the confused Multitudes coming from the Ends to behold this Tyrant, and many worshipping before him, and crying out with Amazement, Thou art our Saviour t The Sea roareth, the Earth is burnt up, I the Heavens do not rain, and the Fruits a of the Earth wither! Then they that are d in the Eaft fhall flee into the West, and they of the Weft fhall run with Terror into the Eaft to efcape the Evils! Then fhall this Blafphemer exert his Power, and fend his (d) evil Spirits into all Nat tions, to make publick Proclamation, faying, A Great King hath appeared in glory, come and fee him. Who then will have a Heart fo hard, as to be able to bear up with

1

(d) That is, in like manner as Chrift did fend his holy Spirit, which is One, out into all Lands, as the fame did reft upon, and was transfufed through his Apoftles; even fo fhall this Deceiver fend forth his Evil Spirits, which are many, to make every where lowd Proclamation of his Kingdom and Glory, by poffeffing chofen Inftruments for his Purpofe, and fpeaking through them as his Oracles, Apoftles and Ambaffadors. By these Spirits therefore we are here to understand the Infpir'd by them, or the PfeudoProphets and Pfeudo-Apoftles; of whom fair warn ing is given us both by Chrift and his Apoftles. They are call'd the Spirits of Devils, or of Demons; and are reprefented by our great Evangelical Prophet, as being of three different Kinds; but to fhew that there is to be a fort of Egyptian Magick, whereby their Miniftration fhall chiefly difplay it felf in Publick, he gives a molt fit refemblance of them under the Fi gure of Frogs, as if they were generated out of the Mud of Nilus 210

A

with Courage against fo great Abominations? Who is that Man (as I faid before) that all the Angels of God may blefs him? For I (my Brethren, Lovers of Chrift, and (e) perfect) tremble at the Thoughts of this Deceiver, when I but think within my felf of the Tribulations of these last Times. For howfoever mischievous and cruel this Old Dragon may be to all Man-Ta ayir kind, yet will he be more furious against r, i. c. Πάσματα the Saints, who fhall be able to overcome Spectra, this Terrors. For there fhall be many culamenfound at that Day, who being dear to God fhall be preferved in Mountains, and xiv. 26. Hills, and defert Places, becaufe of Mar.vi.49. their many Prayers and terrible Complaints. For the Holy God beholding their inexpreffible Mournings, and Sin

cerity

(e) By Perfect is here to be understood an Order a mong the Primitive Chriftians, not that was wholly excepted from every Spot of Sin (as fome of our Modern Perfectifts do understand the Word) but that was admitted to the most perfect and highest Degree of the Communion of Saints, in the Church of Chrift; and that was not only inftructed in the first Rudiments and Elements of Chriftianity, which were fufficient for Salvation, but were initiated alfo into the Myfteries and Arcana of our moft Holy Religion. Among the Number of thefe Myfteriés I reckon this Doctrine concerning Antichrift and his Kingdom to be one: And hence we may infer, that this was not at first to be promifcuoufly communicated to all Chriftians, but only to thofe of the most perfect Order and Rank in the Church. And to fuch as thefe this Difcourse of St. Ephrem feems principally to be addrefs'd.

five terri

ta, Mat:

Appariti

ons.

λαῖς δέήσεσι, δεσ.

cerity of their Faith, will show Compa fion towards them, as a tender Father and will preserve them where they hav been hidden. For this Accurfed One fhall be continually fearching after the Holy Souls by Land and Sea, reckoning that he has now established his Domini ons over the whole Earth, and brought all the Inhabitants thereof into Subjection under him. Nor does he queftion with himself but that he fhall be able to with ftand that dreadful Hour, when the Lo fhall defcend from Heaven, not confide ing his own Weakness and Pride by whic he at firft fell. Then fhall he disturb the World, and ftrike an univerfal Terro by the lying Wonders of his falfe Magick In his time there fhall be no Reft upo Earth! But great Tribulation, Trouble and Confufion, Peftilences, and Famine to all the Ends of the Earth For thus Mat. xxiv. faith the Lord, There has not been the lik: from the beginning of the creation. And how Mark xiii. fhall we finful Wretches explain the ex ceeding Terrors of that Time, which th Lord himself hath told us are inexpreff ble? Let every one therefore fix his Mind ftedfaftly upon the Holy Scriptures of ou Lord and Saviour, knowing that of h Mercy towards us, because of the exceed ing Danger and Trouble, he will fhortes the Days of this Affliction. For thus he

21.

18.

warn

20. Luke

warns us all, faying, Pray that your flight Mat. xxiv. be not in the winter, nor on the Sabbath-day; xxi. 36. and again, Watch and pray always, that ye may be thought worthy to escape this tribulation, and to ftand before the Son of man. For the (f) Time is at hand, and we all ftand in the (g) Antichriftian Spirit, and

be

(f) By the Time being at hand we are to understand no more, than that the Mystery of Antichriftianifm was then already at work in the Life-time of this Holy Father; and that by the working of this Myftery, it was highly probable that the Perfonal Revelation of Antichrift would foon follow the Spiritual. But he not knowing how long the Spiritual Revelation of Antichrift was to endure, might eafily apprehend that the Perfonal could not be far off, fince the other was actually present, and clearly difcernible. Moreover, if there was a Mistake in the Anticipation of the Time, it is no more than what was in the very Days of the Apostles; and wherein they themselves might alfo be in part overtaken, without the leaft Prejudice thereby to the Divine Authority of their Infpirations, fo far as they concern the Doctrine it felf. See the Commentators upon 1 Theff.iv. 15. 17. 2 Theff.ii. 2.

(g) Hence it manifeftly appears, that according to our Author's Senfe, there must be a Spiritual as well as a Bodily Manifeftation of Antichrift, whereof that ought to precede and make way for this; fince even in his time he was convinc'd that the generality of Chriftians had apoftatiz'd from their first Love, and did ftand in an Antichriftian Spirit, tho' at the fame time they could not believe it, but did look on themselves as good Chriftians. For his plain meaning is, that there was a Mystery of Antichriftianifm then actually working in the Profeffors of the Chriftian Faith, the Operation whereof was fo fecret, as to be hidden from themselves; and which was Preparatory to the Laft and Greatest Manifestation of the Power of the De

vid

believe it not. Let us pray earneftly with Tears and Supplications, Night and Day, falling down before God, that we Sinners may be faved in that Day. Whofoever therefore has the Gift of Tears and godly Sorrow, let him befeech the Lord, that we may be delivered from this Diftrefs which is coming upon the whole Earth! That he may neither fee this terrible Beast, nor hear his Terrors. For there fhall be Famines, and Earthquakes, and Variety of Difeafes over all the Earth. Then will it show a couragious Spirit to make even Life it felf fupportable in the midst of these Diftreffes. For if a Man be found never fo little remifs, he will be eafily affaulted, and carry'd away captive by the lying Wonders of this wicked deceiving Serpent. Such a one fhall not be forgiven in the Day of Judgment. For his (b) Face fhall difcover, that he wil

vil in the Perfon of Antichrift, his Seed and Image, as that Man of Sin, and the Perfection of that Diabolical Mystery in the Flesh.

(b) The Face is very often an Index of the Mind, even in this present cloudy State wherein we live; and therefore it ought not to appear fo ftrange, what feems here fuppos'd by our Author, that in the Day of Judgment, when all Things fhall be nakedly expos'd as they in truth are, that the whole Inward State of the Soul fhall moft clearly difplay it felf in the Countenance: So that the Difciples and Followers of Antichrift fhall palpably discover themfelves by their

very