to make War with him And if to worship the Devil be not Paganism and to worship Antichrist Idolatry what is and yet all this within the time of the thousand years according to either reckoning Nay the Beasts followers who were the Nations worshipping the Dragon within this time is a manifest Argument he was not then bound and shut up in the bottomless Pit but indeâ—d among them though in such a garb as he seems rather a Saint than a Devil deceiving of them 2 As if the Lord hath suffered it on purpose to banish from us all such thoughts it is a thing most observable that the Paganish Mahumetan Religion the like to which was hardly ever known in the world of a Religion springing from so inconsiderable a man and upon the sudden overspreading so many Countries had both its rise and a considerable part of its growth within this thousand yeers follow which account ye will Mahomet the first founder of that Religion living about the yeer of Christ 600. 3 Let it be shewn since the expiring of this thousand yeers whether we make them to expire according to the first account A.D. 1069. or according to the second 1300. whether the Gospel have flourished less and the Nations been deceived more than they were in the time of the thousand yeers both which according to the former interpretation should be for all the thousand yeers the Devil was bound that he could not deceive the Nations nor hinder the Propagation of the Gospel but now according to the last account of the thousand yeers he is loose and hath been three hundred yeers and upwards and therefore may do it and upon inquiry will it not appear that Antichrist hath more gone to ruine the Gospel hath shined more bright and flourished more the Nations have more freely not those called Christians only but of late some Pagans also given entertainment to it yea stood up for it than ever before all the time of the thousand yeers If so then certainly the Devil was not bound then unless we shall say that it is a better day when the Devil is loose than when he is bound and the way to destroy Antichristianism Paganism convert the Nations to Christ which things have more appeared since the time according to the common opinion the Devil hath been let loose than ever they did whilst he was bound is to let the Devil loose suffer him to deceive the Nations and do what heâ—lâ—sts in the world 3 MISTAKE which some who run upon the latter Account seem to hint at That the Dragons resigning up his Kingdome to the Beast which we read of Chap. 13.2 was for this reason because hee could keep it no longer but was out of hand to be bound I answer not so The Dragon did not resign because he saw he must be bound a thousand yeers but rather out of subtilty seeing by Christian Emperors his Heathenish Idolatry thrown down and himself for a little time cast out of his Throne that now he might in another way and under another form of Idolatry as formerly I have said creep in again therefore he resigns to Antichrist and indeed his Policy doth not fail him for by means of this Beast he gets in again yet now so subtil is he that all the time of the Beasts Kingdome till just toward the end when the Beast and his party are grown so desperate as that now they will joyn with the Devil or any to uphold their cause he will not shew himself what he is and therefore appears but very rarely as the Dragon from that day till the time of the last battel but rather still as a Saint with Antichrists mask on lest being discovered his subjects should flinch from him and he be cast out again Here is all the ground that ever I have met with for that opinion which makes the thousand years of Satans binding and the Saints reign to be already past which being nothing else but a very lump of Mistakes I do therefore for the foregoing Reasons conclude the thousand yeers to be yet to come and to follow successively as they are in this Prophecie laid down after the battel of Armageddon and indeed to be the very same only first here hinted in brief afterwards more largely handled which is the way and manner of laying down things in this Book with that New Jerusalem a description whereof we have Chap. 21. Chap 22.1 to the 6 which that it cannot be meant of Heavenly glory as most have supposed but must set forth a glorious state of the Church here on earth shall appear in our following Discourse I have not hitherto said which yet may be worth the weighing to see what may follow upon it That those who make the thousand yeers to be past do also make the one thousand two hundred and sixty yeers of the Beasts reign the treading underfoot the Holy City and the Womans being in the Wilderness and the Witnesses prophesying in sackcloath the same in respect of time with the Devils binding and the Saints reigning which two contraries how they will be made to agree is a thing that lyes out of the reach of my apprehension From what hath been said I suppose it will sufficiently appear that the first Scene that is like to be acted in the world upon the coming of Christ will not be the last and General Judgement but something else Yet do I not deny but that in a large sense the whole time from Christs coming to the end of all things may be called a Day of Judgement which therefore according to some is looked upon as one great day consisting of two parts as doth the natural day First the Evening or thousand yeers And secondly the Morning or General Judgement admitting only these two differences betwixt the judgement of the last day and that which shall be in the time of the thousand yeers 1 The judgement passed at the last day shall be the act of Christ alone there being then but one Great white Throne and one sitting upon it Rev. 20.12 I saw a great white Throne and him that sate upon it which agrees to Matth. 21.31 He shall sit upon the Throne of his glory Yea the whole business of the day is transacted by Christ himself the King alone acts he shall say to them on his right hand Come vers 34. to them on his left hand Depart vers 41. And when the righteous to exalt his grace the more profess their own unworthiness the King only replies in way of justification of them vers 40. and contrariwise when the wicked justifie themselves the King only replies shewing the equity of the sentence passed upon them vers 44 45. But now the judgement of sinners upon Christs second coming in the time of the thousand yeers untill the last day shall be by Christ and his Saints together and therefore of this time it is said Rev. 20.4 I saw Thrones in the plural number and they
Generation-work OR A Brief and Seasonable Word offered to the view and consideration of the Saints and People of God in this Generation relating to the work of the present Age or Generation we live in Wherein is shewed I. What Generation-work is and how it differs from other works II. That Saints in the several Generations they have lived in have had the proper and peculiar works of their Generations III. That it is a thing of very great coâ—cernment for a Saint to aeternal to and be industrious in the work of his Generation IV. Wherein doth the work of the present Generation lye V. How each one in particular may find out that part or parcel of it that is properly his work in his Generation VI. How Generation-work may be so carried on as that God may be served in the Generation The first part By John Tillinghast an unworthy Minister of the Gospel at Trunch in Norfolk Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson for Lâ—vewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1655. To the Supream Authority the Parlament of the Commonwealth of England Right Honorable AS the Lord Jehovah when he first chose Israel to be a peculiar people to himself out of all the Nations of the world did give unto them righteous Judges Moses Joshua Gideon Sampson Samuel c. such as were after his own heart and of his own raising up So is it his promise to his people in the last days before the dross of Sion shall be taken away and her tin purged and she called the City of righteousness the faithful City that he will restore their Judges as AT THE FIRST and their Counsellors as AT THE BEGINNING Isa 1.25 26. How high the faith and expectations of Gods people of late years have been as to the accomplishment of these things is known to many and what uncessant prayers have been put up to the Throne of Grace for the same is best known to the Lord. That you are raised up this day to be the repairers of our breaches and the restorers of paths to dwel in is we hope the long expected and much looked for fruit of this our faith and prayer which as it doth cause rejoycing within many hearts so hath it fixed the eyes of most upon you to observe what great thing that is which God by you is about to do for his poor people Not to teach you Right Honorable what is your work but to declare what that is which the Lord in the age we live in is about to do and expects his people should eye and follow him in is the design of this little Treatise which although it had its conception some months since and was then designed for other hands yet could it not be brought forth until this day in which it casts it self into yours not so much seeking protection for what is truth will stand of it self and what is not shall fall though by men protected as that it might hereby become the more serviceable to that great interest it pleads for in doing of which the Author hath obtained whatsoever is herein his end desire or joy And now Right Honorable God having raised you up and put into your hands so great an opportunity let not the same be lost for want of any improvement which may be made thereof this is your day to honor God and serve your Generation let this day slip and it may be hereafter when you would do the thing you shall not have a day to do it Men wise men good men have fallen before you by putting off and neglecting the work of their Generation take Feed lest ye also fall through the same example of neglect THE MORE EMINENT GODS HAND HATH APPEARED IN RAISING OF YOU THE MORE NAKED AND REMARKABLE WILL IT BEE IN THROWING OF YOU DOWN IN CASE YOU FAIL HIM AS OTHERS BEFORE YOU HAVE DONE But I am perswaded better things of you Right Honorable and things that accompany diligence though I am bold thus to speak for surely the Lord who in an extraordinary way hath brought you together hath some work more than ordinary to do by you wherein if you shall observe making it your business to follow him â—â—ing justly relieving the oppressed helping the fatherless â—eading the cause of the Widow and walking humbly before him though the Nations may rush against you as the rushing of many waters yet the Lord will rebuke them and you shall be as a burdensome stone to all your Enemies round about who shall weary themselves with you though all the people of the earth should be gathered together against you for behold the day is coming in which the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his people and his indignation towards his Enemies which when you shall see your hearts shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herb and your tongue shall speak and say Lo this is our God we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his Salvation and when the light of this day is come and the glory of the Lord shall be risen upon you it shall then never repent you that you have put your hands though with your lives in them to the work of Christ but whatsoever you have herein done or suffered shall now be your glory joy and Crown of rejoycing which that you may at this day from Christ obtain and in the mean time be faithful in his work he shall continue to pray for who is Your Honors humble and unworthy Servant John Tillinghast July 8. 1653. To the Saints and people of God in England Children of the same Father Members of the same Body partakers of the same Spirit having the same hope Grace and Peace be multiplied DEarly beloved in the Lord It is not many years since that this poor Nation and you in the same did sigh and groan by reâ—son of that bondage both Civil and Spiritual which we were in to the will of tyrann cal unjust oppressors and the superstitious innovations and injunctions of Antichristiâ—n Task-masters What your fears and prayers yea resolutions to do for God in case of deliverance were at this time the casting your eye a few years back again taking a view of the state of things without according as the wheel did then move and the frame and carriage of your souls within under all will better remember you of than I can tell you How suitable the spirits and actings of many of you who in this day were Gods remembrancers and Sions mourners have since the time God hath cast off the heavy yoke and broken the bonds of our oppressing persecutors been to your past prayers and resolutions I fear and yet I hope when the violence of your distemper shall be over and you so far recovered as to weigh things in the ballances of righteousness love and impartiality not so much others as your selves
the House of Austria or rather as he is doing of it he shall give a powerful call to the Witnesses that by the power of that House at this instant time shall he dead which is the voyce from Heaven whence all the Angels of the Vials comes Chap. 15.5.6 saying to them Come up hither Rev. 11.12 which voyce no sooner shall they hear but in the view and faces of their enemies they shall straightway in a Cloud i.e. under the wings and protection of this Angel who by his power shall be unto them as a Cloud by day to shelter them from the burning heat of the now inslamed Sun i.e. the rage of this incensed House ascend to Heaven They ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud and their enemies beheld them Object If it be said But there is somewhat here which seems directly to oppose such a thing as thâ—s viz. That the Witnesses rising can be aimed at in this place because in the following words it is expresly said They blasphemed the God of Heaven and repented not to give him glory but at the rifing of the Witnesses we have the contraâ—y chap. 11.13 The remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven I Answer That the 16. Chapter speaks of those onely upon whom the Vial did directly fall who being no other than incorrigible enemies devoted to destruction as our fourth Proposition proves they are by them still more and more hardned to their fatal ruin But that Remnant spoken of chap. 11. are such upon whom God doth not poure out the Vial I mean the wrath of it although as to common and outward calamities they may feel it with the rest but rather such who though through ignorance they stand in the croud amongst those the Vial fals upon yet hath God special grace and mercy in store for which by pouring out this Vial upon the rest they come to partake of having their eyes hereby opened to see Gods hand and their hearts in truth turned to acknowledge the same and give him glory or at leastwise such they are who seeing Gods hand do so far acknowledge the same as wholly to relinquish and have nothing to do with that Antichristian party they formerly sided with The EFFECTS 1. EFFECT Scorching with great heat Vers 9. And men were scorched with great heat The Antichristian faction seeing this that the Witnesses whom they reckoned they had killed and made sure of are now in the very faces of them got upon their feet to torment them and that under such Protection as that though stand and look upon them they can yet hurt them they are not able they shall hereat be so inraged as that they shall scorch themselves even with the fire of their own rage for indeed nothing torments a man inwardly like this to see his deadly enemy rising to rule over him and he no way able to hinder or prevent it 2 EFFECT A blaspheming the God of Heaven who had power over these plagues instead of repenting to give him glory And blasphemed the God of Heaven who had power over these plagues and repented not to give him glory The Papals i.e. that incorrigible Crue upon whom this Vial falls shall now themselves begin to see that the hand of the God of Heaven is manifestly against them in these Plagues by whose power and command alone they are ordered to fall upon them yet shall not this conviction bring them to repent and give him the glory of but rather they shall blaspheme that hand they now behold lift up against them and as it was with Pharoah when God plagued him he hardened himself so shall they by these Plagues become the more obdurate and hardened to a wilfull persisting in their iniquity Thus much as touching the fourth VIAL VIAL V. 1 The Subject of it The Seat of the Beast AND the fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beast Vers 10 That by Seat of the Beast should here be meant Antichrists Kingdom in general as some conceive seems inconsistent with the very words themselves which speak not of destroying the whole but rather a darkning of the whole by ruining some eminent part yea according to this interpretation no need would be unless we suppose this Vial alone too weak of any more Vials to be poured forth upon the Kingdom of the Beast which yet notwithstanding after this hath a greater storm falling upon it and that to its final ruin than ever any before Those who by Seat of the Beast understand the Popes Supremacy The Angel pouring forth this Vial to be King James in that Paraphrase of his upon this Book but chiefly his premonition To all most Mighty Monarches Kings Free-Princes and States of Christendom James by the Grace of God c. are certainly mistaken as appears by our second Proposition A man whom Gods people in this age are much beholding to doth by Seat of the Beast understand Episcopacy his principal reason is because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes in Scripture put for that form of Government and Authority which a person of State sitting upon the Throne may administer the pouring out this Vial to be about the year 1639. when the Scots entred into Covenant to withstand and abolish Episcopacy but though I highly honor the memory of the pious and grave Author of this opinion yet canl not receive it 1 Because this Vial speaks wholly of things to come not past as this is 2 Because we have already seen the downfal of Episcopacy under another Vial. 3 Because although the downfal of Bishops in our Isle was a blow to be noted yet not such a blow as filled the Kingdom of the Beast with darkness making the Papals to gnaw their tongues for pain as this doth 4 Because not this but another thing is yea must be the subject of this Vial namely The City Rome The very thing here intended a is evident 1 Because the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seat is but once more used in all the Revelations where the same is applied to the Beast chap. 13.2 The Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority and that there it cannot in the former sense but must in this latter be understood is manifest because Seat is distinguished from Power and Authority as being a thing distinct from them therefore the Beasts form of Government or Authority cannot be the thing intended thereby but it must be interpreted of his place of residence namely the City Rome 2 Because the order that the Holy Ghost observes afterwards in declaring more fully what under the Vials is but briefly hinted at agrees most exactly to this sense but by the other is broken to pecces for Chap. 18. relates to Romes ruin and Chap 19. concludes with the battle of Armageedon accordingly the City Rome is the Subject of this Vial and suddenly after Ver. 16. comes in the battle of Armageddon whereas if the ruin of the
place of their own destruction Verse 16. ANd he i.e. Christ gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew Tongue Armageddon These words have relation to the 14. Verse where we have the Kings of the Earth and the whole world gathering together to the battel of the great day of God Almighty onely because whilst they are gathering together from all parts and now in a manner their whole body united and ready to swallow up his people Christ appears and interposeth himself betwixt his people and their bloody raging enemies therefore we have the coming of Christ Verse 15. brought in between their gathering together and their full and compleat Randezvouze and so these words come to be dis-joyned from the former As touching the place here called Armageddon the opinions of Writers are various which being not a thing so material I shall not recite my own thoughts incline to their opinion who read it the place of destruction of an Army And possibly there may be an allusion in the name to that great destruction of the Canaanites at the waters of Megiddo Judg. 5.19 when Sisera the chief Captain of Jabin with all his Host fell by the hand of Deborah and Barak where was made such a total destruction that it is said Judg. 4.16 And the Host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword and there was not a man left And indeed I the rather incline to this interpretation for the agreeableness of it to those other Scriptures where as before I have shewed this battel is spoken of Isa 63.6 I will tread down the people in mine anger and make them drunk in my fury Chap. 66.16 The slain of the Lord shall be many Joel chap. 3.14 calls it the valley of Decision or cutting off and Rev. 19.21 The remnant were slain with the sword of him that sate on the Horse All implying a great and marvellous destruction of enemies The meaning of the whole is That Christ himself as well as the spirits before mentioned Vers 13 14. hath a special hand in the gathering together this cursed Troop they to destroy the Saints and people of Christ but he to manifest his love to his children and his own glory the more upon his appearing and to revenge upon them with his own hand the blood of his people and although their coming up and gathering to a head is through their instigation yet the disposing of their Quarters and place of Randezvouze is his who gathers them together into the appointed place of their destruction where for his peoples sake he intends to render upon them his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire as Isaiah expresseth it And methinks when my thoughts are fixed upon this day I cannot but sometimes stand and admire not so much at the ruin of the enemies as at that matchless love of Christ towards his which will appear in doing of it who seems at this day to act the holy passions of a provoked Father and Husband who having seen his children oft murdered before his face and his beloved Spouse now in the hands of the Murderers can no longer forbear but in the heat and vehemency of affection with unexpressible indignation he himself with his drawn sword rusheth forth upon the Murderers as not contented to have their blood if his own hands be not dipped in it fighting with fury through and through and from the rage of his mightily provoked spirit being become deaf to all cryes kils and slays without pity or mercy and is so far from sadly resenting what he hath done afterwards as that he is marvellously delighted yea glories in it that for the sake of his Children and Spouse whose quarrel he hath been now revenging he hath ingaged so far as to come off the field with Garments dyed red in the blood of their enemies which excellently we have set forth Isa 63. where we have Christ after this wonderful slaughter made of his peoples enemies and that with his own hand who therefore is said to come from Edom Edom being ever a cruel enemy to Israel turning himself and in a way of triumph presenting himself to his Spouse who seeing one coming glorious in his apparrel i.e. most delightful to behold and yet withall having Garments dyed in blood and travelling as a mighty Gyant in the greatness of his strength she is astonished and as in an ex asie through wonderment fear and joy she cryes out Who Who is this that cometh from Edom in such a manner with dyed Garments yet glorious in his apparrel travelling in the greatness of his strength To whom Christ presently replies It is I O my Spouse It is I who am mighty to save thee who for thy sake have been treading the Winepress alone trampling the people in mine anger making them drunk in my fury bringing down their strength to the Earth and it is so far from repenting me of any thing that for thee I have done that were there or shall there be any more to gather together against thee I can yet do no less for my heart is filled with vengeance than tread them in mine anger yea trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my Garments and I will slain all my Rayment Wonderful unspeakable love aâ—ming a most dear and blessed Saviour with burning affections and fury cladding him with zeal and vengeance as a cloak that hee might plead their cause and avenge their quarrel pour abroad the blood of their enemies who by their sins have thrust a spear in his side and wickedly poured out his What heart without melting into tears can consider of this Thus much as touching the fourth and last thing namely Christs wonderful disposing of his enemies to their own ruine with which concludes the Interval or space of time betwixt the sixth and seventh VIALS VIAL VII 1 The Angel pouring it out Vers 17. AND the seventh Angel poured out his Vial. The Angel of this Vial is doubtless Christ himself whose coming we spake of but now and who instantly upon his coming pours out this Vial called the Archangel 1 Thess 4.16 who is there said to come with a shout or voyce The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voyce of the Archangel And accordingly as an Adjunct accompanying this Vial we have a great voyce The seventh Angel poured out his Vial and there came a great voyce out of the Temple of Heaven which voyce is no other but the voyce of Christ himself as I shall shew anon 2 The Subject of it The Air. Into the Air No subject can be more general than the Air which containeth all things fills all places in which all Creatures breath The universality of the subject notes the pouring out of this Vial to be universal the fore-going Vials have fallen upon particular subjects The first upon the grosser parts of Popery The second upon the Antichristian Hierarchy The third upon some
his Generation And as a Souldier in the field may do the work of his calling by being faithful unto and valiant for those who intrust him and yet the work of his calling and Generation being mixed not eye all this while the work of his Genâ—ration So may a Minister in the Pulpit do the work of his calling by preaching truth soundly and powerfully and yet not having respect to what truths the present Age and the necessity of his hearers do in a more especial manner rather than others call for the opening and applying of he may miss the work of his Generation 3 A Saint by vertue of his station and relation may have some duty lying upon him which may be the work of his generation and yet the work of his station and relation As for instance A godly man is a Minister of a Family for him now according to his ability to teach instruct and prinâ—iple his Wife Children and Servants and to govern in his Family is the duty of his station or the place God hath set him in and the duty of his relation also as he is a Husband Father Master and when he doth this hee doth no other thing than what the station God hath set him in and the bond of relation binds him to perform Buâ— now when he doth so govern in his Family and so instruct and principle those under him and in relation to him as that both himself and his may acknowledge and in some measure answer the call of Gods present dispensations towards the age he lives in whether to suffer if the dispensation call for that or to be serviceable in any active way to some special cause of God on foot in that age he doth the work of his Generation though his activity lye within the bounds of his family yet so long as what he acts tends to bring himself and his as much as may be to answer the present dispensations of God he doth the work of his Generation 4 A Saint by vertue of the present condition he may be in may stand obliged to some duty which yet may be the work of his Generation as well as of his condition As to exercise faith and patience under sufferings for Christ is the work of a suffering condition but now if my sufferings fall out in such an age wherein the Church of God in general lies under persecution then the exercise of faith and patience under the Cross is not onely the work of my condition but the very work of my Generation that which the dispensations of God in the age I live in cals for at my hands By what hath been said we see that such a case may be that in the substance of the work that work which lies upon a Saint as a Saint and which is the work of his calling station relation and condition may be the same with the work of his Generation and yet in divers respects there may be such a vast difference that one man doing the same work shall do more then that which lies upon him and every one else as Saints or which his calling station relation or condition calls for and another in doing the very same work shall do all this as well and better than he and the work of his Generation also From what hath been spoken as touching this the final conclusion is that the work of our generation is not any work distinct in substance from all other works for were it sout would be a thing more easie to find it out than indeed it is but the difference lies in considering the same work in divers respects 't is not diversity of work so much as diversity of respect in working that makes the difference Secondly The next thing to be opened is That the Saints in their several Generations have had and still have their proper and peculiar works My meaning is That there is some work which is more properly the work of Saints living in one generation than it is of Saints living in another Saints of this Generation have some works which Saints of former Generations had not and Saints of former Generations had some works which Saints of this Generation have not For the making out of this I shall draw a line through the severall Generations that Saints from the beginning have lived in and take a view of Saints and of their work or works each of them in their several Generations To begin with Noah for I cannot point out all Generations from Adam downwards but such onely upon which some remarkable actions of eminent Saints dwelling in those Generations are fixed thereby making them memorable to after times he besides all his other works had the proper work of his Generation which was to build an Ark for the preservation of his house and the creatures from the flood and universal deluge by which he preached a real Sermon for one hundred and twenty years to the Old World all the while the Arke was a preparing and by which the Apostle saith Heb. 11.7 He condemned the world i.e. the persons of that Generation and this work it was a work distinct from the work of all other Generations Next to him Abraham had the proper work of his Generation which was to go forth of his Country and from his Fathers house unto a Land which God should shew him and there to follow God from one place to another beleeving that one day his seed should enâ—oy that Land that now he was a stranger in but in the mean time to dwell in Tents with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise This was not the work of after Generations yet was it the work of his and their Generations After him Mose and Aaron and other faithful ones in their dayes had the proper work of their Generation which was to look up to God and trust him for meat and drink and rayment and preservation in a barren wilderness where none of these things were to be had and where they lay open to cruel enemies on every side to the malice of cruel imbittered enemies To trust God in such an extraordinary way was not the work of after Generations which yet was the special work of this Generation Come to Davids time he also had the proper work of his Generation wherein as our Text witnesseth he served God which was to cut down Gods enemies round about and thereby to make room and provision for the house of God which was to be built at Jerusalem here was his distinctive work Next after him comes Solomon whose distinct work was to build the Temple of God which his Father David had made room and provision for To pass over the works of many following Generations let us come to Jeremiah's time had not Gods people in that age the proper work of their Genenation which was willingly to put their necks under and quietly submit unto the yoke of the King of Babylon giving themselves up unto captivity
talking with them especially to Moses as never man befides him enjoyed the like yet these two so choise and worthy instruments because they failed a little in the work of that Generation which was as before was shewn to beleeve in God and trust his power and goodness although their failing was at such a time which one would judge might render them excusable at least less guilty wherein the whole Congregation erred with them and as it were did hurry them into it yea and for Moses he never fayled but this time so that this once excepted he all along had followed God fully Yet I say because they failed God in that work which was the work of the Generation they for that and no other reason are laid by as to the perfecting of that work viz. bringing of Israel into Canaan which most happily and prosperoufly was begun and carried on a great way under them as instruments as Numb 20.12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron because ye believe me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therfore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the land which I have given them So exceedingly displeasing to God are errors in the work of our generation that he will not let such things pass no not in his dearest children without some signal manifestation of his displeasure And which I cannot let pass without a further mark yet set upon it as a thing most worthy the serious thoughts of every one and such in especial whom God above others hath used and honoured in the work of the Generation is how that one single failing in the work of the Generation may cause a Moses to be laid aside 4 Danger of stumbling at the work of the Generation and all the dispensations of God about it The Jews in Christs time neglected the work of their Generation which was to beleeve in Christ receive him as the true Messiah whose coming their Nation was in expectation of and the very work it self through this neglect became a stumbling stone to them they stumble at it to think they should receive this man for their Messiah and stumbling at the work they likewise stumble at the several dispensations of God about it Christ comes of mean Parentage they stumble at that appears first from Galilee they stumble at that works miracles they stumble at that is followed by Publicans and sinners they stumble at that commits the Gospel to poor Fishermen they stumble at that Neglect the work of thy Generation and stumble at it Stumble at the work of thy Generation and stumble at all the dispensations of God about it 5 Danger of being blinded in or shut out of the work of the next Generation in case thou live to see it For God in his just judgement when men have shut their eyes against and withdrawn their hands from the work of the present Generation doth blind these persons to and will not honor them in the work of the following Generation though yet they may live to see it The Scribes and Pharisees wilfully shut their eyes to the work of Johns Generation and what followed they see afterwards the work of Christ in his Generation and of the Apostles in theirs and through the just judgement of God upon them their eyes are shut and they are blinded thereto A most pregnant place to our purpose we have Ezek. 44. vers 9. to 17. where under legal phrases and allusive termes the Holy Ghost setting forth Gospel-worship speaks very pathetically of two sorts of Priests belonging to that Gospel-state One were such as had defiled themselves with the pollutions of the former Generation by going astray to Idols when Israel went astray vers 10 12. who by way of punishment are to bear their iniquity which is not wholly to be turned out of the work of God who will still use them in the general and more common acts of his worship as vers 11 14. but to be set by as to the more special and peculiar acts of his worship in the Generation because they polluted themselves with the Idolatries and Superstitions of the former Generations as vers 12 13. Another sort of Priests there were who when Israel and their fellow-labourers went astray and defiled themselves by Idolatry did notwithstanding walk closely with God keeping their Garments pure from the defilements of that Generation these are privileged to draw neer to God in the more special acts of his worship to come into his Sanctuary and perform the service not of the outward Court only but of his Table as vers 15 16. The difference betwixt these is worthy yet a more narrow search The one have the charge of the gates of the house vers 11. the other Gods charge in his house vers 16. the one shall only kill the burnt offering and sacrifice for the people vers 11. the other shall stand before God to offer the fat and the blood vers 15. The one shall stand before the people to minister to them vers 11. the other shall come neer to Gods Table to minister to him vers 16. The one shall bear all this as their shame for their former abominations vers 13. the other shall receive all this honor as a reward for their not partaking in the abominations of the former age vers 15 16. The result of all is clearly this That such persons who have plaid loose with God in the former Generation though live they may to see the next Generation and be imployed in some common works yet will not God use them in the special works of that Generation except such of them that shall renounce their former pollutions of which more hereafter 6 Danger of becoming an Apostate and an open enemy to the truths of God Demas forsakes Paul and the work of his Generation and what follows he becomes an Apostate and exchangeth Heaven for Earth imbracing this present world In the Apostles dayes the great work of that Generation was the constituting of Churches and Saints assembling themselves together for mutual edification in Christian societies and if you mind it the Apostle lays the rise of that Soul-damning sin of wilful Apostacy in a neglect of this Heb. 10.25 26. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is For if we sin wilfully And which I cannot here pass over that unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit which our Saviour himself chargeth the Scribes and Pharisees with took as is apparent its rise hence For first they neglect the work of their Generation viz. of receiving Christ this neglect draws on an opposition this opposition malice against Christ this malice brings forth blasphemy against those very works of Christ calling them Diabolical which their consciences now and then convinced them were wrought by the power of God this malicious and deliberate blaspheming of what their Consciences I say now and then for they had apparent stumbling-blocks before them with which undoubtedly
opposition hath been so great an offence that not onely the common multitude but right honest hearts have from hence stood a loof from and been shy of the work of their Generation Christ could not be received of the Jews for their Messiah because the religious party of the Priests and Pharisee did oppose him And how great an offence was this to the poor simple meaning people who but a little before seeing his works cryed out Hosanna being now by these men of credit possest that he was a Deluder they change their note and cry crucifie him crucifie him as the story tells us 4 At the after-miscarriages and errors of those who have been the onely active instruments and lights at first in the work of the Generation T is matter of offence to not a few to see men active at first in the work of their Generation prove afterwards retarders of the work and darkness thence to spring whence the first light of the Generation did arise Hence most are apt to call in question the righteousness of that cause and purity of that light which the first owners by future miscarriages have cast a blemish upon Now though there seemeth in it to be just matter of jealousie yet if seriously weighed and compared with foregoing Presidents it is not so for who knows not that Solomon was the first King of Israel that ever built a house for the true worship of God and yet the first that ever built High places for Idolatry Peter was the first Disciple that publickly confessed Christ and yet the first that openly denyed him Judea was the first place where Gospel-light did shine and from whence the world was enlightned and yet the first place where error sprung up and the light of the Gospel darkned Act. 15.1 Certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren except yee be circumcised after the manner of Moses yee cannot be saved 5 At the gastly look and untrodden footsteps of some particular dispensations and actings attending the work of the Generation In all Generations almost there have been in managing the work of the Generation some particular actings which outwardly have had so foul an aspect that if not be held with an eye seeing God his will and design therein might justly breed offence dislike in the beholders With how offensive a eye did that act look how may we think in reason might it tend to the hardning the Egyptians that Israel going out of Egypt pretending to worship God should by a cheat as setting Gods will aside mans reason would account it plunder the Egyptians of all their Jewels and riches a thing which if done without Gods special command had been contrary to morality And whether or no had not Gods command authorized Joshua thereunto could that act of his in entring Canaan and not onely taking their Land from them but also putting all the Inhabitants both young and old to the sword been termed any other than an act of inhumane and barbarous cruelty Yea further let reason be judge of that act of Jaels in murdering Sisera at a time when his Master was in league with her Husband and when as he too as a man flying for life committed himself to her for shelter and what will it call the same but treacherous dealing an act of perfidiousness and highest injustice What need I multiply let reason not seeing Gods will be judge of Jehues action in putting the King his Master to death and extirpating the Royal Family and will it not brand the same with the odious names of Disloyalty Usurpation and Treachery to his Prince which yet was an act commanded by God God having so ordered it that in all ages there should stand in the work of the Generation some such facing and staring actions as should not onely amuse men but also offend the eyes of the obstinate weak or ignorant beholders 2 Take heed of being discouraged As offences on one hand hath put many a man by the work of his Generation so have discouragements on the other hand put some by and weakned the hands of others in the work Now there are several things at the which men are discouraged whereof I shall particularize a few As 1 At the littleness and lowness of beginnings It is Gods way in the carrying on of his great and glorious works of wonder ever to begin very low and rise high by degrees I shall instance onely in two things both appertaining to Christs Kingdom and the rather because as hath been shewed that it is the great work of this age 1 The Kingdom of Christ in his Churches it is a most glorious work yet low in the beginning The building of the second Temple which as hath been said was the type of this had first a day of smal things which lookers on were ready to despise Zach. 4.10 Who hath despised the day of smal things before a day of great things First a foundation stone is laid and then Zerubbabel the builder hath his hands holden forty years before he can lay a top-stone or bring the work to perfection The planting of Churches in the Primitive times what a low beginning had it one Paul and a few poor Fisher-men acting in this work and that against all the world This is lively set forth in that Parable Matth. 13.31 The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard-seed It begins as a grain of mustard-seed which is the least of all seeds and of this but one grain not many yet in the end it grows a Tree that the Fowls of the Heaven câ—me to lodge in the branches of it 2 The Kingdom of Christ over the world the glory of this work is such that when it shall be the whole earth shall be full of the glory of it yet how little and low shall this work be in the beginning It is at first a stone cut out of the mountains without hands little and weak yet after a great mountain filling the whole earth Dan. 2.34 35. It is first a little one after that a thousand Isa 60. ult A little one shall become a thousand It first begins in Sion i.e. in the Churches amongst a company of poor despised worshippers of Christ whereof Sion was a type Psa 2.6 Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion Afterwards it spread it self over all the world Vers 8 9. Aske of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron thou shalt break them in peeces like a potters vessel Davids Kingdom the most lively type of Christs Kingdom over the world how low and seemingly unlikely ever to rise was it in the beginning One David a poor mans Son a keeper of sheep to be a King and yet his Kingdom at present in the hands of another a powerful King Saul one chosen and annoynted by God to whom the
they come out of Aegypt but they are instantly at deaths door being surrounded as it were with destruction a Sea before them Roâ—ks impassable of either side an host of armed men behind them coming purposely to destroy them No sooner is this danger over but wanting bread the whole Congregation is ready to famish with hunger and this no sooner past but they want water and are all at the point of perishing for thirst and by that time this was over Amalek a warlike Nation engageth them who had never seen War in the open wilderness God had great mercy mercy upon mercy for Israel and here were great sentences of death sentence of death upon sentence of death attending them as they were in the way to it Now that which was the misery and indeed the very undoing of this people was that instead of beleeving when a sentence of death was over them they were discouraged thereby and streight way began to murmure which murmuring of theirs in the end cost them dear as the story will tell us But the principal thing in my aim is this which is worth our observation viz. That it was a mear discouragement occasioned by a sentence of death put upon the work of the Generation through the evil report brought home by those spies sent to view the land of Canaan which was the fatal Rock whereupon the whole Nation of six hundred thousand men and upwards Caleb and Joshuah excepted did suffer shipwrack as will appear by comparing Num. 13.32 with Chap. 14.1 2 28 29 30. A lesson for those to think of who giving way to their discouragements when a sentence of death is upon Christs cause do flinch from the work of Christ in these dayes 3 Take heed of envy against such whom God imploys in the work of the Generation Envy against instruments imployed by God in Generation-work was a part of Israels sin for which they fell in the wilderness as Psal 106.16 They envied Moses in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of God Meer envy against Christ drew the Priests and people in Christs time to reject him and sin against the work of the Generation Matth. 27.18 Mark 15.10 Envie of persons imployed in the work hath oft-times raised opposition to the work it self of the Generation That work which if done by some should have found approbation is therefore displeasing because done by others As said a Popish Cardinal in Luthers time A reformation indeed is needful and to the wished but that Luther a rascal Frier should be the man should do it this is intollerable 4 Take heed of procrastinating that work which is the business of the present Generation under a pretence that the time of doing of it is not yet come neither are things ripe for it This was the fault of those in Haggai's time for which they are sharply reproved for it who did put off the work of the building of Gods house under pretence the time was not come Hag. 1.2 This people say the time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built 5 Take heed of limiting God to Ordinaries My meaning is in case ordinary means for the carrying on of the work be wanting and cannot be had take heed you do not so bind up God to these as thereupon to desert the work In Generation-work God in all ages hath allowed himself a latitude in working not tying himself to Ordinaries Now when God walks in a way of Extraordinaries it is not only lawful but a duty in case Ordinaries fail to beleeve for Extraordinaries It was an extraordinary thing to beleeve that the bare striking of a Rock should fetch out water thence enough to supply a million of people ready to dye for thirst Yet because Moses and Aaron in an age wherein God walked in a way of Extraordinaries did not beleeve for this their unbeleef is severely punished Num. 20.10 11 12. 6 Take heed of neglecting the nick of opportunity that God puts into thy hands to do the work of thy Generation in There is a day and a nick of opportunity which God lets some persons have to serve their Generations in which if let slip they are gone as to Gods using of them any more and that past recovery Ester had a nick of opportunity which had she slipped though deliverance should have arisen to Gods people another way yet she and her Fathers house had been destroyed There was a nick of opportunity that Israel had to enter Canaan upon the return of the Spies which had they imbraced the door stood open for them but they neglecting it though it were in a hasty fit and a thing which presently too they recanted wishing they had never done it the door is shut and now it is too late to repent it for their carkases must fall in the wilderness Take heed of loosing the nick of opportunity wherein thou mayst act for God lest afterwards when perhaps act thou wouldst God will not own thee in his work 7 Take heed of forecasting events but do thy work and leave events to God Jonas by forecasting events that God was gracious and would therefore spare Nineveh and then he should be esteemed a false Prophet runs from the work of his Generation Jon. 4.2 8 Take heed of setling thy self upon seeming godly and righteous principles when these clash with the work of the Generation Many men look no farther then this in case they have a principle which seems just and pious they think that will bear them out what ever they do But had not Caiaphaâ— so when he was Lord chief Justice in counselling and contriving the most notorious bloody design that ever saw light What more righteous and seemingly godly principle then this that one man should dyâ— to save the lives of a whole Nation yet this principlâ— so just so pious to an eye of reason was the Foster-father of that most cursed nefarious act I mean as acted by them of putting Christ to death And here to add an instance or two more borrowed of a worthy servant of Christ in these our dayes Mr. Owens Sermon preached before the Parliament Octob. 24. 1651. being the Publick Thanksgiving for our Worcester Deliverance because fitly applicable to the thing in hand What more righteous principle than this that it belongs to the chief Ruler of a Nation to see to the profit and glory of that Nation Yet Pharaoh setling himself upon this righteous principle only evil as it did cross the work of that Generation to the end his Realm might receive no detriment by letting Israel go whose continuance in that bondage was so much for their advantage he and his perish in their principles being led by these to act against the work of their Generation So what more prudent and just principle than this that it is not meet to let a Potent Enemy into the bowels of a Nation yet Sihon King of the Amorites upon this principle opposing Israel at the
City Rome as judgeth the worthy Author were not to be till the seventh Vial the order of the Holy Ghost in Chapters the 18 19. which relates the ruin of the City Rome before yet preparation is made to that battle would be manifestly broken 3 Because no interpretation can better-sute the words themselves for what may more properly be called Antichrists Soat then Rome the place where the Chair he sits in stands or what thing can befall the Beast which is more likely to fill his whole Kingdom with darkness yea make the Papals gnaw their tongues for pain than the destruction of Rome the Metropolis of that Kingdom 4 To these I may adde a fourth Argument urged by a learned Writer to our purpose Where the purpled Woman sits there is Antichrists Seat because she sits on the Beast that is Antichrist the purpled Woman sits at Rome because she sits on the seven Head of the Beast which are the seven Mountains of Rome Chap. 17.9 The seven Heads are seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth Rome therefore is yea must be the Seat of Antichrist Now as to the Objection That this City Rome comes under the seventh Vial where mention is made of Great Babylon coming into remembrance before God and that therefore it cannot be the Subject of this I shall to that say nothing here onely refer the Reader to our opening of that place for his answer Neither let any say as some object that this interpretation is literal contrary to the scope of the Vials which carry things in a mystery for it is easie to reply That did we by Seat understand the Seat or Chair it self that Antichrist fits in it would so be but whilst as here Seat is put for the place in which his Seat or Chair doth stand it is manifest enough that there is a figure and a mystery in the words 2. The EFFECTS 1 EFFECT The Kingdom of the Beast is full of Darkness And his Kingdom was full of Darkness By the fall of Rome the head City the whole Papal Kingdom shall suffer a great eclipse of its former esteem and glory for now shall the Kings of the Earth who have been formerly supports to this Kingdom and those Merchants of the Earth who have formerly traded with the Beast stand afar off as men afraid either to own or traffick with the Beast any longer for fear of her torment as is more fully set forth in the description of Romes ruin which we have at large Chap. 18. v. 9. to 20. 2 EFFECT Gnawing their tongues for pain And they gnawed their tongues for pain Noting the extremity of rage the Papals shall be in when they shall behold Rome the glory of their Kingdom made a ruinous heap and they no way able to revenge their own quarrel they shall act the parts of mad men who gnash their teeth bite their lips gnaw their tongues c. which also in suitable and emphatical expressions we have ch 18. v. 15 16 17 18 19. 3 EFFECT Blaspheming the God of Heaven because of their pains and sores Vers 11. And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds The marked sons of the Beast shall now yet more evidently see that their pain viz. their inward torments and vexation of mind by which they are in a manner distracted and their sores viz. the ecclipse of their outward glory causing their friends and adherents to desert their cause and interest proceed only and alone from the hand of the God of Heaven who now is remembring their in quities and judging of them yet as before they shall now again harden themselves and blaspheme the God of Heaven to their own destruction instead of repenting of their deeds to give him glory Concerning the time when this Vial shall be poured forth my thoughts are these That the Jews delivery being to begin as in my first part hath been proved in or about the year 56 and that being the Effect of the sixth or following Vial it therefore necessarily follows that the Vials upon the Sun and the Seat of the Beast must be poured forth sometime in the interim betwixt this and the yeer of our Lord 1656. or thereabouts and therefore although for so much as concerns the particular time I shall wave it yet may I safely conclude thus much in the general that the time is at hand Now the Reasons why so little time is allowed to these two Vials when as every of the former hath taken up much more are as I conceive 1 Because God is slow in beginning to pour out his wrath upon sinners waiting their repentance but when wrath hath been poured out upon them and they by the same grow hardened then his proceedings are more quick Hence in the first Vial a long breathing time to consider their wayes is allowed to these enemies of God which they not regarding but being more hardned under it God in pouring out the second cuts the time much shorter yet because under that they are hardned also therefore in the third time is cut shorter yet and because after God had smitten them three times they still are hardned and persist to oppose the Lord Jesus instead of submitting to give him glory therefore in the fourth and fifth Vials time is brought to a little scantling God doing that in a few dayes which before took up many yeers 2 Because with the pouring forth of this Vial the suffering of the Gentile-Churches as I conceive draws to an end though after this the Jews in that interval of time betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials are to have a day of suffering Now the nearer the end comes the faster will Christ go the finishing of the work shall be cut short in righteousness And therefore observable it is concerning both these Vials that the Scripture hath set a mark upon each to shew that their continuance is not to be long The fourth Vial under which the Witnesses rise hath this to note the suddenness of it The same hour there was a great Earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell Chap. 11.13 it is done in an hour i.e. in a very short time and of the fifth Vial poured out upon the City Rome it is said Her plagues shall come upon her in one day Chap. 18.8 and in one hour is her judgement come vers 10. in one hour so great riches is come to nought vers 17. in one hour she is made desolate vers 19. The oft repetition of so short a time plainly teaching thus much That the work shall bee done in an instant ere the Papals themselves or it may bee the instruments God will imploy in doing it are aware Thus much as touching the fifth VIAL VIAL VI. 1 The SUBJECT of it The great River Euphrates AND the sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates Vers 12 Those who understand the drying up of Euphrates in a
and crouch to her by which she is grown rich and gallant having by whoring and jugling got the riches the gold the precious stones and pearls of the first Beast to her self and to shew what an aspiring spirit she is of instead now of exercising the power of the first Beast i. e. of the Civil State by leave any longer she is now like Lord and King got upon the back of the first Beast who dares not cross her humor for she rides him and rules him at pleasure And indeed the first Beast is justly recompenced for setting up and countenancing such a Beast at first who according to the Proverb give an inch of power he will take an ell for whilst the first Beast remains a Beast still this second Beast is from a Beast advanced to be a Woman which not onely had robbed and plundered the coffers of the Beast and got all his riches from him but also knows how to ride the Beast master him and rule him as she list And certainly had not the first Beast been a very Beast I mean had not the Civil State at first so far degenerated as instead of acting rationally as a man to act sensually and bruitishly as a Beast this great inconvenience would have been foreseen in the beginning at least remedied in time before the second Beast was grown to such a height that he was now past taming and able to ride and master the first Beast that set him up Now whereas the Woman verse last is said to be the Great City it is as I suppose rather lain down as a Mark or character to know the Woman by and that from the place she was to sit in then a description of the Woman which verse 9. confirms me in by giving us to understand that the woman sits upon the seven Mountains i.e. the City Rome anciently built upon seven Mountains therefore the seven Mountains i. e. the City Rome is not to speak properly the Woman but the Seat of the Woman What I have said of the two Beasts the Beast and the Woman I may also say of the Beast and the false Prophet spoken of in the words I am opening The Beast here is the Civil State or the first Beast that ariseth out of the Sea the false Prophet the Ecclesiastical or second Beast whose rise is from the Earth And indeed he that shall but parallel the second Beast spoken of chap. 13. with what is spoken of the false Prophet chap. 19. will find them to be one and the same The false Prophet is a worker of Miracles chap. 19.20 so is the second Beast chap. 13.17 The false Prophet by his miracles deceives the Beasts followers chap. 19.20 so doth the second Beast chap. 13.14 The Beast and the false Prophet are helpful the one to the other for the Beast defends the false Prophet by his strength for chap. 19.19 no force at all is mentioned that this false Prophet had at that great Randezvouze who yet was presonally present with the Beast for he is taken prisoner vers 20. therefore the Beast defends him and the false Prophet by working miracles encourageth the Beast and his multitude with hope of good success God is of their side In like manner the two Beasts chap. 13. are as before hath been shewed helpful to each other The conclusion is that by false Prophet we are to understand the second Beast spoken of chap. 13. and by Beast and false Prophet to understand the same here as of the two Beasts there viz. the Civil and Ecclesiastical State onely with this difference that Beast which in his first rise was but a Beast afterwards when more grown a Woman riding upon and over-topping the Civil power or first Beast which gave him his rise is now in his declining condition a false Prophet For the loss of Rome where was his Magazine of Treasure together with the seizing and intercepting his Rents and Tributes by the Conqueror hath so pulled down the Beast so plucked the plumes of the Romish Ecclesiastical State i.e. brought the Pope and his Clergy to so low an ebb that it is now but little that they can contribute either to the assistance of the first Beast the Romish Civil power or towards the upholding of their own sinking Kingdom yet because having been a proud Whore this Beast is loath to be of little repute and to come back again to his first original of a poor earthly Beast yea would fain have the first Beast the Civil power still to dote upon him and reckon him a considerable party he will therefore seem now to make up by his fained piety and devotion what is wanting in his former outward strength and glory and now he can be nothing else he will needs be a Prophet to foretell good to his cause and Kingdom though none he can do it But observe as when he was a Beast he was an earthly Beast as when a Woman a Whore so now when a Prophet a false Prophet Though Antichrist may change shapes and formes he can never make himself better than he is but Antichrist he will be an Enemy to Christ an Imposter a Deceiver a Lyar still Having thus seen the meaning of the words and names which I have purposely insisted the larger upon because the right understanding hereof doth if I mistake not open the door into the very mystery of this Book I come to apply them to the business in hand thus The Dragon Beast and false Prophet who from the beginning were Partners going hand in hand and venturing States together seeing by the fall of the City Rome such a terrible shaking blow giving to their Kingdom as that the next blow if not prevented is like unavoidably to be fatal and to prove their utter ruin they therefore now all of them convene in some General Councel where they lay their heads together what thing is best for them to do to prevent another blow or if possible to recover their own again And upon debate two things being laid before them as matter of deep and serious consultation viz. The late loss they have received by the fall of Rome and that by causing some of the Kings of the Earth who were friends to their cause before now for fear of her torment lest the like should befall themselves to with-draw and stand a loof off 2 The great provocation since given to the Turk by those very Instruments their Enemies which is like to make him joyn in with the utmost strength hee can make out of desire to revenge himself and recover his own again to ruin if it may bee this growing party The vote or result of the meeting from the foregoing premises is that as the thing which doth most conduce to the upholding of their cause Agents and Ambassadors of the fittest they can find for such imployment be speeded away to such Kings of the earth as for the present seem backward in the cause to put life into
Beast into the lake of fire slaying the remnant Vers 20 21. This appears yet farther Dan. 12.1 There shall bee a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time shall thy people be delivered The concurrence of this day of trouble and the battel of Armageddon both with the time of the delivery of Daniels people or the Jews proves them to be one and the same Now that a coming there is here is clear At that time shall Michael stand up which that it is Personal will appear by comparing with Matth. 24. where all acknowledge his Personal coming is spoken of which yet is the same with this for Christ speaking of the time of it quotes this of Daniel vers 21 22. Then shall bâ—e great tribulation such as never was from the beginning of the world to this time no nor ever shall â—e Another evidence of this wee have Joel 3. which Chapter agrees exactly to the battel of Armageddon 1 In that the Kings of the earth and the whole world gather together Rev. 16.14 here all Nations vers 2. multitudes multitudes vers 14. 2 That is about the time of the Jews return for when the Kings of the East are upon coming in the Kings of the Earth gather together So this vers 1 2. For behold in those dayes when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will gather all Nations 3 That is the great day of God Almighty Rev. 16.14 the Supper of the great God Chap. 19.17 this the day of the Lord spoken of by way of emphasis vers 14. The Day of the Lord is neer 4 That shall be in a place called Armageddon Rev. 16.16 signifying a place of destruction his in the valley of decision vers 14. i.e. the place of cutting off where God will cut off his enemies 5 That is the treading of the Winepress Rev. 19.15 So this vers 13. the press is full the fats overflow But is here a Personal coming yea vers 16. The Lord shall roar out of Sion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the heavens and the earth shal shake agreeing to thaâ— Hag. 2.6 7. of which presently v. 17. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Sion my holy Mountain agreeing to that Rev. 21.3 Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them So Hag 2.6 7. I will shake the heavens and the earth and the Sea and the dry land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come This being the same with the other of Joel can relate to no other time than the battel of Armageddon Now the coming here spoken of is not spiritual for the Prophets of the Old Testament having an eye upon Christ as yet to come do mostly if not ever when they speak of his coming intend such a coming of the Messiah as they expected and waited for which was Personal Neither can this coming be his first coming which was in a time of great peace not of shaking Heaven Earth all Nations as this is then was Christ the desire of the Jews only because known only to them but at this coming he is the desire of all Nations to which let me adde the Apostle speaks of this as a thing to be fulfilled Heb. 12.26 27. Nor can the words look to the last and General Judgement as if this coming were not till then because after this coming Gods House here below is to bee built and God will give peace in this place i.e. either largely taken for the Earth or strictly for Jerusalem and hard it will be to prove either of these things at or after the General Judgement This coming therefore must be that in the Text I come as a Theef both agreeing in time and this being personal that must also The like to this we have with much clearness vers 21 22 23. Yet further this is clear Zech. 14.3 4 5. which place by all circumstances the combination being general of all Nations ver 2. the time about the time of the Jews discovery c. must needs be the same with the battel of Armageddon Now would you see a coming here read ver 3. Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those Nations Vers 4. And his feet shall stand in that day on the mount of Olives Mount Olives was the place whence Christ rode as King into Jerusalem Mat. 21.1 2 3. The place where Christ preached the most remarkable Sermon of his coming Mat. 24.3 the place whence Christ ascended Act. 1.9.10.11 12. and probably at his descending shall come thither again But perhaps this coming is not personal Yes ver 5 The Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee agreeing to that 1 Thes 3.13 At the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints which coming none deny to be his personal coming One place more and I conclude this Argument and that is Rev. 19.19 20 21. which that it is the same with the battel of Armageddon appears 1 In that the parties are the same the Beast the false Prophet and the Kings of the Earth being parties in both 2 The time is the same for this in the Vials hath two notable things going before it 1 The ruin of the City Rome under the fifth Vial. 2. The coming in of the Jews who are spoken of in the sixth Vial Accordingly that in chap. 19 hath preceding First Romes ruin chap. 18. Secondly The Marriage of the Lamb to his Bride including in it the Jews conversion chap. 19.7 8. 3 The Expressions argue them to be the same for one is called That great day of God Almighty vers 14. the other The Supper of the Great God chap. 19.17 In the one they are gathered to Armageddon a place of destruction vers 16. In the other the rout gathered together are slain with the sword of him that sits upon the horse that is Christ Object But how doth it appear that here is a Personal coming spoken of Answ 1. Christ comes as a Bridegroom vers 7 8 9. Now Christs coming as a Bridegroom is his Personal coming Mat. 25.6 10. Behold the Bridegroom cometh go yee forth to meet him 2 He is called the Word of God vers 13. The most glorious Title of all by which the person of Christ is expressed John 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God yea the person of Christ as considered in both Natures goes under this title ver 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us 1 Joh. 1.1 That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life It is Christ as personally present that is the object of the outward Senses Hearing Seeing Handling yet Christ as the Word was
sense and that in Christs admonition to the Church of Sardis Chap. 3.2 3. Yet considering that is but once and the other sense frequent there is hardly room left could nothing else be said for an indifferency in the the thing whether the coming here be spiritual or personal so as that we may take or leave but now when together with these the weight of the foregoing Arguments and Scriptures shall be put in the ballance it will then appear that there is not only a probability but a concluding strength in these also Before I leave the thing I shall adde yet further two Arguments more tending not so much to prove the Personal ceming of Christ to be here meant as in the general that the same is very neer and therefore most likely to be the coming here spoken of 1 Because the Apostle tells us 2 Thes 2.8 That the man of sin is to be consumed with the breath of his mouth and destroyed with the brightness of his coming which coming can be no other than his Personal coming because it was that coming the Apostle had been speaking of Vers 1 2. about which the Thessalonians were shaken in mind and troubled as conceiving it to be at hand possibly from what the Apostle had written in his first Epistle chap. 4.15 16 17. whence it might be inferred as if that present Generation should live to see that day and therefore he saith Not by word nor letter as from us Verse 1. which trouble the Apostle endeavors to remove by telling them that the man of Sin who was to be destroyed with the brightness of this coming was not as yet revealed and that therefore this coming which they were in doubt about could not be sudden Now observe do we already see the first viz. The Man of Sin in a consumption by the breath of Christs mouth i. e. the preaching of the Gospel then may we conclude the second viz. his final destruction which shall be by the brightness of Christs coming or appearing cannot be far off and therefore it is more consonant to the Apostles meaning to look for and expect this coming here betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials where a Personal coming is hinted which time is near to us than not to expect the same till the General Judgement which as shall appear hereafter is from us a thousand years at least how much more I know not and surely Antichrists continuance shall not be so long 2 Because Peter tells us expresly that Christs Personal coming shall be before the New Heavens and Earth 2 Epist 3.10 11 12. But the day of the Lord will come as a theef in the night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noyse and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up None that ever I mes with denies this to be his Personal coming yet afterwards and that too as a fruit of this coming which therefore Peter brings in with a nevertheless as having reference to the Heavens and Earth before dissolved comes in the promise of the New Heavens and Earth verse 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise seeming to have his eye upon those very New Heavens and Earth promised Isa 65.66 look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Now that these New Heavens and New Earth must be and therefore this coming which is to precede them before the last and General Judgement is clear because at the General Judgement the Earth and the Heavens fly away and their place is no more found Rev. 20.11 therefore no New Heavens or Earth after that yea the places in Isaiah which Peter hath his eye upon cannot be applied to the General Judgement or any time after it therefore the New Heavens and New Earth which this Personal coming is a fore-runner of must be before that day Obj. But when then are they or where are we to place them To that I Answer immediately after the battel of Armageddon or instantly upon the pouring forth of the seventh Vial when the voyce comes from the Throne It is dâ—ne Rev. 16.17 that is as appears Chap. 21.5 6. All things are made new He that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new and then verse 6. He i.e. He that sate upon the Throne still said unto me It is done one Phrase expounding the other If therefore Christs Personal coming according to Peter must be before these New Heavens and Earth and if these New Heavens and Earth are the effect of the seventh Vial then is it most agreeable to Peters sense as well as Pauls in our last words and the Prophets of the Old Testament yea our Saviour himself in our former Arguments to place the Personal coming of Christ here betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials where it is said I come as a Theef and indeed as Peter doth here mention a Personal coming a little before the New Heavens and the New Earth so doth Isa 66.15 16. with verse 22. and John likewise chap. 19.11 with chap. 21.1 both which comings I have proved to be personal so that in this there is a glorious Harmony betwixt them and therefore it is safest to make the coming and time thereof one and the same in all And truly to me it is a Riddle how any of those worthy men which are not a few who yet strongly affirm the pouring out of the seventh Vial to be the last and General Judgement can from their own Principle conclude any other than that the coming of our Text which is the immediate antecedent of the seventh Vial is yea must of necessity be a Personal coming Having hitherto been proving Christs personal coming to be the coming intended in these words I shall now nakedly discover my own thoughts about it which possibly may prevent the rise of some Objections in the breasts of others and withall be no weakening to my former Arguments which are That I do not conceive this coming to be any other than that second coming which is an Article of our Christian Faith and we all look for though not to be at this time and indeed what I said last out of Peter though I should add nothing else doth give it so to be for I can finde in Scripture but two personal comings of Christ one in which he bare our sins and the other in which he shall appear without sin to salvation Heb. 9.28 Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation and as all the Scriptures which speak of his Humiliation Death and Sufferings have relation to the first so those Scriptures which speak of his coming Kingdom and glory to the second And indeed that coming which good men look upon to be at the General Judgement doth most exactly agree to what is recorded of this coming for 1 That
the mean time to the Laws and commands of their Lord and Master Christ 2 From a looseness in practice in comparison of what they were formerly for observe 1 They slumber i.e. give a little way to pride remisness in duty examining and watching over their hearts c. allow themselves to be a little more worldly stretch Conscience a little for gain and reach after places honors preferments the love of great men though gained by unfaithfulness to God and them too more then a time was they durst do and thus having first by a slumber benum'd their Consciences which now are not so tender and apt to be pricked with the least thorn as in times past they were the next degree is a fast sleep they all slumbered and slept vers 5. i. e. what before they neglected through carelesness now they throw off from a principle that they need not do any such things whereupon they lay themselves down and as a man asleep stir not act not in any Duty or Ordinance or work of their Lord and Master Christ I wish from my heart were it the Lords will that all those who at this day amongst us are asleep might from this word have such a jog as might cause them to rub up a little and to bethink themselves how they fell asleep 2 An extraordinary deluge and over-spreading of errors Christs second coming herein agreeing to his first for never was the Church and Commonwealth of the Jews so infested with errors as about the time of his first coming And this we have plainly chap. 24. where Christ tels us First That there shall be many Seducers vers 5. Many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many Vers 11. And many false Prophets shall arise and shall deceive many Vers 24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets Secondly These Seducers shall pretend Commission from Christ therefore said ver 5. to come in his name i.e. pleading his Commission Thirdly They shall profess themselves to be extraordinarily gifted persons inspired by Christ endued with the gift of Prophecy called therefore Prophets Vers 11 24. Fourthly They shall do strange and wonderful things things not common or of ordinary observation Vers 24. There shall arise false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders Fifthly They shall have many followers and Disciples ver 5. Shall deceive many yea ver 24. so cunning shall these be in deceiving that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. 3 A sad and searfull Apostacy of divers who formerly were eminent and glorious Lights in the Church Vers 12. The love of many shall wax cold which words are to be understood of a final Apostacy because in the next verse perseverance to the end is set in opposition to their Apostacy but he that shall indure to the end the same shall be saved Ver. 29. The stars shall fall from Heaven By HEAVEN we are to understand the visible Church so called in Scripture I heard a great voyce of much people in Heaven saying Haleluyah Revel 191. that is in the visible Church By STARS eminent men in the Church Revel 1.20 The seven Stars are the Angels or Officers of the seven Churches The meaning is eminent men men that were formerly of no small note in the Church for their seeming zeal and piety shall now shew themselves what they are and become Apostates 4 An aptness to be offended at the things that shall be done in the world in these times Vers 10. Then shall many be offended They shall not be able to brook what God in an active way will do in a permissive way will suffer but every thing they shall at this day cast their eies upon will stumble them and offend them make them kick and sling so that the very world will be a torment to them and they to themselves 5 A hating of fellow-brethren with a notable persecuting spirit lying at the bottom Vers 10. shall betray one another and shall hate one another Verse 48. If that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming Vers 49. And shall begin to smite his fellow-scrvants and to eat and drink with the drunken What is the meaning hereof Why eating and drinking denote friendship and civil society the meaning then is this many men in these times who shall yet go under the name of Christs servants shall so far degenerate as that they shall not onely dis-own those that were formerly their fellow-servants but shall smite them with reproaches yea with the Civil sword if the Lord prevent not and instead of making their fellow-servants their Companions and Associates any longer they shall choose the Drunken i.e. such as their very walking doth declare them to all men to be persons void of grace and strangers to Jesus Christ and yet these now shall be their familiars and intimates rather than the other These things our Lord Jesus Christ hath foretold to be in the world a little before his coming to escape which as he there calls upon his Disciples to Watch watch watch so do I conceive for the very same reasons in the words I am upon are we exhorted to this duty because as by all these sanctification grows into decay and they are made naked in the eyes of others to their shame as Aaron made Israel by that sin of the Calf and that amongst their enemies Exod. 32.25 so the very motive to this duty of watching in the words is the keeping their Garments that is of Sanctification the Garment of Justification being but one Garment resembled by the Robe Christ wore in the daies of his flesh which was one intire peece without seam throughout and that rather Christs put upon us than ours and not at all trusted in our hands to keep but kept in Christs for us and therefore not that here spoken of lest by losing of them they become naked and are in the eyes of others yea their enemies who can see these Garments though a Saints Justification is a thing hidden from them exposed to shame which in a few words comprehends all those reasons Christ had laid down and pressed Mat. 24. and 25. why beleevers living in times immediately preceding his coming should be watchful And let not any in case what I have said sit too close be for that offended at the Author who is a friend to all that love the Lord Jesus or sleight the things themselves but rather considering what Christ hath plainly foretold shall be a little before his coming let them learn this to consider their own ways and lay seriously their practices to heart lest otherwise he come upon them as a Theef before they shall have time to get oyl into their Lamps or to put on again their Garments which now they have put off Thus much of the third thing Christs Watchword to his people 4 Christs wonderful providential disposing hand in causing his Enemies to randezvouze in the
Life fed continually with nothing but poyson The second by that Tyrannical power of Antichristian Discipline which to satisfâ—â— the pride and accomplish the designs of an ambitious aspiring Hierarchy and Clergy is established in such a way that all both small and great must submit to â—t its Decrees and Impositions and in token of subjection â—eceive some mark in their right hand or in their foreheads which in case of refusal they are thereupon Exâ—ommunicates who must neither buy nor sell hereby â—rampling under foot the Kingly power of Christ snatching his Scepter of love and meekness out of his hands and instead thereof lifting up a rod of Iron Christ seeing this that through the rage and insolency of the Enemy the ancient bounds were broken down and Sion lay plowed as a field he makes it his first attempt being risen to recover his own again and because it was of greatest concernment being that Salvation depended upon to pluck off the veil from his Priestly Office and to confound that Doctrine which had set up an Idol-god for a Saviour and an Idol-worship instead of the worship of the true God Christ therefore as his first work shakes to peeces that rotten earthly Doctrine with the several Idolatries growing upon it which had justed him out of his Priestly Office openly hereupon proclaiming himself to be only High Priest and Mediator and salvation to be had in him alone and this is done by the first Vial which is poured out upon the Antichristian earth i.e. the groffer parts of Popery Yet because the Kingly Office of Christ was still invaded by an Antichristian Lording Discipline who under pretence of ruling for Christ and exercising his Kingly power did in all places make havock of the Saints persecuting them as evil doers Christ therefore makes it his next work to recover his abused Scepter into his own hands again which to do the second Vial is poured out upon the Sea namely the Antichristian Discipline Christ having now regained his own as a puissant and noble Conqueror who being first unjustly invaded contents not himself to recover his Rights but takes this opportunity to invade his enemies makes an invasion upon the Dominions of his enemies and because the Kings of the earth had lent their aid and assistance to the Feast by whose power and strength given up to the Beast the blood of his Saints had been spilt in every place therefore to avenge the blood of his Saints he begins the Quarrel with them and so the third Vial is poured out upon the Rivers and Fountains of Waters that is upon some particular States and Kingdomes and upon the Heads of these namely Kings and Statesmen And here with the pouring forth of this third Vial the Stone cut out of the Mountain spoken of Dan. 2. which breaks in peeces the Great Image begins to smite the design of Christ in the two first Vials being not so much to break the great Image as first to recover his own in order thereunto Here also the Ancient of dayes Dan. 7. begins to sit and to cast down the Thrones of the fourth Beast Christ having now won the Out-shifts and Suburbs of his grand Enemy he next that the blow might come closer and fall yet heavier invades him in his principal street which for many Ages together was the strength and glory of the Beasts Kingdom this is the work of the fourth Vial which therefore is poured out upon the Sun that is the German Empire or House of Austria The Thrones of the Beast being cast down his Sun darkned and Christ going onward upon his march his heart filled with Vengeance for the sake of his people the remembrance of the blood of his Saints poured out like water in every place through the continual Instigations Commissions and authority of the Roman Beast comes now so fresh into his mind and the cry thereof is so loud in his ears that he can no longer forbear giving her in requital blood to drink who hath made it her delight to drink her self drunken with the blood of his Saints and Martyrs he therefore next with a swift and high hand bends his march to the Seat of the Beast the City Rome upon which the Fifth Vial is poured out Rome being destroyed and made a ruinous heap and the appointed time being now come in which Gods ancient people the Jews are to come up to their own Land which being at the present in the hands of the Great Turk who with all his power will oppose their claim and endeavour to keep them out of possession that therefore a door might be set open for them the Sixth Vial is poured out upon the great River Euphrates i.e. the power and multitude of the Turk Christ having hitherto been breaking his enemies by parts and nothing being wanting but the crowning victory to make him absolute King and Monarch of the world in order therefore unto the pouring forth of the Seventh and last Vial when Christ is to take possession of the Kingdome given to him by his Father and to bee exalted as the great and only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords we have two things as principal First A General Rendezvouz of all the enemies of Christ into one Body fit to be cut off Secondly The Personal coming and appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ to make dispatch of his enemies and to set up his own Kingdome Things being thus in a readiness we have the pouring forth of the Seventh and last Vial into the Air a universal subject which ushers in with it the subversion of all Christs enemies the Beast Antichrist being hereupon slain his body destroyed and given to the burning flame The rest of the Beast i.e. all other worldly powers have their Dominion taken away and the Great Dragon the Devil is bound and cast into the bottomless Pit and there shut up for a thousand years And now are the Kingdoms of this world become the Kingdome of the Lord and of his Christ who shall reign for ever and ever Amen A Table of the chief things contained in this TREATISE The First Part. THe Coherence of the words with the explication of the Text P. 1. to 4 Doct. It is an especial duty lying upon the Saints to attend unto and be active in the work or works of their Generation Page 4 Shewed 1 What Generation-work is and how the same is different from those common duties which lye upon Saints as Saints and the special duties of a Saints calling station relation or present condition p. 5 6 7 8 2 That Saints in their several Generations have ever had their peculiar works as is proved by a line drawn through the several generations from the beginning downwards unto our times p. 9 to 14 3 That it is a matter of great concernment for a Saint to attend to the work of his Generation as appears 1 God by his dispensations calls aloud for it p. 14 2 Generation
of Christ at Northwalsham in Norfolk walking in fellowship with the Churches of Christ in this Country sendeth Greeting Dearly beloved in the Lord AS the Lord the mighty God hath done great things and unsearchable marvelous things without number for his great Name and peoples sake within the space of a few years so certainly there shall not be an end of Wonders until his peoples full Redemption be accomplished And although the wicked of the earth regard not the works of the Lord neither consider what he hath already done or shall do hereafter yet they are observed and diligently sought out of the Saints that have pleasure therein And they shall speak of the might of his terrible Acts and shall declare his greatness they shall abundantly utter the memory of his goodness and sing of his righteousness they shall speak of the glory of his Kingdom and talk of his Power and make known to the sons of men his mighty Acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom When we consider what a company of poor weak and unprofitable creatures we are having such dead dark and unsuitable hearts and spirits to the extraordinary appearances and dispensations of God towards us we might think it most meet that we above all others should sit down in silence and shame at such a time as this but while we are musing of the former wayes and dealings of God with his people and of those glorious things which must shortly come to pass our hearts do burn within us and having this opportunity we cannot but speak and declare a few things which are upon our spirits As touching our dear and worthy Brother the Author it may be expected something by us should be spoken but his desire as concerning himself hath laid silence upon us Yet this we shall say As we conceive him to be one who hath received much light from the Lord and esteems it a choice and special mercy to be taught of God the things of Christs Kingdom so we are his witnesses how holily and justly and unblameably he hath and doth behave himself amongst us and many others that beleeve As for the Treatise it self it needs not mans commendation because Truth commends it self Yet this we say It hath been a great refreshment to our spirits and we hope will be to the spirits of Gods people elswhere It is the Authors desire that things may not be received on your parts without trial yet in case any who fear the Lord be in this matter otherwise minded it is our desire they would not rashly condemn that which was neither rashly undertaken nor published But to come to what we have further to say It is an undeniable truth confirmed by long experience that the Devil hath ever had a great design against the Kingdom of Christ that holy City and hath so far prevailed as by his instruments to tread it underfoot for a long time though not able to destroy it So that those that have appeared and witnessed for Christ have been forced to do it in sackcleath in a very mean and low condition yet however they do it they will do it though in sackcloath And this hath been such a trouble and torment to the Beast and the dwellers on the earth that like men or rather Devils full of rage and fury against them they make War against them overcome them pull off even their sackcloath strip them kill them And whether this hath been already done or is yet to do is the great Question which this Treatise will give some light into and a little time will more fully determine And that those that dwell upon the earth Christs enemies should rejoyce and make merry when they see Christs Witnesses who tormented them by witnessing lye dead is not to be thought strange But that the Lord should be so tender and mindful of those that appear and witness for him as after a little while to give life unto them and not only to set them upon their feet but to raise them up to an high and glorious condition and that in the sight of their enemies greatly fearing and trembling to behold it is very affecting and comfortable to our hearts to consider And Dear Brethren having had some serious thoughts both of the spirits and wayes of Gods professing people at this time we cannot apprehend that the LORD hath yet performed his whole work upon Mount Sion but that he hath yet much to do yea though the Lord hath been a long time purging his people and hath cut off two parts and left onely a third yet there is so much filth and dross in that that surely he will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as Silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tried And what condition the Lord hath yet to bring his people into to take away their dross in is best known to himself And may not the people of the Lord even after he hath done much for them in them yet polluted with several abominations expect some hour of temptation to be tried and purged in which may also be at hand And seeing we are speaking and speaking to Brethren that know how to bear with our weaknesses though we be poor stammering creatures we shall take liberty and boldness to speak a few things to you as plainly as we can it being now high time to deal faithfully and plainly with one another and to tell you more particularly what we fear And indeed Brethren we are afraid from a sad experience of the coldness and remisness of our own hearts that the charge of Christ against Ephesus will not fall upon us onely but upon other of the Churches and Saints of Christ that they have left their first Love We are afraid because we are so earthly minded our selves that some of you may be tempted also to seek other things before the Kingdom of God and to take too much thought what you shall eat and what you shall put on what profits preferments and incouragements you shall have in the world which are the things the men of the world seek after for the obtaining of which you may be prone to seek to please and serve men rather than Christ We are afraid because we have so little our selves that a spirit of self-denial should be wanting among you and that you should not have hearts to rejoyce when Christ doth increase if you should decrease and so lie open to that great and common evill of neglecting at least Christs interest to uphold and maintain your own We are afraid because of the drowsiness of our own bearts lest a spirit of slumber should fall upon you and you become mindless and regardless in comparison of what you formerly were and now ought to be of the voyce and works and coming of Christ We are afraid because we our selves are not Virgins chast and faithful to the person and interest of the Lord Christ lest your hearts should
leave them inexcusable and clear his justice before all men in their destruction Hence in regard the dreadful day of the Lords wrath is immediately to approach in which the Beast is to be slain his body destroyed and given to the burning flame the Beast and false Prophet both to be cast into the Lake of fire burning with Brimstone that therefore the Justice of God in this most terrible execution of his wrath might be apparent unto Men and Angels God before he will strike stirs up some in a more special manner to make discovery among the Nations of the terror of the Day approaching warning all not to side or have any thing to do with the Beast whose final destruction and torment is at hand and in case notwithstanding this warning they shall this is that they must certainly and suddenly expect to drink of the wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation and to be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb the smoak of which torment of theirs shall ascend up for ever and ever I have sometimes thought this Angel may be the same with that Ch. 19.17 18. for both are immediately before the Great Day of God Almighty both seem to have very clear light into that thing of the destruction of Gods enemies therefore as the one paints out the very nature and manner of their torments so the other is said as to this parsicular viz. of the certain ruine of Gods enemies to stand in the Sun i.e. in clear light both speak with abundance of saith the one to the Papal power assuring them of ruine the other to the Fowls that flye in the midst of Heaven i.e. the neutral party who would willingly joyn with the Conquering side could they tell which that side would be therefore are most fiâ—â—y described by such Fowls whose chief desire is prey and said to flye in the midst of Heaven because they keep themselves as it were in the middle betwixt Heaven and Earth the Saints party and the party of the Beast not knowing which to fal in with yet would willingly be of the winning side and where they might have prey Now these the Angel assures that if they will joyn with the people of God they shall have victory and spoyl be both of the winning side and have prey to boot as to say You that waver and are doubtful which side to take would you bee of the prospering side take this then for assuredly the Victory shall fall to this party Now whether or no these Angels are two or but one I shall not be curious to determine nor is it a thing so material for us to know Onely such a thing may be and it is not improper to say That one and the same Angel may do both these works and that in a manner together viz. inform and invite the one whilst he threatneth and warneth the other 4 A sweet word of Heavenly consolation to the Saints and people of Christ the blessed day of their redemption being now come Vers 12. Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandements of God and the faith of Jesus That is in effect to say Here is the end and fruit of the Saints patience here is the blessed reward of keeping the Commandements of God and holding the faith of Jesus Now now the day is come in which it shall appear that the Saints have lost nothing by waiting patiently upon God for the fulfilling of his word by keeping the Commandements of God holding the faith of Jesus The world have looked upon them as fools and counted their life a very prison but here here are they that keep the Commandements of God here is the day of making up a right judgement of them here is their condition visible from under a veil Now now O yee world look upon them see what you think of them now and of all their patience obedience and faith whether were they fools as you esteemed them or no 5 And last We have Christs Personal coming vers 14. And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sate like unto the Son of man having on his Head a golden Crown and in his hand a sharp sickle That Christs Personal coming is the thing held forth in these words appears 1 Because the coming here is a coming of Christ as he is the Son of man which phrase doth ever point at Christs Personal coming 2 Because he cometh in the Clouds which is the manner of his Personal coming Matth. 24.30 Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven and then shal all the Tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him 1 Thess 4.16 17. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout and with the voyce of the Arch-angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air Matth. 26.64 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man fitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of Heaven Luke 21.27 Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power great glory 3 Because Christ comes with a golden Crown on his Head which agrees to no coming so properly as his last when he comes to receive his Kingdome and when upon his coming the Kingdomes of this world are to be given to him Of this Daniel speaking saith Chap. 7.13 14. I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him And there was given Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kindom that which shall not be destroyed 4 Because the Battle of Armageddon follows immediately upon this coming This is noted by the treading of the Winepress vers last The phrase of treading the Winepress is the very phrase used by the Holy Ghost in other places to set forth the terror of that day Rev. 19.15 He treadeth the Winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God Isa 63.3 I have trodden the Winepress alone Joel 3.13 All which places I have proved upon the Viais to have their fulfilling immediately upon Christs coming in that terrible day of the battle of Armageddon So that by all circumstances this coming is the same and can be no other than the coming mentioned Rev. 16.15 Of which we have treated at large and proved in opening those words
shall be in the land of Canaan near Jerusalem Hence that opinion falls to the ground which would have this 1600 Furlongs to be a designation of Peters Patrimony which saith the Author of it in the longest extent thereof from the wals of Rome to the River Po is exactly 1600 Furlongs whence saith he its probable that the Popes own Territories may prove the Cock-pit of this execution whither Christ as into a Wine-press will from all parts gather the bloody grapes when he means to tread them Another opinion I find hereof which applies 1600 Furlongs to the greatness of the punishment which shall befall the enemys of Christ at this day and that in respect both of the multitude of those who shall be punished and the length of their torment Blood flowing so great a depth as to the Horse Bridles and this for 1600 Furlongs is an Argument both of abundance of blood and a long time of pressing This conjecture also agrees well to the Prophets who speaking of this day make mention of multitudes that shall be destroyed Ioel 3.14 Ezek. 38. 39. Rev. 16.14 16. 19.19 20 21. and also of length of torment Isa 66.24 Now seeing that either of these opinions will and do agree to the mind of the Holy Ghost in other places where mention is made of this day I judge it most safe not to restrain the interpretation of so great a mystery to any one but as the wisdom of God in Scriptures more plain much more in places so mystical is manifold so to conceive that either viz. the time place and greatness of the punishment also may be here intended Thus once more we are come unto the day of Christs appearing which though looked for but by a few yet doubtless hastens upon us By how much this blessed time is nearer by so much the more doth it call upon us to have our eyes fixed thereupon to awake arise put on our beautiful garments and shake our selves of our dust gather up our courage our zeal our life our love to Christ his cause and people resolving within our selves for Sions sake not to hold our peace and for Jerusalems sake to give him no rest till the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth till she who now is termed forsaken and her land called desolate shall become a Crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diadem in the hand of our God and be no more called Hephzibab nor her land Beulah but the Lords delight marryed unto him the praise of the whole earth an eternal excellency a joy of many Generations a City of solemnities a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the stakes be for ever removed where the glorious Lord will be unto his a place of broad Rivers and Streams to water the City of our God to replenish and make fat the Mountain of his Holiness Which things as he hath foretold them in his Word and will surely fulfill them in their season So let me say THIS GENERATION SHAL NOT PASS TIL ALL THESE THINGS BE FULFILLED for the time is at hand He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness Verily a short work will the Lord make upon the earth Warch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape those things that shall come upon the world and to stand before the Son of Man For he that doth these things saith Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according at his worke shall be I come as a Theesâ— Blâ—ssed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Gâ—rments lest be walk â—â—ked and they see his shame Even so Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Amen Isa 14.32 What shall oâ—â— now duswer the Messongers of the Nation That the Lord bath founded Sion and the poor of his people shall trust in it From my Sâ—â—dy in Trunch the 23. day of the first Month in the year of our Lord 1654. FINIS A MOTIVE TO Generation-work OR A Key to unlock the Mysticall Numbers of Daniel and the Revelations tending to resolve the great Question of the Age we live in viz. How long shall it be unto the end of Wonders By J.T. A waiter for the Redemption of Sion Dan. 8.13 Then I heard one Saint speaking and another Saint said unto that certain Saint which spake How long shall be the Vision concerning the daily Sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be trodden under foot Vers 14. And he said unto me Vnto two thousand and three hundred dayes then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed Exod. 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years even the self same day all the Hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt LONDON Printed for Livewell Chapman 1655. The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader IT hath been oftentimes in my thoughts that there is hardly any controversie in this age which is fruitful in little else but there are in that thing wherein the controversie lyes some more general principles of truth which as in their own nature they do carry a light round about them so could they be found our would in a few words inlighten a man more than all those tedious Volumes which about things controverted are daily sent forth into the world which ordinarily do but beat about the Bush never coming at the place where these principles lye The care of that man who would make discovery of Truth should be in the first place and above all to search these out and having found them to place them rightly for these being to be his foundation if but a stone in this foundation be either not of the true metal or displaced it necessarily follows that so much of the building as hath it for its Basis must be weak or carried awry The best outward means to attain these principles is to give attendance to the reading of the word and diligently to compare one place with another but yet this may be done and a man no whit the neerer if with this endeavour there do not concur the inward supply and assistance of the Spirit And truly I have many times thought with my self that as the great thing our faith is to have in its eye when it goes to the Promise for teaching is That the Lord would lead us to these so the principal thing in the Spirits teaching when it teacheth any soul is by its inward hints to point it unto these The most certain Character to know these principles by when they are attained and when not is an universal harmony of Truth for these principles are as the Center in which all the lines of Truth which are separated in the Circumserence do weet together and become one point But now as the wider any Circumference is the farther will a man be