The time of her fall is not certainly known by the saints, nor at
all believed by her; wherefore her plagues must come unlooked for by
her. And as to the saints, their guesses as to the time of her ruin
must needs be conjectural and uncertain. For her part, she shall
say, and that when she stands where she must suddenly fall, "I shall
be a lady for ever."
Nor have I been without thought but that this mistake of the godly
may become a snare to antichrist, and a trap to her upholders. For
what can be a greater judgment, or more effectually harden the
hearts of the wicked, than for them to behold that the predictions,
prophecies, expectations, and hopes of their enemies as to their
ruin, should quite, as to the time, be frustrate and made void?
It is to be bewailed, namely, the forwardness of some in this matter
who have predicted concerning the time of the downfall of
antichrist, to the shame of them and their brethren; nor will the
wrong that such by their boldness have, done to the church of God be
ever repaired by them nor their works. But the judgments of God are
a great deep; and therefore who can tell, since the enemy of God
would not be convinced by the power of truth and the virtuous lives
of some, but that God might leave them to be snared, hardened, and
emboldened to run upon their unavoidable destruction by the lies and
lightness of others? They begin to vaunt it already, and to say,
Where is the word of the Lord as to this? let it come now. But when
Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is passed," then was the
time for him to be hewn in pieces.
I shall not therefore meddle with the times and seasons which the
Father has put in his own power--no, though they, as to antichrist's
ruin, are revealed--because by the Holy Ghost there is a challenge
made, notwithstanding the time is set, and by the word referred to
the man of wisdom to find it out if he can.
If Sampson's riddle was so puzzling, what shall we think of this?
And though the angel hath intimated that this sealed matter shall be
opened towards the time of the end, yet it is evident some have
either been too hasty, or presumed too much upon their own
abilities; for I am sure they have missed the mark, hardened the
heart of the enemy, stumbled the weak, and shamed them that love
them.