I answer, — Though I acknowledge all the churches in the world have greatly apostatized and fallen away, yet, in the first place, all did not fall away in the same length or manner with those in these parts of the world that were under the antichristian apostasy. There were churches in the east which, though very corrupt formerly, and now more so, yet might justly be esteemed a visible church. Besides, the church of God was then in Babylon until the Reformation. There was in the Roman church a number of persons that sincerely feared God, and belonged unto the Zion of Christ, who were preserved. Hence is that call, Rev. xviii. 4, " Come out of her, my people." Christ's people were in her until the time that God gave them a call to come out of her. And another part of them were in visible oppo- sition all along to the growing apostasy of the Papacy. About four or five hundred years after Christ, the great composition was made between Christianity and Paganism, when the outward court was given to the Gentiles to be trodden down ; that is, plainly, when those northern nations that divided and destroyed the Roman empire were brought in to be Christians. And, upon that composition, nations came in to a profession of Christianity with Pagan worship and man- ners; but yielded obedience unto Christian rulers, — bishops, priests, and the like. Now, from that very time, when all things sunk into Antichristianism, there was still a visible testimony given against it by the church of Christ ; that is, by believers from one generation to another, — an eminent, blessed testimony, against all that cursed apostasy.
It is good to keep our faith and expectation within bounds, — that we do not look for more than is like to come to pass; and yet still to have our faith confirmed in those things that may be sure not to fail. " All Israel shall be saved," and Christ will maintain his kingdom in the world against all opposition ; — that is, the cause wherein we are engaged, whatsoever becomes of our persons, will be triumphant. Be- lievers shall be saved, and a professing church shall be preserved ; which is all the general cause wherein we are engaged. And God, it may be, hath placed us in this age to give over our testimony to the future generation.
3. There belongs to the preservation of the church, the protection and deliverance of the true church of God under persecution: this likewise comes within the compass of these fortifications. We are very apt to look after our own concerns, and, it may be, to imagine
312 THE BEAUTY AND STRENGTH OF ZION.
we are more concerned in this third head than in both the former. But those that think so make a very wrong judgment; for the mea- sure of all our concerns in present deliverance, or in the conflicts of the church, is to be taken from these two generals, — the eternal sal- vation of the church at last, and the preservation of the kingdom of Christ in the world. And if once we begin to measure them by our own advantages, peace, liberty, or friends, we shall take wrong mea- sures of God's providence and our own expectation.
There are three seasons, or three ways, whereby churches, in parti- cular times and places, are in danger of coming short of this protec- tion, or seeming so to do: — (1.) When the power of Satan and the world are set upon them in a way of persecution. (2.) When the nations of the world among whom they live are so wicked that God will not forbear a general devastation and destruction. (8.) When themselves apostatize and decay, and provoke God to remove his candlestick from among them. In such seasons it comes to a trial, whether particular churches, or a church in any particular place, shall be preserved and protected in their present trial, or not. And I con- fess unto you that my thoughts are, that all three are upon us at present; which makes our case the more difficult and hard to be de- termined. But this, I bless God, I cannot but think, that what we most fear is least to be feared. It is plain we most fear the first; and I think I am certain that the first is least to be feared. I shall speak briefly to each of them : —
(1.) As to the first, there are two rules whereby to make a judg- ment of the preservation of the church in time of persecution. The one is that given by the prophet Hosea, chap xi. 12, " Ephraim com- passeth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit : but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints/' He prophesies the immediate destruction of Ephraim: — The Church of Israel shall wander to Assyria. But Judah shall yet abide. Why ? " Judah yet ruleth with God;" that is, for God, — the ruling power of Judah is for God. I take that to be the meaning of the words; for if you will observe concerning Judah, all that ever were good among them was in the ruling power. In the very days of Josiah himself, Judah, that is, the body of the people, turned to God feignedly, and not with their whole heart, Jer. iii. 10. But yet the prophet foresaw a time would come that Judah should not be so. He shall rule, there- fore, while he is faithful to God. Here, then, is your rule : — While the ruling power of a church or nation is for God, is faithful to God and his interest, walking with him, they are within these bulwarks. And truly, to speak what I believe in this matter (for in all things that are future, that we may not have clear and full evidence of, there is a reserve for sovereignty), wherever there are churches walk-