to make War with him And if to worship the Devil be not Paganism and to worship Antichrist Idolatry what is and yet all this within the time of the thousand years according to either reckoning Nay the Beasts followers who were the Nations worshipping the Dragon within this time is a manifest Argument he was not then bound and shut up in the bottomless Pit but indeâ—d among them though in such a garb as he seems rather a Saint than a Devil deceiving of them 2 As if the Lord hath suffered it on purpose to banish from us all such thoughts it is a thing most observable that the Paganish Mahumetan Religion the like to which was hardly ever known in the world of a Religion springing from so inconsiderable a man and upon the sudden overspreading so many Countries had both its rise and a considerable part of its growth within this thousand yeers follow which account ye will Mahomet the first founder of that Religion living about the yeer of Christ 600. 3 Let it be shewn since the expiring of this thousand yeers whether we make them to expire according to the first account A.D. 1069. or according to the second 1300. whether the Gospel have flourished less and the Nations been deceived more than they were in the time of the thousand yeers both which according to the former interpretation should be for all the thousand yeers the Devil was bound that he could not deceive the Nations nor hinder the Propagation of the Gospel but now according to the last account of the thousand yeers he is loose and hath been three hundred yeers and upwards and therefore may do it and upon inquiry will it not appear that Antichrist hath more gone to ruine the Gospel hath shined more bright and flourished more the Nations have more freely not those called Christians only but of late some Pagans also given entertainment to it yea stood up for it than ever before all the time of the thousand yeers If so then certainly the Devil was not bound then unless we shall say that it is a better day when the Devil is loose than when he is bound and the way to destroy Antichristianism Paganism convert the Nations to Christ which things have more appeared since the time according to the common opinion the Devil hath been let loose than ever they did whilst he was bound is to let the Devil loose suffer him to deceive the Nations and do what heâ—lâ—sts in the world 3 MISTAKE which some who run upon the latter Account seem to hint at That the Dragons resigning up his Kingdome to the Beast which we read of Chap. 13.2 was for this reason because hee could keep it no longer but was out of hand to be bound I answer not so The Dragon did not resign because he saw he must be bound a thousand yeers but rather out of subtilty seeing by Christian Emperors his Heathenish Idolatry thrown down and himself for a little time cast out of his Throne that now he might in another way and under another form of Idolatry as formerly I have said creep in again therefore he resigns to Antichrist and indeed his Policy doth not fail him for by means of this Beast he gets in again yet now so subtil is he that all the time of the Beasts Kingdome till just toward the end when the Beast and his party are grown so desperate as that now they will joyn with the Devil or any to uphold their cause he will not shew himself what he is and therefore appears but very rarely as the Dragon from that day till the time of the last battel but rather still as a Saint with Antichrists mask on lest being discovered his subjects should flinch from him and he be cast out again Here is all the ground that ever I have met with for that opinion which makes the thousand years of Satans binding and the Saints reign to be already past which being nothing else but a very lump of Mistakes I do therefore for the foregoing Reasons conclude the thousand yeers to be yet to come and to follow successively as they are in this Prophecie laid down after the battel of Armageddon and indeed to be the very same only first here hinted in brief afterwards more largely handled which is the way and manner of laying down things in this Book with that New Jerusalem a description whereof we have Chap. 21. Chap 22.1 to the 6 which that it cannot be meant of Heavenly glory as most have supposed but must set forth a glorious state of the Church here on earth shall appear in our following Discourse I have not hitherto said which yet may be worth the weighing to see what may follow upon it That those who make the thousand yeers to be past do also make the one thousand two hundred and sixty yeers of the Beasts reign the treading underfoot the Holy City and the Womans being in the Wilderness and the Witnesses prophesying in sackcloath the same in respect of time with the Devils binding and the Saints reigning which two contraries how they will be made to agree is a thing that lyes out of the reach of my apprehension From what hath been said I suppose it will sufficiently appear that the first Scene that is like to be acted in the world upon the coming of Christ will not be the last and General Judgement but something else Yet do I not deny but that in a large sense the whole time from Christs coming to the end of all things may be called a Day of Judgement which therefore according to some is looked upon as one great day consisting of two parts as doth the natural day First the Evening or thousand yeers And secondly the Morning or General Judgement admitting only these two differences betwixt the judgement of the last day and that which shall be in the time of the thousand yeers 1 The judgement passed at the last day shall be the act of Christ alone there being then but one Great white Throne and one sitting upon it Rev. 20.12 I saw a great white Throne and him that sate upon it which agrees to Matth. 21.31 He shall sit upon the Throne of his glory Yea the whole business of the day is transacted by Christ himself the King alone acts he shall say to them on his right hand Come vers 34. to them on his left hand Depart vers 41. And when the righteous to exalt his grace the more profess their own unworthiness the King only replies in way of justification of them vers 40. and contrariwise when the wicked justifie themselves the King only replies shewing the equity of the sentence passed upon them vers 44 45. But now the judgement of sinners upon Christs second coming in the time of the thousand yeers untill the last day shall be by Christ and his Saints together and therefore of this time it is said Rev. 20.4 I saw Thrones in the plural number and they
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
glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come Chap. 12.12 Therefore rejoyce ye heavens and ye that dwel in them Wo to the Inhabiters of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Chap. 11.18 And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints c. LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1655. The Epistle Dedicatory To all those who love and patiently wait for the Appearing and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ Grace and Peace be multiplied Dearly beloved in our Lord IT is reported of the Primitive Saints that these words the KINGDOM OF CHRIST the KINGDOM OF CHRIST were so frequent in their mouths that their malicious Adversaries willing to mistake the simplicity of their meaning and intention did make the words matter of Fact charging them hereupon with Treason as if they had driven on some design to get for themselves the Kingdom Whether the simplicity of the Saints in the age we live in who being come to the very dawning of the day and beholding the Lord going up to his Kingdom cannot hold their peace but must cry out HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST may through the subtlety of the old Serpent have any such abuse put upon it or no I wave at present But this I am sure of the first ages had not the Kingdom of Christ so much in their mouths but after ages had it as little their hearts were not so warm to it but the generations since have been as cold And indeed it was necessary it should so be for the Beast Antichrist being to rise in the world who after his rise must continue to reign two and forty months Rev. 13.5 it was needful therefore to the end he might be revealed that there should be as the Apostle tels us 2 Thes 2.3 a falling away which falling away above all things was necessary that it should be in the Truths of Christs Kingdom no Truths being so diametrically opposite to Antichrist as these others shake off his leaves these pluck him up by the roots If therefore the policy of the Dragon had not found out a way to brand these Truths and by making them odious to hold them down his Kingdom must have fallen many ages since for he should have had no Beast to resign his Power Seat and great Authority to It stood him greatly in hand therefore by some means to cloud these which by continuing to shine would have nipped Antichrist in the bud and this the wisdom of God permitting to accomplish thereby in the end a more glorious design which he effectually did Hence within the fourth Century at the end of which the Beast arose the Truths of Christs Kingdom before generally received began to be condemned and to go under the odious name of Heresie Hence also we finde not in the Revelations any mention made of Christs Kingdom nor any noyse of such a thing in the world all the time of the Beasts reign but the great cry of the dwellers on the Earth is The Beast the Beast who is like unto the Beast yea the whole world wondereth after the Beast Rev. 13.3 4. But now in the latter days as the Beast begins to go down so do the precious Truths of Christs Kingdom again begin to revive and have a resurrection Hence we finde that as the world by degrees gets rid of the Beast so is the cry in it still louder and louder of Christs Kingdom First Amongst the Saints in the world who no sooner have got so much footing as to stand and face the Beast which before trod them down and trampled upon them but presently they make the world ring again with the noise of Christs Kingdom Rev. 15.2 3 4. And I saw them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name stand on the Sea of glass having the Harps of God And they sing the Song of Moses the servant of the Lord and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest Secondly After this the Beast having received a more fatal blow the cry of Christs Kingdom that was before among some Saints onely is now more general and runs among the multitudes yea the great ones too of whom till this day we hear little as Rev. 19.6 And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty Thunderings saying Allelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth Thirdly and lastly Yet after this upon the sounding of the seventh Angel when Christ comes to take his Kingdom it is then openly proclaimed with a great voyce Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are beâ—ome the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and â—e shall reign for ever And as an echo to this voyce â—he hearts of Gods faithful ones reply v. 17. We give thee â—hanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wert and â—rt to come because thou hast taken to thee this great â—ower and hast reigned Thus the noyse and cry in the world towards the latter end of Antichrists reign is very different to that which was in the time of his reign then the cry was The Beast The Beast now the old cry is up again The Kingdom of Christ The Kingdom of Christ Yet notwithstanding the cry of Christs Kingdom shall at this day be so loud shall not the ears of all no not of the Saints themselves be open to hear it but some of them as well as others shall be so deeply wedded to the sweetness of Antichristian wordly interests that to maintain these they shall rather choose to sit by the waters of Babylon than with the loss of them to stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion else what need would there be of any such Proclamation to be made as we read is immediately before Romes ruin Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sins and that yee receive not of her plagues And these who thus shall do are not to be reckoned among those who in this great business followed not the Lamb at all but among those who followed the Lamb some part of the way towards Mount Sion but upon some turn or falling in with some worldly pleasing interest by the way did quit his company before they came thither For this cause the hundred forty and four thousand which
by all Nations coming up to Jerusalem to fall down and worship before the Lord of Christs wonderful Deliverance of his people and terrible destruction of his enemies at this day And indeed that the main thing intended in this Feast was the Memorial of Gods delivering mercy appears to me from hence that this Feast which from Joshua's time untill Nehemiahs had not been observed was again kept upon their coming out of Babylon Nehem 8.17 This also may be an answer to such other places in the Prophets where mention is made of worship at this day Having thus brought the words I am opening to a reconciliation with those Chap. 21. vers 22. It would neither be amiss unprofitable nor improper to the subject we are upon to have given here a description of the New Jerusalems glory which is the very thing briefly hinted in these words more fully explicated Chap. 21. throughout Chap. 22. vers 1. to 6. and in many places in the Prophets of the Old Testament but that I have restraint laid upon my spirits as to this inquiry supposing the time of full discovery hereof not yet come for I finde that the destruction of the great Whore together with a general view of the Bride the Lambs wife and the time of her Reign with Christ is discovered to John in the wilderness that is whilst the Church as yet remains in her warfare contesting and strugling with her enemies Chap. 17.1 And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and talked with me saying unto me Come hither I will shew unto thee the judgement of the great Whore that siâ—eth upon many waters vers 3. so he carried me away in the spirit into the Wilderness John is now in the Wilderness and we read not a word of his removing his station till we come to Chap. 21.9 10. therefore I conclude the whole of the Prophesie from Chap. 17.1 to Chap. 21.9 which discovers the great Whore and her ruine Chap. 17.18 gives us a general view of the Bride the Lambs wife and her attire and Christ her Husbands coming and appearing to destroy her enemies and marry his Spouse to himself Chap. 19. makes discovery that before the General Judgement shall be a thousand years in which Satan shall be bound and the Saints shall reign with Christ Cha. 20. gives us also a general hint of the glory of this thousand years Ch. 21. v. 1. to 9. was all of it revealed to John in the Wilderness teaching us hereby that before yet the Woman is got clear out of the Wilderness there shall be a full discovery of these things But now the full and particular glory of the New Jerusalem the discovery of the Bride in all her glory John that he might see that hath his station removed from the Wilderness to a great and high Mountain Chap. 21.9 10. And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials full of the seven last Plagues and talked with me saying Come hither I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife and he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high Mountain and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God vers 11. Having the glory of God c. intimating thus much to me that the time of discovery of this glory in the brightness of it is not to be expected till the Church is gotten out of the Wilderness and become a great Mountain in the world And sometimes I have thought that as the Lord doth and will more and more every day make discovery of those things John had revealed to him in the Wilderness the Gentile Churches being the Woman in the Wilderness so that which John had revealed to him in the great and high mountain he may have reserved in store for the Jews upon their coming in who converted shall become a Great Mountain in the world These considerations have laid a restraint upon me as to this inquiry yet this I shall do leave with the Reader a Rule or two which may be a help to him so far as to prevent many mistakes that otherwise will bee very apt to arise whilst hee reads what very frequently is spoken in the Prophets with a relation to this time 1 RVLE That the Prophets of the Old Testament prophecying to a people that lived under a dark Legal Administration in which things were veiled that stood under an outward temporal Covenant I mean a Covenant for temporal things as riches long life c. as well as for spiritual that were as yet children under age trained up under a Schoolmaster Tutor Governor who though they were in a way of learning looking at a time to come wherein they should be more perfect Schollars had as yet for the bulk of them attained but very little spiritual understanding in any thing their senses being as yet exercised onely about the first rudements of Religion and the first Principles of the Oracles of God I say The Prophets speaking to such a people are in their expressions to be looked upon as rather accommodating themselves to the state of Gods people under the Administration and Covenant that then was then speaking of things as they are in themselves or were to be in the accomplishment This speaking by way of allusion is clear Zach. 14. before quoted They shall go up from year to year verse 16. alluding to the going up of the twelve Tribes once every year to worship at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles alluding to that Feast in time of old So verse 20. we read of the Pots in the Lords house the Bowls before the Altar verse 21. of sacrificing and seething the expressions clearly alluding to the way and manner of worship that then was So likewise Ezekiel in the last eight Chapters of his Prophesie speaks altogether by way of allusion to the state of things in Israel and the way of their worship under the Old Testament That the main thing intended in those eight Chapters is the description of the New Jerusalem appears 1 From the order observed by the Holy Ghost in laying it down the things spoken concerning it being brought in as an immediate consequent of the Jews conversion and the battel of Armageddon both which things had been fully treat of in the three foregoing Chapters Chap. 37 38 39. 2 By comparing with the description we have of the New Jerusalem Rev. 21.22 Ezekiel Revelation Chap 40 2. In the visions of God brought he me into the Land of Israel and set me upon a very high mountain by which was as the frame of a City on the South Chap. 21.10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and shewed me that great City the Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God Chap. 47.1 2 3 c. Behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house Chap. 22.1 And he shewed me
door was set open to the Jews to recover their own land yet because Constantinople his chief City was not thereby destroyed therefore in respect of the wrath of God poured out upon that at this day it is here said Great Babylon came now in remembrance before God which words very fitly agree to the ruine of Constantinople but are not appliable either to the ruine of Rome or the Kingdome of the Beast in general both which came up into remembrance and had been actually punished before this day 2 The Inevitableness of this Ruine Vers 20. And every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found Islands and Mountains are places of refuge Men in times of commotion flye to these for shelter as being safer in them than they can be elswhere Now that which tome is a notable confirmation that the words are in this sense to be understood I find the Prophets in other places which relating to this very time serve as a Comment upon the Text intimating that men should at this day either be secure by reason of such shelters or flye to such places for shelter Ezek. 39.6 speaking of the Effects of the Battel of Gog and Magog saith I will send a fire in Magog and among them that dwell carelesly in the Isles as noting that some should at this day think themselves secure by being in Isles places of refuge and shelter The Prophet Isaiah Chap. 2.21 speaking of the day wherein God will arise to shake terribly the earth the same with that shaking Joel 3.16 Hag. 2.6 7. 21 22. tells us that some at that day for fear of the Lord shall flye to the clefts of the Rocks and to the tops of the ragged Rocks noting men shall seek shelter from such places of refuge as the Rocks of Mountains are But so inevitable shall their ruine be that notwithstanding men may flye for shelter to their outward Refuges thinking themselves secure by reason of them yet shall all their refuges and shelters prove no shelter against this storm for every Island shall flye away and the Mountains shall not be found 3 The Greatness of it Vers 21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a Talent The Hail from Heaven denotes the more immediate judgements of God which shall fall on his enemies at this day and there may be an allusion to the destruction of the Canaanites by great Hailstones from Heaven Josh 10.11 The greatness of the Hailstones each being about the weight of a Talent notes the judgements God will inflict at this day to be the heaviest and most dreadful that can be a Talent of all weights being the greatest 3 Effect Blaspheming of God And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the Hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great The Eeast lived a Blasphemer now he dyes a Blasphemer and goes blaspheming to the Lake of fire burning with brimstone whither the just judgements of God which when they cannot reform sinners on earth cast them to Hell have now brought him And this is the conclusion of this great day as it respects Gods Enemies which to their woe they shall find and feel to be a black dismal and fatal day though but the beginning of it as it respects the Saints and people of God to whom it shall be the most glorious joyful and lightsome day that ever they beheld When God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and the Lamb and his Servants shall serve him And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads And this is that New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven the hope of which let it purifie our hearts even as he is pure Let us alwayes have our loyns girded about our lamps burning and we our selves like unto men that wait for the Lord looking earnestly unto and breathing after that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who once was offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him will he appear the second time without sin to salvation When be that now overcometh shall be made a Pillar in the Temple of his God and he shall go no more out And Christ will write upon him the Name of his God and the Name of the City of his God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from his God and he will write upon him his new name And those that do his Commandements shall have right to the Tree of Life and enter in through the Gates into the City when without shall be Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie Which things he hath sent his Angel to testifie in the Churches who is the Root and Off-spring of David and the bright and morning Star Who also himself saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus The Reason of the Order observed in pouring forth the VIALS THe Beast having now for a long time trampled under foot the holy City blasphemed God his Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and exercised his utmost rage and cruelties against all those who holding the testimony of Jesus could not be brought to worship him his Image or receive his Mark in their fore-heads or in their hands and being in all these his insolent and outragious practces animated yea assisted by the Kings of the earth subjecting themselves to him and giving their strength power and Kingdome to the Beast Christ as able no longer to hear the Blasphemies and behold the rage and cruelties of the Beast with all the determined time of redeeming Sion avenging the blood of his Elect on those that dwell on the earth judging the Beast casting down his Thrones and taking the Kingdome to himself being come without delay now rouseth up himself and in his wondrous zeal his power and greatness marcheth forth to judge the great Whore destroy the Thrones of Kingdoms take possession of the Kingdoms of this world and subject them to his own righteous Scepter But finding upon his first Rise that two of his ancient and principal Rights had been long invaded and laid waste by the Enemy namely The glory of his Priesthood upon earth and the exercise of his Kingly Power and Prerogative in his Churches the first by the putrified and filthy stinking puddle of Romish Doctrine which instead of exalting that Righteousness alone in Justification which is pure perfect heavenly did establish a righteousness which was earthly impure full of filthy dregs out of which one poysonous root were grown up innumerable Idolatries viz. the Mass Purgatory Indulgences Invocation of Saints Penance Pilgrimages Monkish life c. by which the glory of Christs Priestly Office was veyled the precious truth of the Gospel perverted and Souls instead of bread of
and applyed to that people who shall have the principal hand in this great work p. 53 54 The Question propounded Whether the Jewes first stirring shall be upon a bare Civil account or not Resolved at large p. 54. to 62 The Interval betwixt the sixth and seventh VIALS Four remarkable things falling within this Interval 1 Agents and Ambassadors are sent forth from the Dragon Beast and false Prophet unto the Kings of the earth p. 63 Here 1 The terms are opened and it is shewed 1. Who meant by Dragon ibid. 2. What we are to understand by Beast and false Prophet Explained 1 Beast in the Revelation is sometimes spoken of without distinction as though he were but one When so Beast denotes Antichrists twofold power Civil and Ecclesiastical p. 64. to 68. Here is shewed what is meant by Beast ascending out of the bottomless pit Chap. 11.7 why called Chap. 17.8 the Beast that was is not yet is shall ascend out of the bottomless pit What meant by the seven Heads of the Beast In what sense this Beast is called the Eighth yet said to be of the Seven 2 Beast is sometimes spoken of with distinction as though he were two when so one part denotes Antichrists Civil power the other his Ecclesiastical p. 68 to 69. 1 In this sense we read of two Beasts Chap. 13. One Beast arising out of the Sea this shewed to be Antichrist in his pure Civil State why the seven Heads of the Beast are interpreted first of the seven Mountains of Rome and secondly of the seven distinct Governments in the Roman Empire Another Beast arising out of the Earth this shewed to be Antichrist in his Ecclesiastical State That the first Beast cannot be the whole body of the Roman Empire p. 69 These two Beasts did both rise together p. 72 And how ib. These Beasts though two are really one and make up but one Antichrist ib. 2 In this sense we also read of a Beast and a Woman Chap. 17. What meant by Beast and Woman Why the second Beast is here called a Woman In what sense the Woman is interpreted the Great City p. 72 3 In this sense we have in the Text a Beast and a false Prophet mentioned The false Prophets shewed to be the same with the second Beast p. 110 Why the second Beast in his third estate is called a false Prophet p. 73 74 2 The manner of the Dragon Beast and false Prophets sending forth their Agents namely by a general Convention of the Popish party Two things debated in this General Assembly from whence this result of sending forth Agents and Ambassadors all over the world doth arise p. 75 3 Their grand design in this Ambassy p. 76 4 The Agents imployed in this Ambassy why said to be three Why said to come out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet Five Characters given of them p. 77 78 The second thing within this Interval viz. The Personal coming of Christ 1 Proved to be within the Interval betwixt the sixth and and seventh Vials 1 Argument Christ shall Personally come at the battle of Armageddon grounded upon eight Prophecies which are opened p. 79 to 88 2 Argument Christs Personal coming shall be at the time of the Kingdoms restoring to Israel proved from sundry Scriptures Here is shewed that the time of restitution of all things Act. 3.21 cannot be the General Judgement p. 88 to 97 Two Arguments to prove the former Position urged from the words themselves p. 97 98 Two Arguments more laid down in the General tending to prove Christs Personal coming cannot be far off ib. This coming we speak of is shewed to be the same â—th that coming commonâ—â— called a coming to Judgeâ—ent p. 101 to 111. Where 〈◊〉 shewed that there are but â—o Personal comings â—ut not Martyrs onely but â—l the Saints shall come â—ith Christ at this day The â—ace Rev. 20.4 5. answeâ—d The difference of this â—inciple from the common â—ceived opinion is shewed 〈◊〉 be onely this that afâ—ms the General Judgeâ—ent to be instantly upon â—hrists coming this mainâ—ins that the thousand â—ars Revel 20. are to â—sue first and after that â—e General Judgement Here is discussed the â—ousand years concernâ—g which it is assertâ—â— 1 That the thousand â—ars six times repeated â—ap 20. are one and the â—ins thousand years in all p. 111 2 That the thousand years are a definite time p. 111 112 3 That they are yet to come and to take their beginning from the Battel of Armageddon p. 112 113 114 1 Proved by three Arguments 2 Answer is given to their Arguments who reckon them past and the grounds of them shewed to be mistakes p. 114 to 119 The whole time from Christs appearing to the end of the world may be called in a large sense a day of Judgement p. 119 Two special differences betwixt the Judgement passed in the time of the thousand years and that which shall be at the last day p. 119 to 122. Where the manner of Saints ruling and reigning and judging the world is opened Two Objections answered 1 Objection How can this be seeing the world is to be destroyed by fire at Christs coming Answered p. 122 to 124 2 Objection How can this agree to the state of glorified souls or how will it stand with Saints glory and spirituality answered p. 124 to 127 The whole concluded with three Rules laid down to judge of such Scriptures as speak of Christs Second coming p. 127 to 129 3 Christs Watel word to his people Five Reasons given of it why the duty of watchfulness is by Christ annexed to the Dictrine of his second coming p. 129 to 138. Inhandling these the steep of the ten Virgins spoken of Mat 25. is opened 4 Christs providential disposing of his enemies p. 139 to 142. Here is shewed what is meant by Armageddon VIAL 7. 1 The Angel pouring it forth Christ himself p 142 2 The Subject of it the Air nothing the pouring forth of this Vial to be universal upon 1 The whole Kingdom of the Dragon 2 The whole Kingdom of Antichrist 3 The Kingdom of the Great Turk 4 The Kingdoms of this world p. 142 143 144. Here is shewed why a change of speech is used in this Vial different from all the rest 3 The Adjunct A great voyce shewed 1 Whose voyce this is p. 144 2 The meaning of the voyce p. 145 3 Why said to come from the Throne p. 146 4 Why the Throne the voyce comes from is said to be in the Temple of Heaven p. 148 Here is shewed that the New Jerusalem spoken of Rev. 21. Chap. 22. cannot be meant of Heavenly glory but must be a glorious state of the Church on Earth proved by seven Arguments p. 148 to 152 No outward Ordinances to be in the New Jerusalem p. 152 to 157 An Objection answered where is shewed what is meant by the going up to Jerusalem Zach. 14. to keep the Feast of Tabernacles
Papals which is expressed by making merry sending gifts one to another Rev. 11.10 And what was that but the death of the Witnesses as the Text tells us Upon this Victory over the Witnesses that had been but a little before struggling with her and like to have ruined her the Whore is now so imperiously proud that as Nebuchadâ—ezzar of old a little before his fall speaks out Is not this great Babel that I have built so she also in her pride cries out I sit as a Queen am no widow and shall see no sorrow as to say I was lately afraid I should have been spoyled of my glory been made a widow and seen forrow but now it is otherwise my enemies are under my feet I am Mistress and Ruler therefore I sit as a Queen c. And that the killing of the Witnesses should be here noted is yet more clear if we consider how that as those words are spoken in the present tense and therefore cannot relate to former past boastings so do they admirably agree in point of time to the killing of the Witnesses for that as I have said is to be in the very last three days and a half of the Beasts Tyranny and the Witnesses wearing Sackcloth which time is no sooner expired but as one of the first things Rome is ruined accordingly this boast is immediately before Romes ruine And therefore observe the words themselves and you shall find that even whilst the Whore is in this jolly fit instantly and unexpectedly comes her ruine upon her and the downfal of Rome her chief City Rev. 18.8 Therefore shal her plagues come upon her in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Vers 10. For in one hour is thy judgement come So Vers 17.19 One day one hour that is from the time of her glorying whilst she is thus glorying over the dead Winesses up start the Witnesses down falls Rome 3 CONCLVSION That the killing of the Witnesses shall be in the latter end of the third Vial. Two things proved make this Conclusion firm 1 That some Vials shall be poured out before the slaughter of the Witnesses 2 That the Vials poured out shall be only the three first The first of these is sufficiently proved by Mr. Woodcock in his Treatise of the two Witnesses p. 20 21 22 23. I shal not here repeat his Arguments but refer the Roader to the Author himself with adding this farther word that John being by one of the seven Angels which had the 7 Vials carried away into the Wilderness there to have the interpretation of the Vials is to me a manifest Argument that some of the Vials are poured out whilst yet the Woman remains in the wilderness why else should the Angel of one of the Vials carry John into the wilderness there to learn the meaning of this mystery if the true Spouse of Christ to whom he reveals these secrets were not and that even in the time of some of the Vials abiding there Yea let me adde which will something more help us that I conceive this Angel to be no other but the Angel of the third Vial my reason is because the interpretation of the Vials which is the thing revealed to John Chap. 17. Chap. 18. c. begins with the third Vial for the first thing after the description of the Whore her self which is to be judged that relates to her judgement is the Lambs overcoming some of the Horns vers 14. which act is to be referred to the third Vial as I shall shew presently And indeed the reason why in the explication of the Vials the two first are left out and the Angel begins with the third is because as I have observed upon the Viols p. 260 261 262. Christ in the two first Vials is but regaining his own not yet invading his Enemies Dominions till the third Now because all that John in the explication hath shewed him is only the judgement of the Beast and Whore which as I have said are first described then their judgement peece by peece declared therefore the two first Vials are omitted as being another thing rather I say Christs getting his own then as yet judging his Enemy and he begins with the third where the judgemens of the Where the work of breaking the Great Image casting down the Thrones of the Fourth Beast begins This being so as it teacheth us that the discovering-time of the Great Whore in her true Colours and the judgements oâ— God to be executed on her and the glorious Kingdom of Christ to follow thereupon is to be looked for under the third Vial the Angel of that Vial shewing John these things So also it teacheth us that under the third Vial the Church is to be in the wilderness therefore John is carried thither to learn these things But beyond this Vial she is not to be there as also I shall shew by and by The term therefore of the Womans being in the wilderness expiring under the third Vial it hence follows That the death of the witnesses which is the concluding time of that long term should likewise fall under the third Vial. And indeed because the blackest day one of them that ever the Church of Christ met with is to befal her under the third Vial in the latter part of it therefore as I conceive are the glorious discoveries of the judgement of the Great Whore and the Beast her Enemy and of the Kingdom of Christ following thereupon made known to the Saints under the third Vial to bear up their spirits in this day it being the way of God with his people whâ—n he brings any fore sufferings on them to forelay them with somewhat which may make them able to bear it This I adde in the general only I come now more particularly to prove the thing viz. That the killing of the Witnesses is to be under the third Vial at the latter end thereof My Reasons are these 1 Because the Angel of the fourth Vial hath this work committed to him by special dispensation over and besides the pouring forth of his Vial though he performs it together with that viz. To give call to and assist the Witnesses rising See my Discourse upon the fourth Vial. By consequence therefore the Witnesses must lye dead in the latter end of the third because the Angel of the fourth Vial no sooner begins to pour out his Vial but immediatel they are rising 2 Because the particular acts of the Witnesses immediately preceding their killing which killing therefore is recorded in the next verse after these acts Rev. 11.6 7. seem to me to have a peculiar look unto the three first Vials agreeing with them most exactly according to that interpretation I gave of them whilst yet I had no such thing in mine eye both in their subjects and effects also As let us compare each with other 1 The subject of
made so darkly that Daniel hears but understands not n therfore although in words far different yet as by the following answer appears aiming still at the same thing he puts the Question again What shall be the end of these things Answer then is made v. 11 12. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be tak n away and the abomination that maketh desolate be set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety daies Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred five and thirty days The meaning whereof seems to be this that the beginning of the delivery of Daniels people viz. the Jews should fall out a thousand three hundred and ninety days i.e. so many years a day for a year being the Scripture account as Numb 14.34 Ezek. 4.4 5 6. after the taking away of the daily sacrifice and the setting up the abomination that maketh desolate and forty five years after that for so many days hath the second number more than the first that the great trouble which the Scripture not onely here but elsewhere plentifully reveals as Ezek 37.38 39. Joel 3.1 2. Zach. 12. 14.1 2. will attend that people in their beginning to seek the Lord and David their King shall they be delivered from by the standing of Michael their Prince as vers 1. Which because till that day their deliverance though began before shall not be compleated therefore is the blessing annexed not to the first but to the latter time Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days The great knot here is for the untying of which more light would be welcome When the taking away of the daily sacrifice and the setting up the abomination that maketh desolate which is to be the head of our account had its accomplishment and here the variety of mens judgements hath brought forth various conjectures which not in this place to scan I shall pitch on that which seems to carry greatest probability of truth with it which is the opinion of those that bring it down to Julians time fixing upon as the mark they begin their account at that particular act of his of endeavoring by setting the Jews thereabouts the re-edifying the Temple at Jerusalem and so thereby in malice and opposition to Christ and Christian-Worship to restore Judaism and Jewish Worship at which time a fearful Earth-quake in the night did overturn all they had built in the day yea threw the very foundation stones of the Temple out of their places which before had never been removed Now the reasons why a fixation here is rather to be chosen than any where else are 1 Because if we make any other act since Christ before this the Head of our account the time is already expired and yet the Jews not delivered 2 Because No act whatsoever could more patly agree to the words themselves than this of Julians which was an abomination of the highest to endeaver the setting up of the Jewish worship when God had thrown it down and that out of a design to throw down Christian worship which God had set up and such an abomination as brought a desolation and an utter removal of the daily sacrifice the Temple-ground the only place of sacrifice being at this time lost For although the daily sacrifice did cease before from Titus time by whom the Temple was ruined as it also did all the time that Israel was in Babylon whilst the first Temple lay waste yet properly could it not either then or now nor no more now than then be said to be taken away because the Temple-ground to which as the onely holy place the Jewish worship was tyed whereon a new Temple might be built was still remaining But at this time not onely the foundation stones being thrown up but the very Temple-ground being lost in the Earthquake it is not improper to say the daily sacrifice was taken away 3 This likewise seems best to agree to the words of Christ himself concerning the destruction of the Temple Mat. 24.2 There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down For although the Temple was demolished by Titus yet the foundation stones did still lie one upon the other but now this act of Julians brought such a desolation that as the building was ruined formerly so the very foundation now had not a stone left upon a stone which punctually agrees to Christs own words And it is observable that Christ himself makes this setting up of the abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel the immediate fore runner hereof ver 3. compared with 15. which according to what hath been said was both immediate fore-runner and cause also Now for the precise time of this Hellish exploit there are among Historians four how many more I know not different accounts of the particular year in which the same was acted though all I have hitherto seen or heard of conclude it to be within the year of our Lord 360. or 367. yet whether or no through some mistake of Chronology the difference may not be somewhat wider I cannot determine though judge it very unlikely that it can or should be much Accounting therefore that we may draw to a head from the year 366. and the rather because the very year Daniels first number of days will from thence fall in with is already made famous by general expectations of some remarkable thing to be done therein and the beginning of the Jews delivery is likely to be either in the year it self or thereabouts of our Lord 1656. for adding 366. the supposed year of Christ wherein Julian did this to Daniels 1290. and there is made up the full sum neither over nor under of 1656. which if when that time shall come we see accomplished we need not then make it a question whether forty five years after their deliverance shall be compleated or not Daniel having foretold that in his last number of 1335. which he that shall take but ten from the 300 and add the same to the 35. will find that made up 45. and the foregoing number of 1290. to remain And because this reckoning is but of latter times it is not therefore to be rejected but rather to be received because Daniel himself tells us that the truth of this Prophesie was to be sealed up till the time of the end as vers 4.9 which is also a manifest argument that this cannot relate unless in a typical way to the times and story of Antiochus Epiphanes as some godly and learned men would carry it If any by calling in doubt the thing it self viz. Whether ever such a thing as the Jews conversion shall be question the whole My answer to such is That could I with that clearness demonstrate the time of it as through the Lords assistance it is easie to do the thing it self were this the place for the doing thereof I should have suspected my self to have injured
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
them and also to the Great Turk to encourage and heart him on to engage with them in a quarrel that is his as well as theirs together with all others of whom they have either hope that they will or may be drawn to joyn with them that by one general Randezvouze of all their force together they may venture the whole sink or swim upon the event of one battel Which battel is here called for the remarkableness of it both in regard of the multitude of enemies and the glorious appearance of Christ with his Saints who will fight this battel for them in such a way as never before the battel of that great day of God Almighty which is I conceive the same battel with what is spoken Psal 110. Isa 63.1 to 7 chap. 6.15 to the end Ezek. 38.39 Dan. 12.1 Joel 3. Zech. 14.1 2 3 4 5. Mal. 4.1 2 3. Of which terrible yet glorious day to mention all that in the foregoing Texts and elsewhere is recorded of it would call for a Treatise of it self and therefore I think it meet rather to leave the same to the sober and pious meditations of the Reader than here to add any thing further upon so large a Subject Concerning the Agents and Ambassadors of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet who are said to be three though possibly they may be multitudes because a threefold number denotes perfection and said to come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet not as if one came out of the mouth of the one another out of the mouth of the other and another out of the mouth of the third but because their sending is by the common consent of the aforesaid three parties who or what they shall be I look upon it as a part of curiosity to enquire any further into then what is here by the Holy Ghost determined of them 1 That they shall be Spirits viz. for their subtilty nimbleness and activity 2 Unclean Spirits for the filthiness and impurity of their principles and conversation 3 Like Frogs for their bold impudency and continual croaking in the ears of those they are sent to giving them no rest till they have drawn them forth to battel withall creeping into every hole and corner of the world to carry on their design 4 Spirits of Devils for their dissembling lying and cunning craft in deceiving above all that ever were imployed before them 5 Working Miracles and that as it were in way of imitation of the great and wonderful things God either hath done or is then doing for his people by this not onely to gain credit to their Ambassage making the Kings of the Earth the more ready to receive it but also to blind the eyes of those they are sent unto and harden their hearts against the apparent works of God at this day when they shall see things somewhat like to what God is doing in the world done by these as the Magicians of Egypt did blind Pharoah's eyes harden his heart by doing like things before him by Diabolical art as Moses did by the finger of God And here I cannot but in the way take notice of that which is the spiritual Engine of the old Serpent and one of his most politick Stratagems and Devises to blind others to the truths and dispensations of God in the world making them very odious and to be loathed of many which is when he perceiveth that God hath any great Truth to make known or any great Design to drive on in the World which he cannot hinder he will now become an Angel of light and be of the foremost by setting his own instruments about it either in discovering this truth or putting forward this design that so from a just cause of suspition being laid a prejudice being begotten in peoples hearts against these things the things though discovered ever so clearly might find no acceptation but rather a general dislike from those that should receive them as at the time of Christs coming he raised up false Christs as a blind that the true might not be received At the first preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles he vaised up false Apostles that the true might not be beleeved which is a thing hath been worthily observed by a godly man of late and I here mention it onely by way of remembrance that none of us may be taken in this crafty and hidden snare Thus much of the first thing preparative to the pouring forth of the seventh VIAL 2 The Personal coming and appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ Verse 15. BEhold I come as a Theef That Christ shall personally appear before the last and General Judgement is a thing that seems to me to have much footing both throughout the Old and New-Testament without granting of which I my self cannot as yet possibly others may reconcile one Scripture with another And truly to take notice of this Opinion here I am necessarily put upon it unless I should either wholly pass over these words or be false to my own perswasions and that which as yet I cannot think otherwise is the main thing intended by the Holy Ghost in them Though yet as the Argument it self in this place doth more concern the time of his coming viz. that his coming shall be betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials than the coming it selfe So that I may keep to the Argument I must here let go several Reasons I might make use of to prove this personal coming and confine my self to such onely as will clear up this viz. That the time of his personal coming is here spoken of to be between the sixt and seventh Vials Now that Christs Personal coming and not a coming by his Power and Spirit onely is the thing here intended which will fall out in this Interval or space of time betwixt these two Vials though yet at the end of it so as that it may indifferently be referred either to the conclusion of this time or the beginning of the seventh Vial is clear to me for these Reasons 1 ARGUMENT Christ shall personally appear at the time in which the remarkable battel of Armageddon shall be fought But that shall be about this time That the battel of Armageddon shall be about this time is clear in the words That Christ shall then appear I prove Isa 66.16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many That this is the same with the battel of Armageddon hinted in the Text and more fully described Rev. 19. vers 17. to the end of the Chapter appears 1 Because the battel of Armageddon shall bee about the time of the Jews coming in This our Discourse at large under the sixth Vial proves So shall this For vers 7.8 we have their conversion spoken of Before shee travelled shee brought forth before her pain came shee was
I will gather her that is driven out and her that I have afflicted And I will make her that halted a remnant and her that was cast off a strong Nation and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Sion from henceforth even for ever Chap. 5.4 And he i.e. Christ as vers 2. shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord his God and they shall abide for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth vers 5. And this man shall be the peace it is proper to Christ alone to be called the Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land and shall tread in his Palaces Nahum Chap. 1.15 Behold upon the Mountain the feet of him that bringeth good tydings that publisheth peace O Judah keep thy solemn Feast perform thy vows for the wicked shall no more pass through thee he is utterly cut off explained Zech. 14.4 His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives vers 21. And in that day there shall be no more Canaanite i.e. the house of the Lord of Hosts Habakkuk Chap. 2.14 For the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea To what time this relates see by comparing with Isa 11.9 where wee have the same words Zephaniah Chap. 3.8 to the end Haggai Chap. 2.6 7 21 22 23. before opened Zechariah Chap. 6.12.13 Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying Behold the Man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord Even he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne and he shall be a Priest upon his Throne This Prophecie relates to Christ who is the Branch who is to bear the glory and not any creature yea who and no other is King and Priest both upon his Throne Chap. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the foal of an Asse And I will cut off the Chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem and the battel bow shall be cut off and he shall speak peace unto the heathen and his Dominion shall bee from Sea even to Sea and from the River to the ends of the earth Which latter words are an evidence the Prophecie is yet to be fulfilled and this coming of Christ as a King is the same which as under a type was represented by Christs riding into Jerusalem Mat. 21.4 5. and that was in a Personal way There is but one Prophet more and that is Malachy who also speaks of this Chap. 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 2 3. Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stuble and the day that cometh shall burn them up that it shall leave them neither root nor branch But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise Thus I have lead you through all the Prophets naming but a few Texts out of each more especially the Psalms Isaiah and Zechary which every where are full of this instead of many that might be shewing you what a harmony there is amongst them all as to the time of Christs Kingdome which if any one can shew so full a harmony as to that of the General Judgement I shall for time to come lay by this Scripture as not of weight to prove the thing in hand but till this is done I shall hold my own conclusion viz. That the time of the Restitution of all things when Christ is Personally to appear being that which all the Prophets have spoken of is not the General Judgement which few or none have spoken of but the time of restoring the Kingdome of Israel that being the thing that all the Prophets are full of having treated of no one Subject more nay not half so much And indeed the 20. verse suits this Interpretation well And he shall send Jesus which before was preached unto you the latter words unto you having reference as well to sending as preaching and the meaning is That Christ shall at this time as verily be sent of the Father to the Jews as then he was preached to them by Peter and therefore Tremelius in his Translation out of the Syriack reads the Vobis to you twice after either Verb. The Argument then lyes thus If that Christ shall personally appear at the time of the Kingdoms restoring to Israel as hath been at large proved and if this shal be in the Interval of time betwixt the sixth and seventh Vials as also hath been formerly proved then doth it follow that Christs personal appearance or coming shall be betwixt the sixth and seventh Vials and so is the very coming here spoken of Behold I come as a Thief Two Arguments more to prove our Position are in the words themselves which are 3 ARGUMENT The phrase of coming as a Thief is most frequently used in Scripture to express Christs personal coming which therefore is the coming here intended 1 Thess 5.2 For your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noyse So Mat. 24.42 43 44. Luk. 12 39 40. 4 ARGUMENT The duty here spoken of to which a special blessing is annexed is that very duty which beleevers are with much earnestness exhorted unto whensoever Christs personal coming is spoken of Mat. 24.42 Watch therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come Chap. 25.13 So Mark 13.32 33 34 35 36 37. 1 Thess 5.2 compared with 6. all which places speak of no other coming but his Personal Yea the blessing annexed to this duty of watchfulness we do not read of but thrice more in all the Scripture and that is ever in such places where mention is made of his personal coming Luke 12.37 38. we have the blessing twice pronounced Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching And if he come in the second watch or in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants Mat. 14.46 Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when hee cometh shall finde so doing what doing why watching and being ready against his coming as vers 42.44 These two last Arguments taken from the words I must confess do not of themselves conclude the thing because the same expression of coming as a Thief with the duty of watching annexed thereto I find once used in a spiritual
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
particular States and Kingdomes with their Heads and Rulers The fourth upon the German Empire or House of Austria The fifth upon the City Rome The sixth upon the Turk or Ottoman Family But this seventh and last is general reaching all things whatsoever that stand in the way of Christs Kingdome And this the change of speech used in this Vial different from all the other noteth also as it seems to me for whereas the other Vials are poured out upon such and such things the first upon the Earth the second upon the Sea the third upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters c. This seventh and last is said to be poured out into the Air noting hereby the spreading and dilating of it self as far as the Air spreads in such manner as that thereby all and every part is filled with the effects of it Now a Vial might be poured out upon the Air yet not dâ—late it self into every part to fill the whole with it as the first Vial poured out upon the earth did not so dilate it self as to destroy those earthly dregs of Popery in every part of the Papal Kingdome neither did the second upon the Sea destroy the Antichristian Hierarchy but in some Kingdoms only the third upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters not the ten Horns in general but some of them only did as to the overturning of their present Government and Constitution feel it yet each of these Vials are truly said to be poured out upon these subjects because they had effects to destroy some part that which they fell upon though they did not dilate themselves into every part but now this seventh is poured out INTO THE AIR noting a dilating and diffusing of it self as far as the Air goes which I have said before is general filling all things and places accordingly this Vial reacheth 1 The whole Kingdome of the Dragon or Devil who is called the Prince of the power of the Air Eph. 2.2 who upon the pouring out of this Vial with all his Host shall be bound and shut up in the bottomless pit for a thousand years as Rev. 20.1 2 3. And here indeed it had been more orderly to have placed our fore-going Discourse of the thousand years but because truth is to be preferred before order which when it tends to the obscuring of the truth is but curiosity and to be shunned I have therefore because in my judgement it stands more for the advantage of truth where it is than it would do here chosen to be a trespasser in points of nicety 2 The whole Kingdome of Antichrist or the Papacy 3 The remaining Powers of the Great Turk which were not destroyed by the sixth Vial. 4 The Kingdomes of this world i.e. such as neither have dependance upon the Papacy nor the Great Turk all shall come under this Vial and be utterly ruined and broken in peeces by it 3 The Adjunct A great Voyce And there came a great voyce out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne saying It is done This Voyce is Christs Rev. 21.5 6. Hee that is Christ that sate upon the Throne said unto mee It is done The meaning of the words It is done I have formerly shewed to be only this NOW is the New Jerusalem established now is my Kingdome set up the work now is done and compleated for this work had its beginning before under the former Vials and that from the first day that the little stone began to smite the great Image and therefore Daniel Chap. 2.44 speaking of this Kingdome of Christ saith In the dayes of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom i.e. Christs Kingdome shall have its beginning as the same is a stone in the dayes of the Fourth Monarchy before yet the same is destroyed and it shall grow up by little and little smiting the great Image and still as it smites be increasing in strength and greatness but yet the same is not a Mountain filling the whole Earth till it hath broken in peeces the Great Image in such sort as that the place thereof is no more found vers 34 35. i.e. this Kingdome of Christ shall not be compleatly set up it shall not be the Fifth Monarchy though yet it shall be in a rising way until the seventh Vial be poured out which breaks in peeces and wholly removes the Fourth Monarchy and all worldly powers And this is clear Dan. 7.12 who there tells us that the rest of the Beasts had not their Dominion taken away i.e. the Kingdoms of this world are not compleatly the Lords and his Christs as Rev. 11.15 until such time as the Thrones of the Fourth Beast i.e. the Roman Monarchy as under Antichrist are cast down vers 9. the Beast himself slain his body destroyed and given to the burning flame vers 11. Then shall it be said as here with a great voyce It is done Then shall be verified what is said Rev. 10.7 The mystery of God is finished as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets that is now all things spoken of by the Prophets as touching my Kingdome and the setting of it up are finished for it is done the New Jerusalem is established And truly here let me adde that although some godly men whose thoughts I have an esteem of look every day for the setting up of this Fifth Monarchy and that by having the Powers of the world laid down and let fall out of the present hands they are in who hold them as they judge by right of the Fourth Monarchy and left free for Saints to come take up and execute yet must I needs say being convinced of the contrary in this I am not of their mind conceiving their mistake to lye in this viz. a not considering which too comes from a non-acknowledgement of Christs Personal coming before it by whom how and when this Fifth Monarchy is to be set up And for my own part as I greatly rejoyce to see so much power in Saints hands already and beleeve more will be every day as the Stone by rolling grows greater so do I also wait for that which some presently expect till that day wherein our Lord shall appear who himself will do this work viz. Destroy the Beast cast him into the burning flame and then give the Kingdome and Dominion and greatness of the Kingdome under the whole heaven unto the people of the Saints of the most High When that which but now is rising and shall rise every day growing still greater and greater as an augmenting stone shall become a huge and great Mountain filling the whole Earth And of this Kingdome as to the first rise of it which is little in an unlikely way in the midst of many difficulties I take it Davids Kingdome was a Type But as to the glory of it when the same shall be a Mountain filling the earth the Kingdome of Solomon was rather a Type for which reason Psal 62. which is a
p. 157 The reason given why a particular description of New Jerusalems glory is forborn p. 158 Three Rules laid down to judge of such Prophecies as concern the New Jerusalem p. 160 to 166. Here is shewed under our first Rule That Ezekiel in his eight last Chapters treats of the same thing that John doth in his two last and that Ezekiels Temple is no other but that Throne of God and of the Lamb spoken of by John 4 The Effects 1 Effect Terror p. 166 2 Effect Ruin wherein we have 1 A particular List of the things ruined which are 1 The Great City which cannot be meant of the City Rome but of the whole power of the Beast p. 170 2 The Cities of the Nations shewed what meant by them p. 171 3 Great Babylon ib. 1 Not the City Rome ib. 2 Not Antichrists Kingdom in general ib. But The Turkish power or Constantinople his Royal Seat p. 172 A reason given for this Interpretation ibid. A reason also given why at this time the Furkish Seat should be called Great Babylon together with some Scriptures that carry in them a probability of the thing esserted p. 173 In order to the discussing the things spoken of in opening this second Effect it is premised and proved That the Turk shall be one principal Enemy in the battel of Armageddon p. 167 to 169. Here Gog and Magog is treated of and the gathering together of Gog and Magog mentioned Rev. 20. shewed to be not that gathering together of Gog and Magog spoken of by Ezekiel but another Here also is shewed that many of those places in the Prophets where mention is made of the Assyrians rage have reference to the Great Turk and are to be understood of him 2 The inevitableness of this ruin p. 173 What meant by Mountains and Islands and by their flying away 3 The greatness of this ruin p. 174 Why hailstones said to weigh a talent ib. 3 Effect Blaspheming God p. 175 The Conclusion of the whole The Reason added of the Order observed in pouring forth the VIALS p. 176 The end of the second Table THE CONTENTS OF The Third Part. CHAP. I. WHerein is set forth the state or condition of the two Witnesses within their Prophecying time and the time of their being killed from Rev. 11. Divided into ten Sections SECT 1. That the two Witnesses are the Magistracy and the Ministry Where is shewed why Zachery sees two Olive-trees and but one Candlestick John two Olive-trees and two Candlesticks Page 1 2 SECT 2. Why they are called Witnesses p. 3 A distinction made betwixt that general witness bearing common to Saints in all ages and that special witness-bearing peculiar to these two Witnesses and this time of 1260 years Here is also shewed that the peculiar work of these two Witnesses is to bear witness against the Beast in clearing whereof the 42 months of the Beast and the 1260 days of the Witnesses are proved to be one and the same p. 3 4 5 6 SECT 3. Why these Witnesses are said to be two why clothed in sâ—ckcloth what is meant by their destroying their enemies by fire shutting Heaven that it rain not turning waters into blood smitting the earth with plagues p. 6 7 SECT 4. That the three daies and a half of the Witnesses lying â—ead are to be understood not of 1260 years but of three years and a half onely and these to be the last three years and a half of the 1260 p. 8 9 10 11 SECT 5. The time of the Witnesses slaughter discussed in the general onely Three Conclusions concerning it laid down 1 Concl. That the killing of the Witnesses shall be within that very three years and a half which shall precede the Jews first stirring proved p. 12 2 Concl That the killing of the Witnesses shall be but a little before the downfal of Rome proved p. 13 3 Concl That the killing of the Witnesses shall be at the latter end of the third Vial. In order to the proving whereof is shewed That some Vials are poured forth before the slaughter of the Witnesses p. 15 16 Here is shewed that the Angel Chap. 17 1. that shews John the judgement of the great Whore was the Angel of the third Vial Also why the Holy Ghost in the explication of the Vials begins with the thirds leaving out the two first A ground to expect great discoveries under the third Vial and a reason given why God makes such discoveries under that Vial. The thing it self that the killing of the Witnesses is to be under the third Vial at the latter and thereof proved by three Arguments p. 16 to 20. Here is opened the war between the Lamb and the Kings of the earth Rev. 17.14 which is proved to be a Civil War or a war by a civil sword and for the time of it to fall within the Vials and in particular under the third Vial at the beginning of it immediately before the slaughter of the Witnesses Object All the Vials come under the seventh Trumpet answered p. 20 21. where is shewed that the seventh Trumpet is contemporary with the seventh Vial onely A Conclusion from the whole That the day of the Witnesses killing is in all likelihood already begun and not much more than begun ib. SECT 6. The Beast killing the Witnesses is the Antichristian Magistracy and Ministry p. 32. Why the Antichristian Magistracy and Ministery are spoken of as but one Beast when the Witnesses viz. Christs Magistracy and Ministry are ever spoken of as two p. 23 SECT 7. The nature of the witnesses death proved 1 Not to be a corporal death ib. But a death partly civil partly spiritual p. 24 25 Here is shewed wherein the blackness of this day will lye SECT 8. The place in which the witnesses lye dead 1 Not the whole Papal Kingdom but onely one of the ten Horns p. 25 2 Particularly to be Germany p. 26 27 28 Yet Christs Witnesses in other places must expect a cloud in some measure upon them and Gods work within this day ibid. SECT 9. How things shall be agitated in the world in the time the Witnesses lye dead 1 They of the People Kindreds Nations and Tongues shall see their dead bodies and not suffer them to be put into graves Here is shewed 1 What this putting their dead bodies into graves notes p. 29 2 Who are meant by those of the People and Kindreds and Nations and Tongues ib. 2 The dwellers on earth shall rejoyce make merry Here is shewed also who these are p. 31 3 There shall be in all likelihood within this time a general peace betwixt those Nations which are the horns of the Beast yet so as that this peace shall not be wholly effected till towards the end of this time p. 34 SECT 10. The Witnesses rise after three dayes and a half The thing setting them upon their feet is a spirit of boldness courage and noble resolution put into them by God Quest VVhether
all the Powers subjected to the Beast the Power of the German Empire is called the Dragon vers 7.13 5 Hence it follows That those attempts made against the Woman or any of her seed by that power which the Dragon properly governs and rules and which in the phrase of the Holy Ghost used in this Chapter takes denomination from him are to be called the attempt or war of the visible Dragon against the Woman but those attempts which through the subtilty of the old Serpent secretly creeping into and acting other powers than those which he properly and commonly rules and governs and which do not take denomination from him are made against the Woman or any of her seed it is more proper to call them the War of the invisible Dragon This ground gained from the manifest truth of the Text I come now to give in my answer which is That I conceive That as the Dragon throughout his Chapter goes under a two-fold Notion or connderaâ—â—on 1 The invisible Dragon Satan which is the Dragon governing 2 The visible Dragon in ancient times the Roman Empire in latter times the German which is the Dragon governed so shall there be a double War raised against this remnant of the Womans seed First The invisible Dragon who acts the visible and therefore is before him shall in the first place attempt a War upon this remnant Quest But how shall he do it Answ Look how the invisible Dragon acts in killing of the Witnesses so shall he act in this The invisible Dragon kills the Witnesses by acting the power of the visible Dragon or the German Empire to do it accordingly the invisible Dragon shall attempt a War upon this remnant of the Womans seed by acting in an invisible way those powers under whom this remnant of the Womans seed shall be Now that such a War within this time shall be made upon this remnant by the invisible Dragon is clear because as I have formerly said it is a thing both rational and of great use That the whole mystical body should come under some measure of sufferings in that time wherein the Witnesses lye dead Now because this remnant shall not come into the mouth of the visible Dragon for therefore as I conceive are they called a remnant because kept and reserved by God from the mouth of the visible Dragon at the time their Fellow-Brethren are in it it is therefore necessary to the end there might bee in this remnant a sympathie with their Brethren in their afflictions that they should within this time have some attempt made upon them by the invisible Dragon Secondly The visible Dragon shall also towards the end of this time make an attempt upon this remnant which is clear because that Dragen that kills the Witnesses doth afterwards make an attempt upon this remnant but the Dragon killing the Witnesses was not the invisible only but the visible also therefore the visible Dragon as well as the invisible shall attempt a War upon this remnant Quest But how shall he do it Answ By drawing together the whole or a principal part of the Papal power whereof the visible Dragon or German Empire shall bee chief to ingage in an open War against this remnant if it may bee to cut them off but what the issue of this attempt shall be we shall see presently in opening the fourteenth Chapter which as I have said follows as the next thing in order after this I onely say here That this remnant of the Womans Seed shall not suffer greatly either by the attempt of the invisible Dragon or the visible for observe it is not said He made War but went to make War 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. endeavoured the thing but ere the invisible Dragon or the visible can do this remnant much hurt Christ steps in and prevents Thus much concerning the twelfth Chapter CHAP. III. Wherein is shewed the state of the Witnesses about and in the time of their rise from Rev. 14. opened SECT I. THE stream of Expositors as they make application of the things Prophesied of in the 12 Chapter to the first period or the time before the Beast arose so also do they of this Prophecy that concerns the 144000 to the second period or the 42 months of the Beast judging these 144000 to be those Saints that should in several places within this time bear witness against the Beast and accordingly they look upon the fulfilling of this Prophecy to be a thing past For my own part as I saw my self constrained not out of any desire of singularity but for truths sake to baulk the common road and seek a new way upon the 12 Chapter So have I the same constraint lying upon me here to dissent from the common opinion and seek another My Reasons are 1 Reason because this 144000 have their station upon Mount Sion which noteth a fixed state Psal 125.1 Those which trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever But the abode of the Church all the 1260 dayes is in the Wilderness noting a moveable uncertain condition which at that 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 the Church and people of God in time of old to whose state doubtless we have here an Allusion could not be said to be footed upon Mount Sion whilst they were wandring in the Wilderness no more is it proper to say that these 144000 in the Churches Wilderness-state should yet stand upon Mount Sion yea it seems to me that this Character is given the 144000 and that in opposition to the Womans former state which was and for a long time together had been in the Wilderness In a word it notes thus much to me that this 144000 are a People whose condition after once they are gotten upon their legs shall be fixed and stable and not subject to such motions and mutations as was the Womans former state in the time of her Wilderness-condition 2 Reason because all the time of the 42 months the waters were subjected to the Whore who sits upon them Rev. 17.1 Come hither I will shew thee the judgement of the great Whore that sitteth upon many waters but at this time there is a voyce of many waters crying against her vers 2. And I heard a voyce from Heaven as the voyce of many waters 3 Because the condition of the Church all the 42 months the 1260 dayes is a sad mournful condition they wear Sackcloth they are under the power of Babylon and therefore hang up their harps as did Israel of old whilst in Babylon Psal 137.1 2. But the condition of the Church at this time is wonderously joyful they play with their Harps Sing a new Song vers 2 3. 4 Because all the time of the 42 months Christ hath no Throne visible in the world but the Beast hath the Throne But at this day Christ hath a Throne vers 3. They sung as it were a new Song before the Throne vers 5. They are
without fault before the Throne of God 5 Because the Characterising this 144000 by this these follow the Lamb whither soever he goes is to me a cleer intimation that the Lamb was now upon his march to his Kingdom in the time of their standing up yea had gone a good step so far as many of his first followers had left him and these only clave to him which is not appliable to the state of the Church in the Wilderness and that many hundreds of yeers ago 6 Because that preaching of the Gospel which immediately succeeds their standing up cannot without a manifest forcing of the Text be applied to the time of Waldus Wickliffe or any time already past as will plainly appear when I come to open those words 7 Because their standing up is not until the very hour of Gods judgement upon Babylon is come vers 7. Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come What hour is this Ans The hour of Babylons downfal whose judgement comes upon her in an hour Rev. 18.10 For in one hour is thy judgement come and therefore to shew this to be the meaning we have a Herauld in the next verse proclaiming the news of it vers 8. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen For these Reasons and some others I could urge I cannot look upon this Prophecie as contemporising with the 42 months of the Beast the 1260 dayes of the Witnesses and Woman but rather as a Prophecie there to take beginning where the 12 Chapter leaves us which is about the end of the time times and a half with the attempt of the Dragon against the remnant of the Womans Seed And so in an orderly manner things succeed thus The Dragon having killed the Witnesses endeavours to rid the world of that remnant of the Womans seed that stand up for Christ in some other place Now the Lord Jesus seeing this that the Dragons rage is such that he cannot content himself with that unparaâ—eld injury offered to him namely to kill his Witnesses hereby indeavouring to leave him without witness in the world but because there is yet a little remnant in a corner of the world that stand up for him to bear forth his name and glory in the world therefore the malicious raging Dragon must design upon them and labour to root them out Christ hereupon is so mightily provoked and full of wrath and fury and so jealous for his name and his bowels do so work for his remnant that he cannot now any longer forbear to behold the cruel rage and insolency of the enemy but instantly appears by a more glorious manifestation of himself than ever before upon Mount Sion i. e. in the midst of his people now come thither calling together his remnant about him by his presence incouraging them not to fear this great and dismal attempt and assuring them that the Dragon ere he shall have his will upon them shall beat him out of the field And here will be the first glorious Rendezvouz in Canaan all done before this day is to be reckoned but the War on the other side Jordan that War was with a part the Lamb with his followers encountring such only as stood in his way and hindred his march towards the borders of the Promised Land but this will be with the whole body of the Canaanites under conduct of the Dragon who shall fall before the Lamb and his 144000. So that I say we are to begin the Prophecie of the 14 Chapter with the Dragons attempt against the remnant of the Womans seed in the very concluding time of the 1260 dayes Should I say That we we are to begin this Prophecy of the 14 Chapter from about the end of the Beasts 42 months Chap. 13. and that John after he had seen the Beast acting his part upon the Stage and now going off beheld presently the Lamb coming up with his 14400 it amounts to the same with the other so that whether we begin from the end of the 12 Chapter or of the 13. the beginning is stated aright either falling to be in the very concluding time of the 42 months the 1260 dayes But I rather choose to begin from the Dragons attempt 1 Because by that beginning we have as before wee have shewed in the 12 and 14 Chapters the Prophecie of the Woman compleat 2 Because that attempt seems to be the reason of the Lambs appearance 3 Because as I have also said the 13 Chapter comes in by way of digression and the Prophecie as to the point of time and order is compleat without it Object Babylons downfal is spoken of after this Rendezvouz vers 8. And the Beasts followers are afterwards threatned for worshipping the Beast his Image receiving his Marks vers 9 10 11. Therefore this Prophecie must contemporise with the time of the Beast Answ This stands upon a supposition which I deny viz. That 42 months is the utmost term of the Beasts continuance and therefore Romes downfal must bee within that time whereas I affirm but shall here wave the proof of it that the 42 months is only the time allotted the Beast to continue a Tyrant raging and tyrannizing over the holy City the Saints and the Nations and not the time of his continuance which shall be for some time after this term is run out within which time Rome shall be ruined and therefore is its destruction mentioned after this Rendezvouz of the 144000 and also the Beast still even within this time to his last shall have many cleaving and adhering to him who are the persons here warned I know not any other Objection against this our method that deserves a particular Answer Something else there is by some said for the common method but he that shall observe our following Discourse will find that either it falls of it self as I have stated the thing or if not may if he please gather up that which will be a particular Answer to the thing possibly where his scruple lyes SECT II. TWo things from our Discourse in the former Section are evident First That the Head of this Propheey is to be placed above a hundred years lower than the Head of the Vials And indeed were there nothing else to be urged yet he that shall but compare the persons and time when the Vials began to be poured forth with the persons here spoken of and this time will find that to be the more early this the latter for 1 Those that pour out the Vials have a mixture of fire with their Sea of glass vers 3. And I saw as it were a Sea of glass mingled with fire noting as Mr. Brightman observes that though they had attained some degrees of purity yet was it not such but still there was a mixture of fire hot jars contentions divisions making of parties even amongst the Reformers themselves But these here have all their Fathers name written in their