A ſharp but ſhort noiſe of Warr, Or, the ruine of Antichriſt by the Sword of Temporall Warre, hinted.
THough Warre may be ſaid to have more Fathers then one, yet as a puniſhment to the Inhabitants of the Earth; it comes from God, who being diſpleaſed with, and provoked by the wickedneſſe of a People, doth many times manifeſt his diſpleaſure, and execute his wrath upon them, by the excerciſe of Warr; now in this reſpect, and in reference to VVarre as a judgement comming from God, all Warrs upon Earth may be called occaſionall, becauſe that by the wickedneſſe of people, God is provoked, and by their ſins, the Lord is occaſioned to bring Warr upon them: and this the Lord God hath done upon three ſorts of People, Viz. His one people, Heathens, and Papiſts.
God hath inflicted Warr upon his owne People: who among you ſhall hearken to this, and take heed, and heare? for afterwards, Who gave Jacob for a ſpoyle, and Iſrael to the Robbers. Did not the Lord againſt whom we have ſinned, for2 they would not walke in his wayes, neither be obedient unto his Lawes, therefore he hath powred upon him his fierce wrath, and the ſtrength of Battail. Iſa. 42.23. Son of man when the Land ſinneth against me by committing a Treſpaſſe, then will I ſtretch out mine hand upon it. And ſo on to the 20. and 21. Verſes. Though Noah Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live ſaith the Lord God, they ſhall deliver neither Son nor Daughter, they ſhall but deliver their owne ſouls by their righteouſneſſe, when I ſend my four ſoare Judgements, of which the Sword is one, which ſhall kill them without, and in the Chambers feare, both the young man, and the young Woman, the Suckling with the man of Gray haires: I ſaid I would ſcatter them abroad, I would make their remembrance to ceaſe from among men, ſave that I feared the fury of the Enemy, leaſt their adverſaries ſhould wax proud, and leaſt they ſhould ſay, our high hand and not the Lord hath done all this, Deut. 32.25. Thus we ſee, that Warr is not onely threatned but hath beene in flicted upon Gods owne People, when they have ſinned againſt the Lord: You onely have I knowne of all the Families of the Earth, therefore I will viſit you for all your Iniquties, Amos. 3.2.
Now by this very meanes of inflicting Warr upon a People, hath the Lord brought them to Repentance. The Children of Ammon paſſed over Jordan to fight againſt Judah, and Iſrael was ſore diſtreſſed, and then they cryed unto the Lord, ſaying, Wee have ſinned against thee. Jud. 10.9, 10. Awake awake, and ſtand up O England and Ireland; O England and Ireland, who hath drunke deepe of this cup of Gods wrath; for you have drunke the dreggs of the cup of trembling, and3 wrung them out, according to that of Iſa. 51. 17.
It followes, that the Lord God both hath and will bring Warr upon Heathens. But now before I come to inſtance in a way of proofe, I deſire to looke upon all theſe Scripture Inſtances, which I ſhall make uſe of, as recorded by the holy Ghoſt, to remaine through all ages in full force and authority, againſt, and in Gods due time to be verified, upon a Succeſſion of the heads and members of Heathens, and upon a Succeſſion of the heads and members of Papiſts. I ſhall take notice of the metaphor, and of the ſence of things, as I goe along, and ſhall apply my ſelfe to the preſent time, and things with which I have to doe; I ſhall ſhew my thoughts, and refer it to others: this is the perſwaſion of my mind and heart, that the Lord God will not onely bring Warr, but by Warr wil utterly deſtroy the beauty and power of Mahomet, which hath ruled among the Turks and Heathens; the beauty and power of the Pope, which hath ruled amongſt the Papiſts; the beauty and power of all ſuch of the Inhabitants of the Earth, who ſhall in ſpirit, Judgement, and practice, cleave and adhere to Heathens, and Papiſts. Let all ſuch conſider what the Lord God is now a doing, and ſubmit to providence, leaſt by Warr they be broken in peices.
Now there is one thing more to be hinted before I proceed in a way of proofe, in the producing of Scripture precedents, conſiſting either of Perſons or Nations, who may be term'd types of ſuch, who ſhall in the latter dayes be by temporall War ruined or deſtroyed; according to this Scripture, Behold the Tempeſt of the Lord goeth•o•••ith wrath,4 the whirlewind that hangeth over ſhall light upon the head of the wicked, the fierce wrath of the Lord ſhall not returne, untill be have done, and untill he have performed the intents of his heart, in the latter dayes, be ſhall underſtand it. Jer. 22. and 23.
But that which I was to doe, was this, I muſt make ſome diſtinction betweene the Types of the heads of Heathens and Papiſts, in my producing and applying of Scripture-Texts againſt them: the which I ſhall endeavour to performe, by applying ſuch Scriptures againſt them, as I ſhall apprehend to be moſt ſuitable to them in a way of reſemblance betweene them; in the firſt place, I ſhall ranke them both together, and in a generall way apply ſuch Scriptures againſt them, as doe ſeeme to me to threaten the ruine of them; and then I ſhall apply againſt them ſeverally by themſelves, in a particular way, I ſhall in an indifferent reſpect ſometimes take the one for the other, as there is in them compriſed all thoſe which are indeed the profeſſed enemies of God, his truth, and people: to this purpoſe, and in reference to the whole Worke, I ſhall make uſe of the 25. of Jerem. In which Chapter the Lord God imployes this Prophet againſt his owne people, in the firſt place; but in the next more mainly againſt the Nations, and the World, againſt his, and his peoples enemies; ſo now, judgement is begun at the houſe of God, as in Germany, Ireland, and England, but God will make an end with his, and their Enemies: but to returne to the thing in hand.
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all Judah, in the fourth yeare, which he delivered to the people, the Lord, ſayth he, Hath ſent all his5 Servants the Prophets, riſing early and ſending them, but you would not heare, nor encline your eares to obey. They ſaid turne againe now every one from his evill way, and ſo on, Nevertheleſse they would not heare me ſaith the Lord, but have provoked me to anger, to their owne hurt: therefore ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, becauſe ye have not heard my words, I will doe ſo and ſo, unto you. Here in this text there are very ſad and heavy judgements, and very great and dolerous calamities threaten'd againſt & brought upon Judah, and Jeruſalem, Gods owne people. But then marke what follows in the 15. Verſ. For thus hath the Lord God of Iſrael ſpoken unto me, take the cup of wine, of mine indignation, at mine hand, and cauſe all the Nations to whome I ſend thee, to drinke it; and they ſhall drinke, and be moved, and be madd, becauſe of the Sword that I will ſend among them. It is true, it followes in the 18. Verſ. That Jeruſalem muſt drinke of the cup, and the Citties of Judah, and the Kings and Princes thereof. But Pharaoh•ing of Aegypt, and his Servants, and Princes, and all his people muſt pledge them. And all ſorts of people, and all the Kings of the Land of Uz, and all the Kings of the Land of the Philiſtims, and Aſhkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the Remnant of Aſhdod, Edom, and Moab, and the Ammonites, and all the Kings of the North far and neare, and all the Kingdomes of the World which are upon the earth: Therefore ſay thou unto them, thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, the God of Iſrael, drinke and be drunken, and ſpew, and fall and riſe no more, becauſe of the Sword which I will ſend among you. But if they refuſe to take the cup at thine hand, to drinke, then tell them, Thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, you ſhall certainly drinke, for lo I begun to plague the Citty where my name is called up6 on, and ſhould you goe free? you ſhall not goe unpuniſhed, for I will call for a Sword upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth. Now let the wiſe judge, if the people of the Lord who are a Citty of Citizens, who have and doe call upon the Name of God thorow all ages, have beene waſted by Warr, and the temporall Sword, as both Scripture and other Hiſtories doe affirme. And in particuler, the Waldenſes, and Albingenſes, the Germans, and Rochellians, the Iriſh and Engliſh, and many others, certainly there is yet a world of Heathens and Papiſts, who ſhall have blood to drinke. Truely for my own part, I tremble to thinke of that, which I thinke the ſword of the Lord will doe up and downe in the VVorld, now in a ſhort time; and yet in reference to ſome events which will certainly follow, I doe deſire to rejoyce.
But to goe on with the Prophets worke, Therefore Prophecy thou againſt them all theſe words, and ſay unto them, the Lord ſhall roare from above, and thruſt our his voyce from his holy habitation; he ſhall roare upon his habitation, and cry abroad, as they that preſſe the Grapes, againſt all the inhabitants of the Earth, the ſound ſhall come to the ends of the Earth, for the Lord hath a controverſy with the Nations, and will enter into judgement with all Fleſh, and he will give them that are wicked to the Sword. Thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, behold a plague ſhall goe forth from Nation to Nation, and a great whirlewind ſhall be rayſed up, from the Coaſts of the Earth, and the ſlaine of the Lord ſhall be at that day, from one end of the Earth even unto the other. And it is obſervable, that it is the wicked who are in ſpeciall given up to periſh by the ſword: let all the ungodly in the World, of7 what Religion ſoever they ſeeme to be of, thinke of this.
I will ſuggeſt but one Scripture more, to this purpoſe, and then apply in a particular way; it is the 24. of Iſa. Behold the Lord maketh the Earth empty, and he maketh it wast, he turneth it upſidowne, and ſcattereth abroad the Inhabitants thereof: the Earth lamenteth and fadeth away, the World is feebl'd and decayed, the proud people of the Earth are weakned; feare, and the Pit, and the ſnare are upon thee, O Inhabitant of the Earth, and he that fleeth from the noyſe of the feare, ſhall fall into the Pit, and he that commeth up out of the pit, ſhall be taken in the ſnare, for the VVindowes from on high are open, and the Foundations of the Earth doe ſhake; the Earth is utterly broken downe, the Earth is cleane diſſolved, the Earth is moved exceedingly, the Earth ſhall reele two and fro like a drunken man. it ſhall be removed like a Tent, and the iniquity thereof ſhall be heavy upon it; ſo that it ſhall fall and riſe no more: The Earth ſhall never be in ſuch a poſture againe, as it was in before; and in that day ſhall the Lord viſit the Hoſt above, that is on high, even the Kings of the World that are upon the Earth.
And now I ſhould come to apply againſt Heathens and Papiſts in a particular way, but that me thinks I heare ſome ſay, that all this is old Teſtament, and is already veryfied and fullfilled upon the times and People which are paſt, and therefore doth not relate to theſe times.
I Anſw. The Old Teſtament is the ſacred word of the Eternall God, and it indures for ever, is it not a Prophecy, and a Foundation of the New? And is not the New Teſtament a veryfying and a8 fulfilling of the Old, were they not both for ſubſtance brought forth together, as it were like two glorious twins, flowing from the gracious Bowels and infinite wiſdome of God, who is from everlaſting to everlaſting, God over all, bleſſed for evermore, and whatſoever things were written aforetime, were they not written for our learning? Surely the everlaſting God is now in theſe our times, a fullfilling many of his words which are written in that Old Booke of his, which is called, The Old Testament.
The Lord our God is now a performing much of his worke upon Earth; Chriſtians ſhould now be much at worke in Heaven by Prayer, and upon Earth by Obſervation, that ſo they might magnifie God in his works, which are great, and ſought out of thoſe which love them: unworthy are they which do'nt in ſuch a time as this is, plentifully eye God in the glorious goings of his holy Providence, who is now riſen like a Giant refreſhed with VVine, to helpe the meeke of the Earth, and is now making it appeare, that his Excellent Majeſty judgeth in the Earth, and that there is a reward to be given on Earth, to them which truely feare his Holy Name. This is our God, we have waited for him, and he will ſave us, O England, England, what is the God of Heaven doing in thee, what is the Lord of the Earth doing for thee, O England ſtrive againſt thy heart, and tongue-Diviſions, lay aſſide thy carnall plea for ſelf-intereſts; ceaſe from thy reproachings, bite not thy Children, neither ſlander thy Mothers Sons; 'tis ſad to thinke of this, that Chriſtians doe manifeſt a kind of delight, in oppoſing and in diſgraceing of9 one another, tell not this in Gath, publiſh it not in the Streets of Aſhkelon, leaſt the Daughters of the Philiſtims rejoyce, leaſt the Daughters of the Uncircumciſed triumph; rather then doe thus, labour to ſtirre up the Gift of God which is in thee, pray, repent, reforme, beleeve, waite, he that is thine helper will not forſake, nor faile thee, for he is a preſent helpe in time of need, the Lord of Hoſts is his name, the God of Jacob is thy refuge; fight couragiouſly if need require, the God of Victory is on thy ſide, who is God, and will be exalted among the Heathen, and among the Papiſts, and among all the Enemies of this Reformation, and they ſhall know that they are but men. But I am gone a little two farr from the thing in hand, I doe not deny this, but that there is much of the Scripture already fulfilled, in this, and in other reſpects, yet I thinke they are not fully verified and fulfilled: as for men, times, and Nations, they may be bound, they have beene ſo, but the word of God is not bound, as the Apoſtle in another caſe ſpeaks; it is a truth, that there ſhall not onely be Warrs, in the dayes and times of the Goſpell, but there ſhall be Warrs and rumours of VVarrs, and Nation ſhall riſe againſt Nation, and Realme againſt Realme. I ſhall not long detaine my ſelfe from what I intend, I ſhall but conſider, and compare a few Scriptures and preſently come to that I have promiſed; the Scriptures are theſe, Iſa 21. and Iſa. 47. Jer. 50. and 51. Chap. 17. & 18. Rev. Behold this mans Chariot commeth with two Horſmen, and he anſwered and ſaid, Babell is fallen, it is fallen, and all the Images of her Gods, hath he broken unto the ground. I was10 wroth with my People, I have polluted mine Inheritance, and given them into thine hand, thou didſt ſhew them no mercy, O Antichriſt remember this, but thon didſt lay thy very heavie yoke upon the ancient, and thou ſaidſt I ſhall be a Lady for ever, ſo that thou didſt not ſet thy mind to theſe things, neither didſt thou remember the latter end thereof; therefore now heare thou that art given to pleaſures, and dwelleſt careleſſe, ſhe ſayth in her heart, I am and none elſe, I ſhall not ſit as a Widdow, neither ſhall know the loſſe of Children, but theſe two things ſhall come to thee ſuddenly, on one day, the loſſe of Children, and Widdow-hood, they ſhall come upon thee in their perfection, & ſo on to the end of the 17. of Iſa. the 50. & 51. chapters of Jer. Almoſt through out, a cry of Battail is in the Land, and of great deſtruction, how is the Hammer of the whole World deſtroyed and broken, How is Babell become deſolate among the Nations, I have ſnared thee, and thou art taken O Babell, and thou waſt not aware, thou art found and alſo caught becauſe thou haſt ſtriven againſt the Lord, the Lord hath opened his treaſures and hath brought forth the Weapons of his wrath, for this is the worke of the Lord God of Hoſts, come againſt her from the uttermoſt border; open her ſtorehouſes, tread on her as on Sheaves, and deſtroy her utterly, let nothing of her be left, deſtroy all her Bullocks, let them goe downe to the ſlaughter: Woe unto them for their day is come, and the time of their viſitation. Agreeable to theſe Scriptures is that of the 18. of the Revelation, which is New Teſtament. And he cryed out mightily with a loud voice, ſaying, it is11 fallen, Babylon the great Citty, and is become the Habitation of Devills; her ſins are come up to Heaven, and God remembred her iniquities, in as much as ſhe glorified her ſelfe, and lived in pleaſures, ſo much give yee to her torment & ſorrow, for ſhe ſayth in her heart, I ſit being a Queene, and am no Widdow, and ſhall ſee no moruning, therefore ſhall plagues come in one day, death, and ſorrow, and famine, and ſhee ſhall be utterly burnt with fire, for ſtrong is the Lord God, which will condemne her. 'Twas Babylon in the Old Teſtament, 'tis Babylon in the New Teſtament, the one called Eaſterne, the other called Weſterne Babylon, the which is Rome, called Babylon a Myſtery, great Babylon the mother of Whoredomes. Rev. 17.5. The Eaſterne Babylon is deſtroyed, God did deſtroy it by a temporall VVarr, becauſe Babylon would ſhew the People of God no mercy, the weſterne Babylon which is Rome, and thoſe which it comprehends, is, and muſt be deſtroyed, becauſe they neyther have, nor will ſhew the People of God any mercy, they are in the purpoſe of God, and muſt be in reference to an eternall and viſible accompliſhment in the ſight of men and times, it ſeems God will deſtroy under this name or notion: ſee or read to this purpoſe.
- Maſter Brightman upon the Revelation.
- Maſter Dent upon the Revelation.
- Maſter Perkins in his Reformed Catholick. p. 3.
Doctor Taylor in his Booke Dedicated to The Honourable Houſe of Commons Aſſembled in Parliament, in the Yeare 1624. In which Booke there is this paſſage, at the latter end of one of his Sermons,12 ſay they were warned and called out, but now cannot be eyther pittyed or helped. As Lots Coſins though they made a merriment of Lots admonition, yet they ſaw the Lord in earneſt, and then too late wiſhed they had departed according to the voyce of the Lord. But now God will not, and Lot cannot help them, neither can they ſhift themſelves out of the fire when the dreadfull ſhower falleth, doe thou ſit out the ſummons at thy perill, but one of the two thou muſt chooſe, eyther thou muſt goe out of Babylon, or goe into her deſtruction.
And now I come to that which I call produceing and applying of Scripture, as it doth moſt evidently and certainly threaten ruine and deſtruction to the generality of Heathens and Papiſts in this preſent VVorld by the Sword and temporall Warr; ſeverally and in a particular reſpect I now proceede, and apply againſt Antichriſtian Papiſts, though I named Heathens firſt: and in my conceite the ſecond Chapter of the Prophecy of Habukkuk, doth ſpeake clearely and fully to that ſeat of iniquity, that curſing, and that curſed Antichriſt, that great than of ſin the Pope, and Popes of Rome, and their profeſſed Adherents. I ſhall as I have begun cite this Scripture. Behold he that lifteth up himſelfe his mind is not upright in him, yea indeed the proud man is as he that tranſgreffeth by VVine, therefore ſhall he not endure becauſe he hath enlarged his deſire as the Hell, and is as death and can•ot be ſatisfied, but gathereth unto him all Nations, and heapeth unto him all People. Now who but the Pope and Popes of Rome hath done thus eſpecially in both reſpects I13 meane ſpiritualy as well as temporally. See a place in the New Teſtament, 2 Theſſ. 2. Let no man deceive you by any meanes, for that day ſhall not come except there come a departing firſt, and that that man of ſin be diſcloſed or revealed, even the ſonne of perdition, which is an adverſary and exalteth himſelfe againſt all that is called God, or that is worſhipped; ſo that he doth ſit as God in the Temple of God, ſhewing himſelfe that he is God, and then ſhall the wicked man be revealed, he ſhall have a viſible being, in, and upon this Earth. Who is this the Pope and Popes of Rome, which is that Antichriſt whom the Lord ſhall conſume with the ſpirit of his mouth, and ſhall aboliſh with the brightneſſe of his comming. I conceive this is meant of the faithfull, ſincere, powerfull preaching of the Goſpell of Jeſus Chriſt, King of Saints, who appeares by his ſpirit in the preaching of his word, and by this glorious mean es both hath and will conſume and aboliſh the ſpirituall power of that miſtery of iniquity, held forth by that man of ſin, the Popes of Rome, whoſe comming is by the working of Satan, with all power and ſignes, and lying wonders: that this is ſo, ſee Luke 10.17.18. And the ſeaventh returned againe with joy, ſaying, Lord even the Devills are ſubdued to us through thy name, and he ſaid unto them I ſaw Satan like lightning fall downe from Heaven. See Iſa. 14.12. How art thou fa••en from Heaven O Lucifer, ſonne of the morning, and cut downe to the ground, which didſt caſt lots upon the Nations, yet thou ſaydſt in thine heart I will aſcend into Heaven, and exalt my Throne above, beſide the Starrs of God, I will fit alſo upon the14 Mount of the Congregation, in the ſides of the North. What ſhould this meane but the Church of God upon Earth, to this purpoſe ſee Rev. 18.20. Yet further I will aſcend above the height of the Clouds, and I will be like the moſt high; alas poor Pope, but thou ſhalt be brought downe to the Grave, to the ſides of the pit, and they that ſee thee, ſhall looke upon thee, and conſider thee, ſaying, is this the man that made the Earth to tremble, and that did ſhake the Kingdomes, if this 14. of Iſa. doe, as happily it may, relate to ſome perticular King of the Nations, yet ſurely withall, it doth relate to a ſucceſſion of Popes, concerning whom it may be ſaid, the Lord hath broken the rod of the wicked, and the Scepter of the Rulers. Obſerve according to this account ▪ that a ſucceſſion of Antichriſts, are held forth ſometimes in Scripture under the notion or forme of a man. Obſerve that this man is very like to, and is compared with Satan, the Devill: obſerve that this Devill-like-man, or manlike Devill Antichriſt, the Popes of Rome who did not onely aſpire, but did get into high places, and did attaine so great preferment in the Church of God upon Earth, and in the Church did take it upon him as if he had beene God, and in this reſpect had built his neſt as high as Heaven, in his owne vayne conceite, from whence the Lord God will fetch him downe with a VVitneſſe, his ſpirituall power by ſpirituall meanes, and his civill and temporall power, by civill and temporall meanes, to this purpoſe, ſee Hab. 2.6. Shall not all theſe take up a parable againſt him, and a tanting Proverbe againſt him, and ſay, Ho he that encreaſeth that which is not15 his, how long, and he that ladeth himſelfe with the thick Clay, ſhall they not riſe up ſuddenly that ſhall bite thee, and awake that ſhall ſtirre thee, and thou ſhalt be their prey becauſe thou haſt ſpoyled many Nations, all the remnant of the people ſhall ſpoyle thee, becauſe of mens blood, and for the wrong done in the Land, in the Citty, and unto all that dwell therein, woe unto the Popedome of Rome, who hath built Townes with blood, and erected a Citty by iniquity. Call up the Archers againſt Babell, all ye that bend the bowes, beſiege it round about, let none thereof eſcape, recompence her according to her worke, and according to all that ſhee hath done doe unto her, for ſhee hath beene proud againſt the Lord, Jer. 50.29. Even againſt the holy one of Iſrael, here, and in Rev. 17.6. Antichriſt is ſet ſorth under the notion of a Woman, And I ſaw the Woman drunken with the blood of Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Jeſus Chriſt, and when I ſaw her I wondered with great marvaile, therefore ſhall her young men fall in the Streets, and all her men of Warr ſhall be destroyed in that day ſaith the Lord. Now Antichriſt is ſpoken unto as a man, Behold I come unto thee O proud man, ſayth the Lord God of Hoſts, for thy day is come, even the time that I will viſit thee, now that we may take notice that the Lord God doth not confine his meaning to the perſon of any one particuler man or woman; 'tis thus recorded; and the proud ſhall ſtumble and fall, and none ſhall raiſe him up, and I will kindle a fire in his Citties, and it ſhall devoure all round about him, 'tis Citties and Nations which God doth threaten with deſſolation, but to the next Verſe. Thus ſaith the Lord16 of Hoſts, the Children of Iſrae, and the Children of Judah were oppreſſed together, and all that took them Captives held them, and would not let them goe. Litterally I beleeve they ſhall be let goe in a ſhort time; ſpiritually there be Children of Ifrael now in England, and in many other places and parts of the World; the People of God, true Chriſtians are the Iſrael of God in all ages, and to ſuch as doe truely feare, and ſincerely ſerve the true and the living God the maker of Heaven and Earth, in this preſent time wherein we now live, it may be ſaid to them, that their Redeemer is ſtrong, whoſe Name is the Lord of Hoſts, he ſhall maintaine their cauſe, that he may give reſt to the Land, and diſquiet the Inhabitants of Babell, the which are ſuch, where ever they dwell, as doe in ſpirit, judgement, and practice, profeſſedly declare themſelves to be either Heathens, or Papiſts, or notoriouſly wicked; let the generallity of ſuch know, that now in this very inſtant of time wherein we live, that the Sword of the Lord God of Hoſts is now upon ſuch Chaldaeans as theſe, a Sword is upon the Chaldaeans ſayth the Lord, and upon the Inhabitants of Babel, and upon her Princes, and upon her wiſe men: a Sword is upon the ſoothſayers, and they ſhall dote, Romeniſh and Malignant Prieſts they ſhall prove fooles, a Sword is upon her ſtrong men and they ſhall be afraid, a Sword is upon their Horſes and upon their Charets, and upon all the Multitude that are in the midſt of her, and they ſhall be like VVomen; a Sword is upon her treaſures, and they ſhall be ſpoyled: Babell is ſuddenly fallen and deſtroyed, howle for her bring Balme for her Soare, if ſhee may be healed; we17 would have cured Babell, may all the faith full Miniſters of the Goſpell, of all Countreys ſay, but Babell neyther would nor could be healed, forſake her, let us goe every one to his owne Countrey, for judgement is come up unto Heaven, and is lifted up to the Clouds: 'tis high time for all every where who meane to have their ſouls or bodies preſerv'd, to draw home to Jeſus Chriſt the Saviour of all them who by a right rule doe truſt in him for Salvation.
Oh that men would heare and take notice in the behalfe of themſelves, as it may be of concernement to them what the Counſell of the Lord is, which he hath deviſed againſt Babell, and his purpoſe which he hath conceived againſt the Land of wicked Romiſh Chaldeans, ſee, and compare Jer. 51.13. with Rev. 17.15. O thou that dwelleſt upon many Waters, abundant in treaſures, thine end is come, even the end of thy coveteouſneſſe. Now if it be asked, by whom will God bring this great deſtruction upon his, and his peoples enemies? Anſw. And obſerve, when the Lord of Hoſts ſhall have an Army of men in the Field, whoſe hearts ſhall be ſet at liberty to worſhip Chriſt in the beauty of holineſſe, and to praiſe his Holy Name with courage and conſtancy, then ſhall the enemies helpe deſtroy one another. 2 Cron. 20.23. Againe, Iſrael is the rod of his Inheritance, the Lord of Hoſts is his Name: marke what the Lord God ſaith to his People: Thou art mine Hammer, and Weapons of Warr, for with thee will I breake the Nations, and with thee will I destroy Kingdomes, and by thee will I breake Horſe and Horſman, and by thee will I breake the Chariot and him that Rideth therein. 18Jer. 51.19. To this purpoſe is that of Rev. 18.6. Reward her even as ſhee hath rewarded you, and give her double according to her works, and in the cup that ſhee hath filled to you fill her the double. But one note by way of parity or likeneſſe, and I have done with the Romiſh Antichriſt for this time 'tis cleare to me, that the old Heatheniſh Babylon, was a manifeſt Type, and viſible figure of the Romiſh Babylon, which now is as yet in being, and that as face anſwers to face, ſo in reference to their actions, they have very clearly portraied out each others lineaments, for what was done againſt God, his truth, and people by the one, hath beene practiſed and acted by the Other, and that to thelife, as we ſay, and againſt more light and knowledge, and with greater ſtrength of malice, hath the Romiſh Antichriſt perſecuted the Church of Chriſt beyond the Heathens, therefore certainly God will be avenged upon ſuch a People as this, for true and righteous are his judgements, for he hath condemned the great Whore of Rome, which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his Servants ſhed by her hands, and hath, which ſhowes the certainty of the thing, now that the Kings of the ancient Heathens, were in ſome reſpects Types of the Romiſh Popes, and they the Antitypes of them, I refer to the reviewing of theſe Scriptures, Iſa. 14. Jer. 50. & 51. Hab. 2. Rev. 17. & 18. To all which I ſhall add, Revel. 13. In which I obſerve that the Popes of Rome are ſet forth in the forme of a Beaſt, and that this Beaſt hath received his power from the Dragon, which is the Devill, And they worſhipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beaſt, and19 they worſhipped the Beaſt, ſaying, who•s like unthe beaſt, who is able to Warr with him, and there was given unto him a Mouth that ſpake great things, and blaſphemies, and power was given unto him to doe forty two Moneths, and he opened his mouth unto blaſphemies againſt God, to blaſpheme his name and his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven, and it was given to him to make VVarr with the Saints, he was permitted ſo to doe. Obſerve, Antichriſt makes warr with the Saints, or upon the Saints, I underſtand this meant of a temporall VVarr, and of Antichriſt his putting the Saints upon a defenſive VVarr, though to his owne ruine. Obſerve, the Saints who are a People that doe not delight in VVarr ſimply, as it is a deſtruction to the life and well being of man, yet the Saints doe and muſt mannage a temporall Warr, when juſtly occaſioned and neceſſitated thereunto, in the behalfe of truth and of themſelves. But to the words againe, with the Saints, and to overcome them, and power was given him over every kindred, and Tongues, and Nations, that is, to Antichriſt the Pope, and Popes of Romiſh Babylon, this is that Satan-like and Beaſt-like man, which hath made the Earth tremble, and the Nations ſhake. This is the man who hath led the Saints for ſome hundreds of yeares into Captivity, it is he that hath killed them with the Sword, therefore it is he and his Adherents that muſt be led into Captivity, and that muſt be killed with Sword of the Lord of Hoſts, put into the hands of his People, I obſerve by the way, that this Scripture, I meane Rev. 13.10. is not to be aleadg'd againſt thoſe noble minded Chriſtians which doe19 in theſe dayes and times, out of conſcience to God and in love to truth and their Country, hazzar•their lives in the high places againſt the enemies of God, with a deſire and purpoſe if poſſible to preſerve truth, and peace, and true Religion in their perſons, Families, and Nation wherein they live; I rather conceiue it a Prophecy which relates to the temporall deſtruction of Antichriſt by the Sword of Warr, who is aforehand with the people of God; for he, and his Adherents have already led them into Captivity, and hath killed them with the Sword.
I ſhall mention a paſſage or two out of a Sermon which was preached in the Arch Palatine Court, in the yeare 1617 that only in Belgia, containing the 17. Provinces of the low Countries, whilſt CHARLES the Fifth lived, were ſlaine and murdered fifty thouſand Chriſtians: and that the Duke of Alva cruelly boaſted that in the ſpace of ſix yeares after he had beene Governour of that Countrey, there had beene eighteene thouſand perſons killed by his Commandement, and alſo from the yeare 1576 to the Agreement at Gaunt, there had periſhed by the Tyranny of Papiſts, thirty thouſand, yet ſayth the ſame Author, there was a greater vintage and harveſt in France, for ſayth he, it may be prov'd by arguments worthy to be beleev'd, that from the yeare 1564 to the yeare 1586, that is, in the ſpace of twenty two yeares, that one hundred and forty thouſand godly perſons were put to death, beſides thoſe already mentioned, & beſides thoſe that were put to death by the Papiſts in England, in Queene Maries dayes, and beſides thoſe ſlaine In King Charlſes20 time. I have likewiſe read in the Hiſtory of the Waldenſes of one Panza one of the Popes Inquiſitors, who did cut the throats of foure ſcore Chriſtians, and then quartered them, and cauſed ſtakes to be ſet up for the ſpace of thirty miles, and cauſed a quarter to be faſtened to each ſtake. Next to this there is mention made of threeſcore women who were brought to the Rack by the Fathers of the Popes inquiſition, who all periſhed by their horrible cruelty.
In the Hiſtory of the Albingenſes there is mention made of one hundred and forty men and women, who becauſe they refuſed to ſubmit to the Church of Rome, were all of them throwne into a fire at one time, and burnt to death by the Earle Simon, and the Popes Legat.
Theſe few inſtances fell in by the way, there is enough upon record to prove that Antichriſtian Papiſts have beene the moſt bloudieſt and the moſt devouringſt Woolves, that have had a being upon this Earth; therefore for my part I beleive the Lord God will puniſh this Romiſh Babylon, and will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath ſwallowed up, and the Nations ſhall not flow together any more unto him, yea the Wall of Babylon ſhall fall, and the dayes are come in which God will doe judgement upon the Graven Images of Babylon, and her whole Land ſhall be confounded, and all her ſlaine ſhall fall in the middeſt of her.
I have now done with Papiſts, only I wiſh to as many of them as doe belong to the election of grace, a viſible repentance from ſin and Idolatry; an actuall faith in the true Scripture〈◊〉Jeſus22 Chriſt, the eternall Son of God, a holy and a harmleſſe life, and preſervation to their bodies from that Warr and from that deſtroying Sword which is already occaſionally drawne and will be extended to, and excerciſed upon the generallity of willfull, ſtubborne and obſtinate Papiſts all the world over. I call it an occationall Sword, in a twofold reſpect.
Firſt, the Papiſts by committing more ſins then I am able to mention, and greater ſins then I know how to paint out, have juſtly occaſioned God to bring the Sword of warr upon them; and they have occaſioned, you, I may ſay inforced the Saints, I doe not ſay, to bring Warre upon them, but in their owne juſt defence, to maintaine a Warr againſt them. They, the Antichriſtian Papiſts I meane, have beene many hundreds of yeares, raiſing, and acting of moſt cruell and bloudy Warrs upon the people of God called Proteſtants of late yeares; they have made long furrows upon their backs, in the parts of Germany, in France, in Ireland, in England, for they have beene the hatchers of all theſe Warrs, and they have beene the maine actors of them too, and they will continue to raiſe and to act warr in Ireland, in France, and it may be in Scotland too, they will never end their warr, till warr hath ended them, or at leaſt, their power; they will continue their malicious endeavours to deſtroy the true Church of Chriſt upon this Earth, by warr, in that faggot and fire hath now failed them, the which God hath made a defenſive Citty, an Iron pillar, and Brazen wall againſt them, and they ſhall fight againſt it, but they ſhall not prevaile againſt in. Jer. 1.18.19. for the Lord of Hoſts is23 with his Church to deliver it from the power of every deſtroying enemy as well temporall as ſpirituall ones, and the Church of Chriſt ſhall be upon this Earth in the appointed time as a Citty, ſought out and not forſaken, for glorious things are ſpoken of thee o thou Citty of God.
One word more and I have done, let all thoſe Papiſts take notice of this, which doe harbour in them the ſame mind which ha's beene in their Fathers, who have not onely by Warr for a long time deſtroyed the true Members of Chriſt, but by moſt exquiſit and incredible torments as well in priſons and Caves of the Earth, as upon Scaffolds and at Stakes, have moſt barbarouſly and moſt unhumanly murthered the Saints of Chriſt, ſee Maſter Wadſworths booke to this purpoſe. I ſay ſeeing that you the ſeed of thoſe evill doers, have now called us into the Field, who doe profeſſe our ſelves friends and Servants to Jeſus Chriſt; whom you have mocked and Brethren to thoſe his Servants, whom you have cruelly murthered; I ſay take notice of this, that you are like to find as much gallantry as you have acted cruelty. 〈◊〉know will fight, but we profeſſe to fight fai••, whether it be in Ireland, or elſewhere, therefore now you brave Engliſh ſpirits, ſhew your ſelves gallant ſtill 'for the Sword muſt doe great things, according to that which Maſter Brightman hath ſayd, that the time ſhall come when diſputing by the pen, ſhould ceaſe, and that the Sword ſhould end the controverſy between the Papiſts and the Proteſtants. I beleeve this time is now come, and be you aſſured of theſe things, that as theſe Antichriſtian Papiſts, ſhall make Warr with the Lamb, ſo the Lamb24 ſhall over come them, for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are with him are called, and choſen, and faithfull, Rev. 17.14.
One word to thoſe amongſt them that truely feare God, thus ſaith the Lord, My people goe out of the middeſt of her, and deliver yee every man his ſoule from the fierce wrath of the Lord, leaſt your heart even faint, and yee feare the rumour that ſhall be heard in the Land, a rumour ſhall come one yeare, and after that in another yeare ſhall come a rumour and violence in the Land, Ruler againſt Ruler, Jer. 51. and 45.46. And I heard another voyce from heaven ſay, Goe out of her my people that yee be not pertakers in her ſins, and that yee receive not of her plagues. Rev. 18.4.
I now come according to my promiſe to produce and apply Scripture againſt the Heathens of theſe times, I deſire what I ſaid at my beginning may be remembred: that is, that I have in ſome reſpect ſpoken to theſe already, and therefore now I ſhall no•〈◊〉much to them, onely I ſhall take notice that there is a very great people now in being upon this Earth, who are profeſſed enemies to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and that theſe are diſtinct from Papiſts, and that they have beene and ſtill are great Oppreſſors of the people that profes Jeſus Chriſt, and his Goſpell: and that the power and pride of theſe Heathens ſhall be brought downe, by the temporall Sword in theſe latter dayes, and that then they ſhall become the Inheritance of Jeſus Chriſt, to whome God the Father will give the Heathens of theſe times unto, for an Inheritance,25 and the uttermoſt parts of the Earth to him for his poſſeſſion; by the way, I confeſſe that I am little or nothing ſeene in the knowledge of the Hiſtories of times, neither am I ſo much in conſultation with them, as with the God of times; I know but very little either of the paſt or preſent State of forraigne Countries, nor of the externall cauſes, nor humane reaſons of the ſeverall new framings and mouldings of thoſe Nations, in the remore parts of the Earth, nor of thoſe ſeverall new conſtitutions into which they have in ſeverall peeces of time beene put into, by the overruling and all-diſpoſing hand of the great God of Heaven, who is the Lord of the Earth, and doth whatever he will both in Heaven and Earth, and will doe what he hath promiſed to doe, and likewiſe what he hath threatened to doe, it is true the viſion is for an appointed time, it ſhall ſpeake, and not lye: this time is certainly come, yea, the ſet time is come, and God is now manifeſting of himſelfe by theexcerciſe of the temporall Sword, to Nations, Families, and to particular perſons. I confeſſe, as I ſaid even now, that from a want of the knowledge of ſuch things as I have made mention of, I remaine unable in ſome reſpects to ſteere a courſe ſuitable to the apprehenſions which I have of the preſent face and appearance of things, when I thinke of them according to the glorious word and unfathomd workings of the great and mighty God, who is in his judgements unſearchable, and in his wayes paſt finding out, 'tis true, the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, hath acted his great works, and made his almighty power to appeare in all ages, in which he hath beene wonderfull in his doings towards26 the Sonnes and Daughters of men, and that in reference to the ſetting up and caſting downe of Nations, and people, in, and by the excerciſe of War, and the temporall Sword, but yet I verily thinke I ſpeake with ſubmiſſion, that the Lord is now a doing, and a bringing to paſs ſuch a peece of work, by the excerciſe of temporall warr, at this time, as there hath not in the world yet appeared the like, in reference to all events, notwithſtanding mens Opinions to the contrary; for my part if in this I erer, 'tis for no bye end, this is the thing I obſerve. Firſt, the blood of many thouſands in ſeverall ages who have truely feared God, hath beene ſhed by the cruelty of the Nations; now 'tis very cleare to me that the Lord will never give up his people to ſuch a dreadfull cruelty that they ſhould deſtroy people in cold blood, as we ſay, as they have beene even multitudes of them deſtroyed, ſome have beene burnt to death, others Racked, and ſo by diverſe other exquiſit torments they have beene murthered.
Secondly, 'tis as cleare to me that the Lord will by the hand of his people make inquiſition for blood, and that by the ſame hand will avenge the blood of his Saints, whoſe blood hath beene ſhed by the Nations, therefore Nations ſhall be dealt withall, by the Sword of temporall warr, the Nations have in a private Murtherous way, made themſelves drunke with the blood of Gods Saints, the Lord will deale with the Nations in a publick way, he will make his Arrowes drunke with the blood of his, and his Peoples enemies, and the ſword of the Lord in the hands of his people, ſhall eate the fleſh of Kings, and the fleſh of Captaines,27 and the fleſh of mighty men, Rev. 19.18. Againe, me thinks this is ſomthing to be conſidered of, what are the Nations now a doing? truely they be now a gathering themſelves together; what to doe? To deſtroy if they can all the Inhabitants of Zion, I meane all ſuch as doe truely and ſincerely ſeeke and ſerve the true God, according to the rules of his holy word the Scriptures.
But to the thing in hand, Now alſo many Nations are gathered againſt thee, ſaying, Zion ſhall be condemned, and our eye ſhall look upon Zion, but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, they underſtand not his Counſell, for he ſhall gather them as the ſheaves in the barne. Mica. 4.11.12. Obſerve, ſurely that dark and diſmall Cloud which now hovers upon the world is like for ſome time to grow ſomwhat thicker, and the ſtorme is like to be ſomwhat more terrible then yet it is, before theſe preſent Warrs now in excerciſe come to a full end, the Nations are now gathering themſelves together, What to doe? to deſtroy ſpirituall Zion, they ſay the Church and people of God ſhall be condemned, and they will be the Executioners, but they know not the thoughts, nor the purpoſes of the Lord, they little thinke what God will doe by this their gathering together; they gather and the Lord God gathers, but for contrary ends, they intend one thing, and the Lord meanes another, they an extermination of truth, and true Chriſtians, God intends a preſervation of both, yea a great deliverence and a glorious enlargment too. I ſpeake with reverence to God, who will at this time doe two works at once, even uſe the Sword of temporall Warr, with the Sword of his28 word, and with the delivering of his people, will performe the ruine of his, and his peoples Enemies. Behold in that time when I ſhall br••gagaine the Captivity of Judah and Jeruſalem, I will alſo gather all Nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoſhaphat, and will plead with them there, for my people, and for my heritage Iſrael, whom they have ſcatrered among the Nations, Joel. 3. Aſſemble your ſelves and come all yee Heathen, and gather your ſelves together round about, there ſhall the Lord caſt downe the mighty man, let the Heathen be weakned. Obſerve, thoſe the enemies of God, which in Scripture are ſometimes called mighty, are here prophetically deſtynated to weakneſſe. Let the Heathen be weakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoſhaphat, for there will I ſet to judge all the Heathen round about: put in your Sithes for the Harveſt is ripe, come get you downe for the wine preſſe is full, yea the winepreſſes run over, for their wickedneſſe is great, O multitude, O multitude, come into the Valley of threſhing, for the day of the Lord is neere in the Valley of threſhing, the Sunne and Moone ſhall be darkned, and the Starrs ſhall withdraw their light. That is, as I conceive, in this their day of Gods viſitation, they ſhall finde no help in Creatures, neither in the Sunne the Moon, nor the Starrs, in, and by which, the Heathens of all times have beene ſo much led, as appeares by the words of Jer. 10.2. Thus ſaith the Lord, learne not the way of the Heathen, and be not diſmayed at the ſignes of Heaven, for the Heathen are diſmayed at them. I have read ſome Authors which affirme that there are Heathens of theſe times, who29 doe worſhip the Sunne and the Moone, to whom I may ſpeake as the Prophet ſpeaks, thou art wearied in the multitude of thy Counſells, let now the Aſtrologers the Star-gazers, the monethly Prognoſticatours, ſtand up and ſave thee from theſe things that ſhall come upon thee. Iſa. 47.13.
Againe, this may admit of a ſpirituall meaning, whence we may take notice, that the light of the glorious Goſpell, which both hath and doth ſhine in the World, as the Moone, and as the Sun, ſhall ſtand them in no ſtead, in this time of great diſtreſſe, which have contemptuouſly baniſhed it from them, or refuſed to give it entertainment, when the Lord in mercy hath made a tender of it unto them, certainly both Papiſts and Heathens have done this, and now the Lord God in his juſt judgement will ſhut up all light from them, and darkneſſe ſhall be upon them till they periſh in the ſame. The Lord, ſayth the Prophet, ſhall roare out of Zion, and utter his voyce from Jeruſalem. Obſerve, in thoſe dayes and times in which the Lord God ſhall what his glittering Sword, and ſhall with his hand take hold on judgement, and ſhall execute vengeance on his enemies, and reward them that hate him, that then the Lord will roare from Zion then God will appeare terrible to his, and his peoples enemies, from, and by his ſpirituall Zion, in the excerciſe of temporall meanes; God will threſh them with the Sword. Agreeable to this is that of Mica. 4. last. Ariſe, threſh O Daughter of Zion, for I will make thine horne Iron, and I will make thine hoofes Braſſe, and thou ſhalt breake in peice many people, Jacob ſhall be a fire, and Joſeph a flame, and Edom ſhall30 be as ſtubble. Mal. 4.3. The Enemies of God have beene drunke with the blood of Gods Saints, and the Lord God will make his Arrowes drunke with the blood of his enemies, and his Sword in the hand of his people ſhall eate fleſh, yea, and that for the blood of the ſlaine, and of the Captives, when I begin to take vengeance of the enemies. Deut. 32.42. Now in this day and time, the Lord God will be the hope of his people, and the ſtrength of the Children of Iſrael, Joel. 3.16.
I will but ſuggeſt that of the Prophet Iſa. 2. and I have done; certainly in ſuch a day and time as this is, it will be thus, The high looke of man ſhall be humbled, and the loftineſſe of men ſhall be abaſed, and the Lord onely ſhall be exalted in that day, for the day of the Lord of Hoſts is upon all the proud and hauty, and upon all that is exalted, and upon all the Cakes of Baſhan, and all the high Mountaines, & upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high Tower, and upon every ſtrong Wall, and upon all the Ships of Tarſhiſh, and all pleaſant Pictures, and the haughtineſſe of men ſhall be brought low, and the loftineſſe of men ſhall be abaſed, and the Lord ſhall onely be exalted in that day, and the Idolls will he utterly deſtroy, then they ſhall goe into the holes of the Rocks, and into the Caves of the Earth, from before the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his Majeſty, when he ſhall ariſe to deſtroy or to ſhake terribly the Earth.