Brightman - BS2823 B85 1644

C A P.11. Aevelationoftbe.Apocarypfe. 363 Verf. ,6. Therehavepolder toJhut heaven. He paffeth over toano- ther power ofthefe, which is mighty and admirable, wherewith they do likewifeequal! the greatefi: of all the Prophets. Elias is famous, at Wholeprayers God di fofhut up heaven that the earth Was not made Wet With any fhowre in three yeers and fix moneths, t Kings 18. i, Luke4.25. But we read, ofno finch things ac4ed by thefe Prophets. It is true indeed,if we take the words properly; bttt ifwe transfer them tò fpirituall matters, according as the refs have been, that we have fpokenof, how great agreement {hall we finde ? That drought came threeyeers and fix moneths, at the prayers of Elias : So the time of the power given to thefe Prophets, fhould. be for fo manyyeers and naoneths.' Forforty tWo moneths, or a thoufandtWo hundred andfixty days, do make this (pace of yeers and of moneths. But they be great ones, as I have faid, and have now füfficiently f roved, not Tisch common ones, 'as thofe of Elias were , each of them being three hundredand threefcore ordinary yeers, and the half yeer being an hundred and fourfcore. How great a drought and penury of fpirituall, dew was there all this time, for want whereofpiety withered away every where in the world ? But they that bring all aridly to the letter, and will have thefe threeyeers and a half underftood of common yeers, do they likewife dreamoffüch a refftaint of rain, as indeed they muft needs do? Certainly they make Anrichrifbskingdomeill-favoured,hunger- lfarved,and every wayes miferable and wretched,zltogether contra- ry to that exceffe and riot, wherewith the Holy Clhofl faith, he (halt rin over. Neither ihould Antichrii be at leafüre to carry weapons about to fubdue the Nations withal!, but he fhould rather lead his droves ofOxen and Cattel,to water themwhere hecan, as we read that Ahab did ofold. But it is no marvel!, that they fall into many filch abfurdities as thefe, who had rather follow their own opinions that they have once conceited, then the truth it felt: Andthey havepolder over the Waters: As Mofes that turnedthe Wa- ters of Egypt into blood. And as thefe Prophets did indeed'effed filch a matter, when the thirdpart of the Sea Was made blood, Chap. 8. b. For all this power.was put forth in thofe plagues, of which we have heard,Chap.8.9. It isjuft With God,that all theyWho Will not be'ieve the' truth,fbould believe atie, 2Thef2, tr.. Which is indeed nothing elfe, butto have their pure and chryftall Waters changad into blood. The next words that follow (andofftriking the earthWith every plague,as oft as they Will) do comprehend the reft of the plagues in a fhort B b b füm,

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