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THe consumation of Antichrist shall be by the same means that discovers him the bright goings forth of Jesus Christ in the Gospel: for as the Kingdom of Jesus Christ goes up in the spirit; (for the Kingdome of Heaven is within you &c.) so the Kingdome of Antichrist must go down: this
is the meanes fore-told and prescribed by the A∣postle, who fore-saw him in his rising. 2 Thes. 2.8.
The Lord will consume him with the breath of his mouth, & destroy him with the brightnes of his coming, the preaching of the Gospel, and the bright comings forth of Jesus Christ in the spirits of his people shall both consume & destroy him:As it is not a humane wisdom that shall discover him, so neither is it a humane power that must destroy him: for all humanity in the things of God; whether wisdom or power, it is Antichristi∣an: Therefore, not that which shall destroy Anti∣christ; but that which will uphold him untill he be destroyed: the ruine of Antichrist is farther held forth, Rev. 14.6. The Angell flyeth through the midst of heaven, preaching the everlasting Gospel; & verse 8. Another Angel followeth, saying, That Babylon, is fallen that great City, &c. The prea∣ching of the Gospel is the means you see, of Anti∣christs ruine: and the Sermon is, feare God, and give glory to him. This Sermon is that will ruine Antichrist both in the letter and in the spirit; give glory to God, that is, let God be all, and in all: let God be your enjoyment in the spirit; see you live upon nothing below him, give not glory to Creatures, duties, actings; any thing ei∣ther of the first Adam, or Antichrist: give glo∣ry to God in the Letter, give not glory to man, set not up man in the roome of God; do not cry the voice of Man, and not of God, in any of the
things of God; and this is the Sermon that shall ruine Antichrist.
See likewise, Rev. 1 2.9. The Divel and Satan, the mysticall Antichrist, was cast forth of Heaven, to the earth; that is, he shall not be suffered any more to delude souls, in a heavenly shape: the Di∣vell is now turned Christian, and he makes warre with the Saints, under the name of Christ, both in the Spirit, as well as in the Letter: And hence the great warre is between Christ and Satan in Heaven, that is betweene the Heaven of Christ, & the Heaven of Satan under the name of Christ. But now Iohn saith, he saw Satan cast out of Heaven, that is he shall deceive soules no more, in a Heavenly form: neither persecute the Saints any more under the name of Christ: (A glorious work & it is coming on a pace) for the most part of souls in that part of the world called Christans are ruined in the Divels heaven, & believe it, this is the great work Christ hath to do in these latter dayes, the consumation of Antichrists, that is, first of all, Antichrists spirituall delusions by which he hath deceived soules. 2. And all Antichrists, delu∣ding forms & ordinances by which the common sort of people are generally deluded: the work of Christ is to powre down vials of wrath upon the head of the Man of sin both in the spirit, & in the letter; look about you therefore all you, whose spi∣ritual life consists in nothing, but spirituall & An∣tichristian
delusions, with invented and Antichri∣tian formes and Ordinances. A Vial of wrath is coming on you, which will shatter to pieces all your confidence, and then if mercy prevent not you may stand looking on, and crying; alas elas in one houre is so great riches come to naught? and then when this is fulfilled, there shall be no more War in Heaven or spirituall delusi∣on under the name of Christ.
A glorious word for those that dwell in Hea∣ven, and that which will cause joy to the Saints. For, first, they shall be without, and above, all danger of delusions in the spirit or in the letter,
And secondly, they shal from the same ground be for ever freed from fellowship with Hypocrits and literall Christians; for their communion shall be more in the spirit and lesse in the Letter, and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoaever worketh abomina∣tion that is, lives earthly carnall, and prophane, or maketh a lye that is, Hypocriticall that seems to be what he is not.
But they which are written in the Lambs book of life: and there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of the Lord for ever. This is the great work Christ hath to do in these latter dayes, the consumation of the Kingdome of Antichrist, who hath a long time sat in his seat, with the exaltati∣on of his own Kingdome in the spirit.