Babylons Downfall, Title page – To the reader
BABYLONS Downfall.
A SERMON LATELY PREACHED AT WESTMINSTER BEFORE ſundry of the Honourable houſe of Commons.
By William Bridge, ſometimes fellow of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge, and ſince, Miniſter of Gods word in NORWICH. And now in KOTERDAM.
Publiſhed by order of the ſaid Houſe.
LONDON: Printed by I. N. for Iohn Rothwell, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the ſigne of the Sun in Pauls Churchyard. 1641.
Good Reader,
THou haſt (I doubt not) heard with what difficulty and pains this ſmall work is brought forth, and delivered into the world; let the difficulty of Printing quicken thine affection in reading. As the fall of Babylon is much expected, ſo the riſing of the Churches is much deſired. Thy prayers, and our paines, may help forward both. Wherefore that I might not be wanting to this great ſervice, I am willing that theſe notes ſhould walk abroad, which I thought ſhould never ſee more light than what crept in at my ſtudie windowes. This Sermon may prove all the Legacie which your dying friend ſhall be able to bequeath unto you; For I am now returning to that Church and people of God, which Jeſus Chriſt hath committed to me, and others. And if in this voyage the Lord ſhall put the windes, and seas in Commiſsion for my death, my deſire is,
Firſt, That God would forgive our adverſaries (if it be his will) that have put us to theſe extremities.
Secondly, That it may be ever ſaid of this Iland, as once it was ſaid of Iſrael, Happy art thou O Iſrael: who is like unto thee, O people ſaved by the Lord, the ſhield of thine help, and the ſword of thine excellency? Deut. 33. 29.
Thirdly, That falling Babylon may be fallen Babylon. And that all the diſtreſſed Churches may be reſtored Churches. Vivat Chriſtus moriatur Barrabas, moriatur Antichriſtus.
For the firſt wee have great cauſe to forgiue, ſeeing all their injuries, are turned unto our bleſsings. And therefore as Joſeph ſaid to his brethren that ſold him into a ſtrange Country, As for you, ye thought evill againſt me, but God meant it unto good, Now therefore feare not, &c. Yet we know that publick Adminiſtration of Juſtice is not contrary to perſonall forgiveneſſe. Wee muſt confeſſe, that the leaving of our owne deare Country was, and is moſt afflictive to us; A trouble to leave our good friends, Convenient houſes, Pretious liberties, and ſo many ſoules under the hazard of your eternities. But Luthers Counſell is good. Si nolint ves ferre inditione ſua non frangatur animus ad ceſſandum ad deſerendum verbum & officium, ſed perſeverandum & docendum, ſi non in hoc loco ſaltem in alio. Ab iterum dices quid ſinullo loco liceat, ſed ubi que ejiciamur in toto mundo, reſpondet Chriſtu nolite ſolliciti eſſe, Antequam id even…et ut nullus locus amplius ſit verbo, ego adero meo adventu, evit igitur ſemper locus ubi doceatis donec ego veniam, tantum vos perdurate & ſalvi eritis, non expedietis omnes civitates Iſrael quin f…ius haminis veniet, Luther. loc. com. de piis exulibus.If they will not ſuffer you where they have to doe, let not your minde bee troubled to ceaſe from your work, or diſert your office, but teach and perſevere, if it be not lawfull in one place, it may bee in another. But thou wilt ſay, What if it be lawfull in no place, and that wee be every where caſt out in the whole world? Chriſt anſwers, Be not ſolicitous, before it come to paſſe that no place be left for the word, I will be preſent by my comming, there ſhall alwayes be a place where you may teach till I ſhall come, onelyonly doe you hold on, and you ſhall be ſaved; you ſhall not have gone over all the Cities of Iſrael, till the Sonne of man ſhall come.
So that according to Luther, and the Truth, though the perſecutions of the Churches bee never ſo great, yet there ſhall alwayes be ſome place free, and open at a Citie of Refuge for Gods people to flye unto, and hide themſelves in, till Chriſt ſhall come by publick deliverance for the Churches.
For the ſecond. You have ſeene what great things the Lord hath done for you. Beleeveſt thou becauſe of theſe, thou ſhalt ſee greater, onelyonly let us follow the ſtarre of heavenly, and divine guidance which hath led us along all this while, and not goe in to conſult with the Scribes; and Phariſees of the times, with thoſe that ſay they are Jeues, and are not; ſo ſhall our ſtarre the Scripture lead us more clearely to the place, and houſe where Chriſt is. Neither be thou aſhamed to receive, and owne the truth, and way of Chriſt, though it be deſpiſed. The wiſe men did worſhip Chriſt in a manger.
And for the third, I ſhall not prophecie if I ſay, The ſword is now drawne, whoſe anger ſhall not be pacified till Babylon be downe, and Sion rais'd. Yet if thou ſhalt meet with another ſuffering Bout, In Patience poſſeſſe thy ſoule, In Faith thy God, In Love thy neighbour. And know that it is Gods uſuall way to bring his beſt ſervants to his choyce bleſsings by tedious Bouts, Exod. 13. 18. In the interim obſerve diligently what God is now doing, and help forward the work of God what you can. Quod Deus facit pro nobis facit in nobis. And as you would read, and ſtudy ſome choyce booke to get learning, ſo read, attend, and ſtudy every page, line, and letter of this great volume of the Lords works which is now extant, be in commons with the Lords people. The works of the Lord are ſought out of all thoſe that have pleaſure in them, ſaith the Pſalmiſt.
Finally, good Reader, pray for us, that wee may ſtand compleat in all the will of God; and though the malice of ſome men hath beene ſo great, that wee may not live together in one Land, yet the mercy of God is ſo rich, that wee may live together in one heaven.
Now, the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jeſus, and great Shepheard of the Sheepe, thorough the blood of the everlaſting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to doe his will, working in you that which is well pleaſing in his ſight, through Jeſus Chriſt, to whom be glory for ever, and ever. Amen.
Thine in Chriſt, WILLIAM BRIDGE.