A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

The success of Christ's purchase of redemption in this period, appears mainly at the close of it, when Antichrist comes to fall, when there will be a far more glorious success of the gospel than ever was before: and that long series of events which are before, seem to be only to prepare the way for it. In order to a more clear view of the great works of God in accomplishing the success of Christ's redemption, and our seeing the glory of them, it will be necessary, as we have done in the foregoing periods, to consider not only the success itself, but the opposition made to it, and the great works of Satan in this period against the church and kingdom of Christ: and therefore▪ in taking a view of this period, I would take notice of events which may be referred to either of these heads, viz. either to the head of Satan's opposition to the success of Christ's redemption, or to the head of success of Christ's redemption: and for the more orderly consideration of the events of this period, I would divide it into these four parts: the first reaching from the destruction of the Heathen empire to the rise of Antichrist; the second, from the rise of Antichrist to the reformation in Luther's time; the third, from thence to the present time; the fourth, from the present time, till Antichrist is fallen, and Satan's visible kingdom on earth is destroyed.

1st, I would consider the events of the first part of this period, reaching from the destruction of the Heathen empire to the rise of Antichrist. Here, first, I would take notice of the opposition Satan made in this space of time to the church: and, secondly, the success that the gospel had in it.

1. The opposition. Satan being cast out of this old Heathen empire, the great red dragon, after so •ore a conflict with Michael and his angels for the greater part of three hundred years, being at last entirely routed and vanquished, so that no plce was found any more in heaven for him, but he was cast down, as it were, from heaven to the earth; yet does not give over his opposition to the woman, the church of Christ, concerning which all this conflict had been. But he is still in a rage, and renews his attempts, and has recourse to new devices against the church. The serpent, after he is cast out of heaven to the earth, casts out of his mouth water as a flood, to cause the woman to be carried away of the flood. The opposition that he made to the church of Christ before the rise of Antichrist, was principally of two sorts. It was either by corrupting the church of Christ with heresies, or by new endeavours to restore Paganism.