First, God works in the raising of Wars, when and how he pleaseth. He is the great General, and §1all battles are appointed by him. He calls for them before they come; and when he calls, they certainly come upon a people. Jer. 25. 29. Behold I begin to bring evil upon the City which is called by my name, &c. for I will call for a sword. God doth not only call for a sword upon the heathen, but upon the Cities called by his name. Certainly there is as much of God in this City, as in any City this day in the World; yet God may call for a sword upon you, be not you secure; Yea do you not hear God now calling for it upon you? Isaiah 5. 26. God will hiss for the Nations from the ends of the earth, and behold they shall come with speed swiftly. And Isaiah 7. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the Fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the Bee that is in the Land of Assyria, and they shall come. Let God but give a hiss, the least intimation of his mind, and they shall come. It was a proud speech of Pompey, when 1one of his Officers told him they wanted men, Let me (says he) but stamp with my foot upon the ground of Italy, and I shall have men enough, Footmen and Horsemen come from every corner. Although it was a proud speech in him, and when it came to he was disappointed, yet it is always true of this Lord of Hosts, let him but speak the least word, do the least thing to gather Armies, they presently ⟨p. 7⟩come together, to fight his battles: when he pleaseth he can stir up the hearts of the Kings of the earth to hate the whore, to make war with her, Rev. 17. 16. The ten Kings shall hate the whore, and make her desolate and naked; they shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. It is a wonder that they stay all this while, that they rise not with a spirit of indignation against her, considering what base bondage they are in under her. It is such a bondage, wherein both soul, and body, and estate is in such a servile subjection to her, as one would think the spirit of a man could not bear it, much less the spirit of a King. But when Gods time is come, the spirits of the Kings of the earth shall be suddenly raised to war against her.
First, God works in the raising of Warres, when and how he pleaseth. He is the great Generall, and §1all battels are appointed by him. He calls for them before they come; and when he calls, they certainly come upon a people. Jer. 25. 29. Behold I begin to bring evill upon the City which is called by my name, &c. for I will call for a sword. God doth not onely call for a sword upon the heathen, but upon the Cities called by his name. Certainly there is as much of God in this City, as in any City this day in the World; yet God may call for a sword upon you, be not you secure; Yea doe you not heare God now calling for it upon you? Esay 5. 26. God will hisse for the Nations from the ends of the earth, and behold they shall come with speede swiftly. And Esay 7. 18. And it shall come to passe in that day, that the Lord shall hisse for the Fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the Bee that is in the Land of Assyria, and they shall come. Let God but give a hisse, the least intimation of his mind, and they shall come. It was a proud speech of Pompey, when 1one of his Officers told him they wanted men, Let me (sayes he) but stampe with my foote upon the ground of Italy, and I shall have men enough, Footmen and Horsemen come from every corner. Although it was a proud speech in him, and when it came to he was disappointed, yet it is alwayes true of this Lord of Hosts, let him but speak the least word, doe the least thing to gather Armies, they presently ⟨p. 7⟩come together, to fight his battels: when he pleaseth he can stir up the hearts of the Kings of the earth to hate the whore, to make war with her, Rev. 17. 16. The ten Kings shall hate the whore, and make her desolate and naked; they shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire. It is a wonder that they stay all this while, that they rise not with a spirit of indignation against her, considering what base bondage they are in under her. It is such a bondage, wherein both soule, and body, and estate is in such a servile subjection to her, as one would think the spirit of a man could not beare it, much lesse the spirit of a King. But when Gods time is come, the spirits of the Kings of the earth shall be suddenly raised to war against her.
- 1Plutarch. vita ejus.
