14.8 Chap. 16.19 whereby they run quite contrary to the intent of the Texts and subvert the sence of at least two whole Chapters I need not I suppose proceed further upon this Subject to prove that this last Book of Holy Writ wherein mention is sometimes made of the the whole World Chap. 16.14 c. was not intended to the seven Churches of Asia only I therefore desist from further enlargement upon the first three Chapters whose Prophesies had respect chiefly to the seven Churches of Asia and were long since fulfilled and come to the fourth Chapter CHAP. IV. THis Chapter holds forth an Historical Description of the Primitive Church chiefly in the Apostle's Times That Church as here described was a transient adumbration or figure of the Gospel-Church revived and returned after the 1260 years of the last grand Apostacy out of the Wilderness For we find in this Chapter a Throne and a Sea of Glass like unto Crystal before it vers 6. That Throne and Sea of Glass was the Primitive Church And we find her returned-Antitype the Church in future set forth by a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire Chap. 15.2 That is the Primitive Saints and Professors were a knowing and discerning People and so shall their Antitype the Gospel Church convinced and returned be much more for ever For the Primitive Church soon in about 400 years passed away and fled into the Wilderness into secret subterfuges of obscure latency for 1260 years Chap. 12.6 14. But the Gospel returned Church by her prefigured shall not pass away Isa 65.17 Chap. 66.22 Pet. 8.13 Rev. 21.1 to the end Ch. 22.5 That Throne in this fourth Chapter was the Superintendents of the Primitive Church whereon God sat supream And the Sea of Glass before it was that Church So by the Sea of Glass in the 15th Chapter is meant the Church in future times and those Victors born up by it and standing upon it shall be under God the Supervisors over it CHAP. V. THe Prophetick Visions in this Chapter that are most obvious to my Observation are two The first is The Book sealed with seven Seals in the hand of him that sat upon the Throne Vers 1. The second is a Lamb as it had been slain the Lion of the Tribe of Judah that prevailed to open the Book and to loose the Seals thereof and took the Book and of the right hand of him that 〈◊〉 upon the Throne vers 5.6 7. We must here inquire in the first place what this Book was or is Secondly How it 〈…〉 could open them nor reade it 〈◊〉 look thereon vers 3. 4. Thirdly How long it was so to be Fourthly What the causes of its being sealed were and are And first What is this Book I answer It must be the whole Scripture or else which is little less an abstract of it If an abstract then it must be this last Book of holy Writ for that 's the abridgment of all the Scripture and explains of diâ—â—ciâ—ates the whole if that be sealed it â—enders thereby the rest much more dark For if any part of the Body the Head especially be wounded all the Body must needs sympathize therewith and partake thereof So if any part of abstract of Holy Writ this part especially He sealed it cannot be but that the whole Scripture must be theirby greatly obscured and very much sealed and that undeniably denotes that most dangerous and 't is most like general mistake in Men Sects and Saints that calls for all possible and speedy care to remove it For all Saints Sects and Professors do not in the least dream that I observe of any such thing as a Book or any abridgment of Holy Writ being sealed especially in such manner aforesaid The opening therefore of the Seals thereof must be the greatest most needful Mercy that hath come to Men in Many Ages Many Expositors say This sealed Book is the Book of things concerning the Church till Christ's second coming But the things of this Book concern not the Church only but all Nations and not only until the time of Christ's second coming but in all after-times Rev. 11.15 Chap. 12.5 They therefore might perhaps have said better That it is the Book of the Presages of Events that should respect the Church and all Nations for above fifteen hundred ninety 〈…〉 beginning about the Year 70 when 〈…〉 began to Reign And of things that should concern the Church and Nations after those 1597 years aforesaid Pool saith It is the Book of the Old and New Testament especially as it concerns the Mysterious of Christ What Mysteries of Christ he means he does not distinctly declare threfore I pass by this account of this Book But That we may more certainly know what Book this is and how long it was to continue sealed we must search what God declared to the Prophets concerning the Antitype Mystery of God and the Mystery of Iniquity then opposite thereunto is the time of the last grand Apostacy and their Prophetick Figures and Fore runners in the Primitive Times For this is the Book of what God declered to his Servants the Prophets concerning the two first and those two last Rev. 6. to Chap. 8.7 Chap. 10.6 7. And first This Book began to be sealed in the Primitive Times about the Year 70 when Flavius Vespasian began to Reign the Jews to be rejected and Jerusalem to be destroyed It continued sealed from that time to 407 when the Primitive Church fled into the Wilderness and the Orthodox but Apostate Empire departed or began to pass away Then the Papal grand Apostacy succeeded and the Book became doubly Sealed This Book therefore beginning to be sealed in the Year 70 contains the Presages of the state of the Primitive Church and of the Bloody proceedings of her proper Antichrist or Mystery of Iniquity from that time to 407 when she 〈◊〉 as aforesaid Then the Antitype Mystery of his Iniquity or Papal grand Apostacy invaded the Christian World for 1060 Years before any effectual means of its discontinuance was made manifest And this last grand Mystery of Iniquity with its effects and the time of its continuance and the deplored state of the Wilderness-Church under it is also much more the Matter of this sealed Book which God declared to his Servants the Prophets But How does it plainly appear That the Mystery of God and the Mystery of Iniquity in the time of the Primitive Defection and in the time of the Papal Apostacy with what one did and the other suffered is that in this sealed Book which God declared to his Servants the Prophets I answer though more fully afterwards That we must mind what the chief Matter in the Mystery of Iniquity was and what its Prefigurations were For the Mystery of God was passive under them whiles they were in Power and therefore in that time did not or not much appear The chief Matter or Substance prefigured was the Secular Power of the
Papacy it was shadowed forth by its first Figures and its immediate fore runner And first There were many first figures of the Matter of this sealed Book I shall here briefly instance but in one which is that of the four Beasts in Daniel the 7th By which four by what they did and by the state of the Church under them God did declare to Daniel the Prophet his Servant what the Matter of this sealed Book should be in the Primitive Times and in the time of the Papal grand Apostacy And Secondly God declared to his Servant John the Evangelical Prophet by four Beasts also by their bloody Practices in the Primitive Times and the Churches Persecutions by them what the matter of this sealed Book should be in the time of the Papal grand Apostacy Rev. 6. to the end of the Chapter And Thirdly God declared to his Servant John by the express signatures of those four Beasts in Daniel set upon the secular beast Papal and by the unparallel'd evil practices of that Beast what the Matter of this sealed Book was to be under the Papacy for 1260 Years Rev. 13.2 3 4 5. to the 9th verse Those four Beasts in Daniel succeeded each worse and less Noble than his Predecessor Those four Beasts in Rev. 6. succeeded also one worse than another And Those four Signatures upon the secular Beast Papal were the Marks of the four Beasts in Daniel that succeeded each worse than other which also undeniably denotes that Papal Beast to be the fifth Monarch and the Papacy to be the fifth Monarchy I might give many other Instances but this in this place is sufficient and clearly demonstrates That this sealed Book in its Antitype or Substance prefigured is the Book of what God hath declared to his Servants the Prophets concerning the finishing of the Mystery of God and the suppressing and final subverting of the Mystery of Iniquity and shews how both must be effected But that this Book is so and what the time of its continuing sealed is is confirmed by Christ upon his Oath By the Living God Chap. 10. For. When the first six Angels had sounded their six Trumpets for 1260 Years which time runs parallel with the Witnesses Sackcloth Prophesie Chap. 11.3 then we find the Angel of the Covenant who took this Book sealed out of his right Hand that sate upon the Throne Chap. 5.7 having it open in his Hand Chap. 10.2 And then he having declared before the meaning of the Prophecies of the seven seals in the Primitive Times by showing what their performance should be and having shown their fulfilling also in the time of the Papacy till about the end of the sixth Trumpet Swore by him that liveth for evermore that â—henâ— should be no longer 〈◊〉 But in the days of the seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound the Mystery of God should be finised as he hath declare to his Servants the Prophets Chap. 10.6 7. And immediately thereupon we find this Book open in John's hand Ver. 8.9 10. But what time was that which should be no longer I answer it was the same 1260 Years aforesaid of this Book bring sealed after the Primitive Times to 〈◊〉 The time of the last grand Apostacy prevailing of the Mystery of Iniquity being masked of the Mystery of God his Church being tradden under foot by the Gentiles and not finished not effectually reformed not returned out of the Wilderness not revived as evidently appears from the Texts aforesaid from chap. 11.2 from chap. 12.6 14. from chap. 11. â—â— 11. from Ezek. 37.2 3. For we find the seventh Seal opened in chap. 7.1 The Prophecies under that Seal are held forth to the 7th verse of that Chapter and their performances extend to the Year 407 when the Church fled for 1260 Years and the Empire fell began to fall for ever But we find no mention at all of this Book being opened when that seventh Seal was opened nor until 1260 Years after when the first six Trumpets had founded the first six Vials were poured forth and when the Witnesses had finished the 1260 years of their Sackcloth Prophecy as we have proved sufficiently before in the Texts aforesaid There shall be no longer time There 's the first part of Christ's Oath by the living God But in the days of the seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound the Mystery of God shall be finished There 's the second part of Christ's Oath by the Living God The first part terminates the time of this Book being sealed or until it should begin to be opened For we find it open in Christ's Hand immediately before he made this Oath and open in John's hand immediately after he had made it This first part of Christ's Oath terminates also the progress of the Apostacy of Antichrist or until there should be some thing materially tending to its discontinuance which might be as will after appear about the year 1666 or soon after The second part of Christ's Oath states the beginning of the Antitype-Mystery of God to be finished or till something should effectually tend to the finishing of it which might appear at the same time aforesaid or soon after Thus Christ himself upon his Oath by the Living God fully confirms the Terminus ad quem of the Mystery of Inquity or the time when it should begin to fall And likewise the Terminus a qus of the Mystery of God or the time when it should begin to be finished and therefore he must of necessity confirm also by the same Oath the duration of this Book being sealed and state the time when it should begin to be opened For it were absurd to think and a thing impossible that the Mystery of Iniquity can begin to fall and the Mystery of God begin to be finished till this Book the only means under God to those ends shall begin to be opened For All the powers of the Sword and policies of Church and States the wisest Counsels and most careful circumspection of Men and Saints without that means to those ends signifie nothing Therefore the time of all the three of the first beginning to fall of the second to be finished and of the beginning of this Book to be opened is fully confirmed notwithstanding the insedulity of sleepy Inadvertists that mind nothing by the Testimony of Christ upon his Oath by the Living God But If this Book be the Book of what God declared to his Servants the Prophets concerning the Mystery of God prefigured and the means to the finishing of it what then is meant by that by the Prophets foretold Mystery of God How or where shall we find it or know what it is I answer This last Book of holy Writ holds forth that also and further declares the time when it should begin to be finished For we find after 666 Chapter 13. the last Verse and in the first Verse of the 14th these words Then I looked and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Sion
thereunto and by the same degrees shall those bands of Iron and Brass be loosed Then Saints Sects and the Nations of this World shall in deed lift up their Eyes to Heaven and sober Understanding shall fill the Earth and then shall this Antitype Tree grow up in short time to a far greater Height Procerity Glory and Fertility than ever it had before Lastly The History of all the Plagues upon Egypt is easie and unsealed But we find almost every one of those Plagues holding forth as an actual Prophecy the same Plagues in Spiritual senses under the seven Trumpets and seven Vials Revel Chap. 8. Chap. 9. Chap. 11.18 Chap. 16.2 to the end We read of a Redemption in Egypt and of a Plague of the Redemption of the Church in a Prophetick Adumbration and of the Plague of the death of the First-born and both at the same time Exod. 11.5 6. Chap. 12.12 13 29 30 51. The History is not hard to read but that History holds forth a double Prophecy and that Redemption in a Figure was an actual Prophecy of its Penultimate and ultimate or last Antitypes And first It was an actual Prophecy of its Penultimate Antitype or last Redemption but one and so it shadowed forth that Redemption which Christ wrought by his Blood and Obedience Rev. 5.6 9. But the Church and Saints fell away from Faith and Manners and fled into the Wilderness for 1260 Years 2 Thess 2.3 Rev. 12.6 14. Then Christ's Redemption seemed to signifie little or to be invalid at that time especially towards the latter end of it For Saints Sects and Professors so live as if Christ never died and such is their Obedience to God and Right to Men as if they never had been Redeemed Therefore we find mention made of another Redemption after that the last Antitype or Substance of that in Egypt Rev. 14.3 4. which shall be of the Church and Saints Redeemed from the Earth Vers 3. And from among Men to be the First-fruits unto God and to the Lamb Vers 4. That is The virtue and power of Christ's Redemption seeming to lie under restraint and in difuse all the foresaid time of the Witnesses Sackcloth-Prophecy Chap. 11.3 shall be then put forth then Life shall be found in Christ's Death and Power and Efficacy in his Redemption For this last Redemption is or rather shall be in order to God's Glory the supreme end of that Redemption which Christ wrought upon Earth the chief end of his Birth Death and Resurrection and of the Scripture being given by Inspiration And those 144000 Redeemed shall be the First-fruits of that Mystery of God finished as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets Chap. 10.7 And in respect principally to these supreme ends the whole Scripture may be said to be sealed because the 〈◊〉 advertency of Ages could not comprehend these things of the most necessary and highest Concern Redeemed from the Earth That is the Church and Saints shall be redeemed from dead Works from Sloth Avarice Inadvertency Ignorance and evil Manners For They cannot be truly said to be visibly Redeemed till the virtue of Christ's Redemption be visibly applied to them and operate in them to the Manifestation of it But vae Soli wo unto the impenitent World when the Church and Saints shall be Redeemed from the Earth and from among Men for then its fall like that of the Churches Adversaries in Egypt shall come fast on as we see in this 14th Chapter Vers 8 10 11 14. to the end of the same Chapter Chap. 16.18 to the end Chap. 21.1 This though I might give almost innumerable other Instances may serve to shew that the Historical part of Scripture is not sealed but the Prophetical part therein is much sealed SEcondly Some Scriptures are more and some less sealed Most of the Scripture is either Moral or Prophetical and both seem to be sealed in respect to their supreme ends But which of the two the Moral or Prophetical part of it is most sealed I answer If we leave it to Formalists and Saints seldom recede in this much from their Opinions to determine we may most probably have an account by them thus given The Prophetical Scriptures were no doubt written within the Book and most sealed because least needful if at all useful to be read or understood Thus they commonly blaspheme those fundamental Scriptures in which the Promises that are the grounds of Faith are constantly found and Faith is the root of Hope and Charity But say they the Moral part that directs to good Manners might be writ on the backside of the Book and be most easie to be read and understood because it s most useful and necessary to Salvation This is the account in effect they give But here we must enquire whether this determination of Formalists be true or false and which of the two the Prophetick or Moral part is most sealed and hardest to be understood I answer If we well consider both we may find the Prophetick Scriptures almost generally less sealed and more easie to be understood than the Moral Texts of Scripture are which Formalists and Hypocrites cry up as most necessary to Salvation plain and easie Therefore they begin but in vain with them excluding the Prophetical to open the Seals of this Book and to understand the Scriptures which is dreadfully preposterous to that end for Noah was a Prophet and a Preacher A Prophet to shew to the World the penalties of her Impenitence A Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 A Prophet to forwarn the World A Preacher of Righteousness to fore-arm that World We scarce need to enquire which of those two parts the Prophetical part or the Moral part of his sacred Ministry was most easie to be learnt or which of the two was most necessary to be first taught and understood For Noah must needs shew to the World the dreadful peril of her persevering Impenitent And this Prophetical part was so easie to be learnt that had Noah himself said nothing those mighty preparations to build the Ark and the Builders of it had been as the loud sound of many Trumpets to proclaim to the whole World the Prophetical part of his Ministry But they would not believe it and could not therefore learn Righteousness by the Moral part of his Ministry because Obedience is the fruit of Faith and they believed not We find therefore not one Man in all the World besides those of his own Family that repented or learnt Righteousness Both therefore both the Prophetical and Moral part of Noah's Ministry were sealed but the Moral part of it was most sealed because it could not be unsealed but by the Prophetical part which they believed not Therefore because they hated to hear his Prophetical Ministry though some might be like Herod to John somewhat better disposed to little purpose it was altogether impossible though Noah himself was a Preacher of it for 120 years for them to learn
it seems rather to serve to make Schisms to create Divisions to multiply Sects to frame Factions and to form false Opinions Mistakes and evil Manners for Saints Sects and Professors do all this and think they have good ground for it from the Scriptures because they are sealed and they see no better but when their Seals shall be opened all those dreadful evils shall soon vanish as Darkness when the Light appears Good works of Men made perfect are the supreme ends for which the whole Scripture was given by Inspiration of God in order to his Glory and the good of Men. The same account is given by our Blessed Saviour himself So let your Light shine before Men that they seeing your good Works may Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.16 And is this all may Formalists and Hypocrites say and Saints are apt to say almost as much then we know already the supreme end for which the whole Scripture was given by Inspiration of God we know that we must make our good Works shine before Men that they may glorifie God And how have their good Works even of Saints shone before Men all the time of the Witnesses Sackcloth-Prophecy for 1260 Years How do they shine at present And what Glory have they brought to God or Temporal Good to Men I answer They have shone and do shine as the Sun when it was black is Sackcloth of Hair Rev. 6.12 There was sincerity in the good Works of Saints all that time and still is but Men could scarce see them or it they were so dark and did not shine to bring any great Glory to God or Temporal good to Men because they were and are so disguised like the Prophet in contrary Habits and so corrupt and mixt with evil Manners But when this Book shall be opened they shall shine and Men shall see them and glorifie God Then the whole Scripture shall be much more effectually profitable to teach to convince to correct and to instruct in Righteousness and Men and Saints be made more perfect unto all good Works and that 's the supreme end of the whole Scripture in order to God's Glory And what shall the good Works of Saints made perfect be I answer They shall be the practice of Right in a four-fold Conformity grounded upon true Faith What that Practice is or rather shall be I have shewn at large in my former Treatise and it will further appear in this And have not some Saints Sects or Professors attained to this supreme end of the whole Scripture or square practice of Right in the time when this Book was universally sealed with seven Seals I answer The Book was sealed in the Primitive Times and sealed or rather doubly sealed in the time of the Papal Apostacy whose principal time of continuance was to be 1260 Years and that 's the time of the Witnesses Sackcloth-Prophecy Rev. 11.2 3. Chap. 12.6.14 Chap. 13.5 Wherefore as the Prophets had leave of Elisha to seek for the Body of Elijah give me leave to search first those 1260 Years the principal time of the Papal Apostacy to see if possibly any foot-steps of this practice of square Right the supreme end in order to God's Glory of the whole Scripture may be found in all that time or under that Dispensation and if we find none there we shall search for it in the Primitive Times and then proceed to shew further what it is or what those good Works which are the supreme end of the whole Scripture and in respect to which principally it is sealed are or rather shall be And first We find the state of the Papacy under the first six Trumpets and first six Vials standing and under the seventh Trumpet and seventh Vial falling We must therefore see if we can find this supreme end of the whole Scripture held forth under the first six Trumpets and first six Vials and under the Witnesses Sackcloth Prophecy for they all run parallel in 1260 Years Under the first second and third Trumpet and Vial we find no mention at all of it nor under the fourth Trumpet and fourth Vial but that Men repented not to give glory to God Chap. 16.9 Not but that some true Repentance was wrought in Saints all that time but it was so small weak undiscernable and insignificant that God was not much if at all glorified thereby Therefore to such Repentance though some truth be in the performers of it God gives not the name of Repentance but saith expresly They repented not c. And who were they that repented not to give Glory to God They to whom the Witnesses were sent to prophesie for 1260 Years repented not in all that time to give Glory to God who were they to whom the Witnesses were sent They were the Saints and Church fallen from Faith and Manners 2 Thess 2.3 that is to those first and chiefly For the Prophet was sent directly to Apostate Israel fallen from Faith and Manners 1 Kings 13.1 That Prophet sent to Bethel and the other who dwelt there prefigured the two Sackcloth-Witnesses sent to the Gospel-Church and Saints fallen as aforesaid to prophesie 1260 Years but it was without much success For they repented not all that time to give Glory to God God sent the Prophet not to the dead Bones of Gog but to the dead and dry Bones in the open Valley which represented the state of the whole House of Israel and prefigured the whole House of Gospel Israel who for 1260 Years repented not to give Glory to God Ezek. 39.15 Chap. 37.11 For it were a Master-piece of incredible absurdity to say That dead and dry Bones without Flesh or Sinews or Skin to cover them repented vigorously and glorified God by their good Works Go not saith our Blessed Saviour into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not But go rather to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Mat. 10.5 6 7. He sent his twelve Apostles not to the Gentiles but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel And I am not sent saith he but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Chap. 15.24 So the Gospel-Witnesses were sent of God principally and in the first place to the lost Sheep of Gospel Israel the Gospel-Church and her Saints to prophesie in Sackcloth for 1260 Years For She and they fallen from Faith and Manners as aforesaid were the prefigured lost Sheep all that time That is they were and are not yet free from those dreadful Perils in the lamentable state to see to of lost Sheep subject to all sorts of Calamities Conspiracies and contrivances to subvert their Temporal and Spiritual well-beings and which is worse they bring themselves into such great Tribulations by their rebellious disobedience in not repenting to give glory to God not greatly minding to learn to know what that meaneth For all other sick sleepy barren trivial but somewhat true Repentance whereby they are
Prophetical counting thirty Days to each Month are 1260 Days doubled And forty two Months Prophetick the time of that Beasts duration are 1260 Years Rev. 14.5 Chap. 11.2 3. which time we find doubled in that Prophetick History Gen. 41. to shew the certainty of it So long it seems for 1260 Years should an excessive Famine of Equity in the actions of Men and Saints superabound in all Nations and confident Ignorance Avarice and evil Manners overspread the World The History is not sealed but as that History is also a Prophecy it is and hath been dangerously sealed The History of Nebuchadnezzar's being in the capacity of a Beast till seven times pas'd over him is not sealed Dan. 4. Not that this whole Chapter intends no more than to be the Narrative of a Man become a Beast in manners for Nebuchadnezzar was before he fell in a Figure that Tree whose height reached unto Heaven and the sight of it to the ends of the Earth He was the Principal and most considerable Power Secular of the whole World and of the true Church also and seemed to prefigure that Man-child who was to Rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron Rev. 12.5 But he fell through Pride and became as a Beast of the Field and a Beasts heart was given unto him till seven times past over him then for then and not before the Book began to be opened in a Figure he lifted up his Eyes to Heaven and his Understanding return'd then he blessed praised and honoured the most High There is nothing sealed or hard to be read in the History but this History holds forth Prophetically and Nebuchadnezzar prefigured the Powers Secular of the Primitive Church chiefly from about 292 to 407 when she and they fell away from Faith and Manners and fled into the Wilderness for 1260 Years she and they had their Habitation so long with Beasts and they ruled her with a Feral mind till seven times the time aforesaid past over them For the seven lean Beasts in Egypt prefigured the seven Heads of the Secular Beast Papal whose last six Heads succeeded each more hungry leaner and worse than its Predecessor and the seven times of Nebuchadnezzar being in the capacity of a Beast adumbrate the same things with the same time of the duration of them to wit 1260 Years For that time is shadowed forth by seven times or seven years in which the Prophetick time is repeated or doubled to shew the certainty of it Dan. 4.16 23. Gen. 41.32 The same time is sometimes held forth by seven half-times or half-years Dan. 12.7 Rev. 12.14 Sometimes by seven-half-days Rev. 11.9 11. for those three days and an half being days Annual are the same time with a time times and an half aforesaid Sometimes it s held forth by forty two Months Rev. 11.2 Chap. 13.5 Sometimes by three Years and six Months James 5.17 Luke 4.25 For three Years and six Months or forty two Months counting thirty days to each Month are just 1260 days which in their Antitype are so many Years The same time is sometimes held forth by 1260 Days expresly as in Rev. 11.3 Chap. 12.6 Sometimes by seven Months 1 Sam. 6.1 Sometimes by seven Days Sometimes by seven Trumpets sounded by seven Priests for seven days together and sometimes by seven Trumpets so sounded in one day Josh 6.13 14 15. I might mention more but these are sufficient all which prefigured these 1260 Years which were the principal time of the Secular Beast Papal being in the deplored state of a Beast But after that time that Beast shall begin to cease to be a Beast and a Mans heart shall be again given unto him with greater Majesty and Glory than ever he had before For at the end of that time he as his Type did shall begin to lift up his Eyes to Heaven and his Understanding to return his Beastial Nature shall pass away and the splendor of his Secular Power shall be restored with far greater brightness to all after Ages Dan. 4.34 36. Then may Men and Magistrates be rightly said to lift up their Eyes to Heaven and to have their Understanding restored when they begin to bend their Minds effectually to the practice of Right in a fourfold conformity But they that in Prayer lift up their Eyes to Heaven without due regard to do Right pray not to God but take his Name in vain His Counsellors and Lords sought unto that Prophetick restored King but what right Counsel can come from his Antitype whiles he retains the habit of a Beast No Man needs to be curious in as king the Question what wholesome Laws that Apostate King so distracted put in Execution What discreet Counsels grave Precepts and good Examples he gave unto his People whiles the wild Asses were his Senators and brute Beasts his Counsellors and Companions Dan. 5.21 He was free enough all that time from all such Attainments Much more must his Antitype the Secular successive Heptarch of the Apostacy of Antichrist be far from giving or receiving any right Counsel and from all practice of Square Right For a Band of Iron and Brass bound the stump of the Root of the Tree that shadowed this forth vers 15 23. And was not a Band of Iron of sufficient strength to keep that Root from bearing Fruit and from growing up It need not be doubted But a band of Brass is added to denote a double incapability in the Tree prefigured to send forth Branches that it may bring forth good Fruit and so long as it sends forth evil Fruit It remains as dead or hewen down But Sects Saints and Professors that exist in the Root of this Antitype Tree will by no means believe that its Root and they themselves therein are bound with a band of Iron and Brass and thereby lie under a double incapability of Inadvertency and Ignorance that they cannot mind to learn to practise Right in a four-fold Conformity or labour to know what that means It s a Misery that never can be too much lamented that the practice of Sects and Professors is and that of Saints seems to be a never ceasing gathering of mistaken wild Gourds for good Potherbs and dead Works for good Fruits For that Right and those Works which they practice and earnestly press upon others as true Obedience to God and Right to Men are mistaken wild Grapes of Deceit incongruous to God's Command and Gospel-Rule or are but half performances which God abhors For this cause strong Confidence in false Opinions and evil Manners is almost all the Fruit they bring forth and that the rather because they mind not to seek to open the Seals of this Book that they might come to the Word and to the Testimony to try their Works but they like this wild Caldean Monarch mind nothing or next to nothing of those things that are of highest concern But this Book by degrees shall be opened though little appears from any Saints or Sects that tends
square Righteousness which shall render and denominate these future 144000 to be that Mystery of God finished and the First-fruits redeemed from the Earth chap. 14.3 4. We shall therefore search the Apostles Times to see if we can find there the principal end of the Scripture and that Righteousness aforesaid for they might have some glimmerings of it though they did not perhaps attain to the true and clear knowledg of it And First But we look for new Heavens and a new Earth according to his Promise wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Pet. 3.13 If Peter knew what those new Heavens and that new Earth were and what that Righteousness in them was to be why did he not preach both to the Primitive Churches why did he look for them and it to come in future according to his Promise if that Promise of God was at that time or had been before performed Therefore this Righteousness of Gospel-Promise was not rightly understood but much sealed and hid from the Primitive Saints and Apostles themselves Secondly Christ taught his Disciples and teacheth us to pray saying Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven But the Will of God so done on Earth is the Practice of that future quadrate Righteousness of Gospel-Promise which only or principally is according to the Will of God and well-pleasing to him for all other Righteousness cannot but be faulty before the Throne of God Rev. 14.5 Not but that there will be Sins in Saints then but Sins in subjection or slain Sins as the Ark and Dagon with his Head and Hands cut off were in one Temple Thy Will be done in Earth c. This is a prophetick Prayer which hath not been answered that I find in any Ages nor shall be until the Seals of this Book be opened for until then the Will of God cannot be done in Earth as it is in Heaven because Man's Direction so to do it though not with like degrees of Perfection can be found by no other means Christ therefore had not no doubt taught his Disciples and us to pray saying Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven if it was then actually so done on Earth by any but himself only at that present time or otherwise than by a prophetick Adumbration or Figure The supreme end therefore of the whole Scripture in order to God's Glory or that Righteousness which shall denominate the Mystery of God finished and be the Means of Mens principal Concerns and Safeties was much sealed or did not clearly appear to the Apostles themselves And therefore John wept much Rev. 5.4 And why did John weep much Because he had much cause to weep the Book was sealed in respect to its supreme end and that was cause sufficient to him of much weeping Nothing can be more lamentable than the sealing of that Book nor more blessed and full of joy than that opened For the sealing of it opens the Flood-gates of all Evils Miseries and Mischiefs Hoc solum omnigeni fons origo mali It is the cause of an Inundation of all Evils to Princes and to their People They complain of Plots and dreadful Designs to subvert their Estates Lives and Religion it self as if the World were again and so it is indeed filled with Violence Therefore they labour hard and so they do well to prevent every Man his own utter Ruine But it is not much unlike the Egyptians striving against the Stream of the involving Waters to very little purpose Hydra's adverse Heads spring up faster than they can be cut off Why then do they not seek to open the Seals of this Book and their Work is done The Wolf the Lamb and the Lion agreed well enough in one Ark and shall agree this Book being opened to better purpose Isa 65.25 Saul among the Prophets prophesied with them So Papists Protestants Sects and Turks if that Work be once done will agree to say and do the same things Enmity and Hostility shall cease and the destroying Angel shall stay his hand as he did when he was seen in Arannah's Threshing-Floor 2 Sam. 24.17 25. Therefore Lastly The whole Creation saith the Apostle groaneth and travaileth in pain and not only they but our selves also which have the First fruits c. Rom. 8.22 23. And what moved even the Apostles themselves and with them the whole Creation so to groan and travail in pain It was saith the Text for the manifestation of the Sons of God vers 19. And what is that I answer It is or rather shall be the Name of God written in their Fore-heads Rev. 14.1 For what more manifests a thing than the Forehead and what so much manifests the Sons of God as the Name of God written in their Foreheads And what is that Name It 's that Power of Godliness or that Practice of Right which shall be the supreme end of the whole Scripture in order to God's Glory and in respect to which principally it hath been long sealed All that work not at least to that end aforesaid are like Clocks that go not or go wrong Wherefore seeing that promised Righteousness in Practice which shall be the Will of God done on Earth though not with equal degrees of perfection as it is in Heaven shall be in order to God's Glory the supreme end of the whole Scripture and the most effectual means to Men of their entire Safeties and highest Concerns we shall with some diligence examine what those Works or that Practice of Right aforesaid in respect to which principally the Book is sealed are And first we must distinguish Evil Works are either visibly evil or But seeming good Good Works are subordinate or Supreme And firstly Works visibly evil are the Works of the Flesh Gal. 5.19 Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strofe Seditions Heresies Envyings Murthers Drunkenness Revellings and such like Such like are those Multitudes of Oaths which make the Land mourn and the Cause of them Atheism Witchcraft is mentioned among these Works of the Flesh which are manifest but I never read or heard of any Witch that durst or did swear or say God damn me This Age is grown hardy in unheard-of Wickedness Envy Hatred Variance are in the same List Schism therefore must be of the same Radix Sloth and Inadvertency are the Root and Foundation of all manifest evil Works and of those that are most mysterious The Doers of those more manifest evil Works are High-way-Hearers or the High-way ground Inadvertists Atheists that give no growth to the Seed of Grace But Secondly Works but seeming good are much more deceitful and difficult to be discerned from subordinate good Works They soon grow and soon cease from growing Hearing Reading Praying ineffectual Alms and pieces or half Performances of Right are seeming good Works And subordinate good Works are the same only these persevere when the other desist The stony and thorny Grounds are lively delineations of the Doers of seeming good Works The Apostle said to the foolish Galatians Ye ran well who hindred you chap. 5.7 So the Doers of seeming good Works seem to run well or rather better at first than they that perform subordinate good Works but before they run far they are hindred and having no depth of knowledg cannot persist in pressing forward or if their Knowledg be competent much Business and worldly Cares choak their good Works and makes them be but dead Works Therefore subordinate good Works seem to fall short at first of those that are but seeming good they are not so splendid nor promise so much when they are first held forth but they persevere when the other perish 〈…〉 * Assemb Annot. * Symp. Crit. * Assemb Annot.