had not our neighbour Nation owned proclaimed him whom they did the hand of providence had never raised this storm against them I do not lay this down as a certain Conclusion for Judicia Dei non sunt temere discutienda sed formidoloso silentio veneranda t is only my perswasion which you may receive or reject as God shall guide your hearts Yet I am not more confident that this book of the Bible came out of the mouth of God then that the childe is born who shall see a general tottering and shivering to peices of Thrones and Scepters and that-upon this account the quarrel that is already one foot between Christ and Antichrist Begin at forty one or thereabouts and make up a Century and observe it in your dayes and then leave it to your children to be observed by them if this now current Century I say be not more fatal to most or all that hold Scepters in their hands but especially to Europaean Scepters then ever any was since this World began The text is express Rev. 16.14 16.18 Chiefly in reference to Kings who being confederate in a crafty war having fair pretentions but exceeding bad intentions marched in the head of their Regiments against indeed Christ and his Kingdom but a Divine Anathema or curse falls upon them there is an Earthquake raised such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great to answer the greatness of the adversaries engaged against him to shake to pieces those great and mighty ones of the Earth which an ordinary Earthquake could not have effected But how can this be for t is said Rev. 17.16 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 The Pope falls by them and not they by adhering to the Pope First I answer what I have sayd to this particular you see I have built upon plain Scriptures and I think according to the sense and mind of the Holy Ghost in them Secondly by Hornes here it is not needfull to understand Kings in the strictness and formality of the Notion and my reason is gathered from Rev 17.9.10 The seven Heads are also seven Kings five are fallen and one is Here Consuls Tribunes Decemvirs Dictators are called by the Holy Ghost Kings when as we know strictly they were not so onely they had Supream power in their hands Thirdly What Protestant whose eyes are open doth not see that most or all the Kings of Europe in their present posture are directly framed for the Popes interest Indeed his and their now interest make up one Linsey Woolsey piece they are so interwoven and mixt that Christ must be fain to open the whole fabrick of Kingly Government to the very foundations thereof before the cursed roots and seeds of the mystery of iniquity will be got out Will you tell me that he who lately swayed the Scepter here and he that now endeavours to succeed would ever have been perswaded so to hate as to make war against Pope and Papists for the setting up in the World Gospel-Ordinances in their purity and power and if it cannot be expected from the present Protestant Princes can it in reason be hoped for from the present Popish Princes therefore they are in no small danger most or all of them to be shaken quite to peices by the Earthquake Fourthly the strength of a beast to do his greatest hurt lies in his horns they are the highest and most eminent parts of him and so by ten hornes is meant only the supream power of the ten Nations by what names or Titles soever they are called Christ by the Earthquake will shake down those powers in whom are found a deal of carnal Popish dregs and set up those in their room that are men of other spirits pares negotio fit for such a business as Christ hath in hand Doubtless the ten horns are the ten Supream Powers of Europe who shal do the deed that is so much desired and prayed for of all the Saints And now if any man herein differ from me let him differ I judge him not God forbid that in ruining Antichrist I my self should be so Antichristian as to attempt to Lord it over the faith of any man Why should I be offended that thou canst not see that which I see nor believe as I belive if God intends thee good I doubt not but he 'l find a time to reveal even this unto thee that one civil Government is no more of Divine right then another and that thy Conscience ought not to engage or give it self up in perpetuum to any one of them but thou art free from Oaths Convenants when t is sufficiently clear God hath layd aside that civil power to whom thou didst so swear or Covenant Onely I think it but reason to entreat this of thee that fancy Conscience void of argument custome novelty of the things delivered private ends and aims self interest may not be layd in the ballance against me these are poor beggarly chaffi◠irrational things be carefull to start from me upon some solidity of reason I do profess in the sight of God that as I have balked nothing for fear of any mans displeasure for though I respect and honour many men yet so far as I know my own heart I fear no man so neither have I brought in or delivered any thing purposely to grieve or provoke any mans spirit I hope I have otherwise learned Christ You have it in the singleness of my heart so as God brought it to my hand The fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the seat of the beast Rev. 16.10 11. Here Expositors do generally pitch upon the City of Rome to be this seat of the beast But sure t is not sense to speak of the destruction of Babylon till Euphrates be dryed up which is under the sixrh Vial and you must know that the Vials are placed in this Chapter according to the order of events or transactions and therefore the Popes material seat cannot be destroyed by this Vial. The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he poured his vial upon the Throne of the Beast By Throne in Scripture is often meant that Government with any person or state sitting upon that Throne do set up and administer as Ps 89.29 So then consider that form of Government the Pope sets up and exercises in all his Churches throughout the World A throne you know admits but of one finde a Government where one alone doth rule and what can this be but Episcopacy Episcopacie is a is a Government where one and no more hath the Throne or Seat all the rest keep their distance and are under Command There were holy and learned men as Beza Cartwright Bains Parker who cast some drops of wrath upon this Seat but t was not long ere all Scotland got the
shall deliver him I find upon search That when Christ is going in good earnest to set up his Kingdom in the name and glory of it there is a great hazard I may say downfall of Kings I shall make this good to you from four scriptures The first of them is Psal 2. ver 2. The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take councel together against the Lord and against his Christ This Peter saith was fulfilled at Christs apprehension tryal and death Act. 4.25 26 27. Herod Pontius Pilate the Chief Priests and others consulted and set themselves against him when he had but given out some hints of his Kingship This was that which stirred them up so against him Tell us art thou the King of the Iews And when Pilate was minded to let him go they cryed out He that makes himself a King speaks against Caesar whereupon Pilate went and passed Sentence upon him When there was but some talk that Christ would set up a Kingdom they presently band themselves against him and he dyes for 't and so they think they have broke the Cordes of his Government asunder as t is vers 3. In the 4. verse God laughs at them being wroth verse 5. Speaks that which vexes them Yet or notwithstanding all their combined powers and policies against him have I set him up King of Sion verse 6. And says God I will declare the decree thou art my son this day have I begotten thee verse 7. This was fulfil'd in his raising him up from death to life Act. 13.33 God hath passed an Eternal Decree concerning his Son That when they should kill and bury him he would the third day bring him forth out of the womb of the grave and own him for his Son and set him at his own right hand there to intercede and his intercession should not be in vain Ask of me says the Father to him and I will give the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession ver 8. As if he had said I will set thee in possession of thy inheritance which shall have the uttermost parts of the earth for its boundary according to that Psal 72.8 He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth For God to declare the Decree is to act it for Dei discere est facere When the time is at hand he must be thus set in actual possession of all the Dominion and Greatness and Glory that God hath promised him if the Kings of the earth did set themselves and the Rulers took councel together against him when he did but speak somewhat of his Kingly Office how much more will they do it then when they see his throne a building and his Kingdom a going up to the no small prejudice of their Interest Revel 11.15 17 18. When he begins to put forth and act his Great Power and do something towards taking the Kingdoms of this world into his own hands and reign then the Nations are angry at him that is they act against him in their anger wherein Kings are chief as you may see Rev. 16.14 16. But do they carry it no and thy wrath is come Rev. 11.18 Christ in his wrath fights the battel with them in Armageddon that is where he gives them a most remarkable overthrow and destruction which this 2. Psal expresses plainly Thou shalt break them with a rod of Iron and dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel v. 9. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth v. 10. as if he said look You well to your selves be his servants without Complement and rejoyce with trembling when he comes about this work v. II. Kiss the Son with kisses of Reverence kisses of Obedience lest he be angry and then a little thing will provoke him and so ye perish in the mid-way in the mid-way of your plots enmities oppositions of him for if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all those those Kings and Rulers especially that have Wisdom and Faith to get interest in him and be of his side those that have not the fire of his wrath will certainly consume them ver 12. The second Scripture is Isaiah 24. ver 18.19 20. Marlorat who professes to have taken the marrow and substance of his Comment out of Vatablus Luther Musculus Calvin Oecolampadius Pagnin c. hath these very words upon the latter end of the eighteenth ver pertinet autem proprie hic contextus ad Papistus nostros Christ in this Prophesie says he chiefly intends the Popish State Upon a following verse he hath these words ' hoc vaticinium proprie ad Christi regnum pertinet this other part of the Prophesie doth chiefly respect the kingdom of Christ he means his glorious kingdom expressed in the last words of the Chapter The Popish and Gospel-opposing World is here set out by the Earth as it is also in diverse places of the Revelations Rev. 14.19 Chap. 16.1 Here is mention of heavy transgression according to Rev. 18.5 Her sins are reach'd up to heaven The transgression is sayd to be so heavy upon it that the foundations of the Earth shake reel to and fro yea are utterly broken down fall and rise no more the same you may read Rev. 16 18 19. and Rev. 18.21 And it shall come to pass in that day that is in the day of the Earthquake that the Lord shall punish the Host of the high ones that are on high Who are they I take the next words to be Exegetical why the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth ver 21. The most of the Kings and high Ones of the Earth will be Engaged aganst him enough to make an Host whom Christ will fall upon and punish upon the Earth with temporal judgement according as you have heard when he is abought to Raign before his Ancients gloriously as 't is ver 23. If this Prophesie have been at all fulfilled it will doubtless be much more fulfilled in that day for Prophesies many times have a gradual fulfilling The third Scripture is Psalm 110. Sit on my right hand till I make thy Enemies thy footstool ver 1. Concerning those Enemies you may get some light out of Luke 19. ver 14. the Citizens hated him and sent this message after him We will not have this man to Raign over us and ver 27. Those mine Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them c. The Father speaks of those who were Enemies to Christ as a King Enemies to his Raigning When Christ had cast down heathenish Idols and Government Rev. 12. in all reason he might have expected in Constantine and following Emperors and ages to have set up his Kingdom but then upstarts the Pope that Beast with his ten horns or Kings who by their smiting and pushing keep Christ out of all Whereat to speak after the manner of men Christ
the seed of Gods people they have lain a great while under the clods as if they had been lost or quite dead but God hath a day wherein his seed shall spring up into a harvest of joy and all that see them shall acknowledge they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed as it is Isa 61.9 Thirdly after these the residue of the Nations shall be the Lords Zach. 8.22 23. Many and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hoasts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. And in those dayes it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you That which was done Act. 2. will not agree to this Text for we do not read of many and strong Nations coming in then You will say how can many and strong Nations come in to Jerusalem at any time Doubtless it will be by Agents or Messengers according to Zach. 7.2 3. when the Jews shall send forth their Emissaries into all Lands to Preach Christ to them there shall go a great blessing a mighty power of the Spirit along that the hearts of the Nations generally shall be mightily taken with them and there shall be certain men out of every Nation and Language authorized to take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew and say we will go up to Jerusalem with you for God and Christ are with you to have the most exact and perfect Directory that we and our whole Nation may worship God aright Once Christ in his Rule and Government was kept within the narrow bounds of Jury then he stretched forth the arms of his power over the Gentiles first the Eastern then the Western Churches but the day is coming wherein he will lift up a Scepter over all the Nations of the world Dan. 7.14 There was given him Dominion Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him He reigns a glorious King indeed that is King of all Kings of all Kingdoms Nations in the Earth Sixthly Christ will then given his People more purity and power of Ordinances then ever the Churches did enjoy Take me I pray you in my own sense Ordinances as they came from the Apostles themselves were pure perfect because they were the immediate inspirations or breathings of the Holy Ghost but consider them in the hands of divers others and in the hands of succeeding Officers and Churches and what Errors yea damnable Doctrines were there presently found amongst them Which increased daily grew worse and worse till at last there came out of the womb of them the great Antichrist But when Christ shall set up this Kingdom whereof we speak there shall be no danger by any gross Errors or seduction by false Teachers Isa 30.25 26. There shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the Towers fall Moreover the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his People and healeth the stroke of their wound These rivers and streams of Ordinances shall break forth in all the Churches in the day of the great slaughter and when the Towers fall i. e. when the Pope and towring Kings shall be brought down Rev. 19 17. to 21. There shall be this wonderfull increase of Gospel-light when God shall heal that spiritual wound the poor Jew lies so sick of to this day when he shall bind up the breach that is between the ten and the two Tribes making them one in faith and love Rev. 22.1 He shewed a pure river of water of life clear as Chrystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Romish Ordinances were the blood of a dead man but the Ordinances of Christs Kingdom shall be a river of life most clear and pure ver 2. In the midst of the street of it and of either side the River was there the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every moneth and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations Christ in his Ordinances will be a wonderfull tree of life bearing both all plenty and all variety of fruits free and open for every one to pluck and feed upon a healing vertue there is in the very leaves thereof the most outward parts of Ordinances will have saving efficacie upon mens hearts God will then send forth men of eminent parts and graces Obad. ver 22. Saviours shall come up on Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords In the day when the Lord shall take the Kingdom to himself there shall be Saviours raised up upon Mount Sion in the Margent of your Bibles you have a parallel place put 1 Tim. 4.16 Save the self and those that hear thee q.d. be a Saviour to thy self others Obadiah cals the then-Ministers of the Gospel Saviours because their Gospel-dispensations shall be in the holiness power of the great Saviour of men the Lord Jesus Christ And there will be the most zealous and impartial exercise of Church-discipline that ever was to keep out to purge out both the prophane and the erroneous for which take two or three Scriptures Rev. 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into it i. e. into the holy City which comes down from God out of Heaven any thing that desileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs book of life Not but that doubtless there will be hypocrites in the Church but they shall be so close they shall so artificially paint and varnish themselves over with seeming holiness that they may very well be taken in the judgement of charity for such whose names are written in the Lambs book of life but if once they appear to be defilers of themselves or others any kinde of way nay if they be but catched in lying if such offer themselves they shall not enter shall not be received if they be got in they shall quickly be sent packing again Zach. 13 1. In that day when there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem because of him whom they had pierced Chap. 12.10 11. There shall be a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness i. e. abundant streams not only of Doctrine and Worship but also of Discipline for it follows That Idols and false Prophets shall be cut off ver 2. And if any one continue to Prophesie or Preach lyes even his Father and Mother that begat him shall cause him to be thrust thorow with the sword of the Spirit or Church-censure such zeal and impartiality will there be