An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

This may teach us a true ground of any mans preservation from the pollutions of the world,¹ bewitching pollutions; sometimes a Catholic Strumpet carries all the world after her, as in those times: Sometimes the world swallows up the Church, and every man thinks him happy, if he may be clad with thick clay; others are taken up with provisions for their belly, and sensual Epicurean lusts, there be a world of such people: Now what doth preserve the people of God, that they are not carried away either with the Catholic religion, or with worldly ambition, they are not taken with these: but see the vanity of them; what, are any of us better then those that have been bewitched by these? but what puts the difference? The original difference is, God hath written them in the Lambs book of life, and what he hath written, he hath written, as Pilate said: He hath written such to life, and his decree is irrecoverable: My counsel shall ⟨p. 146⟩stand, and I will do all my pleasure, Isa. 46. 9, 10. Therefore there is the Original, from thence it flows, the Lord Jesus Christ concurring with the Fathers counsel, he hath given us redemption from the blood of Ancestors, and redeemed us from the present evil world, and will seek up every straggling Lamb, and presents us spotless to his heavenly Father, and then the spirit of God, by which he works all in the hearts of his people that receives us, for Christ and the spirit; for Christ comes and takes possession of us, and so thereby girds up our loins to a dependence on him, and his grace, that we are preserved and saved from those fearful temptations that overcome others, and all the world are over-whelmed withal.

This may teach us a true ground of any mans preservation from the pollutions of the world,¹ bewitching pollutions; sometimes a Catholick Strumpet carries all the world after her, as in those times: Sometimes the world swallows up the Church, and every man thinkes him happy, if hee may be clad with thick clay; others are taken up with provisions for their belly, and sensuall Epicurean lusts, there be a world of such people: Now what doth preserve the people of God, that they are not carryed away either with the Catholick religion, or with worldly ambition, they are not taken with these: but see the vanity of them; what, are any of us better then those that have been bewitched by these? but what puts the difference? The originall difference is, God hath written them in the Lambs book of life, and what hee hath written, he hath written, as Pilate sayd: Hee hath written such to life, and his decree is irrecoverable: My counsell shall