â—EWS of a NEW WOâ—… FROM The WORD and WORKS of God Compared together Evidencing that the Times of the Man of Sin are Legally determinâ—… and by the same Right the Days of the Sâ—N of MAN are already Commenced Being some Account of Eight Sermons Delivered at a Lecture in London Whereto for further Evidence are Added Two Small Tracts The One touching the Times of Gog Magog the other touching the 3 last Vials By J. S. Psal 102.13 Thau shalt rise and have mercy upon Sion for 〈…〉 to favour her yea the Set time is come LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Caâ—… near the Royall Exchange in Cornhil 1676. If this be true as here our friend divines The promis'd morning-star appears and shines Which will us guide into the Land of peace Where errour sin and death shall wholly cease Added by his Friend Panagathophilus The PREFACE Candid Reader WAving all Apology for the neglected garb of the ensuing Discourses which being not pen'd before they were delivered owe their preservation from oblivion and their seeing the light in this way only to the value that some of the hearers put upon the subject and import of them which moved them out of their own notes to prepare this copy of them Waving also a particular account of the special arguments of the several sermons which by a continued series of evidence pursue that one scope of the nearnesse of the approach of the Bridegroom beginning first with the computation and calculation of the prophetical periods both in Daniel and the Revelation and thence discending to the signes given by our saviour Mat. 24. and thence proceeding to the days of the Son of man spoken of Luk. 17. shewing the complexion thereof and that probably these days are begun offering evidence thereof from the ancient Tipes and thence taking into consideration the Vyals and shewing contrary to the sense of many the probability that six of them are poured forth whereby a great stumbling block is removed out of the way of our faith and hope of the Lords coming being so near I say waving all these and referring the Reader for satisfaction to the discourses themselves I shall discharge the pâ—rt of this preface in 5 short notes on that text Is 52.7 how beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Sion thy God reigneth where we see 1. That the sum total of those good tidings or tidings of good things that the eares of the whole creation desire to be blest withall the substance the crown of that peace that salvation that every creature without stretched-neck waits and looks for is the reign of Syons God the reign of the Lord Jesus this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land when he shall tread in our palaces Mich 5.5 The Assyrian by a metonymy is the head-enemy comprehending under him every subordinate enemy or evil that shall be found at last upon the place afflicting the Israel of God at Christs coming which must receive their Discharge by the exercise of his regal power the reign of Christ Syons God and king is that visible and glorious state of Christs kingdom in the earth with reference to a set appointed time for its commencement and continuance when he takes to himself his great power and reign Rev. 11.17 as the great and only potentate king of kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 which time is immediatly without any Interregnum to take place from the expiration of Antichrists times measured in the Revelation by 1260 prophetical days which when they began and ended and so by consequence when the days of the son of man began is calculated in the ensuing discourses these days of the Son of man not beginning with Christs personal appearance but with Daniels 45 prophetical days at the end of his first number of 1290 days ch 12. which 45 days or years as I humbly conceive are that generation spoken of by our Saviour wherein all these signes that are immediatly to precede his personal appearance are to come up in view and receive their accomplishment and in the rear of them the Lord himself will as I humbly expect and believe appear in person By this stating and bounding of Christs reign those â—…es and acts of his mistical and spiritual reign all along 〈◊〉 great and glorious soever in the overthrow of Judaism and heathenism and wasting the man of sin are shut out 〈…〉 account as amounting to no more but the keeping up 〈…〉 in the world during the militant state of the 〈◊〉 called the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ Rev. 1. but not yet making these enemyes as the chaff of the summer threshing-floor to be carryed away with the winde and no place found for them as they must be Dan. 2.35 which is the work of these days of the son of man This is my sirst note upon these words upon which I have been something long I shall be briefer in the rest My 2d is this the peace the good things the salvation of Syon and the reign of Sions God commence together this arises also clearly from the text no other no earlyer messengers bring good tidings or publish peace to Sion then those that say unto her thy God reigneth there is a two-fold appearance of Christ testifyed of in the Scriptures the first as past the second to come each of them have their proper and distinct work and efficacy assigned to them we are said to be reconciled by his death saved by his life Ro 4.10 which life is his second appearance Heb. 9. last till his second appearance we are saved only in hope Ro. 8 24. Gal. 5.5 The second appearance it self is but in hope to this day then must all the fruits and advantages of it be so too how doth this endear Christs second appearance it self to us how should it make us watch to it long and cry for it come Lord Jesus come quickly our actual and compleat salvation depending in it which till then is a mystery then and not till then will be the glorious manifestation of the sons of God then will a full and glorious account be given of every letter and title of the glorious hopes and priviledges of the state of believers in Christ of those glorious things that are spoken of the city of God as their being not in the flesh but in the spirit their not sinning nor being able to sin their being the righteousnesse of God that those that live and believe in Christ shall never dy with many more which now are mysteries but then the vision shall be made so plain that he that runs may read it this is my 2d Observation 3ly The manifest glory of the Lord Iesus breaks forth out of the mystical state of it as out of a cloud silently secretly and unawars even to the surprize of Sion her self else what
ascention there was 40. days wherein he was as I may say preparing himself for his ascention to heaven I might give you twenty Parallels of it but now I come to the application of these things to these days and as for the standing up of Michael that is the first thing I would assume that Michael is raised up Michael hath stood up for several years if others in other parts of the world do question this yet we in those parts have no reason to doubt of it it is much if we are not convinced of it of the Lord Jesus his standing up and addressing himself to promote and serve in his own and his Churches interest above all interest and all kingdoms of the world that interest of the kingdom of God that hath lain hid in the faith of the Saints and in the promises unto this time if you say what evidence can be made of this it is a question not becoming those that have seen the great works of God as we have done have we not seen Michael standing up have we not seen him rousing himself have we not seen three nations bowing in his name have we not seen an heaven and an earth passing away have we not seen a dissolution of the Church and state have we seen all this and do we question whether Christ hath set a foot his title or no you know that kings when they are proclaim'd in this land they begin in the Palace yard they are not all over proclaimed in one moment So I say the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is to be a rising and a growing kingdom of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end and why may we not say that this Island or these three nations may resemble the palace yard where Christ is first proclaimed he hath been brought to the Ancient of days by clouds of witnesses who have pleaded his interest with God you know it hath been the subject of the saints prayers these 30. years yea nothing hath relished upon the spirits of the saints that hath not related this way if Christs kingdom hath not been at one end of it it hath been no prayer no sermon if it have not had that at one end of it yea hath not the Lord Jesus exercised his kingly power hath he not made many overturnings hath he not dealt with many Adonijahs how many would have set themselves up in his room This is the account of all these quick revolutions these overturnings this is exceeding declarative of his being near whose right it is I shall therefore conclude with a word of use or application and it is this Let us lift up our heads for the day of our redemption draws nigh I have already formerly once and again told you that these 45 days from the end of the 1290. days spoken of in Dan. 12. are that generation as I conceive in which our Saviour says all things shall be fulfilled for so were the generations from David to Christ those 14 generations 43 years one with another So in those 45. days in Daniel wherein Michael shall stand up Daniel is told that all should be fulfilled in that time and I say these times began in the year 1650. and we are now in the middle of them we are very forward and I do more suspect my self for the setting my post too far off from Christs appearing then of setting it too near I say I more suspect my self for that and the Lord knows i.e. if you subdivide this last watch or space of 45 years into lesser watches in which of the watches of this last watch he may come in the second or in the third watch but we are neer to it let us look up and lift up our heads You see what evidences have been given of these days Obj. But if Christs coming be so near would the times be so evil may some say I answer was not Sodom at the worst when Christ came with the other two Angels to destroy them and so the old world Yea but you will say the people of God would be better then they are if Christs coming were so near Answ They shall be made better by his coming the summer spoken of is the very appearing of Christ you know that when the trees puts forth summer is night but it is the appearing of Christ is the summer would you have fruit before summer your fruits are growing in the winter and in the spring they are coming forwards but you have not your fruit till the summer Christ is preparing his people by the present dispensations and they shall shine but all that Christ doth now is emptying work cleansing work as when a man pulls down his old house in order to building it anew Christ is removing house and he is taking away joy from the earth the old joy trade is going the joy of the earth and the very husbandman may loose the fruits of the earth this year And if you look within O what desolations are there alas though the Lord give us our wits and our sences yet we hear of one in one place under a spirit of dispondency Gods fire is in Sion in this day and his furnace in Jerusalem and there is none of us but have our back burdens if it be but being companions of suffering ones it cannot but go to our hearts this is the sowing time yea but you will say possibly Obj. There is a promise of the spirits pouring forth and therefore these cannot be the days of the son of man I answer the spirit is not the first grace the leading grace as in those promises made to Israel in the letter of bringing them back to their own land Ezek. 36.24.32 They must be in their own land and setled there before the spirit is poured forth lest they should reflect too much upon their own qualifications least thy may be ready to say it is for our reformation that God hath visited us Therefore will the Lord at he t last as at the first take his people in their blood and in their unworthiness Obj. But you may say we see nothing of the Jews being called and Antichrist destroyed Answ Antichrist hath but a mystical destruction till Christ comes and there will be a Pope for ought I know till Christ appears but his time is legally out and determined and when a time is out what is done afterwards is an usurpation and Antichrist shall pay dearly for all at the last But as for the Jews it is a material objection we cannot look for the appearance of Christ till they come in though on this occasion let us be aware that there is a mistical Jew that needs to be turned to the Lord as well as a litteral Jew but as to the litteral Jew though we see him not come in yet we know not how soon we may for it shall be very suddenly a nation shall be born at once mark the expression
good pleasure to give you the kingdom if a kingdom may be security to you against fears of want against earthly solicitudes Behold says the Lord the kingdom is given to you and it is given by the Lord with all his heart for that is the meaning of the phrase It is the fathers good pleasure it is as if the Lord would liken himself unto an earthly father that has an estate which he would settle and when he has setled it O how is he satisfied having setled it to his hearts content so doth the Lord acquiesce in this setling of the kingdom upon this little flock he hath no regret when he reflects upon it but is perfectly well pleased with his own act this kingdom comprehends all in it it is not said a kingdom but the kingdom God hath many kingdoms as I may say or there are many considerations of this kingdom the kingdom of grace the providential kingdom c. Take the kingdom how you will in the whole extent and latitude of it the father gives the kingdom to the little flock I know that many content themselves and would have the Lords people to look after no other kingdom but that in heaven and I confess 't is a very good portion and when once we get thither we shall never desire to change that for any of another nature But I tell you that all the Saints departed are to come again with Christ and enjoy his kingdom here upon earth and therefore we must lose nothing of our fathers gift For the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to this Saints of the most high so that I say take this kingdom in the utmost latitude of it and in a kingdom you know thete is a fulness of all good whatsoever All is the Saints but I shall not stand upon that but upon the settlement which the Lord here reveals unto them and that account puts them upon a most generous dispose of whatsoever they have in this world sell that you have and give alms provide your selves bags that wax not old a treasure in the heavens that faileth not It is as much as if the Lord should say I would have you my disciples in the confidence of this kingdom of this great provision that I have made for you and I would have you as free as Princes as Emperors it was so in the primitive times and we are not right till we come into that spirit when the Lord shall call for it to put all into a common stock there is much to be said in this case whether it be now practicable as the case stands and we in such a confused slate as we are If such a thing should be people it may be would be willing to have a community with those of their own judgment and perswasion and ways this is not right unless it be with all that believe Act. 5.32 But after this he comes to the exhortation that I read to you Let your loins be girded about here we have directions to the Lords disciples how they are to dispose themselves for this kingdom and they are three The first is let your loins be girded about 2ly Let your lights be burning 3ly Be ye your selves like unto servants that wâ—yt for their Lord when he will return from the wedding First let your loins be girded about what is this you know the loins are the strength of a man the meaning of which I conceive is this be settled in the firm saith and expectation of this kingdom this is to have the loins girded about we do find this kingdom and the hopes of it to signifie so little to us because we are scarce resolved scarce throughly grounded and settled in our minds touching the truth of such an expectation therefore says he let your loins be girded about and you know that if a man have cloaths upon him and they hang loose about him this man is unapt for any action or business his long trail hangs about his heels and flutters so about him that he cannot go about any work or business with any strength and therefore the loins being girded do in the 2d place signify a mans preparing himself and addressing himself strenuously to the work and business that the Lord doth appoint unto him that is this girding of the loins which in this case is waiting for the Lord doing every thing as a wayter having their eyes upon this coming And therefore to be girt is to be well perswaded and resolved to gird the promises about you and to gird your hopes clofe unto your hearts that so you may with confidence wayt for your Lord and expect his coming The second is our profession our lights burning our profession is our lights and lamps by which we make forth our hope and shine forth in it to others Now when the loins are girt this is a good help to the burning of our lamps our profession will be vigorous and lively when our hope is firm when the loins are girt about with truth that we do reckon upon it as a truth that will not fail us as a hope that will not deceive us then I say the lamps will burn clearly then we shall not only make a profession of this hope but we shall make our hope visible in all our walkings The lamps of many Christians burn very dimly and the reason is because they waver in their hope The third thing concerns our spirits for the word here your selves imports somthing more then our profession or our faith ye your selves that is your spirits and your inward frame your hearts and your inward man your selves in all your affections your selves in all things like unto men that wait for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding I would a little paraphrase upon the words before I come to any observation when he shall return from the wedding what is the meaning of this doth the Lord return from the wedding when he comes One would think it more proper to say that he comes to the wedding then that he returns from the wedding why surely the Lord doth come to a wedding he comes at last to the wedding-supper when he comes to his people but he comes also from the wedding for the wedding is in heaven but the wedding-supper shall be here on earth Christ is marryed to his people in his own city as I may say and in his fathers house and indeed all our flockings it is to heaven by conversion we are brought thither by our father and thither do we repair for all things there the Bridegroom is If we will be marryed to him we must go thither to be marryed the wedding is in heaven now whether you will take it so or whether you will take it of the saints departed the spirits of just men made perfect who are with the Lord he comes from thence and brings these with him to his poor Church here upon
it but I have been perswaded in my own minde to cast my discourse at this time into another mould and to speak unto these two heads in this order First to make some further evidence of the times that we are in and that for this reason because it is the main argument and enforcement in the text here It is that that is to put us upon the disposing of our selves The preparing our selves It is that that hath a great influence upon this preparation that is here required and when I have spoke of that then I shall come to the preparation which is the second thing now in making evidence to you of this that this is the time when this exhortation is in season wherein it doth especially lye upon us to prepare our selves for the return of our Lord. I shall offer the evidence of this under two heads First to shew you that the time is fulfilled that was to precede the coming of our Saviour and secondly to shew you that the signes of those times have come up and presented themselves and shewed themselves before us if we had eyes to see and hearts to take notice of it First I say I shall begin with that that the time is fulfilled you shall see what my meaning is if you look into Mark 1.15 After John was put in prison our Saviour preaches saying the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand mark ye there our Saviour that had spiritual enforcements enough to have driven home his doctrine and instructions into the minds of the people yet he maks use of this argument this enforcement the time is fulfilled the meaning of our Saviour is clear to be this the times that were to precede my manifestation in the flesh they are fulfilled he says not to them Lo I am here the promised Messias though that was the thing they were to know but he bears in the acknowledgment of that to them he makes way for it by this consideration the time is fulfilled it is as much as if he should say my father did set the time when I should visit the world it my first appearance the time was set to a day to an hour that time is now fulfilled therefore under that consideration of the time being fulfilled look about you repent and believe the Gospel attend now the time is come says he is not this clear therefore that there is a time for every purpose under heaven There was a time for his first appearance and there is a time for his second appearance And when the time is come men should be up with their expectations if our Saviour that spiritual Doctor that was able to convince the spirits of men by spiritual power and evidence if he work by this medium and tell them of the time we may be allowed to take the help of this consideration now the question will be how we shall prove the assumption for the major is clear if the time be fulfilled we are to look for his second coming that is clear now how shall we make that out for this the Lord help us and be with us I desire not to go forth in any confidence of the flesh we are all yet subject to mistakes how many have been mistaken if I should tell you of an immediate revelation made to me that is not made to other Saints you might demur upon it I shall not go by that evidence that the time is fulfilled but only by the Scriptures and that is by a double computation a computation of Daniel and the Revelations compared together in Dan. 12.11 you have two numbers which were there revealed unto Daniel Upon his great solicitousness and earnest application to the Lord after the Lord had thrust him away as I may say and bid him be quiet yet Daniel humbly putting himself forward again the Lord doth so far yield unto him as to tell him the time how long it should be and from what date it should begin From the time that the daily sacrifice should be taken away there should be 1290 days this is Daniels first number and computation The computation of the Revelations you have in chap. 13. v. 5. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power given unto him to continue 42. months These 42. months being resolved into dayes as they are in Revel 11. contain 1260. dayes which is the time of the witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth and it is the time allotted unto the beast and unto the Gentiles to trample under foot the holy City Now Daniels first number of 1290. dayes is more then this it is 30. dayes more then this 1200 and therefore how shall we make these to square why I shall briefly give you my sense of it I conceive they have one and the same Period of expiration though not one and the same rise they begin not at the same time but they end together This number of Daniels 1290. concerned the Jews shewing how long they should be trodden under foot by the successors of that Monarchy under whom they were at that present time broken and humbled The number begins from the time of Julian the Apostate and he says from that time that the sacrifice should bè taken amay and the abomination that was desolate set up which was the attempt that was made to restore Judaism which after it was abrogated was a desolating abomination from that time there should be 1290. dayes Now the Apostle John shews the time of the beast of the Roman beast the Roman Monarchy under the last head of it the Papacy and he sayes there is but 1260. dayes allotted to it therefore if these two numbers do expire together we must begin the computation of the Revelations 30 years after the time of Julian But happily you may say this is by guess only I answer I have this ground for the beginning the computation of the Revelations 30. years later then the time of Julian For Julians time was 360. and I begin this computation in 390. or thereabouts I say it began after because that that was the time of the expiring of the Dragons cause you know there are 3 enemies the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet that do exercise the Church of Christ till the Dragons time was out the Beast did not ascend the stage Now though the Dragon was cast out of heaven about the time of Constantines coming to the Empire in the year 310. yet he was not totally and finally vanquished so as to give up his cause till about the year 390. or 393. there is some difference in our Chronologie but it is not considerable when Theodosius obtained that signal victory against Engenius Now after that defeat Heathenisme never displayed banner in the field more and then was that power removed out of the way which did let the appearing of Antichrist 2 Thes 2. He that letteth must first be taken out of the way now then
beginning at 390. both the computations will come up together both Daniel and John and so they did come up together I am very well satisfied in it I speak it as to my self but I impose it upon no other I say they did I humbly conceive come up in the year 1650. then was Daniels 1290. dayes expired and then was the 42 months ended Now for the 45. dayes that are afterwards they are I believe the time that Daniel speaks of here in the beginning of this chapter At that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people This may seem strange that after Antichrist his 42. months are expired we should have such a time of trouble as never was but pray mark I believe there is a great mistake in this in the objecting of this trouble or in the applying of it As if it were the time properly of the Churches trouble I grant that the Church shall have a great sence of the trouble in common among others nay I grant that the enemies of Christ and of his kingdom shall chiefly direct their aim in all the time of that trouble against the Church even if it were possible to blot out the name of Israel from under heaven But the holy Ghost doth not object this trouble directly upon the Church nor properly for this being that time when Michael stands up the trouble is only accidental to the Church for it is the time that the Lord will deliver his people the trouble is but the charges of the suit would you be delivered without suit It is as if a woman should expect to be delivered without travel you should look upon the issue of the trouble observe how it is spirited how it is intended what is the designe of the trouble the Lord is coming to judge he is coming to take down this old state of things that he may bring in a new this is the trouble of these times It is not a trouble that is under the management of the enemy as if they did what they would no they are passive they are driven by the judicial hand of God they are bringing down their own house with their own hands as Solomon says it is that trouble under which the saints are called to lift up their heads because their redemption draweth nigh A little to gird this closer to us of the times being fulfilled wherein I do expose my self and my judgment Let others think of it and me as they shall see cause but I say I do verily apprehend it so I would not come to you with vain visions were it not sealed up to me to my heart and soul and it is not a new thing but I have been a long time leading into it and am more and more confirmed in it that the time is fulfilled and that this work that is now in hand it is Christs work it is he that gathers the nations but I say to gird this unto us consider this one thing That Antichrist is the last enemy that is to infect or annoy the Church and the only enemy that doth let or hinder the revelation of the son of God or rather the son of man from heaven and therefore if we can shew as I think we have shewed that his time is out then the time of Christ is come which I shall desire no other evidence for then what you finde in the 2 Thes 2. Where the Apostle is setling the minds of believers in those days touching the times of the man of sin and of the day of Christ when it should be and he issues his discourse into this as you may see in that chapter that there was nothing that hindred but the man of sin who was not yet revealed but this mystery must have it's time it must have its course he must be revealed and then when that man of sin is revealed then shall he be consumed by the spirit of Christs mouth and destroyed by the brightness of his coming and then comes the day of Christ for so you see in the text let no man deceive you for that day shall not come except there be a falling away first Now when that falling away hath had it's course and that the man of sin hath been revealed then there is nothing to let but Christ will come I could please my self with this subject In the next place I come to the signes which may be more suitable to you then these calculations are For these signes are those that our Saviour accomodates to all capacities he delivers them to his poor disciples who were at that time men of no extraordinary reach though when the spirit came upon them they were wonderful men otherwise they were no extraordinary men and our Saviour gave them these signes of his coming And I tell you now before I point you to these signes I shall not point you to such as it may be you might think but the signes that shall come upon you you shall finde in Mat. 24.29 The sun shall be darkned and the moon shall not give her light and the starrs shall fall from heaven c. And then shall appear the signe of the son of man in heaven I confess I have read these Scriptures many and many a time and have perused them over with the sence of an allegory in them a general notion of the darkness of the times and the like And some look upon them it may be according to the letter as if there should be a wonderful consternation upon these heavenly bodies that should make them to withhold their light But I shall acquaint you with what hath been presented to me and let them that are spiritual judge of it First where shall we begin these signes for here our Saviour doth give them a beginning immediately after the tribulation of those dayes now the question is what those dayes are that our Saviour speaks of before what the tribulation was as the end of which those signes do commence I know that you can hardly avoid fixing that tribulation upon the destruction of litteral Jerusalem I confess I would not undertake the task to carry the discourse that doth antecede this 29. v. out to any other subject then the destruction of Jerusalem but yet let me tell you by comparing this with another Scripture you shall finde a great help to discern what that tribulation was viz. Luk. 21.34 Jerusalem shall be troden down c. untill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled Our Saviour speaks here and Luke doth record the very same discourse of our Saviour as Mathew doth and it doth appear by comparing these that our Saviour intended that description of those calamitous times that was to come upon Jerusalem to be a type and a figure of that passing away of carthly Jerusalem among the Gentiles The one was a glass as I may say and a mirror in which you might see the other it was a type and a
farther into this Gospel of Luke yet I do not change my subject I shall speake to the same subject that I was upon before but you may remember the last time that I spake here it was under great infirmity for I confess I have a very slippery memory And I did not deliever much of that I thought to have spoken then by way of evidence of that truth that I was desirous to carry upon my discourse at that time and therefore I say because I did engage on such an assertion as might seem somwhat strange namely that these days which we are in are the days of the son of man therefore I chuse these words to make forth further evidence of it to you but those that were here may bear me record a little what it was that lead me to that confidence to assert that these are the days of the son of man you know I was upon the signes of Christ's coming which I had opened to you the day before those signes spoken of in Math. 24. of the Suns being turned into darkness and the Moon into blood and applyed them to these times now those signes you will see are so contiguous that I may say they are the signes of the son of man there mentioned and that there is but a very little distance between those signes appearing and the son of mans coming and indeed it may be a question whether that these signes are not the signe of the son of man in heaven for it is said in Math. 24.30 Then shall appear the signe of the son of man immediatly after the tribulation of those days now these words here must be understood either that these signes are the signe of the son of man in heaven or else that the signe of the son of man in heaven is connected with these signes and follows these signes for then shall appear the signe of the son of man in heaven not after but then this was one thing that lead to it And then another thing was that the times of the man of sin were out I told you and therefore the times of the son of man must needs be begun of course for there is no chasm between these scenes but like linkes of a chain the one takes hold of the other and before the other is quite done the following scene begins as it is said of the four Monarchies and it is and hath been accordingly fulfilled that the succeeding Monarchy in all the four did tread upon the heels of the former so is it said of Christs kingdom that in the days of these kingdoms shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom Christs interest doth commence before the total before the very final and consummate abolition of the former interest Now I say notwithstanding this evidence that hath been offered feeling in my self as I do I confess that this is somewhat a strange and a boly assertion to assert these to be the days of the son of man therefore I desire as well for the acquitting of my self as for the satisfaction of you to give you a further account of my grounds why I call these the days of the son of man therefore have I those these words As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the son of man I shall first expound the words and then apply them for I desire you would not expect from me 〈…〉 should handle this text largly but only so far as 〈…〉 relation to my design and as I may thence 〈…〉 dence of this truth to you that these are the days of the son of man Now that which is to be expounder is first why our Saviour is here called the son of man and 2ly why the time of his revelation is not called a day but days and then to shew you what there is in these days that makes them to be called the days of the son of man First you may think that this is an improper appellation of Christ to call him the son of man when he is setting up his kingdom but to tell you the emphasis of the word it is the son of Enosh now this appellation is taken out of Daniel as all interpreters do agree viz. Dan. 7. Where he hath the vision of the kingdom of Christ succeeding in the rear of the four Monarchies there Christ is exhibited to us under the appelation of the son of man or the son of Enosh which is sorry man now it may be thought that this notion is very disagreeing to Christs kingdom when he comes to be great to the ends of the earth but if you look into the 5. of the Revelations you will see there that the elders do reflect upon Christ in that honour that was put upon him to open the book as a lamb that had been slain Rev. 5.6 And you read there also the Angels joyning with them in this quire and in this very note as you may see in the 12th vers saying with a loud voice worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive honour◠and glory and blessing So that here we see that it is not casual that Christ is called the son of man when he is to take his kingdom but it is upon designe it is to reflect honour upon him upon that very account because he stooped and condescended so to be the son of man and humbled and abased himself as you will finde 2. Phil. 6.7 He makes the very deduction of his glory and honour to rise from his humiliation wherefore God hath highly exalted him and this consideration is that which doth likewise redound to the comfort of the mistical body and members of Christ who how low soever they are yet the kingdom is designed for them as Christ said to to his disciples Luk. 12. fear not little flock who are not only little in respect of number but little also in respect of stature as I may say little in the account of the world and in their own sence likewise it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdome Secondly the next thing is the days of the son of man it is not the day of the son of man but the days in the plural number and this holds forth to us that there will be days that is there will be a tract of time wherein the interest of Christ the interest of his kingdom shall be solicited and agitated in order to his glorious and publick coronation and enthronement the days of the son of man you meet with it twice here in this chap. v. 22. And he said unto the disciples the days will come when you shall desire to see one of the days of the son of man and ye shall not see it that is as it appears to me they shall be looking for these days in those fleshly and carnal assumptions as I may call them of several spirits that shall start up crying lo here and lo there but they shall see
nothing of the son of man in all those voices You shall desire to see them and go forth as many shall do but shall finde themselves mistaken for the days of the son of man are of a more general import and influence and they are of a spiritual discerning there is the first time that you meet with days And the 2d is in my text you have 3 times in this chapter the word day in the singular number spoken of So shall it be in that day when the son of man is revealed and so shall the son of man be in his day now if days in the plural number and day in the singular number be not the same then they are thus to be distinguished The days are that tract of time that lead to Christs giorious and visible appearance I shall stand no longer upon this because it will be more fully made forth when we come to shew the import of these days what these days do import what they contain in them which I do therefore immediatly address my self unto I have already shewed you that they do import this that the days of the man of sin are ended the days of Antithrist are over that is his 42 months spoken of in Revel 13. I shall repeat nothing that I have said concerning that but only this that the holy Ghost doth not speak so improperly as to call those the days of the son of man which are the days of the man of sin there is therefore a legall determining of the right of the man of sin though he may be actually troublesom for a while after even till Christs glorious appearing and so there is a legal commencement of Christs time though we see not yet all things in his possession yet he may have a legal right and so he hath in these days to which I add that as Jacob took hold of the heel of Esau so doth Christs kingdom take hold as I may say of the times of Antichrist I shall not give more authority to the Apocripha then what may seem fitting Let it stand or fall to that evidence of truth that shines in it but in Esdras you have such a question as this propounded by him who holds forth himself to be Esra There is a question held forth touching the parting of times he desires to know of the Angel what is the parting of time between the two worlds and he receives this answer that Esau is a figure of the old world and Jacob of the new and says he look as there is the hand of a man between the hand and the heel so there is no more time between the old and the new Now I can make no sence of that answer but this that as there was no hand at all between the hand and the heel that is the hand of Jacob the power of the new world that took hold of the very heel of the old world and thrust it out so doth the power of the son of man and his days the very begining and commencement of his kingdom thrust out the old world And let me observe this by the way that this kingdom and these days of the son of man if they did take place in our spirits and in our faith we might be so much the more serviceable in thrusting forth the old state of things Therefore now I shall come to shew what makes them to be called the days of the son of man for if you see Antichrist the man of sin still upon the stage you will say upon what authority do you lay Christs claim to these days what ground have you for it how are these his days more then any other Let me tell you my beloved friends these days are not only the days of the son of man because they are not the days of the man of sin as wafts and straies belong to the Lord of the Mannor it is not only for that reason I call them the days of the son of man but Christ hath a legal right unto them and his term begins in these days You may say we have always been otherwise instructed it is a common received thing that Christ's kingdom begins with his visible appearing and that 2 Timo. 4.18 v. seems to countenance this which runs thus I charge thee before God and our Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom where his appearing may be conceived to commence with his kingdom and his kingdom not to commence or begin till his glorious and personal appearing To this I shall answer it is true that text doth necessarily import that Christ must appear in his kingdom And that I do verily believe and do expect but that Christs day or Christs kingdom hath no beginning till there be an Adequate revelation of his person untill he appear as a man in that kingdom as well as God cannot that I see be thence infer'd For we shall shew you by and by by the types that were held forth and the times of the old testament that there may be a beginning of Christs kingdom and is so before his glorious appearance and manifestation and there may be many kingdom-Acts done before Christ in person do exhibit himself visible to our eyes that which I would begin with you shall finde in Dan. 12.1 At that time shall Michael stand up This is the first thing in the days of the son of man Michaels standing up for I look upon the action which is shewed unto Daniel here for the consuming and bringing to nought the four Monarchies both in the East and in the West to fall into these days of the son of man and to be performed by Christ who is the Michael here that stands up Now I confess there may be some question whether this Michael be Christ or no because we read of Michael in this prophecy of Daniel that is spoken of as one of the chief princes one of the chief Angels which is not proper to be applyed to Christ For he that is the supream is not in a rank with the Angels nor consigned to a particular charge or province as he is called Michael your prince in the 10 chap. and the last verse Now if it be but the standing up of Michael the Archangel there is something to be done when Michael stands up and it being a word which is both passive and mean too It signifies to be raised or roused up as if before this time he did couch or lye down therefore if we take it of Michael the Archangel it imports somthing but I have two or three reasons why I take it for Christ First because he is mentioned singly then at that time shall Michael stand up For though a single Angel may be sent to carry tydings unto the Saints yet a single angel is not competent to have the whole affairs of Christs interest and his kingdom committed to him and to stand up singly for it this is
a work rather for the Lord himself this is one reason Another reason is this because it is said at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince but in the Septuagint and so likewise in the Hebrew there are two Articles in the Septuagint it is Michael the prince the great now I say these are not proper for an angel these are sovereign titles and belong to the Lord himself As we use to say Constantine the great and Theodosius the great they are all sovereign attributes that is a second reason Thirdly at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince we never read of Gods sending any creature either Angel or man to be a single Champion and deliverer of his people but we read oftentimes that God engages himself singly to arise Psal 12.5 for the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy will I arise saith the Lord c. And so in Esay 23.10 and in Esay 42.19 and Esay 63.5 and several other places where you may reade of Christs engaging alone and so I say here it suits with Christs standing up but it suits not with any creature Now then what is there in this of Christs standing up who is the Michael here and if any shall yet be unsatisfied that he is called Michael we may as well ask why he is called David David your prince But I say standing up here doth import a change of posture and an addressing of himself to the Churches business why sleepest thou it is that which is intimated that the Lord in some dispensations seems to be asleep and let things go as they will but when the Lord stands up and awakens it makes a great change a great alteration when Christ laid aside his garments it was to do a singular thing it was to do or shew a singular a wonderful act of condscention and grace And so when Christ rises up it is the fall of his enemies and for the relieving of his spouse 't is a rising up with anger and indignation with a concern as the Lord says what have I here that my people are sold for nought I cannot bear it longer then up he gets it is said at Christs first coming it is for the rising and fall of many What then will his second coming be when he rises to judgment when he rises to pleade the cause of his people well but in the next place Michaels standing up or Christs standing up is a standing up for himself and for his people to take his great power as it is said in the Revelations thou hast taken to thy self thy great power now shall Christ stand alone consider this if a king stands up and hath great occasion to stand up either that he is invaded or that his subject rebels against him upon such occasion his confederates and allies will pour in their forces upon his enemies Surely our Lord Jesus hath great Allies and confederates his father and all his holy Angels you know it is Gods covenant with him that he will give him the heathen for his inheritance and he that will put all his enemies under his feet before ever he hath his kingdom we find the ancient of days upon his throne and it is a fiery throne too as you have it in Dan. 7. Now if Michael stand up all heaven all the hosts of heaven will stand up with him it will be found so and let the Saints reckon upon it Christ will not want power this is from Michaels standing up that is the first thing But then 2ly we find in Dan. 7. another strange thing which we reade but pass over not knowing well what to make of it we have done so many times in the 13. v. I saw in the night visions and behold one like the son of man come to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him not to exercise you with the difficulty of the understanding of this I shall immediately point you to what I think was the type of this and will give us a very good account of it Solomon you know was a type of Christs kingdom in the tranquility and peaceable time of it when it had wethered the point of all opposition and had now got the day of all its opposers now you shall find such a thing as this in that type before Davids days were out Solomon was presented to him for the kingdom and that by Davids allowance and David did as it were put his power upon Solomon and set him up which gives us the clearest light into this prophecy that I know of When David was old and cold that they could not keep heat in him but they were sain to provide otherwise to refresh his blood and to put spirit in him then was thought a time for Adonijah to set up for himself and get the kingdom for David was like a candle in the socket and so Adonijah might think the action would not be misinterpreted by David then they called all the kings Sons to the feast only they left out Solomon the true interest the heir designed by God and sworn by David he is left out and Zadoch and Benajah these were not called but all the rest now when Adonijah was at his feast Nathan hears of it and acquaints Bathsheba the mother of Solomon who goes forthwith to David about it Here is now in type the bringing the son of man to the ancient of days as she brought Solomon she is a type of the Church presenting Christ unto God saying hast thou not sworn that Solomon thy son shall raign after thee This is presenting the son of man to the ancient of days in the type now so it is in the Antitype so it is in these days of the son of man behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his mother crowned him Can. 3. the Lords Prophets and such as are true to the Lords interest bring the son of man to the Ancient of days the prayers of the Saints will run much in this strain and they will be speaking good of Christ in the ears of God and will be telling what their expectations are and how they tender the setting up of Christ and how they suffer and must suffer till Christ raignes and that they never expect to see good days till he comes this answers the type the bringing of the son of man to the ancient of days The ancient of days is commonly looked upon to be the father now 't is true the father hath covenanted and engaged to set Christ upon his throne and he calls him his King but you will find in Revel 1. this very description that is in Daniel applyed to Christ The hair of his head is said to be as white as snow and therefore how shall we understand this I will tell you how it may be reconciled by Davids Lord Davids son that is the head of Christ is God this is the head here spoken of the hair of his head was
as white as wool and therefore I say this presenting the son of man to the ancient of days is but the bringing the right heir Christ the son of man to the head of Christ which is God In the next place there is not only the presenting of Solomon as a type unto David but David doth appoint Nathan to go and anoint Solomon and set the crown upon his head and sends Benajah and Zadock with him So this is in these days of the son of man there is an anointing of Christ and an instructing of him as I may say as David did instruct Solomon his son and as in the Psalmist it is said give the king thy judgments O God and thy righteousness to the kings son David gave unto Solomon the charge for the building of the temple and he gave him the pattern of it and he exhorted him and encouraged him to be strong and know the God of his fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and by computation it took up about six months before Davids death that he was introducing Solomon in his room so that I may say here is a great deal of Christs kingdom demonstrated For all this was before the old state was out Solomon was actually enthroned and stated in the kingdom in his fathers time and Solomon did exercise his kingly power as you know 1 Kings chap. 1. v. 50.53 chap. 2.4.10 Now I shall not apply these things yet because I am not come to my assumption I am but laying my ground-work but before I come to that I must shew you the complexion of these days and although these days are the days of the son of man yet they are not such days wherein the glory of Christ and his kingdom do shine forth without a cloud and therefore for that we must have recourse again unto our text And you shall finde there that these days of the son of man are days of an extraordinary nature they are days wherein the world shall be drowned in a floud of prophanes and sensuality and security and this is in order to a making them fit for a floud of judgment so it is said here As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the son of man Likewise so also as it was in the days of Lot not only doth this scripture witness this thing that the days of the son of man will be of such a nature and complexion but likewise in Zach. 14. the Lord tells us there in several expressions that are very Emphatical as to what the nature of this day will be one day or a day by it self we may understand that by it an odd day such a day as hath not been or shall be known by the Lord as who should say none but the Lord shall know it Neither day nor night that is a strange day neither clear nor dark neither the one nor the other but mixt of hoth But at the evening tide it shall be light then it will clear up like it self briefly the days of the son of man will be a time of as prodigious wickednesses of as great tryal to the saints of as great calamity to the world as ever days were and beyond all president so Daniel says at that time shall Michael stand up and it shall be a time of trouble such as never was the like But what then makes the title of the son of man if there shall be such days of trouble is that title worth nothing in these days I answer there is a light side of these days and that is to be seen by those that have eyes by those that are spiritually enlightened to see there will be a dark hope in all the people of God and in all the whole creation in these days that surely there is something in the womb of these dispensations that will revive them at the last and this the blind world can see and say But the saints especially if they watch and if they obtain that favour from the Lord as Daniel did that was a man of desire they may see and will see whither all things will tend and where they will issue and so they will be comforted and they will sing for the majesty of the Lord they will rejoice in that which God will create They will be engaged actually with the Lord in creating a new heaven and a new earth this will be the mixt nature of these days they will be prodigiously wicked daringly wicked and yet they are the days of the son of man why so because it suits his designe upon all accounts that the Churches enemies might shew themselves like themselves that so his judgments might be the more conspicuous the more clear which he will bring upon them and also that his people might have the tryal of their faith and sense of their own weaknes and failings and so I say it doth suit Gods end who designes so to come as that his day should fall as a snare upon all that dwell on the earth that there shall be no more likelihood of the day before his coming then of many ages before that so the mockers might be confirmed saying where is the promise of his coming as who should say you talk of Christs approach being neer but there is no signe of it not considering that he comes as a thief you your selves know perfectly says the Apostle that the day of the Lord so cometh Christ comes before the 7th vyal that is preparation is making for his coming It it his legal time yea it is his actual time before the the 7th Phyal for sayes he behold I come as a thief should now shew you the Parallel having spoken of the complexion it is that which conforms this time to Gods former proceedings There were such days before God destroyed the old world 120 years Those were the days of Noah and the world was looked on as a drowned world from the beginning of those days and so the days of Lot from the time that Abraham had rescued the king of Sodom and the other four kings from their enemies which was a signe of the four Monarchies from whose hand Abraham the father of the faithful delivered Lot and for his sake the rest were delivered Now it is probable that from that time Lot used a greater freedom to admonish them to make a better use of their deliverance then they did those were the days of Lot there were days then there was a time for the judgments coming but it was not fully come so likewise doth Gods day prepare his enemies against such a time that they may be as fuel dryed for the fire that they may flame like a torch or a sheaf when fire is put to them So likewise he prepares the vessels of mercy I shall only tell you in our saviours time there was from the denunciation of the judgments against Jerusalem 40 years and so likewise from our Saviours rising till his
with me or at least I am not yet manifest in it Therefore I say his ascending was that he might marry our natures in his own person unto his glorious head though he was marryed unto the father in eternity yet not as the son of man on earth but this was the marriage of the son of man on earth And so he carryed up our nature out of this state of poverty beggery in sin death yea out of legalor first covenant-righteousnesse into the glory of God that is the third marriage that I have been speaking of wherein you see how it differs from the first marriage The first was the marriage of the son of man in heaven unto the godhead but this is the marriage of the son of man on earth unto the son of man in heaven that is clear by our Saviour his own stating of it let us not slight that for he says before Abraham was I am this glory is to be the covering the clothing to the son of man on earth this is the wedding from which he comes You possibly will say why did not Christ come all this time hath this wedding lasted this 16. 1700. years my brethren our Lord Jesus Christ is presented as our head so that Christ was married as a publique person and we must all follow to this wedding this hath been the work ever since through all times and ages from Christs assention it hath been I say the preparation of the Bride the lambs wife for this fourth and last marriage Christs 3d marriage the heavens must receive until the restitution of all things till his Bride be ready And all the saints have been hastening out of themselves out of his fleshly fallible state and image into the resurrection life they have been hastning by a mistical death this is the work of all ages since Christ to prepare the Bride that is such a number of men and women as God hath fore known in his eternal counsel that are to come up successively upon the stage of this world in their generations and times to be the witnesses of our Lord and of his death his sufferings are to be fulfilled in them and so is his life to be manifested in them as the dyings of Jesus so his life this hath been his work since his a scention and when his number is eompleated then will the Lord reveal himself from heaven in our persons in that glory which our natures have been invested with from his ascention then will Christ and his bride the lamb and the lambs wise plant and model the world and they will have a new seed after that which shall be born in Christs own image as Adam is said to beget a son in his own image which will be the new race of men and women after this glorious marriage For Christ will have generations of saints that shall be brought forth unto him in his kingdom in another glory then we have known all this time Thus I have been carryed whether I would not for what I designed to speak I am not come to I should have shewed you by the example and pattern of his wedding on Christs part the glory of his marriage and I should have come to the application but I must take another time for this The Seventh Sermon 1. Ep. John 3.2 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be YOu see though I am off from my former text yet not from my subject this text benig of a kin to it and bordering upon it and having many things in my mind upon it though not digested into such a method as more leisure and time might have afforded I shall abruptly present to you the 2. heads upon which we shall spend this opportunity without more curious survey of the text or context and briefly they are 1. That blessed and glorious hope which is laid up for the Saints at Christs appearing and 2d the evidence of it These are the two things that I shall pick out of these words the hope is that we shall be like Christ when he appears the evidence of this hope is that we shall see him as he is for the hope it self you see it concerns us our persons and our spirits And that is the immediate and great concern and expectation of believers in Christs glorious kingdom and at his glorious appearing the change that shall be brought upon our selves the glorious change that shall be brought upon all things for he that sits upon the throne says behold I make all things new is to begin first upon us it is to begin upon the Saints and when they are changed not only will all things be changed to them but all things shall be changed with them though not presently yet in due course and order for the Apostle says that the whole creation grones and travels in pain expecting to be delivered into the glorious liberty of the sons of God they are to be delivered into our liberty and the Gospel throughout in all the priviledges both of grace and glory in both states of the kingdom both that of grace and of glory the militant and the triumphant state do hold forth first fruits that shall be first visited and first saved and then the Lump and body first the root and then the branches and I do the rather put a note upon this because we are apt to be carried forth into other contemplations and expectations of the change of times the change of kingdoms common-wealths Churches and overlook the fundamental change this head change this right change which begins in the persons of Saints of believers themselves which may be called the beginning of changes as we read of the beginning of revenges in Deuteronòmy or the head revenge of the enemy so this is the head of change and in vain do we look for a happinesse to come unto us by the change of our circumstances and of our conditions if there be not this Radical this fundamental change in our persons and spirits Now this change I shall first present it to you in the substance of it and then shall consider the arguments the illustrating arguments in the text and in the context First the substance of this change into a likenesse of Christ when he shall appear we shall be like him the likenesse unto Christ is that which cannot but speak for it self and commend it self sufficiently to our desires can there be any better thing then to be like Christ can there be a greater thing then to be like Christ Let us but consider who and what he is he is the likenesse of God the brightness of his glory the character of his person in whom god hath drawn forth himself to the life he is the image he is the glory of God there is not any excellency in God but it is displayed in our Lord Jesus most beautifully most divinely most advantagiously and therefore it may well be a hope
the space of 42 months unto the coming down of the new Jerusalem and Christs glorious appearance and having dispatch't that I came to the application and the last time I spent the whole in an use of exhortation to watching to watch for the Lords coming thinking to have gone on with other duties that this season calls for But it hath been cast into my thoughts since I was here that there may remain some doubts touching the times and I may be thought too forward and early a reckoner and that chiefly upon the account of the Vyals which many very serious and enquiring souls many that are very much enlightned in the works of God in this day and have great hopes for the kingdom of Christ and do wait heartily for redemption in Jerusalem yet cannot get over the stumbling block of the Vyals thinking they are not yet poured out whereas I have intimated often that we are under the 6th Vyal and have been so long Therefore though it may seem to be a great undertaking to remove this obstrnction and to give satisfaction in this point and I cannot say that I have so prepared my self for it that I can promise this will be the fruit of it yet I am willing to appear though in weaknesse and hold forth that light which I have for this thing that the Vyals most of them are poured forth I shall first give you my grounds for this and then I shall answer an objection or two that are come to my knowledge against it and so we shall go on afterwards with one application Now in discerning this point as indeed in discerning all prophetical mysteries there are two rules that do exceedingly avail to the guiding of us in fynding out the minde of God in prophetical truths and the first is this to look to the type and compare the type and the antitype together and the second is to compare the works of God in the world with his word for these works of God are the comment upon his word and the best comment that we can have Now for the first I would premise this that there is not any thing in the new Testament not any period of time nor any scene that concerns us Christian gentiles but there is the prototype the resemblance of it in the antient Church of the Jews these times of the new Testament are called the fulnesse of times they are the times of the fulfilling of prophecies prophecy though not as to fulfilling yet as to delivery was compleated and made up in the times of the old Testament and therefore it is said the prophets prophecyed until John and our Saviour when he began his ministry says the time is fulfilled now then to the point in hand what are the types of the Vyals We do finde that expositors have not amiss paralelled these Vyals with the judgments that God did execute upon Egypt when he brought forth Israel for they are a manifest allusion unto those judgments as you may see if you do compare them though they do not correspond in point of number yet they are called plagues here is the scab as was in Egypt as when Moses threw up the dust into the air so it is in the first Vyal there is a scab and a sore upon those that worshiped the beast then another plague was upon the rivers and fountains as here in the Vyals the 3d Vyal turns the rivers into blood and there was darknesse over the land of Egypt so under the 5th Vyal the kingdom of the beast is darkned so that I say there is a warrantable ground for an allusion of the Vyals to the plagues in Egypt but yet withall I say the allusion is not only unto the plagues of Egypt For the Vyals are poured forth by the witnesses and we shall finde that there is an allusion to 3 several pairs all in that vision of the witnesses or that doctrine of the witnesses as you may call it if you will Revel 11. there is I say an allusion to three pair of witnesses the first pair is Moses and Aaron Elijah and Elisha the second and Joshua and Zerubbabel the third pair and as they were called two witnesses so they did fulfil their testimony in 2 parts there was 2 parts of their witness and two seasons of the fulfilling thereof the first part was in a time of suffering before they were escaped from under their suffering-state that was their first part but in the second part they were upon the upper ground they were as I may say the heyrs apparent of a kingdom and an interest which was upon the rising hand I shall shew this to you clearly in all the three First you know that Moses and Aaron before they lest Egypt while Israel was under the yoak they did pour out several plagues upon Egypt but this was not all the work they had to do there was the greatest plague of all was powred out afterwards when they were escaped on t of Egipt at the red-sea there was the destruction of Pharaoh and all his hosts And Joshua who was indeed for a supply unto Moses when Moses was taken off to carry on and compleat the work he led Israel into Canaan and gave them that land so that he did enter upon the labours of Moses and he knew the work there is the first pair and from the time of the red-sea Israel was a prevailing in terest untill they were settled in Canaan so likewise you may see in the second pair Elijah was a man of contention all his days and fled for his life yet before his death he had power to restrain the heavens that they should not rain and he slayes the Prophets of Baal I might shew you how that Ahab and Jezabel and her prophets were exceeding apt types of the Beast the false Prophet and the whore under the times of the new testament as Elijah was a type of the witnesses Now Elisha comes with a double portion of Elijahs spirit he anoints John and brings down the house of Ahab and he perfects the work of Elijah in the spirit of the kingdom Elijah represents the time of the witnesses under their persecution and his ascention was a type of the ascention of the witnesses these are the second pair But the last pair is Joshua and Zerubbabel Joshua he was clothed with filthy garments as were the witnesses that prophecyed in sackcloth Zach. 33. Joshua was the priest the high priest and Zerubbabel he was the Prince the civel ruler Now you know that it is said in the Revelation that he hath made us kings and priests to God his father and the witnesses come first as priests in a suffering state and thereia they do part of the work they do execution against Babylon by powring out several of the Vyals but from the time of their slaughter and their ascention then Christ comes forth in his witnesses as acting immediately towards his kingdom and then he anoints them
against sleeping and security I told you in all things you must be as looking for your Lord you may do business but with a wakeful ear and eye to be in a readiness to knock off from all affairs to enter with the Bridegroom and open unto him immediately but now I say we are called to wait for this Bridegroom for I tell you he may be nearer to us then we are a ware off and though the present time is such a time that puts the saints upon a great disadvantage as to this waiting and that in two respects First it is a dead time a dull time a silent time it is a time that hath such a complextion as is most disadvantagious to the saints it is like the midst of summer and the midst of winter there is no fermentation in the blood as I may say but all is quiet in the body so it is with us a still time our faith doth not work nor we are not exercised but are strangely becalm'd like a vessel at sea neither winde nor tide with it no waves to waft it over but there it lies still so is it with a saint at such a time Secondly it is possible it is a time of great confidence to the enemies of the Church who say we have them in a nooze and they cannot escape us yet and therefore I think it most necessary thus to apply to the saints at this time and to encourage them and call up their faith for I tell you this is the very complexion of the time wheerein Christ may be expected It is a time wherein the Church feels least working of any providence towards these issues but all things are still and it is a time wherein her enemies are most confident but this is no other then what the Lord acquaints us with by the Apostle in that 1 Thes 3.5 When they shall saypeace and safety that is when the enemy shall say so c. Now whether this be such a time or no judge that your selves wherein the Lords enemies do cry peace and safety to themselves I confess to you I am continually alarumed in my own spirit and I cannot be out of the hearing of this voice in my ear continually that the Bridegroom is coming and that the day of decision is nearer then most men do expect I could tell you somthing touching the place which I know is a great objection against these things the place where the Lord will begin the glorious discoveries of himself and the setting up of his kingdom we do expect that it should be in the great continent of the world and that it should be all over the world at once but we may be very much mistasten in that the Lord doth begin his judgments in a particular place Revel 16.16 Armageddon is a particular place what need they be gathered to Armageddon if Christ should take his enemies wheresoever they are all the world over then it were not proper to say they were gathered to a particular place so Joel 3. There you have the vally of Jehoshaphat that is the judgment of Christ which he will exercise before the final judgment of the dead before the raising of his dead enemies that have dyed from the begining of the world to that time We must first look for the judgment of the quick for they shall be judged before the dead and I tell you that it may be made out that the seat of this judgment is not to be all the world over but in this Roman monarchy or the seat of the 4th Monarchy And perhaps we may bring it into a narrower scantling then so too where the witnesses resurrection doth first appear there is the lamb that is the vally of Jehoshapbat there will this decision be it is not only the Western Empire as you have it in Esay 59. But it is the Isles of the west yea yet closer it is the north west Isles chiefly as I might shew you from Esay 24.15 It is by the Jewish Rabbies themselves applyed to the Isles of great Brittain this being the only north west Isle of note in the world there is not any people in the earth that God hath so owned and hononred and tryed and set up such a cause and interest among them as in these nations where his son hath been owned as king of saints his claym hath been put in for these kingdoms these things might be made clear to you so that I say there may be a begining of that work of God in these nations which other nations are not ready for I might shew you this from the last of Esay where it is said that they that shall escape in that day of decision shall go and be instrumental to bring in other nations and the nations of the Gentiles must be brought in before the Jews come in this seems to be the method of Gods work and therefore how neer may the Lord be to the begining of this work when all this is to be done before Christs appearing which is but a little time the 1335. days being within a little of coming up I should now come to shew you how we should wait for the appearance of the Lord. First we must wait patiently Secondly me must wait with a concern be so concerned for this as to forget all things else in comparison not to be satisfied with ought else though God throw in many things of another nature yet let this be the concern else all is nothing Thirdly wait in poverty of spirit The Nineth Sermon James 1st 4 v. But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing SInce the Lord perswaded me to answer the desires of some of his people to come sometimes and appear amongst you I have endeavoured to acquaint you with the grounds of my hopes and perswations that the day of the Lord is neer I have I confesse through the need I have found of it in my self as well as from the survey that I have taken of the condition of my fellow members in the body mistical needing some relief I have I say engaged my minde and have been wayting upon God for light in the point that I might have some satisfaction what time of the day or of the night it is that we are in and might have some discerning of the times and what God doth intend to do with us and you know that I have imparted to you what satisfaction I received in my self that the times of the man of sin that is the 42 monthes which were alloted to him are expired and that they did end with Daniels first number of 1290. days mentioned in Dan. 12. And that we are now in the middle of those 45 yeares that were to run out from that time until the time that he speaks of when he says blessed is he that wayteth sand so comes unto the 1335 days or years that is the 45 prophetical days from the expyring
say there is an expectation in this patience even as the hireling waits for the end of the day and the watchman watches for the morning so do the people of God wait for the promised redemption we through the spirit do wait for the hope of righteousness by faith for we are saved by hope as the Apostle says in Rom. 8. But hope that is seen is not hope so as that now from henec we gather this that where there is not an expectation there patience will be found very weak and impoteut and indeed that will be found to be the account of our impatience want of faith and hope so is the strength and firmness of our patience Abraham saw the day of Christ he waited with a great firmness of patience because he saw my day and rejoyced and was glad and therefore let me tell you friends upon this account before I pass from this particular it is your interest as well as your duty I say it is your interest to study the promises to study the prophecies and to study the times these three things are to be studyed it is your interest as well as your duty to do it I know that you will grant the first that it is your interestto study the promises but alas this is a lame business the studying of the promises if you do not study the prophecies and study the times for to have a promise that some time or other there shall be a new state of things and not have the time discovered to you this is but a languishing tomfort alas say many it will not be in our days as that good man comforted himself that the evil threatned would not be in his days So patience is very lame upon this account because they know not whether it will be in their days or nor that is the cause of so great slightness in this respect they leave these things to others say they you have leizure you can study the times and the promises and so they take it upon the words of other men but we may speak long enough ere we can bear a solid ground of comfort into your hearts if you have it only from our words unless as the Samaritans said to the woman ye have heard and seen it your selves and so know that the time doth draw near And if you say how should we alas how should we discern those difficult those obscure periods that are delivered so darkly in the Revelations and other places let me tell you I desire to be free with you I know not whether it will suit with me or no to speak oft among you espetially this winter time though if I were among you I should embrace the call to be often among you for it is my comfort but let me tell you I have in these my poor labours among you directed you to Dan. 12. that you might take it and make somthing of it which you may if you wait upon God the words are plain that from that time of taking away the daily sacrifice and setting up the abomination of desolations it should be 1290 days If one should tell you that at such a time or at the end of such a period such an estate should fall to you or such a kingdom beyond sea would you not study it when this time would come up though it were set a little darkly it is nothing but that you have not a heart to it I beseech you bear with me it lies upon my spirit as a grief that people complain so of the times are so weary of the times and would be at better things in that regard and yet they will take no pains to look into the times of the promises if any should give you bonds will you lay them up in your desk will you never look when these bonds will be due I confess it is too plain and I have no ground to recall my word I stand to the reckoning that I have made among you that from the time of Julian the Apostate who in opposition to Christianity was engaging to repair Judaism from that time to 1650. or 1653. the 1290. days came up and that from thence there are but 45 years to come to the blessed period would you have any thing plaincr and if the Lord hath so considered us in such a Scripture as this we ought in thinkfulness to him to set our hearts to the understanding of it if all the interpreters be out yet we may fetch the sence of it from heaven strive then with God that he would give you some account of the prophecies as to the times having brought this glorious hope so near as I have done or as God haâ—h done to me and I to you as within a little more then 20 years now I lay aside all my books and all my reckonings though the evidence thereof abids with me still I cannot bring it nearer nor can I fee how it is further off I am now studying the times and there is a self evidencing light in the times in the dispensations of God and in his dealings with his people and his manifesting himself in their spirits and forming them it is a self evidencing property that is in the dispensations of God to acquaint us what they are and what Gods connsel and purpose is in them And I have sound great comfort in this reflecting upon the times our Saviour says it is that that may afford us light yea heathens can discern the face of the sky and yet cannot we discern the signes of the times there is as much light to be gathered from the times if we wisely consider them as our Astrologers gather from the face of the sky as our Saviour instances of them in some things as in a cloud arising out of the west and the blowing of the Southwind c. and have we not now a notable cloud arising in this western part of the world so that I say there is a light in the times and truly to give you one iustance I do apprehend that we may clearly see in the times both dissolution and restitution though more of the former then of the latter you know it is said that there must be a dissolution before there be a restitution the first heaven and earth fled away from the face of him that fate upon the throne and seeing all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be Then I pray answer me this in your own spirits whether this generation or age that we have lived in from the times of our childhood at least the most of us that are here whether it hath not been a dissolving age Remember the first Scripture that I pitch't upon to give evidence of the times from that Mat. 24. There shall be signes in the sun and in the moon and how I opened them this is that I say we have seen in this part of the world a little model of the great dissolution of
consider that I desire to draw out my heart to you it is the greatest comfort I have when I finde weaknesse in my self I have a great desire to live to see the glorious time of the Church and when at any time as the devil is wonderful busy to cast in his fiery darts and discouragements into the soul when I finde I am either assaulted with a sudden fear or that I cannot see how that little vigour and strength I have should hold out I finde a great deal of comfort in reflections of this nature that the Lord is more concern'd in and for me then I am in and for my self and whoever can do so shall finde and feel the benefit of it hath not the Lord given his son for me and he that gives his own son how shall be not with him freely give us all things are we not his peculiar treasure then I say leave your selves to God and say look thou to it we may with a holy freedom say to the Lord look thou to it it is not for us though we are to serve the providence of God and the publique yet it is Gods concern he is to look to it cast it upon God but 3ly A third consideration is his I have told you once and again and now also that I cannot bring tho time neerer the time of our hopes then I have done but yet consider this this time that is yet to run out before that very period comes wherein he is pronounced blessed that waits comes to that time I say those times that are to run out will be filled with wonders and with glory that shall give strength unto us from day to day from year to year to await the end to the last issne for although it is not said that Daniel shall stand in his lot until the end of those days and then it is promised he shall ye I say there may goundedly be an expectation of higher more transcendent and wonderfull works of God that shall entertain his people during their watching and waiting for you know who is there that needs watchers at any time but will provide them entertainment during their watching they shall have strong-waters or something by them and so shall the Lords people you will say what entertainment shall we have I must tell you I look upon the 45 years as well night half expyred which is the time in which Christ employs instruments for the throwing down of the remainder of his enemies throughout this whole western world and the Eastern too the great Turk the whole seat of the 4th Monarchy all the enemies in these two Empires the Eastern and the Western Christ takes this time to bring them down and wonderfully brought down they must be and come to their end this abundance of Scriptures tels us he will shake heaven and earth and the desire of all nations shall come and so he says in Joel he will gather the heathens to the vally of Jehoshaphet and so Zach. 14.3 But in Revel 16. you read that at the pouring forth of the 6th Vyal the great river of Euphrates shall be dryed up he is drying up Euphrates at this day and this will be a glorious work to see how Christ gets ground of his enemies and how the house of Saul grows weaker and weaker indeed it would be very little comfort to see destruction and desolation if the new state did not put off the old state as the old nail gives way to the new or as Jacobs supplanting Esan though that new state is not to be seen vulgarly or visibly yet the saints finde it coming on in the spirit and this if you be reasonable men will satisfy you God will satissy his people ere he hath done and it is your mistake if you are not satisfyed with this way he takes so did Israel dig up fouutains and their rock followed them The 4th consideration is this that if we did understand things aright we should rejoyce with all our souls it would turn to us for a testimony that the Lord holds us in so long suspenee being an argument of the greatness of the transcendency of the things that are promised otherwise God would not exercise his people so long in the wayting for them think you that God will exercise his people with waiting for a trifle Esa 64.4 From the begining of the world men have not beard nor perceived by the ear neither hath any eye seen besides thee O God what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him if you expect Christs glorious kingdom any otherwise you will be mistaken there is no common or ordinary thing in that day expect nothing but wonders things that are to put your faith to it to acknowledge them when they come to passe that you will be ready to say are we in a dream as when the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion this is that which makes our patience so lame we represent the kingdom of God in such a pittiful poor way and manner what is the utmost glory that men present it in why that it will be a time of pure ordinances and the ministers shall recover themselves with their people alas alas is this all is this the kingdome of Christ I saw no temple there God will bring his people to immediate converse with himself they shall see eye to eye God intends to bring his people to a state without sin past this state of infirmity I confess men may give such an account of Christs kingdom that may not ballance the charge or trouble of working it about Do you think that God would have suffered Paradise to fall but that he had a better state to bring forth Do you think that the temple had been suffered to miscarry but that he had a better state to present Do you think that the primitive state had been suffered to decline but that he had a better state yea better then the Apostles better then the Prophets We see say they through a glass datkly but in that day Christians shall be known to whom they belong you know a waterman by his badge the name of God shall be written in the foreheads of his people If you look for any thing but wonders in that day you will be mistaken things being working to that issue I say you will see wonders One word more till Christ comes in person let us emprove his spiritual presence with us which by promise shall never be taken away And I tell you as I have told you formerly it is the spirit of Christ in the Saints that is the power by which they shall be changed Christs personal appearance from heaven bears a part it is the glorious example to which we shall be conformed and it hath a ministry likewise of enouragement and strengthning it will call up our faith and the life of the spirit into exercise in us but they must both meet the shout of our faith with the shout
to give some account why things go as they do in the world if the devil be let loose is it any wonder if Gog and Magog be upon the stage may we not wonder rather if we scape thus confider the evidence that hath been offered and what more follows at the end of these papers from the calculation of the time from the description of the enemy from the likeness of the action from the opening of the design both of God and Satan and the parallel between the dispensation of God to particular believers and the whole collective body of the Church which you have in the foregoing discourse to gird which a little closer to you take these two notes 1. That as it is but a mistical reign that the Church hath till Christs glorious appearing so it is but a mistical judgment that is executed upon Babilon or any of the Churches enemies till then else how should the day of the Lord come as a thief and fall as a snare on all that dwell on the earth as it is said it shall The not considering this makes us overlook the Vyals when they are before us it is true it is said at the pouring out of the Vyals his judgments are made manifest but to whom are they made manifest will not the wicked do wickedly still to the last must not the Lord even Christ at his appearing fetch the last blow himself at the wicked one therefore let us not think because a Pope lives still at Rome and a grand Signieur at Adrianople that therefore we are not near the finishing of the mistery of God By a mistical judgment I mean close and dark judgments such as take them not off their violence but heighten and harden them the more such the judgment executed by the Vyals seems to be and therefore by the 5th Vyal on the throne of the beast his kingdom is observed to be full of darkness and so little did the Antichristian party profit by that or any of the precedent Vyals that we fiud them under the next Vyal uniting and making head more strenously and universally then ever before like Pharoah that by every judgment was more and more hardened not but that God hath all along given many evident testimonies of his displeasure against them which those that have eyes see but they see it not or at least lay it not to heart to repent but are unjust and filthy still or as that word still may import are more and more filthy and unjust there in discovering the judgment to be upon their heart and thus it appears to me it will be till Christ fetcheth his last and dispatching blow at them and then they will see and be confounded My second note is this that there may be a great mistake in expecting those eminent scenes in the last times of the beast viz. the slaughter and rising of the witnesses the battel against him that sate on the white horse or the gathering to Armageddon and the visible effects of the Vyals especially the six first Vyals and so this attempt of Gog and Magog should equally shew themselves in all the parts and places of the beasts dominion it is sufficient for this mistical way of judging if the Lord single out some head-place some eminent part of his juridiction that is or hath been so and there present them at least more eminently thus Ezek. 5.5.8 God did set Jerusalem in the midst of the nations and did execute judgment in her in the sight of the nations and for their instructions this suits the way and manner of God who is one to judge and save in one as he did in Christ Therefore though the witnesses have been spread all over the juridiction of Babilon and have prophecyed and have been slayn by coast as I may say in all her streets yet the last and eminent settling of the cloud seems to be in one particular street or province and there their visible resurrection also to be which is called the tenth part of the citty and so the battel of Armageddon for the substance thereof without that specialty hath been fought by parties throughout the whole jurisdiction but the last and great dash of that shour may be found to have lighted on some particular place more eminently and that is like to be or to have been on the head kingdom or kingdoms of the Reformation and where that hath been there in probability it is that the Dragon will second the worsted beast his party with his succors of Gog and Magog These are my 2 notes which being premised I conclude that it is profitable that this is the time of Gog and Magog my reason in brief is for that there seems to me so little time yet to run out before the white throne be erected so little time that this old world hath to continue my confidence arises from those numhers pitch't by the Lord himself Dan. 12.11.12 the one of 1290 days the other of 1335 days the 45 years in the last number exceeding the former I look upon to be the time allotted for this expedition of Gog and Magog the one half of which 45 years is expired now let us but consider how much work is left for the other half that is to come the Jews are to be called and brought to their own land they are there to be settled and to get goods and cattel yea gold and silver in abundance and to live in great security before the Eastern Gog is let loose upon them which for a people so spoiled and that are to begin the world again as the greatest part of the twelve tribes are presumed to be may well require half of the time that is behind and then after the destruction of Gog and Magog they are to be seven years burning the weapons of warr all this probably before the coming down of the new Jerusalem therefore by this judge whereabouts we are Daniel is promised to rise and stand up in the latter end of those days those days come up 22 years hence there is not much difference among Chronologers all interpreters agree in the Epocha and fix it in Julians time all this work is to be done among the Jews ere that time is it not time therefore for us to expect their call and return Our western Gog and Magog probably may not stay for them but may lead the way and be a means of their awakning for the Aposile intimates that through our mercy they shall obtain mercy which probably must be understood of some eminent signal mercy farther then hath yet been seen upon us by the reviving the work and cause of God among the Gentiles and the deciding the controversy that hath been so long depending between Christ and Antichrist wherein this Gog and Magog is Antichrists last reserve Now there being so little sand in the glass it is very pardonable to expect these actions and issues which must shew themselves before that little sand