THE RESURRECTION OF The Witnesses AND ENGLANDS Fall from the mystical Babylon ROME Clearly demonstrated to be accomplished Whereby Great encouragement is administred to all Saints but especially to the Saints in England In the handling of a part of the eleventh Chapter of the REVELATION By M. Cary a Minister or Servant of Jesus Christ and of all his Saints PSAL. 126. 1 2 3. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Sion we were like them that dream Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing then said they among the heathen The LORD hath done great things for them The LORD hath done great things for us whereof we are glad London Printed by D. M. for Giles Calvert at the black-spread-Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1648. To the Honoured FRANCIS ROVSE AND Thomas Boon Esquires Members of the Honourable House of COMMONS in PARLIAMENT Honoured Sirs IT being the great designe of God the Father to set up his Son our Lord Jesus Christ as his King upon the holy hill of Sion and though the Heathen rage and the people imagine vain things saying Come let us break their bonds in sunder and cast away their cords from us to give him the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession I say this being Gods design he hath for the effecting of it given all power and authority in heaven and in earth into his hand and accordingly Jesus Christ hath undertaken to execute all Gods Decrees which are mentioned in the Prophesie of the Book of the Revelation where we finde that God had decreed that for an appointed terme of time his Church his Temple his Saints should be in an afflicted persecuted depressed low condition and that the Beast and the Babylonian enemies of his Church should have power to grow great and to flourish and to make war against the Saints and to blaspheme God and his name and his Saints for an appointed time also and that after that time was expired that then Jesus Christ should improve that power that was for that end given to him in giving a glorious Deliverance to his Church and ruining totally the Beast great Babylon and all his enemies That so the Kingdomes of this world may become his Kingdoms and that in such a manner as they were not before even so as all that are in authority that will not cast their Crowns at his feet shall be broken in peeces for he the Lord alone must be exalted in that day there must be one Lord and his name one in all the earth Now as it most clearly appears to me from the divine Oracles of the Scripture having compared the works of God and his Word together I have in the ensuing Discourse held it forth for the encouragement of all that wait for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ for the overthrowing of his enemies and the deliverance of his people from their persecutions that the time is already come wherein the appointed time of the prevailing power of the Beast over the Saints is come to a period and accordingly Jesus Christ hath begunne to bring downe the power of the Beast and to lift up his Saints out of that low afflicted persecuted condition in which they have beene and that in order to the perfecting of these things England is already fallen from the mysticall Babylon Rome Now Honoured Sir You having been glorious Starres shining with a great deal of splendour in Your Countrey both in the publikenesse of Your spirits and the holinesse of Your conversations wherein You have been eminent Examples and speciall encouragements unto others and knowing that it is the desire of Your souls to see the Lord Jesus alone advanced who-ever be thrown down I have presumed to present this little Treatise unto You not doubting of Your ingenuous and favourable acceptance of it But though I publish it under Your name and favour yet doe I not thereby desire You to patronize any thing in it if there should be any thing that is not truth and for the truth that is in it I need desire no Patron For great is the truth and it will prevail Yet notwithstanding the sonnes of truth as farre as the truth appears to them in truth will own it and contend for it and doubtlesse so will You. I am Sirs A Petitioner to heaven for Sions this Kingdoms and your prosperity M. C. TO THE READER OUr Lord Jesus Christ in the eighteenth Chapter of Luke from the first to the eighth verse from the example of the importunate widdow stirring up his Disciples to importunate praier he there assures them That God will surely hear the praiers of his own elect that cry to him day and night and avenge them of their adversaries and this he will doe for them though he make them tarry long And hereby Saints may be assured That God will hear their frequent importunate praiers which night and day they have put up against the man of sinne the Beast and their Babylonian enemies who have troden the Saints under feet and made warre against them and overcome them and dealt cruelly with them above this twelve hundred years and that he will at last avenge them on these their enemies But saies our Saviour at the eighth verse Neverthelesse when the Sonne of man cometh shall he finde faith on earth Whereby he implies That when hee cometh his people shall scarce have faith to beleeve that hee will thus avenge them on their enemies But when he shall come to doe it it will be beyond their faith And even thus is it with Saints now they have scarce faith to believe that the Lord Jesus hath now begun and is going on to avenge his own elect on their adversaries the mysticall Babylonians Now for the strengthening of the faith of Saints concerning this thing I doe present them with this ensuing Discourse wherein as the Lord hath discovered it to me to the strengthening of my faith concerning the prosperity of Sion henceforward and giving me great joy and pleasure therein I have made it to appeare from the Scriptures That the Lord hath already lifted up his Saints from under the vassalage of their enemies and hath begunne to put the cup of trembling into the hands of them that afflicted them Which I desire that all that love and honour the Lord Jesus may diligently observe For the most high God of whom and through whom and to whom are all things and for whose pleasure they are and were created both whose wisdome and knowledge are unfathomable tels his people of old by the Prophet Isaiah as wee have it in the fourty eighth Chapter of his Prophesie at the third and the fifth verses That he declared from the beginning the things hee would bring to passe and that he shewed it them before it came to passe and he gives the reason why he did so in the fourth and fifth verses Because said hee I knew
indeed the Lord Jesus Christ that doth order and dispose all things in and concerning his Church and all things in the world and therefore it is that all power is given unto him in heaven and earth Mat. 28. He is the King of the holy hill of Sion Psalm 2. And he must rule the Nations with a rod of iron and break them in peeces like a Potters vessel and he must raign untill he have put all his enemies under his feet Rise and measure The Lord Jesus doth not leave his people in the hand of enemies nor under the rod of the wicked in a carelesse manner as if he did not care how much they were given up to the hand of the enemies no but they are measured out to affliction and so far as they are measured out unto it so far shall they be under affliction and no farther So God measured Job to affliction All that he hath is in thy power only upon himself put not forth thine hand Job 1. 12. and again Behold he is in thine hand but save his life The wicked shall not goe a hairs-breadth beyond the measure Jesus Christ hath such a tender respect unto all his people in their sufferings that they shall have no more then need 1 Pet. 1. 6. Measure the Temple The word Temple in the old Testament is used only for that House that Solomon built in Jerusalem unto the Lord which was called the Temple of the Lord it being the place wherein God was in a speciall manner present and wherein he would in a speciall manner be worshipped But in the new Testament it is used first for the Church the Saints of God of which that Temple was a figure for as God was in a speciall manner present in that Temple so he is in a speciall manner present in his people And so we have it 2 Cor. 6. 16. For ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 1 Cor. 6. 19. What know ye not that your bodies are the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you c. and thus the word Temple in the new Testament is used for the Saints as the Temple was a figure of them as they have a speciall presence of God in them Which is likewise spoken of Isay 66. 1 2. Thus faith the Lord the Heaven is my Thron and the Earth is my foot-stool where is the house that ye build unto me and were is the place of my rest for all these things hath my hand made and all these things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even unto him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my word So that he that is of a poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at the word of God shall be the house the Temple of God As we have it also Isay 57. 15. But secondly The word Temple in the new Testament as it is used for those in whom there is a speciall presence of God so it is used to signify that means by which knowledge and instrustion is given out as the Temple of old was the place where people were to receive instruction and knowledge And in this sense it is used Rev. 21. 22. And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it This is spoken of the new Jerusalem of that glorious state the Church shall be in when they shall be all taught of God from the greatest to the least Now the word Temple heer in the Text doth signify these Eirst It signifies the Saints of God as they are they in whom God in a speciall manner dwels And Secondly It signifies the Ordinances and means whereby knowledge is dispensed and instruction is received for it is the Saints that are as lights in the World and they both instuct the ignorant and edify one another especially when they are congregated assembled together to worship God according to his own will and to prophesy to edify one another The Temple of God and the Alter and them that worship therein It clearly appears in these words that the word Temple heer includes the Saints both as they are an habitation of God through the spirit and so are his Temple and as they are being assembled together the means of instruction and increasing knowledge and doe worship God aright For least the word Temple should not be full enough to expresse this it is added And the Altar which in the Temple was the place where they worshipped God and them that worship therein Not only the place of worship but the worshippers So that this takes in all Saints as they are a Temple as their assemblies are the place wherein God is worshipped and instruction is given and received and as they are worshippers as Saints worshipping God and possessing God Verse 2. But the Court that is without the Temple The Court is said to be without the Temple as of old the Court was without the Temple and was a more common place not so holy as any part of the Temple was so that the Court heer being without the Temple it is some outside thing it is no part of the Temple Now it being apparent that Saints onely are the Temple of God this Court heer mentioned though it seem to be neer the Temple yet is not the Temple is none of the Saints but some outside professors that seem to the outward eye to be near to Saints as the Court was near to the Temple yet they are not of that holy place they are but an outside they are without the Temple But the Court that is without the Temple leave out or cast out and measure it not Though Jesus Christ have a tender care of his Saints under affliction and they are measured out to the chastisement appointed to them yet hath he no such respect unto such as are not his Though they are professors Though they seem to be near the Temple yet if they be not the Temple though they do professe him yet if they do not possesse him as the Temple doth they must be left out cast out of the care of Jesus Christ But the Court that is without the Temple cast out and measure it not Jesus Christ will not own that as his and therefore it must not be measured For it It was the Temple and the Altar and them that worshipped therin that was measured out to chastisement So then it was it that was to be given unto the Gentiles by measure so that this word for it may be read thus for the Temple Is given unto the Gentiles The word Gentiles in the old Testament when the Temple was in its glory was used to expresse such as were not of the Church of God for the Israelites only were accounted the Church all others were looked upon as
holy one into others the Spirit as it floweth from them sometimes penitrates into those that are strangers aliens to Jesus Christ whereby they are brought home to the imbraces of Jesus Christ and then Saints are excellent in their eyes also And so David cals them Psal 16. 2 3. My goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight And excellent they are Secondly Because they are not only as Olive-trees but as Candle-sticks For as it is said of Jesus Christ so it is said of them They are the light of the world Mat. 5. 14. They are as light shining in a dark place Now how precious is light to them that are continually in a sensible darknesse Light is one of the most precious things in the world it puts a beauty upon other things it chears and comforts the heart it causes men to see the dangers that are in their way that so they may avoid them and many others are the excellent properties of this naturall light but many more are the precious effects of spirituall light And this is that that Saints have though others are in the darknesse of hell yet they enjoy the light of heaven The Lord God almighty and the Lamb are a light unto them Rev. 21. 23. And in this respect also Saints are excellent and precious ones But I would be brief in this particular and therefore shall not further enlarge it Deduction 8. Eighthly The next Deduction in which I shall be brief also is to discover from the fifth verse the dangerous condition of those wicked men that are enemies to Saints Though Saints seem to be poor weak despicable creatures and their enemies in outward appearance seem to be strong and potent and to be overcomers of them yet these seeming weak Saints are strong and mighty for they can but send up a message to heaven and bring secret and invisible arrows from thence which shall destroy their enemies The breath of their mouth kindles coals of fire that destroies their enemies And if any man will hurt them he must with this fire be killed Little doe wicked men think that when they deal cruelly with Saints they bring coals of fire upon their owne heads yet so they doe if they continue irreconcilable enemies unto them There is a notable place to shew the danger men run upon when they offer to wrong the Saints of God it is Zech 12. 3. In that day saith the Lord will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth shall be gathered together against it Though the spirituall Jerusalem the Saints of God had all the people of the earth gathered together against them yet so potent and strong are they through the Lord of host their God as they should overcome them all they should be as a burdensome stone and should crush in pieces all that burden themselves with them Therefore it would be wisdome in men to beware how they offer any violence to any one of the Saints of God either to their lives or liberties how colourable so ever the pretences be upon which they doe it seeing it is such a dangerous thing to abuse Saints as that in wronging them men be devoured or destroied by them And so I have done with this particular also Deduction 9. Ninthly In the next place from the sixth verse might be discovered the reason why there hath been such a hardnesse of heart and impenitency upon the Beast and the Babylonish crew namely because that as a judgement upon them for persecuting the Saints of God the heavens have been so shut up against them as that none of the waters of the spirit have descended upon them But I passe this by with some other particulars that might be observed in that verse Deduction 10. The tenth Deduction is from the seventh verse where it is said The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make warre c. It doth enform us that this title The Beast is the most proper title of the Pope as is evident in the comparing of the several passages in this prophesie where the Beast is mentioned together which is done in the explicatory part of this Discourse where it appears evidently that by the Beast is meant the Pope Now in all the other passages of the prophesie of this book where the Pope is mentioned and in this seventh verse he being called the Beast it is evident that this is his most proper title Though it is true the Pope is Antichristian yet we doe no where in the prophesie of this book nor in any other Scripture where he is expressely spoken of finde the title of Antichrist given to him But generally in the prophesie of this book and in the prophesie of Daniel where there are some things spoken of him he is called the Beast And for the 2 Thess 2. where he is also expresly spoken of and plainly described he is not called there Antichrist neither but is there called That man of sin the son of perdition and that wicked Now it is said there are many Antichrists 1 John 2. 19. But it is no where said There are many Beasts and therefore he is called The Beast and that man of sinne the sonne of perdition and that wicked As we use to say The King of such a Kingdome and The Governour of such a place and The Maior of such a City or Town importing there is but one So the Pope is called The Beast For though there be many Antichrists yet there is but one Beast but one Pope who is The Beast I doe the rather observe this first to discover the exceeding greatnesse of the wickednesse and the abominablenesse of the Pope who for his opposition to God and his enmity to the Saints is exprest by a peculiar title that is proper only to that wicked one to shew that he is above al others hateful and cursed And secondly I doe the rather speak of this because some doe confusedly speak of the Beast and Antichrist confounding the Beast with Antichrist whereas there be many that are and may be called Antichrists especially some that are risen up lately That deny that Jesus is the Christ making themselves equal with the Lord Jesus Christ and who do also deny That Jesus Christ is come in the flesh or at least have a light esteem of Christs coming in the flesh by looking upon that flesh which was so united unto the God-head as when the life of it was laid down it was said to be the life of God 1 John 3. 16. as no more to be esteemed then the flesh of a common man I say these and such as these are Antichrists as is clear 1 John 2. 22. and 1 Joh. 4. 3. But though there be many Antichrists yet there is but one that may be called the
in sackcloth is expired First It may be some cannot receive it because they look for farther judgements to come upon this Kingdome wherein outwardly the Saints may suffer also because of the great provoking sins of this Kingdom as drunkennesse and adulteries and oaths and their entering into so many Covenants concerning religious things for which they have no sufficient warrant now in the times of the Gospel and the oppressions of the poor and meaner sort of people and the great neglect of doing justice generally c. Now to these I say That it is true that if God should deal with this Nation according to its demerits then indeed no other could be expected but an utter desolation of it that it might either swim in bloud or burn with fire untill it were consumed But First I desire you to consider That God hath a very great number of his dear Saints in this Kingdom in whom he delights and for whose sake he may and I had almost said will spare this Kingdome and spare the Cities and Towns and Counties where they are for if God would have spared Sodome for ten righteous persons we have a great ground of hope that he will spare London yea all England from a generall devastation and desolation having thousands of righteous persons in London and in all England a very great number And how many plots of wicked men wherein they endeavoured the ruine of this Kingdome hath God blasted Having such a great number of his precious jewels in it And secondly What though hâ—ere be in this Kingdome many that are great enemies to Jesus Christ yet God can by his Covenant of Grace bring many of them in to the obedience of Christ and make them of persecutors to become eminent Saints and call those his people that were not his people And why should we doubt whether he would do so since these are the times wherein he hath promised to do so and hath already begun to doe it But Thirdly If it be so that some are hardned to destruction and they are never quiet but still are plotting against the just to ruine them yet know they shall not prevail over the Saints but in opposing them shall ruine themselves Zech. 12. 3. as appears in the following Discourse Secondly Doubtfull thoughts may be in others that yet the Saints may be overcome because they see they have so many enemies abroad and at home and they are speaking great words and are still plotting against them To such I say Let them suppose that there were none that did dare to make any opposisition at all in this Kingdome but that all things went smoothly on in the hands of those that are carrying it on and if they could then beleeve that indeed God would not have his Saints in this Kingdome to be troden under foot by the Beast any more Then let them have the same faith to beleeve it now as knowing it is as easie with God to carry on this work over the mountains as over the plains and he will make the great mountain to become a plain before Zerubbabel before his people Zech. 4. 7. He can command those that are preparing warre against them to sit still and proceed no farther and put a fear upon them or if they doe goe on yet he can make it to come to nothing and to be the most effectual way to lay them lower and to raise his people higher Now if any particular man would be as sure of safety as all the Witnesses in generall are then if he be a man in any publike imploiment let him according to his place oppose the Beast and act for the welfare of all that wish well to Sion and doe justice unto all from the highest unto the lowest and be more forward to act for the meanest then for the highest Let him suppose the condition of the meanest man that seeks to him for just things to be his own condition and act for him as hee would be dealt with himself were he in that condition for thus relieving of the poor and distressed ones is most acceptable to the Lord of Sabbath and in so doing I am confident it will go well with him however it go with others Again If he be a private man let him also in his place wish well to Sion and oppose the Beast so shall he also prosper in the prosperity of Sion And now Reader who ever thou art if thou dost receive any benefit of any kinde by reading the ensuing Discourse whether of encouragement consolation information or quickning I beseech thee to return all the glory of it to the most High to whom alone it is due who for that end made use of so weak an instrument in whom if thou be a friend to the Lord Jesus Christ I am Thy friend 〈◊〉 serve thee M. Cary. Revel Chap. 11. from Vers 1. to 14. Verse 1. AND there was given me a reed like a rod and the Angel stood saying Rise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein 2. But the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot fourty and two months 3. And I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore days clothed in sackcloth 4. These are the two Olive-trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth 5. And if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man wil hurt them he must in this manner be killed 6. These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the daies of their prophecy and have power over waters to turn them to bloud and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will 7. And when they shal have finished their testimony the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Aegypt where also our Lord was crucified 9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three daies and an half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth 11. And after three daies and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them Come up hither And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them 13. And the same hour was there a great
instruments in revealing and discovering his minde to his people and building up of his Saints may be to maintain a communion among Saints for if God should reveal himself to all alike then would not his people have such communion one with another as they have to the end they may partake one of anothers gifts and therefore doth it please the Lord to make use of instruments whereas if it pleased him he could have effected all things immediately without means or instruments and since it is so then First It reprehends those that have a low esteem of instruments and sleight and undervalue means upon this ground that God can worke without instruments and without means But let such know that it is the will of God to make use of instruments and in sleighting instruments they contradict his will and as they that sleight the Kings Officers doe sleight the King So they in sleighting the instruments and means that God hath appointed to work by do sleight God himself and they do as much as in them lies endeavor to break the Communion of Saints And surely what ever the pretences of such persons are that doe neglect means and sleight instruments this cometh not from the Spirit of God in them for the Spirit teacheth not to undervalue any means which God hath appointed to be used Though it is true The Spirit teaches us not to idolize means nor to tie God to worke only by means but to acknowledge that God can and sometimes doth worke without means and instruments Though he doth usually work by means and instruments and therefore it is as great an evil on the one side to reject the instruments or means that God uses to work by because he hath not absolutely tied himself to them as on the other side to idolize means or instruments because God doth usually work by them Therefore in the second place Saints are here exhorted to have a high esteem of instruments as being of Gods appointment by whom he will reveal himself to his people and quicken and comfort and build them up upon the true foundation Since the Lord will make use of instruments O Saints doe not you sleight them least you sleight God himself but esteem them very highly in love for their works sake It is the rule of the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 12 13. saies the Apostle there We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake The Apostle knew very well that God could if he had pleased have built up his people without employing some to labour among them in the Word and Doctrine and without the admonitions of men but these being instruments and means of Gods appointment He therefore presses the Saints to esteem very highly of those instruments for that works sake that God had appointed them unto for though Paul and Apollo and Cephas can doe nothing of themselves yet they are to be highly esteemed as being instruments in Gods hand by which God will work And so all the means which God hath appointed for his people to make use of in which he will be found of them and in which he will have Communion with them let them prize and embrace and make use of waiting upon God in the use of them who will be found of them at last and will make it appear that they have not sought him in the use of means in vain Though for a time he seem to be silent towards them yet at last he that shall come will come an I will not tarry It is unquestionably the policy of Satan to take off Saints from using means that they may be deprived of that comfort and benefit which otherwise they might obtain in the use of means Therefore let all Saints beware of such delusions whereby they are drawn to dishonour God in sleighting the instruments and means which he hath appointed and let them be exhorted to embrace means and make diligent use of them for they are blessed that so doe as will appear in the handling of the fifth particular But so much for this third particular The instruments of the divulgation of this Book The fourth particular Is the faithfulnes of those instruments in the divulgation of this book it is exprest in these words Who bare record of the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus and of all things that he saw We see that as the Angel signified it to John so John did not fail in recording any thing of it but he bare record of all things that he saw Whence the Observation is this Observ 4. That when God setteth instruments about a worke which he will have done they must and they shall effect it Jesus Christ will have his secrets declared to his servants and he imploieth John about this work and John doth it punctually he bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus and what of some things Nay of all things which he saw And this truth is further confirmed by two pertinent Scriptures which we have to this effect One is Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared Who will not fear The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie The other is Acts 4. 20. For we cannot but speak the things which wee have seen and heard In both these places it appears that it is not possible for instruments to be silent nor to sit still when God hath spoken to them and given them commission to doe his work First Is it so that when God setteth instruments about a work which he will have done that they must and shall effect it Then this informes us of the reason why Saints fear not persecution nor imprisonment nor death but choose rather to suffer them all then to conceal the truth that is discovered to them or to disert the work they are called to for God having stirred up their spirits and set them about this work they cannot be silent and sit still but shall go on in despite of all opposition to accomplish the worke which God hath appointed them to do Thus did Luther and thus have many other Saints done and many shall doe For if the Lord have spoken they cannot but prophesie speak the things they have seen and heard for their light is not given them to hide it under a bushell but their love to Christ constraines them to hold it forth and the strength of Christ carries them forth Secondly Since it is so it serves to encourage Saints considering that the work that God hath to doe shall surely be accomplished no opposition shall hinder it for though instruments seem to be never so weak yet they must and shall accomplish Gods designs Therefore fear not the day shall break forth and the shaddowes shall fly away and none of the powers of darknesse shall be able to hinder it But I shall say more to this point
feet were as the feet of a Bear and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon gave him his power and seat and great authority And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the Beast and they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make war with him And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue fourty and two months And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwelt in heaven And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world The third place where the enemies of the Temple and the holy City viz. The Saints are described is Rev. 17. 3 4 5 6. as it followeth And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and the woman was arraied in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication and upon her forehead was a name written MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH And I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration Thus now the enemies of the Church the Temple or holy City which in the text in hand are only described by this word the Gentiles in these passages are more largely characterized But these expressions used in these descriptions of these enemies being for the most part very mysterious we have these mysteries opened and unveiled in the 17. Chap. from the 7 vers to the end of the Chapter as it followes And the Angel said unto me wherefore didst thou marvel I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the Beast that carrieth her which hath the seven heads and ten horns The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomelesse pit and goe into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the World when they behold the Beast that was and is not and yet is And here is the minde which hath wisdome The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth and there are seven Kings five are fallen and one is and the other is not yet come and when he commeth he must continue a short space And the Beast that was and is not even he is the eighth and is of the seven and goeth into perdition And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kindome as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast These have one minde and shall give their power and strength unto the Beast These shall make warre with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull And he saith unto me the waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire for God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast untill the words of God shall be fulfilled And the woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth In these words we have the mysterie opened of what is delivered in the 12 13 and 17. Chapters concerning the Beast and the Woman and the Heads and the Horns and the many waters which are all mysterious expressions and hard to be understood as those were Dan. 7. from the 1 to the 9 ver untill the interpretation was given to Daniel at the 16 verse and so on but the Angel having in this 17 Chap. opened these mysteries now the meaning of them is more apparent So that First If it be queried What is the Beast We have it answered verse 8. in these words The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and go into perdition Now by comparing this with some passages in the 12 and 13. Chapters we shall plainly see what the Beast is In the 11. Chap. at the 9 verse the Dragon there mentioned is said to be That old serpent called the Devill and Satan which deceiveth the whole world And in the 13. Chap. at the 1 and 2. verses it is said That a Beast did rise up out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten Crowns and upon his heads the names of blasphemy and the Beast was like unto a Leopard and his feet were as the feet of a Bear and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority So then The Beast that hath seven heads and ten horns and is like unto a Leopard c. is some wicked one in whom the devil raigns who hath power and a seat and great authority in the earth which power and seat and great authority was given unto him of the devil And though that wicked one that hath that devilish power and authority be distinct from the devil as he that receives is distinct from him that gives yet they are so one as the devill is said to be in the Beast for what the Beast is said to doe the devill is said to doe for in the 13. Chapter at the 7 vers it is the Beast that is said to make war with Saints but in the 12. Chapter at the 17 verse the devill is said to doe it And again they are so one as the Beast is said to be the devill and therefore when the Angel comes to declare what the Beast is in the fore-mentioned place saies he The Beast shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit It is not said he shall receive his authority from him that ascends out of the bottomlesse pit though that be the meaning of it as before appears but He shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit to shew the onenesse of the devil and the Beast Thus the mysterie of the Beast is unfolded and it appears that the Beast is a wicked one that hath
testimony of Jesus were they that did prophesie in sackcloth I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore daies clothed in sackcloth Jesus Christ having in the former verse declared that the holy City should be troden under foot which is the afflicted condition of the Church he doth here declare what supplies they should have in that condition in that he saies that he would give unto them this gift that they should prophesie Though they are to be destitute of outward comforts and outward liberties by the enemies persecuting of them yet they are to have inward comforts the Lord will reveal his secrets to them which shall exceed all outward comforts they shall have the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophesie I will give unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore daies That this one thousand two hundred and threescore daies is a thousand two hundred and threescore years appears in pag. 59 60 c. Where it is evident that it is the same term of time with that in the former verse and with that in former passages of this book and that the meaning of them all is a thousand two hundred and threescore years there appears Cloathed in sackcloth While the Church was in the materiall Babylon they were in a sad and mourning posture for they wept and hung their harps on willows and could not sing the songs of Sion So the Church now being in mysticall Babylon and insulted over by their enemies God having for a time given them to be troden under foot by them they are in mourning sad and sable garments clothed in sackcloth though they inwardly enjoy the discoveries of the bosome secrets of the Father the comforts of the Spirit though they have the Spirit of prophesie yet they prophesie in sackcloth their out-side their cloathing is sackcloth to the outward eye they are in a sad posture and they cannot be otherwise while they are under the power and tyrany of Babylon Verse 4. These are the two Olive-trees These that is these two Witnesses are the two Olive-trees In that they are said to be the two Olive-trees it implies it hath reference unto some passage of Scripture wherein there is a former mention of them Now the place where they are mentioned is Zech. 4. so that Zechariah doth prophesie of these two Witnesses under the expression of two Olive-trees and therefore the holy Ghost mentioning the Witnesses here declares that these are they that are elsewhere called the two Olive-trees Now in that place Zech. 4. 4. we finde that the Prophet doth ask the Angel What these be And then the Angel makes this answer This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel saying not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts Who art thou ô great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings crying Grace Grace unto it Now this is somewhat a mysterious answer but thus much appears in it That though the Saints seem to be little in the eyes of men and their enemy whether it be the materiall Babylon or the mystical Babylon seem to be a great mountain as if it were impossible for the Saints to remove their mountainous enemy yet they shall be removed out of their way the great mountain shall become a plain before them and those Saints that seem to be little but as an handfull to a mountain they shall when the great mountain is become a plain again become a glorious Temple and when it shal be thus there shall be shoutings crying Grace Grace unto it And this appears to be spoken of the two Witnesses in the Text for they have seemed to be small and little and their enemy a great mountain but undoubtedly this mountain shall become a plain before them and they shall again become a glorious Temple a mountain of holinesse the praise of the whole earth But the Prophet at the 12 verse is said again to ask the Angel What the Olive-branches are and receives this further answer These be the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth here is another description of them in which it is most evident that by the two Olive-trees is meant the Saints Servants and Witnesses of Jesus Christ for this is a plain character of Saints for first Saints are anointed ones and are said to be anointed 2 Cor. 1. 21. and are said to have received an unction from the holy One 1 Joh. 2. 20. Again secondly as Saints are anointed ones so it is they only that can come into the presence of God it is they only that can enter into the Holy of Holies by the new and living way which Jesus Christ hath made for them Now by this time it is clear That by the two Olive-trees is meant all Saints for they are anointed ones and they stand in the presence of God they then are the two Olive-trees which have prophesied cloathed in sackcloth and though they have been but as a handfull compared with that great mountain the Beast so that they could not prevail by might nor by power yet by that unction by that anointing that Spirit that is upon them they shall prevail These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candle-sticks These Witnesses are also said to be candle-sticks because all Saints as they are anointed ones so they are the light of the world Mat. 5. 14. they are light in the Lord and they shine as lights amidst a crooked and perverse generation These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth The wicked saith the Psalmist shall not stand in thy presence neither shall evil dwell with thee It is indeed onely the prerogative of those holy ones that are washed in the bloud of the Lamb that are unblameable and unreprovable in his sight and to these doth hee hold out the golden scepter of his grace and these do stand in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth Verse 5. And if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies The Saints in a sence are the Judges and Executioners of their enemies Behold a King saith the Prophet Isa 32. 1 shall raign in righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in judgment speaking of the raign of the Lord Jesus and his Saints ruling with him so that as he judgeth so doe they and they passe sentence with him upon their enemies and therefore is it here said If any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies That is that breath of the spirit that proceedeth out of their mouth in their praiers doth both pronounce the sentence and bring down the fire of wrath upon their enemies And this is clear Revel 8. 3. for there it appears That when
and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies These that are here exprest by those titles of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations are some that are distinct from the Witnesses for they are said to see their dead bodies so that they are another sort of people that is they are not Saints are not of the holy City but of the people and kindreds and nations of the World Shall see their dead bodies three daies and a half Those daies as these mentioned in the 3. verse are propheticall daies so that by these three daies and a half is meant three years and a half And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three daies and a half and shall not suffer them to be put in graves These people and kindred and nations and tongues though they be not of the Witnesses and Saints yet they are not for the Beast but doe help the Saints against the Beast for they are said to keep the dead bodies of the Saints from being put in graves when the Beast had overcome the Saints so as they seemed to be quite lost they seemed to be dead then they would not suffer them to be interred though they were brought low yet they would not suffer them to be brought so low but kept them from being totally removed out of sight from being put into a condition wherein they should not be in such a capacity of rising as when they were unburied Sutable to this is that passage Rev. 12. 16. where it is said when the Dragon poured out waters as a floud after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the floud that then the earth helped the Woman and opened her mouth and swallowed up the floud Here it is evident that the Church being followed by the Beast with a floud of persecution that the people of the earth doe keep off the fury of the Beast from destroying the Church utterly so that the people of the earth are made instruments of helping the Saints against the persecution of the Beast And so it was in the late warre in England the Lord made some such as were but carnall and prophane to be instruments of helping the Saints from being totally overcome of the Beast for those of the Saints that were in the Parliaments Army that fought against the Beast were but a small number compared with the others in that Army that were not Saints And indeed it is very wonderfull to consider how by an over-ruling providence the hearts of carnall men were commanded to stand up in the defence of the Witnesses against the Beast for there were many thousands that did engage themselves with the Parliament in their defensive warre that were not the Witnesses Thus God made them of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations to be instruments of keeping the bodies of the Witnesses from being put in graves from being put totally under the earth under the Beast although they were brought so low as they were as dead in their own and the account of the Beast Vers 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another They that were the adherents of the Beast are here expressed by this character They that dwell upon the earth For this is a character most proper to them and is most usually used to expresse the Beast and his faction in the prophesie of this Book as Chap. 16. 1. where the seven Angels are bid to pour out their viols upon the earth which was upon the Beast and his adherents as appears throughout the Chapter and so again in the 6 verse of this 11. Chap. it is said The Witnesses had power to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will Which is peculiarly spoken of the members of the Beast for it is they that the Witnesses doe more especiall plague and so it is they I say that are here thus expressed They that dwell upon the earth They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another The Witnesses being overcome and lying for dead they that are of the Beast do therin rejoyce and expresse a great deal of delight that they have in it and make themselves as merry with it as possibly they may and a mad mirth it is And thus they did here in England for that three years and a half that the Witnesses seemed to be dead For in Oxford and other places where they that were for the Beast were resident they had feasting drinking healths and ringing bels and making bonfires and roaring and carousing and swearing and cursing and banning and damning and all the hellish mirth they could invent And why Because the Puritans and Round-heads and Anabaptists Brownists and Tub-preachers as they termed the Witnesses were overcome They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth The Witnesses Prophets Saints of Jesus Christ doe kill plague and torment those that dwell upon the earth that is those that were members of the Beast and how they doe so hath been shewed in the opening of the 5 and 6. verses and because they doe so is the reason why they are so hated of them and why they doe so much rejoyce in the casting down of them for they cannot endure those torments that the Prophets of Jesus doe inflict upon them when they hold forth the truth of Christ so as to overthrow their devilish doctrines and turn their waters into bloud when they doe so hold forth the truth as to throw down the pomp and pride of their Clergy they cannot endure this and when they doe declare against the sottishnesse and blindnesse and prophanenesse of the people which they nourish up and admit to partake of sealing Ordinances this proves a torment to them as doth also the holding forth of other truths of Christ which doe oppose them in their lusts and in their crooked waies and because the Saints doe so torment the Beasts crew therefore doe they rejoyce so much when they have any hope of rooting them out Vers 11. And after three daies and a half the Spirit of life from God entred into them As the late war made by the Beast against the Witnesses doth fully agree with all the circumstances of it laid down in the former verses so it agrees exactly with what is laid down in this verse also for after the Witnesses had been in so low a condition as they were as Paul was when he was stoned supposed to be dead for three years and a half they did not lie as dead a day longer but at the very day when the three years and a half were expired then the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they began to stand upon their feet
and that the number of these so fallen from the Beast is no lesse then seven thousand And this was the effect of the great earth-quake And in the earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven This remnant here spoken of are distinct from the Witnesses whether they be such as were for the Beast or others they are not of the Witnesses but were some that were affrighted at the Witnesses having a spirit of life from God put upon them and their standing upon their feet and therefore not of them but some others and they were not of the seven thousand neither because they are said to be the remnant or the residue So then the meaning of this clause is this that the raising up of the Witnesses in such an eminent manner to the shaking of great Babylon did so work upon the residue of people as were not of the Witnesses nor of the seven thousand as that either they were affrighted at it or had their mouths opened to glorifie God in it or both And thus it was in the year 1645. the generality of people both in the Kingdome and in others that either saw or heard of the great things God did for the Saints were either affrighted and amazed at it or else did glorifie God in working so wonderfully as he did for when God did worke so wonderfully and beyond expectation in giving victory upon victory and successe upon successe unto his people so as they seemed to be as them that dreamed I say when God did thus then the generality of people did admire and acknowledge God in it and give him the glory of it They glorified the God of heaven that had done such great things in such an unexpected manner and in so short a time And thus the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven Verse 14. The second woe is past and behold the third woe cometh quickly In the 8. Chapter at the 13. verse it is said That an Angel did flie thorow the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice woe woe woe to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three Angels which are yet to sound And at the 9. Chapter in the former part of that Chapter there being a description of a great judgement of God upon wicked men such as had not the seal of God in their fore-heads at the 12. verse it is said One woe is past and behold there come two woes more hereafter And now upon the resurrection of the Witnesses which brings in such a great earth-quake at the same hour with it which gives such a terrible blow to Babylon and the Beast it is said in this verse That the second woe is past and the third woe cometh quickly So that there remaineth one great woe more to come upon the inhabiters of the earth And what this woe is which is to come now quickly upon the inhabiters of the earth wil be appears in the following verses of this Chap. as the taking off the Kingdoms of this world from the Beast and from all others to be subjected only to our Lord and his Christ for him to raign over them for ever and ever c. and now that the Witnesses are risen this is to be expected and that quickly and that to the great joy of all Saints and to the casting down of all their enemies that are implacable And thus much for the Explication of that part of the Chapter which at this time I intended to treat of I now come to draw some Deducations from it wherewith I shall conclude this Treatise The Application THese verses being thus opened many profitable Deductions doe arise there-from But I shall passe by some of them and be as brief as I may in others that are points fully and sweetly held forth by others in other Treatises because I shall take liberty to be more large in some things that are not as yet clearly held forth in print by any other that I have heard of Deduction 1. That Deduction that first in order arises from the first verse is a word of Comfort for all afflicted Saints and the word of Comfort for such is this That all their afflictions whatever they be are measured out unto them by their God who hath a tender love unto them and care over them in their affliction The Saints of God who are his Temple and the holy and beloved City we see here are measured out unto an afflicted sad condition and their afflictions come not at randome nor according to the will of their enemies no but they are measured unto affliction and their enemies could have no power over them but that they were by their God given unto the Gentiles to be troden under foot otherwise it could not have been possible for the Gentiles to have troden them under foot Now since it is Gods act towards his people it must needs be for their good and therefore Paul speaking of the afflictions and the sufferings that Saints undergoe speaks of it as their priviledge Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake And the holy Ghost in the Prophesie of Micah speaks of the rod of affliction as of the food of the people of God Micah 7. 14. Feed thy people with thy rod the flock of thine heritage which dwell solitarily in the wood And as in Micah God is said to feed his people with his rod so he is said to comfort them with his rod for saith David Psal 23. 4. Thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me And therefore let Saints in an afflicted condition be comforted in this consideration That their affliction what ever it be is that which comes not by chance as men use to say nor according to the wils of men but their God hath dispenced it out unto them who doth it in great wisdome and great love and gives them out affliction as their priviledge as their food and for their comfort O therefore let poor souls in affliction be no more cast down and walk no more heavily nor goe mourning all the day long no more because of their afflictions but walk comfortably under afflictions because they come from a loving God who hath appointed them thereunto 1 Thes 3. 3. Deduction 2. In the second place it serves to enforme us That it is of God that enemies do rise up against the Saints for we see here that the Gentiles the mystical Babylonians were by God appointed to afflict the people of God to tread the holy City under foot before ever they had a being Now as God doth in love suffer his people to be afflicted So in wrath he usually gives up wicked men to be the instruments of afflicting his people For as the sufferings of Saints worke out for them a greater weight
of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. So the wrongs and violence that wicked men doe offer unto the Saints doth procure for them a greater weight of vengeance And therefore the Apostle Phil. 1. 28. bids the Saints To be in nothing terrified by their adversaries which is to them saith he an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God And 2 Thess 1. 6. It is saith he a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation unto them which trouble his Saints So that God raises up wicked men to afflict his people that he may pour out the fuller viols of wrath upon them And therefore when God told Pharaoh That he would at that time send all his plagues upon his heart and upon his servants and people Exod. 9. 14. saith he at the 16. verse And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared thorowout all the earth So that no enemy can rise up against the people of God but it is of God and God usually doth it that he may pour out the fuller viols of wrath upon them I say usually it is so but it is not alwaies so for some enemies of Saints are sometimes chosen vessels as Paul was but ordinarily it is so and so it shall be with the Beast for both Babylon of old and this mystical Babylon after they had afflicted and oppressed the people of God so much as was before ordained were appointed to take off the dregs of that cup of trembling which they put into the hands of the people of God Isa 51. 21 22 23. Hear now thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine thus saith thy Lord the Lord and thy Gad that pleadeth the cause of â—is people behold I have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling even the dregs of the cup of my fury thou shalt no more drink it again but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee which have said to thy soul Bowe down that we may goe over and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over And how this was done and shall be done both to the materiall and the mysticall Babylon appears at large in the 47. Chapter of Isaiah and the 51. of Jeremiah and the 18. of the Revelation besides in severall other Scriptures Now then we may cease to wonder why wicked men doe prevail so much and continue so long in doing violence unto Saints for we see it is of God for ordinarily he suffers it that vengeance may fall the heavier upon them at last Babylon hath multiplied her abominations for a long time and made her selfe drunk with the bloud of Saints but at last she shall be rewarded double for all the cruelties she hath done to the Saints Deduction 3. Thirdly Saints are here instructed to beware how they be too hasty to get out of an afflicted condition and especially to beware how they use any indirect means that so they may come the sooner out of affliction for it is vain and sinfull for them so to doe for the time how long they shall remain in an afflicted condition is fixed by the Father and so long they shall remain under affliction though they strive and struggle never so much to come sooner out of it For we see here the holy City was to be troden under foot of the Gentiles to be in an afflicted condition fourty and two months and so long they did abide in that condition it may be they might expect deliverance the first moneth of years but if not then yet the second moneth when sixty years were expired they might then hope deliverance was near For the materiall Babylon held the people of God but seventy years but yet deliverance came not in three nor four nor five nor twenty moneths of years but when they had been five hundred years under persecution there came no deliverance from the tyranny of the Beast but the Saints were to remain seven hundred years longer and why because the time appointed for deliverance was not come till then The decree was past that the holy City should be trod under foot fourty and two moneths and the decree being past so long it must and so long it did remain to be troden under foot It is wisdome therefore for Saints quietly to submit to the will of their God in affliction and not to be too hasty to get out before the appointed time of their God be come but if he tarry they must wait Deduction 4. Fourthly In the next here is a further word of Consolation to Saints in affliction and that is That when the time of affliction in which they are to abide under affliction is expired then they shall be delivered out of affliction and nothing shall longer prolong their affliction for we see that though the holy City must be trod under foot fourty and two moneths yet when that time is expired they must be delivered The rod of the wicked must not alway rest upon the lot of the righteous No the Father hath appointed a time wherein deliverance must come The Saints must not alwaies be laid low and therefore saith the Church Micah 7. 8. Rejoyce not against me ô mine enemy when I fall I shall rise again So though the Witnesses be cloathed in sack-cloth a long time yet it shall not be alwaies so They shall at last have beauty for ashes the oil of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse Isa 61. 3. And though they have for a time lien among the pots yet shall they be as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her fethers with yellow gold Psal 68. 13. And of this we are to be confident under any affliction that we shall have deliverance and nothing shall be able to hinder it when the appointed time for our deliverance is come though not before Deduction 5. Fifthly In the next place Is it so that Jesus Christ hath had some that have prophesied during all the twelve hundred and odde years that the Beast hath tyrannized over the Saints during all the time the Saints have been under the bondage of mysticall Babylon then this may serve to convince those of their errour who will not hear such as they acknowledge to be real Saints to hold forth the word of truth the Testimony of Jesus to the edification exhortation and comfort of others and the reason why they will not hear them is because they conceive that since the rising up of the Beast and the Babylonish darknesse there hath been no true Pastors nor Teachers nor Prophets Now for the convincing of those of their errour herein I shall be the more large in this Use endeavouring to make it clearly to appear to be their great weaknes And now you that lie under this scruple in the spirit of love and meeknesse I desire
the Revelation is called the word of God But I still acknowledge That Jesus Christ is more eminently the word of God he being the originall of it for as God doth all things else by Jesus Christ so he gives out his Word by him and Jesus Christ gives testimony to it which is the next instruction arising from the point and comes now to be spoken of Thirdly Is it so That this Book of the Revelation is the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ Then this may informe us that as this so all the Scriptures doe as truly come from Jesus Christ as from God the Father for he gives testimony to what the Father saies What the Father declares he witnesses and testifieth the same and therefore he is said to be The faithfull witnesse Rev. 1. 5. And it is said of him 1 Cor. 1. 20. For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen So much of the first particular the subject matter of this Book I come now to the second which is The reason of the divulgation of this Book and that is contained in these words Which God gave unto Jesus Christ to shew unto his servants From whence arises this Observation Observ 2. That it is the pleasure of God to have his servants acquainted with his secrets and to know what is his minde concerning things to come This we see was the reason of the divulgation of this Book because it was the minde of God to have his servants acquainted with it a sutable place to this is that John 15. 15. Henceforth saith Jesus Christ I call you not servants for the servant knoweth no what his Lord doth but I call you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you and Psalm 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them of his covenant So that it is a clear truth That it is the pleasure of God to have his servants acquainted with his secrets and to know his minde concerning things to come It being so in the first place it teaches Saints to admire and magnifie the love of the Father that doth expresse himself so graciously to them as to afford them that honour to be as his friends in râ—vealing his secrets to them It is a remarkable passage Amos 3. 7. Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his Servants the Prophets Oh what a high savour is this that the Lord should engage himself that he will doe nothing but he will reveal it unto his servants As a tender Husband unbosomes himself and discovers his secrets to his beloved Wife and cannot with-hold them from her So the Lord God doth expresse his tender love unto his servants in revealing his secrets to them and he will doe nothing but he will discover it unto them What cause have Saints now to admire and extoll that rich Grace of God that is extended to them herein Secondly Doth the Lord reveal his secrets unto his servants Then ought they to be dilligent observers of what he reveals unto them Revealed things are said to belong unto us and if they belong unto us then it behoves Saints to observe them and to improve them to those ends for which they are discovered to us and if we should come short of it we should demean our selves very unworthily When a man reveals his secret unto his dear friend if his friend should slight him in it and take no notice of what he discovers to him he were a very unkinde and a very unworthy friend But how much more may we be said to carry our selves unkindly and unworthily if we should slight the love of our God in revealing his secrets to us by not being diligent in observing of them Since it pleases the Lord to reveal to his servents things to come it well becomes them to observe them exactly And so much of the second particular The reason of the divulgation of this Book I come now to the third which is the instruments of the divulgation of this Book which is contained in these words Who sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John So that the Angel and John were employed as instruments in that work From whence the Observation is this Observ 3. That though Jesus Christ could reveal immediately to al his servants all these things revealed in this Book yet it pleased him to chuse rather to doe it by instruments If it had pleased him he might have revealed these things to all his people in all ages since John immediately by his own Spirit but he chuses rather to doe it by the writings of John which he preserves and keeps up in a high esteem in the hearts of all his Saints as his own infallible and unquestionable truth and testimony or else he might have sent a John or some Prophet of his to have revealed these things by mouth unto his people in every age age after age but he chuses rather to doe it by revealing it to John so many hundreds of years agoe and his writings must be the instruments of revealing these things unto his people and he might have revealed those things unto John immediately himself without any other instrument but he chuses to signifie it by his Angel to his servant John So he might teach and edifie and build up his people immediately but he chuses rather to doe it by instruments by Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists and Pastors and Teachers which he hath appointed For the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfectman c. Ephes 4. 11 12 13. So he might likewise have revealed himself immediately to all his people of old but generally it pleased him to make use either of Angels or of his servants the Prophets to be the instruments of revealing his minde unto his people then Now the reasons why it pleaseth God usually to make use of instruments to effect his designs by may be these The first is that which is the reason of all his doings his own will He makes use of instruments because it is his will to make use of instruments for his will is the reason and the rule of all his actions Secondly But a subordinate reason to this may be to shew his soveraignty over al his people therefore he sends them about his work they being all at his royall command As a Prince hath power over all that are in his dominion saying to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he commeth and to another doe this and he doth it So the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords maketh it to appear that he hath all his servants at his beck by sending of them about severall employments Thirdly Another reason why he maketh use of