And then in the 3d. of Revel. vers. 10. we Read of an hour of Temptation that should be throughout the face of the Earth; there is a time of Temptation that shall go quite through the whole world, and whether yet this is come upon us, doth not certainly appear, and therefore let the consideration of this prepare us for suffering before hand. For God will cause sufferings to try men, who are true and will cleave to him, and who are not, but will desert him: And so I remember Lactantius (the former Author quoted) he speaks as clearly of this, as if so be that he did live and had seen it: saith he, A little before these times, times will grow so evil in comparison of the times that we live in now, in which wickedness one would think were grown to the greatest height that possibly could be, yet in comparison of these, there shall come such evil times just before this glorious time of the Church, as our times may be accounted Golden and Happy times in respect of those sad times; for, saith he, good men they shall be a prey to ⟨p. 98⟩wicked men, and they shall be in contempt and poverty; all right among men shall be confounded, all Law shall perish, and no man shall know what's his own; things shall be in such a combustion and confusion that no Law shall prevail, and no man shall know what's his own; this shall be a little before (saith he) the glorious state of the Church wherein Christ shall appear: Now if he could say so, so long before, certainly none then having Scripture so suitable to it, have cause to fear that yet we may live to meet with very hard things.
And then in the 3d. of Revel. vers. 10. we Read of an hour of Temptation that should be throughout the face of the Earth; there is a time of Temptation that shall go quite through the whole world, and whether yet this is come upon us, doth not certainly appear, and therefore let the consideration of this prepare us for suffering before hand. For God will cause sufferings to try men, who are true and will cleave to him, and who are not, but will desert him: And so I remember Lactantius (the former Author quoted) he speaks as clearly of this, as if so be that he did live and had seen it: saith he, A little before these times, times wil grow so evil in comparison of the times that we live in now, in which wickedness one would think were grown to the greatest height that possibly could be, yet in comparison of these, there shall come such evil times just before this glorious time of the Church, as our times may be accounted Golden and Happy times in respect of those sad times; for, saith he, good men they shall be a prey to ⟨p. 98⟩wicked men, and they shall be in contempt and poverty; all right among men shall be confounded, all Law shall perish, and no man shall know what's his own; things shall be in such a cumbustion and confusion that no Law shall prevail, and no man shall know what's his own; this shall be a little before (saith he) the glorious state of the Church wherein Christ shall appear: Now if he could say so, so long before, certainly none then having Scripture so suitable to it, have cause to fear that yet we may live to meet with very hard things.
