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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89056	A further discovery of the mystery of the last times; as an addition to a little book, called Some discoveries of the mystery of the last times, bordering upon the coming of the Lord Jesus. Set forth for the good of all men; but especially of those who in these dissenting times (wherein Ephraim envieth Juda, and Juda vexeth Ephraim) know not where to settle themselves, or to what society of Christians to joyn themselves: wherein is (as simply and plainly, as the author was able to open those mysterious scriptures quoted in this following treatise) shewed the cause of all our divisions and contentions about matters pertaining to form and order in the church of Jesus Christ; and wherein is moderately proved from those scriptures these particulars. 1. The flourishing and building condition of the church of Jesus Christ in the time of the gospel. ... 7. Lastly, that the Lord Jesus will by himself destroy all those enemies, and deliver his people, when the restoration of all things shall be.	Mercer, Richard, fl. 1649-1651.; Mercer, Richard, fl. 1649-1651. Some discoveries of the mystery of the last times, bordering upon the coming of the Lord Jesus].	1651 (1651)	Wing M1732; Thomason E637_16; ESTC R206616	80,538	60

was the place which I did own for my worship but now he saith in the 3 verse He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines bloud he that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol yea they have chosen their own wayes and their soul delighteth in their Abominations From whence we may gather this instruction that when once the Lord hath forsaken his own ordinances and that the glory is departed from that administration that the same worship is most abominable before God and that peoples own wayes are as wicked in killing an oxe thereby to sacrifice unto God if he have left that worship as to kill a man is most wicked before God and man as is cleer from the plain letter of the text And for confirmation of this exposition because it may seem odious to some men not well weighing the meaning of the holy Ghost in this place pray turn to the Acts of the Apostles the 7. 48. 49. where the martyr Saint Stophen alledgeth the same prophesie of Isaiah against the Jews which laboured to maintain their worship and Temple when the glory of God was departed from it But I suppose it will be objected that we acknowledg that concerning the Temple and worship of the Jews the glory is departed from that administration and it is most wicked for his people to practise it but what makes that to us that are under the administration of Gospel order To which I answer that I do conceive this was a type of that desolate condition which should befall the Christians under Gospel administrations And I believe it will be acknowledged that the glory is departed from the outward administration for very experience teacheth us that the sun is darkned in respect of that glory it did shine in in the first Gospel times and the ordinances changed and corrupted from their first purity I shal now secondly prove the people of the Lord ought to wait by watching prayer without the ordinances in their purity after the glory is departed from them by our Saviours dehortation of his people from the use of them in their purity from his own words Matthew 24 25. 26. where he saith Behold I have told you before wherfore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desert goe not forth behold he is is in the secret chambers beleeve it not where pray marke for our instruction what he saith behold I have told you before as much as if he should have said take notice of my words for I have admonished you before hand that there should be a time wherein you should be perswaded to goe out of your desert condition in some order which shall seem to be the wayes of God but he saith if they shall say unto you he is in the desert go not forth which thews that they were in some desart condition at the same time which as I conceive was among the men of the world or in captivity among the Antichristian State but saith he go not forth I shall shew my thoughts what I take this desert to be which I think to be that condition of men which go under the profession of Ramers or as some call them Notionists which walke without order or such as profess they enjoy God and have the spirit above the common sort of men which walk in order which I do believe the experience of things in short time will prove this to be a truth if we consider what hath come to pass already if we look upon no other thing but that book lately come forth Intituled A siery flying Rol which seems to me that the Author was not guided by the Spirit of God neither by the word of God to do any such actions as he is not ashamed to boast of in that book By secret chambers I take them to be those single fellowships of men which boast so much of Gospel order under what title soever they be called the word in the originall as say the learned in the tongues signifies an upper Roome which may be a state above others as they boast themselves I shall shew my proofs and reasons for this exposition The first is from Luke the 17. 22. where our Saviour saith The dayes will come when you shall desire to see one of the dayes of the son of man and you shall not see it Now what can be there meant but that you being in a desolate condition and in captivity shall desire to returne unto the freedom of the Gospel to walke in the ordinances thereof but you shall not Secondly my second ground for this exposition is from the glory being departed from the outward administrations For after once the abomination is fully set up the Church becomes desolate and is left like a wildernesse Isaiah the 27. 10. There shall the Calfe feed and lie down and consume the branches thereof compared with Rev. the 12. 6. 14. as much as if the prophet should have said there is a time when the holy city shall be left without defence and shall be the habitation of calfish and beastly men which shall consume the people thereof I shall now proceed to my third Reason taken from Matthew the 24. 24. where it is said For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signes and wonders insomuch as if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect and from Revelation the 13. 11 13. where speaking of the second Beast he saith that he had two horns like a lambe but he spake like the Dragon and also he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire to come down from heaven in the fight of men where pray note here is something that is like to the wayes of Christ for he saith that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect and here is fire made to come down from heaven in the sight of men now what is this fire but the Spirit of God as is pretended which those that have as they say attained to the highest perfection do so much enjoy as that they boast of perfection in this life A fourth reason is taken from the text it self where it is said Behold he is in the secret chambers believe it not which chambers as say the learned in the tongues in the originall signifies an upper room or state above others now I appeal to any man whether these men especially those that do profess to come neerest to the wayes of Jesus Christ do not boast to be above others in the ways of the Lord Jesus and this is the professinn of all men that reform in those ways for every profession to esteem his own way above others A fifth ground or reason for my exposition of this text to be this is taken from Matthew the 24. 27. where the coming of the Lrod Jesus is compared

Reason that all men should be deceived and you onely know the truth To those men I answer and do acknowledge the doctrine is strange and I do confesse I do not remember that I ever read of any such thing treated of and for the most part of the places I have opened in some measure I do not remember that I ever heard any exposition upon them yea I acknowledge that the matter seems sometimes strange to my self having nothing in me that deserves that the Lord should reveal any thing to me rather then to another I see in my self so much weakness and deadness to any thing that is good that it seems to the contrary but when on the contrary I consider the harmony and agreement which is among the prophets tending to the same things and when I consider the experience of the ages past confirming it and making it to appear a truth in part without contradictions and when I consider that the Lord hath in severall ages taught some of his people yea his prophets by men of inferiour parts to them as may be seen in Jethro's counsell to Moses and by Amos which was a herd-man of Tekoa which taught Amasiah the priest of Bethel and when I consider the Lord confounds the wisdome of the world by things of no esteem and brings to nought things that are by things that are not I then take encouragement and am constrained to beleeve that this is the meaning of the holy Ghost in those places and shall beleeve untill I do perceive a better sense given which being done I hope I shall not be so self-conceited as to prefer my sense before a better if it begiven It is further objected that we are commanded to come out of Babylon left we are partakers of her sins and so receive of her plagues which is a duty required of us and besides we have now an oportunity given us to come out for the States give us liberty to walk according to Gospel order and according to our conscience there in and to gather our selves into bodies To the first I answer That it is true that we are commanded to come out of Babylon but it is necessary to know the time when we are to perform that duty lest haply we should lose our labour and I could wish that some man that is so zealous for the performance of that duty would labour to demonstrate by the Scripture Prophesies that the time for the performance of this duty were fully come lest the practice of this duty have no better success then those men in Jeremy 29. 21. namely Ahab the son of Kolajah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah which were two false prophets which did perswade the people that they should speedily return from their captivity contrary to the prophesie of Jeremy which had prophesied their captivity to continue seventy years which were a duty necessary to be done for so much as the prophet Daniel did understand by books the number of yeers where of the word of the Lord came to Jeremy the prophet that hee would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem Dan. 9. 2. and accordingly did make his prayer for their return So likewise in the Revelation there are set times for the people of the Lord Jesus to lie in this and that condition as may be seen in the 11. 12. 13. chapters which I shall endeavour the Lord enabling me in the sequell of this treatise to make appeare not to be fully accomplished Besides take notice of those places which speake of the people of the Lord coming out of Babylon and you shall finde that Babylon is first fallen before the Lords people are exhorted to come out of her as may be seen Rev. 14. 8. and 18. 4. But we do not yet see Babylon fallen nay rather we see her as high as ever almost only we have seen one of his heads wounded to death but his deadly wound is almost healed neither do we see any glory like unto that glory which is spoken of in those two places to precede the fall of Babylon neither do we see the Lamb upon mount Sion with his hundred forty and four thousand neither an Angel come down from heaven having great power and the earth was lightned with his glory which are things which goe before the peoples deliverance besides pray marke that Babylon in the letter was destroyed before the people of God were dilivered and his people had a Leader to goe before them out of Babylon Even so likewise I conceive that the people of the Lord Jesus are to have a leader or diliverer to goe before them to call them out of Babylon in the mystery and to send his Angels to gather together his Elect from the four windes of the heaven according to those Scriptures Isai. 11. 11 12. and 52. 12. and 66. 19 20. Joel the 3. 11. Obadiah 21. Zechariah 2. 5 8. Matt. 24. 31. compared with Rev. the 14. 6 7 8 9. and 18. 1 2 4. In all which places is mention made of the Lords deliverance of his people by himself and of sending forth his Angels to declare the fall of Babylon and to exhort the people of the Lord to come out of her To the second branch of this objection I answer It is true that the State gives liberty to tender consciences for which they deserve much honour but these men must also remember that as the State gives them liberty so must they have liberty of God also which I desire to see proved for first if they will come out according to order they must have their Leader with them which is the Lord Jesus for it is said expresly Isaiah the 52. 12. for you shall not go out in hast nor go out by flight for the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rereward But in this reformation which is profest in this nation in any profession I see no glory that comes neer the first Gospel times whereas the coming of the Kingdom of God with power did exceed the first glory as may be seen Mat. 17. 2. Secondly it must be granted that the nations of Christiandome are all of them at the least Christians at large as I may term them that is professing the name of Christ now if we follow order we must reform by the major or greater part as is the order in all assemblies as also in the Church of Christ whilst they had power as may be seen in the Churches of Asia but we cannot reforme that way because the major part will keep their customes still be they never so ill and therefore we cannot this way reform according to order because the best part is over-voted But thirdly seeing that all our reformers do acknowledg that the ordinances are corrupted touching Church discipline and if we will reform we must bring them to the first standard and because all our ministers have derived their office of ministry through

faith and therein they do admonish them as is cleer from the second of Peter 2. 1. and from the Epistle of Jude the 4. and this I do acknowledge was writ unto such men as were in gospel order and they are admonished to persevere and to continue in love unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But these Churches have since fallen asleep Mathew 13. 15. the ordinances are corrupted or changed as is acknowledged by these men now let themselves judge what is in these Epistles and verses aleadged for the restoring of them these Churches have lost their power the sun is gon down over the Prophers Micah 3. 6. and I looke for some place of Scripture for their raising again before the Lord appear And thus I hope I have fully answered to those Scriptures A fourth Scripture which is alledged is Revelation the 2. 23. where it is said speaking of the woman Jezebel which did teach and seduce his people he saith And I will kill her children with death and all the Churches shall know Thereby arguing that when the Lord appears and destroys Jezebel that then all the Churches that are in being shall know and see his judgements upon her To this I answer and desire all men to take notice of the contents of this second chapter which is to approve and to reprove sundry matters among the Churches unto whom St. John wrote and amongst the rest the Church of Thyatira is reproved for suffering the woman Jezebel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce his people and having spoken of the judgements which he will bring upon her he saith and all the Churches shall know that is say they al the Churches that are in being when the Lord doth appear shall know how he will punish this woman now pray take notice in the first chapter and 11 verse St John is commanded to write this Revelation in a book and send it to the seven Churches that are in Asia and so fulfilling his commission in his exhortation unto the severall Churches he still concludes with this admonition Let him that hath an ear hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches now what Churches are those that are exhorted to hear the Churches which shall be at the end of the world or those that St. John wrote unto I think it is unlikely that St John should write unto Churches in being then admonithing them to hear and this to be applied for the raising of Churches at the end of the world or neer that time and in this verse it is said and all the Churches shall know now what shall they know Why they shall know that if this Church of Thyatira will not restaine this woman Jezebel by her power while they have it that the Lord will execute his power himself and they shall know it And where it is aledged that those Churches here spoken of are those Churches that are in being when the Lord doth appear I answer where is the least colour for it in the text for these Churches are no other but those Churches which are writ unto which are the seven Churches of Asia which still are admonished Let him that hath an ear hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches Moreover he doth admonish this Church of Thyatira that if she did not exercise her power that then all the Churches should know that I am he that searcheth the reines and the heart and will give unto every one of you according to your works that is as I conceive if you do your duty while you have power and if you neglect your duty having power the time will come when you shall know that I will reward every one of you according to your works moreover experience teacheth us that those Churches have the candlestick removed from them and have no being and therefore in my judgment it is but a weake foundation to raise ordinances upon and to gather Churches upon when once they have lost their power and are polluted and Antichrist seated in them And so much for this Scripture A fist and last Scripture which is alledged is from Rev. 18. 20. where the destruction of Babylon is set forth and an exhortation given unto his people in these words Rejoyce over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her from whence is inferred that when the Lord doth destroy Babylon that then his people being in Church order having Apostles and Prophets shall rejoyce for the destruction thereof To which I answer First it is not said heavens that is Churches but heaven that is as I conceive the Church of God in all ages being now a triumphant Church their enemies being destroyed and is exhorted to rejoyce Secondly pray mind what the people of the Lord are incited unto namely to rejoyce which is fulfilled in the 11. chapter and 16 17 18 verses and in the 15. chapter 2 3 4 verses and 19 chapter 2 3 4 verses compared with Isaiah the 12. chapter In Rev. 11. 16. you have the foure and twenty elders mentioned and in ver 19. you have the four and twenty Elders and the foure beasts mentioned which cannot well be expounded the Churches and Apostles and Prophets which shall be in being when the Lord doth appear now let themselves judge whether here be any thing towards the raising of ordinances or gathering of Churches for which these Scriptures are brought for I professe with reverence to all just wayes of God that to me these Scripturs seem to be a weak foundation to build such a structure upon as is pretended namely that the raising of ordinances as is practised in these daies is the onely way by which the Lord will by degrees draw and deliver his people out of Babylon to meet him in Sion It is yet objected that is it the Lords own precept mentioned Matth. 28. saying Go and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost and the promise is annexed and lo I am with you unto the end of the world whereupon is concluded that his people are to practise the ordinances in their purity untill the Lord appear To which I answer first that it is acknowledged by these men that there hath been an interruption both in the succession of the Ministry and in the corrupting the purity of the ordinances and I look for some proof from Scripture Rule for their raising Secondly it is affirmed by Mr John Saltmarch who had knowledg in the Greek copies that the words unto the end of the world if truely translated is but to the end of that age or administration and he quotes the Greek text in his book called some beames of the morning starr in the margent of the same book page 134. But thirdly it is usuall in Scripture phrase that for End is meant but length of time and not to the end of the world or of all ages as is