3. The most signal is the coming of the Lord Christ to recover his people from antichristian idolatry and oppres- sion ; which of all others is and shall be attended with the most astonishing alterations and desolations, pulling down of high trees, and exalting them that are low : thence is that war, described Rev. xvii. 14. and that mighty vengeance poured out by the Lord Christ on the nations, their kings, and captains; chap. xix. IL to the end; which the Holy Ghost describes by a collection of all the most dreadful ex- pressions, which are any where used to set out great devas- tations in the Old Testament.
And this is the head Avhereunto the present actings of Providence in this nation are to be referred, they all tend to the accomplishment of his main design therein. He that thinks Babylon is confined to Rome, and its open idolatry, knows nothing of Babylon, nor of the new Jerusalem : the depth of a subtle mystery doth not lie in gross visible folly: it hath been insinuating itself into all the nations for sixteen hundred years, and to most of them is now become as the marrow in their bones : before it be wholly shaken out, these heavens must be dissolved, and the earth shaken ; their tall trees hewed down, and set a howling; Rev. xviii. and the residue of them transplanted from one end of the earth to another. This I say then is the work that the Lord hath now in hand; and this is a day of thankfulness in reference to what he hath done for us in this nation. I know no better way of praising God for any work, than the finding out of
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his design therein, and closing with him in it. God hath gone with you, I hope, now to the end of your work, leave him not until he comes to the end of his. He hath com- pelled you ' to go with him one mile' for your own good, go with him two for his glory. The two tribes and a half sat not down in their own possessions, uutil the whole work of the Lord was done. I speak not with respect to any engage- ments of war with foreign nations; what have I to do with thino-s that are above me? You will find work enough for your zeal to the kingdom of Christ at home; and this is the work of thankfulness which you are called unto. Now the reasons of this are,
(1.) Because amongst all men, where the kingdom of Christ is to be setup, there is something or other possessed, that he alone must and will have; and therefore the Lord giving Jesus Christ but his own inheritance, it must needs be attended with great alterations. I dare say, until of late (whatever now is) there was not any state or nation in the world, where the name of Christ is known, but that there was an intrenchment upon that which is the pure portion and inheritance of the Lord Christ, and that detained with falsehood and force. Yea, such is the folly and blindness of the most of men, that they think their greatest interest lies in holding that fast, which Christ will take from them : Pharoah-like, that thought it the great advantage of his kingdom not to let the people go, when it proved the ruin of him and his land. This I dare say will in the issue be the ruin of all, or most of the tall trees of Europe ; they have grasped much of the power of Christ, and endeavour to im- pose on the consciences of his in the worship of God, or otherwise oppress them in what he hath purchased for them ; and, by a dreadful mistake, they suppose their own interest lies therein, which makes them hold -fast, until Christ hath shaken them all to pieces, and taken away even that also which was their own. The late king had learned a saying from his predecessor, No bishop, no king : Hence he sup- poses his main interest to lie in holding fast prelacy ; what- ever he seems to part withal, that he will not let go, that is his main interest; and what is this prelacy? A mere Anti- christian encroachment upon the inheritance of Christ. Christ coming to take his own, shakes the other to pieces ;
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those who would have been our oppressors in Scotland, but that God hath crushed the cockatrice in the shell, and filled the pit with their dead bodies which they had digged for us; they also had prepared a procruster bed, a heavy yoke, a beast that had it grown to perfection, would have had horns and hoofs, and in maintaining this, they think their great interest to lie. And in holding this fast, are they after all their associations, broken in pieces, and this is one cause.
(2.) The works that God hath to do in such a season, require it: God hath three great works to do, in the day of his carrying on the interest of Christ and the gospel :
[l.J He hath great revenges to take,
[2.] He hath great deliverances to work.
[3.] He hath great discoveries to make.