The Person and Period of the Antichrist, Discourse · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
156. THus prohibentibus remotis, thoſe objections (like Amaſa's ſlain body) being taken out of the way. I come now to Antichriſts laſt Period (where this digreſſion began) and to view him as (Morient) and as one giving up the Ghoſt, This is held out in the two laſt clauſes of the Induction (the 11th and 12th) the 11th is, he muſt be conſumed by the ſpirit of Chriſts mouth, which holds forth 1ſt the manner, and 2ly the means. 1ſt the manner, God doth not deſtroy this grand Enemy of his Church all at once, but conſumes him in his wrath by little and little, as Pſal. 59.11,13.
157. God will deal with Antichriſt, as with a notorious Malefactor, who muſt not have that favour, to be diſpatch'd out of all pain at once, either by ſtrangling or decollation: praeſtat ſemel mori quàm ſemper metuere, aut diu ſentire mortem. Antichriſt muſt die by Inches, and his Soul muſt be driven out of his body by degrees; that (according to Nero's Speech) he might not only die, but a long time feel that he is a dying. God writes (Magor miſſabib) upon this proud Paſhur, Jer. 20.3. and makes him a terror and burden to himſelf in a lingring Conſumption, before his utter Extirpation.
158. This agrees with that ſound Maxim [Deus & Natura non faciunt ſaltum] and with that parable of the loſt Groat, wherein Chriſt tells of a Candle and a Beſome. The Beſome doth not ſweep away the dirt and defilement of an houſe at one bruſh, but tis oft laid on, and applied to all the parts of the Room, till it at laſt ſweeps all out of doors. So when Chriſt comes to ſweep this lump of defilement (ſc. Antichriſt) out of the great Houſe of the World, with the Beſome of deſtruction, Iſa. 14.23. he 1. drives it out of the Middle Temple, then out of the outward Court (long defiled with it, Rev. 11.2.) and at laſt, out of doors.
159. And when Chriſt came to purge the Temple (when that Houſe of prayer was made a Den of Theeves) we may not imagine that thoſe buyers and ſellers went out at the firſt laſh (he gave them) with his Whip; but 'tis more then probable, ſo many ſturdy Fellows (as were there employed in that Merchandize) would play [loth to depart] as unwilling to loſe ſo advantagious a Market. John 2.15. & Mat. 21.12. All this muſt have a Gradual accompliſhment; though undoubtedly ſome Beams of Divine Majeſty ſhone forth in Chriſt herein. And thus Chriſt will whip out of the Temple, this grand Thief (Antichriſt) by degrees, when he comes into it, Mal. 3.1,2.
160. We read of two Jezabels in Scripture (both mothers of Fornication) 2 Kin. 9.33. & Rev. 2.20,21. The old Teſtament Jezabel was ſuddenly deſtroy'd in the midſt of her Painting and Delicacy; that curſed Woman (ſo called, 2 Kin. 9.34.) was ſuddenly thrown out of the window, and troden down under foot. But the New Teſtam. Jezabel was caſt upon her bed of Languiſhing, that ſhe might wear away in a lingring Sickneſs. This double Doom is inflicted upon this Antichriſtian Jezabel, that curſed Queen of Whoredoms.
161. She is firſt caſt into a bed of Languiſhing, with the latter Jezabel, that ſhe may pine away in her Iniquity, Lev. 26.39. God will conſume her days in vanity, and her years in trouble, Pſal. 78.33. Shee muſt lie long ſick of a lingring Conſumption (that her Ruine may bear proportion to her Riſo) ſhe had many ſteps in her riſing, and ſhall have in her fall. In the end comes the Doom of the former Jezabel upon her, ſudden deſtruction [in one day, Rev. 18.8.] and that, by the hands of her own Paramours, Revel. 17.16. with 13. Her carcaſs ſhall be caſt out as dung, 2 King. 9.35.37.
162. As the Walls of old Jericho were not thrown down the firſt day that it was beſieged, but Iſrael muſt walk about it 6 days, and wait for the downfall of this curſed City till the 7th day, Heb. 11.30. & Joſh. 6.13,14 to 20. So this Myſtical Jericho falls not in the firſt day, nor in the firſt Vial that is powred … upon it: but ſeven Vialls are appointed to be powred out for his utter Extirpation, which are called the ſeven laſt plagues, for in them are filled up the wrath of God, and deſtruction of Antichriſt, Rev. 15.1. In the mean time, God in much patience, bears with thoſe Veſſels of wrath prepared for deſtruction, Rom. 9.22.
163. As Rome was not built in one day, neither muſt it be thrown down in one day; but the Walls of it ſhall molder down by degrees. God begins with that ſpiritual Babylon▪ firſt to diſquiet her only, as he did with the literal Babylon, Jer. 50.34. He will diſquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon, that hath ſo much, and ſo long diſquieted the Inhabitants of Sion. Thus the compaſſing about of Jericho, the former of the 7 days, was at leaſt a diſquieting of the Inhabitants thereof, and an Alarm to them, if not here and there a ſtone dropping out daily out of the Wall to weaken it.
164. As ſure as God threw down Old Babylon (though her walls were 50 Cubits thick, and 200 Cubits high, yet lay ſhe open, and expoſed to the Vials of the wrath of God) ſo ſure ſhall this myſtical Babylon tumble down alſo, though ſhe be ſeated among the ſtars, and be long in falling (even 7 days, or Vials) yet God will pull her down thence, and every Vial ſhall bring a degree of ruine upon her.
165. The fall of Old Babylon was foretold by the Prophet, Eſai. 21.7,9. and executed by Cyrus, Eſa. 45.1,2. & ch. 46. & ch. 47. The Church ſings an Hymn upon her aſſurance of Babylons fall, Eſa. 27. Then the Prophet Jeremy deſcribes her deſtruction at large, ſhewing how the vengeance of the Lord, and the vengeance of his Temple came upon her, Jer. 50.15,21. & chap. 51.11,29. and all this in a gradual accompliſhment. The wall of Babylon falls as the wall of Jericho did, ver. 44, 53.
166. Thus alſo the fall of myſtical Babylon is foretold, Rev. 14.8. and tis executed, Rev. 18.2. yea, and the word is doubled (like Pharoh's dream, Gen. 41.32.) becauſe the thing is eſtabliſhed by God, and God will ſhortly bring it to paſs. The Duplication of the word, Babylon is fal'n, is fal'n, imports both Aſſurance and Expedition. This Babylon hath once fal'n culpably, and ſhe muſt again fall penally: a weak man throws down the old Babylon, but a mighty Angel this: that falls like an ordinary ſtone, but this like a great mil-ſtone: that ſinks only, but this is thruſt down with Violence, into the bottom of the ſea, and no boying it up again: that ſhall not riſe, but this ſhall be found no more, Jer. 51.63,64. compar'd with Rev. 18.21.
167. The God of truth hath ſaid, that Babylon is fal'n, and twice over, though it be but falling, tis as ſure to fall, as if faln already. Juſt as we ſee a beaſt or a bird ſtruck dead wi… a Gun, before the report be heard: ſo Antichriſt is dead-ſtruck by that Word, Rev. 14.8. although the report neither of his Crack, nor of his Fall come yet to us. Fall he muſt (the foundation of its Fall God hath laid already) though all the World lend their ſhoulders to uphold him.
168. The Lord hath doubl'd Babylon's doom [it is faln, it is faln] to denote the certainty of it, and tis expreſſed in the preſent (not future Tenſe) to ſhew, that God will as ſurely deſtroy it, as if we ſaw it now deſtroyed. As ſure as Jericho is faln, ſo ſurely ſhall Babylon fall; and that ſhortly, as well as ſurely, for the Ark of Gods preſence hath compaſſed about the walls of this myſtical Jericho ſeveral days already: not only becauſe four of the Vials are ſuppoſed to be over, and poured out upon it, but alſo becauſe we live about the ſix thouſand Year of the World, and tis an old Tradition, that the 7th will be a Jubilee and Sabbath.