earth-quake and the tenth part of the City fell and in the earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven 14. The second woe is past and behold the third woe cometh quickly The Preamble FRom these verses I desire as the Lord shall enable me to declare that which God hath discovered to me For I hope that it may be as advantagious to others as it hath been to my own soul But though the publication of what appears to me in these verses be that which I chiefly aim at yet being prest in spirit to give forth some meditations from the Preamble of this Book which Preamble is contained in the three first verses of the first Chapter of this book of the Revelation I cannot but here insert it as a Preamble to the following discourse also though it may be it may not seem in the eyes of some so pertinent The three verses are as follows 1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to passe and he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John 2. Who bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand In these verses is contained these five particulars First The subject matter of this book Secondly The reason of the divulgation of this book Thirdly The instruments of the divulgation of this book Fourthly The fruitfulnesse of those instruments in the divulging this book Fifthly The pronunciation of a blessing upon the persons that reade or hear the words of this book The first particular contained in these verses is the subject matter of this book and that it exprest in these words The Revelation of things that must shortly come to passe The word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ From whence this is the Observation Observ 1. That the whole book of the Revelation is a Revelation declaration or manifestation of the minde of God about the things which were to come to passe shortly after the revealing of it which Revelation is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ This point being so evident and clear in the Text I shall not produce any further proofs of it because I intend brevity but immediately proceed to the Deductions which flow from it which are these If this book be a Revelation or Declaration of the minde of God about the things which were shortly to come to passe then it is our duty to observe how God hath brought to passe the things which he did pre-declare he would bring to passe that so we may glorifie God in his omnisciency in fore-seeing and fore-knowledge of all things and in his omnipotency in bringing the things to passe which he did fore-appoint to bring to passe that he can doe all things and nothing can hinder him from bringing all things to passe according to the counsel of his own will When Saints doe most diligently observe the works which God brings to passe according to what he hath pre-declared in his word then do they most answer the end for which God did before reveal these things which was that he might be admired and magnified by his people in bringing all things to passe according to his word shewing that he is God alone for none else can declare things to come as the eternal God doth But how can Saints have experience of this but by comparing his Word and works together Therefore it is the duty of Saints frequently so to do So much of the first Secondly Is this book of the Revelation the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ then we are hereby informed That it is warrantable for us to call that which is a Revelation of the minde of God the word of God We see John cals it so and why may not we I the rather speak of this because some have affirmed That nothing may be called the Word of God but Jesus Christ because it is a title the Scripture gives to him as John 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God And vers 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth And 1 Joh. 5. 7. For there are three that bare record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one And Revel 19. 13. And he was cloathed with a vesture dipt in bloud and his name is called The word of God and the armies that were in heaven followed him upon white horses c. But let these know that though in these places that title The word of God is given to Jesus Christ he being the essential word of God which is the reason why this title is given to him Yet that the Spirit of God gives this title also to the Scripture to the written word the word which is the Revelation of the minde of God as appears here and in other places as Jer. 2. 1. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me saying Go and cry in the ears c. And vers 4. Hear ye the word of the Lord O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel And Jer. 7. 2. Stand in the gates of the Lords house and proclaim there this word saying Hear the word of the Lord all ye of Judah that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of host the God of Israel amend your waies c. And Jer. 14. 1. The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth c. And Jer. 30. 1 2. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel saying Write all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book And severall like passages to these we have as in Ezekiel 6. 1. and 7. 1. and 12. 1. and 16. 1. and Hos 1. 1. and 4. 1. And the like we have also in Joel Jonah Micah Zechary and the rest of the Prophets where it is clear That that which was the Revelation or manifestation of the minde of God concerning the waies in which he would have his people to walk or the things which he was about to doe whether of bringing a dearth upon a people or any other judgement or the doing of them good This title is given to it The word of God So that it is clear that this title may be given to the written Word the Scripture both by all the fore-cited places besides many others that might have been cited to the same effect and also in the text where this book of
in the following discourse Therefore so much shall suffice to be here spoken of it and of this fourth particular the faithfulnesse of the instruments of divulging this Book The fifth particular Is the pronounciation of a blessing upon the persons that read or hear the words of this Book And that we have in these words Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophesie and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand From whence arises this Observation Observ 5. That it is a blessed thing to reade and hear the Word of God and particularly that which is contained in the book of the Revelation so as to keep it This clearly appears in these words and the Apostle James likewise witnesseth the same Jam. 1. 25. Be ye doers of the word saith he at the 22. vers and not hearers only deceiving your own selves Whereas it appears he speakes of the written Word which men may â—â—ar with the ear and doe not And now at the 15. vers he saies Who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed What is the man that James saith shall be blessed It is the man that looketh into the perfect law of liberty that is heareth or readeth the word of God in the Scripture which is a perfect law of liberty Spiritual liberty and heareth or readeth it not forgetfully but is a doer of it This is the blessed man Thus it is a clear That it is a blessed thing to hear and reade the Word of God and particularly that which is contained in the Book of the Revelation so as to keep it Then first This condemns those that neglect the reading and the hearing of the word since it is a blessed thing to reade and hear the Word of God so as to do it Now they that doe not reade it nor hear it cannot doe it for saies the Apostle Rom. 10. 14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Implying That without hearing the Word of God they cannot believe in God but if the Apostle had not so said yet we see it to be true In that the nations and people to whom the Gospel is not preached and that doe not reade it doe altogether continue in unbelief And so those that are under the darknesse of Popery to whom the word in the purity of it is not preached and have not liberty to reade it they continue also in a dark and a miserable condition but among those people where the Word is embraced and read and heard there are many brought into the obedience of faith Nay in some places of this Kingdome where they seldom enâ—oy a publick Preacher yet by reading the Word they are made partakers of the sweet blessing of it They ought therefore to be sharply reproved for their folly who neglect the hearing and reading the Word and consequently the doing of it in which they might be blessed In the second place Hence all sorts of people are exhorted to be frequent in reading the Word for all desire to be blessed and those that have in any measure been made partakers of the blessing of the Gospel they cannot but desire more of it therfore it would be wisdome for all to improve the means of being made blessed which is hearing and reading the Word If a man that desires a great outward estate should be perswaded that if there were any way at all for him to attain that estate it must be such or such a way that man would be sure to take that way Why this is the case in respect of attaining Spiritual blessings the readiest way that any Soul can take to attain them is a frequent reading and hearing of the Word of God waiting for the comming in of the Spirit in it O therefore let not men discover that they have a sleight esteem of Spirituall blessings and heavenly treasures by neglecting the means by which they are attained for if men have a high esteem of Gold and Pearls if they know the means by which they may be attained they will make use of those means so according to the esteem we have of Spirituall blessings will be our diligence in improving the means of attaining them Object But it may be some one will say I have been frequent in hearing and reading the Word and finde it but an empty thing I hear and am as carnal as before I read and am as dark and low as before and therefore how can it be said that hearing and reading the Word is a means of attaining Spirituall blessings I Answer Answ First If thou findest to thy apprehension but little benefit from hearing or reading the Word yet thou canst not conclude it would be better with thee if thou didst not reade or hear the Word for there is no ground of hope for thee when thou neglectest all means of enlivening comforting or of heightning the Spirit But secondly Though to thy apprehension thou hast no benefit from reading or hearing the Word yet remember that the Word is compared to seed Mat. 13. 19. and 1 Pet. 1. 23. Now you know that seed useth to lie hid under the clods for a time and afterward groweth up so may the seed of the Word seem to be hid in thee for a time and yet afterward it may grow up and bring forth fruit The Disciples while the Lord Jesus was with them often heard his word and he plainly fore-told them of his Resurrection but when their Lord was crucified though they had so often heard it yet they seemed to be altogether ignorant of the doctrine of the Resurrection but afterward it was sweet unto them when the Spirit brought it with other things to their remembrance In the 4. of Iohns Gospel at the 36 37 38. verses our Saviour tels his Disciples That both he that soweth and he that reapeth shall rejoice together but saies he herein is that saying true one soweth and another reapeth I have sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour other men laboured and ye are entred into their labours Others had sowed the seed of eternal life in the hearts of the people and therefore he said in the 35 vers That the fields were already white unto the harvest but the Disciples were sent to reap the fruit of that seed that others had laboured in the sowing of So that one Minister may sow the seed of life and joy in the hearts of some people and another may reap it But the time shall come that both he that soweth and he that reapeth shall rejoice together When the seed â—â— sowne the fruit doth not by and by appear and of this Saints have had experience that have laine long under the hearing of the Word frequently attending upon it and been diligent in reading and yet have attained to their own
apprehensions neither to faith nor peace nor joy nor strength but have seemed to be as unbelieving as carnal and as fleshly as ever walking heavily for a long time And that Word which hath been sweet to others that at the same time heard it hath been as nothing to them That word which hath raised the heart and strengthened the faith and inflamed the love of others hath seemed to have no effect upon them and thus some have continued weeks months nay years together and if they have had any reviving it hath been but as a morning dew and yet at last when the Fathers appointed time was come wherein he hath raised them up to joy and peace in believing and given them life vigour and strength then hath the Spirit brought to their remembrance the things which they heard many years before and then have they been wonderfully overcome and taken with it and it hath brought forth fruit abundantly in them Therefore Saints you that say you finde little or no effect the word hath upon you for the present be not thereby discouraged but goe on to reade and to hear the word still for it is a means which is often blessed to many But thirdly Is it so that it is a blessed thing to reade and hear the Word so as to keep it Then it serves to exhort all as to hear and reade the Word so to look beyond it in the frequent hearing and reading of it waiting for the coming in of the Spirit for the blessing is not pronounced upon the hearers of the Word only but such as hear it and keep it and hear it and doe it and then shalt thou hear the Word so as to keep it when the Spirit comes along with it Therefore when thou comest to hear the Word doe not rest upon the bare hearing of the Word but expect the coming of the Spirit and that thou maiest thus doe consider that there are frequent presidents in Scripture That in the hearing of the Word the Spirit hath been given as you have it Act. 10. 44. While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word And in the second of the Acts at the 41. verse we finde that there were three thousand souls converted at the preaching of Peter And when Philip went down to Samaria and preached the Word there were by his preaching many converted both men and women as appears Acts 8. 12. There are severall other passages in the Acts to this purpose And Gal. 3. 2. saith the Apostle Received you the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith Whereby it appears That the Spirit was received by the hearing of the word of faith and therfore it is that the Apostle cals the Ministery of the Gospel The ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. Therefore let all be encouraged in the hearing of the Word to wait for the Spirit whereby they may not be forgetfull hearers but doers of the Word and be blessed in so doing Vse 4. And in the last place it serves to encourage all Saints to be frequent in reading of and meditating upon the book of the Revelation for there is a blessing particularly pronounced upon them that read or hear and keep the things that are written therein therefore let none be discouraged from reading those things that are written in this book because they are so hard to be understood and are more darke and mysterious than most places of Scripture It is true they are so but to encourage us to be frequent in reading of it notwithstanding the mysteriousnesse of it the holy Ghost hear pronounces a particular blessing to it which is a speciall encouragement to incite us to the reading of it And there is also another encouragement in these words For the time is at hand And now if we be desirous to be informed of the things that concern the present time then let us look diligently into the book of the Revelation for this word The time is at hand hath held true and doth and shall hold true in all ages and times even until the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ to judge the quick and the dead when all shall appear before the judgement seat of Christ for there hath been no age since the delivery of it in which it might not be said The time is at hand that is The time is come in which some part or other of it hath been fulfilling for at the time when this Revelation was given to John then was fulfilling that which is spoken concerning the seven Churches and soon after that which was to be done in the opening of the seals began to be fulfilled which is not yet fully accomplished and about four hundred year after Johns time began that to be fulfilled which is spoken of concerning the rising of the beast and what is revealed concerning the actions of the beast and the pouring out of the viols upon the beast hath been since that and now is a fulfilling and what is spoken concerning the totall ruine of the beast and the happy deliverance of the Saints and the glorious state of the Church after deliverance shall be hereafter fulfilled So that still it might and now and hereafter it may be said of the prophecy of this book The time is at hand therefore it concernes us to be frequently looking into it and diligently to observe the things that are written therein And now since the following Discourse is on a part of the book of the Revelation let these two motives which here you have to stirre you up to the reading of the whole book as that it is a blessed thing and it concerns the present time incite you to the reading and the serious consideration of what is herein delivered concerning the exact accomplishment of some of the things contained in this book which comes now to be spoken of AN EXPOSITION VPON Part of the eleventh Chapter OF THE REVELATION The Exposition of the first Verse And there was given unto me a reed like unto a rod IN the 21. Chapter of this book at the 15. verse when the holy City was put into a delivered enlarged raised condition there is mention made of a golden reed wherewith it was to be measured But here is not a golden reed but a reed like unto a rod importing that it is a chastized and afflicted depressed low condition into which it was at this time to be put and that it was indeed so appears in what follows And the Angel stood saying This Angel chap. 10. 1. is thus described And I saw a mighty Angel come down from heaven cloathed with a cloud and a rain-bow was upon his head and his face was as it were the Sunne and his feet as pillars of fire This description resembles that which is given of Jesus Christ Chap. 1. 15 16. by which it appears That this Angel here spoken of is Jesus Christ It is
THE RESURRECTION OF The Witnesses AND ENGLANDS Fall from the mystical Babylon ROME Clearly demonstrated to be accomplished Whereby Great encouragement is administred to all Saints but especially to the Saints in England In the handling of a part of the eleventh Chapter of the REVELATION By M. Cary a Minister or Servant of Jesus Christ and of all his Saints PSAL. 126. 1 2 3. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Sion we were like them that dream Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing then said they among the heathen The LORD hath done great things for them The LORD hath done great things for us whereof we are glad London Printed by D. M. for Giles Calvert at the black-spread-Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1648. To the Honoured FRANCIS ROVSE AND Thomas Boon Esquires Members of the Honourable House of COMMONS in PARLIAMENT Honoured Sirs IT being the great designe of God the Father to set up his Son our Lord Jesus Christ as his King upon the holy hill of Sion and though the Heathen rage and the people imagine vain things saying Come let us break their bonds in sunder and cast away their cords from us to give him the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession I say this being Gods design he hath for the effecting of it given all power and authority in heaven and in earth into his hand and accordingly Jesus Christ hath undertaken to execute all Gods Decrees which are mentioned in the Prophesie of the Book of the Revelation where we finde that God had decreed that for an appointed terme of time his Church his Temple his Saints should be in an afflicted persecuted depressed low condition and that the Beast and the Babylonian enemies of his Church should have power to grow great and to flourish and to make war against the Saints and to blaspheme God and his name and his Saints for an appointed time also and that after that time was expired that then Jesus Christ should improve that power that was for that end given to him in giving a glorious Deliverance to his Church and ruining totally the Beast great Babylon and all his enemies That so the Kingdomes of this world may become his Kingdoms and that in such a manner as they were not before even so as all that are in authority that will not cast their Crowns at his feet shall be broken in peeces for he the Lord alone must be exalted in that day there must be one Lord and his name one in all the earth Now as it most clearly appears to me from the divine Oracles of the Scripture having compared the works of God and his Word together I have in the ensuing Discourse held it forth for the encouragement of all that wait for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ for the overthrowing of his enemies and the deliverance of his people from their persecutions that the time is already come wherein the appointed time of the prevailing power of the Beast over the Saints is come to a period and accordingly Jesus Christ hath begunne to bring downe the power of the Beast and to lift up his Saints out of that low afflicted persecuted condition in which they have beene and that in order to the perfecting of these things England is already fallen from the mysticall Babylon Rome Now Honoured Sir You having been glorious Starres shining with a great deal of splendour in Your Countrey both in the publikenesse of Your spirits and the holinesse of Your conversations wherein You have been eminent Examples and speciall encouragements unto others and knowing that it is the desire of Your souls to see the Lord Jesus alone advanced who-ever be thrown down I have presumed to present this little Treatise unto You not doubting of Your ingenuous and favourable acceptance of it But though I publish it under Your name and favour yet doe I not thereby desire You to patronize any thing in it if there should be any thing that is not truth and for the truth that is in it I need desire no Patron For great is the truth and it will prevail Yet notwithstanding the sonnes of truth as farre as the truth appears to them in truth will own it and contend for it and doubtlesse so will You. I am Sirs A Petitioner to heaven for Sions this Kingdoms and your prosperity M. C. TO THE READER OUr Lord Jesus Christ in the eighteenth Chapter of Luke from the first to the eighth verse from the example of the importunate widdow stirring up his Disciples to importunate praier he there assures them That God will surely hear the praiers of his own elect that cry to him day and night and avenge them of their adversaries and this he will doe for them though he make them tarry long And hereby Saints may be assured That God will hear their frequent importunate praiers which night and day they have put up against the man of sinne the Beast and their Babylonian enemies who have troden the Saints under feet and made warre against them and overcome them and dealt cruelly with them above this twelve hundred years and that he will at last avenge them on these their enemies But saies our Saviour at the eighth verse Neverthelesse when the Sonne of man cometh shall he finde faith on earth Whereby he implies That when hee cometh his people shall scarce have faith to beleeve that hee will thus avenge them on their enemies But when he shall come to doe it it will be beyond their faith And even thus is it with Saints now they have scarce faith to believe that the Lord Jesus hath now begun and is going on to avenge his own elect on their adversaries the mysticall Babylonians Now for the strengthening of the faith of Saints concerning this thing I doe present them with this ensuing Discourse wherein as the Lord hath discovered it to me to the strengthening of my faith concerning the prosperity of Sion henceforward and giving me great joy and pleasure therein I have made it to appeare from the Scriptures That the Lord hath already lifted up his Saints from under the vassalage of their enemies and hath begunne to put the cup of trembling into the hands of them that afflicted them Which I desire that all that love and honour the Lord Jesus may diligently observe For the most high God of whom and through whom and to whom are all things and for whose pleasure they are and were created both whose wisdome and knowledge are unfathomable tels his people of old by the Prophet Isaiah as wee have it in the fourty eighth Chapter of his Prophesie at the third and the fifth verses That he declared from the beginning the things hee would bring to passe and that he shewed it them before it came to passe and he gives the reason why he did so in the fourth and fifth verses Because said hee I knew
the Woman the Church that is cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet And this wicked one persecutes the Church as she is thereby driven into the wildernesse that is into a desolate bewildred barren and sad condition and that so long as the Beast remains for that 's the meaning of a time times and half a time as will appear in what follows as if it were not possible for the Church to be in any other then a wildernesse condition untill the ruine of the Beast and the fall of Babylon were come And when he had driven the Church into that desolate wildernesse condition he was not therewith satisfied but cast out water as a flood after her that he might cause her to be carried away with the flood And hath it not been even thus Did not that scarlet coloured Beast so persecute the holy City all the Saints of God ever since his first rise as that they have been in a desolate sad wildernesse condition ever since And yet is he not so satisfied but is sending out of his floods of malice and fury after the Saints and would swallow them all up if it were possible Again Chapter 12. 17. he is said To be â—roth with the Woman and to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ And Chap. 13. 6 7. And the Beast opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwelt in heaven and it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them And hath not that Beast the Pope punctually done as is here spoken of him in opening his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Saints Hath he not said himself was the head of the Church and that he could forgive sins with many other blasphemies And hath not he made war with the Saints which kept the Commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ Have not they been the only ones with whom he hath made war The most vilest and most abominable persons were most nourished by that cursed Beast and the most precious Saints have been most hated and hath he not also overcome them For for this twelve hundred years he hath so overcome them as they never had power to rise up against him untill of late Again Chap. 17. 6. the great Whore is said to be drunke with the blood of Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus And Chap. 18. 24. It is again said of Babylon the City of Rome the great Whore That in her was found the blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the earth And most evident it is That Rome hath not only made others drunken with the cup of her abominations and filthinesse of her fornications but is her self drunken with the blood of the Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus which she hath taken in greedily and eagerly and in her it will be found when with violence she shall be thrown down and become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hurtfull Bird. Thus by this time it appears by whom and how the holy City hath been troden under foot And the holy City shall they tread under foot fourty and two moneths It being apparent what the enemies of the Church are and that they have troden the Temple and holy City under foot The next thing to be cleared is the time how long those enemies of the Church were to tread her under foot And that is heer said to be fourty and two moneths Now what the meaning of this is will more clearly appear by comparing it with four other passages in the prophecy of this Book One is Chap. 12. 6. And the woman fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore daies A second Chap. 12. 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the wilderness into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the Serpent A third is Chap. 11. 3. And I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore daies cloathed in sackcloth A fourth is Chap. 13. 5. And there was given unto the Beast a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue fourty and two months it was given unto him to make war c. Now the text speaks of the afflicted condition of the Church under the expression of being trod under foot and the first of these passages speaks of the afflicted condition of the Church under the expression of flying into the wildernesse because of the persecution of her enemies The second of these passages speaks likewise of the afflicted condition of the Chuch under the same expression as the former of fleeing into the wildernesse The third of these expressions speakes of the afflicted condition of the Church under the expression of being cloathed in sack-cloath and the 4. speaks of the afflicted condition of the Church under the expression of the Beasts making war with the Saints and overcoming them and they all speaking the same thing the affliction of the Church do also speak of the same time of the continuance of that affliction with this in the Text. Now in the Text that time is expressed under the expression of fourty and two moneths And In the first of A thousand two hundred and threescore daies In the second of A time and times and half a time In the third of A thousand two hundred and threescore daies In the fourth of Fourtie and two moneths Now that these agree in one appears thus In fourty and two moneths accounting thirty daies to a moneth there is just a thousand two hundred and threescore daies so that fourty and two moneths and a thousand two hundred and threescore daies agree in one Again in three years and a half we have just fourty and two months accounting twelve moneths to a year So that a time times and half a time that is one year two years and half a year which is three years and a half agrees with fourty and two moneths And with a thousand two hundred and threescore daies So that the time the Church was to continue under affliction to be troden under foot was a thousand two hundred threescore daies Now as the Prophet Ezekiel was to account a day for a year Eze. 4 5 6. so this one thousand two hundred and threescore daies is to be accounted a thousand two hundred and threescore years So then whereas in the Text it is said that the Church should be troden under foot fourty and two moneths by the Gentiles that is particularly by that