Page:The Church, by John Huss.pdf/305

Rh on his part; and they shall profane the sanctuary and they shall set up the abomination that maketh for desolation, and such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries, but the people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits," Daniel 11:31–32. Antichrist's "arms which stand and profane God's sanctuary" are wicked prelates who are an abomination on account of their villainies, and they are the "desolation" by refusing to imitate Christ. Of this abomination Christ says, "when ye see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet," Matt. 24:15, and, "standing where he ought not," Mark 13:14. And when the prophet adds, "and such as do wickedly against the covenant," for they say they keep Christ's covenant, but will not keep it, because they obscure and gloss it for their own exaltation and to excuse their sin, "but the people that know their God," that is, know by the gift of God's grace, will obtain Christ by imitation of him and will do the commandments of the covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ. But because to those that teach these things persecution comes unto death, therefore Daniel further says: "And they that are wise among the people shall instruct many and shall fall by the sword and in the flames and in the captivity and by the fall of days. And when these shall fall, they shall be lifted up by the help of the little ones and many shall join themselves unto them with flatteries," Dan. 11:33–34.

The experience of the facts enables us to understand this text, for simple laymen and priests, taught by God's grace, teach very many by the example of a good life and, gainsaying publicly antichrist’s lying words, perish with the sword. This is seen in the cases of the laymen, John, Martin, and Stafcon, who resisted antichrist’s lying disciples, and per-