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Fourthly, This Day of Gods revealing, may be a long while, as to our expectation. God may suffer corruptions to cover all the body of the Church: You may see only chaff, and no wheat; and this may be a long while; so that the godly do even languish under their expectations. Thus in Elijah's time, 1 Kings 19 14. to his knowledge, and according to visible appearance, he only was left to vindicate the pure Glory and Worship of God; And in what a temptation was he about it? It's true, God told him, He had reserved seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal, that did not communicate in Idolatry: But what was seven thousand to all the people of Israel? No more than the gleanings of the Harvest. And thus also we might show, how in the Christian Church, when errors had once got possession in it; they were like the Jebusites, and the wild beasts in the Land of Canaan, which could hardly be destroyed. Donatism lasted above two hundred years. Pelagianism, and Arianism, though but sparks, yet kindled such a fire, that it was not extinguished in many generations. So that we may say of this time, as Christ to the Disciples, It is not for us to know the times and seasons, when God will restore his Church to her purity. That is enough, which our Saviour saith, Every plant that is not of my Fathers planting, shall be rooted out, Matth. 15.13. That is an excellent place, compared with this Text: God hath his time, when he will root out all the plants, that he did not plant in his own Vineyard: But how long it will be, ere this day break forth, God hath not discovered to us.

Fourthly, This Day of Gods revealing, may be a long while, as to our expectation. God may suffer corruptions to cover all the body of the Church: You may see onely chaffe, and no wheat; and this may be a long while; so that the godly doe even languish under their expectations. Thus in Elijah's time, 1 Kings 19 14. to his knowledge, and according to visible appearance, he onely was left to vindicate the pure Glory and Worship of God; And in what a temptation was he about it? It's true, God told him, He had reserved seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal, that did not communicate in Idolatry: But what was seven thousand to all the people of Israel? No more than the gleanings of the Harvest. And thus also we might shew, how in the Christian Church, when errours had once got possession in it; they were like the Jebusites, and the wilde beasts in the Land of Canaan, which could hardly be destroyed. Donatisme lasted above two hundred yeares. Pelagianisme, and Arianisme, though but sparkes, yet kindled such a fire, that it was not extinguished in many generations. So that we may say of this time, as Christ to the Disciples, It is not for us to know the times and seasons, when God will restore his Church to her purity. That is enough, which our Saviour saith, Every plant that is not of my Fathers planting, shall be rooted out,