Hence chap, xviii. 2. Babylon, and that whole anti-
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christian state, which was supported upon their power and greatness, having lost its props comes toppling down to the ground : ' Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.' And the saints take vengeance on the whore for all her former rage and cruelty : * Double unto her double according to her works ;' ver. 6. And ver. 9. * And the kings of the earth' (being some of them shaken out of their dominion for refus- ing to close with the Lamb) * who have committed fornica- tion, and lived deliciously with her' (learning and practising false worship of her institution), * shall bewail her, and lament for her' (as having received succour from her, her monasteries and shavelings, in their distress, whereunto in- deed they were brought for her sake), ' when they shall see the smoke of her burning,' beholding her darkness, stink, and confusion, in her final desolation.
Now all this shall be transacted with so much obscurity and darkness, Christ not openly appearing unto carnal eyes, that though 'many shall be purified and made white, yet the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand;' Dan. xii. 10. There shall be no such demonstration of the presence of Christ, as to open the eyes of hardened men : but at length having suffered the poor deceived wretches to drink of the cup prepared for them, he appears himself gloriously, chap, xix. 13. in a more eminent manner than ever before, to the total destruction of the residue of opposers. And that this will be the utmost close of that dispensation wherein now he walketh, I no way doubt.
The assertion being cleared and proved, the reasons of it come next to be considered. And,
(1.) It shall be done by the way of recompense and vengeance. 'It is the great day of the wrath of the Lamb;' Rev. vi. 17. 'The land shall be soaked with blood, and the dust made fat with fatness. For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompense for the controversy of Zion;' Isa. xxxiv. 7, 8. 'The day of vengeance is in his heart, when the year of his redeemed is come ;' Isa. Ixiii. 4.«
The kings of the earth have given their power to anti-
e Psal. ii. 4, 5. cxxxvii. 8, 9. Isa. xlvii. 1— 3. xlix. 26. Jer. I. 33, 34. li. 24, 25. 31, 35. Zech. xii. 2—4. xlv. 12. Hev. xviii. 6, &c.
360 THE SHAKING AND I 11 A N .SL Ai 1 XG
christ, endeavouring to the utmost to keep the kingdom of Christ out of the world. What, I pray, hath been their main business for seven hundred years and upwards, even almost ever since the man of sin was enthroned? how have they earned the titles, Eldest Son of the Church, the Catholic and most Christian King, Defender of the Faith, and the like? Hath it not been by the blood of saints? Is there not in every one of these kingdoms the slain, and the banished ones of Christ to answer for? In particular.
Hath not the blood of the saints of Jesus'' (eclipsed by antichrist and his adherents), Wickliffes and Lollards, cried from the ground for vengeance upon the English * heaven and earth' for a long season? Did not their bodies lie in the streets of France, under the names of Waldenses, Albigenses, and poor men of Lyons? Hath not Germany, and the an- nexed territories, her Huss and Hussile, Jerome, and Su- butraguians to answer for? Is not Spain's inquisition enough to ruin a world, much more a kingdom ? Have not all these, and all the kingdoms round about, washed their hands and garments in the blood of thousands of Protest- ants? And do not the kings of all these nations as yet stand up in the room of their progenitors with the same implaca- ble enmity to the power of the gospel? Shew me seven kings that ever yet laboured sincerely to enhance the king- dom of the Lord Jesus, and I dare boldly say, ' Octavus quis fuerit nondum constat.' And is there not a cry for all this, ' How long, Lord, holy and true, dost thou avenge our blood on them that live on the earth?' Rev. vi. 10. Doth not Zion cry, * The violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon ; and my blood upon those heavens of the nations ? And will not the Lord avenge his elect, that cry unto him day and night; will he not do it speedily? Will he not call the fowls of heaven to eat the flesh of kings, and captains, and great men of the earth?' Rev. xix. 18. Will he not make these heavens like the wood of the vine, not a pin to be taken off" them to hang a garment on, in his whole ta- bernacle? The time shall come, wherein the earth shall dis- close her slain, and not the simplest heretic (as they were counted) shall have his blood unrevenged: neither shall
•> Acts and Mon, Histor. Pap.
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any atonement be made for this blood, or expiation be al- lowed, whilst a toe of the image, or a bone of the beast is left unbroken.