The marrow of Christianity

SECT. IV. What shall be the ruine of Antichrist?

THe consummation of Antichrist shall be by the same meanes 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 kingdō of heaven is within you &c.) so the kingdom of Antichrist must go down: this is the meanes fore-told and prescribed by the Apostle, who fore-saw him in his rising, 2 Thes. 2.8. The Lord will consume him with the breath of his mouth, and destroy him with the brightnesse 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 and de∣stroy him: As it is not a humane wisdom that shal discover him, so neither is it a humane power that must destroy him: for all humanity in the things of God, whe••her wisdome or power, it is Antichristian: Therefore, not that which shall destroy Antichrist; but that which will uphold him untill he be destroyed: the ruine of Antichrist is farther held forth, Rev. 14.6.

The Angel flyeth through the midst of hea∣ven, preaching the everlasting Gospell; and vers. 8. Another Angel followeth, saying, That Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great City, &c. The preaching of the Gospel, is the meanes, you see, of Antichrists ru∣ine; and the Sermon is, Feare God, and give glory to him. This Sermon, is that wil 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 bee your enjoy∣ment in the spirit; see you live upon no∣thing below him; give not glory to crea∣tures, duties, actings, any thing either of the first Adam, or Antichrist: give glory to God in the letter, give not glory to Man, set not up Man in the roome of God; doe not cry the voyce of Man, and not of God, in any of the things of God; and this is the Sermon that shal ruine Antichrist.

See likewise, Rev. 12.9. The Divel and Sathan, the mystical Antichrist, was cast forth of heaven, to the Earth; that is, he shal not bee suffered any more to delude soules, in a heavenly shape: the Divel is now turned Christian, and he makes warre with the Saints, under the name of Christ, both in the Spirit, as wel as in the Letter:

And hence the great warre is betweene Christ and Sathan in Heaven; that is, be∣tween the Heaven of Christ, and the Hea∣ven of Sathan, under the name of Christ. But now John saith, he saw Sathan cast out of Heaven; that is, he shal deceive soules no more, in a Heavenly forme; neither perse∣cute the Saints any more under the name of Christ: (A glorious word, and it is com∣ming on apace) for, the most part of soules in that part of the world, called Christians, are ruined in the Divels Heaven; and be∣leeve it, this is the great work Christ hath to doe, in these latter dayes, the consumma∣tion of Antichrist; that is, First of all, Antichrists spiritual delusions, by which he hath deceived soules. 2 And all Anti∣christs deluding formes and ordinances, by which the common sort of people are ge∣nerally deluded: the worke of Christ is to powre downe Vials of wrath upon the head of the Man of sinne, both in the spi∣rit, and in the letter: Looke about you therefore, all you, whose spiritual life con∣sists in nothing, but spiritual and Antichri∣stian delusions, with invented and Anti∣christian formes and ordinances. A Vial of Wrath is coming on you, which wil shat∣ter

to pieces al your confidence: and then, if mercy prevent not, you may stand looking on, and crying; alas, alas, in one houre is so great riches come to nought? and then, when this is fulfilled, there shal be no more warre in Heaven, or spiritual delusion un∣der the name of Christ.

A glorious word for those that dwel in Heaven, and that which wil cause joy to the Saints.

For, first they shal bee without, and a∣bove, 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 Hypocrites, and literal Christians; for their communion shal bee more, in the spirit, and lesse, in the letter: and there shal in no wise enter into it, any thing that de∣fileth; neither whatsoever worketh abho∣mination; that is, lives earthly, carnal, and prophane, or maketh a lye; that is, Hypo∣criticall, that seemes to be what he is not; But they which are written in the Lambs book of life: and there shal be no more a Cananite in the house of the Lord for e∣ver. This is the great work Christ hath to do in these latter dayes; the consumma∣tion

of the Kingdome of Antichrist, who hath a long time sate in his seate, with the exaltation of his owne Kingdome in the spirit.