going to America, God is caufing the evil fpirits to pafs out of the land; and, when he hath fcattered these kings from it, I hope it will be as white as the fnow in Salmon. It hath been our lot to live in the age of reafon, in which fuch numbers have loft their fenfes, fome their fouls, and many all their religion. But, for the elect's fake, the Lord hath fhortened the days of this unreasonable age.

This hour of temptation was moft remarkable for the conjunction that appeared in it. Every one that drank into the gall of bitterness, whether at home or abroad, were all foon cemented together in one folid bond of iniquity. Little was heard of but the correfponding focieties; and, to make this league with death, and this covenant with hell, the more firm, it was ratified with the facred oath of God. By the means of this firm compact some were emboldened to fhed much innocent blood; while many, who were unfaithful both to God and mammon, crept into corners, and bid them God speed; others shouted at their victories, and fome mourned at their ill fate: and by these means God brought them in heirs, and joint heirs, in the guilt of all the blood shed abroad, and of all the rebellion at home, as fure as the builders of the prophets' fepulchres shared with Cain in the blood of Abel. One woe is past, and behold there come two woes more hereafter.

The next enemy that we fhall have to overcome after these four winds upon the great fea have ended their present ftrife, will be of a different nature from

this. In this war between Michael and the dragon, the dragon hath appeared in his ancient hue, which is red, agreeable to his ancient character, that of a murderer from the beginning. But Satan, as well as a Frenchman, can both fawn and fight. His next appearance will not be that of a warrior, but of a fowler; not with fire and fword, but with trap and net. We read of a certain beaft that hath long made war with the faints, and who hath a great work to accomplish in a little time; which work is, to featter the power of the holy people, which will bring Zion to her last furnace of affliction, and antichrift to his last triumph. Dan. xii. 7. After this the Gentiles' let, and the Jews' ftumbling-block, will be removed, and the hoary head of the man of fin will go down to the grave in blood, while forrow and fighing within the walls of Zion will be heard no more. When this red dragon is destroyed, the woman with child will caft out her forrows, and a nation fhall be born at once. There is an outer court, that lies crooked with the angel's reed, which is not to be measured. Rev. xi. 1, 2. The church, which Chrift hath purchafed with his own blood, is called the temple of the Holy Ghost, as God hath faid, I will dwell in them, and walk in them. This is God's house, let the materials of it be of what fect or party they may. Then what can the outer court be but fuch as compafs their Maker about with lies and deceit; who draw near to him with their lips, while their hearts are far from him? To gain over thefe to the fon of perdition is

the work which is now on the wheels; and look whichever way you will you may fee it. The laft blaft of God upon the continent has scattered the emigrants into all winds; and, while fome of our watchmen fleep, thefe fow tares which fpring up apace; while the baftard race, which are nearest the holy place, (I mean fuch as have efcaped the rod of God, and the forcible application of truth,) thefe are meeting them half way. I have always confidered the leader of the Arminians a true fervant of the pope, and the fon of his handmaid, I mean the whore of Babylon; yea, the model of his daubed wall came from Rome. Female claffes and their leaders were taken from the nuns and their mother abbeffes; men claffes and their leaders from the monks and their fuperiors; and the other bands, perfect or felect, from the different orders of monks, friars, and nuns. And, as for the foundation article, juftification by works, they all meet and centre in this. And the works of fupererogation, and that of finlefs perfection, both amount to one and the fame lie; and we know that no lie is of the truth; and, as they agree in the foundation and fuperftructure, fa are they cemented in one fpirit; for neither the one nor the other can endure to hear of the fovereignty of God, nor of his electing grace among the children of men. Hence we hear of little elfe now but confederacies and coalitions; Arians, Socinians, Sabellians, Arminians, and those who have for fome time held the truth in unrighteoufnefs, are now all collecting

into one heap of materials, which will, ere long, be ufed to build up and complete the tower of Babylon. The election of God, which chooses us out of the world; his holy call, which feparates us from it; the application of Chrift's blood, which redeems us from among men; and the operations of his Spirit, which make us to differ from them; yea, the whole offence of the crofs, and the difcrimination of the grace of God; is now called, even by doctors, "walls of bigotry;" which, with refpect to fuch doctors and the world, may be true, but not with refpect to God's elect and the world; for they are chofen out of it, nor are they of it. Upon this ground the whore of Babylon will flourish; for, as foon as these heavy calamities are over, the whole bulk of the papifts which have fuffered will be called upon by the priests to reflect upon the judgments which have been on the earth; and, inftead of telling the truth, that God fent thefe judgments on the continent to avenge the blood of his faints which hath been fhed there, they will tell them it is for ill-treating Chrift's vicar, for neglecting the mafs, defpifing the images, and lightly esteeming the religion, of the holy fee. And, as the devil fpeaks thefe lies by the priefts, fo he will blind the eyes of the credulous that they fhall not fee them, but believe them; and by thefe means will that goddefs rife to boast that he fits as a queen, and shall fee no more forrow, neither widowhood, nor the lofs of children, when both will overtake her in one day.

We have for fome time heard much about the

want

want of more liberty to the catholic's; and, though it hath been acknowledged that this cry was nothing but a pretext to overthrow the government, yet it is plain that the devil had a wheel within that wheel; for what he wants is, to bring the catholics into power; for antichrift will have fome to proteft against him till he can accomplish to Scatter the power of the holy people. By which I do not understand the power of God, for who can scatter that? but the toleration act; the protection of the civil powers in the different countries where God hath inclined the hearts of rulers to grant it. In this laft onfet of Satan he had three engines at work against this impediment which lies in the way of antichrift: one was, the cry for catholic emancipation; the other was, the rebellion, perjury, and fedition, of fome who were tolerated by this act; and the third was, the confederacy of those who, by uniting their forces together, are paving the way for the man of fin. They have made it manifeft that their's was not the camp of the faints; but, having enlifted themselves into the perfect band, they are on their march toward the triple crown. The overcomer in my text must overcome thefe ; and I have no doubt but many will; for thofe to whom the Lord fpeaks with a strong hand, and whom be inftructs, dare not walk in the way of this people, nor fay, A confederacy, with them. Ifa. viii. 11, 12.

Hence it appears that popery is fpreading both at home and abroad, and will spread, that the hypocrites in our Zion may be gained over to the pa