The Soul's Conflict with Itself

It is we that keep Antichrist and his faction alive, to plague the unthankful world. The strength he hath is not from his own cause, but from our want of zeal; we hinder those Hallelujahs by private brabbles, coldness and indifferency in Religion. The Church begins at this time a little to lift up her head again: Now is the time to follow God with prayers, that he would perfect his own work, and plead his own cause; that he would be revenged not only of ours, but his enemies: that he would wholly free his Church from that miserable bondage. These beginnings give our faith some •old to be encouraged to go to God, for the fulfilling of his gracious promise, that the Church may rejoice in the salvation of the Lord. God doth but look for some to seek unto him: Christ doth but stay until he is awaked by our prayers. But it is to be feared, that ⟨p. 474⟩God hath not yet perfected his work in Zion. The Church is not yet fully prepared for a full and glorious deliverance. If God had once his ends in the humiliation of the Church for sins past, with resolution of reformation for the time to come, then this age perhaps might see the salvation of the Lord, which the generations to come shall be witness of: we should see Zion in her perfect beauty. The generations of those that came out of Egypt, saw and enjoyed the pleasant land which their progenitors were shut out of: who by reason of their murmuring, and looking back to Egypt, and forgetfulness of the wonders which God had done for, and before them, perished in the wilderness.

It is wee that keepe Antichrist and his faction alive, to plague the unthankfull world. The strength he hath is not from his owne cause, but from our want of zeale; we hinder those Hal•luiahs by private brabbles, coldnesse and indifferency in Religion. The Church begins at this time a little to lift up her head again: Now is the time to follow God with prayers, that hee would perfect his owne worke, and plead his owne cause; that he would be revenged not onely of ours, but his enemies: that he would wholly free his Church from that miserable bondage. These beginnings give our faith some •old to be encouraged to goe to God, for the fulfilling of his gracious promise, that the Church may rejoyce in the salvation of the Lord. God doth but look for some to seek unto him: Christ doth but stay untill hee is awaked by our prayers. But it is to be feared, that