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mies,' as Luke xxi. 20. then know by that, that the end thereof is come, and your deliverance at hand.'

The works of God are to be sought out of them that have pleasure in them. They are vocal speaking works, the mind of God is in them. They may be heard, read, and understood: the rod may be heard, and who hath appointed it.' Now generally he begins with lesser works, to point out to the sons of men what he is about to accomplish. By these may his will be known, that he may be met in righte

ousness.

Now what, I pray, are the works that the Lord is bringing forth upon the earth? what is he doing in our own and the neighbouring nations? Shew me the potentate upon the earth, that hath a peaceable molehill, to build himself a habitation upon? Are not all the controversies, or the most of them, that at this day are disputed in letters of blood among the nations, somewhat of a distinct constitution from those formerly under debate, those tending merely to the power and splendour of single persons, these to the interest of the many? Is not the hand of the Lord in all this? Are not the shaking of these heavens of the nations from him? Is not the voice of Christ in the midst of all this tumult? And is not the genuine tendence of these things open and visible unto all? What speedy issue all this will be driven to, I know not so much is to be done, as requires a long space, Though a tower may be pulled down faster than it was set up, yet that which hath been building a thousand years is not like to go down in a thousand days.

(3dly.) The expectation of the saints is another thing, from whence a discovery of the will of God and the work of our generation may be concluded. The secret ways of God's communicating his mind unto his saints, by a fresh favour of accomplishing prophecies, and strong workings of the spirit of supplications, I cannot now insist upon. This I know, they shall not be 'led into temptation,' but kept, from the hour thereof, when it comes upon the whole earth. When God raiseth up the expectation of his people to any thing, he is not unto them as waters that fail. Nay he will assuredly fulfil the desires of the poor.

Just about the time that our Saviour Christ was to be

born of a woman, how were all that waited for salvation in Israel raised up to a high expectation of the kingdom of God; such as that people never had before, and assuredly shall never have again? Yea, famous was the waiting of that season through the whole Roman empire. And the Lord, whom they sought, came to his temple. Eminent was their hope, and excellent was the accomplishment.

Whether this will be made a rule to others or no, I know not: this I am assured, that, being bottomed on promises, and built up with supplications, it is a ground for them to rest upon. And here I dare appeal to all, who with any diligence have inquired into the things of the kingdom of Christ, that have any savour upon their spirits of the accomplishment of prophecies and promises in the latter days, who count themselves concerned in the glory of the gospel; whether this thing of consuming the mystery of iniquity, and vindicating the churches of Christ, into the liberties purchased for them by the Lord Jesus, by the shaking and translating all opposing heights and heavens, be not fully in their expectations. Only the time is in the hand of God, and the rule of our actings with him is his revealed will.

(4thly.) Whether the fears of his adversaries have not their lines meeting in the same point, themselves can best determine. The whole world was more or less dreaded at the coming of Christ in the flesh. When also the signs of his vengeance did first appear to the pagan world, in calling to an account for the blood of his saints, the kings and captains present cry out, The great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?' Rev. vi. 17.

I am not of counsel to any of the adherents to the man of sin, or any of those who have given their power unto the beast; I have not a key to the bosoms of the enemies of Christ; I am neither their interpreter, nor do they allow me to speak in their behalf; yet truly upon very many probable grounds I am fully persuaded, that were the thoughts of their hearts disclosed, notwithstanding all their glittering shows, dreadful words, threatening expressions, you shall see them tremble, and dread this very thing, that the whole world as now established will be wrapped up in darkness, at least until that cursed interest, which is set up against the Lord Jesus,

1 Luke iii. 15.

be fully and wholly shaken out from the heavens and earth of the nations.

And thus without leading you about by chronologies and computations, which yet have their use (well to count a number being wisdom indeed), I have a little discovered unto you some rules, whereby you may come to be acquainted with the work of God in the days wherein we live, and also what that work is, which is our first use. The next shall be for direction, to guide you what you ought to do, when you know what is the work of your generation.

Use 2. Be exhorted to prepare to meet the Lord, to make his way straight: and this I would press distinctly. (1.) As to your persons.

(2.) As to your employments.

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(1.) As to your persons. Give the Lord Jesus a throne in your hearts, or it will not be at all to your advantage, that he hath a throne and kingdom in the world. Perhaps you will see the plenty of it, but not taste one morsel. Take first that which comes not by observation, that which is within you which is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' Take it in its power, and you will be the better enabled to observe it coming in its glory. 'Seek first this kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and all these things shall be added unto you.' Oh that it were the will of God to put an end to all that pretended holiness, hypocritical humiliation, self-interested religion, that have been among us, whereby we have flattered God with our lips, whilst our hearts have been far from him! Oh that it might be the glory of this assembly, above all the assemblies of the world, that every ruler in it might be a sincere subject in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus! Oh that it might suffice that we have had in our parliament, and among our ministers, so much of the form, and so little of the power of godliness: that we have called the world Christ, and lusts Christ, and self Christ, working indeed for them, when we pretended all for Christ! Oh that I could nourish this one contention in your honourable assembly, that you might strive who should excel in setting up the Lord Jesus in your hearts!

You may be apt to think, that if you can carry on, and compass your purposes, then all your enemies will be as

suredly disappointed. Do but embrace the Lord Jesus in his kingly power in your bosoms, and 'ipso facto' all your enemies are everlastingly disappointed; you are the grains, which in the sifting of the nation have been kept from falling to the ground. Are you not the residue of all the chariots of England? Oh that in you might appear the reality of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, which hath been so long pretended by others! that sound righteousness, not a pharisaical, rigid, supercilious affectation, not a careless belief and comportment, the issue of novel fancies, might be found upon your spirits; that you may be thought meet to rejoice with the Lord in his kingdom! otherwise this day of the Lord which we have described, however desired and longed after, will be darkness to you, and not light.'

(2.) In reference to your great employments, whereunto the Lord hath called you. And here I shall briefly hold out unto you one or two things.

[1.] That you would seriously consider, why it is that the Lord shakes the heavens and the earth of the nations, to what end this tendeth, and what is the cause thereof. Is it not from hence, that he may revenge their opposition to the kingdom of his dear Son? that he may shake out of the midst of them all that antichristian mortar, wherewith from their first chaos they have been cemented; that so the kingdoms of the earth may become the kingdoms of the Lord Jesus? Is not the controversy of Zion pleaded with them? Are not they called to an account for the transgression of that charge given to all potentates, Touch not mine anointed?' And what is the aim of the Lord Jesus herein, whose mighty voice shakes them? Is it not to frame and form them for the interest of his own kingdom? that he may fulfil the word he hath spoken to Zion, I will make thine officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness?'"

Wait

Consider then, I pray, what you have in hand. upon your King, the Lord Christ, to know his mind. If you lay any stone in the whole building, that advanceth itself against his sceptre, he will shake all again. Dig you never so deep, build you never so high, it shall be shaken. Nay, that there be no opposition will not suffice: he hath given light enough to have all things framed for his own advan

tage. The time is come, yea, the full time is come, that it should be so, and he expects it from you. Say not, in the first place, this, or that, suits the interest of England, but look what suits the interest of Christ; and assure yourselves, that the true interest of any nation is wrapped up therein. More of this in the treatise annexed to my sermon of Jan. 31.

[2.] Be encouraged under all those perplexities and troubles, which you are, or may be wrapped in. Lift up the hands that hang down, and let the feeble knees be strengthened: It is but yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.' The more you are for Christ, the more enemies you shall be sure to have; but the Lamb shall overcome. He is come to revenge the blood of his slain upon this generation, and to free the residue from the jaws of the terrible. He is our rock, and his work is perfect: what he hath begun, faster or slower, he will surely accomplish. It is a thing of the most imaginable indifferency, whether any of our particular persons behold these things here below or not. If otherwise, we shall for the present have rest with him, and stand in our lot at the end of the days' but for the work itself, the decree is gone forth,' and it shall not be recalled: receive strength and refreshment in the Lord.

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Use 3. Wonder not when the heaven is shaken, if you see the stars fall to the ground. We had some, who pretended to be church stars, that were merely fixed to all men's view, and by their own confession in the political heavens. The first shaking of this nation shook them utterly to the ground. If others also tremble like an aspen leaf, and know not which wind to yield unto, or sail backwards and forwards by the same gale, wonder not at that neither; when men lay any other foundation than the immoveable corner stone, at one time or other, sooner or later, assuredly they will be shaken.

Use 4. Let the professing people that is amongst us look well to themselves: The day is coming that will burn like an oven.' Dross will not endure this day; we have many a hypocrite as yet to be uncased. Take heed you that act high, if a false heart, a defiled heart be amongst you, there shall be no place for it in the mountain of the Lord's house.

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