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A29372 Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by Willam Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth. Bridge, William, 1600?-1670. 1668 (1668) Wing B4463; ESTC R28532 153,225 263

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Princes put on Sackcloth and the Priests put on Sackcloth and the people put on Sackcloth So here the Witnesses clothed in Sackcloth What doth this mean but their sad and afflicted and mournful condition Such it is and must be in Antichristian times For is it not a sad thing and mournful for the holy City to be troden underfoot by the Gentiles so it shall be in Antichristi●n times Is it not a sad and mournful thing for the Church of God to be hidden the inner Court to be hidden Indeed a hidden Church is a true Church a scattered Flock is a true Flock and a scattered Church is a true Church But is it not a sad thing for Churches to be hidden the Church of God to be hidden Why so it must be in Antichristian times I remember Mr. Brightman saith when the Woman is in the Wilderness she must not think that there will be Congregations so visible but in a Wilderness here and there or in a Forrest here and there is a house and here and there you meet with a man But you meet not with great Towns and Corporations in a Wilderness or in a Forrest So when the Church is in the Wilderness here and there a knot of Saints and here and there a knot of meeting But Corporations and Churches then are hidden Is it not a sad thing now I say Yet thus it must be Is it not a sad thing for the Vessels of the Temple to be defiled So it must be in Antichristian times Is it not a sad thing for the solemn Assemblies to lie under reproach So it is and must be in Antichristian times Is it not a sad thing for the Saints and People of God and the Daughters and Sons of Sion to be persecuted to the very Gates of Sion yea into the very Gates of their Trade So it is and must be in Antichristian times and therefore no wonder that the Witnesses lie in Sackcloth But then they lie in Sackcloth 1260 daies what 's that That is 1260 years a day being put for a year as it is ordinary in Scripture And if you ask When doth this time begin or end that we may know where we are I answer If you can find the beginning from whence this time doth commence you will soon find the end now these 1260 daies or years are all one with the 42 Months spoken of before that the Gentiles shall tread down the holy City They are all one with the 42 months of the Beast Take a day for a year and 42 months come to 1260 years take a day for a month and then 1260 daies comes to 42 months These 42 months of the Beast then and the 1260 daies or years that the Witnesses are clothed in Sackcloth are all one Now when did the 42 months of the Beast begin In likelyhood about the year 400 or 406 or 10 or thereabouts for to speak to a year or so is not safe Chronologers have been deceived I say in the year of our Lord 400 or thereabouts For look when that that hinders was taken away then the man of sin was discovered The mistery of iniquity did work in the Apostles time In 2 Thes 2. The mystery of iniquity doth already work verse 7. Only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way and then shall that wicked one be revealed When is that As Jerom and all agree the Roman Empire was the thing that let and about those times was the Roman Empire taken out of the way In 410. the Goths and Vandals broke in upon Rome it self about that time was that that let taken away And Secondly I do but touch upon this and touch I must upon it look when the Roman Empire did fall asunder into ten Kingdoms then did the Beast begin his forty two months Rev. 17. 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet But receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast But when did the Roman Empire fall asunder into ten Kingdoms About the year 400. 'T is observed by good Historians and divers that in the year 406. Brittany and these Nations fell off from the Roman Empire to be a Kingdom standing by it self Now then if the time did begin about 400. surely the end of the time we must needs be about I confess indeed It is a sad thing for Christ's Witnesses to lie in Sackcloth and to lie in Sackcloth 1260. years but so it must be not a day abated but to a year to a day Why should you be offended friends then at the Sackcloth and mourning condition of the Church and Saints and People of God Why is not this the habit of the Witnesses Sackcloth and will not you be content to be habited as they are habited as Christ's Witnesses are habited to wear the same clothes that Christ's Witnesses do And if Christ's Witnesses shall lie in Sackcloth 1260. years will not you be contented to be in Sackcloth three or four years Christians will not you be contented to be in Sackcloth three or four years Me thinks we should rather look to the duty of a Sackcloth condition there should our hearts and our thoughts be But we are very apt evermore and consider what I say not only in reference to this point but to others we are very apt to mind Gods work and neglect our own 'T is Gods work to ful●●l the Promise 't is our work to apply the Promise but we mind the fulfilling on 't and neglect the applying on 't mind Gods work and neglect our own work 'T is Gods work to deliver his people 't is their work to be humbled under the mighty hand of God But we mind deliverance which is Gods work and neglect our own work humiliation under the mighty hand of God 'T is Gods work saith the Martyr to take care 't is our work to cast care Cast all your care upon God there 's your work for he careth for you that 's Gods work To take care is Gods work to cast care is our work but we mind Gods work and are taking care and neglect our own work which is to cast all our care upon God 'T is Gods work to take off our Sackcloth 't is our work to wear it but we mind Gods work the taking of it off When shall this Sackcloth be off and neglect our own work to wear it handsomly Why should we not I say mind our business what is the duty of a Sackcloth condition more Why then when we are in Sackcloth surely then 't is our duty for to lay by our Ornaments Let the Bridegroom go out of his Chamber in the day of Sackcloth if any body may rejoyce the Bridegroom may But let the Bridegroom go forth of his chamber in a Sackcloth day Lay aside your Ornaments friends lay aside your Ornaments In the time of Sackcloth 't is our duty then for to fast and pray and cry
mightily unto the Lord. Then 't is our duty to put our mouths in the dust if so be there may be hope Then it is our duty for to bear our Testimony Then it is our duty for to wait on God though the Witnesses wear Sackcloth for a time yet there are white Robes provided for them and they come out with Palms in their hands And the nearer the time of Deliverance grows the less time for waiting the more we are ingaged to wait Why now according to the calculation there is not much of the time to come there is but a little of the Sackcloth time to come shall we not watch with him one hour and wear Sackcloth with him one hour wait a while he that shall come will come and will not tarry And so I have done with the third thing namely what this Sackcloth is and their lying in Sackcloth for 1260. years 4. But then in the fourth place It is said here that these Witnesses did Prophesie I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Pr●phesie Prophesie What 's that and how did it come to pass that they shall Prophesie in the time of their Sackcloth Prophesie What 's that Why Prophesying is sometimes taken in Scripture for the Revelation of the mind of God whereby a man doth foretel things to come and so Daniel and Ezekiel and others were called Prophets Sometimes Prophesying is taken more largely in Scripture for Preaching the Word of God in a way of Office Preaching the Word by Office And so the Ministers and Preachers of the Word of God in Office they are called Prophets in Scripture But Thirdly yet more largely Prophesie is took for a declaring and making known of the Mind and Will of God and so all those that do declare and make known the Mind and Will of Jesus Christ they are said to be Prophets and so I take it here For I pray do but mark This their Prophesying and Witness-bearing seems to be all one I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesie And when they shall have finished their Testimony their witness bearing He should have said when they have finished their Prophesie True But he would shew that their Witness-bearing and Prophesie is all one And so compare chap. 19. and chap. 22. of the Revelations together and you will find the same I fell at his feet and worshipped him and he said unto me see thou do it not I am thy fellow servant and of thy Brethren that have the testimony of Jesus and chap. 22. I fell at his feet and he said unto me see thou do it not for I am thy fellow servant and of thy Brethren the Prophets Of thy Brethren the Prophets here in chap. 22. is all one with thy Brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus In the 19th and saith he there Worship God for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie It 's the same word that 's used when they had finished their Testimony or Witness-bearing The witness of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie This bearing witness to the truths of Jesus this is Prophesie And thus now the Witnesses they are said to Prophesie Well but how come they to Prophesie in the times of their Sackcloth Behold I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesie 1260. daies clothed in Sackcloth How comes it to pass that they shall Prophesie in Sackcloth It 's clearly answered I will give power saith Christ I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesie in Sackcloth I will give power to them they shall have their Orders to Preach from my self They shall have power from Me to Preach and to Prophesie and to bear their Testimony Some have their Orders and their Power to Prophesie from Men from Prelates from the Beast but saith he I will give power unto my two Witnesses to Prophesie It 's said of the Beast That Power was given him It 's said of the Witnesses I will give Power unto my two Witnesses They shall have their Orders they shall have their Power of Prophesie and Witness-bearing from my self I will give Power unto my two Witnesses Plainly then thus much Obs There 's none can bear witness to the Truths of Jesus Christ but those that are impowred by Christ and if that Jesus Christ will give power unto his two Witnesses for to Prophesie and to bear their Testimony then why should we not depend on God why should we not go unto Christ and depend on Christ for our very Power to bear Witness to the Truths of Christ It may be you are afraid and you will say thus I am a poor weak Creature man or woman and I shall never be able for to bear a Testimony in these witness-bearing times I but you know what the Martyr said I 'le set my foot against the Alce Driver foot of the proudest Prelate of them all in the cause of Christ But who gave power unto her Jesus Christ that saith I will give power unto my two Witnesses and he hath said so concerning all his Witnesses I will give power unto my two Witnesses that they shall Prophesie and bear witness and he is faithful and therefore why should you not go to Christ and lay your selves flat upon this Promise and say to him O Lord I am a poor weak Creature I fear I shall never be able for to bear my Testimony but thou hast said I will give power unto my two Witnesses I am one of thy Witnesses Now then O Lord give power to me for I am poor O remember this Promise here 's a gracious and a blessed Promise Christ saith himself I will give power unto my two Witnesses and he is faithful and will make it good And so I have done with the fourth thing namely what Prophesying is and how the Witnesses come to Prophesie in the times of their Sackcloth Christ gives them power 5. But then Fifthly what is the defence and guard that these Witnesses have whereby they are guarded and defended in their Prophesie The Text saith If any man will hurt them fire Proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies What 's that Fire proceedeth out of their mouth It may relate unto Moses but especially it relates unto Elijah a Prophet a Minister that when the Captain and his fifty came to do him hurt he called for fire from Heaven and destroyed the Captain and his fifty fire came out of his mouth by his prayers and when another Captain came and his fifty Elijah prayed and fire came down and destroyed him and his fifty Fire came out of his mouth plainly it relates to this of Elijah What then is this fire that proceeds out of the month of the Witnesses but the scorching and devouring Judgements of God whereby the Enemies of Gods people are blasted and destroyed by the prayers and threatnings of the people of God that come out of their mouth But if