A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first…

4 There is a further expedience for the present condition of the Church, for sundry things are expedient in sundry Ages, it had been an hindrance of many providences of God, had they known the sinfulness of Polygamy in the first ages of the world; so, many Christians were ignorant of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, but after the Ascension of Christ they had the clear knowledge thereof, 2 Pet. 1.18. the days of the Old Testament were but as a dim light, now it is more clear: the Fathers of the Church of Old had little of the Revelation of Saint John, and as the Church hath now need to know more than at other times, so God reveals himself accordingly: had those seven thousand in Israel which bowed not their knee to Baal, been endued with the spirit of Elijah, certainly the Church had been dissipated, had they spoken with the same spirit and power that he did, they had been dissipated: but they knew as much as God saw fit for their present condition, and so what God sees meet for you to know, as far as you stand in need to know the spirit of Antichrist in th•se times, so far shall knowledge be revealed to you, so that you may be preserved.

4 There is a further expedience for the present condition of the Church, for sundry things are expedient in sundry Ages, it had been an hindrance of many providences of God, had they known the sinfulnesse of Poligamie in the first ages of the world; so, many Christians were ignorant of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, but after the Ascension of Christ they had the clear knowledge thereof, 2 Pet. 1.18. the dayes of the Old Testament were but as a dim light, now it is more clear: the Fathers of the Church of Old had little of the Revelation of Saint John, and as the Church hath now need to know more than at other times, so God reveals himselfe accordingly: had those seven thousand in Israel which bowed not their knee to Baal, been endued with the spirit of Elias, certainly the Church had been dissipated, had they spoken with the same spirit and power that he did, they had been dissipated: but they knew as much as God saw fit for their present condition, and so what God sees meet for you to know, as farre as you stand in need to know the spirit of Antichrist in th•se times, so farre shall knowledge be revealed to you, so that you may be preserved.