The Little Horns Downfall, To the reader
To the READER.
Courteous Reader,
I Had written the firſt of theſe Treatiſes, intituled, The little Horns doom and downfall, above ſeven yeeres ſince, but have bin with-held from publiſhing of it untill now, (for ends beſt known unto divine Majeſty; but (if may ſo gueſſe,) it may bee, it was becauſe that men would then generally have been more uncapable of receiving of ſuch things, then now they are, becauſe now theſe things are fulfilled; and propheſies are then beſt underſtood, when they are fulfilled.) But now, am I ſo preſſed to publiſh both this firſt Treatiſe, and this other which I have but lately written, upon this 27 verſe of this ſeventh of Daniel, *Having finiſhed it but ſince the beginning of the monethmonth of Auguſt, this preſent yeer, 1651.as that I cannot, I dare not, with-hold neither of them from publike view any longer; but by publiſhing of them in print, I ſhall expoſe them to the publike view of all men, as far as in me lies.
And having ſo done, ſhall leave it to the eternall Jehovah to make it effectuall, to thoſe ends to which he hath appointed it, which may bee Firſt, to convince thoſe of their folly, that perſiſt in waies contradictory to, (or croſſing of) his preſent deſignes, to the diſturbing of their own ſoules, (though they cannot hinder his worke, for who can let it?) for if hee do not convince them, none can: Or,
Secondly, it may be to confirm others; for there are ſome that are already ſo far inlightned in their underſtandings, about the preſent proceedings of God in the world, as they do in ſome competent meaſure, already diſcerne the footſteps of God, in theſe great preſent providences; and doe diſcerne alſo what his deſignes are in theſe things.
Who yet are not fully perſwaded, that the Saints ſuffering times are expired, and that the time, times, and halfe a time, is come to a period; who poſſibly may hereby bee further enlightned, and ſatisfied, and further …couraged to rejoyce in God, and in his pre…nt proceedings in the World.
And now firſt, if any ſhal ſleight theſe things, becauſe hereby is diſcovered any deluſions, in which they are; or any folly, in the waies they have taken; wherein they doe any way ſupport the enemies, and oppoſe the very reall ſervants of God; or for any other by-end whatſoever: let them know, that their ſo doing, ſhall not trouble me at all, if it hurt not them.
And ſecondly, if any ſhall hereby receive any light, or any refreſhment, let them bleſſe the Lord for it, from whom alone it came: for I am a very weake, and unworthy inſtrument, and have not done this worke by any ſtrength of my owne, but have been often made ſenſible, that I could doe no more herein, (wherein any light, or truth could appeare) of my ſelfe, then a penſill, or pen can do, when no hand guides it: being daily made ſenſible of my owne inſufficiency to do any thing, as of my ſelfe; that to uſe the Apoſtles expreſſion, and to ſpeak it feelingly, (for I finde it daily true) I muſt profeſſe, I am not ſufficient to thinke a good thought, but my ſufficiency is of God, to whom be glory, and honour, and praiſe for evermore, Amen.
I have onelyonly one thing more, which I judge neceſſary to acquaint the reader with, and that is this: In my former book, which I publiſhed in April, 1648, I ſubſcribed my name Cary, for that was then my name; for which reaſon I have thought good, to ſubſcribe the ſame name in the title page of this Book alſo; that the reader may not bee put to any doubt, by finding different names in the Titles; (ſince I have in this Book, ſo often referred the Reader to that,) but let the Reader know, That (having ſince changed my name) I am now known by the name of,
Mary Rande.