Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

our Bleffed Lord, who after his Refurrection and Afcenfion fent his Spirit upon his Holy Apoftles, giving them thereby a Commiffion to preach his Gospel, and doe Miracles in his Name) He fhall caufe to be made an Image of the first Beast who had the deadly Wound, and by his great Magical Power fhall make it live and fpeak, i. e. perhaps caufe fome Evil Spirit to inhabit it and give Oracles from it; who fhall command all that will not worship it to be put to Death. v. 15. This Image might probably be in this refpect reprefented by the Image which was fet up by the King of Babylon. Dan. 3: as Irenæus afferts it was upon another, viz. the Number,it being 60 Cubits high, and 6 broad. Iren. Lib. 5. Cap. 29.

S. 14 AND as the Mystery of Iniquity The Oppo- fhall thus work, fo it is probable there fition that fhall be fhall be a proportionable Oppofition made made by by fome who fhall be anointed to be as the theChurch. Firft Fruits of the Kingdom of the Lamb,

and who before they are gather'd into one
Body, as they fhall be afterwards, may
bear their Teftimony in both thefe Regi-
ons (perhaps in the two Cities of Babylon
or Rome, and Jerufalem) against the Blaf-
phemous Ufurpations of the Antichriftian
Beafts. Thefe fhall be fuch who having
been long exercifed in
the Difcipline
and Patience of the Crofs, fhall before the
Appearance of Antichrift be fo perfected,
as to be qualifi'd to receive the Everlafting
Gofpel, which fhall be preach'd to all

Nations,

Nations. This we are to understand, Rev. 12. 1. By the Woman cloathed with the Sun, crying out, travailing in birth, and being in pain to be delivered. That is, the Church labouring in pain to perfect Chriftians and convert the Nations, to bring into herself a perfect Number known to God before the great Antichriftian Perfecution. And it is not improbable that there fhall be at that time a very great Efflux of Grace, which may ftir up fome pious Souls to a more frequent and Devout Celebration of the Holy Eucharift, and accompany the Celebration of it, which may be the visible Medium whereby their Perfection may be wrought out; anfwering to that great and notable Paffover inftituted by good Jofiah a little before the Babylonifh Captivity, and that of Hezekiah not long before, of which the Scripture witneffeth

8

Chron. 30. 26. that the like had not been kept in Ferufalem fince the days of Solomon the Son of David King of Ifrael. For the reafon of that fo folemn Inftitution given by Hezekiah himself was, Chap. 29. v. 10. that the fierce Wrath of the Lord might turn away from them, and that God might be merciful to their Brethren that were gone into Captivity, Chap. 30. 9. i, e. the Ten Tribes carried away by the King of Affyria. v. 6. Those then that fhall be thus perfected fhall go forth preaching the Kingdom of God, and' foretelling the fudden coming of Antichrift. So fays Abbot Joachim*. The * Lib.7.de Perfons whom God fhall defign for this Tribulas.

High P. 5.

[ocr errors]

High Office, and qualify to bear it, fhall probably be chofen here and there one out of all Nations and People whom the Spirit of Wisdom fhall inftruct and teach, enter into them, and fully possess them, making them thereby Friends of God, and Prophets, Wifd. 7. 14, 27. at firft fhe will walk with them by crooked ways, and bring Fear and Dread upon them, and torment them with her Discipline, until fhe may truft their Souls, and try them by her Laws; then will fhe return the ftraight way unto them, and fhew them her Secrets. Eccluf. 4. 17, 18. And from this Divine Teaching and Wisdom these Perfons are frequently in the Prophet Daniel, called the Wife, and Men of understanding, and thofe that know their God, Dan. 11. 35. 12. 3, 10. 11. 32. and as they fhall go forth in the Spirit of Wif dom, fo fhall they alfo in the Spirit of Power, being accomplished with the high graduated Gifts of the Holy Ghoft. For to them alfo does the Great Charter of the Apostles extend, Mark 16. 17, 18. that they shall caft out Devils, They fhall Speak with New Tongues, they shall take up Serpents, and if they drink any Deadly Thing it shall not hurt them, &c. For it is not faid that these Signs fhould follow the Apostles, but in general all them that believe, i. e. who have the fame Faith that they had, according to what is faid Mat. 21. 21, 22. Mark 11. 22, 23, 24. that all things are poffible to them that believe. So alfo

St.

St. Peter declares Acts. 2. 39. that the Promife, viz. of the Spirit, was not to themselves and that Generation only, but to their Children alfo, and to all that were afar off, even to as many as the Lord God should call. Thus accomplished and compleated in the New Birth, which is nothing else but Faith working by Love. Gal 5. 6. 6. 15. they cannot be fuppos'd to want thofe Virtues and Powers, which our Lord hath promised fhall always accompany Faith, though no greater than a Grain of Muftard-feed, which as himself fays, is the leaft of all Seeds. Luke 17. 6. Mat. 13. 31, 32.

[ocr errors]

Powers to

theChurch.

S15. THIS is a Doctrine that will never A Digref go down with those who are wedded to fioh conthe commonly received Opinion, that the cerning the miraculous Powers and Gifts of the Holy Reftitution of SpirituGhost were appropriated to the Apoftles al Gifts, or the next fucceeding Age, looking up- and Miraon them indeed to be no better than the culous Infant Supports of a rifing Church, things proper to gain Refpect and Authority to new Doctrines and the Preachers of a new Religion, but not at all neceffary for times of greater Perfection and Improvement, fuch as came afterwards, when the Truths of Chriftianity were sufficiently fettled, and generally believed; much lefs can they be neceffary for these Days of Light and Wisdom, for us who live under fuch a Difpenfation, which, fome would have us believe to be as Perfect, both as to Doctrine and Difcipline, as any thing can be on this fide Heaven.

This

From the Scriptures.

This is a common and prevailing Opinion, which deferves a very particular Examination, too long for this Place; I fhall therefore only make two or three Remarks upon it, and return to my Subject.

I. ST. Paul, Eph. 4.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. af ferts that the various Gifts and Difpenfations of the Spirit given by our Lord after his Afcenfion, which were those before mention'd out of St. Mark 16. 17. with the other, whereby they were diftinguished into Apoftles, Prophets, Evangelifts, Paftors and Teachers, were given, for the Perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Minitry, for the edifying of the Body of Chrift, till we all come in the Unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a Perfect Man, unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Chrift, &c. i. e. as the fucceeding Verfes explain it. The End of these Gifts and Powers was the gathering and compleating a perfect Church upon Earth; which is a Doctrine of Scripture of fingular ufe in things of this Nature.

Now

can any one fhew me when this End was attained? When and where was this Perfection of the Saints? When did all come in the Unity of the Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God unto a Perfect Man? and yet it has pleafed God to fufpend these Means, thefe Powers are ceafed. What fhall we fay then? that God determin'd an End which he could not accomplish, or pitch'd upon Means difproportionable to the End propos'd? God forbid! The

Early

« AnteriorContinua »