Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

of the RE V EL A T 10 N. as their Forms of Worfhip came from Popery,_ and thcmldvesare inwardly,and Ch~~ in Heart GentileJ: So hehath (for many glonous Ends of hts) ordamed them~ unto Popery again, more or lefs to be fubjeil:ed to it. 1\nd therefore be declares this as the R.e,,fon, why he would now, and not before, put 1t mto the Hearts of his Builders, thus flrangely and fuddenly to rejeLl: them; becaufe that die Time is now come, when by his Decree, they mufl: return to the Gentiles again : On\1 ere the Gentiles fhould thus again feize on them, they muf\ fir(\ be Ieti out by the Tcmplcrs, the true Church, which being once done, they for~hwtth become as Heathens (as Chrifl C1ys); and being cafl out, they wither, and become a Prey ra Men, as it is Johu 1 5· 6. Popilh Opinions and PraLl:ices take them again. And how by degrees, do thefe Gentiles win Ground upon the Outward Court m Engl.md 5 And how does their winning Ground drive the true Worlhippers tnto the Inner Temple, and caufe them to abandon their Mixture with the Outward Court 5 So that'as this new Reforn,t.on made way for their ruining the Out· ward Court ; fa the Gentiles winning more upon the Outward Court, cloth further this new Reformation: God carrying on thefe two Works at once. Now the Word [grven J (It ;s given to the Gentiles) imports an eafy kind of Conquefl, which the Popilh Party obtains over them ; they yield, and give up the Fort as it were, and fuffer the Papifls to come in upon them, without much, or long holding out. Now in fuch a Difpenfation of God towards the Carnal Proteflants, thus to give them up again unto the GentHes,. there are many and glorious Ends which God may have in it, that mar make 1t the more probable, that fa indeed he mtends to do, ere he means to bnng m that glonous Church to come. As, r. That he might have a purer Church, according to the Primitive Inf\i– tution; thefe Treaders of his Courts, becoming loathrome to him, with their Oblations. And though the fir(t Reformation, was outwardly in thew, more fpecious and glorious, tor the Multitude ofthofe that Reformed, and this is to be by much a fmaller and narrower Buildmg, (even as in Proportion, the O ut– ward Court did fJr exceed the Inner Temple) ; yet this confifling of purer Worlhippers, and Worfhip, fquared by the Word: this fecond Building fhall in true Glory excell that orher. 2. God may do this, to let many of thtfe Worfhippers tafle of the Fruit of their own Ways. They took upon them to be the true Church-Zealots, and Defenders ofl.\.eligion, again{\ the Papifis, and yet caf\ out God's true Worlhip– pers, and their Miniflers, faying, Let God be glorified, whilfl they beat their Fel– low Servants (as the Parable bath it). But here they are met with, being cafl: out by them again: And upon their being rejected from their Ftllowfhip, the Protection and Defence ofthefe from the Gentiles ceafe, and they are given up to them. 3· For the fame Caufe that God let Popery come in upon the World at firfi, for the 'fame he fuffers it thus again to ol'erflow ; even becaufe Men received not the Tr~~th (fa clearly lhining in the Prophecy of the Witnelfes amongf\ them) in the love ofit. 4· To throw out this Rubbifh, that would hinder that Temple, which after all he intends to build and makemof\ glorious. For thefe, like thofe SanJaritans, Ezra.. + I, 2. offer indeed to build with them; but ·being according to God's Appomtment not to have a Handm !1, they would be a hindrance to it, (as in– deed they have been.) 5· That of that glorious Ref\auration, and Refurrection of the Church, and Witndfes, which is yet to come, and is foretold in the 12. and 13. Verfes of this Chapter, only true Worlhippers (who in this T ime of T rial, flood out as faith• ful Wunefles agamf\ Popery, and the Invafion ofit) might have the Honour and Pratfe. Therefore God brings this T rial upon all the Churches, to to burn up andconfumcthisDrofs, and to difcover thofe Carnal Proteflants (that havc fpo– kenas btg Words, and talk'd as hotly againfi Popery, asany, and made thatthe Evidence of thetr Si_ncerity) to be fuch, and unfound, by a bate yielding unto the Gentiles the Paptfls: That fa, when Chrif\ teems to revive his C hurch again (after thts) ver. q. then (as you have it in Ija. 66.) Chrifl may appear to his Peoples Glory, but to their Shame ; who yet before cafi themour, and faid, Let God be glorified. 6. That

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