lies of Piedmont, an uncouth region at the foot of the Alps, where they began to preach the pure gofpel among the Waldenfes and the Albigenfes; but thefe firft fruits of a genuine reformation met with very fevere treatment, for theywere hunted down like wild beasts, and all Princes and Potentates were called to exterminate them from the face of the earth; and miferable havock they made among them fure enough! yet, notwithanding the rider of the white horse had begun to conquer,* the bleffed leaven had begun to ferment, and could not be destroyed. It fecretly operated, and fpread from thefe dreary mountains, into Bohemia, Hungary, and various other parts; infomuch, that the Inquifition was fet on foot by the Dominicans to ftop its progrefs, so that none might buy nor fell, nor, in fact, live, if they had not the image of the beaft +. 3. THE œconomy of Providence is admirable; and, indeed, there are, in it, wheels within wheels . When Popery was nearly in its zenith, Mahomet came upon the ftage, and vented forth his impofture; feigned to receive it from Heaven, and foon became. mighty powerful, and propagated his forgeries by the fword; fo that wherefoever his arms prevailed, he established his tenets. This was a mighty check to the pride and progrefs of Popery; for though both the beast and the falfe prophet were enemies to the Lamb, (that is, both Popery and Mahometifm were enemies *Rev. vi. 2. + Rev. xiii. 17. Ezek. i. enemies to the Truth as it is in Jefus) yet the wifdom of God fo ordered the matter, that one fet of errors combated the other, and were a check upon the other, and kept each other in exercife; by which, the truth had a better opportunity of spreading its benign influences. In the mean-time, dire calamities fpread abroad-of war, peftilence, and famine.Swarms of the barbarous nations breaking out from the north, and the Mahometans from east and fouth, all which found them plenty of work; and the myftery of iniquity began to be discovered which gave the beast as much concern as any thing else. Thus was the vial poured upon the feat of the beast, and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and they blafphemed the God of Heaven, because of their pains and their fores, but they repented not to give him glory *. 4. As Mahomet fet out with lying wonders and pretended miracles, it is very likely the beaft thought to counteract him, and beat him in his own kind of armour, and hence lying wonders, with all the deceivableness of unrighteousness, † began to be practifed with great dexterity and amazing fuccefs. One might fill a volume with wonders wrought at the tombs of pretended faints, images giving responses, and weeping statues, wonders done by relicks-all calculated to work upon the dark imaginations of a poor, blind people, kept ignorant of the Oracles of God; *Rev. xvi. 10, II. 2 Theff. xxvii. 9, 10. God; for both Papists and Mahometans were agreed in keeping the people ignorant of the Scriptures, as has been usually the cafe with deceivers in all ages. These fictitious miracles St. John had clear view of; hence he says, I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come from the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet; for they are spirits of devils, working miracles *. 5. THUS, both Pagans, Papifts, and Mahometans, had their miracles, their lying wonders, to keep up their confequence. Meanwhile, God was carrying on the work of reformation, and light broke out more and more in different parts, and eminent men were raised up, as John Hufs, Jerom of Prague; and here, in England, Wickliffe and others, to the great grief of the Popish leaders. Likewife fome parts of the Bible got tranflated into vulgar tongues, which had a tendency to open people's eyes more and more. Add to this, the fcandalous lives of many Priefts, their stupid ignorance and grofs fenfualities, abated the veneration the people had formerly had for them. Nor did the fhocking cruelties, exercised upon fuch as fell into their hands, who had fortitude to fuffer, help the declining cause much; for, people of thought and humanity, could not fee that there was any religion in destroying mens' lives, by every inhuman invention which wit and wickedness could devife. AT the fame time, the patient and inoffenfive lives of the pious fufferers, ufually engaged the at *Rev. xvi. 13, 14. tention tention and affections of fuch as beheld these cruel spectacles, which might occafion many to be dispatched in private, or in promifcuous massacres, or by parties of brutal foldiers let loofe upon them. But ftill, all would not do; for God had determined the downfall of the beast, the utter diffolution of the whore which had corrupted the earth, and, as He had spoken, so it should stand faft. Even worldly Princes, who had yielded their power, and had given their strength for one hour to the beast, fhould, in the end, turn their power and policy against the corrupting mystery of Babylon; for God had put it into their hearts to make her naked and defolate. See the 17th Chapter of Revelation throughout. 6. THUS, by various means, way fhall be made for the gospel, the breath of God's mouth, to run and be glorified. It has gained ground already, and many precious fouls have been brought in; but they are but drops before the great fhower, the mere dawning of the day. Indeed, the worldly, profane, ignorant, and ftupid lives of many who call themselves Proteftants, have retarded the work not a little. It is much to be lamented, that, even in this kingdom, where the Scriptures are read, and the gofpel clearly preached, yet fuch hoggish stupidity, fuch bare-faced contempt of every thing that is facred, fhould continue, so that there is but little prospect of that glorious period as yet-little profpect of a divine renovation of all things. But let it be remembered, that God's ways ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts; for, at such an hour as we think not, the Lord, in this fenfe, may come. He is fubduing the Great Antichrift, the breath of his mouth is gone forth, and the brightness of his appearing is haftening on apace. Popery is falling, and, when it is fallen, the delufions of Mahomet will not ftand long; and then way will be made for the gospel to penetrate among the poor Heathen. 7. BUT it is the brightness of his coming that will put the finishing stroke to these incarnate powers of darkness. This may, very probably, be fome remarkable out-pouring of the Spirit, of which the Day of Pentecoft might only be an emblem; or it may be some surprizing and general revolution performed by the ministration of Angels, feeing they engage in human affairs, * and are all ministring spirits, fent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of falvation t. Be that as it may, this brightness is described with inimitable fublimity and grandeur, thus: After these things, (the things mentioned in the preceding chapters, as grand preliminaries, and to which I have referred in the preceding discourse) 1 faw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, faying, Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, that is, manifefted to be fuch, for fo fhe had been |