of the R EV EL A T I 0 N. !'"-.,...1'-:?"""1 The Anfiver is ; That it follows not that this is not li1ch a kind of War and ~ prevailing os formerly Amichrifl had. For this (though fuch as the former ) is t hus particularly and alone menttoned, meerly for thts refpect, hceaufe 1t ts the ]afl of them all, and fo, as a Signal to fbuv the Time of Amichrifl:'s ending, and to make known the wonderful dealing of God, both with his Church arid witli his Enemies ; that after r;, great ViCtory by it obtained againfl: the Beafl:, he fhould norwithfhnding thus prevail over it again, and have power to do for this fpace of Time, even as in former Ages; when thinking himfclf as fccure as ever; that then he fhou!d for ever be ovenhrown ; the Wonder of this deferved to be made a Sign, and that this War of all other fhould particularly be infl:anced in. Then again, add to this, that it is that ]aft, great, and eminent Suffering of the Church, (namely, of the E11rope.m Churches) ; and therefore it of all orhers, may be ordained to be rhe (orefl:. Thefe Witndlcs do now die to rife, and fo to die no more, (as Chrirt did not after his R.cfurrecrion, 7?!m. 6.) but to enter into their Glory, as Chrirt alfo did. I have obfcrvcd, rh.lt thofe lafl: Atni.'bons, which arc the immediate Fo:·e-runners of the gre3tcft H:tppinefS and Good, are ftill the fh:trpefl:. So it was with Chrift himfclt; (o wirh all Chrilii– am in thtir !art conflict with Death, the King of Fc:trs, Who yet is the Portt..r to let them i tto Heaven; and fo it is with the Church in her Perfl:cmio1s. The Egyptic~n Bonda~c was forcft at the !aft. And (l.1ys P.miJ Go:! bath fit forth 11s Apoftles L/.,fl J as it,vcre <~ppointed llnto Death, 1 Cur. 4- 9· alluding to tbpfe Gladiators <•r fencers in the Roman Games, the lafi of whom (there being three I<H·ts that ufcd to come upon the Stage) were appointed not tO go off, but to fight it out till they were killed, (they being ordinarily either Slaves, or elfe MaltfJftors). The grearc·ft l'erfecution that ever the Church had under Hca– t heniili Rw:e, '""that ]aft one under Diode(im1, and the fifth Seal. And there– fore all the former :Vlartyrdoms of the Saints by that State, during the Times of the former Seals, do, with a general cry of their Blood, come but then. in, when·os that the erudlcfl: of all rhe former was come. And yet that was not the Lift neither, of thofe Petfecutions that rhe Church ever was to have: For it is there told rhofe Saints, that they had other Brethre>z yet to be k,jlled: But here tbe\e WitneiTes are to Rife, and die 110 more; For as they died, as Chrifl: dtd ; lo they ilia\\ ·rift, as Chrifi: did. Yea, and further ; you may obftrve, that this is now mentioned not only alotw, and above all other Congudrs over the Saints ; but alfo as the very Epi– tome of all their f.>i·n,er Sutferings during the whole Time of the Witndfd Proph<cy. And thu"tforc in the very Time of the duration hereof, (namely, thm D.'JI and a half) it is (et forth as bearing the proportion of a Compendium of the whole Time of their Prophtfyiog and Suffering, which was for three Ye<~rs and"" h.lif, or 1260 D ,IJI. As in like manner Chrifl:'s Suffcrings ( untd which the A\\ufion here is) were all fummoncd up in his Death; which is there– fi>re put for a\\ his Suffcriag1. When therefore it came to a [My God, my Ged, n·i~·l.,tj/ tho11 forja/;fn me? J then he was heard a·nd delivered from what he fc red. And (o in this lafl: brunt of the Church, when you fhall hear the like Votcc uttered by it; know then, that Delivery is near. We may alfl> furtht r confider, that now the Bcafl bath been fo chafed by the!e Wnndlcs prophefying, and hath had fo many Vials emptied upon him and his Company; they will thereby be fo enraged, when once they fha\\ get the Vi· ctory and Power into their Hands, that furely in tloeir Rage they willberme!, (as was f.11d of Re11ben). And the Angel in Daniel, Chap. 11. 44- exprefly attri·· butes tlm hi, laft ltwalion of the Churches unto his Rage for their oppofing him by thts Northern Reformation, (which in thefe Kingdoms bath been the occafi-. on of 1t ). Therefore ( l.1ys he) Le Jba/1 go forth with great Fury to dejlroy, and · 111/erl; to ma/;f IIWay man;-. So that, nothing but Blood and Cruelty w\11 be in their Hearts: · And thtrefore if God reftrain not their Spirits, or cut them fhort by an Almtghty Work of his Power this lafl: mnfl: needs come to be far the forcfl: of all former Perfecutions. ' Add
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