N00255:64
A sermon wherein is showed that the church of God is sometimes a subject…A sermon wherein is shewed that the church of God is sometimes a subject…
A sermon wherein is showed that the church of God is sometimes a subject of great persecution; preached on a public fast at Boston in New-England: occasioned by the tidings of a great persecution raised against the Protestants in France. / By Increase Mather, teacher to a church of Christ. ; [Eight lines of quotations]A sermon wherein is shewed that the church of God is sometimes a subject of great persecution; preached on a publick fast at Boston in New-England: occasioned by the tidings of a great persecution raised against the Protestants in France. / By Increase Mather, teacher to a church of Christ. ; [Eight lines of quotations]
printed for Samuel Sewall, 1682
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Consider. 1. What ground we have from the Scripture, to expect such Times as the Exhortation mentions. It is evident from the Scriptures of Truth, that great persecutions against the Church of God, are at Hand. It is said, 2 Tim. 3. 1. This know also, that in the last Days, (& how much more then, in the last of the last Days?) Perilous Times shall come: Times perilous especially on account of the great persecutions that the Church of God shall then become subject to. Indeed we expect glorious Times for the Church of God on Earth: and we have ground from the Scripture so to do. But we have so much the more reason to expect great commotions in the world; yea, great, & dismal persecutions on the Church: For, relating to the Revolutions immediately preceding the ⟨p. 17⟩great glory promised to the Church upon Earth, it is said, Numb. 24. 23. Alasl who shall Live when God doth these things? It is the Lord's usual way to prepare his people for glorious Times, by great persecutions. What a distressing persecution was there, a little before the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt? The greatest of the Ten persecutions: (that under Diocletian) was it not just before the Lord raised the Great Constantine to advance Christians in all places of the world. In order to the ascension of the Witnesses, there is first a most horrible slaughter of them. And we know what is said, Rev. 12. 12. The Devil hath great wrath, because he knoweth he hath but a short time. It is so at this Day. Ere long, the Angel with the key of the bottomless Pit, & with a great chain in his hand, will come down from Heaven, and lay hold on the Dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, & Satan; and bind him, & cast him into the bottomless pit. Therefore the Devil hath great wrath; & Therefore the Church of God may expect great persecution. A dying Beast will bite cruelly: so is Antichrist, a dying Beast, His Day is coming; his Time is well nigh expired: but, since he is going out of the world, we may expect that he will give a cruel Bite at the Church of God. Some of the Lord's Worthies, have often spoken concerning the last Conflict with Antichrist; which will be indeed, a short, but a sharp Trial. That Learned, & Holy Usher, was, not long before his death exceeding confident, that the greatest persecution on the Protestant Churches, was yet to come.