A Beam of Light Darted Through the Clouds, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. What ſure ground we have to believe this change is nigh.
ALthough I am againſt ſuch as prefix a time to this change, yet as great men ſend Harbingers before them to give notice of their coming; ſo God hath divers meſſengers that proclaime this coming.
1. Firſt is the unſealing of the Scriptures, God reveals not all at once, as time ſhuts up, truth opens, God hath truth for ſeverall ages; Daniel was bid to ſeale up the book till the end, Dan. 12.4. the nearer the end is, the more open will ſuch truths be as concerne the end; God will not draw his curtains fully open, not ſhew all at once, men ſhall run to and fro, and knowledge ſhall increaſe.
Firſt, this intimates an inquiſition in people after the Lord; they ſhall inquire the way to Zion with their faces that way: as ſnow gathers by rowling, ſo truth ſhall mightily increaſe by going to and fro, the nearer the Iudge is, the more the people run and inquire when he comes.
Secondly, to and fro notes the ſweetneſſe of fellowſhip amongſt brethren, they ſhall run to and fro, backwards as well as forwards, not to this friend, or that friend, but to back friends as well as boſome-friends, there will be no reſpect of perſons in this ſenſe: this notes his coming nigh who is himſelfe no reſpecter of perſons: The poor and the rich will be one with a knowing ſoule, the language will not be, I will go to the rich mans houſe; no, the rich hath many friends, but the poor are deſtitute. When a houſe is on fire, men ſay not I will ſtay at home, becauſe I am rich, or an Officer, but all run to quench the fire; ſo when there is a fire of an inlightened underſtanding kindled, then we ſhall ſee Saints go to a Lazarus as well as to a Dives: Knowledge is much improved in theſe days, I wiſh it be as well practiſed.
2. The ſecond note is, the coldneſſe of love amongſt Profeſſors: Many ſhall be notable quench-coales in this laſt age: Honeſt Latimer ſaw love ſo cold in his time, that he thought Dooms-day at hand: But alas, how dead are Profeſſors now in love! And the reaſon is, becauſe mens affections are placed upon Opinion, and not upon practice: Such a man is of my opinion, therefore I love him; this is ſelf-love: Lord, what a helliſh fire will this kindle! May not a man be thy brother, and yet not like thee in all things?
I would ask all Profeſſors this queſtion, What is it you love in one another? Is it the form, or the power of god lineſſe? One part divides from another, becauſe they are not in way, or that way of worſhip: But conſider, this is not Chriſt all, and in all?
I ſuppoſe none ought to be ſo ignorant as to ſay, A man is the leſſe a Chriſtian, becauſe he is not of the Presbyterian Church ſo called; neither is he the leſſe a Chriſtian, becauſe he is not of the Independent Church ſo called. If you all hold the Head, you are of one myſticall Body, and I hope will meet one day meet together as the generall Aſſembly and Church of the firſt-born, whoſe names are written in heaven, Heb. 13.23.
Have fellowſhip then in the ſpirit of truth and uprightneſſe. Baſil complains of his time, That he ſaw more union in Arts and Sciences, then in Divinity, by reaſon of thoſe contentions that were amongſt brethren. For, men in diſputes rather diſpute for ſelf, then truth: Pride will not let men ſubmit, though conſcience tells them they ſpeak againſt truth. This coldneſſe of love demonſtrates the change not far off.
3. The third note is, the working of miracles, Matth. 24.24. Men uſually admire a thing done beyond their capacity; ſuch works have naturally a great force upon mans fancy: As the Jewes require a ſigne, ſo the zealouſly ignorant ſhall mightily follow and adore ſuch men.
Many there are that out of weakneſſe of judgment think there can be no preaching, becauſe the Apoſtles did work miracles.
I anſwer, that miracles were not in any degree eſſentiall to make a Miniſter: For, the Apoſtles might preach without them; onelyonly God was pleaſed to uſe them, for the firſt planting the Goſpell: And although ſome may expect miracles in theſe laſt times, which I confeſſe muſt come to paſſe, yet I know no place that mentions, that God will ſend any of his people that ſhall work them, but rather they ſhall be falſe Prophets, as Mat. 13.22. teſties. The Papiſts in their Legend of lies tell the People, that they are the true Church, becauſe they work miracles; but they are lying miracles.
Signes are only for unbelievers, and the Kingdom of Heaven cometh not by obſervation. Such then as will not believe untill they ſee miracles wrought, I may ſay to them as Abraham to Dives, Luke 16.31. They have Moſes and the Prophets, if they will not heare them, neither will they believe, though one roſe from the dead.
So that where working of ſuch miracles are, it is a ſigne of a falſe Prophet; and I will never follow a man the more, becauſe he may have this gift.
4. The fourth note is, when the Goſpell is going through the whole world, Mark 13.10. And ſurely God is beginning much in this work to gather his Saints together: More inſtruments God wil raiſe for this purpoſe, then ever were ſince the world began: For, we ſee God is breaking down thoſe Lawes and diſtinctions that hindred many men from this glorious work: But I will not abſolutely determine the ſeverall wayes God uſeth to convert men: For, a man may be converted by the reading ſome Scriptures, or by ſome thoughts of God; that is in a ſenſe a preaching to the heart, when God ſpeaks within him, ſaying, this is the way, walk in it: Sure I am that the Goſpell ſhall run and be glorified.
5. The fifth note is, when the fire of love goes out, then the fire of perſecution comes in; the brother ſhall betray the brother: the nearer Antichriſt is to his end, the greater will be his rage: And this muſt come to paſſe: For, I obſerve, the more zealous any man is for form then power, the greater perſecutor will ſuch a people be, when authority is on their ſide. The reaſon is, Becauſe ſuch men do it out of conſcience to God. Paul was the greateſt perſecutor we read of among the Jewes: The time ſhall come when men that kill you ſhall think they do God good ſervice, Iohn 16.2.
He that is born after the fleſh will perſecute him that is born after the ſpirit: Iſhmael will trouble Iſaac. God hath pulled, down one horn of this Antichriſt, I pray God we may not ſee a ſharper riſe in its ſtead, when the face of Religion is onelyonly waſht, but not the heart; an outward reformation, but an inward deformation: Ier. 9.4. Then truſt not in a brother, for he will utterly ſupplant: it is hardeſt to reconcile brethren, for love cauſeth jealouſie.
When you ſhall ſee the abomination of deſolation [Mat. 24.15.] ſtanding where it ought not: ſurely there is no place where abomination ought to ſtand: This alludes to Jeruſalem, a place where Chriſt and his Diſciples had preached, they offered ſacrifice, but to their own nets, made a ſhew of worſhip, yet under it acted abomination, perſecu-and injuſtice.
I pray God it, may not be ſo with thee, O England, to be a profeſſing people, talk of holy walking, yet in this holy place to act wickedneſſe, injuſtice, oppreſſion, ſelf-ſeeking and covetouſneſſe, to make Religion a skreen to all irreligious practiſes; this is an iniquity to be puniſh'd by the Judge: How abominable is it for one man, to pretend his neighbours good, yet under that notion to take his lands and livings over his head? Many men make uſe of Religion as a ſtirrup to get a horſe-back into the worlds preferments; Lord! whether will that man run, horſe, rider and all to deſtruction! Such men have Gods cenſure, you eat my people as bread, to ſhew thy ſelfe as if thou wouldſt feed Gods people, yet under it act ſuch abomination as is odious to all; as the fiſher baits his hook with meat for the fiſh, when he intends onelyonly to make the fiſh meat for himſelf.
This is ſuch an abomination which God intends to pull downe in all, as he hath moſt gloriouſly begun this work, ſo come Lord, is the language of a true Iſraelite, throw it down in me and every one.
The ſcarcity of upright, unbiaſſed hearts notes the end nigh; a reall friend like Chriſt who ſhall find, to prevent this miſchiefe that may juſtly come upon us? I adviſe all that profeſſe the name of the Lord in ſincerity, however they are called or diſtinguiſhed by the corrupt man, that they would love all that be are their fathers image, though it be ſmall, not for form ſake, but for godlineſſe ſake, love the truth as it is in Jeſus, not as this man, or the other man ſpeaks it, and untill this be, for my part I believe diviſions will increaſe, which is the rode way to perſecution. Mark the words of James, Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: To viſite the fatherleſſe children, and widdowes, and to keep your ſelves unſpotted from the world, J am. 1.27.