tichrift upon the throne; and if they fucceed, what can be expected, but that the smoke of Antichriftian errors, fuperftition, and idolatry, will overfpread these nations again? So that we must refolve either to take on the beaft's mark or Chrift's fire-mark, either burn or turn. It will be weary work to get through the fmoke, which it is to be feared will stifle most of us, and blacken many. But get under Chrift's fhadow now; feek now to believe, and feel the power of truth. An empty profeffion will not do here; lamps without oil will go out in the smoke. But be it ever fo grofs, it will hurt none but the profane and hypocritical profeffor: Rev. ix. 4. " And it was commanded them, that they fhould not hurt the grafs of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only thofe men which have not the feal of God in their foreheads." They that have Christ's mark of true piety, fhall be kept from receiving the mark of the beaft. Under Chrift's fhadow they will be as the Ifraelites in Gofhen; when darkness is over all the land, they fhall have light in their dwellings.-The world is a weary land, 5. For blood and death going through it, make it a weary land. In heaven there are none of these things, it is the pleasant land, Rev. xxi. 4. But in the world they are very frequent; which often makes the weary fons of Zion to cry, "Woe is me now, for my foul is wearied because of murderers," Jer. iv. 31. The people that delight in war is a black character in the fcriptures, Pfal. Ixviii. 30. The confused noise of the warriors is no pleafant found, nor are garments rolled in blood a pleasant fight. The conftant difquiet and terror that attends the sword's raging in a land, is a wearisome cafe, as it is defcribed, Deut. xxviii. 67. « In the morning thou fhait fay, Would to God it were even! and at even thou fhalt fay, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou fhalt fear, and for the fight of thine eyes which thou fhalt fee." The white horse of the gospel has for many years made a pleasant parade through the land. But, alas! neither it, nor the crowned head, the Son of God, that fits upon it, has been much regarded; nay, both he, and his bow, which is the word, have been defpifed; few, very few, have given him a crown, Song, iii. 11. by clofing with him in the gofpel-offers. And now the red, black, and pale horfes, mentioned Rev. vi. 4. 5. 8. feem to be ready to begin their march, to avenge the affronts Hered pppoted to the white horfe; though the Popish and malignant riders mean not fo, but to banish the white horse out of the land. What shall we do in this cafe? get in under Chrift's fhadow, that is the only fafe retreat in such a cafe: Mic. v. 5. "And this man fhall be the peace, when the Affyrian fhall come into our land." This fhould be our work this day; we should fit down under his fhadow, believing in him, and depending upon him, Cant. ii. 3. When public calamity comes upon a land, every perfon will run to that place where they expect the greatest safety; but run where they will for fhelter, if they run not to Christ, their fhelters will fall down about their ears at length: Ifa. xxviii. 17. "And the hail fhall fweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters fhall overflow the hiding-place." But the way of safety is to run to Jefus Chrift: Prov. xviii. 10. « The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is fafe." You must fit down under his fhadow, by closing with him in the offers of the gospel, taking him for all, and inftead of all, for time and eternity; giving yourselves away away to him, renouncing the devil, the world, and the flesh, embarking in his interefts and cause at this day, whoever be against it. This is a loud knock Chrift is giving to gofpel-despisers to open to him, after the flighting of many a ftill fall voice, whereby he lets them know, that if they will not open to him as a Lord and Saviour, he will arife on them as a Judge with a vengeance, whether they will or not. Come, then, ye detpifers of Chrift, and fit down under his fhadow, before the fcorching heat of the weary land burn you up. We must fit ftill under his shadow, by cleaving to him, and depending upon him: Ifa. xxx. 7. "For the Egyptian fhall help in vain, and to no purpose; therefore have I cried concerning this, Their ftrength is to fit ftill." Though the fcourge reach all, the greatest safety will be there. Cleave to him and his caufe, come what will come; for if you go off his way to feek fafety, you caft yourfelves out of his promifed protection. Piety will be the best policy in the worst of times: Prov. x. 9. "He that walketh uprightly, walketh furely; but he that perverteth his way, fhall be known." And depend on him by believing his promises, both for your perfonal cafe, and the church's cafe; for whoever be in the field, victory is in his hand alone, and he gives it to whom he will; he does what he will in the armies of heaven and earth; whom he will he ftrengthens, whom he will he weakens, for he is the Lord of hofts; and he hath engaged, that at length it fhall be ill with his enemies, and well with his friends: Ifa. liv. 17. "No weapon that is formed against thee fhall profper; and every tongue that fhall rife against thee in judgement, thou fhalt condemn; this is the heriVOL. I. Hh tage tage of the fervants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, faith the Lord."-But again, We must lie down under his fhadow, in holy resignation, to suffer whatsoever he may call us to, Ifa. li. 23. The difpenfations of the day call aloud to us to prepare for suffering; if the malignant party prevail, doubt not but their little finger will be heavier than their father's loins. Our Lord has given many love-tokens to the generation, which have been lightly efteemed; howbeit, there are many that profess love to him and his truths; and it would feem, he will try what tokens we have to bestow on him and his cause. It is likely he will have a portion of fome one's goods, relations, iberty, yea, and of their blood too, ere all be done; and it is to be feared, the tokens of his difpleasure draw fo deep, that many will give up with him on this account. But if you be wife, lie down under his fhadow; for a thorny bed under Christ's fhadow will at the laft prove more eafy than the beds of ivory, on which his enemies may stretch themselves for a little: Job, xx. 5. " The triumphing of the wicked is fhort, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment." The hour and power of darkness will not last; and though God should fuffer that party to carry all before them a while, there is no ground to doubt but God will be even with them, for all their enmity, and oppofition to his work; yes, and render home their fathers oppofition to it into their bofom, and give them blood to drink, for the blood their fathers fhed in fields, and on fcaffolds, when they have filled up the measure of their iniquity by what they may now do: Rev. xvi. 5. 6. " And I heard the angel of the waters fay, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and waft, and fhalt be, becaufe thou haft Haft judged thus. For they have fhed the blood of faints and prophets, and thou haft given them blood to drink, for they are worthy." But we must also ftand up under Christ's shadow, and act for him. Certainly, as the quarrel is now ftated betwixt Chrift and his enemies in Britain and Ireland, he calls his people now to act for him and his caufe. If they have a ftandard to be dif played for Popery and flavery, God has given us a ftandard to be difplayed for religion and liberty: Pfal. Ix. 4. "Thou haft given a banner to them that feared thee, that it might be displayed because of the truth." And people are called, by this difpenfation, to put themfelves in a pofture to defend their religion and liberties, their Proteftant King, country, and families, and not to leave themfelves a naked prey for murderers. And in fuch a time, people confulting their own cafe, more than the honour of God, the welfare of his caufe, and their neighbour's fafety, may easily flip themfelves in under Meroz's curfe, which, when incurred, will not be got fo easily off perfons: Judges, v. 23. "Curfe ye Meroz, (faid the angel of the Lord), curfe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; becaufe they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." Never was the caufe more clear in Britain. The word, to spirit the foldiery under the enemy's flandard, fhould be, The great red dragon, Rev. xii. 3. and the motto correfponding with this, as in Pfal. ii. 3. "Let us break their bands, and caft their cords from us." This is the defign of the attempt, and, I am perfuaded, is looked upon fo by him that fitteth in the heavens. What elfe is the defign of Papifts and malignants this day? Our holy religion must go, and idolatry and fu-Hh 2 perftition |