Here lies the truth of it, — when there are two things concurring in the deliverance of the church, God will deliver them, notwithstanding all their sins and unworthiness, without any previous humiliation in themselves : — first, When God hath fixed and limited a certain season in his word and promise for their deliverance ; and, secondly, When, antecedent unto their deliverance, they want means for humilia- tion. God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt when they were in a very bad condition,- — an ignorant, stubborn, faithless gene- ration; but both these things were concumLg: — God was engaged, in point of his promise, that, at the end of four hundred and thirty years, he would visit and deliver them; and they were deprived of all ordinances of worship in Egypt: not a sacrifice could they offer while they were there; not a Sabbath, I believe, though it is not expressed in Scripture, could they observe ; — the way of worship and knoAvledge of God was taken from them. So, when God delivered the children of Israel out of Babylon, they were in no very good con- dition; but God was engaged in point of promise as to that time,
THE CONTEST BETWEEN CHRIST AND ANTICHRIST. 401
that at the end of seventy years they should be delivered; and in Babylon they had no means for insti-uction or reformation,— no temple, no sacrifice ; — these were denied. But whenever God doth afford unto persons all the means of grace for humiliation, reformation, and turn- ing unto himself, — it may be as good as ever they shall in this world, — that God did ever deliver that people out of their distresses, when they refused to be reformed, humbled, or to turn unto him, neither instances of Scripture nor God's dealing with his church will make this good. Therefore it is vain for us to expect any thing of this nature. If, indeed, for so many years we had been thrown into a wilderness condition, and had no preaching, no assemblies, no admi- nistration of ordinances, no warnings or charges from God, we might have expected the Lord would have given us deliverance; but to us, who have had all these things, and yet will not make use of what we have now at present, we have no ground to expect any such thing. Therefore I confess, neither by rule, instance, or example, do I expect deliverance, until God come in to Work a thorough change and re- formation in our hearts and lives; which makes it very necessary to be preparing to meet God in the way of his judgments.
Thirdly. The third thing that may lie before us is, how we may cheerfully go through the calamities which may overtake us. I will say no more unto that, because it is that which we did expressly insist upon in our former discourse. As to the best of us, who have been long in the ways of God, woful will be our surprisal when the days of calamity come, if we have lived in negligence of complying with the calls and warnings of God that we have had, to bring ourselves unto a more even and better frame. We shall find our strength to fail us, and have our comforts to seek, and be left to inward dark- ness when outward darkness increaseth, and not know whither to cause our sorrows to go.
These things, brethren, I thought fit to mention unto you, that, if it be the will of God, they may be of use to take us off from those false hopes and false expectations which we are wonderfully ready to feed ourselves withal in such a day as this is wherein we live. It is high time for us to be calling upon God for this end.
DISCOURSE XIII.
The prophet Daniel tells us, when he understood by books — namely, the writings of the prophet Jeremiah — that the time wherein vol. ix. 26
402 THE CONTEST BETWEEN CHRIST AND ANTICHRIST.
the great contest between Babylon and the church was to have its issue was come to a point, " Then/' saith he, " I set my face to seek the Lord with prayer and supplications, and fasting." And if you will read his prayer, you will find nothing of confidence, nothing of self-ascription ; but a deep acknowledgment of sin : " We, our kings, our princes, our fathers" (our church), "have all sinned;" so as that " to us belong shame and confusion of face." And never had such shame and confusion of face befallen the church as would have befallen them, if they had been disappointed in that trial. But he adds, " Unto thee belong mercies and forgivenesses." There he issues the whole business, upon " mercy and forgiveness," though he knew by books that the time was come.
Truly, brethren, we do not know by any Scripture revelation, as he did, that the time is come wherein the long contest and conflict between Babylon and the church will have its issue ; but it looks like it in the book of providence, and so like it, that it is a plain duty we should give ourselves unto prayer and supplication, that it do not issue in shame and confusion of face ; which belongeth unto us by reason of our sins. It is that contest which is now under consideration, and which seems to be coming to its issue, and all men are in expectation of it. It is the greatest, save one, that ever was ; for the greatest contest that ever was in this world was between the person and the gospel of Christ on the one hand, and the devil and the pagan world on the other ; and the next to that is the contest between Christ — in his offices and grace, in his gospel and worship — and Antichrist. And it is at this day upon its trial, in as signal an instance as ever it re- ceived. The question is, as to us and our posterity, Whether Christ or Antichrist? whether the worship of God or of idols? whether the effusion, and waiting for the effusion, of the Spirit of God in his worship, or all manner of superstitious impositions? This is the pre- sent contest; and, it may be, under heaven there never was a more signal instance of the issue of this contest than will be in these nations in these days; — I do not say presently or speedily; but this, you all know, is our state.