No Power But of God, Part 6
A few words by way of Propheſie concerning the glorious ſtate of the Church of Chriſt that will be ſhortly.
BEloved, if you a little take notice of what is paſt and fulfilled, and diligenly obſerve what is preſent, you will be the better able to ſpeak or write of ſomething that is to come; if you look back and ſee that the Lord hath delivered us, and then look upon the preſent ſtate, and finde that he doth deliver us, we ſhall be the better able to ſay with Paul, In whom we truſt that he will yet deliver us, 2 Cor. 1. 10.
O yee the flocke of Chriſt, for to you I ſpeak chiefly: you were ſcattered, but the Lord hath gathered you together, and brought you home from exile, and baniſhment, and cauſed you to ſit under your owne vine, and made you a praiſe and a ſame amongſt them that had you in deriſion, and a proverb of reproach; he hath advanced up between you and your enemies, and taken your part, and overpowered them, and in a great meaſure ſtopped the mouths of the dogs of Egypt that did ſo bark at you; ſome of them are fallen by the ſword, others of them are fled beyond the ſeas, and thoſe that doe ſtill remaine, the Lord is now muffling their mouths.
Againe, your ſpiritual enemies begin to fall alſo, the Lord hath given you a little more ſtrength againſt them, and diſcovered his love in the face of Jeſus Chriſt in the doctrine of Free-grace more fully then in former dayes; he hath given you liberty to worſhip him in his owne way, and eſtabliſhed your liberty by a Law both ſpiritual and temporal. He hath manifeſted his care of you in anſwering all your prayers, and granting all your requeſts that you heretofore have, or now doe put up to him in faith; ſo that it is but aske and have, ſeek and finde; and yet all this is but the beginnings of mercies to you, theſe be but the dawnings of the day, and the firſt fruits of what is ripening: Your eies have not yet ſeen, your ears have not heard, your hearts have not yet underſtood what glorious things are comming: you may now ſay to all the proud oppoſers yet remaining, as once was ſaid to Haman, Heſt. 6. 12. If Mordecai be of the ſeed of the Iews before whom thou haſt begun to fall, thou ſhalt not prevaile againſt him, but ſurely fall before him. If thoſe that hereto fore you called Puritans, and now Separatiſts, be of the ſeed of Abraham, the father of the faithfull, before whom ye have begun to fall, you ſhall not prevaile againſt them, but ſurely fall before them: Aſſemble your ſelves together againſt theſe people, you will be broken in pieces; take councel together, it will not ſtand; continue your Plots one after another as faſt as you can, it will be diſcovered; take councel of Achitophel, and it will be turned into fooliſhniſſe; lift up your voices with Herod like a god, the Worms will deſtroy you, and that immediately; Speak with the tongue of men and angels, you want love, and you are but as ſounding braſſe and tinkling Cimbals; Rejoice O Sion, thy day is dawning; Howle O Babylon! thy day is ending, and thy plagues are comming. The moſt glorious dayes that ever we read of in Scripture doe begin to dawn, although very few doe ſee it; and the moſt doleful times that ever appeared is almoſt come againſt the enemies of the kingdom of the Lord Jeſus; for all that they have hitherto undergone is but the beginnings of ſorrows: the firſt wo is paſt, the ſecond is …omming, ſee Revel. 18. 2. Babylon is fallen, … fallen. v. 8. Her plagues are come in one day, …eath, and mourning, and famine, and ſhe ſhall be …tterly burnt with fire, for ſtrong is the Lord who …dgeth her. Silence thy thoughts and liſten … little, and thou ſhalt heare that voice …poken of Rev. 9. 10. 15, 16, 19.
Oh what weeping and wailing is there mongſt the Great ones, the Kings and …rinces, and Merchants, and mighty ones …f the earth! Why, what is the matter? …hy, Babylon is on fire, I cannot come neer …er, I am fain to ſtand afar off: Alas, alas, …at great City that is cloathed in fine linnen, and …urple and ſcarlet, and decked with gold and pre…ious ſtones and pearls, in an houre is ſo great …eaſures come to nought! Well, what follows …hereupon? v. 20. Rejoice O ye ſervants of the …ord, for I am now avenging you on your enemies. Their day of mirth and carnal pleaſure is …ding, and their plagues beginning: but …our day of perfecution is almoſt over. Ye …hall rejoice, but they ſhall mourn; ye ſhall …ng for ioy of heart, but they ſhall weep for …orrow of heart, and howl for vexation of …pirit. Your enemies have already received …heir good things, with the rich man, and …re now to receive the bad, Luk. 16. 25. But …ou have been, with Lazarus, in miſery, and received your bad things, and now you ar… to receive your good; you ſhall be com… forted, but they ſhall be tormented, Luk. 16▪ 24, 25.
Give eare a little, ſilence your ow… thoughts, liſten! Methinks I heare Chri… ſaying to his people, as in Luk. 24. 17. wha… manner of communication is this that yo… have one to another, as you walk, and a… ſad? (what, ſad! you had never ſo grea… cauſe to rejoice.) v. 25. O fooles and ſlow o… heart to believe all that the Prophets have ſpoken▪ If ever theſe words were ſeaſonable to them it is alſo ſeaſonable to us, and it is written for our learning: O fools and ſlow of hear… to believe all that the Prophets have ſaid to believe all that Chriſt hath ſaid, and tha… all his Apoſtles have ſaid! No marvel yo… have communication together, as you wal… and are ſad: You do not believe the Prophets, you do not believe Chriſt, you d… not believe the Apoſtles; for if you did you could not be ſad; forall theſe do teſtifie abundantly, that there is none unde… the heavens have ſo great cauſe to triump… and rejoice as you; for as all things wor… for the glory of God, ſo they turn to you… good. All things work together for good to them that fear God.
Let not us then be fools & ſlow of heart believe all that the Prophets have ſaid: Why, what have the Prophets ſaid?) …he Prophets ſpeak of the ſtate of the …hurch in their dayes, and alſo they pro…eſied of the ſtate of the Church in the yes of Chriſts incarnation, and laſtly they …opheſied of the ſtate of the Church of …hriſt in the latter dayes before his coming … judgment. Now all is written for our …arning: but that which doth moſt neerly …ncern us, is to know what ſtate we are …der, and what God is now doing, and …hat we are now to expect.
Firſt then, the Lord is even now begin…g (for the time is at hand) to bring in the …ws; and that will be of great advantage … all the elect Gentiles, as you may ſee …om. 11. 12, 13. and Iſa. 60. 3. 5. & 66. …1, 12. So that will be brought to paſſe, …a. 2. 1, 2, 3. The mountain of the Lords houſe all be eſtabliſhed on the top of the mountains, …nd exalted above the hills, and all Nations ſhall …ow unto it. So the Law ſhall go forth of …ion, and the Almighty will have a glori…us kingdom in the ſpirits of his people: …nd this is the Name of Chriſt upon earth, …nd the New heaven we read of. In a word, …e will in and by his Saints rule the world. See Dan. 7. 27. The kingdom, and the dominio… and the greatneſſe of the kingdome under t… whole heaven, ſhall be given to the Saints the moſt High, whoſe kingdome is an everlaſtin… kingdome, and all dominions ſhall ſerve and ob… them. Oh what a bleſſed day will this b… when the Power both ſupreme and ſu… ordinate ſhall be in the hands of the Sain… of the moſt High. The government ha… for a long time been in the hands of t… baſeſt of men, as in Dan. 4. 17. and ſette… up over it the baſeſt of men. Look back little, and conſider what kind of Magiſteri… power we had: begin at the Head; was no… vice advanced, & purity derided? on who… Juſtice (that hath no reſpect of perſons hath been executed. Next unto him, w… any man fit for a Lord, unleſſe he was railing perſecuting Biſhop? And then fo… our Judges and Prieſts, did not the o… judge for reward, and the other teach fo… hire? Mic. 3. 11. And then for the leſſe… Lawyers, and Journy-men Prieſts, ho… faſt would the one ride, and the other run… the one to cheat you in temporals, the other in ſpirituals? Then the Conſtables Church-wardens and Overſeers, if yo… come not to Church to hear their refin… Maſſe, then they give in your names to th… Chancellor and Proctor, and by vertue of a Spiritual warrant from their reverend Lord and Maſter, the Apparitor muſt be imployed to ſummon you to appeare before them; and if they have no witneſſes againſt you, then you muſt take an oath to accuſe your ſelf; and then the very meaneſt Officer, as the Clark, Sexton, and Tithingman, if there be ever a Puritan or Roundhead in the whole Pariſh, they will miſchief him as much as in them lies. But the meaſure of their iniquity being full, and their day of calamity dawning, theſe men are in part …lready laid aſide, and ſhortly will be fully rejected both of God and man: And the Kingdom, and the Dominion, and the greatneſſe of the Kingdom under the whole heavens ſhall be given to the Saints of the moſt High, whoſe Kingdome is an everlaſt…ng Kingdome; and then the Nations ſhall …ecome the Nations of Chriſt, and the go…ernment ſhall be in the hands of the Saints; and the Nations and Kingdomes that will not ſerve thee, to wit Chriſt in the Saints, ſhall periſh. Iſa. 60. 12. 17, 18. For braſſe I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring ſilver, and for wood braſſe, and for ſtones iron. I will alſo make thine officers peace, and thine exactors righteouſneſſe; violence ſhall no more be heard in thy land, waſting nor deſtruction within thy borders, but thou ſhalt call thy walls ſalvation, and thy gates praiſe. Jer. 30. 21. And their Nobles ſhall be of themſelves, and their Governors ſhall proceed cut of the midſt of them, and ſo the Lord will puniſh all thoſe that oppreſſe you. Even now is the Lord begining to reſtore Magiſtracie and Miniſtery to it… primitive inſtitution: This work is begun in England; Ireland and Scotland will follow… and if I miſtake not, France, Holland, and Spain will come after, and ſo all other parts untill that be fulfilled Dan. 2. 35. Dan. 7. 27. & Rev. 11. 15. In Dan. 2. we read of a little ſtone cut out of the mountaines without hands, and it became ſo big as to fill the whole earth. And that in Dan. 7. 27. The greatneſſe of the Kingdome under the whole heaven ſhall be given to the people of the Saints. Rev. 11. 15. And the kingdomes of this world ſhall become the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Chriſt, and ſo all his enemies ſhall be made his foot ſtool. The houre of temptation is begun, and will not end till it hath gone over all the earth. O England, England, thou was firſt in miſery, thou ſhalt alſo be firſt in thy delivery: Oh that thou didſt now know what thou ſhalt ſhortly enjoy! Thou haſt been rough-hewed already, thou wanteſt nothing but plaining, and ſo thou wilt be made fit for the ſpiritual building: thou haſt been rough-hewed by the open prophane, but now thou ſhalt be plained by the moſt zealous Phariſees, thoſe that will faſt twice a week, and give tythe of all they poſſeſſe, and pray in the corners of the ſtreets, and ſay, Lo here is Chriſt.
In a word, the greateſt formall profeſſors will be thy greateſt perſecuters; herein is the devils laſt, and moſt ſubtle deſign, he will now come with fair words and ſpecious pretences; and if you look upon his habit, he is in ſheeps cloathing, and if he hath feet like a beaſt, he will have hornes like a lamb; and although under another garb, he will execute the power of the firſt beaſt in perſecuting thee, as Rev. 13. 12.
But God will bring theſe proud oppoſers down unto the duſt. See Iſa. 24. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. Then the Lord God ſhall reign in mount Sion and in Jeruſalem gloriouſly. Therefore with Peter, let us expect a new heaven, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteouſneſſe, 2 Pet. 3. 13. Behold I create …ew heavens, and a new earth, Iſa. 65. 17. And you ſhall ſing for joy of heart, and that whiles your enemies doe weep for ſorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of ſpirit, Iſa. 65. 1… …, 14. For the Lord is now turning to his people a pure language, and they ſhall ſho…tly ſerve him with one conſent. Zeph. 3. 9. The eyes of the blinde begin to be opened, and the ears of the deaf to be unſtopped, the lame man begins to leap as an Hart, and the tongue of the dumb to ſing; for in the wilderneſſe do waters break out, an… ſtreams in the deſart.
The brightneſſe of Chriſt doth begin to appear, which doth not onelyonly diſcover, but alſo deſtroy Antichriſt, 2 Theſſ. 2. 8. Yea unto all you that fear his name, is the Son of righteouſneſſe ariſing with healing in his wings. Mal. 4. 2. The light of the Moon ſhall be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun ſhall be ſevenfold. Iſa. 30. 26. And ſo he will deſtroy i… this mountain the face of the covering caſt over people, and the vail that is ſpread over all nations, and the rebuke of his people he will take away. Iſa. 25. 7. And ſo we ſhall all know him from the leaſt to the greateſt. Jer. 31. 34. And the Lord ſhall be one, and his name one, and as for … we ſhall all have one heart, and one way, Jer. 32. 39. & Iſa. 11. 6, 7, 8, 9. And this he will do for light is ſown for the righteous, and gladneſſe …or the upright in heart. Therefore rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous, and give thanks at the remem…ance of hi… holineſſe. Gird up the loyns of you… …inde, be ſober, and hope to the end, for the grace …at is to be brought unto you at the revelation of …eſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1. 13.
Now above half of the ſons and daugh…ers of men are of a contrary judgement, …aying of theſe and the like Scriptures, …hat they be either fulfilled already, or elſe …ay they, there is ſome other meaning in …heſe Scriptures, which might be eaſily an…wered. Then for thoſe men that do ſee …learly that theſe things are yet to be ful…lled, they do vary and differ in their judgements.
1. The firſt ſaith, It is true, glorious …imes are at hand, Sathan ſhall be chained …p, and Chriſt ſhall reign perſonally on the earth for a thouſand years, Rev. 20. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
2. A ſecond party of men ſtands up oppoſing the firſt, ſaying, It is true, Chriſt ſhall reign upon the earth in the midſt of his people; but when? not till after the judgement is paſt, and this old earth burnt up, and then he will create a new heaven and a new earth, when the firſt heaven, and the firſt earth are paſt away, Rev. 21. 1. 2 Pet. 3. 13.
3. Then there be a third ſort of ſober Chriſtians that do look for and expect theſe glorious times, and yet they do deny that Chriſt ſhall reign perſonally: he ſhall reign, it is true, ſay they, but how? Chriſt will come in the ſpirit, and have a glorious Kingdome in the ſpirits of his people, and they ſhall by the power of Chriſt in them reign over the world, and this is the new heaven, and the new earth: And for my part, I do affirm that this is the glorious ſtate that is now comming, Iſa. 66. 22. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Rev. 21. 1.
And theſe are the times of reſtitution ſo frequently ſpoken unto in the Scripture, Rom. 8. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. Act. 3. 20, 21, 22, 23.
Oh what a glorious time will this be, when Magiſtracie ſhall be reſtored to its primitive inſtitution, to countenance thoſe that do well, and puniſh evill doers! Rom. 13. 3. Dan. 7. 27. Iſa. 2. 3. Iſa. 1. 26.
O what a joyful time ſhall this be, when Miniſtery ſhall be reſtored to its primitive Inſtitution, Jer. 3. 18. & Jer. 24. 4.
O what a bleſſed time will this be, when our God ſhall undeceive the people that have been deceived by the Prieſts, the Dragon ſhall be caſt out of heaven, and his Chaplains out of the Church. God will take away the nature of wicked men, that …lthough they remain wolves, lions, and …ruits ſtill, yet they ſhall not hurt nor de…roy in all this holy mountain; For the …arth ſhall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the ſea, Hab. 2. 14. Wherefore moſt noble overcoming Saints, …ook for great alterations and mighty …hanges: ſee what diſſolutions God is making in the earth, and look for the Lord …o be rev…aled from heaven, who will be mighty in his diſpenſation, and glorious …n revelation, and ſtrong and powerful in operation; and he will bring to paſſe his determination, which will be to the confounding of all things that are in oppoſition againſt him. Oh then taſte and ſee, that the Lord is gracious; it's life to know him, it is heaven to behold him, it is melody to hear him, it is endleſſe happineſſe to enjoy him. And as you like the end that the Almighty aims at, ſo approve of the way which he acts in, and wait with patience for the accompliſhment thereof.