delivered of a Man-child who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things shall the earth bee made to bring forth in one day or shall a Nation be born at once for as soon as Sion travelled shee brought forth her children And then presently vers 16. wee have this battel 2 Upon the battel of Armageddon wee have a new Heaven and a new Earth as the consequent of it Rev. 21.1 I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away So this vers 22. For as the new Heavens and new Earth which I will make shall remain before me 3 Wee read of a Lake of fire after the battel of Armageddon Rev. 19.20 So here verse last Object But have we a coming here Answ Yea vers 15. For behold the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like a whirlewind to render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire Which coming that it must be Personal I shall shew anon out of Rev. 19. which speaks of the same coming as the battel there and here spoken of are one and the same The Prophet Daniel in his seventh Chapter doth excellently set this forth where having had the four Monarchies which Chap. 2. were represented to him in the form of a great Image and Antichrists Kingdom a part of the fourth or last Monarchy by the feet of that Image part of Iron and part of Clay now represented under another form of four Beasts and Antichristâ—s Kingdom by a little horn arising amongst the horns of the 4th Beast or Roman Monarchy he saith ver 11. That he beheld because of the great words the Horn spake i.e. because of the blasphemies of Antichrist the Beast that is the fourth Monarchy now governed by Antichrist the little Horn slain his body destroyed and given to the burning flame agreeing punctually to what is recorded Rev. 19.19 20. of casting the Beast into the Lake of fire burning with brimstone which comes in there as an effect of the battel of Armageddon And indeed that these two Texts must agree in time and be one and the same is clear to me because the main thing held forth in either is the final destruction of the Roman Monarchy and that as the same is under Antichrist Neither may it be doubted that by the little Horn the Kingdome of Antichrist should bee meant seeing what is here spoken of the little Horn agrees so exactly to what in the Revelâ—tion is spoken of Antichrist yea which makes the thing most evident the little Horn and the Beast or fourth Monarchy are vers 11. made one and the same Buâ— you will say Where have we a coming here Ans Look vers 13 14. I saw in the night visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancien of days and they brought him near before him And there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion that shall not pass away and his Kingdome which shall not be destroyed Object But how appears this coming to be Personal Ans From the Text for observe first God as the Ancient of dayes by the manifestation of his presence and power with and amongst his people which I take it answers to the smoak wherewith the Temple is filled Rev. 15. last first begins to judge the little Horn or fourth Beast casting down his Thrones the work at this day in hand Now whilst the Ancient of dayes is amongst his people sitting and judging the Beast one comes to him like the Son of man with the clouds of Heaven to whom is given a Dominion Glory and Kingdome Observe first He comes not to receive a Kingdome in a spiritual way as God but as the Son of man Secondly He comes with the clouds of Heaven the very phrase used to set forth his personal coming Mat. 24.30 They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Chap. 26.64 Hereafter shall yee see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven Rev. 1.7 behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him Thirdly He comes to the Ancient of dayes who according to his God-head is the Ancient of dayes that is the Father who now had set up his Throne on earth and as the Great Judge was in the midst of his people manifesting his Almighty power amongst them in judging the Beast and there receives his Kingdome where the Ancient of dayes had now set up his Throne was sitting and judging And this is a manifest Argument that although his coming is mentioned after the casting of the Beast into the burning flame yet that indeed the same must be before because he comes to the Ancient of dayes i.e. the Father whilst hee was sitting upon the Throne in the midst of his people and passing sentence against the Beast before the Beast is slain his body destroyed and given to the burning flame which is the concluding act and the breaking up of the judgement after which the Ancient of dayes sits no longer Therefore I say his coming must of necessity be before the utter everthrow of the Beast or fourth Monarchy and within the time that the Father by his presence and power amongst his people is judging of the Beast And indeed if we do but compare this seventh of Daniel with the 110. Psal which is also a Prophecie of Christs Kingdome we shall find them most excellently answering one to another and the one helping to open the other In vers 1. the Father saith to the Son Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool What then Why the Father as the Ancient of dayes having judged Christs enemies and brought them well under we have streightway vers 2 Christs coming The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Sion And what doth Christ do at his coming Why as upon his appearing he finds the Beast Antichrist here called the Head over many Countries because this Whore sits upon many waters and the Kings of the earth with their Armies gathered together to oppose him so presently he in his fury falls upon them and destroyes them Vers 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath The battel of Armageddon is called That great day of God Almighty Rev. 16.14 upon the founding of the seyenth Angel the time of wrath Rev. 11.18 Thy wrath is come here the day of wrath Vers 6. He shall judge among the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the Head over many Countries agreeing to that of Daniel of slaying the Beast destroying his body casting it into the burning flame and that Rev. 19. where the battel of Armageddon is described of destroying Kings and Captains Vers 18. casting the
leave them inexcusable and clear his justice before all men in their destruction Hence in regard the dreadful day of the Lords wrath is immediately to approach in which the Beast is to be slain his body destroyed and given to the burning flame the Beast and false Prophet both to be cast into the Lake of fire burning with Brimstone that therefore the Justice of God in this most terrible execution of his wrath might be apparent unto Men and Angels God before he will strike stirs up some in a more special manner to make discovery among the Nations of the terror of the Day approaching warning all not to side or have any thing to do with the Beast whose final destruction and torment is at hand and in case notwithstanding this warning they shall this is that they must certainly and suddenly expect to drink of the wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation and to be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb the smoak of which torment of theirs shall ascend up for ever and ever I have sometimes thought this Angel may be the same with that Ch. 19.17 18. for both are immediately before the Great Day of God Almighty both seem to have very clear light into that thing of the destruction of Gods enemies therefore as the one paints out the very nature and manner of their torments so the other is said as to this parsicular viz. of the certain ruine of Gods enemies to stand in the Sun i.e. in clear light both speak with abundance of saith the one to the Papal power assuring them of ruine the other to the Fowls that flye in the midst of Heaven i.e. the neutral party who would willingly joyn with the Conquering side could they tell which that side would be therefore are most fiâ—â—y described by such Fowls whose chief desire is prey and said to flye in the midst of Heaven because they keep themselves as it were in the middle betwixt Heaven and Earth the Saints party and the party of the Beast not knowing which to fal in with yet would willingly be of the winning side and where they might have prey Now these the Angel assures that if they will joyn with the people of God they shall have victory and spoyl be both of the winning side and have prey to boot as to say You that waver and are doubtful which side to take would you bee of the prospering side take this then for assuredly the Victory shall fall to this party Now whether or no these Angels are two or but one I shall not be curious to determine nor is it a thing so material for us to know Onely such a thing may be and it is not improper to say That one and the same Angel may do both these works and that in a manner together viz. inform and invite the one whilst he threatneth and warneth the other 4 A sweet word of Heavenly consolation to the Saints and people of Christ the blessed day of their redemption being now come Vers 12. Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandements of God and the faith of Jesus That is in effect to say Here is the end and fruit of the Saints patience here is the blessed reward of keeping the Commandements of God and holding the faith of Jesus Now now the day is come in which it shall appear that the Saints have lost nothing by waiting patiently upon God for the fulfilling of his word by keeping the Commandements of God holding the faith of Jesus The world have looked upon them as fools and counted their life a very prison but here here are they that keep the Commandements of God here is the day of making up a right judgement of them here is their condition visible from under a veil Now now O yee world look upon them see what you think of them now and of all their patience obedience and faith whether were they fools as you esteemed them or no 5 And last We have Christs Personal coming vers 14. And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sate like unto the Son of man having on his Head a golden Crown and in his hand a sharp sickle That Christs Personal coming is the thing held forth in these words appears 1 Because the coming here is a coming of Christ as he is the Son of man which phrase doth ever point at Christs Personal coming 2 Because he cometh in the Clouds which is the manner of his Personal coming Matth. 24.30 Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven and then shal all the Tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him 1 Thess 4.16 17. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout and with the voyce of the Arch-angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air Matth. 26.64 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man fitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of Heaven Luke 21.27 Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power great glory 3 Because Christ comes with a golden Crown on his Head which agrees to no coming so properly as his last when he comes to receive his Kingdome and when upon his coming the Kingdomes of this world are to be given to him Of this Daniel speaking saith Chap. 7.13 14. I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him And there was given Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kindom that which shall not be destroyed 4 Because the Battle of Armageddon follows immediately upon this coming This is noted by the treading of the Winepress vers last The phrase of treading the Winepress is the very phrase used by the Holy Ghost in other places to set forth the terror of that day Rev. 19.15 He treadeth the Winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God Isa 63.3 I have trodden the Winepress alone Joel 3.13 All which places I have proved upon the Viais to have their fulfilling immediately upon Christs coming in that terrible day of the battle of Armageddon So that by all circumstances this coming is the same and can be no other than the coming mentioned Rev. 16.15 Of which we have treated at large and proved in opening those words
the House of Austria or rather as he is doing of it he shall give a powerful call to the Witnesses that by the power of that House at this instant time shall he dead which is the voyce from Heaven whence all the Angels of the Vials comes Chap. 15.5.6 saying to them Come up hither Rev. 11.12 which voyce no sooner shall they hear but in the view and faces of their enemies they shall straightway in a Cloud i.e. under the wings and protection of this Angel who by his power shall be unto them as a Cloud by day to shelter them from the burning heat of the now inslamed Sun i.e. the rage of this incensed House ascend to Heaven They ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud and their enemies beheld them Object If it be said But there is somewhat here which seems directly to oppose such a thing as thâ—s viz. That the Witnesses rising can be aimed at in this place because in the following words it is expresly said They blasphemed the God of Heaven and repented not to give him glory but at the rifing of the Witnesses we have the contraâ—y chap. 11.13 The remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven I Answer That the 16. Chapter speaks of those onely upon whom the Vial did directly fall who being no other than incorrigible enemies devoted to destruction as our fourth Proposition proves they are by them still more and more hardned to their fatal ruin But that Remnant spoken of chap. 11. are such upon whom God doth not poure out the Vial I mean the wrath of it although as to common and outward calamities they may feel it with the rest but rather such who though through ignorance they stand in the croud amongst those the Vial fals upon yet hath God special grace and mercy in store for which by pouring out this Vial upon the rest they come to partake of having their eyes hereby opened to see Gods hand and their hearts in truth turned to acknowledge the same and give him glory or at leastwise such they are who seeing Gods hand do so far acknowledge the same as wholly to relinquish and have nothing to do with that Antichristian party they formerly sided with The EFFECTS 1. EFFECT Scorching with great heat Vers 9. And men were scorched with great heat The Antichristian faction seeing this that the Witnesses whom they reckoned they had killed and made sure of are now in the very faces of them got upon their feet to torment them and that under such Protection as that though stand and look upon them they can yet hurt them they are not able they shall hereat be so inraged as that they shall scorch themselves even with the fire of their own rage for indeed nothing torments a man inwardly like this to see his deadly enemy rising to rule over him and he no way able to hinder or prevent it 2 EFFECT A blaspheming the God of Heaven who had power over these plagues instead of repenting to give him glory And blasphemed the God of Heaven who had power over these plagues and repented not to give him glory The Papals i.e. that incorrigible Crue upon whom this Vial falls shall now themselves begin to see that the hand of the God of Heaven is manifestly against them in these Plagues by whose power and command alone they are ordered to fall upon them yet shall not this conviction bring them to repent and give him the glory of but rather they shall blaspheme that hand they now behold lift up against them and as it was with Pharoah when God plagued him he hardened himself so shall they by these Plagues become the more obdurate and hardened to a wilfull persisting in their iniquity Thus much as touching the fourth VIAL VIAL V. 1 The Subject of it The Seat of the Beast AND the fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beast Vers 10 That by Seat of the Beast should here be meant Antichrists Kingdom in general as some conceive seems inconsistent with the very words themselves which speak not of destroying the whole but rather a darkning of the whole by ruining some eminent part yea according to this interpretation no need would be unless we suppose this Vial alone too weak of any more Vials to be poured forth upon the Kingdom of the Beast which yet notwithstanding after this hath a greater storm falling upon it and that to its final ruin than ever any before Those who by Seat of the Beast understand the Popes Supremacy The Angel pouring forth this Vial to be King James in that Paraphrase of his upon this Book but chiefly his premonition To all most Mighty Monarches Kings Free-Princes and States of Christendom James by the Grace of God c. are certainly mistaken as appears by our second Proposition A man whom Gods people in this age are much beholding to doth by Seat of the Beast understand Episcopacy his principal reason is because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes in Scripture put for that form of Government and Authority which a person of State sitting upon the Throne may administer the pouring out this Vial to be about the year 1639. when the Scots entred into Covenant to withstand and abolish Episcopacy but though I highly honor the memory of the pious and grave Author of this opinion yet canl not receive it 1 Because this Vial speaks wholly of things to come not past as this is 2 Because we have already seen the downfal of Episcopacy under another Vial. 3 Because although the downfal of Bishops in our Isle was a blow to be noted yet not such a blow as filled the Kingdom of the Beast with darkness making the Papals to gnaw their tongues for pain as this doth 4 Because not this but another thing is yea must be the subject of this Vial namely The City Rome The very thing here intended a is evident 1 Because the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seat is but once more used in all the Revelations where the same is applied to the Beast chap. 13.2 The Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority and that there it cannot in the former sense but must in this latter be understood is manifest because Seat is distinguished from Power and Authority as being a thing distinct from them therefore the Beasts form of Government or Authority cannot be the thing intended thereby but it must be interpreted of his place of residence namely the City Rome 2 Because the order that the Holy Ghost observes afterwards in declaring more fully what under the Vials is but briefly hinted at agrees most exactly to this sense but by the other is broken to pecces for Chap. 18. relates to Romes ruin and Chap 19. concludes with the battle of Armageedon accordingly the City Rome is the Subject of this Vial and suddenly after Ver. 16. comes in the battle of Armageddon whereas if the ruin of the
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
clear Prophesie of the glory riches duration vast extent of this Kingdome agreeing in many things with that glorious Prophesie Isa 60. is intituled A Psalm for Solomon yet in respect of Christ the King or Monarch in this Kingdome David in Scripture is ever the Type and not Solomon because Solomon after he was sate upon the Throne did foulely back-slide to Idolatry but David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. This voyce coming from the Throne intimates what I have been speaking that now Christs Throne shall be set up and himself sit upon it as Chap. 21.5 which also we have Chap. 3.21 To him that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne The Throne Christ here speaks of is a distinct Throne from his Fathers Throne such a Throne as he was not to sit on till he should come from his Fathers Throne for saith he the Throne I am upon at present is my Fathers Throne which I overcoming am priviledged to sit upon but I have a Throne of my own which I shall one day sit upon when he that overcometh shall sit down with me on this my Throne as I now by overcoming am set down with my Father on his Throne which as it proves Christ shall have a Throne distinct from that on which he now sits so also it confirms what I said even now that the Dominion or the Throne is not to be given to the Saints untill such time as Christ himself comes and sits him down upon his Throne according to that Matth. 19.28 Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel and it is for this reason because the Apostles shall be advanced as chief in this New Jerusalem that Chap. 21.14 tells us that the foundations of this City shall have in it the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And this Throne because not onely Christ himself sits upon it but also his Saints with him is therefore called Thrones in the plural number Rev. 20.4 And I saw Thrones and they sate upon them and judgement was given unto them which words exactly agree for time as before I have shewed with this of the seventh Vial. Now whereas this Throne upon which Christ sits and utters his voyce is said to be in the Temple of Heaven it clearly denotes Heaven in the Revelation being always understood of the Church on Earth the erecting of this Throne here below And indeed if we compare with Chap. 21. where we have the same Throne spoken of together with the voyce from it It is done Verse 5 6. it will evidently appear that the New Jerusalem there described is to be understood of a glorious state of the Church here on earth and not as some of Heaven hereafter First Because John sees a New Earth as well as a New Heaven Secondly Because the New Jerusalem is said to come down from God out of Heaven Verse 2. therefore not a description of the Church in Heaven which coming down out of Heaven left we should imagine it as some to be Visional onely namely that John in way of Vision saw it come down but really it is above we have therefore to free us from such a mistake a great voyce added Verse 3. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men i.e. on earth the place of mens habitation whereas were the New Jerusalem to be understood of Heavenly glory the contrary should be viz. The Tabernacle of men with God Thirdly Because the glory of the Kings of the Earth which glory is outward and of the Nations shall be brought into it Verse 24. The Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it Verse 26. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the Nations into it Neither of which can agree to Heaven hereafter but do most excellently agree to what is spoken at large in the Prophets of the glorious state of the Church on Earth in the last daies To say as is commonly such of the Kings of the Earth and those of the Nations who shall be converted here shall be there glorified and this to be the bringing of the glory of the Kings and Nations thither To that I answer 1. How can this be said to be their glory which is rather Gods put upon them than theirs 2 How is this brought thither is the glory of Heaven fetched thither from Earth 3 How can they be said to bring it thither who never receive this glory till they come there Fourthly Because it is evident from the 12. and 14. Verses that the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel and the twelve Apostles of the Lamb shall be first or chief in this New Jerusalem but let it be proved from any other Scripture that they shall be so in Heaven hereafter Fifthly Because Chap. 22. which to Verse 6. is a continued description of the New Jerusalem tells us ver 2. of a Tree in this New Jerusalem whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations Now let it be shewn how the Nations shall bee healed in Heaven hereafter Sixthly Because in this New Jerusalem we have express mention made as of the Throne of God so also of the Lamb Chap. 22.1 proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb Verse 3. There shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it But now in Heaven hereafter though Christ as God coequal and coeternal with the Father shall reign for ever yet not as the Lamb which is clear 1 Cor. 15.28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all i.e. the humane nature of Christ which dyed for our sins rose again as the Apostle in the foregoing verses speaketh was 〈◊〉 above all the Creatures all the time of the thousand years and the General Judgement according to which nature Christ is said to be the Lamb slain shall now be subjected after the end to the Godhead or Divine nature which in Heaven shall be all in all so that Christ as the Lamb shall not have a Throne there And this Interpretation is not so much mine as Augustines long ago and Calvins since who both speak the same thing confessing a subjection of the humanity of Christ to be here intimated whom I think good here to name not that their Authority nor my saying so proves the thing to be truth but that I might hereby stop the mouths of such who otherwise possibly would be ready to condemn the truth it self for error Yet let none hence conclude as some now adays fancy a cessation of the Humane Nature by being turned
into the Divinity so as that Christ shall be God-man no longer for the Apostle in saying the Humane Nature shall be subject denotes plainly that the same shall even in Heaven hereafter have a being for how can that be subject which hath no being And as the Lambs having a Throne in the New Jerusalem proves clearly that it cannot be meant of Heavenly glory after the day of Judgement so doth it as strongly prove what before I have laid down that not a Spiritual onely buth a Personal presence of Christ shall be with his people in the New Jerusalem all the time of the thousand years for Christ as the Lamb hath his Throne in it but Christ Spiritually onely is not the Lamb nor was he sacrifised in that sense Seventhly and lastly Because Isa 60. which Chapter as is most evident speaks not of heavenly glory but of a glorious state of the Church here on Earth is for time one and the same with this as plainly will appear by comparing one with the other Isa Rev. 60.11 the Gates shal be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night 21.25 And the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day Verse 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising Verse 24. The Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honor into it Verse 10. Their Kings shall minister unto thee Verse 11. That men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and that their Kings may bee brought Verse 26. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the Nations into it Verse 1. Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land Verse 20. The dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Verse 4. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor cryâ—â—â— neither shall there be any more pain Verse 19. The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Verse 23. And the City had no need neither of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb was the light thereof Verse 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous Verse 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs Book of life Yet because it would be a thing hard to be beleeved that the New Jerusalems glory should be here on Earth therefore it is said chap. 21.5 These words are true and faithful and again chap. 22.6 These sayings are faithful and true One thing here is of special concernment to be opened to the end the words of the seventh Vial may be brought to a reconciliation with the description of the New Jerusalem chap. 21. both as I have shewed being to be referred to one and the same time which is this Seeing John in describing the New Jerusalem saith I saw no Temple therein Chap. 21.22 and the contrary is here intimated There came a great voyce out of the Temple of Heaven how can these things agree or the one be made Expository of the other when they speak things contradictory I answer John saw no material Temple such as was in Jerusalem of old to which here new Jerusalem is opposed Or secondly which I rather incline to John saw no such Temple as was the former Temple or Church-state under the Gospel But that a Temple there shall be is manifest for saith he in the next words which are given as a reason why no such Temple as formerly had been should be in this New state because indeed they should now have a better Temple The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is the Temple of it So that a Temple there is but this shall not be such a Temple in which Christ through outward Ordinances as a medium is conveyed to his and they by faith enjoy him as now for what need of these things when Christ is with his people and to be enjoyed in another way of Visionâ— yea the duration of these things is but untill his coming 1 Cor. 11.26 For as oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup yee shew the Lords death till he come And the Apostle is clear in this that all injoyments of God by faith cease when sight takes place 2 Cor. 5.7 1 Cor. 13.8 9 10 11 12 13. And indeed what use will there be of 2 Glass to see Christ in when he shall present himself face to face which he will do at the day of his appearing 1 John 3.2 It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is yea to behold the Lamb thus shall be a principall part of the New Jerusalems glory Rev. 22.3 4. They shall see his face and his name shall be in their fore-heads So that this Temple shall not be a worshipping of Christ and an injoyment of him through outward ordinances but rather a more immediate worshipping and injoyment of him in himself who therefore in this New Jerusalem is not onely the person worshipped but the very Temple we worship in And this which now I am speaking of is I taâ—◠〈◊〉 clearly held forth in those words of the Apostle Heb. 12.26 Yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also Heaven which place he quotes from Haggai chap. 2.6 7. which before I have proved relates to this time Now as Christ at his first coming shook the legal worship which the Apostle tels us stood in meats and drinks and carnal Ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformations Heb. 9.10 for which reason the shaking hereof is called ashaking of the earth and did at his resurrection establish another way of worship far more spiritual than the former yee having also some outward Ordinances and Institutions as the former had which in Scripture is frequently called as opposed to the other Heaven and the Kingdom of Heaven so at his second coming will he shake this worship cast this Temple though more spiritual than the former to the ground also for saith he yet once more I shake not earth onely but Heaven also i.e. all the worship that now is I mean outward is upon Christs second coming to be removed and such a Kingdom and Worship instead thereof is to be set up as can never be shaken i.e. shall never be broken in peeces any more as the former worships have been but shall be the same for kind being as I have said a more immediate worship with that which shall be in Heaven hereafter And not darkly is this hinted Isa 60.19 20. The Sun that is those outward things which before were as a Sun under which are comprehended outward
present but for their fulness they look to the time of the New Jerusalem which is yet to come So Ezek. 43.10 11. Those that are ashamed of their abominations shall have the form and fashion of Gods house shewed to them and chap 44.10 11. The Levites that went astray when Israel went astray are laid by in the special acts of Gods worship but v. 15 16. they that kept their charge when the rest went astray are imployed in the service of Gods Sanctuary and Table which things in a spiritual way God hath fulfilled and is daily fulfilling to his people under the present Administration though yet the general scope of this Propliecy as before looks to the time of the New Ierusalem By these few examples under each rule we may be able to judge of many others of a like nature which will in reading offer themselves to us 4 The Effects 1 Effect Terror Vers 18. And there were voyces and Thunders and Lightnings and there was a great Earthquake such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great The great voyce from the Throne upon the seventh Angel pouring his Vial forth fills the whole world with terror In the Air are heard most dreadful astonishing thundrings and lightnings fearful affrighting voyces through the sound of the Trumpet Mat. 24.31 1 Cor. 15.52 houlings screechings lamentings of Devils whose torments now begin the time being come The Earth is terribly moved and ready to be rent in peeces with a horrible shaking upon the appearing of the Lord as Mount Sinai shook and quaked greatly when the Lord descended upon it Exod. 19.16 17 18. hereby the whole world is filled with trembling now do the Tribes of the earth mourn mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth for the powers of Heaven are shaken 2 Effect Ruin Wherein we have 1 A particular List of the things ruined which are 1 The Great City 2 The Cities of the Nations 3 Great Babylon Vers 19. And the Great City was divided into three parts and the Cities of the Nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the Wine of the fierceness of his wrath Setting aside the Dragon who was the principal stickler in encouraging and gathering together that Rout and Multitude who from all parts of the world come up to the battel of the great day of God Almighty whose punishment is passed over here but particular mention is made thereof Chapter 20. there seems to be three sorts of enemies who shall gather together at this day 1 The Popish Crew 2 Mahumetans 3 Some Kings of the Earth neither Papists nor Mahumetans The first stand under the Banner of the Beast The two last being one in this that neither pretends to stand up for Christ as doth the Beast who shall at this day by the subtlety Miracles and counterfeit holiness of the false Prophet be marvellously blinded being made to beleeve his cause to be quite contrary to what indeed it is but coming forth upon the account of some carnal respects or worldly interests yet mixed with malice which is natural to all that are of the Serpentine seed against the Saints are both comprehended under that of the Kings of the earth Rev. 19.19 I saw the Beast and the Kings of the earth Daniel Chap. 7. describes them otherwise though not much differing calling the first as here the Beast which I have shewed to be the Roman Monarchy as governed by Antichrist the little Horn the other the rest of the Beasts vers 12. noting other worldly powers who shall joyn hands at this day with Antichrist or the fourth Beast Now that Antichrist with other Kings of the earth as his adherents shall at this day make one Head to oppose the Saints is without question but yet perhaps it may be thought sufficient proof hath not from what hath been said appeared to evidence that the great Turk or the Mahumetan party shall joyn with the rest or should be comprehended under that of the Kings of the earth Now although no less can be thought when the Holy Ghost speaks in such general termes vers 14. The Kings of the earth and of the whole world then that the Turk who possesseth a great part of the world should be included yet that the sense of the words may be more clear I shall from other Scriptures prove that the great Turk shall have a hand yea a deep one too in this desperate ingagement Not much to insist upon because I would not bee prolix the gathering together of Gog and Magog spoken of in Ezek. 38.39 which divers worthy men and not without giving good reasons for it interpret the Pope and the Turk which gathering together that it is the same with that at this day the several circumstances of the place do evidence as will appear to him who shall compare the battel of Gog and Magog with this of Armageddon and not as some that spoken of Rev. 20.8 9. which mentions no battel as doth Ezekiel nor will that agree to the time of the Jews delivery which Ezekiel is clear in but rather should be a thousand years after neither can there the General Judgement immediately insuing thereupon be any allowance of time either to bury Gog's dead or for a glorious state of the Church here on earth both which Ezekiel speaks punctually unto yet well may those Rev. 20. being such of the seed of old Gog and Magog as shall survive the thousand years and shall at the end thereof upon the Devils letting loose act against the Saints as their Fore-fathers did retain the names of their Ancestors Gog and Magog still But to pass this I take it those places which are not a few in the Old Testament where mention is made of the rage of the Assyrian against Israel have a special reference to the thing I am now in proving for whereas the Turk doth at this day possess Chaldea Mesopotamia with such other Countries as did anciently belong to the Assyrian Monarchy so do I conceive what the Prophets oft hint at as touching the Assyrians invading Israel with his Armies to be rather Typical of what should be in the last dayes acted by his Successor the Turk than a plenary fulfilling of those Prophesies by any Invasions of the Assyrian in or about those times Isa 30.31 For through the voyce of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down Which Text although I deny not but it had a typical accomplishment in the dayes of Senacherib yet doth not that answer the scope of the Chapter which it is manifest looks to the last dayes and how the 30 31 32 33 verses agrees to what we have formerly spoken as touching Christs coming at the battel of Armageddon will be clear to him who shall but compare sundry places which upon that occasion I have opened before with this As
is therefore represented by Michael i. e. Christ himself who acts him and the principal Head of the Beast on the other set on and acted by the Devil and therefore represented by the Dragon Now this can be applied to no other War so aptly as to the German War for where hath there ever been since the first rise of the Beast the like viz. of a War betwixt him and the Professors of the true Religion headed by the Beast himself of the one side and a religious godly Prince of the other 3 Because this War which precedes the killing of the Witnesses must be such a War as shall have great acclamations of Saints going along with it and great expectations founded upon it and that both as touching their deliverance from Antichristian bondage and also concerning the setting up of Christs Kingdom by it Therefore they cry vers 10. Now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of Christ i.e. Now the day of our deliverance of Babylons downfal is come Now the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus shall bee exalted in the world O now is the power of Christ manifested indeed Such was the Swedish War in Germany It is not yet out of the memory of many of Gods people what high expectations were raised upon that War in all the Protestant Churches How did every eye almost then look for the downfal of Rome presently conceiving no other than that that most worthy Prince would be the ruine of the Antichristian Where What wonderful triumphs and rejoycings were there upon the reports of his Victories by all the godly party within our Gates And how heavy a load did the news of his being cut off lay upon the hearts of Gods people every where Though the Author cannot testifie these things of his own knowledge his age not serving him to remember things of this nature beyond the sadding news of his death yet from what he hath read of this good Prince and the reports he hath had from persons aged and faithful he supposeth he may assert the thing and doubts not but many this day alive will witness it 4 Because the effect and issue of this War in Heaven is the casting down of the Dragon from Heaven to Earth who yet by this and partly for rage to see himself cast down finds out a way to persecute the Woman anew Accordingly the issue of the Swedish War was this The proud German Emperor who before in his pride was lifted up to Heaven would stoop and buckle to none is now glad by means of this War to come down from his greatness to condescend and stoop to such terms as he can for himself make with the Swede by which agreement notwithstanding and partly for madness to see himself made to creep on the earth i.e. condescend to terms who thought ever to have sate in Heaven i. e. rule as absolute Lord over Christs heritage doing to them what he list he finds out a way to persecute the Woman drive her into the Wilderness for a time times and a half i.e. kill the Witnesses for three dayes and a half So that the Swedish War agrees exactly and fully to this War here mentioned as the forerunner of the killing of the Witnesses And because the Witnesses were by this War to be killed and every death hath some struglings and girdings that attend it answerable to that life and strength in the thing killed that therefore the Beast might feel what life and strength is in the Witnesses he himself is almost broken to peeces at first by this War i.e. by the very struglings and girdings of the Witnesses whilst he is going about to kil them Object But it may be said more likely our late War in England should be this War Answ I have sometimes thought that this War in Heaven might comprehend the whole War within the last 60 years of the Beast and so take in the Swedish War and our English War too And this I confess that in most things this War doth carry a likelihood as well to the English as the Swedish War And farther I find my self much inclining to make this War and the War betwixt the Lamb and the Kings of the Earth Chap. 17.14 which War as I conceive points at our English War and no other one and the same but this I must also say that I am more satisfied to look upon them as two Wars both within the 60 years and the one following the other And so this War to be the German War only and the other betwixt the Lamb and the Kings of the Earth to be the English War yet both to fall within the last 60 years and to be forerunners of the killing of the Witnesses And the Reasons why I conceive this War to be the German War only and not the English also are 1 Because the English War hath been betwixt Protestants only but this War is a War betwixt some eminent Protestant Head on the one side and some eminent and professed Popish Head on the other as hath been before observed 2 Because this War being made by the Dragon is not so fitly appliable to any one Nation under Heaven as the German Empire which is as I may say the very Picture of the Old Dragon for the Dragon is set forth as having seven heads ten horns v. 3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven and behold a great red Dragon having seven heads and ten horns Accordingly the German Empire as upon another occasion hath been before observed consists of seven Electoral heads and ten horns i.e. so many Provinces The Prophecy therefore of this Chapter may without any forcing be applied in part to the Old Roman Empire and also in part to the present German Empire both of them bearing and giving the arms of the Dragon So that by the ruine of the old Roman Empire the Dragon only changed his Seat forsook Rome his old Seat leaving that to the Beast and betakes himself to Germany where the Beast for his willingness to surrender his old Seat to him provides him a new And indeed there may be these two Reasons given of it why the Dragon who governs the whole Papal Kingdom doth yet betake himself to Germany rather then any other place choosing that for his Seat 1 Because of all the Nations subjected to the Beast none was found so like his old Seat the Pagan Empire as the new erected German Empire 2 Because the Woman had in a manner for many ages together taken up her dwelling there bringing forth children and sending them abroad from thence into other parts therefore this old Persecutor of the Woman that he might the more trouble her peace placeth his Throne there What I have said is a good confirmation of our method before laid down that this Chapter brings us to the end of the Beasts Kingdom and is not to be limited within the first four hundred yeers after Christ for
and white linnen having their breasts girded with golden girdles Ver. 6. The meaning is That the Instruments God will imploy in doing of the work at leastwise for the swaying and ruling party amongst them shall be such as have renounced the false Idolatrous worship of Antichrist and imbraced so far as their light goes the true worship of Christ in which respect they are said to come out of the Temple whose conversations shall be pure and unspotted therefore cloathed in pure and white linnen and their designs and actings for God in managing this great business how ever judged or scandalized by others shall yet be carried on with much sincerity uprightness and integrity which as a golden Girdle shall be upon their Breast Hence not the Turk nor the Jews nor any of the Antichristian Princes or party nor any other who are unconverted Idolaters false Worshippers without the Temple can be looked upon or interpreted to be the Angels of any of the Vials III. PROPOSITION That Gods call to the Angels of the Vials to pour out their Vials is to be principally looked for out of the Temple The matter of their work is to be looked for in the word that what they do be agreeable to that Rule but the Call to go about the work that is without delay to pour out this or that Vial is mainly to be looked for out of the Temple Chap. 16.1 I heard a great voyce out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your ways and pour out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the earth The meaning of the word is not as if by one general command from the Temple all the Angels were authorized at once to pour out their Vials no but as the Angels were distinct so they had distinct calls yet the Call of each came as a great voyce that is with much power out of the Temple God first setting it strongly upon the hearts of his people in his Temple that such a work is to be done I Jesus have sent my Angel to testifie these things in the Churches Chap. 22 16. who thereupon with a great voyce cry mightily to each Angel i.e. such instruments as they see God hath raised up and impowred to do that work Yet understand this I am now speaking not so much of the general Call as a more particular and special Call peculiar to this time of the Vials The general Call to Generation-Work is as hath been proved in my first part dispensation but now at this time besides the Call of Gods dispensations the instruments God shall raise up to ruin the Whore shall have a more particular Call to this work to the end they may neither flag nor draw back namely the loud and uncessant cry of the Temple First Hence the general voyce or cry of Gods people out of the Temple is much to be heeded in that age in which the Vials are pouring forth Hence secondly Extraordinary actings or actings in a strange and extraordinary way are to be looked for whilst the Vials are pouring forth for is it not a wonderful and an extraordinary thing to attempt things new and in former ages unheard of and that upon this account chiefly that it is the general voyce and cry of Saints that they have it upon their hearts this work must be done IV. PROPOSITION That the subject of each Vial or the things or personâ— each Vial falls upon are such onely as God hates accounts his eneies and chiefly things pertaining to Antichrist This is clear for 1 The matter of each Vial is pure wrath yea fuâ— wrath as Chap. 15.1.7 Chap. 16.1 and pure and fuâ— wrath is proper onely to such 2 Each Vial is poured out upon the Earth Chap. 16.1 i.e. things carnal and earthly persons out of Church and aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel Earth her being opposed to Heaven the true Church of God or Spouse of Christ 3 The Vials in particular will evidence this For the first Vial falls upon such as had the Mark of the Beast and worshipped his Image Chap. 16.2 The third upon such as had shed the blood of Saints and in requital had blood given them to drink vers 6. the fourth fifth and seventh upon such as blasphemed God under these plagues yet repented not to give him glory vers 9 11 21. And for the other two that they likewise fall upon such will better appear hereafter when I shall come to open the subject of each Vial. Hence not Christ himself not the Scriptures not the Church or people of Christ nor any such like thing nor the inanimate creatures as the Sun or Elements may be accounted the subject of any of the Vials V. PROPOSITION That the effects of one Vial do oft times run into another Vial. My meaning is the immediate following Vial or the Vial following that may sometimes be poured out before the Effects of the foregoing Vial are wholly ceased For although an order is so to be observed the Holy Ghost having laid it down as that we must not conceive all are to be poured out at once yet it is unbecoming the Majesty of God to tye him up so strictly to order as to conceive the punctum of time ending one Vial to be the beginning of the next If man in his imployments be not so to be tyed up much less God Hence we are not to straiten the work of the Generation to one Vial onely that which for present we are under because such may the case be that before the Effects of one Vial are over God may call upon his Servants his Providence opening a door thereunto to pour out anoher VI. And last PROPOSITION That the Terms and Phrases relating to the Vials are not to be understood in a litteral unless where either the Text it self or consent of other Scriptures inforce it but in a metaphorical sense For if we take the Earth Sea Rivers and Fountains of waters Sun Air c. in a litteral sense how should a Vial of wrath poured out on these be any whit more prejudicial without a miracle to Gods enemies than his friends who partake of the benefit of these in common with the other Yea how contrary to reason would it be so to interpret the third Vial for as one saith did ever Rivers and Fountains of waters litterally shed the blood of Saints or did God ever in way of revenge give them blood to drink Hence Those of the Popish party and such of our own as would put a litteral interpretation upon the things here spoken of are mistaken These few things from which in the general some light already hath been afforded us and of which more particular use will be found hereafter being premised I now come to treat of the Vials themselves and of each in their order VIAL I. 1. The SUBJECT of it The EARTH Vers 2. AND the first went and poured out his Vial upon the Earth Of the whole Universe Earth is
the most gross part Air is of a subtle nature Water of a more gross Earth the grossest of all as being the dregs and settlements of the whole By Earth then we are not here to understand Earth as opposed to Heaven i.e. the true Church as vers 1. but the Popish Earth viz. the grosser part of Popery or the Lees and Dregs of that Religion opposed to the finer parts of it Now these Lees and Dregs are no other but that damnable Doctrine of the Papists by which Christs Mediation and Priestly Office and so consequently the very foundation of Faith and Salvation is destroyed which maintains Justification by works upon which poysonous deadly root do grow the filthy abominations of their Mass their Crosses Indulgences Invocation of Saints Purgatory Penance Pilgrimages Monkish-life c. which in respect of their Discipline though that be impure may yet well be called the Dregs as being far more impure Upon these filthy Dregs of Romish Doctrine began the first Vial to be poured forth by Luther and other Worthies of those times who by the light of truth made such a discovery of the unsoundness yea perniciousness thereof as that now the same began to be odious in the eies of all And that here and no where else either sooner or later we are to begin the Vials is clear because no time doth so exactly agree to what wee have said concerning the time in our first Proposition as this doth That discovery of the filthiness of these things which was more ancient in the times of Wickliff Hus the Waldeneses and Albigenses could not be any part of this Vial for the grounds of our first Proposition and also because that discovery served onely to deliver the faithful ones of those times from the poyson of these abominable Errors not having any such effect as to destroy them in others for they remained still in credit with the generality 2. The EFFECT A noysom and grievous Sore And there fell a noysom and greievous Sore upon the men which had the Mark of the Beast and upon them which worshipped his Image Our Expositors do generally understand this Sore to be that inward vexation envy wrath fury madness which as an inward Sore torments those in whom it is that befell the Priests Monks Canonists with all that Rabble who had the Mark of the Beast and worshipped his Image upon the pouring out of this first Vial. But according to this Interpretation the Effect of the Vial should be no other but a tormenting of the men who were the upholders of the evil and not a destruction of the evill it self whereas indeed the proper and natural Effect of every Vial is a destruction of the thing it falls upon It is not amiss therefore to seek yet some other interpretation of these words And what if we say thus That look as it is with a man or men that have noysom grievous Sores upon them others loath them withdraw from them cannot bear their presence or company So did it now befall the men who were the Authors and Assertors of these abominable Idolatries The generality of the people who before adored them as Gods not once calling their principles or practices into question did now by the pouring forth of this Vial come so palpably to discern the gross and horrible Idolatry of these their Forgeries as that they began to loath and abhor not only the things themselves but the very Assertors of them and to withdraw from them as infectious persons full of grievous and noysome Sores so that now they can no longer delude the people and draw them to a loving and liking of these things as formerly they had done no but themselves with their principles and invention are become odious and a filthy stinking Sore in the eyes and nostrils of the Commonalty Which Effect how evidently it did shew it self in Germany and here with us in England and also in other Nations about this time upon the preaching and writing of the forenamed Worthies with others their fellow-helpers is by many sufficiently recorded Thus much as touching the first VIAL VIAL II. 1 The SVBJECT The SEA Vers 3. AND the second Angel poured out his Vial upon the Sea By Sea here we may not as some understand Nations because they are a part of the Subject of the next Vial. Nor yet as others the corrupt Doctrines of Antichrist concluded upon in the Council of Trent which say they the learned Chemnitius poured out this Vial upon in his Book called Examen Concilii Tridentini because as hath been said the former Vial fell on these to which the Subject being still the same it is more proper to refer the labours of those godly men who after Luther still continued to lay open these things in their colours than to account the same the pouring forth of another Vial. Nor yet as a later Writer the Political state of the Roman Empire which did suffer detriment by the late German War 1 Because the Effect of that War fell as heavy upon Gods people there as his enemies whereas the Vials are upon enemies only as our fourth Proposition proves 2 Because notwithstanding those shakings the Empire is yet standing whereas the shaking of the Vials is such a shaking as destroyes and removes the thing shaken 3 Because the German Empire is as in its place shall appear the Subject of another Vial. But by Sea we are to understand the Discipline of Rome as under the former their Doctrine or to speak better the Romish Hierarchy in whose hands the power of Discipline lyes made up of a Pope Cardinals Archbishops Bishops together with the inferior Clergy who receive their power and standing from these which is by themselves called and to us known by the name of the Sea of Rome the Popes Sea the Cardinals Sea the Bishops Sea c. And truly this monstrous Beast though his Rise is out of the Earth Rev. 13.11 yet doth he exercise all the power of the first Beast vers 12. whose Rise was from the Sea vers 1. and therefore is not amiss called in this second Vial where the downfall of his power is spoken of by the name of the Sea whence his power is primarily derived And indeed look what neer affinity there is betwixt the Sea and the Earth they bordering one upon another the same is betwixt Discipline and Doctrine And as the Sea girts in the Earth on every side so that which is as it were the Girdle holding together all the gross earthly superstitions and inventions of Antichrist is an absolute tyrannical power of Discipline imposing principles wayes and forms upon the consciences of men wheresover the same is set up If you ask me When was this Vial poured forth I answer In the yeer of our Lord 1641. it had its beginning though the Effects of it are not wholly over as yet when the Parliament of England did vote down Arch-bishops Bishops with all that crew root
City Rome as judgeth the worthy Author were not to be till the seventh Vial the order of the Holy Ghost in Chapters the 18 19. which relates the ruin of the City Rome before yet preparation is made to that battle would be manifestly broken 3 Because no interpretation can better-sute the words themselves for what may more properly be called Antichrists Soat then Rome the place where the Chair he sits in stands or what thing can befall the Beast which is more likely to fill his whole Kingdom with darkness yea make the Papals gnaw their tongues for pain than the destruction of Rome the Metropolis of that Kingdom 4 To these I may adde a fourth Argument urged by a learned Writer to our purpose Where the purpled Woman sits there is Antichrists Seat because she sits on the Beast that is Antichrist the purpled Woman sits at Rome because she sits on the seven Head of the Beast which are the seven Mountains of Rome Chap. 17.9 The seven Heads are seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth Rome therefore is yea must be the Seat of Antichrist Now as to the Objection That this City Rome comes under the seventh Vial where mention is made of Great Babylon coming into remembrance before God and that therefore it cannot be the Subject of this I shall to that say nothing here onely refer the Reader to our opening of that place for his answer Neither let any say as some object that this interpretation is literal contrary to the scope of the Vials which carry things in a mystery for it is easie to reply That did we by Seat understand the Seat or Chair it self that Antichrist fits in it would so be but whilst as here Seat is put for the place in which his Seat or Chair doth stand it is manifest enough that there is a figure and a mystery in the words 2. The EFFECTS 1 EFFECT The Kingdom of the Beast is full of Darkness And his Kingdom was full of Darkness By the fall of Rome the head City the whole Papal Kingdom shall suffer a great eclipse of its former esteem and glory for now shall the Kings of the Earth who have been formerly supports to this Kingdom and those Merchants of the Earth who have formerly traded with the Beast stand afar off as men afraid either to own or traffick with the Beast any longer for fear of her torment as is more fully set forth in the description of Romes ruin which we have at large Chap. 18. v. 9. to 20. 2 EFFECT Gnawing their tongues for pain And they gnawed their tongues for pain Noting the extremity of rage the Papals shall be in when they shall behold Rome the glory of their Kingdom made a ruinous heap and they no way able to revenge their own quarrel they shall act the parts of mad men who gnash their teeth bite their lips gnaw their tongues c. which also in suitable and emphatical expressions we have ch 18. v. 15 16 17 18 19. 3 EFFECT Blaspheming the God of Heaven because of their pains and sores Vers 11. And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds The marked sons of the Beast shall now yet more evidently see that their pain viz. their inward torments and vexation of mind by which they are in a manner distracted and their sores viz. the ecclipse of their outward glory causing their friends and adherents to desert their cause and interest proceed only and alone from the hand of the God of Heaven who now is remembring their in quities and judging of them yet as before they shall now again harden themselves and blaspheme the God of Heaven to their own destruction instead of repenting of their deeds to give him glory Concerning the time when this Vial shall be poured forth my thoughts are these That the Jews delivery being to begin as in my first part hath been proved in or about the year 56 and that being the Effect of the sixth or following Vial it therefore necessarily follows that the Vials upon the Sun and the Seat of the Beast must be poured forth sometime in the interim betwixt this and the yeer of our Lord 1656. or thereabouts and therefore although for so much as concerns the particular time I shall wave it yet may I safely conclude thus much in the general that the time is at hand Now the Reasons why so little time is allowed to these two Vials when as every of the former hath taken up much more are as I conceive 1 Because God is slow in beginning to pour out his wrath upon sinners waiting their repentance but when wrath hath been poured out upon them and they by the same grow hardened then his proceedings are more quick Hence in the first Vial a long breathing time to consider their wayes is allowed to these enemies of God which they not regarding but being more hardned under it God in pouring out the second cuts the time much shorter yet because under that they are hardned also therefore in the third time is cut shorter yet and because after God had smitten them three times they still are hardned and persist to oppose the Lord Jesus instead of submitting to give him glory therefore in the fourth and fifth Vials time is brought to a little scantling God doing that in a few dayes which before took up many yeers 2 Because with the pouring forth of this Vial the suffering of the Gentile-Churches as I conceive draws to an end though after this the Jews in that interval of time betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials are to have a day of suffering Now the nearer the end comes the faster will Christ go the finishing of the work shall be cut short in righteousness And therefore observable it is concerning both these Vials that the Scripture hath set a mark upon each to shew that their continuance is not to be long The fourth Vial under which the Witnesses rise hath this to note the suddenness of it The same hour there was a great Earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell Chap. 11.13 it is done in an hour i.e. in a very short time and of the fifth Vial poured out upon the City Rome it is said Her plagues shall come upon her in one day Chap. 18.8 and in one hour is her judgement come vers 10. in one hour so great riches is come to nought vers 17. in one hour she is made desolate vers 19. The oft repetition of so short a time plainly teaching thus much That the work shall bee done in an instant ere the Papals themselves or it may bee the instruments God will imploy in doing it are aware Thus much as touching the fifth VIAL VIAL VI. 1 The SUBJECT of it The great River Euphrates AND the sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates Vers 12 Those who understand the drying up of Euphrates in a
sense and that in Christs admonition to the Church of Sardis Chap. 3.2 3. Yet considering that is but once and the other sense frequent there is hardly room left could nothing else be said for an indifferency in the the thing whether the coming here be spiritual or personal so as that we may take or leave but now when together with these the weight of the foregoing Arguments and Scriptures shall be put in the ballance it will then appear that there is not only a probability but a concluding strength in these also Before I leave the thing I shall adde yet further two Arguments more tending not so much to prove the Personal ceming of Christ to be here meant as in the general that the same is very neer and therefore most likely to be the coming here spoken of 1 Because the Apostle tells us 2 Thes 2.8 That the man of sin is to be consumed with the breath of his mouth and destroyed with the brightness of his coming which coming can be no other than his Personal coming because it was that coming the Apostle had been speaking of Vers 1 2. about which the Thessalonians were shaken in mind and troubled as conceiving it to be at hand possibly from what the Apostle had written in his first Epistle chap. 4.15 16 17. whence it might be inferred as if that present Generation should live to see that day and therefore he saith Not by word nor letter as from us Verse 1. which trouble the Apostle endeavors to remove by telling them that the man of Sin who was to be destroyed with the brightness of this coming was not as yet revealed and that therefore this coming which they were in doubt about could not be sudden Now observe do we already see the first viz. The Man of Sin in a consumption by the breath of Christs mouth i. e. the preaching of the Gospel then may we conclude the second viz. his final destruction which shall be by the brightness of Christs coming or appearing cannot be far off and therefore it is more consonant to the Apostles meaning to look for and expect this coming here betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials where a Personal coming is hinted which time is near to us than not to expect the same till the General Judgement which as shall appear hereafter is from us a thousand years at least how much more I know not and surely Antichrists continuance shall not be so long 2 Because Peter tells us expresly that Christs Personal coming shall be before the New Heavens and Earth 2 Epist 3.10 11 12. But the day of the Lord will come as a theef in the night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noyse and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up None that ever I mes with denies this to be his Personal coming yet afterwards and that too as a fruit of this coming which therefore Peter brings in with a nevertheless as having reference to the Heavens and Earth before dissolved comes in the promise of the New Heavens and Earth verse 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise seeming to have his eye upon those very New Heavens and Earth promised Isa 65.66 look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Now that these New Heavens and New Earth must be and therefore this coming which is to precede them before the last and General Judgement is clear because at the General Judgement the Earth and the Heavens fly away and their place is no more found Rev. 20.11 therefore no New Heavens or Earth after that yea the places in Isaiah which Peter hath his eye upon cannot be applied to the General Judgement or any time after it therefore the New Heavens and New Earth which this Personal coming is a fore-runner of must be before that day Obj. But when then are they or where are we to place them To that I Answer immediately after the battel of Armageddon or instantly upon the pouring forth of the seventh Vial when the voyce comes from the Throne It is dâ—ne Rev. 16.17 that is as appears Chap. 21.5 6. All things are made new He that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new and then verse 6. He i.e. He that sate upon the Throne still said unto me It is done one Phrase expounding the other If therefore Christs Personal coming according to Peter must be before these New Heavens and Earth and if these New Heavens and Earth are the effect of the seventh Vial then is it most agreeable to Peters sense as well as Pauls in our last words and the Prophets of the Old Testament yea our Saviour himself in our former Arguments to place the Personal coming of Christ here betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials where it is said I come as a Theef and indeed as Peter doth here mention a Personal coming a little before the New Heavens and the New Earth so doth Isa 66.15 16. with verse 22. and John likewise chap. 19.11 with chap. 21.1 both which comings I have proved to be personal so that in this there is a glorious Harmony betwixt them and therefore it is safest to make the coming and time thereof one and the same in all And truly to me it is a Riddle how any of those worthy men which are not a few who yet strongly affirm the pouring out of the seventh Vial to be the last and General Judgement can from their own Principle conclude any other than that the coming of our Text which is the immediate antecedent of the seventh Vial is yea must of necessity be a Personal coming Having hitherto been proving Christs personal coming to be the coming intended in these words I shall now nakedly discover my own thoughts about it which possibly may prevent the rise of some Objections in the breasts of others and withall be no weakening to my former Arguments which are That I do not conceive this coming to be any other than that second coming which is an Article of our Christian Faith and we all look for though not to be at this time and indeed what I said last out of Peter though I should add nothing else doth give it so to be for I can finde in Scripture but two personal comings of Christ one in which he bare our sins and the other in which he shall appear without sin to salvation Heb. 9.28 Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation and as all the Scriptures which speak of his Humiliation Death and Sufferings have relation to the first so those Scriptures which speak of his coming Kingdom and glory to the second And indeed that coming which good men look upon to be at the General Judgement doth most exactly agree to what is recorded of this coming for 1 That
with this Prophecy of the Beasts final ruin and the Saints reign a thousand years afterwards tells us that the Son of man being come and having received of the Antient of daies his Kingdom Vers 13 14. and the Beast being slain his body destroyed and given to the burning flame Verse 11. the same as I have shewed with casting the Beast and false Prophets into the lake of fire Rev. 19.20 instantly upon this judging of the Beast i.e. Antichrist the little Horn and taking his Dominion from him to consume and destroy it to the end noting thereby his final destruction the Kingdom and Dominion and that as a fruit and consequent of the other is given to the Saints Verse 26 27. But the judgement shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and destroy it unto the end And the Kingdom and Dominiâ—n and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High agreeing punctually to this in the Revelation where first John sees the final destruction of the Beast after that Thrones set and the Saints sitting upon them and reigning with Christ and as in the one things are spoken of successively the one following after the other so likewise in the other 3 Because no time already past can upon the most strict inquiry be found in which Satan hath been bound and shut up at all much less for so long a space as a thousand years Two accounts there are of those who conceive the thousand years to be past Some reckon from the year of Christ 69. when Jerusalem was overthrown by Titus making up their Epocha of a thousand years in the year 1069. others reckon from the year of Christ 300. concluding the time in the year 1300. The first accoune takes in all the time of the ten most bloody Primitive persecutions under the Heathen Emperors the most cruel and barbarous Arian Persecution which followed the other together with a great part of the reign of Antichrist and several persecutions within this time under him The Second leaving out the Primitive Persecutions comprehends within it the whole Arian Persecution together with the greatest part of Antichrists reign under whom and all within this time was the horrible slaughter of the poor Waldenses beginning in the Year 1160. between which and the Year 1300. was made a most miserable havock of these poor Saints besides a cruel persecution which began An D. 894. in Bohemia raging throughout all this time so that indeed if within any of these accounts the Devil were bound we may certainly conclude he was never loose in the world 4 Because the very Basis or Foundation of all those Expositions which conclude the thousand years to be past stands upon three palpable mistakes 1 MISTAKE That the living and reigning with Christ spoken of Ver. 4. is no other but a spiritual reign of the souls of those who were slain for the witness of Jesus and that with Christ in Heaven To this I answer If the Reign here be meant of a Reign in Heaven onely then how can the time of the thousand years which yet the Author of this interpretation acknowledgeth be a definite time seeing if this may be called a reigning they have some already reigned above a thousand years yea all the Saints in this sente shall reign for ever 2 I ask how Saints reign in Heaven or who do they reign over Reigning impâ—â—es Subjects to be reigned over who are their Subjects there 3 How then comes it about the Devil at the end of the thousand years is let loose and gathers the Nations together and with them encompasseth about the Camp of the Reigners as Verse 7 8 9. They compassed the Camp of the Saints about and what Saints had been spoken of before but onely the reigning Saints who lived and reigned with Christ this thousand years shall then the Devil assemble Gog and Magog and with them go and compass about the Saints now reâ—going in Heaven who can beleeve that Object If to help it any should say the reign here spoken of is a Spiritual reign but not in Heaven but here on Earth all the time of the Beasts persecution the persecuted Saints did yet reign over sin over the Devil c. I answer This reign is no other but what is common to the Saints in all ages but the reign here spoken of is a reign peculiar to the time of the thousand years 2 The Text is against it for the Text speaks of the reign of such as were beheaded an Argument their beheading or martyrdom went before their reigning but this should be a reign of such as were to be beheaded noting their reigning to be first and their beheading after that directly contrary to the Text. 2 MISTAKE That the binding of the Devil this thousand years is to be understood no otherwise but as a laying a restraint upon him that he should not deceive the Nations by causing them to oppose the faith of Christ hinder the propagation of the Gospel amongst them draw them to Paganism and Idolatry as formerly he had done which accordingly say the Authors of this opinion all the time of the thousand years was made good the Gospel being within this time more freely propagated and received the growth of Paâ—anism hindred more than ever before This is the general Vote of Expositors who look upon the thousand years as past all with one mouth crying up this having indeed without it not so much as the least varnish or shew of reason to colour over their opinion I say not that I marvel when I read and observe so many worthy able quick and deep-sighted men in other things to build their interpretation of so difficult and knocy a Scripture as is this 20 Chapter of the Revelation upon such easie ground and such a sandy chaffie foundation as this is which certainly had not the ugly Dress of the Millenary point set forth by its Adversaries and holpen by the obscurity and some raw indigested Assertions of such as were its friends made them shie of it to avoid it as a Bugbear choosing rather to leap any where than into it they could hardly have satisfied themselves to have built any thing till first they had got better ground and more sure footing for a foundation for 1 Take either of these reckonings and were not within the time of the thousand years the Nations deceived is it not expresly said of the second Beast Rev. 13.14 who is the very same as I have formerly proved with that impudent Whore chap. 17 which siâ—s upon many waters Verse 1. that is Peoples and Multitudis and Nations and Tongues V 15. that he deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth Nay is it not expresly said of the followers of the Beast Rev. 13.4 They worshipped the Dragon that gave power to the Beast and they worshipped the beast saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is able
sate upon them and judgement was given unto them Isa 31.1 A King shall rule in righteousness and Princes shall rule in judgement and we may read Luke 19.15 16 17 18 19. that at the time when Christ receives his Kingdome the faithful servant who hath improved his ten Talents well is then made ruler over ten Cities hee that well improved five over five Cities expounding that 1 Cor. 6.2 Do yee not know that the Saints shall judge the world 2 The sentence passed at the last day shall concern eternal life or death Mat. 25.46 the result of the General Judgement is the wicked go into everlasting punishment the righteous into life eternal but now the judgement in the time of the one thousand years shal be a judging of the world that is those wicked ones that shall bee suffered to live in this day as to outward punishments and servility in way of requital of what Christs people in all Ages have suffered from the world which is expressed Psal 140.6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands vers 7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people vers 8. To bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron vers 9. To execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his Saints Halelujah So Isa 61.5 6. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks and the sons of the Alien shall be your Plow-men and your Vine-dressers expressions which note a servility But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord men shall call you the Ministers of our God Chap. 14.2 They shall take them captive whose captives they were and they shall rule over their oppressors All which places as is most clear to him that views the context and compares them with other Scriptures have respect to the glory of the last times as the day where in they are to have their accomplishment and a type of this I conceive the Gibeonites might be who as a remnant of those Canaanites destined to destruction were yet spared by Joshna who in entring Canaan was a notable type of Christ taking possession of his Kingdome to be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of God and this is as I also conceive one reason of it why Daniel Chap. 7. after the destruction of the fourth Beast i. e. the Roman Monarchy as under Antichrist and casting him into the burning flame vers 11. yet addeth vers 12. that the rest of the Beasts i.e. those powers of the world whose dependance was not upon Antichrist had their Dominion taken away but their lives were prolonged for a season and time Why so namely That Saints to whom now the Kingdome was to be given vers 27. might rule over them And here as I judge are to be brought in those Scriptures which speak of the Saints Ruling and Reigning Rev. 5.10 And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the earth Chap. 20.6 they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years agreeing exactly to that of Isa Chap. 61.5 6. which was named but now strangers shall stand and feed your flocks but ye shall be named Priests of the Lord 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him which cannot bee meant of a Spiritual Reigning on earth because in that fense Timothy and other Saints Reigned then but this is a promise of a thing for future nor can it be a Reigning with Christ in Heaven because where is no Rule nor Authority there can be no Reigning but the Apostle tells us plainly speaking of heavenly glory 1 Cor. 15.24 that there all Rule and Authority and Power shall be put down it must be therefore at some other time which is this I am speaking of And what dangerous consequences will follow hereupon in case we say that as Christ himself after his resurrection continued some time on earth doing his fathers work before he entred into his rest so the Saints that herein also they might be like him shall after their resurrection continue here on earth doing the work of their Redeemer and that some time before they enter into their rest doth not as yet appear to me Object In case it be said How can these things be seeing upon Christs second coming the world that now is shall perish by fire as did the old by water that yet after this a seed of wicked men should remain for Saints to rule over Ans True the Scriptures which speak of this coming mention a coming with fire Isa 66.15 The Lord shall come with fire to render his rebuke with flames of fire Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven 2 Thes 1.8 In flaming fire rendring vengeance and Rev. 19.20 immediately upon the battel of Armageddon before the thousand years begin we read of a Lake of fire into which the Beast and false Prophet are cast which fire that it shall be material fire Peter implys plainly 2 Epist 3. in saying that as the old world was drowned with water viz. material water so is this reserved to fire against the day of Christs coming Yet that this fire which whether it shall be general in all places at once or onely in that place where Christ shall appear and his enemies be gathered together whither the dross of the world shall be gathered as into one Lake is a question too nice to dispute shall not destroy the being of the World is clear First Because it is a fire for another end viz. refining not destroying Mal. 3.2 Who may abide the day of his coming for he shall he as are finers fire Secondly The New Heavens and New Earth that Isay and John speak of wherein shall dwel Righteousness and in which the Saints shall regin with Christ Peter makes mention of as a thing to be after this fire which as I have said he therefore brings in with a nevertheless 2 Pet. 3.13 Now what if we should say that as when the old world was destroyed by water not onely righteous Noah and godly Shem and Japhet but also cursed Cham yea the kinds of all the creatures were spared from that deluge to replenish the new world so at this day not onely the Saints in the world shall be preserved but even some of the wicked yea of all the creatures to serve the glorious ends and designs of God and that in the new Heavens and Earth which seems not without all ground because the Apostle Paul tels us plainly Rom. 8.20 21 22. That the creatures earnest expectation waits for that day in which the Sons of God shall be manifest when the creature Devils and wicked men on whom the curse shall still remain excepted shall be delivered from that bondage of corruption that now it groans under and that not by a total dissolution or annihilation of it but
by a glorious restauration bringing it into the liberty of the Sons of God For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God And also because in those very new Heavens and Earth that Isay speaks of and Peter quotes from him the Wolfe and the Lamb shall feed together that is good and bad shall be in the world together Neither let it be said that this will be any hinderance to the Saints glory and spirituality to bring them from Heaven the place of glory and that about a work so mean and low to rule over men upon earth for as Angels lose not their glory by attending upon the work of God here on earth nor their spirituliaty because the works they attend upon of ministring to the Saints destroying the Enemies of God c. are in themselves mean and low yea in a manner servile for so glorious Creatures as Angels to attend upon so shall not Saints at this day by being occupied in the Affairs of this Fifth Monarchy which shall be their work for Christ to act as Officers under him in his Kingdom lose any thing of their glory especially considering Christ himself whose presence is their glory shall be with them all this time nor of their Spirituality which never suffers decay in any through a being occupied in the will and work of the Lord. And what if the Lord who in the Legal Administration thought it good to have his peoples work a burden in the Gospel Administration work but no burden will in this administration have work and glory go together who will or hath cause to find fault with it Nay let me say what sometimes hath been in my thought with refreshing that the spirituality of Saints at this day shall be such as that from thence an awe shall be upon the surviving Sinners of the world who shall tremblingly come and how themselves down at the soles of their feet Isa 60.14 and subject themselves to them for this day as the Apostle saith Rom. 8.20 shall be the day of the manifestation of the Sons of God Gods people are Sons now therefore saith John 1 Epist 3.2 Beloved now are we the Sons of God but saith he though true we are so yet the world knoweth us not i.e. the transcendent glory and excellency of our state is now a thing veiled from the world but the day I am speaking of shal be the manifestation of the Sons of God wherein that noble and super-excellent Spirit that now under a veil it in the Sons of God shall be manifested before all men when all in general shall come to see the difference that is betwixt the spiritual man and the man that is meerly rational to be as vast yea far more vast than that which now is betwixt the rational creature and sensitive And as the sensitive creature now doth tremble before the rational from beholding through a secret instinct of nature a kind of Majesty and a more noble spirit in the rational creature than is in himself so shall at this day the meer rational man tremble before the spiritual when the manifestation of that super-excellent Spirit that is in the one above the other shall be open and naked before all and therefore Cant. 6.10 we have several degrees of the Churches light and glory 1 Looking forth as the morning with a little light so in the legal administration 2 Fair as the Moon more light So in the Gospel 3 Clear as the Sun that is come up to a high degree of spiritual light and life both for both are from the Sun which is giver of the one maintainer of the other so in the administration at this day And what then why terrible as an Army with banners the Saints and people of God through this high advance in spirituality grow terrible to the mean men of the world who now tremble before them By what hath been before said it may appear that notwithstanding the thousand years is a distinct time from the Day of Judgement being that time to speak properly in which Saints shall judge the world and reign on the earth yet in a large sense the time of the thousand years and the General Judgement both may bee called one great Day of Judgement And indeed that Saints shall one day judge the world is a thing so clear in Scripture that good men not making a distinction betwixt the judging in the time of the thousand years and the General Judgement do bring the Saints at the last day instead of standing upon Christs right hand even to fit with him upon the Bench and then and there to judge the world which opinion is not only repugnant to those other Scriptures wherein we have the manner of Saints reigning over and judging the world set forth which without a manifest forcing of them cannot be applied to this time but also hath not the least countenance for it self from any one Scripture that I know of where express mention is made of the last and General Judgement but the contrary rather as from that I have said before may bee gathered which is enough to put us upon a further search and not to receive this principle upon trust any longer And truly to me it appears that the Apostle himself 1 Cor. 15.23 24 25. makes a manifest difference betwixt these two times of judging calling one the time of Christs Reign to put his enemies under his feet the other the time of the end and both these after his coming Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Then cometh the end plainly intimating a distance of time betwixt his coming and the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and Authority and Bower For hee must Reign shewing what his work shall be betwixt the time of his coming and the end till he hath put all enemies under his feet Why both these different judgings may not be expressed in that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.1 Shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome the quick first in such manner as hath been shewed and then the dead at the last and General Judgement which both are called his Appearing and Kingdome because he is but once to appear to do both and both taken together do but make up this Kingdome of Christ in which as King of Kings Christ will glorifie himself in the eyes of all creatures I see no convincing reason to the contrary Having thus spoken of the coming of our Lord according to that light I have received from the word I only now desire that none of Gods people who shall read this may be of the number of those who are troubled in mind and shaken that the day of the
given them from their work because their work is to bear witness for Christ against the Beast and that each in his place all the Forty two months that the Beast doth Tyrannize and the Holy City is trodden underfoot The Magistrate as a Magistrate bearing publick witness against the unjust oppressions of the Beast and his lawless Tyranny over the Estates and bodies of men yea and consciences too The Minister as a Minister against the cursed institutions of Antichrist either in Doctrine or Discipline Here its necessary we distinguish betwixt that general witness-bearing that is common to all ages and that special witness-bearing which is peculiar to these Witnesses and to this time viz. of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days There is a general Testimony which the people of God in all ages give for Christ against the World Sin Satan Oppression Error c. But that testimony barely doth not bring him who bears it within the number of these two Witnesses A Magistrate in his place may oppose Tyranny Oppression c. a Minister in his error and false Doctrine and yet neither of them Christs two Witnesses if there be not in both an opposing themselves to that special evill whether it be in things Civill or Ecclesiastical that was at first brought in or being brought in is upheld by the Beast for the peculiar work of these witnesses and the thing wherein lies the specifical difference betwixt these witnesses and others is That these bear witness for Christ against the Beast Which is most evident 1 Because Christ hath paired his Witnesses in the same manner as the Beast hath his The Beast as but now I observed stands up with two witnesses viz an Antichristian Magistracy and Ministry to maintain his cause On the contrary Christ stands up with two witnesse or a pair of Witnesses viz. a true Magistracy and Ministry to oppose the Beast and maintain his cause 2 Because It s for this Reason Christ entitles them my Witnesses because in Christs behalf they shall stand up against Antichrist as those are said to be such a mans witnesses that bear witness for him against his Adversary All that time the Beast stands up and would perswade the world that he is in the truth and his cause the right these two Witnesses on the contrary stand up and profess before the world that he is the Beast and his cause the cause of Antichrist and not of Christ 3 Which is the principal Reason because the time that these Witnesses bear their witness is the very time of the Beasts reign The time of the Beasts reign and treading under foot the Holy City is Forty two months Rev. 13.5 Chap. 11.2 The time of these two Witnesses is One thousand two hundred and sixty days Vers 3. And I will give power to my two Witnesses and they shall Prophecy one thousand two hundred and sixty days Now that the Forty two months and the One thousand two hundred and sixty days are one and the same I prove not onely from the general consent of Expositors who acknowledge the thing giving this reason for it Because say they forty two mouths reduced into days and reckoning thirty days to each month which is the Grecian account which John writing to the Church of GOD then resident among the Greeks did observe make up the full sum of One thousand two hundred and sixty days not a day over or under But I prove it hence that indeed this thing must needs be so for let it be considered what is the very cause that these two Witnesses wear sackcloth this long term of one thousand two hundred and sixty years the cause is not the sufferings of the Saints thoughout this time for had that been the cause then should these Witnesses have put on their sackeloth more early viz. with the time of the ten first Persecutions which was a day of as sore sufferings as ever any hath been since but then these two Witnesses here mentioned were not in their sackcloth but contrariwise the Woman all that time was cloathed with the Sun Chap. 12.1 the two Witnesses in Sackcloth therefore were not then up But the cause yea the very cause why the Witnesses wear mourning attire is because they hear the continual Blasphemies of the Beast against God his name and Tabernacle and them that dwel in Heaven They see the Holy City the Truths and Worship of Christ trodden under foot by the Beast and they not able to rescue them out of his hands this makes them put on sackcloth and mourn before the Lord. Now consider the term of time that is given to the Beast to continue to do these things is forty two months this being so it will follow that in case this forty two months were a time either longer or shorter than the one thousand two hundred and sixty days then must also the witnesses wearing sackcloth be by so much longer or shorter then 1260 days for continue the cause and we continue the effect also and contrariwise take away the cause and the effect ceaseth Upon this Principle it being a thing manifestly clear that the 42 months the 1260 days make up but one and the same number of years which also must of necessity begin and end together Hence it is evident that that very act which I may call the constitutive act i. e. the act which makes these Witnesses to be such is bearing witness against the Beast take this away though they may stand up against all the evill that is in the world besides yet are they not Christs Witnesses if they do not in particular appear against the evil of the Beast for if this be not the meaning what reason is or can be given why their witness-Bearing should be thus restrained onely to the time of the Beast seeing in the other sense it s a duty in all ages to bear witness and those Instruments the Lord hath raised up in all ages have done it 1 Hence a man may be a godly man and in a more general way bear witness for Christ and yet none of Christs Two Witnesses 2 Hence it s of more concernment than many are aware of to be inquiring into and publickly appearing against whatsoever is of the Beast though the thing be never so small A man in publick place may cease to be a witness of Christ if publickly he do not bear witness against these things 3 Hence such Laws Principles and Practices as tend to suppress this witness-bearing against the Beast are themselves expressely Antichristian and of the Beast SECT III. THese Witnesses are called two because of the fewness of them say some Because two is a number sufficient to bear a witness and without two a witness is invalid say others I no way disapprove these conjectures but I must confess I judge it most agreeable to the Text to say they are therefore called two because they consist of two sorts or two ranks of men viz. Christs
Magistates and Ministers that he hath raised up to maintain his cause against Antichrists Magistrates and Ministers They are said to be clothed in sackcloth to note thus much That all the time of the 1260 days their condition shall be outwardly low they being trampled upon and trâ—den under foot by the Beast But more especially to fignifie how that these Two Witnesses should all this time be inwardly law wearing sackcloth the mourning attite in times of old mourning before God because as I have said they hear his glorious Name blasphemed behold the Holy City trodden under foot and the whole world deceived by the Beast They are said by fire to destroy their Enemies ver 5. To shut Heaven that it rain not in the days of their Prophecy ver 6. both which things are taken out of the History of Elijah 1 King 1.10 1 King 17.1 Farther they are said to have power over waters to turn them into blood and to smite the earth with plagues as often as they will ver 6. which is taken out of the Story of Moses and Aaron in Aegypt The whole as I conceive sets forth this the great damage that the Antichristian party shall sustain all the time of the 1260 days by means of these two Witnesses who shall have such power with God as oftentimes to bring down his heavy wrath upon the persons of their persecutors which is the thing noted ver 5. by their devouring and killing their enemies by fire and also upon their principal interests which I take to be the thing specially intended ver 7. by their shutting Heaven turning waters into blood smiting the earth with plagues i.e. The Popish Heaven waters earth shall all suffer by means of these two Witnesses in the time of their prophecy By the whole description of the two Witnesses as saith our German Author in his Cl. p. 66 67. God doth declare that what mercies in times of old he hath shewed unto his people the Children of Israel the same he will also shew in the New Testament unto them that beleeve He will give them Joshuahs and Zerubbabels saithful Teachers and religious Rulers and Governors who shall fit and edifie them unto the Temple of God and as Candlesticks give light unto them with their pure doctrine and as Olive trees assist them with powerful consolation He will give them zealous Elija's and Elisha's who shall fight against the whore Jezabel the Priests of Baal and other persecutors He will also at length send them his Moses's and Aarons who shall deliver them and bring them forth out of Antichristian bondage SECT IV. THe Witnesses their testimony finished are to be killed v. 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pâ—t shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them In this state they are to continue three days and a half ver 9 11. Though our discourse of the three days and a half according to the strictness of order should come in afterwards yet in regard the opening hereof will afford us light into some things that follow I have chosen to place it before That these three days and a half cannot be as is the opinion of many worthy men who look upon the death of the Witnesses to be a corporal death a time equivalent to the 1260 is evident 1 Bec. then there should be no distinction at all betwixt the time of their Prophecying and their being killed if through all the 1 260 daies which is the time of their Prophecy we should suppose them to be killed Now the Text hath made a manifest distinction betwixt these two times 2 Becanse it s improper to say that Christs witnesses against Antichrist should prophecy all the 1260 days and yet be killed too For put case the Beast all this time did put some to death yet so long as Christ at the same time and in the same place had always others in their room his witnesses were not killed A man is not without witness though some witnesses are taken away in case others stand up and appear in their room Nay those witnesses which all the 1260 dayes were put to death by the Beast did most ominently in dying bear witness for Christ for to dis for the truth is a living standing testimony to it That killing therefore could not be a killing as witnesses he who for truths sake loves not his life to the death is even in dying a most glorious witness of the truth 3 It s said ver 10. that when the two witnesses lie dead the dwellers on the earth rejoyce for this reason because they are dead who tormented them Now did the dwellers on the earth thus rejoyce all the â—260 days when were they then tormented Will the Text bear it to say they were tormented all this time and yet rejoyced too This the Authors or upholders of this opinion must necessarily assert Nay why do they rejoyce at their death why because being dead they fear no hurt from them which whilst they prophecyed they did for they felt of them as ver 5 6. therefore their prophecying and killing must be as two distinct things and so at two distinct times 4 Because How could they be witnesses all this time if dead Doth a man when he hath a cause to be tried go to dead men that they would stand witnesses for him or to living Or how did they Prophecy if dead Can dead men prophecy or are prophecying men dead 5 Why are they said to be killed onely in the street or one street of the great City ver 8. and not in the whole City seeing in this sense they have been within the 1260 days more or less killed all over the great City i.e. throughout the whole Papal Jurisdiction 6 What difference will there be according to this opinion betwixt their being killed and put into graves if we take both for a bodily death which this opinion doth 7 And lastly How according to this opinion are they all the three days and a half kept unburied or how at the end of these three days and a half shall those Witnesses which were killed rise again for shall we think thus that the bodies of Saints martyred by divers means and in sundry places for the space of 1260 years together shall all that time lie unburied be kept out of graves And then 2. This time expired life enters into these bodies and they rise again The Text according to this interpretation doth strongly inforce both for if we conceive their killing to be corporal by the same reason must their burial and their resurrection also We are necessitated therefore from the clear Text and reason it self to reject this opinion and seek another That therefore which is more consonant to the words and doth not wrap us up in such a labyrinth of Intricacies is to interpret the three dayes and a half which is the time of their being killed of
from Heaven which bids the witnesses come up hither ver 12. Now the reasons why this voyce from Heaven is brought in after their standing upon their feet and not before may be these 1 Because the immediate hand of God in putting life and courage into the witnesses to answer their Call shall be a thing as I have said much more remarkable and visible than the Call and therefore is that named first and the whole of their resurrection seemingly attributed therunto Or 2 Because which I rather judge it is very likely that the call given them shall be a continued call not a call to rise onely but a call to some higher work which work is here set forth by the phrase of ascending up to Heaven which notes thus much to me that the instruments who shall give the Witnesses this call being themselves a more refined people in which respect their voyce is called a voyce from Heaven they shall not onely call upon the Witnesses to arise but when they are up follow them still with their call to come up higher into that state they themselves are in therefore they say Come up higher i.e. shake off all Antichristian defilements worldly interests as you have seen us do and now let us be no longer two but joyn as one to ruin the Where and carry on the work of Christ in the world Now because this Call shall be a continued Call therefore mention is made of it onely in the last and more glorious act which indeed follows the witnesses standing upon their feet and the first is omitted If you ask me Who these Instruments shall be I answer The same with the Angel of the fourth Vial for what I have said in opening that Vial. And farther they shall be that Remnant of the Womans Seed that the Holy Ghost hath characterized chap. 12.17 Of whom I shall discourse more fully in the two following Chapters CHAP. II. Setting forth yet further the state of the Two Witnesses within their Prophecying time and the time of their being Killed from Rev. 12. SECT I. HAving in the fore-going Chapter treated briefly of the Two Witnesses by way of opening part of the 11 Chap. of the Revelations it will not be impertinent in this for the farther clearing up of this great truth to add my own thoughts concerning the 12. Chapter likewise This 12. Chapter is on all hands interpreted to be a Prophecy of the state of the Church within the time of the Dragons rule or the time before the rise of the Beast and accordingly the things here fore-told are judged to have their compleat accomplishment within the first 400 years after Christ I must confess when I consider how handsomely following this opinion we have the whole Prophecy of the Revelations from the time John wrote even unto the time of Christs second coming consisting of three distinct periods comprized within three Chapters viz. 1 The state of the Church within the first period under the Dragons rule Chap. 12. 2 The state of the Church within the second period under the Government of the Beast Chap. 13. 3 The state of the Church under the witnesses risen from the end of the Beasts reign untill the time of Christs Second coming where begins a fourth Period viz. of the 1000 years Chap. 14. I am by this single consideration more inclined to be of the common opinion as to this 12 Chapter then by any thing that hitherto I have found laid down for the same by the Authors and Assertors of it who urge not this as an Argument not indeed can they because as I shall hereafter shew they make application of the 14 Chapter not to the third Period but another time and as for what is commonly urged there is nothing in it that I can observe that has the force of an Argument but what is founded upon begged principles Yet must I also acknowledge that although this consideration I have now hinted could I make it out to my self would sway very much with me yet hath it the less weight by how much I cannot satisfie my self that such a Tripartite dovision of this Prophecy should be here intended And my reason is because I find something in this 12 Chapter which is the Prophecy of the Dragon running down even into the time of the Beast for the time of the Beast doth yea must begin with the beginning of the 1260 dayes as hath been before proved Cha. 1. Sect. 2. Now supposing the time times and a half to be equivalent to the 1260 dayes yet it is clear from the Prophecie it self that some attempts are made by the Dragon after the time times and a half are begun As 1 The casting water out of his mouth as a flood after the Woman vers 15. 2 The attempting a war after this upon the remnant of her seed vers 17. Both these things I say are done after the Beast was come into the world and therefore may not be applied to the time of the Dragons rule which ceased upon the Beasts coming in he then resigning his power seat and great Authority to the Beast Chap. 13.2 If therefore we may extend this Prophecy a little time downwards into the Beasts Kingdom after the Dragon had surrendred to him I see no reason why we may not as well extend it quite through the Beasts Kingdome for the former order yea and the common method too is as much broken by the one as by the other Nor indeed can I see unless we come downwards to the expiring time of the Beasts Kingdom where a people after the 1260 dayes were begun will be found that had rightly interpreted these two Characters upon them that the remnant of the Womans seed which the Dragon makes war upon are described by And as these Considerations have gravelled me as to that opinion which makes application of the things here foretold to the time of the Dragons rule So by other Considerations I am induced to think that the Prophecy of this Chapter doth bring us down to the very end of the Beasts Kingdom the expiring time of the 42 months and that indeed the last verse of this Chapter being joyned to the first of the fourteeenth and so descending we have in these two Chapters alone the thirteenth being cut off all the aforesaid three Periods 1 That of the Dragon and the state of the Church within that Period set forth in the five first verses of this 12 Chap. 2 That of the Beasts 42 months or 1260 dayes and the state of the Church within that time from vers 6. to the end 3 That of the Witnesses risen or the state of the Gentile Churches from about the time of the Witnesses rise until Christs second coming Chap. 14. And according to this method as this 12 Chapter and the 14 linked together do run parallel with the whole of the 11 which treats of the Witnesses so this 12 Chapter alone runs parallel with so much of the
lower into the time of the Beasts Kingdom Now that the time times and a half should be a number distinct from the 1260 days appears to me upon these Reasons 1 Because the different expressions used of the womans abode in the wilderness the first and the second time argue them not to be one and the same but two distinct numbers for 1 Of her first going into the wilderness the 1260 days it is said v. 6. The woman fled into the wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God Of the second the time times and a half it is said She fled into her place v. 14. as seeming to intimate her having been there before 2 Of the first it is said They should feed her ver 6. noting a feeding by instruments and means she should have the enjoyment of Instruments Means and Ordinances though in a low and mournful condition all this time Of the second it is said She is nourished ver 14. noting that God by some immediate way of working would all this time keep a principle of grace alive in his though they should lye as dead taking little or no food outwardly by Instruments Means or Ordinances 2 Because the Dragon by the war in Heaven being cast down to the earth is said to have great rage ver 12. because he knoweth he hath but a short time But if this war in Heaven were at the beginning of the 1260 days as holds the common opinion which makes application of this to Constantines war he should then have a long time if after they were begun then must the time times and a half which are the consequent of this war be a distinct number from the 1260 days which is the thing I am proving And certainly the calling of the time times and an half a short time must be with respect to the fore-mentioned time of 1260 years which was a long time and if so then will it follow they cannot be one and the same number 3 Because the first going into the Wilderness is leisurely by degrees as the Beast by little and little crept in being not so much a forced act by outward violence offered to her as a voluntary act the woman retiring her self into a corner that so by a separation she might be kept pure and free from the defilements of that Beast she saw now rising But the second is on the sudden and she is forced to it by the exasperated rage of the Dragon and therefore she hath given to her two wings of a great Eagle v. 14. to note her quick and speedy slight lest she should be destroyed by the serpent 4 Because upon the womans first going into the wilderness the earth was no friend to the woman but rather the Barbarous Nations invading the Roman Empire did prove her Enemy by aiding the Beast and giving their strength to him But now upon this second going into the wilderness the turth is the womans friend and swallows up the flood the Serpent casts out of his mouth to cause the woman to be carried away therewith vers 15.16 agreeing to that chap. 11.9 These things added to the former grounds and method perswade me to think that the time times and an half ver 14. are not the same with the 1260 days ver 6. but a distinct number and in a word the very same with the three days and a half Chap. 11.9 signifying three years and a half a time notes one year times in the plural number two years half a time half a year in all three years and a half and to put a time for a year is as well Scripture phrase as a day for a year as Dan. 4.25 it is said of Nebuchadnezzar he should eat grass like Oxen till seven times should pass over him i.e. seven years SECT III. AGainst this it may be objected This cannot be because the war spoken of here which precedes the time times and a half and that war Chap. 11. which precedes the three days and a half are vastly different 1 That war against the Saints is headed by the Beast but this by the Dragon Answ This difference will be none at all let but this be considered that Chap. 11. speaks of the state or power acted by the Devil but Chap. 12. of the Devil as acting that state or power If this Answer be not sufficient he that shall observe our future discourse may find a farther and more full 2 Iâ— that war chap. 11. the Beast evercomes but in this is overcome and the Dragon cast down Answ True the immediate success and issue of the war chap. 12. is the vanquishing of the Dragon and casting of him out but yet the conclusion of the day is the subtil Dragon though cast out to the Earth finds a way and means to persecute the Woman and to drive her into the wilderness notwithstanding immediately before she had vanquished him and cast him out vers 13 And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the Earth he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child Vers 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the wilderness In conclusion therefore the Dragon or the Beast acted by the Dragon overcomes and so as to drive the woman upon this War into the wilderness and that for a time times and a half which is no contradiction at all but rather a more full opening of that war which is hinted chap. 11.7 as the immediate forerunner of the three days and a half Onely the Witnesses victory at first over the Beast is passed over in silence chap. 11. and the Beasts overcoming and killing them the thing expressed but chap. 12. their victory over the Beast is recorded first and yet afterwards his persecuting of them and driving them into the wilderness for a time times and a half or three days and a half If now the Question be put What war I conceive this to be Ans I judge it to be the war made by Gustavus Adolphus in Germany which war for the remarkableness of it hath been by many accounted the pouring forth of a Vial but though for some Reasons I have given in opening the Subject of the Second Vial it could not be so yet was it as remarkable under another consideration namely as it was a forerunner of the Witnesses being killed The Reasons of this my conjecture are 1 Because the time of this War agrees exactly to the time of that War which is the forerunner of the death of the Witnesses that War is a war in the finishing time of their testimony that is in the last 60 dayes or years of the 1260. which properly is the concluding time of their testimony Accordingly this War made by Gustavus Adolphus fell out within that time 2 Because this War must be supposed to be such a War as shall be headed by some eminent Christian Head on the one side raised up and acted by Christ which Head
I have handled that in opening the Vials and shall not here repeat it What may be collected from Chap. 11. I have given some general hints of it likewise in our first Chapter All therefore I intend to do at present shall be to take up some few Observations as lie couched in this Chapter and will add some little further light than what hath been already brought forth to the Question in hand 1 More generally The work shall go on with a more swift and irresistable hand than ever formerly Now shall not all the means and endeavors that can by the world or hell it self be used be able to hinder but the wrath of God as a mighty over-flowing deluge shall irresistably come in upon the Antichristian ungodly world This seems to me to be noted in that running and posting of Angels one after another so soon as ever the work is set upon this Basis vers 6. I saw another Angel flie in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel ver 8. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Vers 9. And the third Angel followed them saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his Image or receive his mark in his fore-head or in his hand The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God Vers 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple Vers 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple Vers 18. And another Angel came out from the Altar which had power over fire The posting of Angels argues the work now to be hot it runs like fire in a Thatch every Angel or Instrument makes a quick and speedy dispatch of his work 2 More particularly we have these things noted in the following part of this Chapter First The everlasting Gospell is preached vers 6 7. And I saw another Angel flye in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People saying with a loud voyce Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of waters Five things we have here observable concerning this preaching of the Gospel which shall be at this day 1 The wonderful purity and simplicity of the Doctrine of the Gospel as now held forth it shall be purged from those Antichristian mixtures and devices of man which tend to nothing else but to corrupt and darken the pure word of the Gospel and lead souls from the simplicity of the Gospel Hence it is called the everlasting Gospel because it shall be now preached as it was at first or all that dross that hath been and is in the Doctrine of the best Preachers hitherto shall now be purged out and that onely which will abide the fire and shall be everlasting shall remain 2 The matter it self that shall be held forth as one principal part of this everlasting Gospel shall be those things which concern Christ judging the great Whore and all his enemies and the setting up of his own Kingdonâ— calling upon the Rulers of this world to worship the Lamb throw down their Crowns and Scepter at his feet and therefore observe the matter of the Sermon is Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come and worship him that made Heaven Earth c. as to say the time is come that the Lamb will judge the Whore destroy the Beast tremble all ye Nations before him ye Kings and Princes of the earth be wise give glory to him Kiss the Son worship before him who made Heaven Earth the Sea and the Fountains of waters lest he be angry and ye perish in the way as he is in his march to his Kingdom 3 The universal spreading of this Doctrine abroad and that as it were in a moment therefore the Angel to note the swiftness of carrying it is said to flye and to shew the universal spreading of it it is said to be preached to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People 4 The publick and boldholding of it forth such a spirit shall be upon the Preachers that they shall not whisper these things and speak them in private corners but openly and boldly in the Market-street yea in the very faces of the Kings and Princes of the Earth Hence to note the publickness of it the Angel is said to flie in the midst of Heaven i.e. openly in the view of all and to note the publickness and boldness both is said to proclaim it with a loud voyce 5 The great measure of faith that shall be upon the Preachers as to this particular business that the very time is come in which God will judge the Whore therefore they cry out The hour of his judgement is come As to say Flatter your selves no longer O ye Papists sit still no longer O ye Protestants with this in your mouths the time is not come the time is not come for assure your selves Christ will now delay no longer The hour of his judgement is come Secondly Romes destruction now comes unavoidably upon her vers 8. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen The words Babylon is fallen is fallen are not as I conceive to be looked upon as words of faith concerning a work to be done but rather a Proclamation of a work already done This Angel is but the Messenger and Herauld of those glad tydings who spreads this news over the Churches and Nations which what with the greatness of it the suddenness and unexpectedness of it begets such wonderment and joy that the whole World in a manner is filled with Hallelujah's Rev. 19. Thirdly A serious and solemn warning to all those who shall yet adhere to the Beast Vers 9. And the third Angel followed them saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his fore-head and in his hand Vers 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Vers 11. And the smock of their torment ascendeth up for ever and over And they have no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name But why are the Papals warned by pronouncing against them so dreadful a threatning at this day Answ The reason hereof I take to be this because the day of Christs coming and the fatal ruin of the Beast and his followers is now at hand therefore the coming of Christ and the treading of the Wine-press follows immediately upon this Now Gods way is ever before his fatal blow to give his enemies such a warning as may both
that it can be no other coming but Christs Personal Now because at the time of Christs personal coming the dead Saints are so to be raised up as that they may be ready to come with Christ 1 Thess 3.13 1 Thess 4.14 Zech. 14.5 Therefore we have the resurrection of the dead intimated in the verse before Christs coming vers 13. And I heard a voyce from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them The Emphasis of the Text lyes in those words from henceforth about which I find Expositors not applying this to the time of Christs coming and the resurrection but to a time past to be much puzled And indeed there is cause for as it is a forced Translation and besides the Etymologie of the word to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise than from henceforth or from this time so cannot any solid reason be given for it without a supposal of the resurrection to be here intimated why the dead from this time should be pronounced Blessed more than from any other time why from this time they should rest from their labours and have their works following them more than from any other time To say they go to Heaven by Death and there rest from their labours Answ But why from this time rather than any other are they blessed seeing all that dye in the Lord throughout all Ages are equally made partakers of the blessing in this sense To say the reason of the special blessing ariseth from the Cause they dye in they dye in Christs Cause and suffer as Martyrs Ans But why is the speciality of the Blessing annexed to this time seeing as Martyrs many had suffered for Christ long before To say as do some others because the Gospel began now to be preached in the world which only makes men dye happily Answ But why from this time seeing a Soul cannot dye happily or in the Lord at any time without some knowledge of Christ and the Gospel To restrain this as do some others to the pains of Purgatory which they say till about this time did cause fear even in good people at their deaths but now the Gospel being preached clearly and the vanity of that opinion laid open the people of God dye comfortably with assurance of going straight-way into Paradise will not help us with an interpretation for who can think otherwise but that the vanity of this most grose opinion was laid open before even when the everlasting Gospel was preached vers 6.7 and if so why then are they said to be blessed from this time and not rather from that time when the everlasting Gospel began to be preached To say yet as do others because great Persecutions were now to arise so that it was a blessing to be dead before they came Ans 1. Whether is it a greater blessing to die in the Lord a Martyr or to die of a mans natural death 2. Let it be considered Whether the time of the Waldenses Albigenses which time Expositors place higher making application of the thing spoken of vers 6 7. to them were not a time of as sore yea sorer Persecutions than the time to which they make application of these words and if so that this be the onely reason why then should not the blessing be placed there rather than here or as well there as here For my own part I do conceive that the thing here intimated is the Resurrection which opinion as it cuts off a multitude of uncertainties so doth it agree most fitly to the circumstance of time according to the method I have observed and is clear also from the Context consent of other Scriptures and the words themselves taken in their natural sense without straining or forcing of them being in effect thus much as if the Holy Ghost should say The children of God untill this day have been ever accounted the worlds Fools who have counted their life a burden and toyl their death a loss of their expectations but now at this day of the Resurrection when the fruit of Gods peoples patience their faith and obedience of which was spoken in the foregoing verse which hath a necessary dependance on this and had we conjoyned them in our exposition as they are in the Text it might possibly have been better shall be manifested before all men it shall then be seen that those who in former ages from the very beginning of the world did live to the Lord and dye in the Lord are the onely blessed men who from this day in Soul and Body both are made partakers and that in recompence of their former toyl and labours of the glorious rest of Christ having now their good works following them i. e. the reward of all their former good works which the world looked upon as things lost and cast away given to them Hence which serves to expound these words the time of the seventh Angels sounding which is contemporary with this both looking to the time of Christs coming is called the time of Gods giving a reward unto his Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and to them that fear his name smal and great Rev. 11.18 which answers punctually to this of their works i.e. the reward of their works following them By these two Scriptures I am further confirmed in what I have writen upon the Vials viz. That not Martyrs onely but all the Saints shall rise in the first Resurrection and come with Christ for the blessing here pronounced is common to all that dye in the Lord yea to all that have kept the patience faith and commandements of Christ and not peculiar to Martyrs onely the rewarding Saints in the time of the new Jerusalem is not a rewarding Martyrs onely but all that fear Gods Name a qualification common to Saints smal and great As for the double similitude in the following words 1. Of a Harvest vers 15 16. 2. Of a Vintage vers 18 19 20. whether the Harvest signifie Christs gathering his Elect in the world which are his Corn together to him 1 Thes 4 17. 2 Thes 2.1 Mat. 24.31 And the Vintage Christs destruction of those of his Enemies that he finds gathered together upon his appearing or whether one thing viz. The ruin of his enemies be intended in both which seems best to agree to Joel 3.13 Put ye in the Sickle for the Harvest is ripe come get you down for the Press is full the Fat 's over-flow which Prophecy as it is the same for time with this so this seems to be taken thence I shall not undertake possitively to determine Further whether the Angel with a Sickle who gathers the Vintage ver 19. be any Angel that Christ makes use of at his coming to destroy his enemies as God by an Angel destroyed the Host of Senacherib or whether this Angel be Christ himself who before
1290 as I have proved at large in my fore-going Discourse Chap. 2. Sect. 5. 2 Because our Saviour Luk. 21.24 fore-telling the time how long the Jews Captivity should continue and Jerusalem should be trodden under foot of the Gentiles tels us that the same should be untill the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled And they shall fall by the edge of the Sword and shall be led away captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles untill the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled the meaning whereof is not that the Jewish Captivity should continue untill such time as the Gentiles should cease to be Gods people any longer for the stream of the Prophets run against such a conjecture they every where fore-telling of a wonderful access of Gentiles to the Lord about the time of the Jews coming in from which day the Gentiles are not to be rejected but Jew and Gentile together to be the people of God But the meaning I conceive to be this until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled that is untill the time of the Gentiles Captivity and sufferings under Antichrist is at an end so long shall the Jews Captivity remain but with the end of the one shall the other also have end Now the Gentiles Captivity ending at the end of the forty two months the 1260 days which is the term of the Beasts Tyranny and the Womans being in the Wilderness therefore must the Jews also and so consequently the 1260 days and the 1290. end together 3 Because Daniel chap. 9.26 telling us how long desolations are determined upon the Jewish Nation makes their desolations to end with the end of the War Unto the end of the War desolations are determined Quest What War is this Answ Doubtless the War he had spoken of before chap. 7.21 viz. the War of the little Horn against the Saints I beheld and the same Horn made War with the Saints and prevailed against them the continuance of which War is but untill the end of the time times and a half where the time of the little Horns reign and Tyranny expires vers 25. He shall wear out the Saints of the most High and think to change times and Laws and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time Now observe with the end of this War the Jewish desolations end and their restauration begins now this War ending with the end of the time times and a half and the end of the time times and a half and the 1260 days being one and the same it necessarily follows that the 1260 days and the 1290 should end together THESIS XVIII The point of time where either ends is in the year of our Lord 1656. THESIS XIX The true beginnings of either number do necessarily infer this to be the end THESIS XX. The 1290 days are to be begun Anno Dom. 366 with that noted act of Julian of setting the Jews about reedifying the Temple and furnishing them out of the publick Treasury with all necessaries for this work when by a terrible Earth quake all they built was thrown up yea the very foundation-stones of the Temple which never till that day were moved thrown out of their places and by terrible Thunder and Lightning and Fire falling from Heaven all their tools and instruments were burnt up So that as Socrates in his third Book cap. 20. according to the Greek the 17. according to the Translation saith That there a man might have beheld Hammers Graving-Irons Saws Axes Hatchets c. consumed with fire which fire saith he ceased not to burn the space of a whole day and the Jews themselves being amazed hereat confessed Christ to be the omnipotent God Yea farther saith the aforesaid Author Cyril then Bishop of Jerusalem when they began the work remembred this Prophecy of Daniel and urging Christs words with it Matth. 24.2 did prophecy unto many that now the time was come that our Saviours words should be fulfilled which he spake of the Temple that not one stone should be left upon another Thus much out of the very words of Socrates who wrote above 1200 years ago The truth of this act is also testified by many other ancient Writers as Ammianus Marcellinus who lived in the very time of Julian and was a Souldier under him lib. 23. Theodoret who wrote his Ecclesiastical History Anno Dom. 430. Lib. 3. cap. 17. Sozomene who was contemporary with Socrates lib. 5. cap. 21 yea by most Chronologers and Historians both Ancient and Modern that have written any thing of this time Yea which is also a thing very observable and noted by Socrates and most of the aforesaid Authors viz. That as wicked Julian did set the Jews upon re-edifying the Temple so did he also about the same time send his Legates to offer Sacrifice in the chief Heathen Temple of the Gentiles in Delphos and there to consult with the Oracle of Apollo and as God by Earth-quake Thunder and Lightning did over-turn the one so did he also in the same manner and about that very time the other thereby overwhelming at once both the cheif Temples the one of the Jews he other of the Gentiles putting an end to the Jewish daily Sacrifice and the Gentile Superstitions at one and the same time and therefore no time may so fitly be called a time of Desolation and that because of abomination as this Now the Reasons why we are to fix the Head of our Account upon this act rather than any other before it or since it are 1 Because if we begin with any act before it the time is expired and the Jews not yet delivered experience therefore proves such beginnings false 2 Because we may not begin lower for these Reasons First Because if we begin lower the 1290 days cannot be made concurrent in their end with Johns 1260. which for the fore-going grounds must be Secondly Because Daniel being a Prophet of the Jews and the things he fore-told having a more especial respect to that Nation there cannot in any History of any time since Christ be found an act so famous and that with a relation to that Nation as was this act of Julians with which therefore we must begin or none Thirdly Because no beginning lower that will agree to Daniels words either can be found or is stated by any that ever yet I have met with and it is a thing that I have much observed how that all those who because the time is near and so little likelihood of any such thing appears as yet have not faith enough to beleeve this beginning have also not light enough to make out another but are silent laying down no Head to begin this account upon which yet the Holy Ghost hath marked out by as eminent and noted Characters to shew us where we are to begin it as any account in all the Scripture vers 11. From the time that the daily