foundation of the World to come for all that come in as Heirs to that World come in as the Seed of Abraham and from that foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from that foundation were the works of those unbelieving Jews finished that fell in the Wilderness when they refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And because of Israel's miscarriage the first Gentile Churches were chosen to partake of the Holy Ghost and to bear their Testimony to the Truth the which are said to be chosen before the foundation of the World which foundation was Israel the which choice was not before them as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to make choice of them that should ignorantly offend him than them that had wilfully disobeyed him And I also have proved that the Eternal Purpose has only a relation to the Eternity that lies before us that the being chosen from the beginning was no other than from the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospel And I have also proved that the Decree was made that the Entrances into Life should be made strait after Adam fell and how that straitness doth consist And what is meant by being of old ordained to this condemnation And also I have proved in the Book in which the Faith of Abraham is explained that them of the World embraced the Faith in the Apostles time and brought forth fruit as it did in the Elect Churches All these things I have made clear which hitherto we have not rightly understood which makes me the oftener recite them These things being proved it makes it evident that there was none Elected from the foundation but the remnant And also the first Gentile Churches that were afterward Elected were long departed this life before the Beast arose so as there was none of them then to be deceived by him Now there is also a twofold way of being in the Book of Life First They that have their names there Secondly Those that have a part therein and it is those that have their names there that are Elected and fore-chosen And after the first Gentile Churches were called in their Children were taken into Covenant and a Door of Mercy set open to all such as would take hold of the offer of Life according as it is tendered by Christ Now if these have not their names put into the Book of Life when they are taken into Covenant yet they have their part in the Book of Life in performing the conditions upon which Life is offered by Christ for those he will justifie by his Righteousness Heb. 5.9 The which name or part in the Book of Life may not only be lost through negligence and prophaneness but by adding or diminishing from the Word Rev. 22.19 Deut. 4.2 And there are others also that have a part in the Book of Life which will find Redemption in the World to come for they were such as received not the Truth in the love of it but took pleasure in unrighteousness that the Apostle saith should be damned 2 Thes 2.12 And they were such as heard the Truth and would not believe to obey it that the Lord gave Sentence against But those that have had a longing desire after the Truth and such as have not taken pleasure in unrighteousness such will find Redemption in the World to come And no young Children can take pleasure in iniquity Therefore when all come to be judged according to their works such will be cleared Rom. 2.14,15 Rev. 20.12 But I shall not here insist upon this Subject because I intend hereafter fully to prove it But by what the Lord saith it is of dangerous consequence to take from the Word as well as to add unto it Now the Gentile Christians when they came to have no love to the Truth whereby they might be saved but on the contrary took pleasure in iniquity God gave them up to worship the Beast for when they would not be bound with the Cords of his Laws and follow him in Love Patience and Humility in expectation of the reward of the Crown of Life when the Lord again shall come then it was God permitted the Prince of Darkness to set up his pretended Kingdom by which delusion they also lost the apprehension of the glorious Kingdom of Christ which is now to come and is very nigh at hand which Kingdom has been foretold by all the Prophets sworn to by God himself Psal 89.2 declared by the Apostles And because the Lord Christ spake but in dark Sentences and Parables when he was upon the Earth because that Israel being sinful thereby might be blinded Therefore he declared in Vision to St. John how he would come and of the glory of the New Jerusalem that should come down from Heaven and of his reigning Power here upon the Earth Also annexing those great threatnings mentioned Rev. 22.18,19 to any that should add or diminish to the words of this Prophecy Now all the Gentile Christians thus falling into delusion so as when any of them come out of that darkness by the knowledge of the Word it was evident to them they could not be of that remnant that should never be deceived by reason themselves knew that they or their Predecessors had been deceived by the Beast but as to that Remnant Church or People that the Word does thus bear witness to I shall not here speak further of but hereafter by God's assistance I shall declare who the Two Witnesses are and then I shall make appear who this Church and People and Remnant are to whom the Word doth thus bear witness to and they to the Word Whilst on the contrary the Apostate Church or great Harlot bear not witness to the Word nor the Word to her any otherwise than to her condemnation And our Predecessors being all involved in that darkness whereby we have lost the true sentiments of the Word and so mistakingly taking all that was said to the first Churches and to Israel at the restitution of all things as tho' they now belonged to us the which is of dangerous consequence and whereby many like Ephraim have a care they fall not into the snare as Israel did for when the Lord first came he coming not of a Person of Dignity but of one of no Estate in this World This proved a snare to Israel Let us take warning by them and not neglect the owning of the truth for if we do we shall be taken in the snare as they were for the day of the Lord will come as a snare upon all them that will not prepare for him and take the warning given by him by the signs and the opening of the word as he hath declared and now made them manifest to the world Chap. XVI The difference between the State of the Elect in this time and of that which is to come NOW when God does Elect or fore-chuse any Person or persons
things Chap. I. A necessity of being ready prepared for the Lord 's Coming lest that Day should come upon us unawares which is very near at hand NOW we not apprehending the dangerous condition that we stand in by reason we falsly imagine that the New Everlasting Covenant is made with us when now the Believers are but Heirs with Israel of the same Promise but because Christ said of them that were given him of his Father to be his standing Witnesses thro' the World that none should pluck them out of his hand And the Apostle speaking of the Churches that first trusted in Christ which had the abundant pourings forth of the Spirit upon them to secure their standing and thereby they generally stood which in Scripture the major part is reckoned for the whole And the Spirit was also given to confirm the Gospel to the World and the following Generations as will be abundantly proved but we having been in a mistake as to these things have thought it no concern of ours to know whether the Lord is coming or not But we also by misunderstanding the words of the Lord when he sent forth his Disciples to teach all Nations saying He that believeth shall be saved That is they that believed the Doctrine which Christ sent them forth to teach in which was included the conditions of man's salvation the which whosoever accordingly believed should be saved and they which believed not should be damned Now these words were but of force to them that believed and to them that refused believing for unto whom the Word never came they cannot be damned for not believing that which they never heard And the Apostle saith That what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law Rom. 3.19 Rom. 2.12 So likewise what the Gospel saith it saith to them that are under the Gospel that is to them that have the Gospel and obey or refuse to obey the same to them accordingly does the promised mercies or otherwise the threatned judgments belong And tho' St. John saith He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 Yet these words do noâ— exclude all them which have never heard of the Son so as that none of them should ever have life by the Son for there will be a Redemption in the World to come as will be proved And when Christ comes to judge the World and at the last and final Judgment they are all said to be â—udged according to the deeds done in the body whether they have been good or evil Mat. 25.35 Mat. 7.21 Mat. 16.27 Rom. 2.6.13 1 Pet. 1.17 James 1.22 Rev. 20.12,13 1 Tim. 6.18,19 Rev. 2.23,26 And tho' in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats there is but two sorts mentioned yet there is a third included in as much as the Poor and Children were not caâ—able to be made partakers of the Blessing or the Curse in their doing or not doing good to God's Elect And therefore the word all to â—hem on his left hand is not mentioned when â—e sentenced them to everlasting fire Matth. â—h 25. v. 41. And whereas it is said all Nations â—t is but meant all the Nations that have the Gospel And St. Paul saith The Lord will come to â—ake vengeance on them that know not God and obey â—ot the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall â—e punished with everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.8 The word all he here mentions not but he â—hiefly includes them that have the Knowledge of God and of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ â—or the Gospel speaks to them that have the Gospel yet in works deny it in that they will â—ot yield obedience to it For it is declared in everal places of Scripture too many to be here â—t down that the Jews will be called in when â—…e Lord again comes and they do no ways â—bey the Gospel and then according to the word the Lord he will gather in others with them Isâ— 56.8 These things being abundantly proved iâ— a Book that is coming forth of which I shall heâ— set down some few proofs Chap. II. The Restoration of Israel THat the Restoration of Israel will be at thâ— time when the Nations round about aâ—… judged in the Valley of Jehosaphat and whereas the Lord saith Assemble your selves and comâ— up all ye heathen round about Joel 3.11,12 This iâ— spoken to those that have Israel's Land in theâ— possession and unto them that are their Oppreâ—sors And the reason why they are termed Heaâ—then was because there was no other then buâ— Jews and Heathen and that then not only thâ— back-sliding Christians which were afore prophesied of were so term'd but also the best oâ— Saints that came in by Christ of the Gentilâ— race are likewise termed Heathen as in 2 Esâ— 2.34 I say unto you O ye Heathen that heâ— and understand look for your Shepherd he shall giâ— you everlasting rest And what the Law and Goâ—pel saith it saith to those that are under thâ— Law and Gospel Rom. 3.19 Rom. 2.13,14 〈◊〉 as Christians and Turks For the backslidiâ— Christians are those that are under the condemâ—ing power of the Law and Gospel and also thâ— Turks acknowledge the true God but in Worâ— deny him and therefore fall under the coâ— demning power of the Moral Law And where the Lord saith Come up all ye Heathen Joel 3. 〈◊〉 now the word all in Scripture doth not include the whole and the Conversion of Israel will also be When Saviours come upon Mount Sion then the Kingdom will be the Lord's Obad. v. 21. Then it is Israel shall see him whom they have pierced and mourn over him Zech. 12.10 Rev. 1.7 And after the Lord descends upon Mount Olivet Jerusalem will be built never more to be destroyed Zech. 14.10,11 and the Wicked never more to have a prevailing power against Israel And the Lord Christ saith That Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luke 21.24 Which shews the Gentile Power will be wholly taken away before Jerusalem will be restored Accordingly St. Paul where he speaks of the Conversion of the Jews turns them to Isaiah where the Lord is there declared to come to judge the World Rom. 11.26 Isa 59.17,18,19,20 and God by the same Prophet ordered Proclamation to the end of this world Say ye to the daughter of Sion behold thy Salvation cometh behold his reward is with him Isa 62.11 Which shews their Salvation is not to be till the time of the power of this wicked world is ended and therefore it is said when the Lord comes that the Beast and false Prophet will be taken alive and cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone so as time for them and the wicked of this World shall be no longer Rev. 19.20 Therefore St. Paul bids the Church 1 Tim. 6.18,19 Do good that they be rich in good
ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's Seed and heirs according to the Promise Now by all this we see that every true Christian comes into the Covenant to be of the Seed of Abraham by Christ Now we know that both the Seeds of Abraham which came of Isaac were both Circumcised the which was â—he Seal or Sign of the Covenant So the Roâ—ans receive the Sign of Baptism as well as the â—rue Christians who take the word of God for â—he Rule of their Lives to which Christians is 〈◊〉 Promise made That unto all them that obey him â—hrist is become the Author of Eternal Salvaâ—on Now the Romans though they have the sign of Baptism yet wholly renounce Obedience to the will of God in his word the which he hath given both to Jew and Gentile as a rule to walk by Now Moses knowing by the Spirit of Prophesy that there would come in strangers to be joyned in Covenant with Israel in and through Christ and so become the Seed of Abraham of whom also there would be a Seed the which should prove an Esau Generation who would fall off from the true ways of Godliness and fall into Wickedness Pride and Cruelty and therefore when he speaks of the Jews miscarriage he hath joyned the miscarriage of these with them that is these degenerated Christians the which time and the event hath made clearly evident by the Destruction that he pronounced against their Land the which was never threatned against the Land of Canaan that that should become Brimstone Salt and Burning Neither hath any such thing ever falleâ— upon any part of the aforesaid Land But now God has made it plainly appear to whom these Prophesies did relate since in Sicily and Naples the threatned Judgments are evidently broken forth among them And Moses in Deut. 29.16,17,18 saith For ye know how we have dwelâ— in the land of Egypt and how we came through thâ— Nations which ye passed by And ye have seen their abominations and their idols wood and stone silvâ— and gold which are among them Lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe whose Heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God to go and serve the Gods of these Nations lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood By which we see that this has not its reference to the Body of Israel in that he mentions Man or Woman or Family or Tribe by which words the Body of Israel cannot be comprehended And whereas he saith lest there should be among you a root that beareth Gall and Wormwood Now a root doth signify one of the Tribes or the major part of a tribe for in the Scripture the greater number is taken for the whole and a Man or Woman or single family is but a bough or branch of a root Now a root hath its springing increasing and continuance and we know that the Tribes when spoken of singly are termed as one Man as Judah and Benjamin Manasses and Ephraim the which each of them signifies a Tribe Now those that are brought in to be of the Seed of Abraham by Christ come in as of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah from which Tribe there was a root of Gall and Wormwood to spring forth of which St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.3 Except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the Son of Perdition Ye see also that the Apostle here terms the Beast to be a Man And he also forewarneth the Hebrews of him c. 12.15 Bidding them looâ— diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness spring up trouble you and thereby many be defiled 16. Lest there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright By these words we find also that out of this root of Bitterness would spring up trouble and thereby many should be defiled which by sad experience has been made evident And the Apostle also here compares him to Esau whose representative he is or Figure of him altho many degrees worse therefore for him is reserv'd the worser Punishment who as Esau parted with his Birthright so this Man here spoken of parted with the promised Blessing which was for Eternity for this World's morsel Now Moses in the forementioned verse at which I left off wherein he speaks of the root that beareth Gall and Wormwood of which he saith Deut. 29.19 And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this Curse and he blesseth himself in his Heart saying I shall have peace tho I walk in the imagination of mine Heart to add drunkenness to thirst 20. The Lord will not sparâ— him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven 21. And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to aâ—… the Curses of the Covenant that are written in this Book of the Law 22. So that the generation tâ— come of your Children that shall rise up after you and the stranger that shall come from a far Land shall say when they see the Plagues of that Land and the sickness which the Lord hath laid upon it 23. And that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt and burning that it is not sown nor beareth nor any grass groweth therein like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim which the Lord overthrew in his anger and in his wrath Now we are to take notice what are the sins against whom God did by Moses pronounce these Ireful Judgments as in Deut. 29.18,19 Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace tho I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness to thirst Now we are to consider what the Scripture calls Dunkenness besides that excess of drinking good Liquor In the first place God mentions another sort of Drunkenness by Moses Deut. 32.42 I will make mine Arrows drunk with Blood And this Drunkenness which Moses speaks of is mentioned by St. John Rev. 17.6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the Saints and with the Martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration Now this Woman that was thus Drunken is mystical Babylon as in the 5. v. of this chapter and in the 3. v. she is termed Babylon the great the mother of harlots and the abomination of the earth The Beast that beareth her that is beareth her up in her Grandeur and Greatness is the Pope which sets himself up as a God And this is the man that addeth Drunkenness to his thirst for he first thirsteth
the rest therefore he cries out of the Wonderful things that is contained in his Law Novv were these Judgments that are here set down pronounced against the Land of the thirsty Drunkard with good Liquor I doubt there would not be much Land left either in Canaan or Christendom free from these Plagues here specified as well as Sicily and Naples for we need not doubt but most of the foresaid Land at one time or other hath had such owners But altho the Drunkard that Loves good Liquor is threatned with the wrath of God and Hell yet there is not this remarkable Curse threatn'd to their Land And there is nothing in the Word of God that is insignificant but hath its time to be made Evident And now is the near Approach of Israel's restoration it being now the time that the Whirlwinds are gone forth as in Jer. 30.22 Behold the whirl-wind of the Lord goeih forth with fury a continual whirl-wind which shall fall with pain upon the Head of the wicked The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return until he hath done it until he hath performed the intents of his heart In the latter days ye shall consider it BLessed News unto the Jews And to them that are Circumcis'd in Heart and Ear And unto them that will amend Blessedness doth them attend But unto them that will not hear Grief and Horror will be their share THE Figurative SPEECHES BY WHICH God has Veiled his Secrets Contained in His WORD Until the end of the Time which is the time determined by Him that they should be revealed And now by the Assistance of GOD The Scriptures being Opened by the Key of the Word the Secrets therein contained are made as plain to the understanding as a Riddle when unfolded By M. Mersen London Printed and Sold by John Clarke at the Bible in the Old Change John Guillim in Bishops-gate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion in Westminster-hall and Mr. Garin over against the Crown Tavern in the Strand the corner of St. Clements Church Yard 1697. Christian Reader THis Book being done in hast is not so well done as it ought to have been yet therein is made manifest both the Wisdom of God and the Power of God And when I Writ this Book there was a dread stood over me as a Caution that I should not do the Work of the Lord negligently And there is but two or three things in it wherein I did lean to my own understanding or received Opinion without seeking to God concerning it And since in those things God by his Word hath made it plain to me that I was mistaken in them for I then thought that all that laid hold of the offered Mercy according as it is tendred in the Gospel was also termed the Elect as well as those that were fore-chosen and so then not reckoned with the World But afterwards I found by the Word that such were but in Covenant Neither did I then understand that the Christians when spoken of in the Old Testament in which they are often mentioned were all there termed Heathen both good and bad which since by the Word I have fully proved in another Treatise And likewise then I did not so well understand that the Lord by the Law and Gospel speaks but in a peculiar manner to them that are under it For the Heathen fall not under the same severe Condemnation as the wicked Christians will when the Lord again comes And therefore no such necessity to warn them for the Coming of the Lord whom they now know not but they may find Mercy according to the Word And it is the promise of God that Israel shall be restored when the Lord again comes as is fully proved in the following Treatise from the Prophets and Apostles As for such as find fault with my quoting of Esdras saying that he was not mentioned either by Christ or any of the Apostles To which I answer Neither were several other of the Prophets that are spoken of in the Old Testament But if any say he is not mentioned there they assert that which is false For Ezra in the Old Testament is the same Person which in the Apocrypha is called Esdras For in Ezra Chap. 10. the 9 16 17. Verses is exactly the same with that in 1 Esdras 9. Chap. 5 6 17. Verses And also as in Nehemian 2.4 the like is again said in the 1 Esdras 9.40,42 By which places it is fully made appear That it was one and the same man who after the Captivity caused Israel to put away their strange Wives being met together at Jerusalem on the Twelfth day of the Ninth Month at which time was the great Showre of Rain And also he stood upon a Pulpit of Wood and Read the Law to all the People on the First day of the Seventh Month. As to the difference of the Name the one was taken out of the Hebrew the other out of the Caldean Tongue But as for our Ancient Expositors who placed not his Prophesies among the Prophets it was because themselves erred from the Truth For they newly coming from under the darkness of Popery and so did not rightly understand the Scriptures for they apprehended that none but the Elect could be saved But now it is fully proved by the Word that all that are found in obedience are Heirs to the promise whether Elect or not Elect. They likewise have denied the Restitution of all things which God by the mouth of all his holy Prophets hath declared Acts 3.21 and so likewise by Esdras After I Writ this Book I found there was several other places in Scripture in controversie which was not in this Treatise answered which made me defer the finishing of it till such time as God had innabled me to make plain those other places which were in dispute which by Gods assistance I have accomplished Oh! that we would improve the knowledge of the Truth to our Souls Eternal Advantage is the Prayer of your Friend and Servant in Christ M. M. ERRATA PAg. 3 l. 5. from the bottom in Revelations blot s. p. 6 l. 2. r. Hosts p. 41. l. 8. f. 4. r. 14. l. 9. f. 1. r. 2. p. 55. l. 17. f. is r. are p. 66. l. 24. f. beast r. beasts p. 69. l. 16. f. doth r. do p. 97. l. 13. blot by p. 104. l. 24. r. book p. 108. l. 9. r. written p. 116. l. last r. be p. 117. l. 1. blot saith p. 119. l. 24. r. Hannah p. 131. l. 14. r. meant l. 16. r. for the that p. 133. l. 20. r. Vesuvius p. 134 l. 3. r. Tanrmins p. 135. l. 25. r. rest p. 137 l. 28. r. speaking p. 141. l. last r. kingdom p. 155. l. 5. r. exterminated p. 169. l. 8. r. accepted l. 16. blot of The TABLE OF the World that Perished p. â— Figurative Heavens and Earth p. â— Elements p. â— Rise of the Beast p. 12
which Gloriously was made true on Luther for in the year 1515 he began to sing and so Powerfully Preached and Wrought and Fought as since the Apostles times none hath done the like yet notwithstanding in despight of the Papists whom valiently in open fight he Encountred he lived many years afterwards and in the year 1546 departed in Peace on his bed Now in that God terms the Wicked to the Heavens and Earth and the World thereby he leaves man scope to come to Repentance whosoever so does they are then neither termed the Heavens nor the Earth nor World that is here spoken of that is to be destroyed 〈…〉 So I hope 〈…〉 by the breaking forth of the Light of Knowledg of the Coming of the Lord and by the fresh publication of the Gospel there may be Millions of Souls brought home so as to prepare for the coming of the Lord so that it may be only those that have hardned themselves in all Iniquity are to be left of God to hardness of heart and blindness of mind which may chiefly prove the Heavens Earth and World which will be destroyed by whom is chiefly included the incorigible Babilouians or Romanists whereas the Lord saith Should he find Faith on the Earth I could wish the Earth here spoken of by the Lord did only as will chiefly include those cruel Babilonians which have acted their Cruelty to the Servants of Christ and such as have given themselves up to wilful sin whereby they are left of God to hardness of Heart and blindness of mind but that all the rest of Mankind and especially them that bear the outward Name of Christ may depart from iniquity or otherwise they being they that will else fall underneath the severest Judgments And that all Mankind would seek unto God as Nineveh did and that also all them that fear his Name would stand in the gan for the People and so the 〈◊〉 of People that is to be destroyed may be â—…minished and the servants of Christ 〈…〉 creased So that Darkness might only fall on that Earth of People that hath excluded themselves from his Mercy but that the 〈…〉 mankind may keep off the Judgments 〈◊〉 against them by their Repentance as Nineveh did so that the Destruction which was threatned to be in forty days was turned to forty days of years in which Time those who were the chief Mourners were remov'd by Death and so now if we by the fresh breaking forth of the clear light of the Gospel with the Voice of the Bridegroom 's coming we so awake as to prepare for it we shall have as good success as Nineveh had for thereby the Earth of the Wicked will be decreased and the Servants of Christ increased And in that Luther doth say There shall be a Voice of the Bridegroom 's coming according to what the Angel said to Daniel altho not in the same words but to the same effect as in Dan. 12.4 But thou O Daniel shut up the words and seal the Book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledg shall be-increased This fully shows that knowledg shall be increased at the time of the end which end is now just approaching and knowledge breaking forth at the Coming of the Lord thereby to make preparation for his coming But my Soul is troubled when I think of the Words of the Lord concerning the willful miscarriage of the Christians after they have Notice of his Coming for he saith in Luke 14.17 He sent his Servants at Supper-time to say to them which were bidden Come for all things are now ready 18. v. And they all with one accord began to make excuse being eager after the advantage of this World Here we see these might have came had they not been wanting to themselves for which the Anger of the Lord was kindled against them And here we see by the Lord as well as by Daniel and Luther that there would be notice given at the end of the time of his Coming of which the Lord saith is just at Supper-time And the Lord also said Dan. 12.9,10 And he said go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end Which plainly shews there was a Secret in it which was not to be revealed till now the end of the time And also the Lord saith in the tenth verse Many shall be purified and made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand And whereas it is said none of the wicked shall understand that is those that have given themselves to work iniquity shall be left of God to hardness of heart and blindness of mind And whereas it is said the Wise shall understand it is meant by them that truly fear the Lord for the fear of the Lord is said to be the beginning of Wisdom and these are those that shall not be in darkness at that day but that the signs with the opened revealed Will of God in his Word shall now alarm them to prepare for his coming Now between these there is a third sort which by the Watchmans Warning they might have the advantage of making preparation For the Watchman is set upon the Watch-Tower to warn all And if the Wicked Man die without Warning although he die in his iniquity yet his Blood will God require at the Watchmans hand according to the Word of the Lord in Ezek. 33.6,7,8 14,15 But if the Watchman see the sword come and blow not the Trumpet and the people be not warned if the Sword come and take any person from among them he is taken away in his iniquity but his blood will I require at the Watchmans hand 7. So thou O Son of Man I have set thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore thou shalt hear the Word at my mouth and warn them from me 8. When I say unto the Wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely die if thou dost not speak to warn the Wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand For the Lord saith in the 14th verse When I say to the Wicked thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right 15. v. he shall surely live he shall not die By this we also see that if God doth say to the Wicked thou shalt surely die yet that threatning was of force no longer than the man remained sinful But as for those sinners who by their continual custom in sin God has left to hardness of heart and blindness of mind they cannot come to amendment of Life And God saith according to this in Ezek. 33.13 When I shall say to the Righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to his own Righteousness and commit iniquity all his Righteousness shall not be remembered but for his iniquity that he
hath committed he shall die for it According to this is the Words of Christ in the Gospel where he saith He that believeth in me shall be saved the which Words includes no longer than they so continue believing which belief must be a practical belief the which is to believe in Christ and his Word so as to live in Obedience thereunto for it is said Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. And between Holiness and Righteousness it is hard to make a distinction But as to what the Lord saith John 5.24 was spoken for the time to come when God shall have committed all Judgment to the Son for which time this was spoken that is those that then shall be found believers are then passed from Death to Life so as they shall never come into condemnation And as for the Sheep that so securely stand of whom Christ saith none can pluck them out of my Fathers Hand is spoken of those that are Christs standing Witnesses thorough the World they being those very Elect of whom Christ said it was impossible to deceive and of whom it is said in the Revelations they follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth This being clearly proved where I have spoken of the very Elect I do but here mention it that thereby we may know that we do not so securely stand but as St. Paul saith in Hebrews We like Israel having a Promise of entering into life should take heed lest any of us should sall short of entering into that promised Rest therefore he advises us to make our Calling and Election sure and Christ also invites sinners to come to Repentance and if we are not wanting to our selves Christ will not be wanting to us And by the Watchmans Warning there may be great part of the people saved from the near approaching danger by what God saith in Ezekiel for there is but few Soldiers but when they have the warning given them but they will seek to deliver themselves and God saith in Ezekiel 33.5 He that taketh warning shall deliver his Soul Methinks this promise should make us with life and vigour laborious to gain life for our souls so as we may be delivered from the near approaching danger for that we are in the time in which the Lord will come is certain The which time will be according to that of the Children of Israel with signs and wonders the which we have seen what the Lord foretold should be before his coming And now with the Prophet Daniel's Vision made good to us so that knowledg shall be increased by the unsealing of the Book at the now time of the end the which will occasion great running to and fro so as knowledg may be increased to prepare for the coming of the Lord according to which the Lord saith in Luke 14.17 That he sent forth his Servants at supper time to say to them that are bidden come for all things are now ready The which gives us also certain information that Light should break forth as thereby warning should be given for preparation to be made for the coming of the Lord to Judg the World and give rewards to the Righteous the Old World had by Noah warning given them whom the Scripture terms a Preacher of Righteousness but because they would not believe and amend therefore they were destroyed And the Lord saith in Mat. 25.6 At midnight there was a cry made behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him Which shows in midst of the Night of darkness as to the coming of the Lord that light will break forth so as the cry of the Voice of his Ministers may be heard to warn the People for to prepare to meet the Bridegroom yet upon the Wicked unbelieving World it will come as a Thief in the Night And also as to the Day and Hour no man knoweth Now whereas God saith in Isaiah That that day shall come as a snare upon all flesh Yet as I have already proved the word all in Scripture doth not signify the whole but the major part Now as to what is faid in Rev. 14.6 And I saw another Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to Preach unto them that dwell on the Earth to every Nation Tongue and People 7. Saying with a loud voice fear God give glory to him for the hour of his Judgment is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth the Sea and the Fountains of Water This appears to be after the Lord comes in the Clouds with his Saints and Angels and that as the Christians that were before bidden and sent to by his Servants at Supper time to come to his Supper So it doth appear that those that knew him not may afterwards be invited by the Angel by which means Israel and the Promised Elect may be brought in For John Baptist first Preached Christ to the Jews before he was made publick to the World Afterwards when he was made publick the Lord sent his Disciples to Preach the Gospel to the Gentiles Now this being most agreeable to the word and what I apprehend 't will be but however the Ministers may press forward for a publication of the Gospel every where but if they find not blessed success to forbear and to bestow their Labour amongst the Christians and Turks and such as have the Knowledg of God who must stand or fall as their Master finds them but as for the Jews and promised Elect if they come not in they will be sure to be received into Mercy after the Lord comes as many as have not estranged themselves from God by wicked Practices Now whereas the Lord saith in Daniel 12.11 And from the time the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away and the Abomination that maketh desolate set up there should be a thousand two hundred and ninety days And in the following Verse 't is said Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days Here is 45 days of years difference between this and the forementioned number And it is said that he is blessed that waiteth and cometh to the last Number of the Thousand three hundred and five and thirty days Now this being the exact number of years Israel knew after they were delivered out of Egypt before they had Conquered their Enemies so as to be settled in the Land of Canaan for they lay forty years in the Wilderness and five years they were Conquering their Enemies before they peaceably settled in the Land of Canaan Now the like time being mentioned in Daniel whereby it doth appear from the time of the visible signs of the Lord 's Coming till the time he comes and also until the time that all the wicked are cut of doth seem to be the exact number of years because the Lord saith he that waiteth and cometh to the five and forty days of years beyond the forementioned Number are said to be blessed which Argues by
in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats That the Sheep went into everlasting Life That is that none of them which the Lord then will receive into Mercy shall ever see Hell but have Everlasting Life although they may afterward taste of a Temporal Death According to which the Lord saith in John 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my sayings he shall never see Death Now it is very clear that the Lord did not mean that they should not die a Temporal Death because vve see that all die So the Lord said of all the Sheep that they went into Everlasting Life because they were all of them then secured from Hell And St. John saith to them to whom he wrote wherein he includes himself John 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the brethren And the Lord saith John 6.50 This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die We see when the Lord hath taken away the sting of Death from his people he afterwards counts their departure hence not a dying So the Lord after this way of speaking said of his Sheep in the Parable that they vvent into Life Eternal Now if we will ever understand the Scriptures we must understand the Scripture way of speaking and when the Lord comes at which time his Sheep will be gaihered then will Christs Sheep be brought into One Fold and then shall we be all taught of God Then it is there will be One Fold and One Shepherd And then also shall Japhet dwell in ths Tents of Shem. And now as the very Elect follows the Lord through all Persecutions and Afflictions so Israel shall obey him in the fullness of all things Now the Lord when he was upon the Earth spake to the Jews in dark Sentences and Parables because they seeing might not see and hearing they might not understand The which makes the sayings of Christ more dark to us Now that the Waldenses and Albigenses are the very Elect spoken of by Christ it does certainly appear because they have ever remained undeceived by the Beast and False Prophets when all the rest of the World was fallen off according to the Declaration of the Angel in Rev. 17.8 The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless Pit and go 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 Wâ—…ld Now these Waldenses and Albigenses continuing stedfast and being never drawn off by the beast it doth certainly appear they are the very Elect spoken of by Christ Matt. 24.24 Now the Lord said to his Disciples Luk. 10.20 Rev. 21.27 Your Names are witten in Heaven But he did not say to them that their Names were written in Heaven from the foundation of the World and altho it doth appear that the Names of the Children of the Church are written in Heaven by what God said to Moses in Exod. 32.33 And the Lord said to Moses whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my book And by what David saith of the Enemies of Christ as in Psal 69.28 Let them be blotted out of the Book of the Living and not be written with the Righteous By which it doth appear that the Children of the Church as they come into the World that their Names are written in Heaven till by their Sin their Names are blotted out thence for the Covenant being made with them and their Children the which shews that the Childrens Names must be written in the Book of Life till such time that by their wilful sinning they Exclude themselves from the Mercy promised by that Covenant and then are their Names blotted out of the Book of Life Now whereas St. Paul in Ephesians saith That they were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World So here in the Revelations those that should remain a standing Witness are said to be Written in the book of Life from the foundation of the World the which fully declares there is a two fold meaning in it The which is as I have already proved to you Now it being impossible to deceive the very Elect it does thereby appear to be the Jews because there was a certain select number chosen of the Jews the which was according to the Election of Grace the which the words of St. Paul makes appear and the words of Christ doth seem to signify as much where he speaks of the Sheep which his Father had given him as in John 10.27,28,29 Now the Christian Jews were said to be all warned to go out of Jerusalem before the Destruction thereof but where they went we know not And they being Christians and living amongst the Christians it might be those that retained their Religion when all the rest fell away And so these Waldenses and Albigenses do therefore appear to be these Christian Jews because there is said there is a certain number of the sews that does follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth And also it is said when the Servants of God were to be Sealed there was a certain number of every Tribe Sealed excepting Dan Rev. 7.3,4 The Angel saying hurt not the Earth neither the Sea nor the Trees till we have sealed the Servants of â—od in their foreheads And I heard the number of them that were Sealed And there were Sealed an hundred forty and four thousand of all the Tribes of the Children of the Israel In the first place he saith he heard the number of them that were sealed but he does not tell us what that number was but leaving that he goes on and tells us how many were Sealed of all the Tribes of the Children of Israel And in the following verse he saith of every Tribe there was Sealed twelve Thousand And having spoken of the Sealing he saith in Rev. 9. After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne clothed with white Robes and Palms in their Hands 10. v. And cried with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God which siteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb. This appears to be spoken of the raised Saints and the Glorious Tabernacle where the Throne of God will be And whereas he saith in the 11. v. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the four Beasts and fell before the Throne on their Faces and worshiped God Now these four Beasts doth seem to be the People of the Nations that are saved alive to live upon the Earth after the Glory of the Lord is manifest that then they will be gathered to Canaan to Worship where the Throne of God will be in the glorious Tabernacle Now in Rev. 4. There is no mention made of the multitude of People of all Nations that
many more as I before shewed you And that in those Prophesies there are great distances of time between their accomplishment although it is set down as though they were so near together Now Christ having left it clear to us by the Event that the World was not destroyed when Jerusalem was whereby it makes it plain to our apprehensions that those Prophesies had a farther meaning than what the first part made out and what has not been made good it remains to be made good 2 Esdras 13.29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37 Behold the days come when the most High will begin to deliver them that are upon the Earth 30. v. He shall come to the astonishment of them that dwell on the Earth 31. And one shall undertake to fight against another one City against another one place against another one people against another one Realm against another 32. v. And the time shall be and the Signs shall happen and then shall my Son be declared whom thou sawest as a man ascending 33. v. And when all the people hear his Voice every man shall in their own Land leave the Battle they have one against another 34. v. And an innumerable multitude shall be gathered together as thou sawest them willing to come and overcome him by fighting 36. v. But he shall stand upon the top of Mount Sion and Sion shall come and shall be shewed to all men being prepared and builded like as thou sawest the Hill graven without hands 37. v. And this my Son shall rebuke the wicked Inventions of those Nations which for their wicked Life are fallen into the Tempest Now without all doubt this fighting is so term'd as Jacobs Prayers were Wrestling when he prevail'd with the Angel but these will not have such success But when they see the glory they will immediately leave the Battle they have one against the other thinking to overcome the Lord by their Prayers but then it will be too late for them for then they must be judged according to their Deeds done in their body For then he will lay before them all their wicked Inventions Now it does certainly appear that this is the Battle that was to be fought by every particular And also this War that is now is produced by those that are set down in Rev. 16 13. And I saw three unclean Spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the False Prophet 14. v. For they are the Spirits of Devils working Miracles which goeth forth unto the Kings of the Earth and the whole World to gather them to the Battle of that great Day of God Almighty 15. v. Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Now this War proceedeth from the Devil the Beast and false Prophet who have drawn in the Kings and Princes of the Earth with them so as the Devil by his Unclean Spirits hath set all the World in an Uproar as in Esdras Now we are to take notice of the words of the Lord in Joel where he saith Joel 3.2 I will also gather all Nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my People and for my Heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the Nations and parted my Land Now in Scripture as I have proved to you all does not signify the whole and so the word here makes out in that the Lord saith He will plead with them there for his People and for his Heritage Israel whom they have scattered and parted his Land Now we know that it was but part of the Nations that was guilty of so doing therefore just at that time there may be but that part Judged And the words in the 12. v. makes it further so appear for the Lord there saith Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to Judg all the Heathen round about That is thus All the Heathen round about that has Israel's Land in possession and doth Lord it over them For those of the Heathen that are here Judged are all condemned as it is clear in the two following verses And it is Evident by other places of Scripture they shall have a time of Torment here before they are cast into Hell Now in that they are all here termed Heathens is according to that of the saying of St Paul He is not a Jew that is one outwardly so they are not Christistians that only outwardly bear the Name of Christ as Papists do neither do they know God which the Turks pretend to do yet in works deny him and Worship Mahomet Therefore these in the sight of God appear as the worst of Heathens Neither could thâ—se 〈◊〉 be expressed so well under any other 〈◊〉 being a multitude of incorrigible sinners but some times comprehended under the title of Esau Now by these Heathens there is none of those Nations comprehended which the Lord will call in at his coming because that they are all condemned but I hope the Almighty God hath at this time set our King amongst them that he might be the awakener of ten thousand times ten thousand of them And I hope every thinking Soul will consider what God is going about to do so as to prepare for his coming And since we have been all in great mistakes we may the better pity and pray the one for the other now the Time is just at hand For this being the Exact Battle that is described with the Earthquakes that have been in divers places and the Cities of the Nations falling with the continual Whirlwinds mentioned in Jeremiah 30.23,24 At the time that Israel is to be restored God saith in the 23. v. Behold the Whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with Fury a continuing Whirlwind it shall fall with pain upon the head of the Wicked 24. The fierce Anger of the Lord shall not return until he have done it and until he have performed the intents of his heart in the latter days ye shall consider it And now it is these Whirlwinds of the Lord are gone forth for War and Afflictious are by the Lord termed Winds as in Jer. 51.1 And also the great stupidity that is at this day upon the People according to the Word of the Lord in Isa 29. the which is wholly directed unto the Christians as all the following part of the Chapter from the 4th ver makes appear And the Lord at this time by weak means making good that Promise in Daniel 12.4 But thou O Daniel shut up the Words and seal the Book even till the time of the End Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased Now the Lord having opened his Word whereby Knowledge may be increased and this he hath done by weak means that his glory might the more eminently appear and
the Work to be his own And as for most of the great Judgments spoken of in the Revelations they will be upon the Earth after the Lord comes And as for the drying up the River Euphrates it was never given us by Christ or his Apostles as a sign before his coming Neither was the Fall of Babylon given us as a sign before the coming of the Lord. But if Babylon does fall before the coming of the Lord it will be upon the Discovery of the great Delusions that is now made manifest being accompanied with the Angry Face of Heaven in the Earthquakes and fiery Mountains that have been amongst them But if the City as well as the Beast do remain till the Lord come at which time Dan. 7.11,12 The Beast will be destroyed and given to the burning flame and then the rest of the Beast or Kings will have their Dominion taken away Yet their Lives will be prolonged for a Season and a Time Then may the Kings that gave their Power to the Beast when they become sensible of the intolerable Vengeance that they are fallen under then may they make good that which is said in Rev. 17.16 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 Now in the destruction of this City there is no other mentioned but them that had given their Power to the Beast And what is faid here and in Daniel and what the Lord in Matth. 22.8 where he speaks concerning his Invitation to us by the Gospel it doth not appear to be after the Lord comes for it is said in the 5. v. They made light of it and went their ways one to his Farm another to his Merchandise 6. v. And the remnant took his Servants and intreated them despightfully and slew them 7. v. But when the King hear'd thereof he was wrath and sent forth his Armies and destroyed those Murderers and burnt up their City Now we here have had the Call of the Gospel and neglected it But it has and is the Roman Power that does take the Servants of Christ and use them despightfully and slay them for which it is said that the King sent his Armies and destroyed those Murderers and burnt up their City Now the Murderers being said to be destroyed when the City is burnt up whereby it doth more clearly appear to be after the Lord comes And the Lord hath inform'd us of this City by St. John in Rev. 17. That it is mistical Babylon as in the 5. v. And upon her forehead was a Name written Mistery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth Here the Lord mentions this City under the Name of a Woman And in the following verse it is said And I saw the Woman Drunk with the Blood of the Saints and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration And in Rev. 18.1 I saw an angel come down from Heaven 2. And he cryed mightily with a strong Voice saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul Spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird This being the same as Isaiah saith in Isa 34.10 and so to the end And in the forementioned Chapter of the Revelations 3. v. For all Nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her Fornication and the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication with her And in the 4. v. And I heard another voice from Heaven saying come out of her my People that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues 5. v. For her sins have reached unto Heaven and God hath remembred her iniquity 6. v. Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double 7. v. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a Queen and am no Widow and shall see no sorrow 8. v. Therefore shall her Plagues come in one day Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Now that we might not be mistaken as to the City her Merchandise makes it clearly out where it is said in Rev. 18.13,17,18 She makes Merchandise of the Souls of men And in the 17. c. by the Angels words we are fully assured which this City is For in the 18. v. he saith The Woman which thou sawest is the great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth Now by this demonstration here it is fully made evident that this City here mentioned is Rome in that no City under the face of the whole Heavens can be said to Reign over the Kings of the Earth but Rome and she doth by her Pope and Cardinals and the rest of her Crew which are there situated And also of this City or Woman it is said in Rev. 17.4 She was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet Colour and decked with Gold and Precious Stones and Pearls having a Golden Cup in her Hand full of Abominations and the filth of her Fornications This Cup being another clear proof that it is Rome that is here ment for it is said in the Cup is the abomination and the filth of her Fornications The which she sets up as a God and Worships and with which she commits Spiritual Fornication And now having shewed you who this City is I leave her to her near approaching Judg. Now as to what is said in Zachariah chap. 12.7 v. The Lord also shall save the Tents of Judah first that the Glory of the House of David and the Glory of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnifie themselves against Judah Now the house of David came of the Tribe of Judah and they were the Chief of that Tribe and yet here 't is said that they should not magnifie themselves against Judah and therefore underneath these Words appears there 's something veil'd and the true Christians come in by the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah and therefore it does appear to be these of Judah that will de saved first of whom Christ saith Two shall be in one Bed the one shall be taken and the other left two Women grinding at the Mill the one shall be taken and the other left whilst Israel and the promised Elect come in Multitudes And in Zach. 12.8,9,10 verses it is said In that day shall the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them 9. v. And it shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the