of the REVELA TION. 41 they called accurfcd, and derided ; and that he was indeed the King of the ~ World, and Conqueror of thetn. For they that are thus confounded, do with-~ in themfelves ca!l·to the Hocks t<J cover them from the Face of the Lamb, with whofe anger their Confciences were fhuck, in thofe Vill:ories got over them,and Miferies brought upon them. And therefore it is here bronght in as their Speech; to bid the Rocks cever them from the Face of the Lamb, for ·the great Day of the Lansb's Wrath is come,and who Jba/1 be able to jia11d or to abide it I as Joel 2.1 i. Now the Story of thole Times (when the H~athenirh Religion Was altered in the Empire) prefents fuch a Face of Things as this Seal doth. For Dioclejian ahd Maximi11ian, (the greatefl: Perfecutors that ever the Church had) iri the height and rufr of their Imperial Glory and Rage, did give over their Authority a·nd Empire, and retired ·themfelves, whereof no Hifl:orian could give the rea– fon, but imputed it to madnefs ; but indeed, they did it fo, ( as·it were) to hide themfclvcs from the Face of the Lamb. . To thefe fucceeded GaleriJH, and M•xi111inJH, and ConftantiJH, the Father of Cm,ftantine. .JI1aximinus perfecuting the Chrifiians, was fmitten with a firange Difeafe, and being ever and anon con– vinced that Chrifi was King, he recalled his Edicts for the Perfecution of them5 and yet, like Pharaoh, he afterwards put themforth again, till at length he died miferably, acknowledging Chrifl's Wrath. Then was Maxentius ftt up by the Romans a Defender of the Heathenifh C•ufe. But being overcome by Licmms, he threw away his Imperial Robes, fled, and lay hid for the fafeguard of his Life, and acknowledged Chri!l: by a Decree; but hisFlefh was eaten ofWorms. Then Ucinirts oppofing Conjlantine, (joined in the Empire with him) was over– come by him, and he and his Complices condemned, at the place of Execution, acknowledging Chriff to be God. What afterward befd ]ulian, who attempted to fet up that Heathen Reli!(ion again, (as how being !bot in his Wars againfl: Perffa, he took his Blood,and flinging it into tlie Air, cried out, Vicifti 0 G•lil<~e) you cannot be ignorant of. Obfcrv. I. Learn, when you fee any notable overthrow given the Enemies of Chrifl:, to raife up your Hearts to thoughts of the Day of Judgment. We find, as here, fo elfewhere, notable Judgments on God's Enemies, fet forth and de~ fcribed under the Language of that Day. It is frequent in Scripture; as Pfd. 18. and clfewhere. They may mutually help to firengtben our Faith in each other; a particular Judgment, in that of the Great Day, that it will alfo come; and that Great Day doth alfo affure us, that Chrifl: will here be ave;,gcn .3 Enemies. Chrifi hath many great Days that forerun that Great Day ; and WIU,<d Men, and 'wicked Caufcs, have Days of Judgment here. Obfcrv. 2. How cafy it is for the Lamb to make an alteration of Religion in a Kingdom, caufing the new One which he brings in to prevail. Thus in a few Years he turned the whole Empire Chrifl:ian, even when Heathenifm was rooted in all Mens He•rts, and when Satan had a Throne fix'd in appearance to conti· nue, then by his Power poffeffing himfelf of the Emperor's Heart, he (as the phrafe is 1 Kings 2. 1 5·) turned the Kingdom about; and this, when Men's · Hearts of. the':'felveswere not turned, but were ~s Figs not fully ripe, yet fhaken off by thts Wmd. And he folded up the Heavens as a Scrawl, not orte Confie!lation o~ Star of all thofe falfe Gods (that then fhone fo bright in all Men's Eyes) havmg fhmed m the World thefe many hundred Year~ AndChrifl hatb · promifcd to clothe like againfl: Popery. Which State, as it is the Image of that Emptre and Religion, fo it !ball bear the likenefs of its Punillitnem. What :i mighty change was wrought in the Hearts of Kings and Princes, upon the firfl: Reforman~n ! And God will work the like upon the fecond Reformation, be--. fore Rome ts defiroyed, and will put it into their Hearts to ruin her utterly. Obferv. 3. Chri!l: thinks it not enoJlgh for him to confound his :Enemies, but he will make them alfo to acknowledg his Truth. Thus he did by NebuchadiY' ttez:wr, by AntidChJH, and by thofe Perfecutors ; and thus he will do by all the Proud of the Eaoth. He will not only confound the Falfe Church and Synagogue
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