Review of What God Hath Been Pleased to Do This Year, Preface
An earneſt Invitation, and Perſwaſion to All, that profeſs a Reverence of the Divine Majeſty, to Regard the Works of the Lord; and to take Pleaſure in Searching them out in their Greatneſs, particularly this Year; By way of Preface to the following Diſcourſe.
SEeing this Review reſts upon the very Eminent Appearances of God in this preſent Year 1697, I think it no way Improper to prefix a ſerious perſwaſive, deeply to conſider the Operations of the Divine Hand, and to ſearch them out, as Hidden Treaſures.
It is the Atheiſm, and Irreverence of the Divine Being, and his Government of the World, that we Laviſh out his Great Providences into no other Diſcourſes, but as of News; This is not the Buſineſs of a ſerious Chriſtian, and of thoſe who have the Aſſiſtance of Sacred Hiſtory, directing us what obſervations to make upon thoſe works; and the Sure Word of Prophecy Guiding us, what we are to expect, by due Reflexion, on what God hath done according to Prophecy, to what he will do to the End of the World: It is not enough for us with a ſhew of Great Wiſdom and Foreſight, to Dilate upon the Political Tendencies of Great Events, leaſt we Fall into the Hipocriſy of the Phariſees, who were able to make Natural obſervations on the Face of the Heavens, but could not Diſcern the ſigns of the Times: We ought as to make Improvement of Mercies, and Judgments, to ſearch and try our ways, and to turn unto the Lord; to Praiſe Him for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men; So to Ʋnderſtand as the Sons of Iſſachar the Times, that we may know what Iſrael ought to do; how to order our Supplications, and Declarations of the Hand of God; For all his Servants are yet …itneſſes in Sackcloth, who have …ower to ſmite the Antichriſtian Earth with Plagues, as often, as they will; And it is their Duty at all Times to will to do it; to Prophecy to Prophecy, as God Commanded Ezekiel; That is, with Reſolution, and Conſtancy to declare the Judgments of God on the Antichriſtian Papacy; and to ſhoot with the Arrow of the Lords Deliverance, not Twice or Thrice, but Seven Times to its utter Ruine; and to Give no Reſt to our God, Till He make Jeruſalem a Praiſe in the Earth. It is the Great Sin of Proteſtants, they do neither at this Time, with Becoming Zeal.
I will therefore preſent, as under one view, the Great Works of God this Year, that are more Largely Diſcourſed in the following Treatiſe, and with ſome Remarks, that have not been made therein.
1. The Peace …n theſe European Nations Signed the very Day of the Ancient Attonement, and Jubilee, and the Emperors Entry into it on the Day of Luthers Publication of his Goſpel▪ Poſitions in the Firſt opening of the Reformation 1517; Oh! That as that was in the Beginning of Half Time, ſo there may be at this End of it, a far Higher Jub l…e and Reformation.
2. The Turkiſh ſo wonderful Defeat, as ſtruck with a Divine Terror, ſo upon the Prophetical Hour of Auguſt, and it ſtill continuing; Anſwering the Beginning of the Beaſts Forty two Moons; and ſo, I hope▪ at this Time declaring His End.
3 The Prince of Muſcovies ſo Illuſtrious Efforts, upon whom the Spirit of God hath appeared to Come, as on ſome of the worthies of Old; and by his Particular Love to Proteſtant Princes, as if He were the Firſt Fruits of the Grecian Churches, and to be an Avenger of them on the Ottoman Power.
4 The Dawns of the Kingdom of Chriſt in any Beginnings of his Spirit pour…d out; Zeal for Reformation; and Particularly in Ireland, where God hath by that Parliament Vindicated the Contempt thrown upon that Honourable Word of the New Teſtament; Myſtery; I hope, becauſe Finiſhing Myſtery, as He hath Evan…glized by his Servants the Pro-phets is ſo near;
And the Accumulation of his Great Works in All theſe things, on the lat…er part of this Year, Gives Hopes, He is making haſte with his Greater Works in the End of this, and the Beginning of the Following Year.
The Inſtances againſt all this in the Popiſh continuing Grandieur, and its ſeeming to Increaſe, The Elector of Saxony under whoſe Anceſtors, The Reformation found its Firſt Protection, Giving back Himſelf, though not his Power as Elector, to the Beaſt; Any other Prince doing ſo; The ſuffering Witneſſes in France and Savoy, not comprehended in, the Proteſtant Intereſt not ſufficiently ſecured by the Peace; I hope, Theſe are all only an Argument, The Great Prince of Princes is near to break all Antichriſtian Power without Hand; and that when, It Crys Peace, Peace, Its Plagues ſhall Come in one Hour.
And that Man of ſin with that Blaſphemous Title; His Holineſs; ſhall be Thrown out of the Temple of God wherein He fits as God; by the Prayers of All Saints; and the Lord whom we ſeek, ſuddenly will come into His Temple.
Now to All theſe Great purpoſes, Let the Lord God of the Holy Prophets, the Amen, the Faithful Witneſs, the Bleſſed Spirit, as Seven Eyes of Wiſdom and Horns of Power, Running through All the Earth, Appear for his Kingdom and Bleſs this Diſcourſe, and Fulfil the Word of his moſt unworthy Servant.
Amen and Amen.