to the EPHESIAN S. olters, as it puts on new Dre!fes, new Fafl1ions; one Generation cometh, and a- ~ nother pa!feth ; there is no new thing under the Sun for fubflance, fhll the fame '""· 1 • Corruption goes on. You mufl know this, my Brethren, that Chrifl, when he ~ went up to Heaven he had a Kingdom to come, he meant to make a new World, and flep by flep to ~Iter that World that \yas then, when thefe ,Ephejans lived; to alter it by degrees, ull he take the . Kmgdom unto htmfelf, and make a new . Heaven and a new Earth, · wherein dwe/leth RighteoujizejJ. Saith Chrifr, in John IS. Now is the }~tdgment of t~is World ; that is, now I begin it. The World nad continued before in one way, for three thouf<tnd years, and there had been no alteration in matter of Religion ; but 1low is the fudgment ofthis 11'orld, that is the Reformation of it. And Chrifl did then begin to mould it, to fafhion ir' to throw down Heathenifm, and fet up Chrifrianity ; and he will be frill doi~g of it, to the end of the World, whi](l it is Satan's World. There is a World to come which is called, New Heavens, and a mw Eartb, wherem dwe!leth Righteonfoefs: 2 Pet. 3· 13. And the Kingdoms_of the World, arc to become the Kingdolll! cf ]eji11 Chrift, as Rev. I I. I 5· But tt IS fpoken at the end of the World, and o( the end of the World, for it is fpoken at the end of the feventh Trumpet, which ends all, and the Hifrory of the Church begins at the next Chapter. Now rho Chrifl.hath taken to Hmlfelf the Kmgdoms of the World fully and compleatly,tho he make mighty Alterations and Judgments in it,and is frill throw– ing out Satan by degrees, yet it is Satan's World !till, that which the Apo(l]e here fpeaksof in oppofition to that which is to come. Now, I fay, this World, let it turn ChJ;iflian World, as it did, yet it will frill b~ the World, it will flill be an evil World, it will flilllie in WickednefS, it will frill fo £1r hold forth unregene– 'rate Principles, that if a Man will walk according tothe common Stream, he will be damned, that is certain ; and let the World be refi~d never fo much, fo it will be, till Chrifl make new Heavens, and a new Earth. When the Empire turned Chriflian, one Chriflian faid to another, (it is n £1mous Speech in Eccle!i– africa.l Hifrory ) 0 now, faith he, we fha/1 have 'Per[ecutio11 ceafe, for the Emperor, and all the World is fllrned Chriftian: 'But, laith the other; the Devilis not turned Chriftian for all this, And thisWorldistheDevil'sWorld, believe it, Brethren, for the generality of Men. And therefore, in Rev. 12. when Heathenifm was thrown down, the Dragon, and all his Angels with him, were cafl out of Hea– ven, one would have thought there would have been much Joy; but, faith tbe Text, verf. I2. Wo to the Inhabitants ofthe Earth I wby? beca~tft the Devil is come down amo11g(l you, with a new rage; and he went on frill to perfecute thofe that lived according to the Commandment of Jefus. And therefore now, notwith· fianding all Refinements, tho there come new Schemes, yet you fball flill have the Generality fo far corrupt, that they will be the World frill, and they will op· pofe the Power of Religion flill. In Rom. I2. I. the Apofll.e did lay a very frriCl: Injunll:ion upon the Church of Rome, (who did little keep it,but the Holy-Ghofl did it by way of Prophecy before-hand,) that they fbould not conform them· felves unto the World, he fpeaks it principally in refpeCl: of their Worfbip, yet they did not obferve that lnjunll:ion. When the Heathenifin was gone, and the World was turned Chriflian, then all the World went wondering after the Beafr, except thofe whofc Names were written in the Book of Life, Rev. I 3· 8. And when there is a Reformation from Popery, as the Holy-Ghofr prophefied of Po– pery it felf, and that Apoflacy, in I Tim. 4· I. Therefore he faith, That itt the latter Tinres fome fhaU depart from the Faith, giving heed to flducing Spirits, which JPeaf{ Lies ill Hypocrifj. Which place a learned Man hath mofl excellently opened to be meant of the Popifh Times. So in 2 Tim. 3· I. he fpeaks of another Fry, when Popery was off the Stage, at leafr, when it was declining; and he di(l:in– guifbeth it from the other, which were to be in the latter days, but thefe are to be in the lafr days: [, the !aft day, G1ith he, perillom Times jhaJ! come; and fo he names a Company of Men, Covetom, Boajlers, &c. that foal! flt up a Fornt of Godlineji, and dory the Power of'it. The Fry flill, even of thole, will be of them that are naught ; and then, faith he, as in l·efpeCl: ofthe Power ?f R.eligion, they Will refijl the Tmth, M Jannes and Jambres withjlood Mofes. So that now lhll, as the World alters,let it alter its principles, by reafon that Chrifl will frill get ground of the World; yet it will (till retain fo much, that if Men will walk * 0 2 according
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