The Whole Prophecies of Scotland, England, Ireland, France & Denmark/Chapter 30
THIS great divine, in a time when it was leaſt expected the Papiſts ſhould gain any power or advantage, declared, that he confidently expected great calamities, and that a ſad perſecution would fall upon the Proteſtant churches of Europe ; therefore, ſaid he to his friend that made further enquiry: Fool not yourſelf with hopes of its being over, I tell you that all you have yet ſeen, is but the beginning of ſorrows, to what is yet to come upon the Proteſtant Churches of Chriſt, who will ere long fall under a ſharper perſecution than ever has yet been upon them; and therefore, ſays he, look you be not found in the outward court, but a worſhipper in the temple before the altar, for Chriſt meaſures all thoſe that profeſs his name, and call themſelves his people, and the outward worſhippers he will leave out to be trodden down of the Gentiles. The outward court, ſays he, Is the formal Chriſtian, whoſe religion lies in performing the out-ſide duties of Chriſtianity, without having an inward life, and power of faith and love, uniting them to Chriſt; and theſe God will leave to be trodden down and ſwept away by the Gentiles, but the worſhippers within the Temple and before the Altar, are thoſe that indeed worſhip God in Spirit and Truth, whoſe souls are made his Temples, and he is honoured and adored in the moſt inward thoughts of their hearts. They ſacrifice their luſts and vile affections, yea, even their own wills unto him: and theſe God will hide in the bottom of his hand, and even under the ſhaddow of his wings; and this ſhall be one great difference between this laſt and all other preceeding perſecutions; for in the former, the moſt eminent and ſpiritual Miniſters and Chriſtians did generally ſuffer moſt, and were moſt violently fallen upon; but in this laſt perſecution theſe ſhould be preſerved of God as a seed to partake of that glory, which ſhall immediately follow and come upon the Church as ſoon as ever this form ſhall be over; for as it ſhall be ſharpelt, ſo it ſhall be ſhorteſt. This reverend divine being aſked by whom this ſhould be brought to paſs, anſwered, by the Papiſts, for they were in his opinion the Gentiles ſpoken of in the 11th of the Revelations, ſeeing they followed the Gentiles manner of worſhip in adoring saints and angels, worſhipping images, &c. And indeed the late ſharp and bloody perſecution of the Proteſtants in France, Savoy, and at preſent in Ireland, may be part of what this pious man hinted at; but if God for our ſins ſhould ſuffer us to fall into further affliction, we are sure the joy of the wicked ſhall be but for a moment, and that in due time Rome ſhall finally fall, And the kings of the earth ſhall hate the whore, and snake her desolate, and naked, and burn her with fire. Rev. xvii. 16.
Rome tott'ring long, laden with errors ſtore,
At laſt ſhall fall and heed the world no more.
GLASGOW.
Printed by J. and M. Roberston, (No. 18.) Saltmarket,
1806.