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ter, fo as to spread peftilential Influences all round, to ravage not only a Town, but a Country or a Kingdom. Such dark Magicians there are already fome in the World; but (God be praifed) we are not yet abandoned to their Fury. The Meafure of our Iniquities is not as yet quite full; but that we are not very far off from that fatal Period, we have but too much Reason to fear. Whilft the Powers of Darknefs are thus afflicting the Church, i. e. thofe Chriftians who have not fo far wrought out their Salvation, as to be out of the reach of the Enemy, as it is plain fome fhall be; the Vengeance of God fhall by his Inftruments, the two Witnesses, vex and torment the Antichriftian Company. These two Witneffes (of whom more hereafter) being endued with Power to devour their Enemies, with Fire proceeding out of their Mouths. Thefe have alfo Power to fhut Heaven that it rain not in the Days of their Prophecy, Rev. 11. 5, 6. that is, for three Years and an half: Even as it was done by Elijah in the Days of that wicked Prince Abab, which were no doubt a Type of thefe Times. Compare 1 Kings 17. 1. with James 5. 17. So that from hence muft proceed great Famine and want of Provisions; to which the following Quotations do frequently allude. Hear the difmal Account St. Hippolytus gives of thofe Days. Hear, faith he, ye that love God, what Affliction there fhall be in thofe Days. That Evil One (viz. Antichrift) fhall gather together Evil Spi M 3

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rits in Human Shapes, and fhall mock and infult over the Jews who have made him their King, and fhall fet Devils to be Princes over them. And when the Famine fhall be fore upon them, the Hea vens being fhut up, then (fays he) he shall fend forth his Meffengers, both Men and Evil Spirits, faying, There is a great King rifen upon the Earth, come ye and worship him, and behold his Power, he shall give you Bread to eat, and Wine to drink, with great Riches and Honours. Again, Then (fays he) fhall he fend forth Legions of Evil Spirits into the Mountains, and Dens, and Caves of the Earth, to 6 fearch out them that have hid themselves from him, and fhall bring them to worfhip him; and thofe that obey him, he C fhall Seal with his Mark; but those that refufe, fhall he punish with unheard-of Torments. Then they that have received his Mark, and cannot find either Bread or Water, fhall come to him, and with a forrowful Voice fhall fay, Give us Meat and Drink, we languifh for Hunger and Thirft, command the Heavens to give us Rain, and drive away from us the ravenous Beafts. Then fhall he mock them and fay, The Heavens refufe to give us Rain, the Earth will not bring forth Fruit, Whence fhall I fupply you? When they hear this Anfwer, then fhall they lament and bewail their Mifery, and with Sighs and Tears fhall call upon that merciful God that fhall deliver them out

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of his Hands, and by an invisible Power protect those that call upon him worthily. So great fhall be the Trouble of that Time, that in the Morning they 'fhall wifh for Evening; and as foon as the Darkness of the Night fhall cover them, they fhall be fo terrified with Earthquakes, Storms and Tempefts, that they fhall long for Morning. The whole Earth fhall bewail a Life fo full of MiC feries. The Sea fhall mourn, the Earth fhall mourn; the Sun in the Firmament C of Heaven, the Beafts of the Earth, the Fowls of Heaven, the very Mountains C and Hills fhall mourn for the Miferies of Mankind, because all have forfaken their God. The Churches fhall mourn with great Lamentation, for there fhall be neither Offering nor Holy Worship in thofe Days: Churches fhall be as Stables; nor fhall the precious Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Chrift be celebrated in those Days: There fhall be no Prayers, no finging of Pfalms, nor fhall the Scriptures be read. (A little after) Without fhall be Fear, within Trembling; both at Home and Abroad dreadful Scenes of Horror, Hunger and Thirst, Lamentation and Sighing. The fine Faces fhall languifh, Palenefs fhall cover the beautiful Countenances. The Charms of Women fhall vanifh. And in many other Inftances does he describe the Horrors of that time. So alfo Lactantius: Then fhall the Cities be utterly Lib. 7.

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ruin'd and deftroy'd, by Fire, Sword, Earthquakes, Inundations, Famines, and Peftilences. The Air fhall be corrupted and peftilential; fometimes there fhall be fcorching Heats, then pinching Cold, c. fo that the Earth fhall not bring forth Fruit; the Corn fhall be blighted; the Trees and Vines fhall fail. The C Springs and Rivers fhall be dried up; fo that the Beafts fhall die upon the Earth, the Fowls in the Air, and the Fishes in the Sea. A little after he speaks of the Falfe Prophet; how that he fhall Seal thofe that obey him; fhall burn the Holy Scriptures, and make the World defolate for Forty Two Months, &c. St. Cyril of Ferufalem, Cat. 15. after he had fpoken largely of Antichrift, adds, "This is the cruel Beaft, the great Dragon, fighting against Mankind, being ready to devour them; therefore the Lord knowing the Power of the Adverfary, commanded the Chriftians that fhould live in thofe Days, to flee to the Mountains, Matth. 24. 16. But if any one knoweth that he hath Strength enough to refift the Devil, let him ftay; for I do not defpair of the Strength of the Church: But let the fearful take heed to themselves, for then fhall be Tribulation, fuch as never was fince the Beginning of the Creation to this prefent Time, nor never fhall be. My dear Brethren, fays Ephrem Syrus, Serm. de Antichrifto, p. 222.) then fhall there be a great Trial upon all Men, but efpecially

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the Faithful and the Saints, and great Tribulation fhall there be in those Days, C when great Signs and Wonders fhall be wrought by the Power of that Hellish Beaft, Antichrift. (A little after) Who, my Brethren, amongst you all, fhall be found at that Day fo compleatly armed with the Shield of Faith, as to be fully perfuaded in his Mind, that the Coming of the Son of God is nigh, when he shall fee this inexpreffible Tribulation upon every Soul of Man, without any Allay C of Reft or Comfort; when thou shalt C fee the whole World in Confusion (for C every one fhall fiee to the Mountains for fhelter;) when thou fhalt fee fome perifhing for Hunger, others languishing with intolerable Thirft, and none to pity them? (A little after) There shall be at that time no Reft upon the Earth, but great Tribulation, Trouble and Confufion, Famine and Death, in all the Corners of the Earth. Then fhall the Saints fhed Rivers of Tears, and flee to the Deserts. They fhall hide themselves in the Mountains, and in the Valleys, coC vering their Heads with Duft and Ashes, praying to be delivered from the Beast. The Mountains, the Hills and Trees of the World shall mourn. The Lights of C Heaven fhall mourn, because Men have forfaken their God, and believed the Deceiver, &c. And in many other Inftances does likewife this Holy Father elegantbewail the Miseries of that Time: As

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