heaven like lightning even out of the hearts of the Iewes from deceiving them any longer Thus much for the opening of the words which though it have beene long and difficult yet many times
Merchants of the earth doe mourne for when she is destroyed and say Chap. 18.10 Alas alas that great city Babylon that mighty city c. and that also by their confession is Rome And so this Latter mention of it doth but shew the reason why it commeth to be divided into three parts and why the cities of the Nations fell for Babylon came up into remembrance c. The great city then is Babylon and that is divided into three parts I should not thinke that it is spoken of the breach of the naturall walls of the city by the earthquake but it will be divided into three factions some will sticke fast unto Popery and others of the people of God that before durst not openly professe Religion will now renounce Popery for such there shall be in Rome when it is neere to be destroyed unto whom it shall be said Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people c. and what the third part may be there is not light for in this place what light other places may give we shall if God please see hereafter meane while it is sufficient to understand that it will be divided into three parts and what if the third part be a Neutrall betweene both the other 7. What were the cities of the Nations Those are they that trod the Church of God under foote Rev. 11.2 such they were who did subject themselves to Popish Government the cities of those Nations shall fall whosoever they be that are found adoring Rome they shall fall for Babylon her selfe shall come up into remembrance before God to give unto her the Cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath which shall infatuate her untill she be utterly destroyed by those ten Kings that shall hate her and eate her flesh and burne her with fire 8. And every Island fled away and the mountaines were not found He speaketh not of earthly Islands but you must understand that he speaketh of the mountaines and Islands of the Antichristian state what are the mountaines They are the places where they went a whoring after their Gods in old time Jer. 3.6 She is gone upon every hight mountaine and under every greene tree and there hath played the harlot there they had built them Chappell 's and there they had placed their confidence in respect of which when they come to repent they shall returne and say ver 23. Truely in vaine is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitudes of mountaines answerable unto which are the great temples built unto false Gods they shall flee away In the new Jerusalem Rev. 21.22 there was no Temple seene no Temple consecrated to this or that Saint shall be found therein What are the Islands They are grounds separated from the earth by the Sea The Sea is the corruption of Religion upon which the second Viall was poured Therefore such places as are consecrated by Popish Devotions as Church yards and such other Popish grounds they are these Islands that shall flee away you shall no more heare tell of consecrated Church-yard or any such matter all the world over Then will fall to the ground all your Cathedrall Churches and all those high Places that over-toppe the people of God and hinder the growth of the things of God neere about them though those things that be superstitiously set apart for holy ends be never so glorious they shall be all banished and vanish away there will be no more noise of them 9. And upon men there fell a great haile out of heaven The Allusion by some is thought to be unto the hayle spoken of Josh 10.11 which the Lord cast downe from heaven upon the Cananites so that moâ—e died with hailestones then they which the children of Israel slew with the Sword but I cannot say that haile storme is here alluded unto for here men did not die upon it but blasphemed onely unlesse it should be spoken of their everlasting death in hell but that were a common judgement to all the wicked but I rather thinke it is an allusion to the haile storme in Aegypt whereof the effect was that they sinned and hardened their hearts yet more Exod. 9.34 Well then if it be such an hayle as doth not kill men but provoke them to blaspheme what kinde of judgement might it be Interpreters doe not tell us So that we can take no better course to know it then to see what allegoricall haile stones meane in Scripture for by comparing Scriptures together you shall have the full meaning of every part of Gods Counsell For this end let us look in Esay 28.17 where the Prophet telleth us that the haile shall sweep away the refuge of lies when once Christ is laid in the foundation ver 16. then all the rest of the refuges of the sons of men that are lying refuges shall be swept away There is also another allusion suting hereunto in Ezek. 13.11.13 where the Lord threateneth against the wall that is dawbed with untempered morter there shall be an over-flowing shower and ye O great haile stones shall fall and a stormy winde shall rent it So then this kinde of haile storme is such a plague of God upon men as shall destroy all their lying refuges and men shall then insult over them and say where is the dawbing wherewith you have dawbed it So then at this time the Lord will send an haile storme that shall discover all the counterfeit Religions in the world all the juggelings of their Miracles all the faire seeming pretences of Popery or any other Religion all their doctrines of merits and confidences in their prayers to Saints and Angels and superstitious Devotions an haile storme shall fall upon them all in such sort that you shall see the vanity of them And all the world shall see that all Relgions besides Christianity are but a refuge of lies and in the end their jugglelings and sophistry shall be blowne up and blasted Some shall be shaken out of them setled upon better bottoms others will be provoked to blaspheme they will so vex themselves with extremity of anguish for that they are thus bereaved of their old comfortable good dayes and oh the joyfull festivals that they were wont for to keep in their Abbies and superstitious places for the losse of which they shall blaspheme the Lord and true Religion and all the instruments of the Gospels propagation Such a thing as this we reade of Rev. 11.15 When as the seventh Angel sounded there were great voices in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ c. There it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing was then in doing but now it is done Then the Nations were angry saith the Text ver 18. and a great haile there fell when they began to become the Kingdomes of Jesus Christ and there was an earthquake ver 19. but never