Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

176 ~n ExPosiTION ~-------------------------------------- PARTII. 'l.fV"J SEcT. vr. What Temb Part of Europe., or wJ,jc/, of the Tm /(j11gdoms it is moft proMie that tbis Earthquake and rR,sfurreaion of the W1t11ejJes [hall faO out m. NOw which of thefe Ten Kingdoms, or of the Ten States in Europe, and what tenth Part thereof, !hall firll have this great Priviledg, as a bleffed handfel to the reil that follow, is not hard to conjelture, though it be ra!hnefs peremptorily to determine: for God maktth new choice of Nations and Churches therein, beyond the lme and reach of our Conjectures ; and his ways are pajl ftnding out ; neither can the Face of his f01 mer Proceedings wirh any of the Churches, give us any certain and mfallible defigr.m<nt, which of them he will do moll good unto. I will therefore only c•ll in fuch Conj<crurr,, as according to the Face of the Sky in rhe Churches of this prefenr t\ge. do feem to progno(ticare where, and in what Parrs this Heaven ( whicl. rile W;tndk; tl1all afcwd up into) is like firll to clear up in, from undtr tn. fe Clvud,, and from out of this Hour of l{arkn, (,to come upon the World. 1. The Saints and Churches bclon[!ing unto the Kingdom of France, God bath made a wonder unto me in all hi> Proceedings towards them, firll and !all; and there would teem tome great and lf'tcial Honour referved fer them yet at !all. For ir is certain, that the firll Light of the Gofpel, by that firll and fe– cond Angel's Preaching, chap. 14. ( whicb laid the Foundation of Antichrill'• Ruin) \\as out from among them ; namely, thole of Lrons and other Places in France. And they bore and underwent the great Heat uf that Morning of Per– fecution which was as great (if not greater) than any fince. And befides, the Churches of France have ever fince had as great a fhare in Perfecutions; yea, greater than any other Churchos. And though it be well nigh sco Years fince they began firll to fep•rate from Antichnll, 21.d they fiill continue a Glorious Church unto this day : Yet they never h•d that great Honour and Priviledg, (which other Churches have been fo bltfr >~·ith) as to have a Supream Magi– firate profelling their Religion; but either they have been bloody Perfecutors and Opprellors of them, or elfe they have apofiatifed from them. May it not therefore bt hoped and lock'd for, that their Kings in the end, !hould be of the .l\lumber of thole Kings who (as you have it, Ch"P-'7-) are to be wrought on, to hate the Whore, and to burn her with Frre? And fo that this Voice here, which calls thefe Witndles (who' there have evtr prophefied in Sack-cloth) up to Heaven, may proceed from one of theu- Kings. And fo, as that Kingdom had the firll great lhoke, fo now it !hould have the honour to have the lall great Stroke in the ruining of Rome? . But yet, 2. If }'OU take a view of ihe Face of the prefent Condition of the Saints and Churches in Eur·ope, as in this lall Age (wherein thefe Things are in all likelihood to be fulfilled) it prefcnts it fdf, together with a profpect into the Times pall alfo; and then, if }'OU put all together, the Churches and Saints in Great Britain, and the lfland' belonging to it, hal'e, in my Thoughts and Con– jectures, (not fwaied unto it throug~ Affe.ction onlv, which may betray the Judgment, but through a ferwus and unparual Confideranon, and weighing of Things) more hopeful Characters upon them for this Glory, than any of the other Reformed Churches: and fo appears the likeliell unto me to proYe the more eminent Stage, both of this great Slaughter, and alfo of the Riling and Afcenfion of the Witneffes. 1. For the Ages pall, there bath been thefe three hundred Years, as glorious a Succellion ofGodly Witneffes and Martyrs, as any other Nation can produce, as you may called out of Mr. Fox'sMm-l)rologie, z. For

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