door was set open to the Jews to recover their own land yet because Constantinople his chief City was not thereby destroyed therefore in respect of the wrath of God poured out upon that at this day it is here said Great Babylon came now in remembrance before God which words very fitly agree to the ruine of Constantinople but are not appliable either to the ruine of Rome or the Kingdome of the Beast in general both which came up into remembrance and had been actually punished before this day 2 The Inevitableness of this Ruine Vers 20. And every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found Islands and Mountains are places of refuge Men in times of commotion flye to these for shelter as being safer in them than they can be elswhere Now that which tome is a notable confirmation that the words are in this sense to be understood I find the Prophets in other places which relating to this very time serve as a Comment upon the Text intimating that men should at this day either be secure by reason of such shelters or flye to such places for shelter Ezek. 39.6 speaking of the Effects of the Battel of Gog and Magog saith I will send a fire in Magog and among them that dwell carelesly in the Isles as noting that some should at this day think themselves secure by being in Isles places of refuge and shelter The Prophet Isaiah Chap. 2.21 speaking of the day wherein God will arise to shake terribly the earth the same with that shaking Joel 3.16 Hag. 2.6 7. 21 22. tells us that some at that day for fear of the Lord shall flye to the clefts of the Rocks and to the tops of the ragged Rocks noting men shall seek shelter from such places of refuge as the Rocks of Mountains are But so inevitable shall their ruine be that notwithstanding men may flye for shelter to their outward Refuges thinking themselves secure by reason of them yet shall all their refuges and shelters prove no shelter against this storm for every Island shall flye away and the Mountains shall not be found 3 The Greatness of it Vers 21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a Talent The Hail from Heaven denotes the more immediate judgements of God which shall fall on his enemies at this day and there may be an allusion to the destruction of the Canaanites by great Hailstones from Heaven Josh 10.11 The greatness of the Hailstones each being about the weight of a Talent notes the judgements God will inflict at this day to be the heaviest and most dreadful that can be a Talent of all weights being the greatest 3 Effect Blaspheming of God And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the Hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great The Eeast lived a Blasphemer now he dyes a Blasphemer and goes blaspheming to the Lake of fire burning with brimstone whither the just judgements of God which when they cannot reform sinners on earth cast them to Hell have now brought him And this is the conclusion of this great day as it respects Gods Enemies which to their woe they shall find and feel to be a black dismal and fatal day though but the beginning of it as it respects the Saints and people of God to whom it shall be the most glorious joyful and lightsome day that ever they beheld When God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and the Lamb and his Servants shall serve him And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads And this is that New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven the hope of which let it purifie our hearts even as he is pure Let us alwayes have our loyns girded about our lamps burning and we our selves like unto men that wait for the Lord looking earnestly unto and breathing after that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who once was offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him will he appear the second time without sin to salvation When be that now overcometh shall be made a Pillar in the Temple of his God and he shall go no more out And Christ will write upon him the Name of his God and the Name of the City of his God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from his God and he will write upon him his new name And those that do his Commandements shall have right to the Tree of Life and enter in through the Gates into the City when without shall be Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie Which things he hath sent his Angel to testifie in the Churches who is the Root and Off-spring of David and the bright and morning Star Who also himself saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus The Reason of the Order observed in pouring forth the VIALS THe Beast having now for a long time trampled under foot the holy City blasphemed God his Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and exercised his utmost rage and cruelties against all those who holding the testimony of Jesus could not be brought to worship him his Image or receive his Mark in their fore-heads or in their hands and being in all these his insolent and outragious practces animated yea assisted by the Kings of the earth subjecting themselves to him and giving their strength power and Kingdome to the Beast Christ as able no longer to hear the Blasphemies and behold the rage and cruelties of the Beast with all the determined time of redeeming Sion avenging the blood of his Elect on those that dwell on the earth judging the Beast casting down his Thrones and taking the Kingdome to himself being come without delay now rouseth up himself and in his wondrous zeal his power and greatness marcheth forth to judge the great Whore destroy the Thrones of Kingdoms take possession of the Kingdoms of this world and subject them to his own righteous Scepter But finding upon his first Rise that two of his ancient and principal Rights had been long invaded and laid waste by the Enemy namely The glory of his Priesthood upon earth and the exercise of his Kingly Power and Prerogative in his Churches the first by the putrified and filthy stinking puddle of Romish Doctrine which instead of exalting that Righteousness alone in Justification which is pure perfect heavenly did establish a righteousness which was earthly impure full of filthy dregs out of which one poysonous root were grown up innumerable Idolatries viz. the Mass Purgatory Indulgences Invocation of Saints Penance Pilgrimages Monkish life c. by which the glory of Christs Priestly Office was veyled the precious truth of the Gospel perverted and Souls instead of bread of
be ensnared and polluted by any through the least compliance with or liking of the great Whore that hath deceived and defiled so many with her abeminations We are afraid because we have neglected it so much and so long lest you should forget to study and enquire into the great and marvellous things that God is doing for exaltation of his own name and Son And what the Saints ought to do for God at such a time as this Vnlike to the Children of Issachar which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do We are afraid because we are so carnal and walk so much by sense our selves that there should not be such a living by faith amongst you as the word and dispensations of God require especially when we hear so many of those who formerly hoped and quietly waited for the Redemption of Gods chosen now being fearful and unbeleeving speak like Mary How shall this thing be seeing we know not how it should be brought to pass We are afraid likewise because our own hands are so heavy and we unable of our selves to keep them steady lest your hands of prayer should be let down at this time and Amaleck should prevail against Israel And if these things should be found amongst you of which we must confess our selves to be very guilty how ought you and we to fear and tremble and lye low before the Lord being very unworthy of and unthankful for all those great and terrible things which his hand hath wrought for us And if we have not had nor yet have hearts holy and heavenly and spiritual enough to walk before him with under his former and present dispensations towards us how shall we be able to stand before the Son of Man when he shall appear in far greater power and glory And to follow him in those strange and untrodden Paths that he hath yet to lead his people in and thorow Surely it is now time for us having been hitherto so much wanting in it to consider our hearts and ways and those wayes that the Lord calls us to wait upon him in Surely it is now time for us who have left our first Iove to the Lord Jesus for which we have cause to be ashamed before the Lord not onely to remember from whence we are fallen and to do our first works to love him as much we have done formerly but having tasted more of his goodness and seen more of his glory and hoping to behold much more of it to love him more than ever we did and oh that we had hearts to do it at this time Surely it is now time for those Saints that have had and have their hearts espoused to carnal and worldly interests as outward glory honor riches c. to look up to the Lord and to get their hearts dis-ingaged and set loose from the world and the things of the world and to be for ever hereafter without so much as a thought of seeking great things for themselves as becommeth Saints Surely it is now time for the Spouse and all the professed friends of Christ to cast off and abandon all acquaintance and compliance with Antichrist and to keep themselves so pure and to approve themselves so true to Christ that if the Devil should tempt them as he did their Lord by profering them all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them yet never to fall down and any way worship that Beast It argued a very chaste and faithful heart in that worthy Man Master John Knox unto Jesus Christ that when Edward the Sixth King of England offered him a Bishopricke he refused it as having Aliquid commune cum Antichristo something of Antichristianism in it Surely it is now time for us not onely to beleeve in Christ which many think is all they need to do but also to own him in this hour of his patience wherein he looks to beowned by his Saints lest he frown upon us in the day of his great power and glory which draweth near And Brethren let us make it our chief even our onely Design and count it our greatest Priviledge though we shall be men wondered at for it to follow and serve the Lord Christ in faithfulness and like Luther in the cause of Christ be content though our low and carnal hearts may tremble at the very thoughts of it to undergo the hatred and violence of the whole world Neither let us be too much troubled nor offended at those changes alterations and desolations which do and may and as Christ hath said will attend the going on and advancement of his Kingdom in the world which was that which some may be wel-meaning people objected to Luther That that doctrin could not be of God that was attended with such troubles and desolations who replyed thus Ego nisrtumultus istos viderem Christum in mundo esse non crederem Vnless I should see those troubles and tumults I should not beleeve Christ to be in the world So Brethren if we should hear of Wars and Commotions and upon the earth distress of Nations with perplexity mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth let us not be terrified nor offended but as our Savior hath bidden us look up and lift up our heads for our redemption draweth nigh And because it is high time awake Awake oh Saints lift up your hearts and cry mightily unto the Lord and never hold your peace day nor night and give him no rest for it will not be long till he establish and make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Stand therefore with your loyns girded about and your lights burning And ye your selves like men that wait for their Lord who cometh as he hath said as a Thief in the night who may be upon you before you are aware in an hour that you think not of And however you may be hardly used and beaten of your Fellow-servants and Brethren too who say their Lord delayeth his coming Yet be not wearied nor faint in your minds because of these things but be ye patient Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the Husband-man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it untill he receive the early and latter rain Be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh Grudge not one against another Brethren lest ye be condemned behold the Judge standeth before the door For he cometh he cometh to judge the earth He shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth And you that are of a fearful heart be strong and fear not behold your God will come with vengeance even God with a recompence he will come and save you and will perform all his good word towards you and give you an expected end Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For
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
will discern and first condemn Jerusalem of old expected and waited for the coming of their Messiaâ— or Christ their King yet no sooner news abroad of his being born into the world but upon the account of a meer worldly interest viz. fear of tumults and commotions which might hereupon arise betwixt Herod the usurper and this King to the imbroiling of them in wars who now were in quiet enjoying their wealth in peace they are troubled at it Matth. 2.3 I wish a worldly interest may have no such effect now as to beget trouble in the spirits of any at the coming forth of that mercy which time was they both prayed and waited for Surely as it savors of great ingratitude towards our most gracious Father to call mercies given in as an answer of former prayers by the name of Judgements so also of no less sloath and negligence when the glorious arm of God hath been made bare in working wonders for his people for them to sit still doing little or nothing for him That nothing done of late years comes as an answer of these prayers put up whilst we were in the house of bondage none of you will or can deny If any thing else be wrought which then we prayed not for it is either a superabounding of mercy beyond what then we were able to aske or think or a trial of our faith If a superabounding of mercy shall we quarrel with God and one another for that and if a trial of our faith shall we think that strange which hath been the ordinary way of Gods dispensations towards his in all ages when he gives forth mercy then to try their faith and like a company of sullen Children shall we wrangle with our Father and in a humersom fit throw away our bread because the crust is on it O let it not be told in Neighbor Nations that the God of England hath been so kind to his people and Saints in England so unkind to their Father and one unto another Why O ye Saints should you not all in this day go hand in hand about your Fathers work What hinders unless the corruption of your hearts your being as active for the Lord and as holy as you will Why should the great work of the Generation wherein the cause and honor of your Father and Redeemer is so deeply engaged be at a stand whilst each of you are driving on particular designs parties and interests It is from you alone that God expects this service it is work the world cannot do nor will God own them in the doing of it he calls for this from the hands of you his houshold Servants neglect it and he can raise up others even out of holes and corners which shall do the work when you shall be thrown by When the Jews once the visible people of God neglected Generation-work God threw them by and brought in the Gentiles if Gentile-Churches now grafted in prove fruitless in this work God may cut them off and graft in the Jews again If those that are visibly the children of Abraham put off Gods work God can of stones great and hard hearted sinners raâ—se up children to Abraham which shall do the same When the learned and righteous Scriles and Pharisees will not own Christ he can raise up poor illiterate Fishermen yea Publicans the worst of sinners sitting at the receipt of custom for to do the thing If Jerusalem the chief City will not furnish Christ with instruments to carry his work on by he can find men for the same where they were least expected in the dark waste carâ—ers of Galilee and the little hole of Bethsaida Joh. 1.44 Christ is never at a loss for instruments when he hath work to do That any of you are imployed it is more his free grace towards you than from any need that he hath of you he is not beholding to you for doing his work but t is you are beholding to him that he will honor you in it O therefore Saints awake awake put on your beautiful Garments shake your selves from your dust the Sun of rightâ—ousness is rising upon you the whole earth begins to be enlightned with his glory it is now high time to rouze up your spirits awake out of sleep to be up and doing Christ your Captain General is abroad in the field upon his march in the way to his Kingdom he will make no halts if you sleep loyter straggle or sit still you will be left behind and lose the sight of your Leader he will bear no delaies if you will not now come and kiss him subject your selves to him he will make a riddance of you and throw you by as he goes up to his Kingdom The times of former neglect God winked at but now he cals upon all that make mention of his Name not to sit still not to keep silence nor give him rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth That you may do this work and the same in your hands may prosper I shall as an additional word unto the last general Head in the following Discourse leave with you these few particulars 1 Endeavor union with your selves Divisions will obstruct the work Union will further it The great work in the Apostles time never went on so gloriously and successfully as when the number of those that beleeved were of one heart and of one soul 2 Strive after purity The seven Angels that go out of the Temple with the seven Vials their cloathing is pure and white linnen Rev. 15.6 3 Desire God to lay you in with principles suitable to his work neither below it nor above it As a mans principles are so will his actions be principle being the rule of action Some mens principles are above generation-work these vilifie and trample it as a low and carnal thing and instead of laying themselves out therein they slumber and sleep doing nothing at all Others principles are below the work and instead of acting in it they are offended at it He whose principles are above the work will not do it for the thing is low and base in his eies and he whose principles are below the work in case they continue so to be shall not do it for this is an evident sign that God will lay him by it being the way of God when he will use a man in a work to give him principles as high as that work and when he will laie a man by to blind him first to that work in which he will laie him by 4 Carry a meek spirit along with you in the work When Christ rode as King into Jerusalem he rode meek meek those that would accompany Christ to his Kingdom must be of that spirit their King is of Moses never failed but once in the work of his Generation and it was then when he lost his meek spirit Num. 20.10 Eapounded Psa 106.32 They angered him at the waters of stâ—ife so
glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come Chap. 12.12 Therefore rejoyce ye heavens and ye that dwel in them Wo to the Inhabiters of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Chap. 11.18 And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints c. LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1655. The Epistle Dedicatory To all those who love and patiently wait for the Appearing and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ Grace and Peace be multiplied Dearly beloved in our Lord IT is reported of the Primitive Saints that these words the KINGDOM OF CHRIST the KINGDOM OF CHRIST were so frequent in their mouths that their malicious Adversaries willing to mistake the simplicity of their meaning and intention did make the words matter of Fact charging them hereupon with Treason as if they had driven on some design to get for themselves the Kingdom Whether the simplicity of the Saints in the age we live in who being come to the very dawning of the day and beholding the Lord going up to his Kingdom cannot hold their peace but must cry out HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST may through the subtlety of the old Serpent have any such abuse put upon it or no I wave at present But this I am sure of the first ages had not the Kingdom of Christ so much in their mouths but after ages had it as little their hearts were not so warm to it but the generations since have been as cold And indeed it was necessary it should so be for the Beast Antichrist being to rise in the world who after his rise must continue to reign two and forty months Rev. 13.5 it was needful therefore to the end he might be revealed that there should be as the Apostle tels us 2 Thes 2.3 a falling away which falling away above all things was necessary that it should be in the Truths of Christs Kingdom no Truths being so diametrically opposite to Antichrist as these others shake off his leaves these pluck him up by the roots If therefore the policy of the Dragon had not found out a way to brand these Truths and by making them odious to hold them down his Kingdom must have fallen many ages since for he should have had no Beast to resign his Power Seat and great Authority to It stood him greatly in hand therefore by some means to cloud these which by continuing to shine would have nipped Antichrist in the bud and this the wisdom of God permitting to accomplish thereby in the end a more glorious design which he effectually did Hence within the fourth Century at the end of which the Beast arose the Truths of Christs Kingdom before generally received began to be condemned and to go under the odious name of Heresie Hence also we finde not in the Revelations any mention made of Christs Kingdom nor any noyse of such a thing in the world all the time of the Beasts reign but the great cry of the dwellers on the Earth is The Beast the Beast who is like unto the Beast yea the whole world wondereth after the Beast Rev. 13.3 4. But now in the latter days as the Beast begins to go down so do the precious Truths of Christs Kingdom again begin to revive and have a resurrection Hence we finde that as the world by degrees gets rid of the Beast so is the cry in it still louder and louder of Christs Kingdom First Amongst the Saints in the world who no sooner have got so much footing as to stand and face the Beast which before trod them down and trampled upon them but presently they make the world ring again with the noise of Christs Kingdom Rev. 15.2 3 4. And I saw them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name stand on the Sea of glass having the Harps of God And they sing the Song of Moses the servant of the Lord and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest Secondly After this the Beast having received a more fatal blow the cry of Christs Kingdom that was before among some Saints onely is now more general and runs among the multitudes yea the great ones too of whom till this day we hear little as Rev. 19.6 And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty Thunderings saying Allelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth Thirdly and lastly Yet after this upon the sounding of the seventh Angel when Christ comes to take his Kingdom it is then openly proclaimed with a great voyce Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are beâ—ome the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and â—e shall reign for ever And as an echo to this voyce â—he hearts of Gods faithful ones reply v. 17. We give thee â—hanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wert and â—rt to come because thou hast taken to thee this great â—ower and hast reigned Thus the noyse and cry in the world towards the latter end of Antichrists reign is very different to that which was in the time of his reign then the cry was The Beast The Beast now the old cry is up again The Kingdom of Christ The Kingdom of Christ Yet notwithstanding the cry of Christs Kingdom shall at this day be so loud shall not the ears of all no not of the Saints themselves be open to hear it but some of them as well as others shall be so deeply wedded to the sweetness of Antichristian wordly interests that to maintain these they shall rather choose to sit by the waters of Babylon than with the loss of them to stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion else what need would there be of any such Proclamation to be made as we read is immediately before Romes ruin Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sins and that yee receive not of her plagues And these who thus shall do are not to be reckoned among those who in this great business followed not the Lamb at all but among those who followed the Lamb some part of the way towards Mount Sion but upon some turn or falling in with some worldly pleasing interest by the way did quit his company before they came thither For this cause the hundred forty and four thousand which
Vial is poured forth To this I do the more readily assent 1 Because the former Expositions cannot stand for the reasons aforenamed 2 Because the ordinary use of the words give this to be the meaning For Rivers and Waters in Scripture-phrase signifie People and Nations Ezek. 32.2 Son of man take up a lamentation for Pharaoh King of Egypt and say unto him Thou art like a young Lion of the Nations thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fouledst their Rivers Isa 8.7 Now therefore behold the Lord bringeth upon them the waters of the River strong and many even the King of Assyria Rev. 17.15 The waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and Nations and Tongues The Fountain in common language is as much as the Head of a River whence it ariseth and by which it is nourished 3 Because the reason of the Vial vers 6. For they have shed the blood of thy Saints doth as but now was shewed more fitly agree to those who have hitherto been the Actors in shedding the blood of Saints than to any other 4 Because this Interpretation doth make a glorious concurrence and harmony betwixt the order of Gods workings hitherto since the Vials began to be poured out and the order of the Vials For the first remarkable thing wherein the hand of God appeared against the Beast was in the detection of and destroying his damnable doctrine and abominable Idolatries Next pouring contempt upon and pulling down the Antichristian Hierarchy And the very next thing remarkable since that hath been the shaking of some Nations and removing from their seats their Kings and great ones who were secret friends unto and supporters of this Throne of iniquity accordingly the first came under the first Vial the next the second And why may not the third being a thing remarkable and distinct from the other come under this third Vial we are now speaking of 2 The EFFECT The Rivers and Fountains of Waters become blood And they became blood That is Wars do arise in those Nations subject to this third Vial to the involving the people in blood yea causing the blood of chief Heads and great ones to be poured forth How within these few yeers past our Rivers in England and the places subjected to it have run blood yea the Fountain head hath sprouted blood is sufficiently known to all men Now the reason why I interpret blood here according to the Letter is because a necessity so to do lyes upon me and that from the very words for such blood as hath been shed by the Rivers and Fountains of waters such blood by way of retaliation is given them to drink vers 6. but blood hath been shed by them in a litteral sense therefore God in their own kind repays them again and they become blood 3 An ADJUNCT Which I so call rather than an Effect because properly it is not an Effect and that is A Justification of God in these terrible executions of his wrath upon them 1 By the Angel of the Waters Vers 5 6. And I heard the Angel of the waters say Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou host judged thus For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy The Angel of the Waters is that Angel who shall be used to pour out the Vial of Gods wrath upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters called Angel of the waters because he hath a power over the Waters to pour out Gods wrath upon them Which Angel shall at this day acknowledge that notwithstanding the things themselves done by this Vial are strange and to be wondred at things unthought of unheard of yet being done that the hand of God in them is marvellously just and to bee magnified of all his people being the just recompence of the injuries offered to and the blood of Saints How in the midst of those great and wonderful changes and revolutions that of late yeers have been in England the hearts of all those who have gone along with God in these his glorious dispensations and mighty works of wonder have been notwithstanding the continual offence of others and of the greater part carried out to justifie God and say Thou art righteous O Lord c. cannot by them be forgotten 2 By another out of the Altar Vers 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say Even so O Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements The Altar was the place upon which Sacrifices being slain were laid to be consumed It signifies a suffering condition and so is used Rev. 6.9 10 11. I saw under the Altar the souls of them which were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held And they cryed with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Only with this difference the sufferings there spoken of were unto death and martyrdome and therefore they are said to be under the Altar but here though their sufferings are great yet not to death and therefore they cry out of the Altar though they are upon the Altar yet not so but that they can still give testimony to Gods work in the world The second Testimony therefore coming out of the Altar or from the Altar denotes the persons bearing this testimony to be such as lye under great sufferings who out of the Altar i.e. in the midst of all their persecutions do yet give testimony that the strange astonishing and unwonted Effects of this Vial are no other but the true and righteous judgements of God inflicted upon those upon whom this Vial is poured out How sutable hereunto is that Testimony not long since sent over by some exiled Bohemians from Lissa in Poland to us in England written by one of the banished in a little Book intituled Clavis Apocalyptica who in pages 1â—3 104. speaking of the great Revolutions in the Isle of great britain and particularly mentioning that of the Fountain Head becoming blood he though yet as one amazed at the thing saith thus We must by vertue of that clear Text say with the Angel Lord thou are righteous because thou hast judged thus Two things from what I have said are worthy observation First That this Vial hath a doâ—ble attestation going along with it which is not found in any other Vial of the Righteousness Justice and Equity of the things effected by it Why so I take the reason to be this because the things done under this vial shall be so strange and amazing so besides the ordinary path and course of Providence and without former President as that the legality and justice of them shall be called in question by most and therefore we have a double Testimony that out of the mouth of two Witnesses or
two so is of Witnesses the righteousness of Gods wonderful works might be made manifest confessing Gods hand herein and the same to be most righteous in the doing of them 2 The persons bearing this testimony are 1 The Angel of the waters that is the instruments themselves that God will use to do these great things by who shall in their consciences be abundantly satisfied and bear publick testimony that the things are righteous 2 Another out of the Altar i. e. Saints in a suffering condition from some more remote place who hearing these things shall also cry Lord thou art righteous Why do these two bear witness only and no other The Reason may be this To teach us that the effects of this Vial shall be such that hardly any but those who are either deeply ingaged in pouring of it out their hands hearts or prayers going with the work or such who are under great persecutions for Christ and thereby dis-ingaged from all worldly interests shall be able to say concerning the things done Lord thou art righteous in the doing of them Object If it be said That there are Saints in Scotland and Holland who in the time this Vial is pouring forth do suffer much why do not they with these other come â—n and cry Lord. True and righteous are thy judgements I Answer 1 Because though they suffer yet are not they upon the Altar under suffering for the cause of Christ but rather upon the Stage of this world suffering for love to a worldly interest which fain they would uphold when God is throwing it down 2 Because they are mixed in the crowd with those men and have shaken hands with that interest upon which this Vial falls and therefore it is no wonder that the righteousness and justice of it should be hidden from their eyes Quest If any now shall ask me What Nations I judge those are that are more immediately subject to the Vial I answer England with its Territories the Low Countries and France And my reason is because where the bâ—ood of Saints hath been in a more eminent manner poured out there in all likelihood is this vial to fall this being the reason of pouring it forth they have shed the blood of thy Saints vers 6. but setting Germany and Italy aside which come under the two next Vials and therefore not to be brought in here it is in England the Low Countrâ—es and France that the blood of Saints hath been most eminentlâ— shed Witness the blood of Saints spilt in England in the dayes of King Henry 8. Queen Mary I need not say King Chartes his â—eâ—gn too In the Low Countries in the dayes of Duke dâ— Alva who made it his boast that he had there put to death 36000 Protestaâ—ts besides many that suffered there likewise under other Princes In France the cruel barbarous slaughter which continued for many yeers of the Waldenses Albingenses the late horrid massacre at Paris and in many other parts of that Kingdome therefore though possibly the droppings of this Vial may afflict some other Nations so far as the blood of Saints hath been spilt in them and by them yet more immediately and directly in such manner as to break their whole frame and alter their Civil constitution this Vial falls upon England with its present Territories the Low Countries and France whereof the first hath already felt it the second now feels it and he who is coming to render recompences for the blood of Saints shed in the other stands at the door Object If it be said But since the time that blood hath been shed in these lands there have been especially in England and the Low Countries very great Alterations the ruling powers who then were Papists being now Protestants yea the generation of persecutors is now extinct and in their graves How then can it be just with God to pour out the Vials of his wrath upon these Nations and their present Heads for what was done formerly seeing these powers cannot help what their forefathers did yea are reformed and do disclaim whatsoever in this way was done by them To that I answer out of the words of Christ to the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23. who out of respect to the Prophets and righteous men that suffered by their forefathers did build the Tombs and garnish the Sepulchres of the Martyrs vers 29. saying If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets vers 30. And not only so but also they were a mighty reformed generation in respect of those Idolatrous wayes their Forefathers walked in yet because they did still retain that hatred to Christ and true holiness in their hearts which was in their Forefathers and the reformation they gloried in was only outward and hypocritical therefore saith Christ vers 35 36. upon them and that generation should come all the righteous bloodshed upon the earth So may I say though England of late yeers reformed to what it was in Queen Maries dayes and Holland at present is to what it was in times of Popery Yet because the late Head and Heads of England had and the present Rulers in Holland have the same malice and hatred in their hearts against the Truths and People of Christ that was in the hearts of their Forefathers and the Reformation that was in the one and is in the other only outward and hypocritical therefore it is just exceeding just with God to recompence the blood of the Saints shed in the times of their Forefathers or former Rulers upon the Heads of the Rulers and People of this Generation Yea God will the rather do it because itâ—s his way as our instance proves to punish the sins of a prophane and Idolatrous Generation upon a formal and lukewarm Generation who have a shew of holiness but are enemies to the power Thus much as touching the third VIAL Hitherto the Vials foretel things past and events answerable to the things foretold we have seen save only that part of the third Vial which doth more especially relate to the Low Countries France which is yet behind The events whereof begin already to shew themselves but will in due time more fully appear As for England it having drunk of this cup in the first place and that so deeply as that its old constitution is thereby destroyed and withall the same being passed from us it gives me some ground to â—ope though not for our worthiness that the day of Gods wâ—ath upon England is over though yet for ought I know some refining fire being as the after-drops to purge out the remaining dross if otherwise it bee not done may notwithstanding be kindled amongst us The following Vials speak of things yet to come and the events of them are Prophetical and therefore as we have great reason to be very jealous lest through any contrived mould of Gods workings beforehand sutable to somewhat
coming shall be a Coming as a Bridegroom Matth. 24.6 Behold the Bridegroom cometh intimating it shall be comfortable and glorious to the Saints such shall this be Rev. 19.7 8 9. 2 That coming shall be a black dreadful and terrible day to the Enemies of Christ to whom therefore he is said to come in flaming fire rendring vengeance 2 Thes 1.8 to descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Arch-Angel and the Trump of God 1 Thes 4.16 such a coming as shall make all the Tribes of the Earth to mourn Matth. 24.30 Then shall alâ— the Tribes of the Earth mourn and mens fiearts fail for fear Luk. 21.26 Mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the Earth for the powers of Heaven shall be shaken in which the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3.12 such also shall this be as in many of the fore-quoted Scriptures appear Isa 63.1 Who is this that cometh from Edom with died garments from Bozrah Vers 4. The day of vengeance is in mine heart Verse 6. I will tread down the people in mine anger and make them drunk in my fury Chap. 65.15 For behold the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire Verse 16. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many Joel 3.16 The Lord also shall roar out of Sion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake Mal. 3.2 Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiners fire and like Fullers sope Chap. 4.1 For behold the day commeth that shall burn as an ovâ—n and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up that it shall leave them neither root nor branch These Scriptures as hath been before shewed relate to this coming 3 That coming shall be upon men unawares Luk. 21.34 35. Take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares For as a snare shall it come on all men that dwell upon the face of the earth 1 Thess 5.2 Your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a Theef in the night So shal this Behold I come as a Theef 4 That coming shall be at a time of great tribulation such tribulation as makes Christ out of love to his Elect that they might not be swallowed up with it to shorten the daies of his coming Matth. 24.21 For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no nor ever shall be Verse 22. And except those days should be shortned there should no flesh be saved but for the Elects sake those days shall be shortned So shall this Dan. 12.1 At that time shall Michael stand up and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to the same time Zech. 14.2 I will gather all Nations against Jerusalem to battel and the City shall be taken and the houses rifled and the women ravished and half of the City shall go forth into Captivity and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the City Verse 3. Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those Nations 4. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives Verse 5. And the Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee 5 That coming shall be about the time of the Beasts final overthrow This hath been the opinion of all good men till of late that Christs second coming should give the final overthrow to Antichrist and this they have founded upon that of the Apostle 2 Thess 2.8 which I made use of but even now Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth i.e. by the preaching of the Gospel the Man of Sin shall first grow into a consumption which consumption he hath been in these many years and shall destroy viz. his final destruction with the brightness of his coming and this Text some call an undeniable Oracle to prove this truth accordingly the coming I am speaking of agrees exactly to this for the effect of the battel of Armageddon which battel is instantly upon this coming is the utter destruction of Antichrist giving the body of the Beast to the burning flame Dan. 7.11 casting the Beast and false Prophet both into the lake of fire burning with brimstone Rev. 19.20 but in case Christs second coming should not be till the last Judgement which cannot be less as I shall shew anon than a thousand years after this battel then could not the final destruction of Antichrist be at the time of Christs second coming for according to this principle his destruction should be a thousand years before it 6 That coming called by good men Christs coming to Judgement shall be a coming with all the Saints 1 Thess 3.13 At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints So shall this Zech. 14.5 The Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee And indeed that Christ shall at this day bring all his Saints with him and not those only who have been Martyrs or Sufferers as some suppose is a thing that necessarily follows upon what hath been said before for if this shall be that very coming of Christ which is by all looked upon as his last after which Christ will return no more to Heaven to come in such manner thence again then most certainly not Martyrs only but all his shall come with him And this Scripture doth plentifully bear witness to 1 Thess 4.14 For if we beleeve that Jesus dyed and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus as all Saints do will God bring with him vers 16. The dead in Christ not some of them only but all that are dead in Christ shall rise first i. e. shall have part in that first Resurrection Rev. 20.5 6. 1 Cor. 15.23 Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs not some but all that Christ hath a right unto and is interest in at his coming and it is of the first Resurrection only I take it that this whole Chapter speaks for the following verses from vers 35. to the end speak of the Resurrection of such only as shall have glory put upon them in the Resurrection Though sown in dishonour yet raised in glory Though sown in weakness yet raised in power vers 42.43 Yea such in whom death upon their Resurrection shall be swallowed up in victory vers 54. which are things not appliable to the resurrection of any but
Lord is at hand but rather of those who patiently wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and love his appearing whose hearts till the rise of this bright and morning star will not cease but with the Spirit and Bride send forth their continual groans and eryes Come O come Lord Jesus come quickly I shall now conclude â—ll with a Rule or two which may bee some help to the Reader for the understanding such Scripture that speak of this coming namely 1 RULE That the divers expressions in Scripture concerning the coming of Christ which set him forth as coming in various Dresses somtime as a Bridgroom sometime in fire sometimes as a Warrior as a Judge are not to be understood of divers comings but one and the same coming in divers respects as when his coming is spoken of in respect of his Saints he comes as a Bridegroom when in respect of the wicked in flaming fire when in respect of the destruction he will make of those enemies he finds gathered together at his coming he appears as a Warrior with a Sword Armies following him Garments rolled in blood when in respect of that distinction he will make at this day betwixt the clean and unclean Saints and Hypocrites true worshippers and false or the purification he would make even of his own people he comes then as a Refiners fire to refine and separate the true gold from the dross when in respect of the principal work he comes about namely to execute judgement he comes then as a Judge Thus ever appearing in various Dresses either as the persons he comes to or the works he is to perform upon his coming are different 2 RULE As there is a Spiritual coming of Christ as well as a Personal so in some places which speak of this coming both these are included as before I have shewed in opening Isa 59.20 3 RULE As the Personal coming of Christ is twofold First a coming to bear our sins Secondly a coming without sin to salvation So in some places which speaks of Christs coming both these are couched together or at least wise joyned so near one to another as that they seem to be one and the same So Gen 49.10 Vntil Shiloh i.e. Christ the Messias come which in respect of the former words The Scepter departing from Judah hath reference to his first coming but in respect of the latter the gathering of the people to him Vnto him shall the gathering of the people be i.e. Jew and Gentile shall be gathered together under him as Head or King over them so it refers to his second coming So Mal. 3.1.2 the coming vers 1. is his first coming when John Baptist as a Harbinger comes before him but vers 2. that we may take notice what mystery is in Scripture the Holy Ghost glides from his first coming to his second which in so terrible as that who now may abide the day of his coming or stand when he appeareth So Zach. Chap. 13.7 speaks of his first coming Awake O Sword against the man that is my fellow smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered but presently Chap. 14.3 4 5. we have his second So Mic. 5 1. we have his first coming in which the Judge of Israel is smitten upon the cheek and the Jews thereupon being for this given up and rejected for a time as vers 3. we have presently his second coming spoken of vers 4.5 both comings being brought in almost in one breath Thus much of the second thing The Personal coming and appearing of Christ 3 Christs Watchword to his people to be in a readiness to meet him Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and thâ—y see his shame WAtchfulness and Christs coming usually go together where Coming is the Doctrine Watching is the Use reaching us that although watching is a duty Saints are alwayes to be found in yet more especially will it lye upon them as a principal work of that Age who live in or near upon the time of Christs coming to be watchful and as before I have spoken of the one to wit Christs coming so may I not here leap over the other viz. The duty of watching The Holy Ghost having joyned them together Yet for so much as concerns the practical part of this duty that being a thing more commonly known though not practised as known and also not so proper to the business I am now upon being only exposition I shall wave it chusing to insist upon as a thing more proper to our work and which also may be of use to stir up those who already know the duty to stand SHALL I SHALL I no longer but in good earnest to apply themselves to it the reasons why the Holy Ghost hath so conjoyned watching and Christs coming as that it is a thing rare to read of the one and not also to hear of the other Now in the 24. and 25. Chapters of Matthew the most full and pathetical Sermon that ever our Lord preached of his coming we have several things foretold by Christ himself the which too evidently would appear about the time of his coming which are the principal reasons why Christ so calls upon his Disciples and in them all Beleevers as Mark. 13.37 What I say unto you I say unto all Watch And therefore those more especially which should live in or about the time wherein these things were to have their accomplishment to bee watchful Chap. 24.42 Chap. 25.13 which things by how much we see them more appearing by so much may we conclude the second coming of Christ is nearer and still have strength added to our foregoing Position that it is that coming and no other spoken of in the words I come as a Thief Now these are 1 A strange sleep upon many Professors This is held forth in the Parable of the Virgins Mat. 25. vers 1. Then shall the Kingdome of Heaven be likened unto ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom 2. And five of them were wise and five were foolish Vers 5. While the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbred and slept Which sleep is not as I conceive a sleep in respect of outward Profession for the sleepers shall have a kind of Profession upon their backs still as is intimated in that of the foolish Virgins to the wise just upon the Bridegrooms approach Our lamps are gone out vers 8. arguing that the Lamps that is the outward Profession of wise and foolish was held up did not cease burning till the very moment of the Bridegrooms coming though yet at the time he tarried they are said to be asleep vers 5. But it is a sleep in respect of the practice and exercise of holiness which many at this day who had formerly been as well Practitioners as Professors should now lay aside as a needless and superfluous thing and so become meer Professors vanishing altogether into aery notions and
King with acclamations which is all that such poor creatures as we are can do for him Nay if it be a duty to expect from God returns of our prayers then it is also a duty to have inspection even into publick affairs so far as the managing of these may have a tendency to the furtherance or hinderance of those good things which we hope we have been graciously holpen by the Lord and also had some favorable smiles of his acceptance in seeking his face for Nay if it be a duty to observe and follow God in the way of his visible dispensations or on the contrary a sin to be of a sluggish temper not regarding the works of the Lord nor considering the operation of his hands then of necessity must there be a reflection upon the publick actings of instruments either in a way of owning or disowning without which no observation can be made of Gods dispensations or our duty in this respect Nay lastly If it be a duty to mourn for the sins of Rulers to mourn when Christs cause lies bleeding then certainly it cannot be evill to have inspection into the one and the other And notwithstanding it is a more precious thing in a Christian to be found watching in his own heart and ways than to be prying into the waies and actings of others for which cause so far as this is neglected the common accusation laid to the charge of those who contend for the Kingdom of Christ without as if they did neglect the Kingdom of Christ within is a thing most just Yet let it withall be considered that the doing of the one layes no necessity upon a man of a neglect of the other for if there be but any thing of truth in that opinion it will be hard to say God hath laid a necessity upon us to neglect our hearts whilst which yet is a thing he wills us to do we are seeking after his truth And if through that corruption that is within any man should so do doth not this evill attend him as well in other studies as this by consequence therefore from this principle no truth must be inquired into But I have observed in this day a close design of the Devil driven on under this vizard and no wonder for Satan himself is now transformed into an Angel of light and I can the better speak it having felt when time was this temptation and thereby learned these who Lessons 1 To discern somewhat of the depths of Satan viz. That he perceiving the work that God is about to do in the world and knowing full well how acceptable a thing iâ— is to God as well as advantagious to the work it self to have his Children following him in his great designs and how provoking the thing will be if by any sleight he can but make them like Peter cross the Lord in his way and thwart God in his work God as a man in like case would do resenting one error of this nature worse than forty of another kind and knowing also that to say to them in plain language neglect this or oppose that without some very specious and glorious pretence would be no boot he therefore now comes forth as the most glorious Saint that ever came into the world and tels them that they must look to their own hearts for this is a blessed thing and therefore they must beware of such and such things for if they once meddle with them then farewel their hearts and to set a better face upon the business whilst he disswades these he sets on work some that are marked in their fore-heads for his children giddily and furiously to broach and set on foot those very things and designs he disswades the other from and then saith he now see whether this generation of men go and where you had been had you followed them 2 I have learned likewise to discern somewhat of the depths of the heart which would exercise the highest pride under a pretext of great holiness and humility for it being indeed a most blessed thing to attend to inward purity and mortification wherein lies the glory of a Christian now saith the heart how strangely do such and such contend for this outward thing and the other well I will follow none of them but I will attend to the mortification of the inward man I am sure in that I shall be right Now with this conceit the man goeth on secretly blessing and lifting up himself and he turns him and looks him round and loe all are out of the way but he Pride as it quickly grows upon such a root so is it more abominable to God by how much it is more spiritual then that which may yee discover it self more outwardly Yet let me say thus doth the Devil and mans heart at this day marvellously deceive many precious Saints in this thing who are apt to think that they cannot mind these things and as they should study and look to their hearts too Whereas indeed it argues a Childish temper in a man to think that he cannot learn the things of his heart or keep the same up for God any longer then it is exercised in those truths which more immediately concern the heart and life and have their foundation in Christian experience as if those truths which lie out of the reach of my experience as a Christian and more imediately concern Gods Cause and Glory without had not in them as natural a tendency to give a soul a sight of God and as great an efficacy to cause the heart to cleave to God and walk humbly with him as truths that lye within the râ—ach of my experience Nay I will here be bold to say that that soul who faithfully followeth God in those things wherein his glory is more immediately concerned shall learn more of his heart as it were by the by and have the same better ordered then shall that man who neglecting this makes that his continual study for it is not by our poring that we come to know our hearts nor by our struggling to mend them so much as indeed by laying them in that path where Christ in this or that day more commonly goes and waiting there to receive life and strength from him And farther My Lord as for contenting themselves with their own liberty which is the great thing objected to us our injoyment whereof as yet is indeed a mercy beyond what the people of God far more deserving in former ages have had the people of God could at this day do it were it not but that the sufferings of Christs cause their prayers having been long going forth and their hopes raised are now more unto them than any sufferings of their own And as Daniel first and Nehemiah afterwards though they for their own particulars were well in the Court of the King of Persia yet could not be well because it went not well with Gods cause at that day so notwithstanding Gods
that it went ill with Moses for their sakes But for what reason see v. 33. because they provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips God is oft times in the small and still voyce when neither in the Whirl-wind nor the Earthquake nor the fire 1 King 19.11 13. 5 And lastly Be much in praises Praises in the last times shall have the same efficaey and effect that prayer in former times hath had In Rev 15. Whilst the Saints who have gotten the victory over the Beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name are staâ—ding on the Sea of glass with the Harps of God and singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb v. 2 3 4. The seven Angels with the seven Vials full of the wrath of God to be poured out upon the heads of the enemies of the Church issue out of the Temple v. 5 6 7. And in Rev. 19.1 3. it is observable the final ruin of Babylon comes in as an effect of the frequent praises of Saints in v. 1. They sing Hallelujahs I heard a voyce of much people in heaven saying Hallelujah and v. 3. Again they said Allelujah and what followed her smoak rose up for ever and ever These few perticulars coming to my mind whilst this Epistle was drawing up I thought good in this place to insert I shall no longer detain thee Spiritual Friend and Reader from the thing it self which trears of that great work which the cies and hearts of not a few of Gods people at this day are sixed upon and taken up with in reading of which if thou shalt receive any light or reap any spiritual benefit give all the praise to the Lord and pray for him who is A Companion in the tribulation and Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ J. T. A brief and Seasonable Word humbly offered to the View and Consideration of the Saints and People of God in this Generation Especially to those in whose hands for the present the Work lyes relating to the Work of the present Age or Generation we live in Act. 13.36 For David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep THis Chapter for the greatest part contains a rehearsal of that divine and heavenly Sermon preached by Paul at Antioch The Subject-matter of his Discourse is Jesus Christ the particulars insisted on are his Death and Resurrection the two main Pillars of Christian Religion the two chief Heads or Common-places to which Paul reduceth his whole Gospel 1 Cor. 15.3 4. His scope in treating of these being to convince the Jews who were in expectation of the Messiah or Christ That the Messiah was already come dead and risen again and that this Jesus whom he preached unto them was he and also to perswade all sorts of men whether Jews or Gentiles who expected Salvation to look for it no where else but only from this Jesus who was dead for sins and raised again for the justification of sinners And it seems this was the Aâ—â—stles ordinary way and method of preaching not only â—â—e but every where else especially when he met with any Jews as appears Act. 17.2 3. The words read are brought in â—nder the last of these viz. The Doctrine of the Resurrection as the Apostle was proving and clearing that for having evidenced Christs Resurrection from the testimony of many who were Eye-witnesses of the same who had both seen him and conversed with him after he was risen vers 31. Hee for the further confirmation thereof makes use of that notable testimony of the Prophet David Psal 16.10 who seeing beforehand the Resurrection of Christ spake thereof on this wise Thou shalt not suffer thine holy One to see corruption Which words saith the Apostle could not be understood of David for they do no way agree to him who fell on sleep was laid unto his Fathers and saw corruption but they do most fitly agree to this Jesus who was dead and by the power of God in three dayes raised again and so saw no corruption and therefore must needs be understood of him and by them his Resurrection was Prophetically pointed out many hundreds of years before the time And it seems that this Argument drawn from the words of David to prove the Resurrection of Christ was of no little force For not only Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles but Peter also the great Apostle of the Circumcision makes use of it to the same end and purpose that Paul doâ—h here Act. 2.25 26 27 c. The words themselves that I have pitched upon are not any part of the Apostles Argument or proof but somewhat worthy observation David brought in by the way as it were in a Parenthe is whilst the A postle was following up of his main Argument which was how that David fell on sleep was laid to his Fathers and saw corruption and that therefore this Prophecie of not seeing corruption could not be meant of David himself but must relate to Christ plainly importing his Resurrection But now there was something Antecedent to Davids falling asleep very admirable and remarkable in him which the Apostle will by no means let slip but sets it before all as a thing worthy their imitation which is how that David before hee fell on sleep served his own Generation by the will of God For David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep I shall first Paraphrase upon the words and then come to my Observations from them Served his Generation i.e. did the work of his Generation What was the work of his Generation David applied himself unto he was not an Idler a Sluggard in his Generation Timothy served with Paul in the Gospel Phil. 2.22 i.e. did the work of the Gospel together with Paul His own Generation not another Generation every Generation as I shall shew anon hath its proper and peculiar Work Now David made it his business to find out and attend unto that Work which did properly belong to his Generation By the will of God These words take in the ground or rise of Davids obedience the matter and manner of it The ground or rise was Gods will God willed David to do the work of his Generation and because God willed him he did it he served the will of God in serving his Generation and therefore served his Generation because it was the will of God The mattor of Davids obedience was not humane inventions or mens traditions but such things only as God did will and call him to do in his Generation The manner of Davids obedience was not in what way he listed or in humane prudence judged best but in such a way as was most consonant to Gods will revealed to him as he did not of his own head frame the matter so did hee not determine of the way or manner but in both did set before him the will of God and
those that did sigh and cry for the abominations thereof which was the work God in such an age did call unto as Isay 22.12 13. Yea though Noah Daniel and Job active men living in a perverse backsliding generation cannot ward off Gods blow from the generation yet they shall deliver their own souls Ezek. 14.13 to 22. Personal deliverances shall attend such men in common calamities and National desolations 5 God will reveal his secrets to such Noah in his time had the secret of drowning the old world revealed to him Abraham in his time the secret of Sodoms destruction the secret of Isiaels bondage in Egypt the secret of the Messiah's coming forth of his loyns discovered to him David in his time had that secret where the Temple should be built to him 1 Chron. 22.1 2. compared with 2 Chron. 3.1 Daniel in his time the secret of Nebuchadnezzars dream the secret of the time of Christs coming in the flesh chap. 9.24 25 26. and of the Jews conversion chap. 12.11 12. to him And Peter and Paul in their time the secret of the Gentiles conversion to them Act. 10.9 to 17. Gal. 1.16 17. God having in all generations still made those keepers of his Cabinet who have been faithful in the work of their generations 6 God hath peculiar honor wherewith he will crown those persons that follow him in the work of their generation Moses was eminent in his generation and what peculiar honour had God for Moses Num. 12.6 7 8. If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dream My servant Moses is not so who is faithful in all my house With him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold In the day of Christs humiliation the Disciples of all other were most eminent in following and owning of Christ and what beculiar honor hath Christ for them above others Mat. 19. â—8 Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed â—e in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in â—he Throne of his glory yee also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 5 Neglect of Generation-work exposeth a man to a â—orld of dangers as 1 Danger of losing gifts and Talents The sloathful â—ervant mentioned in the Parable Mat. 25. not improâ—ng the Talent given him to his Lords advantage in his â—eneration hath his Talent taken from him v. 28. Saul though a wicked man had two great Talents â—mmitted to him by God a Talent of a Kingdom and a â—alent of common gifts of the Spirit fitting him for â—vernment and the discharge of his Office as a King which last is called the Spirit of the Lord yet but a common Talent of Government as is clear because David is no sooner anointed King and the right of Government his but this Talent is taken from Saul as one who now had no longer to do with it 1 Sam. 16.13 14. Both these he loseth by faultring in the work of his Generation as compare 1 Sam. 15.26 28. with Chap. 16 14. 2 Danger of losing communion with God Whilst David was abroad in the field hewing down Gods enemies round about him which was the Master-piece of work God allotted him in his Generation what sweet triumphant communion had he with God a clear testimony whereof is Psal 108. a Psalm most probably composed in the day of his glorious Exploits chronicled 2 Sam. 8. But afterwards when David sending forth his servants about that work which was his work in his Generation betakes himself to his ease in his Palace at the time of the Kings going forth to battel 2 Sam. 11.1 which circumstance of time is therefore I take it with such exactness noted to give us to understand that David ought now to have been abroad in person the work being Gods and not to have sent his Servants without him though we may do our own work by a Proxie yet Gods work calls for our persons how sadly doth he lose his commumon with God falling into that foul sin in the matter of Vriah which was a blemish upon this holy man all his life time afterwards and which although it is sad to consider yet is observable concerning him that notwithstanding God by his Prerogative Royal gave David not only the pardon of his sin but also his life which now by blood-shed though a King was by vertue of that positive command which admits of no exception Gen. 9.6 forfeited as 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye Yet do we not read of any thing remarkable save only defending himself against some domestick insurrections and forreign invasions done by him afterwards as before So also Solomon his son whilst his thoughts ran upon the work of his Generation what communion had he with God God appearing to him once and again and enduing him with wisdome the thing he desired above all that ever were before or since him But when afterward his heart was more taken up with Women than the work of his Generation how did his former communion with God dye and he that before built a house for the worship of the true God now builds high places for Idolatry 1 King 11.7 8. Which sad example ought to be had in perpetual remembrance by such as are imployed in Temple-work the business of this age that it fare not with them as with the builder of the material Temple who first building gold to the true God did afterwards build stubble to a false 3 Danger of being laid aside by God It hath been the ordinary way of Gods dispensations as well in later as former times to make use of some particular instrument for some time in his work whom afterwards before the work hath been brought unto perfection he hath laid aside by which although as not unlikely Gods design may be to remove his peoples eyes from instruments to himself yet it is observable God hath seldome or never cashired a man by him imployed till first by some means or other he hath cashiered himself and which is more to be noted the very thing which hath occasioned the laying of such instruments aside hath mostly if not ever been some miscarriage or other in the work of their Generation that being the fatal Rock such men split upon Once more here let us review that of Saul whom God was pleased for some time to imploy as a scourge to the Ammonites and Philistines and yet afterwards by one error committed in the work of his Generation he is for ever cashiered by God and put out of his work But more strange and worthy observation is that of Moses and Aaron two eminent instruments and both godly which God made singular use of in Aegypt and at the Red Sea in the Wilderness and upon Mount Sinai so appearing to them
Gadarens send Christ away because they were loth to lose their swine Private interest of gain was the root of that great opposition made against the Gospel in Thratira Act 16.19 20. and after that at Ephesus Act. 19.23 24 25 c. And private interest of honor and preeminence set Diotrephes on work to oppose John and the work of Christ in his Churches Epist 3. vers 9.10 Private interest is an enemy to the work of the Generation and every work of God about it 5 Favour and own the Saints of the Generation and here by Saints I do not mean this or that party of men but such men of whatsoever party they may be as have the image of God upon them Christ and the Spirit of Christ in them To disown any such one though men call it disowning a Presbyter disowning an Independant disowning an Anabaptist c. yet Christ accounts it disowning his little ones In Zech. 12.5 We have a glorious Prophecy relating unto the last ages of the-world but more particularly to that age in which the Jews shall be converted and it chiefly concerns great ones States-men the Governors of Judah who in this day looking upon and beholding Gods wonderful appearances in behalf of his Saints under their Government owning of them shattering all that do but lifâ— up a hand against them to peeces bringing all Plots and Counsels against them to nothing they shall from hence be so powerfully convinced that they shall say in their hearts The Inhabitants of Jerusalem my strength or is our strength in the Lord of Hosts their God And observe it no sooner do they say thus Surely these are Gods people here lies our strength wee 'l stick to these but presently the work in their hands go on in despight of the most powerful opposition God making of them the terror of all the Nations round about them yea of the whole world which shall be but as stubble to the fire before them as vers 6. In that day viz. the day in which the Governours of Judah shall thus speak will I make the Governors of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood and like a torch of fire in a sheaf and they shall devoure all the people round about on the right hand and on the left A sad example of the contrary we have in David who though he were a man after Gods own heart and one that had faithfully served God for many years in his Generation yet by one injury offered to godly Uriah his hands were so weakned that as I have formerly said comparing after acts with what he did before we hardly find any remarkable thing performed by him in his Generation afterwards As nothing doth more strengthen a mans hand in Generation-work then countenancing the Saints so contrariwise nothing doth more enfeeble them than to injure these 6 Keep Justice alive against wilful offenders in the work Achan put a stop to the work of the Generation in his time but Justice having free passage upon Achan presently the work of the Generation goes on 7 Commit the managing of publique Affairs into the hands of faithful and holy men It is observable and but that I spare to run over again the list of Generations I could for proof thereof produce many instances that Generation-work hath never thriven but have bin always done by halves or peece-meal when it hath bin in the hands of such men who not being faithful to God have more pursued their own particular interests of honor profit and the advancement of relations and alliances than the good and welfare of the cause and the furtherance of the work of the Generation But that which is enough for our present purpose is how that in the last days particularly in that age in which Christ will pitch a field with those Kings of the Earth which stand in the way of his Kingdom he will pick and cull out as the only instruments that under him shall carry on this work such as are called and chosen and faithful as Rev. 17.14 These shall make waâ— with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them For he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful And also in that fatal blow which suddenly after shall be given to the Romish power and the powers of the world conjoyned his followers shall not be such as either rowle in the pollutions of the world or have stained their garments with the Idolatries and Superstitions of Antichrist but onely such as shall be cloathed in fine linnen clean and white as Rev. 19.8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen clean and white For the fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints And vers 14. The Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses cloathed in fine linnen white and clean Though men may imploy others yet Christ will by degrees lay them by in the doing of this work before the same shall be perfected 8 Take heed of divers things which if not prudently foreseen and shunned may any one of them slugg even a good man in the work of his Generation as 1 Take heed of being offended Christs Countreymen could not receive him for the Messiah because they were offended at his meanness and poverty Matth. 13.57 Many a man stumbles at the work of his Generation by an aptness to be offended at this and the other thing as First At the nâ—w light of the Generation As in the times before Christs coming and immediately after so long as God was opening his will to his people by a written word every generation almost did beam forth new light in regard of being Abrahams Generation producing somewhat that was not revealed in Adams nor to the old World Mosesses somewhat which was not revealed in Abrahams Davids somewhat which was not revealed in Mosesses Isaiahs somewhat which was not revealed in Davids Daniels somewhat which was not revealed in Isays John Baptists somewhat which was not revealed in in Daniels and Peter and Pauls somewhat which was not revealed in John Baptists time So in the Generations since God hath closed up his word truth having brought forth its last in regard of being and especially since the man of Sin who creeping in in the first ages corrupted and darkned the light of those times for many Generations together hath been going off the Stage every Generation almost hath afforded its new light in regard of discovery of that light which in the word had being before but obscured by the fogs of Antichristianism So Wickleff and John Hus in their ages made discovery of some light Luther in his Generation of more Calvin in his of more in respect of some things wherein Luther was in the dark and the ages since of more in respect of some things wherein all the foregoing Worthies were in the dark And this to say is no disparagement to them who did worthily in their
having once at a pinch deserted Christs Cause he was not a man likely afterwards to thrive with in carrying it on and therefore wife wary Paul if there be no other way to clear his hands of him for the works sake rather than he will run the hazzard he will bid farewell even to his old beloved preaching suffering Companion Barnabas himself And now as for you dearly Beloved to whom I dedicate these Lines I onely say The Book it self is yours and whatsoever of the mind of Christ is discovered in it is yours I shall therefore close up this my Epistle with the words of the Holy Ghost Isa 2.12 13 c. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan And upon all the high Mountains and upon all the Hills that are lifted up And upon every high Tower and upon every fenced Wall And upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all pleasant Pictures And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the herghtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day And the Idols he shall utterly abolish Ezek. 17.24 Then all the Trees of the field shall know that it is the Lord that hath brought down the high Tree and hath exalted the low Tree hath dried up the green Tree and made the drie Tree to flourish Isa 9.3 The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this So beleeves he who is A poor unprofitable Servant in his Masters Work JOHN TILLINGHAST The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader IT was not in my thoughts when I put forth my former peece which I was moved to do partly for the encouragement of some who had ventured far in the work of their Generation and partly for the provocation of others that I should have appeared again upon the publick Stage whence few that climb up come down any better than losers if not from men yet through that corruption that lodgeth in their own hearts But being by more than one or two upon the coming forth thereof desired to speak my thoughts more clearly and particularly as touching the Design or Designs of God in the Age we live in And to that end some proposing this Prophecy of the Vials as a subject most suitable for such a discovery which opened they conceived would further unfold the Werk of this Generation and being added as an Appendix to the other might be of use Although considering how great the Task was how mystical that Prophecy in particular upon which the thoughts of good men were so various and how unskilful I my self was in the general knowledge of the Prophets which was a thing most necessary to such an undertaking I did for a while lay aside wholly the thoughts of satisfying their desires yet finding desires renewed after I had given them over I knew not but that it might be some call unto me seeing nothing but my own discouragements lying in the way to hinder Whereupon I resolved to make a trial and as the Lord should come in with light so to proceed or give over being incouraged hereto from that of Daniel Chap. 12.4 That the Book was to be sealed up but to the time of the end when by the running too and fro of many which implies a kind of duty knowledge shall be increased And also considering that a special blessing surely to quicken our dull hearts to this Work is annexed to the Book of the Revelations both at the beginning and ending whereas no Book besides it in Scripture hath the like Chap. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein Chap. 22.7 Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the Prophecy of this Book These things were at first some encouragement to me and are still refreshment to my spirit as touching what I have done for though I will not say I have in all things found the truth which yet I perswade my self is through Grace in some things here done yet do I judge a liberty left for me as well as others to croud into the number of that many who run too and fro to finde it and also do beleeve it is a thing may be done without prejudice to a mans grace comfort or communion with God yea as a help to all these seeing that a special blessing from Heaven is pronounced to such as read hear and keep these things And as to the Treatise it self I may give this account of it That when I began my thoughts were not upon a second Part but onely to have added this as a brief Appendix to my first But after I had taken a serious view of the Prophets and the Revelations comparing one with the other I saw so many precious ears of Corn lye scattered every where that an eager desire of gleaning made me forget my first resolutions and this little Peece which I had in my thoughts laid out but for two or three sheets at most upon the sudden to swell into a second Part more large than the former And truly in doing of it I have been so far from moulding things according to any pre-conceived opinion which I find a thing most apt to deceive as that setting aside some general perswasions which I had before as touching Christs coming I have upon deliberate consideration seen real cause to forsake some things formerly taken up by me and to alter those general conceptions which before I had of the Vials almost in every thing And notwithstanding I had some thoughts at first positively to lay down my own opinion in things referring to the Vials without mentioning the opinion of others yet did I afterwards judge it convenient for the satisfaction of such who delight to turn over Expositors not only to lay down my own but also briefly to insert those reasons which pondered in my thoughts made me see a necessity to forsake the old beaten paths and seek a new wherein I can speak it truly I have not desired to besingular though oft necessitated so to be nor forsaken any man so far as by right reason I have been able in my most serious thoughts to bring his opinion and the truth together and where I could not though I highly reverence the men as inestimable of more worth for grace and abilities both then a hundred such as my self yet have I not durst to follow them because I have taken it up as my resolution in this day which through the grace of God assisting I shall hold unto not to follow any man or men living though I honor their holiness and love their parts any farther then I can see the truth and them to follow that nor for any respect whatsoever
see the day of Israels redemption which therefore they shall wait upon God for Both these are expressed Isa 60.9 Surely the Isles shall wait for me Thirdly They shall be such who shall be very considerable and strong in shipping having multitudes of ships at their command as this in the following words and the ships of Tarshish first Tarshish was a place very considerable for Navigation and Shipping in time of old for which reason the Scripture never speaks of great ships strong ships or multitude of ships but they are called by the name of the Ships of Tarshish 2 Chron. 9.21 Psal 48.7 Isa 2.16 Ezek. 27.25 Now this people dwelling in the Isles and so strong in shipping shall be the first that shall put their hands to this work The Isles shall wait for me and the ships of Tarshish first to bring thy Sons from far and thy Daughters from the ends of the earth Fourthly What if I say they shall be a people under a State Government for such a kind of Government of old had the Philistims the power of Government among them residing not in one man but in many which in Scripture are called the Lords of the Philistims Now this people who shall assist the Jews at this day are Isa 11.14 likened to the Philistims of old they shall flye upon the shoulders of the Philistims how not in qualities or conditions for the Philistims were ever enemies to Israel and these are friends but rather in the form of their Government the Philistims were governed by a State so shall these These are the characters let the Reader refuse or apply them as he pleaseth Now because the thing aimed at in pouring forth this Vial concerns the Jews more especially and their Restauration as hath appeared in our Discourse hitherto and because the thoughts of good men are various and their notions and conceptions very different in the point of the Jews first stirring some conceiving the same to be upon a Civil account only to recover their Country and their conversion to be some years after Others judging that they shall at the first be converted to the faith of the Gospel and their stirring to arise from that the right understanding of which mystery is a thing of such importance either opinion having seemingly much footing in the Prophecies of the Old Testament as that without some further light then as yet I have seen the Prophecies relating to this people and the time of their return cannot be brought to a joynt concurrence and harmony one with another I shall therefore not boasting of any light that I have above others having reason enough to be otherwise minded but as one willing with others to seek after and if it may be to find the truth offer here in the close of this Discourse and that in as few words as I can my own present thoughts concerning the thing which are That the first stirring or moving of this people shall be as I conceive from some notable work of God upon the hearts of some who shall at this day be Principal ones or Leaders amongst them working in them a sincere earnest and longing desire to find the Lord their God Hereupon arising themselves and stirring up others to arise with them now to go unto Sion unto the Lord their God which we have Jer. 31.6 For there shall be a day that the Watchmen upon the Mount of Ephraim who was head of the ten Tribes for which reason the Restauration here spoken of must be their last which is yet to come shall say Arise yee and let us go up to Sion unto the Lord our God and vers 9. wee have the manner of their coming They shall come with weeping and with supplication will I lead them Qualifications not proper to such persons who move only upon a Civil account and for worldly ends So Chap. 50.4 5. speaking of the frame they shall be in whilst as yet they are but upon the way In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord if the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping They shall go and seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Sion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Which Text was not fulfilled in the return from Babylon when Judah only not Israel and Judah together did return but manifestly looks to their last Restauration so Isa 51.11 we have a contrary affection arguing the inward joy and delight they shall have in this journey from considering whither and about what they are going viz. to Sion to seek their Lord The redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Sion and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads So Hos 3.5 they go seeking the Lord Afterwards shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and they shall fear the Lord and his goodness When in the latter dayes Chap. 1.10 11. at their beginning to stir before yet they are come forth the place of their captivity shall be called the children of the living God It shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall it be said unto them ye are the Sons of the living God Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head and they shall come up out of the land for great shall be the day of Jezreel Now those amongst them who from such an inward desire and principle shall move themselves and put others upon it shall be as I conceive persons under a state of true conversion to God being now delivered from the curse before they lay under and that hardness which before was upon them though the particular Revelation of Christ as come in the fiesh shall not as yet be manifested to them but with a strong breathing after the Lord and a general faith in the Messiah whom they shall truly beleeve in look for but as to come they shall now go seeking after the Lord and David or Christ their King and this faith of theirs though for want of New-Testament light it be not a New-Testament faith i.e. a faith in Christ as come already yet shall the same be true faith though running in the Old Testament way they having yet no higher light for such was the faith of Gods people of old before Christ came a looking to the Messiah which was to come acknowledging their salvation to be only from him and earnestly breathing and longing after the day of his appearance And these persons who shall have already this true saving work begun in them shall by converse with and beholding the holiness grace and love of those Gentile Christians who shall be instruments to help them in their land have a farther work wrought in
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
behalf of that cause which my heart is inwardly perswaded is Jesus Christs to whom I could not be faithful should I now be silent having this hope that that heart which once had in it such a flame of love to the cause of Christ and was so zealous of the work of God in the world and against the Beast as that thereby many were provoked cannot but yet have some sparks of this holy fire alive in it and that there is yet in your Highness an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit saith in the word if so be the sound be certain and distinct tho but a Child blow the Trumpet Or if not yet that herein I shall discharge a duty in my own apprehension incumbent upon me and every of Gods people so far as they have light namely to inform your Highness what Christ at this day expects from you according to which he will account with you and if what is written be truth it is you duty to hear it yea where is but an appearance of truth if you shall without diligent trial either neglect or reject it though the grounds upon which you may perhaps so do may serve to answer Conscience a while yet will they not answer the Lord another day who will account with you not as with others but according to that Talent of light you have had and is held forth unto you the professions you have made before many of his people and the opportunities you have And therefore my Lord as it is now no time for those who either love the Lord Jesus or your Highness to flatter you or speak their fears mincingly So let me here say what not long fince I told your Highness in a more private way That I do verily beleeve the thing is already manifest to the Lord and the day is not far off in which it shall be to your Highness also who are your most faithful Friends whether those that now hang up their Harps though they may be but as one Micaiah to 400 false Prophets or those that are singing their Songs of which latter sort I mean for the greater part of them I may for the truth of the thing I am sure without offence say in the Apostles phrase onely adding a word They who never yet loved you truly now zealously affect you but not well yea they would exclude you that you might affect them and serve their designs I would to God I could speak otherwise and that private cryes might have prevented this publick bearing witness which though I had no other motive yet ingenuity did I not consider that when it tends to hinder in the Lords work it is no longer a vertue but a vice to be mortified would have disswaded me from The love of the meanest Saint is precious to me the favor of your Highness much more but in these divided times offering many temptations of this nature I have often remembred the case as it stood betwixt Christ and Peter Matâ—h 16.21 22 23. who when Peter by his love and affection would have put him by his Fathers work Christ grew offended even at Peters love and did abandon it My Lord if ever the Mystery of Iniquity wrought spiritually it doth at this day And no wonder for a fear and dread of the Witnesses is fallen upon the Beast whose blow that he may escape he would now if that will do it enter into a high form of Saintship and indeed who looks for Antichrist take him either as he is the whole Body or as he is this oâ— that part in his last state in any other Garbe than the form of a gloribus â—aint though he may have read the Book of the Revelations yet is he still to learn the Mystery of the Beast there revealed Now is the man of sin struggling for his Kingdom which he will uphold as long as he can but though the Dragon Beast and False Prophet joyn heads and hands together yet shall they not bee able to keep it up long no not half so many years as some dream of Ages for God hath numbered Babylons Kingdom and in a manner finished it the Beast and the Whoreâ—s or the Beast and the False Prophet are already weighed in the Ballances and found wanting the Kingdom shall as most certainly so suddenly be divided broken and given to another And as a clear evâ—dence hereof we have the signs of the times grounded upon the woâ—d which Christ did refer the Generation of the Pharisees and Sadduces to when they would know of him a sign Matth. 16.3 O yee Hypocrites can yee not discern the signs of the times What signs of the times had they Answ Two evident signs founded upon Scripture 1. The departure of the Scepter from Judah in Herods then swaying it who was an Idumean 2. The expirations of Daniels seventy weeks the limited time of the Messiahs appearance By either of these they might have concluded that truth they opposed and received him for their Messiah whom they rejected but this they did not but must have farther signâ— yet for which cause Christ calls them Hypocrites a wicked and an adulterous Generation My Lord Let me here say The Lord in his Word hath left signs of this time I am now speaking of no less clear and demonstrative than were the signs of thaâ— and although I am of all the most unworthy to be acquainted with them or any thing of the mind of the Lord yet is it my perswasion that some of them are discovered in the following discourse and he that shall without prejudice read what in the close is written of the time and compare it with the things themselves specified throughout the Book may possibly be of my mind at least not censure me for thinking so And if now My Lord as persons willing to be blinded we shall shut our eyes to those signs of the times God hath left us in the word and ask for other signs to know his work by and when we are called to do it it is an evident token even from our Saviors own words of an Adulterous and Apostatizing generation I had almost said and if I had his words would have born me out of an hypocritical heart My Lord Let me not be made an offender for this plain dealing if I am so long as the Lord shall keep my feet in the way of my duty it shall not trouble me and I have hope that in this I have had his merciful guidance and have not as yet stepped out of that way For if in the day when Christ is going up to his Kingdom the stones would not hold their peace should not the Children cry Hosanna then surely it is a duty very incumbent upon the Saints at this day there being nothing more obvious than that Christ is well onwards upon his march to his Kingdom not to be silent but although they may be rebuked yea dealt worse by for so doing yet to follow their
hardned his heart How did the Lord accomplish this Pharaoh settles himself upon as righteous principles as ever any of the Sons of men could do One is that it belongs to the chief Ruler of a Nation to see to the profit and glory of that Nation What more righteous principle is there in the world Hence he concludes that if iâ— be incumbent on him to see that the Realm receive no detriment he must not let the people go by whom they received so many great advantages God confirms his heart in these principles which are good in themselves but saith the Doctor abominable when taken up against the mind and providence of God Hence he and his perished in their principles acting against the appearance of God Secondly It is also said of Sihon the King of the Amorites that his heart was hardned that he would not let the people go through his Land How I pray even by adhering to that wise principle That it is not meet to let a potent Enemy into the bowels of a people and this made way for his ruine Thus saith he it is with many they fix on principles good in general and in their season Old bounds must not be broken up Order must not be disturbed Let God appear never so eminently so mightily they will keep to their principle what is this but judicial hardness And this is one reason why the actings of God in such a day as this are so unsuited to the expectations of men they square his works to the interests and principles which it will not answer Hitherto Dr. Owen 4 Take heed of that ungodly principle sprung up of late the contrary to which some call a State-Herene though I am sure the principle is a Scripture-Herefie viz. That godliness in a Magistrate or Civil Officer is but a secondary qualification natural accomplishments and endowments being the primary for which therefore a man is to be intrusted with this power rather than the other I cannot but wonder how any who profess the Name of Christ much more who profess themselves to have been faithful to his cause should together therewith profess such an unchrist an yea Machiavilian principle which First Lies point-blank against the promises made to the last dayes which assure 1 That God will restore his peoples Judges as at the first Isa 1.26 But were Judges at the first Moses Joshua c. such 2 That their Governors should be of themselves Jer. 30.21 But may we call such of themselves Secondly Leaves out as of little worth comparatively the main qualifications of that divine pattern by which the first Rulers that ever were so made by men amongsh Gods own people were made Exod. 18.21 Thirdly Makes null that Divine Maxime 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God for how can such rule in the fear of God who have no fear of God before their eyes which is one character of every natural man Rom. 3.18 Fourthly Layes an unavoidable necessity of a continued judgement upon a people For if it be a judgement to have Rulers that know not God because such make the people to erre Isa 3.12 chap. 9.16 then if such for their natural endowments are to be chosen of necessity must a judgement lye upon that people over or amongst whom they are set Fifthly Opens a door to all persecution by putting the Civil Sword into the hands of the Seed of the Serpent for better cannot be said of a meer moral man which from the beginning hath had a natural enmity to the Seed of the Woman My Lord Bear with the boldness of it if I say That in case your Highness be found steering your course and laying out your power by this crooked rule know assuredly that Christ will suddenly take though how I know not your power from you and give it to one that shall lay it out otherwise I shall not multiply many more words save to add that in case any expression either in this or the following Discourse savour of the spirit of man which my self allows not have kept a watch against yet may be guilty of I do in that humbly crave your Highness pardon but as for the matter and substance of those things I have written I ask none my Conscience bearing me witness that I have afferted nothing but what according to my present perswasions not grounded upon this or that particular Text which is a deceiving way but by comparing the whole of Prophecies together is the truth of Christ yea the truth of the time though yet through mercy I have drunk in no such conceit of my own knowledge as though it were more than in part not do I impose upon your Highness conscience or the consciences of any a belief of my principles any farther then Scripture and right reason doth approve them yet would have none on the other side condemn them as this age is apt to do upon the account of this or that single Text till he hath compared the whole of Prophecies together in doing which he may perhaps see my reason of stating things as I have done which upon every occasion I could not bring forth and therewith a full answer to his own doubt And farther I have not in this work knowingly stretched any one Text beyond what I have judged its due bounds or forced an interpretation to reach any Party a blow Nor have I on the other side with-held any peece of the truth so judged by me lying in any Text nor minced any Interpretation to spare any party a blow As I would be loath to strike any my self for my blows can do me no good and them little hurt so would I not have a hand in keeping off that blow that truth will strike whosoever it fall upon And although a Discourse of this nature would better have become a graver Pen than mine and possibly from such a one been sooner hearkned to pride rashness and headiness having been the coutinual accusation laid against young men and not alwayes groundless yet seeing the Aged silent and perceiving through the light the Lord of his grace hath larely given me to see by a cleer opening sundry Prophecies which not long since were mysteries to me the cause of Christ in sore travel either through an ignorance of what Gods Designs are at this day or somewhat worse in those that should manage it I conceived my self though others might better do it yet at this time called to speak and to speak plainly Elihu though a young man went and that with success over the head of such a temptation in a less case That a like success and blessing from above may accompany this is his Prayer who is Your Highness humble Servant Mournful for You hold with You for Sions sake JOHN TILLINGHAST To the several Churches of Christ within this Commonwealth Together with all those that have fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ The Church
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
mighty Thundrings saying Hallelujah It teacheth us thus much That Christ will raise up some such faithful Instrument to bee his Lieutenant General to lead on this his 144000 whose name shall be as a great Thunder in the world dreadful and terrible to the Antichristian party And whereas it is the voyce of but one Thunder it intimates that at this first Rendezvouz there shall appear but some one noted Head for Christ but a while after when the work is gotten a little forwarder we hear of many Thundrings Rev. 19.6 i.e. many great One Heads Rulers who either wanted opportunity or courage at first shall now come in and joyn with this party 2 They shall begin their march with praises The Lamb being now upon Mount Sion his remnant gathered about him an eminent Head by Christ raised up and set over them the first work they do is to sing praises I heard the voyce of Harpers harping with their Harps The Holy Ghost in these words alludes to the way of praising God in time of Old when Gods people in their praises made use of Instruments of Musick and particularly and as that which was in most common use of the Harp Psal 33.2 Psal 43.4 Psal 71.22 And methinks the first setting forth of the 144000. seems to be much like Jehoshaphats march against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir 2 Chron. 20. An infinite multitude of people and Nations like the sand of the Sea come up together against Jehoshaphat and Judah The noise and rumor of their coming doth 〈…〉 â—istress the people but seeking God the Lord setting it home upon the heart of Jehoshaphat and his people that the morrow should be the day of his power he would do the work for them they should not need so much as to fight only stand and behold the salvation of the Lord fear and faint-heartedness now flyes away they do not consult whether are we strong or whether are we weak how is it possible we should deal with this multitude But being assured of the Victory and that the day should be theirs they begin a March with prâ—â—â—es singing and rejoycing before ever a stroke is struck as if they had carried the Field already So will it be with this remnant at this day the raging Dragon in his wrath and fury comes on gaping upon them It is a miracle in reason if ever they scape his mouth but against this to bear up their spirits they have the glorious presence of the Lamb in the midst of them this doth so wondrously animate them that in the mouth of danger they fear none but march oâ— in the very face of the Dragon harping with their Harps i. e. praising and rejoycing as knowing assuredly the Lamb will manifest his power they shall tread the Dragon under their feet Thus much as touching our second particular from the whole note That notwithstanding the Witnesses themselves are undoubtedly after their rise to be esteemed a part of this 144000 yet shall the beginning of this glorious company be not with them but there where that remnant of the Womans seed shall be found thâ— the Dragon wars against I shall here in the close of this Section adde a word or two as touching Daniels Stone the looking upon this Rendezvouz presenting that to mine eye The first rise of this Stone we are doubtless to place with the beginnâ—â—â— of the third Vial. My Reasons are 1 Because it being the Stone alone that breaks the Great Image by smiting him on the Feer and Toes we are there to place the rise of it where the Civil power of Antichrist in any of the ten Horns represented by the ten Toes is irrecoverably broken to peeces But the doing of this is begun with the third Vial therefore with the beginning of that are we to place the beginning of the Stone 2 Because Daniels Stone that smites Chap. 2. and his Ancient of dayes that sits Chap. 7. being one and the same we are to reckon the rise of the Stone from the first day that the Ancient of dayes began to sit and to cast down any of the Thrones of the fourth Beast But this work was begun with the beginning of the third Vial therefore there are we to begin the Stone Now let us look upon the work done of late yeers under either of these notions either as it is a breaking of the great Image or as it is casting down the Thrones of the fourth Beast for both are substantially the same and instrumentally wrought by the Stone and hath it not been done by a despised handful which worldly powers would not have raised up at first could they have holpen it nor continued when raised could they have had their will but as the raising so the continuing hath been from God more immediately than by the endeavour of hands i.e. humane means But now observe as God never doth any wonderful work but in the beginning of it he puts some death upon it so the most remarkable work that ever yet was in the world viz. the Stone smiting the great Image is no sooner on foot but presently even within that very Vial that the Stone begins to smite comes the saddest blow the blackest cloud over the work of God that ever one of them the world saw namely the death of the Witnesses this stops the work a while the Stone lyes still by lying still it seems to moulder In this extremity God ariseth â—â—kes the Scone into his hands again forms it more strongly by casting out the loose earthly matter and firmly uniting and cementing the rest adding withal more matter to it that so upon its next smiting it may break in peeces whatsoever stands in its way This is done in this glorious Rendezvouz of which we have spoken SECT V. OUr third Particular comes now into consideration namely to consider of the Characters of this 144000. As for the several Characters we have vers 3.4 I have given my thoughts of them already in the Epistle Dedicatory to my late Discourse upon the Vials But what I then wrote being but as the first day-break of light into this Prophecie and hoping through grace that I do now begin to see those things a little more clearly distinctly and fully than at that time I did I shall notwithstanding go over the whole again The first Character of them viz. That they stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion relating more to their condition than their qualification I shall be silent as touching it and the rather because I have opened it already Sect. 1. That omitted we have besides it eight Characters in the Text. I CHARACTER They have their Fathers Name written in their fore-heads vers 1. i.e. they shall bee such who shall know one another by no mark but only the Image of the Father the Fathers Name written in their-fore-heads And I take it that this is spoken of the 144000 followers of the Lamb in opposition to the Beasts followers
likewise it is said vers 26. after 62 weeks that is 62 added to the other seven spoken of vers 25. which make 69 shall the Messiah be cut off and not after 70 weeks shall the Messiah be cut off because indeed Christs sufferings came before the 70 week was fully and compleatly expired These four deducted there remains to be accounted upon only 486 years which passed from the 20 of Artaxerxes Mnemon until Christs Passion THESIS LVIII Our third part or period comprehends the number of years from the year of Christs Passion until the end of the year 1655 or which is all one the beginning of that noted year 1656. THESIS LIX Within this Period we are to account upon 1622 years thus Christ was thirty years old when he began to preach Luke 3.23 from the time he began to preach until his Passion the common opinion holds three years and a half but we are to account three years only as is clear from Christs own words Luke 13.32 Go ye and tell that Fox Behold I cast out Devils and I do cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected vers 33. Nevertheless I must walk to day and to morrow and the day following Shewing us that Christ in preaching spent three full years and yet but three for as he is baptised at the very beginning of the seventieth week i.e. at the beginning of the first day or year of that week so he is perfected at the end of the third day of that week or the third year from the time he began to preach Christ then at the day of his Passion was three and thirty years old which three and thirty years because our common account begins from the year of Christs Nativity we are to deduct these deducted of 1655 there remains only 1622 which we are to account upon THESIS LX. Let us now reckon up the three last periods that wee have gone through and see what number of years of the 2300 we have already gained those yet behind will fall in of themselves The first period from the first of Cyrus to the twentieth of Artaxerxes Mnemon contains 147 years The second from thence to Christs Passion 486 years Both together makes up 633 The third period from Christs Passion to the year 1656 contains 1622 The total Sum is 2255 It follows then that with the beginning of the year 1656 there are 2255 of Daniels 2300 years expired the remaining years are only 45 which will expire A.D. 1701 the very year in which Daniels 1335 dayes doth also expire THESIS LXI The 2300 dayes of Daniel are the best and surest Chronologie of the Number of the worlds years that have passed since the first of Cyrus or the beginning of the Persian Monarchy until this present day THESIS LXII The 2300 years ending according to our former Computation at the same point with the 1335 is a good Argument to prove that our course by a good hand of Providence hath been steered aright both as to the beginning of either number and also the carrying on of this great number for should we seek after any other beginning of the 1335 dayes then what we have before stated the 1335 dayes could never be brought to end with the 2300. Or in case the head of the 2300 dayes were to be placed either higher or lower or the Computation to be made otherwise than what hath been laid down then would not the 2300 dayes concur in their end with the 1335. And such a Computation it is necessary should bee made as may bring both these to end together THESIS LXIII The Harmony that is betwixt all those Mystical Numbers we have passed through is a thing very glorious and admirable to behold for there is not any one of them but affords a beam of light to the other The 1290 dayes affords a great beam of light to the 1260 and contrariwise the 1260 to that again The 1335 dayes affords a glorious beam of light to the 2300 and contrariwise the 2300 to that again Finally as the beginning of the 1260 proves our beginning of the 1335 to be true so our beginning of the 1335 proves the beginning of the 2300 to be true And contrariwise as the beginning of the 2300 proves the beginning of the 1335 to be true so the beginning of the 1335 the beginning of the 1260 to be true So that which is glorious to consider the Mystical Numbers of Daniel and the Revelations though diverse and having diverse beginnings yet have within themselves such an universal Harmony that each one serves to inlighten the other and the other him again THESIS LXIV The final Conclusion is That the rise of the Witnesses the end of the Beasts reign and treading underfoot the Holy City and the first stirring of the Jews will in greatest likelihood be in the year 1656 with which year ends the 1290 dayes the 1260 the 42 months The Personal coming of Christ the final destruction of the four Beasts or Monarchy and the compleat deliverance of the Jews in the year 1701 with which year ends Daniels 2300 dayes and his 1335. Matth. 24.48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming 49. And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the Drunken 50. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of 51. And shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth A Concluding Word WHen Daniel understood by Books the number of the years whereof the Lord had said He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem he set himself to seek the Lord by fasting weeping and mourning When Moses understood the time of the delivery of Gods people out of Egypt to be at hand he not only strengthned his Brethren but took courage and went in unto Pharaoh Though it is far from entring into my thoughts to compare my self with these yet is it my duty and desire to imitate them in their grace As to the first my hearts desire and prayer to the Father of mercies is That a Daniels praying Spirit might abound in my self and all the people of God at this day As for the second my intents and purposes were to have closed up this discovery with a solemn Exhortation First To the Higher Powers of this Commonwealth Secondly To all those who have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ within it But considering how poor and vain a thing the words of the Creature are and how little where much is spoken reacheth the heart if the Holy Spirit apply it not in my after thoughts I judged it better to leave it to the Spirit of God to set home these truths than to undertake to do it my self and therefore resting in these thoughts I shall only in a word or two deliver a Message and I hope not my own First To the Higher Powers the Message is this THIS PEOPLE SAY THE TIME IS NOT COME the time that the Lords work should be carried on Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your cieled houses and this work of Christ lye waste Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider your wayes Yea thus saith the Lord Consider your wayes For if at this time you lay aside that work wherein the cause and glory of our dear and blessed Redeemer is so neerly and immediately concerned and attend to work of another nature which comparatively he calls you not to he will assuredly in sore displeasure with shame and contempt lay you aside ruine shall come to Babylon salvation and deliverance unto Mount Sion another way Secondly To the people of God in this Common-wealth the Message is this That although you are verily as unworthy a generation of Saints considering how formal the profession of some is how loose the Principles of others how unlike Saints of old yea Saints but of yesterday we are all of this so great Grace now ready to be revealed as ever the earth bore Yet that the whole world may see and know the exceeding riches of his grace and that by the sheddings abroad of his love which is a way more suitable to Gospel administrations your over-grown corruptions may be rooted out and the breaches of Sion made up and you made to remember your own evill wayes and doings that were not good and to loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and abominations his grace shall with a notwithstanding triumph over all this your unworthiness and he will yet redeem his cause from the Grave carry on his work among you before you and by you as Instruments gloriously and speedily yea with a high hand for his Name sake Thirdly in particular to the Imprisoned Saints together with all those who in this day suffer the reproaches of men the scorn and censures of Brethren for the testimony of Jesus and upon the account of his Kingdom my Message is Your Brethren that hated you and cast you out for Christs name sake said LET THE LORD BE GLORIFIED but he shall appear unto your joy and they shall be ashamed Lastly To all Sions Children wheresoever they may be that take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof let me say Lift up your heads with joy for your redemption draweth nigh For yet a little while and behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their Iniquity when as he hath purposed he will stain the pride of all glory and bring into contempt the honorable of the earth For it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompences for the controversie of Sion And though the scarlet Whore begins now to say in her heart I sit as a Queen am no Widow and shall see no sorrow yet shall her plagues come upon her in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord our God that judgeth her FINIS
people have their liâ—erty and in that respect as to their particulars are well yet if they see the work of the time at a stand let it not be grievous or be imputed to discontent in case they mourn as did Daniel look sad as did Nehemiah groan and complain they are sick And sometimes I have thought that when Daniel did mourn and afflict himself before God the second time three full weeks Chap. 10.2 upon the account that the work of God in that age was put to a stand by the power as is by good men judged of Cambyses Cyrus Son reigning while his Father was abroad in the wars that had Cambyses been a good man or a man likely to have been prevailed with Daniel undoubtedty would as did the Prophets before him frequently to the good Kings of Israel have made other applications in that case and accounted the doing thereof his duty than barely to the Lord alone Nay it is a mercy to Governours themselves to have applications in things of this nature made unto them for Woe be to those Governors to whom Gods people fearing or being without hopes in making address when they soâ—esee sufferings coming upon his cause retire themselves and spread the affliction of their souls before the Lord alone Yet let me also say it is a thing most certain and that which is a prejudice to the very cause in the hearts of many and ought to be matter of grief to all that Saints in most places at this day whilst they are crying that their Fathers work might go on do act too much like men and shew too much of their own spirits yea are very consused as to the making out the things themselves would have and moreover have many falling into their party that injure the very cause they stand up in But I earnestly wish it might be considered that although the child when it cries cannot alwayes give a rational account of the cause of its so doing yea possibly may oftentimes discover much peevishness and passion in crying yet doth it not ever cry without a cause and the wisdome of the Father is not so intent upon the weaknesses of the child in crying as to find out the cause why it cries And farther should not many and great weaknesses appear in those who stand up for Christs Kingdome how should his Kingdome come without observation no greater observation than of holiness if so be the appearance of that in them were to be eminently visible John came with much outward Holinesse and hee came with great observation Yea whether when the strife rose first betwixt the Brethren of the Presbyterian and Congregational way in England did not many who yet had truth and Christ did afterwards own before the world strive in many things like foolish peevish Children and whether in the times of the Apostles throughout the Primitive ages and almost ever since have not the croud of errors alwayes run into that side where truth hath been the reason is because the grand enemies design is to sow his tares in his enemies filed his own where as yet his title is not questioned nor shaken he will not meddle with These things therefore with others of a like nature are not to be made definitive Conclusions as to a cause which oftentimes God permits for the trial of Rulers patience his peoples faith and the carrying on of his own cause in a cloud which is the way he goes in in most of his works of wonder Governors because of these miscarriages may inflict civil penalties if they will yet let it bee considered that the great King is now coming to his Throne and there is not a Ruler in the world but hath his standing only protempore to whom as all must give an account so must they shortly surrender their Crowns or they shall be taken from them and if any of the subjects of this mighty King whilst they see their King upon his march and are followed with hourly intelligence that he is neer and such and such things must be done in order to his entertainment by speaking some words for their King that things may be in a readiness and by giving abroad what intelligence they have to that end shall offend and suffer any thing for it let it be remembred that when the righteous King is sate upon his Throne these things will not be husht up but it shall then be known whether such as shall so do exceeded their Commission or not did their own or the Lord Christs will My Lord That through multitude of words I may neither tire your patience nor incur the censure of being one that loves to hear himself speak I shall wave some things which otherwise I would yet have added and draw to a Conclusion only leaving with your Highness three or four plain sober and in my opinion necessary words 1 Let your Highness oft remember and set before you the example of that good man Asa who though he were a man of much zeal for God and his Worship destroying the Altars of the strange gods and the High places breaking down the Images cutting down the Groves c. a man of a tender conscience therefore removed his Mother from being Queen because she made an Idol in a Grove a man of much faith in the field by which faith of his he vanquished the huge host of Zerah the Ethiopian yet having made one eminent turn from God as one turn from God makes way for another he is afterwards in a rage at reproof and casts the Prophet into prison that reproved him and at the very same time oppresseth the people of the LAND and after all what will Sin bring even a good man to When Gods hand is upon him for this he seems as a man stubborn and seeks not to the Lord but to the Physicians which that it may never be your Highness case is my prayer 2 Let your hand be no way lifted up against any of the Saints in this Nation It was a good Position laid down by Dr. Goodwin in a Sermon preached upon Psal 105 14 15. before the Parliament that was at the time when the Brethren of the Presbyterian way had the turning of the Wheel and as well proved viz. That the dealing well or ill with the Saints is and hath ever been the great interest of States and Kingdoms that on which their welfare or ruine depends All Sodome made not the hands of those four Kings Abraham routed Gen. 14. so weak as their fingring one Lot 3 Pursue not too hotly every righteous principle It is an Observation of Dr. Owens worthy never to be forgotten preached when time was in a Sermon of his upon Ezek. 17.24 to the aforesaid powers concerning principles that men take up his words are these page 21.22 The most tremendous judgement of God in this world is the hardning the hearts of men Now saith he first Look on Pharaoh of whom it is most signally spoken that God