by John Bunyan
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Believe that as sure as you are in the way of God, you must meet with temptations.
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The first day therefore that you enter into Christ’s congregation, look for them.
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When they do come, beg of God to carry you through them.
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Be jealous of your own heart, that it deceive you not in your evidences for heaven, nor in your walking with God in this world.
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Take heed of the flatteries of false brethren.
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Keep in the life and power of truth.
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Look most at the things which are not seen.
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Take heed of little sins.
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Keep the promise warm upon your heart.
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Renew your acts of faith in the blood of Christ.
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Consider the work of your generation.
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Count to run with the foremost therein.
Grace be with thee.
Babylon’s Fall
by Rev. Wm. Bridge
(Continued from page 89)
If antichristian and Romish Babylon be truly Babylon, then set yourselves in array against her round about. I mean not in way of warlike hostility, oh that all your swords were turned into ploughshares, my exhortation is no other than that of the prophet Jeremiah, concerning old Babylon 50: 14, “Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she hath sinned against the Lord.” It is the wisdom of every man, to observe what design God hath upon the world, a kingdom, or place, and to be in our callings serviceable, and helpful to God’s designs. God will help us, if we help him. We love to be on the strongest side, and God is strongest. Now is the time that God is bearing down the walls of proud Babylon, that are raised up in every kingdom. Magistrates, ministers, people, help. Help, oh, you that love the Lord, help the Lord, down with them, down them with them even to the ground.
But what shall we do to help forward the fall of Babylon?
And if you be a minister, you know your duty; only, as Luther phrases
it, let your knowledge be incarnate into godly practice; good works are faith incarnate, knowledge incarnate. Now you read Joshua 3: 13, 15, 17, that when the children of Israel went through Jordan, these priests that bare the ark of the Lord, were first to enter upon the waters, and to stay in the midst of them, till all Israel passed over. The water doth note affliction, the feet of those that bare the ark are to be first in danger, and there to stand till all be over. In the place before mentioned, Exek. 44: 10-12, God’s threatening is very terrible. As if he should say, As for those Levites that go astray when Israel goes astray, and do admit the uncircumcised in heart to mine holy things, though they be suffered in mine house, yet they shall but do the out-works thereof, as for those inward things of mine house and self, they shall not be admitted to them, nor trusted with them. Though they may preach some outward truths, which they may read of in books, yet for those inward secret heart things of the covenant, I will never trust them with them, they shall not draw near to me. Oh, therefore beloved, that we could deny our own knowledge, wisdoms, parts, gifts, liberties, and all that is ours in this great service.
But if a man’s condition and state be private, what must he do to help forward the fall of Babylon?
Take heed that thou do nothing to hinder God’s public design by your private practices, put away the evil of all your doings, lest your private wickedness do ponere obicem to God’s providence.
Achan’s wickedness was committed in the dark, and with much privacy, yet what influence had it on public misery.
Miriam and Aaron murmured against Moses, and envied at him, for which she was stricken with leprosy whereby the whole congregation was stayed, and their march hindered. It is said, 2 Chron. 20: 33, that the high places were not pulled down, “because the people were not prepared for the Lord;” not because the prince was not prepared, or the great ones not prepared, but because the people were not prepared. It is in regard of truth, as in regard of error in this particular, though the baker may have kneaded his dough, that is, his false opinion, and made it ready, yet as the prophet Hosea speaks, and as Zanchy interprets the place, he sets not in, till the oven be heated, that is, the heart of the people warmed and prepared for it. So for a truth also, or a public mercy and deliverance, though God have provided it for a people, yet it is not handed to them, and set in, till their hearts be warmed and prepared for it. You may observe therefore, that when David had made his penitential psalm for his own sin, Ps. 51, after much supplication for the pardon of his own evil, and for grace, and comfort he comes at last in the 18th verse to this petition:
“Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion,” &c. How comes that in here? Yes, when a man hath once repented of his own sin, and cleared that reckoning, then he is fittest to ask mercy for the church; and till then unfit. Therefore though in regard of your own souls, your own eternity, you will not part with your own sins, yet if you have any pity, any compassion, any bowels towards your own country, or churches of God, put away the evil of all your doings.
Though your condition be never so private, you may discover the ways of Babylon, the works and complotments of the Babylonish party: and the discovery of evil is half its ruin, as the apostle speaks, 2 Tim. 3: 9, “They shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be made manifest to all.”
You may believe down the walls of Babylon. Faith removes mountains, though it be but a grain; by it the walls of Jericho fell, in the blowing of those poor rams’ horns. And the walls of Jericho were built up to heaven, surely then the walls of Babylon cannot be higher. Wherefore seek out those promises and threatenings, set your heart towards them, bear yourselves upon them, urge, and press God by virtue of them, and say, though it be very unlikely that Babylon should fall, yet God hath thus and thus promised, thus and thus threatened, and he is faithful, here I will stay, and here I will wait.
You may spread the blasphemies of the Babylonish faction in the eyes of heaven. Thus did Hezekiah when Rabshakeh blasphemed, and we know how it prevailed. Great and grievous have the blasphemies been wherewith the men of Babylon have blasphemed the saints of God, and the footsteps of his anointed, which God takes as done against himself, and so repays them, Ezek. 35: 12, compared with the 13th verse. In the 12th verse it is said, “I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, they are laid desolate, they are given us to consume:” but in the 13th verse these words are charged upon them, as if they were spoken against God himself: “That with your mouth you have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me.” Therefore at the 14th verse follows the punishment. The spreading of their hellish blasphemies, is exceeding prevalent with God, and very potent.
You may use all the interest you have in heaven, and whatsoever credit you have there, improve it, which we beseech you do now in this particular. Your prayers put them under God’s curse.
Though your condition and station be never so private, you may according to your place, curse the practices and complotments of all the enemies. Doth not Jacob seem to pronounce a curse upon the practices
of Simeon and Levi, though his own children, Gen. 49: 7, “Cursed be their wrath for it was cruel, &c., for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall.” What is the endeavour of the Babylonians, but to dig down the walls of Jerusalem, and of our protection. Oh, my soul come not thou into their secret. God hath commanded that Meroz should be cursed, and cursed bitterly; because they went not forth to help the Lord against the mighty. How bitterly then are they to be cursed, that go forth to help the mighty against the Lord.
It was a statute and a law in Israel, that if any removed the ancient landmarks, he shall be cursed. “Cursed,” says the text, “shall he be that removes the ancient landmarks, and let all the people say Amen.” What is the ancient landmark of England, but our laws and religion? and therefore if any man shall remove this our landmark, cursed shall he be, of the Lord cursed, and let all the people say Amen.
Whatever personal injury hath been done unto you by any of the enemies of the churches, you may, you must pass them by, so far as it is a private concernment, and you shall not lose hereby, your forgiveness hastens their ruin. For this cause, as you may read Numb. 12: 2,3,4 God himself took vengeance on Miriam, because Moses was a meek man. See how the mention of his meekness is brought in by way of parenthesis at ver.3, as the cause of God’s proceedings against her, ver.4. Wherefore, my beloved, have any been wronged and injured by your and God’s enemies, carry it meekly, carry it humbly, no revenge, no revenge, but all forgiveness. And have they begun to fall before you, let there be much rejoicing, but no insulting; praises, but no insulting; prayer still, but no insulting. Let your moderation be known to all, for God is at hand. These are your duties; which things if they be in you and abound, in due time Babylon shall fall, and you shall see it; for the next doctrine tells us it:
Though antichristian and Romish Babylon be never so great, yet it shall fall, and fall assuredly.
This is but equal: those that have fallen from God, shall fall by God; those that have made others to fall, shall fall themselves. Now the man of sin is the star that is fallen from heaven, who in 2 Thess. 2: 3, as some observe, is called in the abstract, apostacy, not an apostate, a falling away, not one that is fallen away, so notorious is he for sinful falling. And as God rewards grace with his own grace, so he rewards sin with its own likeness.
How else shall Sion rise, if Babylon do not fall? It is said, when the Lord exalteth the low tree, he bringeth down the high tree, then shall all the trees of the forest rejoice. God is making way to such a jubilee,
therefore Babylon must fall, and that assuredly.
Those that are too big for themselves, and cannot manage their own greatness, must needs fall. Pride goes before a fall. It is the natural genius of Babylon to be proud and great, great and proud. Babel was at first built to affront providence, that the world might be no more drowned. Afterwards says that king, in Daniel, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built for mine honour?” And, Rev. 18, saith our late Babylon, “I sit a queen,” &c. They have been great, and in their own eyes great, surely therefore their own weight shall sink them.
Must not those needs fall, that are set in dark and slippery places, whom the angel of the Lord drives? Now, if ever, the places of God’s enemies are very slippery, themselves in the dark, and the angel of God driving them. Therefore they shall fall, and fall assuredly.
As the fall of Babylon is very certain, so it is the duty of the saints to speak of it as if it were done already.
We are bound to honour the faithfulness of God, more than the faithfulness of any other, because other things are faithful to us, us Salvian observes, because he is faithful. We expect cooling and cleansing from the water, and that is faithful. Why? For God is faithful, he bids it be faithful to us. We expect warmth and light from the fire, and that is faithful. Why? For God is faithful, he bids it be faithful to us. In all these faithful creatures there is but a drop of God’s faithfulness; and when they promise, we believe them: and shall we not believe Him, when he promises and when he threatens? When a faithful friend promises, we say it shall be; but we are to honour God’s faithfulness more, and therefore to speak of the thing promised or threatened, as if it were done already.
When we do but begin a good work, God speaks of it as done already. It is said, “By faith Abraham offered up Isaac,” Heb. 11: 17; yet he did not actually offer him up, but intended it, and set himself to do it at God’s command. It is said, that “Moses took his wife and son, and returned to the land of Egypt,” Exod. 4: 20; yet he was but in the beginning of his return. When we have begun any good work for God, he speaks of it as done altogether. Therefore he having begun that great and good work for the churches, the fall of Babylon, it is our duty also to speak of it as if it were done already.
Let us therefore correct our manner of speaking. If any storm or trouble arise upon the churches, we are ready to break forth into despondent conclusions, saying, God is now gone, mercy gone, the ordinances gone; we were in good hope to have seen good days, the ruin of the church’s
enemies; but they do so prevail, as that we have no hope at all in this particular. But though the extremity of the church be never so great, and the enemies never so flourishing, we ought to say, They are fallen, they are fallen.
But how can we speak thus, when an utter improbability and unlikelihood dwells upon the business?
Yes. For when God destroys his enemies, he either takes them away by a weak hand, as Jer. 50: 45, “The least of the flock shall draw them out;” or, they shall perish by their own hands, as Ps. 9: 16, “The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands;” or, they shall be destroyed without hands, as Job 34: 20, “The mighty shall be taken away without hands.” And is this true, may the soul say, that the enemies of the church shall perish by a weak hand, or by their own hand, or without hands; then will I never sink and despair in my heart, or give ill language to God’s faithfulness, though the condition of God’s churches be never so low, though the condition of the enemies be never so high.
If we are to speak of this work as if it were done already, when it is not done indeed; then how contrary are those to God’s word, who say it is not done when it is done indeed: that will not acknowledge God’s work, that say on the contrary, It is not fallen, it is not fallen, when it is fallen in truth. And such there shall be, who when the vial is poured upon the seat of the beast, “shall gnaw their tongues, and blaspheme the God of heaven, not repenting of their deeds,” Rev. 16: 10, 11. But I hope better things of you, and such as accompany salvation. Only now if there be any here, that have given any assistance to Babylon, by pen, tongue, or hand, let them repent. Oh, every one, repent you of your superstition, repent, repent you, lest you partake with Babylon in all her plagues and torments to all eternity. And remember that speech of Godtesscalchus: I am afraid to deny the truth, lest I be for ever denied by the truth. Christus est via et veritas, non consuetudo. Christ is the way and truth, not custom, not innovation… .
And if any have had any ill thoughts or words of, or against God’s people, now change your words and your thoughts of them, for, for their sakes it is, that these great works are to be done. “Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, for your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all the nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships,” Isa. 43: 14.
“The fitter we grow for heaven the faster we must press towards it.”
Matthew Henry