The fecoud ufe may be, to take off that amazement which hath Úse 2. been found in the hearts of fome, concerning the undertaking's of the Scots in our native Country, fince the world began was it never known (for there are no Hiftories of note but are commonly known) fuch a patterne as this, that ever a whole Nation did rife to take up fuch a quarrell, with fo much juftice, wisdome and piety, a thing to be wondred at, that a whole Nation should carry fuch a matter in fuch a way: many things have been done in Holland, in Geneva, for reformation, but with much more tumult,which when the Papists have objected,our Divines have been wont to answer,that they doe not excufe mens thrufting in their own weakneffes into Gods Worke: but wonder not overmuch if you finde it otherwife in this matter, for the Angels of God are their guides,fo that their foote fhall not fwell, but they fhal keepe their ranks,and places,and remember that they are fubjects though they carry their fwords in their hands. Juft care is taken that there be no robbery nor pilfering,no oppreffions, no violation of any mans bed, nothing taken up but it fhall be duely paid for, and yet the proceeding made with fuch conftancy,that (in a way of humility) the end must be attained, or elfe there wil be no place in the conclufion. Thefe are great things: but if men take them in hand that are girded with golden girdles, when their Bibles goe along with them, when Fafting and Prayers fteere along their courfe, you need not much wonder in fuch a Cafe.

Thirdly, this may ferve to teach us, that furely this worke will Ufe 3. profper, because the Lords Angel is in it:and the Viall of Gods wrath in his Hand, and he will not be beaten off; though fome inftruments may quaile, yet wil he (til raife up more in their stead till those plantations be rooted out, according to the word of Chrift, Mat,15.15. Every plant which mine heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. In vaine therefore is it for men to uphold fuch fandy buildings, which wil in the end be shaken down; what foever dammes men may make to uphold the Epif copaty, it will befall unto them as when men make dammes to ftop water courles,others come and caft in fome fmall quantity of quick-filver, or Aquafortis, which eates fuch holes through the ftones that it will foone iffu.. out the water, fo this Aqua omnipo testis, the vialls of the wrath of God wil at lalt confume and wast all things whatsoever stand up against them.

B 2

Fourth

Ufe 4. Fourthly, let ic teach us to praife the Lord, for our gracious deliverance from the power of this Government, brought in by the beat, unto the government of Christ in his Church, Jer thofe that count it new Wine refufe it, it is old Wine unto us, let us therefore in the name of the Lord rejoyce with trembling, for our great liberties, and pray that God will never leave, untill he have rooted out not only the throne of the Beast, but the Beast himfelfe,that the world may never more be peltered with them. Now from the effects that follow upon the powring out of this Fiall we may obferve this fecond note.

Doct.2.

Reajen

2. Rea.

That upon the powring out of the Viall of Gods wrath upon the throne of the Beaft, their place, the Pope himselfe and the reft of their Fr. lates; and all their favourites and followers have not turned to God by Repentance, but have broken forth against him in indignation and blafphemy. His Kingdome was full of darkeneffe, but what profit have they made of it? they gnawed their tongues through vexation, rage, and malignity of fpirit against: the Lords holy providence, and the fuccesfull proceedings of thefe holy Angels, they blafphemed the God of Heaven, and. looke at reformation, as Rebellion, as it it were the diffolution ofal goodneffe, and at length they wil fay, that they feare Chrift himfelte is become a Puritan, and have they repentedof their tyrannies,and ufurpations over Minifters and over Churches? but they have broken forth ftill more, and more against the Lord, his fervants and Churches, and what more may come forth I know not judge you what they fpeake in fecret, when they write fuch things as thefe openly: we speak of the generality of Prelates, not of fome to whom God hath given a better spirit, then the fpirit of the throne they fit upon.

The first ground hereof is taken from the nature of all chefe judgements, hey are the lift plague, Rev. 15.11. The very dreggs and fediments of the wrath of God; and there is no grace of Repentance laid up in them,for the wrath of God is come upon them to the uttermoft, wonder not there fore if you do not heare of many Bishops or Pariters repentance though God may bring feme of them to Repentance, yet the body and ftate of them is not like to repeat, but to belch out blafphemings against the Lord.

Secondly, the reafon is taken from the caufe that moveth God to give men up to fuch delufions; Because they received not ske

love

that

love of the trueth that they might be saved, therefore doth God give
them up to the efficacy of aclufions, that they should beleive a lye;
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleature
in righteoufneffe; those that preached the truth and Doctrines of
Repentance, and reformation, they branded them with the name of
Puritans,they hated them with a perfect hatred, they loved not
bleffing therefore it is far from them, it is the nature and common
fashion of luperftition to leave men befotted in their owne Res.
ligion.

This may teach us to looke at it, as a ground of Faith, hat the Ufc 1. Lord wil goe on to deftroy the throne of the Beaft; for when Godt keth a fword into his hand, it is not his manner to put it into his fheath againe, according to that which Anos faith Chap. 3.5. Shall one take up a fare from the Earth, and have taken nothing at all? noe,the Lord will either fubdue their spirits to unfeigned Repentance, or elfe he will goe on infaring to infnare them till he have fwept them like doung from the face of the Earth, For when Ifral turneth not to him that smiteth him, then is not his anger turned away. but his hand is stretched out still, lai.9.12.13.Therefore men cannot more dilhonour,nor oppose the Lord then by feeking to underprop this fandy building.

The second ufe of this point may be to teach us all in the feare of God,what to doe when foever we feele but drops of wrath powred upon us you fee to whom it belongeth to be impenitent, to whom it belongeth to blafpheme the name of the Lord, even to those that situpon the throne of the Beast,it is an Episcopall finne, an Hierarchicall wickedneffe,a beaftly frame of fpirit, for men whiles they are under Gods Had to grow more froward and difcontented and' filled with indignation. If therefore the Lord afflict the whole state of the Country, with any drops of his difpleafure, let us not cry out upon the Lord and his dealing, nor upon the Churches, but let our unchanktull hearts for his mercies, bere the burden, and learne we to repent of our deeds,that know not how to keepe our felves clofe to the ordinances of God, when we grow not thankfull nor fruitfull under light and liberties received.

Use 2.

THE SIXTH

VIALL

REVEL. 16.12,13,14,15,16.

And the fixth Angell powred out his viall upon the great River Euphrates,and the water thereof was dryed up, that the way of the Kings of the Eaft might be prepared, &c.

N these verses the powring out of the Viall of the fixth Angel is defcribed.

First by the fubje& upon which it is pow red,the River Euphrates, which is amplifyed by the adjunct of greatneffe, [The great River Euphrates.]

Secondly, by the effects of it which are

two,

1.First the water thereof was dryed up,and that is amplifyed by the end which God aimed at in it[That the way of the Kings of the Eaft might be prepared.]

2. Secondly, the warrelike preparations unto a great battell;and thofe are described,

1.By the principall commanders in that preparation,and war, which are faid to be three [ The Devil, the Beast, and the false Prophet.]

2.By

2.By the inftruments, and Minifters of it,who are certaine fpirits,and they are defcribed many wayes,as,

1.By their nature and quality [Uncleane spirits.]
2.By their number [three.]

3.By,by their refemblance [Like Froggs.]

4.By their originall defcent, which is threefold, [They come out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beaft, and out of the mouth of the falje Prophet. And that defcent is amplifyed by the Caufe of it, for they are the fpirits of Devills.

5. They are defcribed by their effe&s, which are three-fold. 1.They worke miracles.

2. They goe forth to the Kings of the Earth,and of the world;to gather them to the battell of that great Day of God Almighty, Ver. 14.

3. They are efficacious and fucceffefull herein, they doe gather them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Ve.16.

3.Thefe warlike preparations are defcribed by the watchword which the God of Ifrael giveth unto his owne troopes, and that is a word of watchfulneffe,behold I come as a thiefe, bleffed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments,leaft he walke naked,and they fee his fhame. Thus ftandeth the Text.

Now for the meaning of it: It is the more darke,because it is, (though not altogether) yet in a great part to come; and fuch as fhall feriously confider what is the meaning fhal (happily) find it uo fmall difficulty to fatiffy themselves, and much more to fatisfy others,yet(by the helpe ofGod)let us endeavour to open. fome fuch part of the words, as we may be likely to finish at this time. First what is meant by the river Euphrates? Secondly,who are the Angels that powre out this Viall upon this river? Thirdly, what is the drying up of this river? Fourthly, who are thefe Kings of the Eaft? These things containe the principall difficul· ties in the partes of this Viall, other things may more easily be opened,if thefe things be premifed and cleared.

1.What is meant by the great river Euphrates:Some of our best interpreters (to whom God hath given moft light in these spirituall myfteries) doe understand it, properly for the river that did run along by the walles of old Babylon in Chaldea, which made the City impregnable, and yet by the stratagem of Cyrus was. dryed up,by turning the Courfe of the ftreames to runne in other

channels.