is also called Lacus Asphaltites a right type of Hell once filled with the dead bodies of the Jewes flying before the Romans in that lamentable and last destructiō of Jerusalem presuming upō a false ground that it would drie it selfe and give them passage as it had done in former ages to their forefathers To which allusion is often made in this book of the Revelation as namely in the punishment of the chiefe enemies of the Christian Church Moses having thus conquered these two forenamed Kingdomes of the Amorites it is said Deut. 3. 12. 13. that he gave the Cities thereof unto the Rubenites and to the Gadites And the land of Gilead and all Bashan being the Kingdome of Og hee gaue unto the halfe tribe of Mnassah c. But it was upon this condition that they themselves should not stay therein yet but passe over the Jordan armed before their brethren the children of Israel all of them that were meet for the warre untill the Lord had given rest unto their brethren as well as unto them c. and then as said Moses unto them they should after that returne every man unto the possession which God had given them and not before Then the people of Israel went forward advancing to their last Mansions or Journeys viz. to the 41 and 42. and pitched all along the said river Jordan from * Beth-jesimoth signifying the house of Desolation to Abel shittim signifying sorrow of thornes As it happened indeede unto them both for their corporall spirituall whoredome the one that is the corporal committed with the daughters of Moab * and the spirituall whoredom through the counsell of Balaam committed in trespassing against the Lord for worshipping of Peor wherefore the plague came among the congregation of the Lord And there dyed in that plague foure and twenty thousand For which cause the Lord commanded Moses to * revenge the children of Israel of the Midianites after which he was gathered unto his people for neither he nor Aaron his brother because they were Ministers of the Law who made nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19. could not introduce the people of God into the land of Canaan but Joshua a true type of the Kingly office of Christ and Eleazar another type also in that the Priesthood was renewed in his Person but manifestly changed in Christ which was not * made Priest after the Law of the carnall commandement but after the power of the endlesse life after the order of Melchisedec By whose ministerie the said Jordan was dryed up that all the Israelites might goe drie cleane over it as it came to passe * as soone as the Priests that bare the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord of all the world had taken it upon their shoulders and had dipped their feet in the brim of the water which was in the time of harvest at which time Jordan did commonly overflow all his bankes for even then * the waters which came downe from above stood and rose up upon an heape but the waters that came downe towards the sea of the wildernesse which is the salt sea or lake of Sodome failed and were cut off and the people passed over right against Jericho And the said Priests stood firme on drie ground in the midst of Jordan and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground untill all the people were passed cleane over Iordan But note now that in passing over the said Jordan * the sonnes of Reuben and the sonnes of Gad and halfe the tribe of Manasses went over before the children of Israel armed as Moses had spoken unto them It is also added concerning the time of their said passage verse 19. that it was * the tenth day of the first moneth that then they encamped in Gilgall in the East border of Iericho where Ioshua did pitch the twelve stones which they had taken out of Iordan that they might befor◠a memoriall unta their children for ever There also the Lord did say unto Ioshua * that he should make some sharpe knives to circumcise againe the children of Israel the second time because all the people that were come out of Egypt that were males even all the men of warre were dead in the wildernesse by the way because they had not obeyed the voyce of the Lord wherefore the Lord had sworne unto them that he would not shew them the Land which the Lord had sworne unto their fathers that hee would give them And when they had done circumcising all the people they abode in their places in the campe till they were whole After * the Lord said unto Joshua this day have I taken away the shame of Egypt from you There also they kept the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the moneth at even in the plaines of Iericho And they did eate of the old corne of the land on the morrow after the Passeover And the Manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corne of the land neither had the children of Israel Manna any more but they did eate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that yeare Having said thus much of these last journeys of the Israelites and of some of the chiefe accidents which befell them about their passage over Jordan fit for the better understanding of the matter now in hand concerning the drying up of our said Misticall Euphrates and deliverance of the Christian Israel out or their forementioned desert we must now apply the same to our said purpose thereby to give also according to our former promise in the Epistle to the Reader some tast of the parallell there mentioned very necessary not onely for the clearing of many misteries that are yet very obscure in the booke of the Revelation but also that we may with greater admiration observe the waies and wise proceedings of the Lord in this reformation of his Church now by him taken in hand and in some good measure by him already effected as the same was represented unto us in the old type of the old Testament and foretold both by him and by many of his Apostles in the new which will be also a most sure guide to direct us thereby to follow him and to give him the glory due unto him for all And to this end we must know that about the latter end of the forementioned third and last great period of time whrein that Journey of the 42. Moneths of our said Christian Israel through their said wildernesse was divided which we shewed to beginne in the time of John Wickleff in the yeare 1380. of Christ when the said people began to issue out of it the said Christian Church I say having sustained many strong oppositions and most cruell persecutions during the space of some two hundred yeares that she was a passing through that hideous desert full of most cruell * fiery serpents I meane the g fires of persecution which
meanes and degrees by which shee came at length to fall into that vast and drie wildernesse of Idolatrie a right shadow of Death and so grosse that all the former Pagans could not parallel it Then secondly how long shee hath continued under that blacknesse of darkenesse and ignorance thicker and obscurer then that of Egypt And lastly the very time when God in his mercy began to bring and leade her out of the same taking vengeance by degrees of all her persecutors The said Treatise indeede at its first flight did but intend your particular comfort and encouragement in your most undanted faith Jonas-like during your said death Whereof when you were risen and ascended up in a cloud to the heavenly Armagedon or Parliament calling you it would needes take it selfe to its wings being somewhat better feathered then at first and follow you over-sea there to observe more of its contents Trusting by the former true events to see a further accomplishment of many more wherein it hath in nothing hitherto been deceived having observed among many other wonderfull mercies of God first the second tribe of the Christian Israel passing over treading under foot that proudly overflowed Euphraticall Jordan Secondly the Covenant of Circumcifi ōrenewed in Gilgal where I am sure that the twelve stones are set up for a monument to posterity of the drying up of the said Jordan about the revolution of the 1641 yeare being the first of the last tenth of the last Moneth of the long tribulation and the first also of the raising of the Church agreeing with the particular time of your forementioned raising which was as is noted in the treatise the first day of the last moneth of your death And the beginning of the conquest of the premices of the ten Kingdomes of the great Citie or tenth part of them which was to be the first consecrated to God to be brought under the yoke of the Lamb Iesus Christ It observed immediatly after this the celebrating of the Christian Passeover the next Sabbath day following Thirdly the compassing about of the Citie Jericho by the three severall shouting Companies having with them the Arke of the Lord with the downefall of her walls and the sacking therof It admired especially observing that by the command of Joshua Rahab the Harlot was to be put out of the campe there to be by the speciall charge thereof committed to you prepared according to the law and thereby fitted for to be shortly married to the Lambe her promised husband as soone as shee should be stript of her whorish Babylonish garment as soone as the nailes of the Courts of her scratching persecution should be cut off and finally as soone as all the Ceremonies borrowed haires of her alluring and enticing whoredomes should bee shaved off The most part of which perceiving to be now effected it could be contained no longer but would needes scape out of my hands to fly abroad God grant it a favourable entertainement that it may returne againe with a safe conduct to its owner to carry the good tidings of Reformation most necessarie and wanting in the state both Civill and Ecclesiasticall of the Countrie of his aboade The prosecuting and obtaining whereof I desire that it may be by you to your powered further whereby you shall oblige mee to continue for ever Yours in the Lord I. D. L. M. TO THE REAER CHristian Reader little did I dreame that these private meditations intended onely for a particular Congregation should bee made thus publike to the view of the world Sed homo proponit Deus disponit man purposeth but God disposeth Importunity wrung them from me and present opportunity caused mee to yeeld thereunto And the rather because I saw now in good part effected and very much advanced by the wonderfull mercy of Almightie God that concerning the fall of the English Euphraticall Iordan or Nationall Hierarchy of Prelates which I did conceive then to be very neare approaching Being induced thereunto by the observation of the time appointed and by God limited for the Christian Churches pilgrimage through her most vast wildernesse following her all along it as it were step by step from one moneth to another with the helpe and light of that true Type and right guide the old Church of Israel having the Lord going before them by day in the pillar of a cloud to leade them the way and by night in the pillar of fire to give them light that they might goe both by day and by night under the conduct of Moses and Aaron The want of which Typicall guide hath beene the cause in my opinion that many though very worthy men and well deserving of the Church of God for their excellent labours in the exposition of the booke of the Revelation have many times wandered along the said Desart in seeking the footsteps of the said Christian Church which they have often missed It being indeede as difficult to be found without the helpe of the foresaid Typicall guide as I suppose as any of those waies mentioned by Solomon Prov. 30. 18. 19. but very easie having the said light going before Therefore have I already laboured for a good while and doe purpose to continue still if I bee not prevented by God or by the labour of some other in that kinde to parallel the travell of both the foresaid Churches their most notable accidents to send it abroad A tast whereof I profer unto thee in the meane while the which if being relished by thee it findes any good entertainement at thy hands though it be presented unto thee in a very ill polished because borrowed language it will the more encourage me to goe on with chearefulnesse and alacritie in my intended purpose by the assistance of the All sufficient God and thy Christian prayers in my behalfe to him who is no respector of persons and who doth reveale his secrets to all them that feare him Amen Thine in the Lord Jesus I. D. L. M. A COMPLAINT OF THE FALSE PROPHETS MARINERS upon the drying up of their Hierarchicall Euphrates As it was Preached in publik in the Moneth of February 1639 upon these words of the Revelat. 18. 17. And every Shipmaster and all the Company in Shippes and Saylers and as many as trade by Sea stood a farre off THE rod of wickednesse shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous least the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquitie saith the Lord Psalme 125. 3. That of the Roman beast hath for a very long while afflicted the Christian Church yet her lasting hath beene restrained to two and forty Moneths of yeares as it is said by the Angell to John when he forbad him to mete the Court which was without the Temple because saith he It was given unto the Gentiles who should treade the holy Citie under foot two and forty monethes So likewise in the 13. of the Revel. v. 5. where it is said that power was
a great shout their Hallelujah the walles of the Spirituall Jericho falling downe flat had great reason to say that then the Lord God omnipotent did begin to enter into his reigne and that therefore they should bee glad and rejoyce and give honour to him because then was come the marriage of the lambe for as in the sacking of Jericho * Ioshua had care of Rahab the harlot and therefore commanded the a two spies that had spyed out the Countrey they should goe into her house to bring her out thence and all that she had with all her kindred to put them without the campe of Israel there to bee purified according to the law even so Christ he is willing to save his Church which had played the Harlot with the great whore with whom shee had polluted her selfe having drunke very deepe of her abominations out of her owne cup and to bring her now within the covenant the time granted unto her to make her selfe ready being passed wherein the spies forementioned were imployed not only to strip her for her greater shame of all her polluted garments and in stead of them to put on her mourning weedes but also to shave her head to humble her the more and to pare her nailes that afterwards sheâ—might by arrayed in fine linnen cleane and white against the day of her marriage with the King him himselfe of the Christian Israel And thus much shall suffice for the present for a tast of the Parallell very necessary as I judge not onely for the better understanding of the place of the Revel. the exposition whereof wee have now undertaken but also for the greater encouragement of the said honorable Assemblie now thus gathered together by the Lord to judge the said whore in fighting the Lords battells against her To whom I will yet say further in the name of the Lord that they should not faint though they finde by experience this first Citie of Jericho to be not onely a great one walled up to heaven but also shut up very straightly for seeing you have such a Captaine as that victorious warrior the great Jehoshua going as it is already said before you and his Priests with sounding trumpets to crie alarum against theÌ„ there with all to beate down their tallest strongest walles flat to the ground you must be assured that though themselves were as tall and strong as were of old those Gyant-like Anakins yet you shall vanquish them and ransacke their Citie But with all permit me I pray for the discharge of mine owne conscience to advise you yet in all humility of one thing more to which the said Parallell doth yet further leade me not to be omitted but which ought rather to be as I suppose duely considered In respect of which I am a continuall Orator to God for you and his holy people that he may avert it from you I will expresse it unto you better in the words of Joshua himselfe speaking to all the people in the time of the compassing of the said Citie of Jericho saying to them as I doe now to you * In any wise keepe your selves from the accursed thing least ye make your selves accursed when ye take the accursed thing and make the campe of Israel a curse and trouble it for all the silver and gold and vessels of brasse and yron that are already consecrated unto the Lord must come into thetreasurie of the Lord Take heede therefore I say of the sinne of Achan who when hee saw among the spoyles a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight he coveted them and tooke them and hid them in the earth in the midst of his Tent aâ—d the silver under it But let none of this heavenly Armie already * cloathed in fine linnen white and cleane defile their said garments in coveting as did the said Prince any of the spirituall revenewes or goods whatsoever belonging to the Church neither permit that any should yet continue to appropriate them to their earthly Revenewes or demeanes or to bring any of them into their houses Remember what Moses the servant of the Lord said of old to that ancient Israel Deut. 7. 25. 26. Covet not saith he the silver or gold that is upon their images nor take it unto thee least thou be snared therewith for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God bring not therefore an abomination into thy house lest thou be a cursed thing like it but utterly abhorre it and count it most abominable for it is accursed Heare what he saith further to the same people in another place * There shall cleave nothing of the interdicted thing to thine hand that the Lord may turne from the fiercenesse of his wrath and shew thee mercy and have compassion upon thee and multiply thee as hee hath sworne unto thy fathers O let all such consider rather and ponder it well in their hearts what is become of many of the houses demeanes of a great number of the late Impropriators of their Impropiations and take it to heart considering that many of those who devoured that which was holy have found it a most dangerous snare as saith Solomon Prov. 20. 25. and have consulted shame to their houses as saith Habackkuck 2. 10. and sinned against their soule Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum it is a happie thing to learne wisedome by the affliction or chastisement of another let not also the least part thereof bee brought into the Kings Treasurie I say no more because * I know that my Lord the King with his Princes is as an Angell of God to discerne good and bad who as another Jehoshaphat desirous to bring his people backe againe to the Lord their God hath called and assembled you in this Jerusalem for the judgement of the Lord with this charge To doe in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart so that what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in your Cities betweene blood and blood betweene Law and Commandement statutes and judgements that ye should even warne them that they trespasse not against the Lord thereby to bring his wrath upon you and upon your brethren therefore as he said againe to the very same a litle before so hath likewise I am sure our said Prince spoken unto you saying Take heede what ye doe for ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee upon you take heede and doe it for there is no iniquitie with the Lord nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts In a word * Render unto Cesar the things which are Cesars and unto God the things that are Gods for dealing thus couragiously the Lord shall be with the good Having now at last in the precedent discourse
found out as I am fully perswaded by the favâ—â—able assistance of the spirit of God together with that faithfull and unfailing guide of his owne appointment the foresaid type of the journeys of the children of Israel travelling from Egypt to Canaan and at length discovered the particular Countrey through which runneth that powerfull mysticall Euphrates which hath thus since the forementioned time of the first Reformation of Religion till the drying up of it now fulfilled by the powring out of the said sixt Viall hindered the perfecting of the said Reformation Having also shewed what are the mysticall seas which it makes in its course or powerfull dominion established in the said Kingdome thus divided into two great Metropolitan Seas or Dioceses As also the very time of the drying up of it and spoken of some of the most admirable and wonderfull workes of the Lord that are already performed by his most powerfull over-ruling hand since the drying thereof and that are yet in hand and which he will not now leave unperfect nor desist any more from the full accomplishment of them because the time now begun foretold by that Angel which Saint John saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth or earthly sea whereof lifting up his hand to heaven he sware then by him that liveth for ever and ever who created heaven and the things that therein are and the earth and the things that therein are and the sea and the things which are therein there should be time no longer * But that in the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angell when he should beginne to sound as he hath now as was shewed before that then the mysterie of God should be finished as he had before declared to his servants the Prophets All these things I say having beene thus premised it is now manifest and very easie to be understood that the Ships that were traffiking upon the forementioned Seas are nothing else then the Hierarchicall Courts of such Metropolitan Archbishops and of their other brethren the under Diocesan Bishops the divers Officers whereof are thus represented unto us in this text by the Holy Ghost by such names and titles as are ordinarily given to sea-faring men which are diverse having also divers titles whereby they are called as was before noted in the Analysis of the text The first whereof are called by the tiâ—le of Ship-masters which in the Originall are expressed by the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifying properly a Governor which Governours and Ship-Masters seeme to bee two distinct officers or offices bearing two distinct charges in Ships both specified also by Saint Luke Acts 27. 11. Where he saith that the Centurion beleeved rather the Governour and the Master of the Ship then c. The first of which Officers is here mentioned being the very same title or word by which the Apostle S. Paul doth call those Church Officers of the Primitive Churches which now among those that are truely called by the title of the Reformed Churches beyond Seas are named Elders here Lay-Elders by some or ruling Elders by others which are those * Helpes in Government or rather helping governours whom elsewhere the Apostle calls Presidents or Wise Rulers as in the first to the Thes. chap. 5. verse 12. also when hee saith We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are Rulers or Presidents over you in all which places hee useth the very same word that is here employed by the Prophet speaking of these Ship-officers Which Rulers Presidents or Governours are of two sorts the one of them being Pastors and teachers who labour especially in the word and doctrine the other are those that are onely Ruling Elders or Helping Elders because they are or should at least bee Helps to assist the Ministers in the administration of the Church discipline or in the Governement of the said Church who are so distinctly specifiâ—d or precisely distinguished by the Apostle in his first to Tim. chap. 5. verse 17. when he saith let the Elders that rule well bee counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine Which were also very well knowne in Origens time who lived about the yeare of Christ 226. who did thus distinguish them when writing against Celsus he saith * Non nulli praepositi sunt qui in vitam mores eorum qui admittuntur inquirant c. There are some ordained to inquire into the life and manners of such as are admitted into the Church that they may banish such from the Publique Assembly that perpetrate scandalous acts so likewise in S. Ambrose his time as it appâ—ares by that famous text of his * Vnde Synagoga postea Ecclesia seniores habuit quorum sine consilâ—o nihil agebatur in Ecclesia c. There were Elders in the Church under the new Testament as well as undâ—r the Law in the Synagogues as it appâ—ares clearely by these few places of the Old and New Testâ—ment viz 1 Kings 6. 32. 2 Chron. 19. 8. 11. Jer. 26. 10. 11. Ezec. 7 26. which were in steed and â—â—d represent the whole Congregation as may be seene Exod 12. 3. 21. and 19. 3. 7. see also in the New Mat. 27. 2. Marke 15. 1. Acts 4. 5. 6. c. without whose advise and counsell nothing was done in the Church c. saith that father Which officers I meane both * Pastors and Elders are also called guidâ—s oâ— Oâ—erseeâ—s by the Apistle Heb. 13. 17. where he châ—râ—es the Hebrewes to Obey them that had the oversight of them or that were their Guides or Rulers Of which the Assemblies of Consistories Colloques and Synods both Parishionall Provinciall and Nationall of the said Reformed Churches beyond seas are composed who have also the managing and disposition of all Church affaires Concerning which Assemblies it will not bee amisse to say this by the way that they have alwaies for President or Moderator a Pastor or Minister the rest of the said Assemblies both Ministers and Elders being his Assessors to vote and judge with him of * what cause soever concerning the Lord or any controversies which comes to them of their brethren that dwell in their particular cities and congregations The said Moderator being as it were the mouth or Speaker in the said Assemblies both for the examining of the businesse treated or discussed among them the taking of the voyces or opinions of the said Assessours and Judges and pronouncing of their opinion or sentence concerning the said matters thus agitated among them and that according to the pluralitie of voyces Which Moderator or Speaker is alwaies chosen in the first session of the said Nationall Synod lawfully convened from two to two or from three to three yeares by the said Pluralitie of voyces both of the said Ministers and Elders there assembled to be the President thereof during the same
proceedeth from this viz. that by the drying of the said Nationall Euphrates the tenth part of the Kingdome of the Roman Beast or Empire doth fall altogether or doth quite separate it selfe from it to be no longer a member thereof this part comprehending the Kingdomes of England Scotland Ireland with all the Iles adjacent and thereunto belonging In which part of the said Roman Empire the said Hierarchicall power must now then be utterly abolished according to the foreappointed decree registred in that forealledged place of Revel. 11. 13. and likewise 16. 12. it being the fift and last effect of the said sixt Trumpet the accoÌ„plishment whereof is the cause of the * great voyce of that great multitude in heaven which was heard by John saying Hallelujah Salvation glory honor power be to the Lord our God because his judgements are true righteous because he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornicatioÌ„s c. By which means also a very wide gate is opened and the way prepared for the people inhabiting the said 3 forementioned Kingdomes which the said Euphrates had but a little while before almost over flowed quite drowned hâ—d not the Lord in mercy in a most wonderfull manner prevented it by the powring out of the said sixt Viall upon it in the very time of its most swelling and all overwhelming power by which means its intolerable pride is not only abated but the Euphrates it selfe is quite dryed up so that you as the Premices of the conquered and perfectly converted Kingdomes of the foresaid Roman Western Empire may now freely enter before the other nations in the Canaan of the true reformation the which having first settled and established among you having quite rooted the said Hierarchy registred to eternall memory the utter abolishing therof you may then presently enter in CovenaÌ„t with the Lord and oblige your selves by vow first to continue for ever after faithfull unto him so that you will in a holy zeale defile the very coverings of the images of silver and of gold and take away all the high places and cast away as a menstrous cloth all reliques and remnants of superstition idolatries from among you say unto them Get yee hence that God * may see among you no uncleane thing that may cause him to turne away from you but that rather he may delight to dwell with you and * to walke in the midst of your then bright shining golden Candlestick even to deliver you and to give up all your enemies before you And after that imitating herein the Rubenites Gadites and halfe tribe of Manasseh you may goe armed before the Lord to warre and goe all of you armed over the Euphraticall Iordan before the Lord untill he hath driven out all your enemies the Popish Hierarchicall Canaanites from before him and subdued the whole Land before the Lord as said Moses to the said Rubenites c. in the forealledged place of Num. 32. 21. And though you come from the more Westerly parts of the Western Roman Empire yet are you in a mysticall sense both in respect of the type those ancieÌ„t Israelites entring into Canaan at the East side of it and also in respect of your profession the right Kings of the East comming from the Sunne rising where the day spring the true shining light of the Gospel from on high hath visited you thus to goe before his face to prepare his wayes And as the Israelites brought along with them the * Arke of the Testament over laid round about with gold wherein was the Golden pot that had Manna and Aarons rod that budded and the Tables of the Covenant so doe you bring along with you to them the * everlasting Gospel * of the Kingdome with the powerfull preaching thereof the true food of the Soule together with an holy Church-government at the bright shining light whereof all false Antichristian doctrines of idolatries superstitious Ceremonies will-worship and all other humane inventions shall fall as * Dagon before the Arke yea * Satan himselfe shall fall from heaven It will further cast down before you * all imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Which is the conquest here especially intended and the weapons wherewith it must be performed This is that mystery whereof the Angel that stood upon the sea and upon the earth spake which God had declared before to his servants the Prophets which is now to be accomplished namely among the rest to Daniel in the * seventh of his prophecy v. 25. speaking of the time of the finishing of the Kingdome tyranny of the little horne which should then undermine viz. by her wiles as another Balaam the Saints of the most High which S. John Rev. 11. 7. â—pplyes to the time of the two witnesses finishing their testimony saying that the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomles pit should then especially make warre against them and should overcome them and kill them which last words Daniel expresses thus saying of the said Witnesses that they should be given into hâ—s hand viz. of that little horne or powerfull Nationall Hierarchicall Sea but with all limiting the time of that victory when he addes in the next words untill a time and times and the dividing of time in these few words comprehending what S John more fully and clearely expresses in the 8 9 and 10. v. of the foresaid Chap. wherein he shews both their condition during their said death and also distinctly what we are to understand by that indetermined time of Daniel viz. three dayes an halfe which we have already shewed to be meant of the three yeares an halfe of the Witnesses n mysticall death or imprisonment At the ending of which time Daniel saith that the judgement should sit and thâ—y viz that sit in the said judgement should take away his Dominion to consume it destroy it unto the end which is thus expressed by S John first in the foresaid Chap. v. 11 12 13. saying that after those three dayes and an halfe formentioned the Spirit of life c. and afterwards v. 13. And the same houre was there an earth-quake and the tenth part of the Citie fell c. Item Chap. 16. 12. in these words And the sixt Angell powred out his viall upon the great river Euphrates and the water thereof was dryed up And then finally in the thankesgiving of that great multitude assembled in Armageddon sitting in the foresaid judgement Rev. 16. 16. saying * Allelujah Salvation and glory and honor and power be unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his judgements for he hath judged the great whore and hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand All which places are parallell By the
means of which judgement the way of the Kings of the East shall be prepared And if it be now asked to what end the answer is That the said Kings may goe armed before their brethren beyond the Seas to conquer to Christ The kingdome saith * Daniel in the said â—ap v. 27. and dominion the greatnes of the kingdome under the whole heaven which shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominion shall serve obey him because as was noted before the said Kingdomes are the * premices of other and as the first fruits of them unto God and to the Lambe Thereby accomplishing the vow promise made concerning their said brethren in the forementioned covenant which must not be forgotten And therefore Right Worthies of the Lord permit me to reiterate the said promise in the words of that Worthy Leader of Israel reiterating it to the said three Tribes and saying unto them * Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord coÌ„manded you saying The Lord your God hath given you rest and hath given you this Land your wives your children and your cattell shall remaine in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan but you shall goe over before your brethren armed all the mightie men of valour and shall helpe them untill the Lord hath given your brethren rest as he hath given you and they also have possessed the Land which the â—ord your God giveth them then yee shall returne unto the Land of your possession and enjoy it The which they accordingly performed as the same Joshua testifies speaking unto them after the conquest of the said Land of Canaan and and the division thereof among the other Tribes saying * Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you have obeyed my voyce in all that I commanded you Ye have not left your brethreÌ„ these many dayes unto this day but have kept the charge of the Commandement of the Lord your God And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren as he promised them therfore now returne ye and get ye unto your tents and unto the land of your possession And when he sent them away then he blessed them spake unto them saying return with much riches unto your tents and with very much cattell with silver and with gold with brasse and with iron and with very much raimeÌ„t divide the spoile of your enemies with your brethren To the which prophecies together with this so manifest a type may yet be added that excellent promise made to this end to all these victorious Kings of the East in this Booke of the Revelation which may serve not onely to confirme this truth but also to encourage the people of the said Kingdome to goe on chearfully to the performance of the said great worke now by them so happily begun to which purpose therefore let them consider first that promise is made to the Angel and Church of o Thyatira after the fall of Jezabel and after the death of her childreÌ„ mentioned Rev. 2. 22 23. a place parallell to the forealledged Rev 11 v. 13. 16. 12. 19. 15 16. namely that to those that should thus overcome and conquer the foresaid kingdomes and people in the forespoâ—en manner and should keep Gods works unto the end he would give them power over nations they should rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter should they be broken to shivers and that he would give them the morning starre CoÌ„sider likewise to this purpose that which is said presently after the blowing of the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11. 15. by those great voyces in heaven wch said The kingdomes of this world are become the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever and ever Wherefore they sing that Hallelujah at the falling downe of the forementioned walls of Jericho mentioned Rev. 19. 6. because then the Lord God was entred into his kingdome Now then seeing that these things ought thus to be done by the foresaid Kings Princes Nobles people suffer not the hornes of your powerfull authority to be used any more against the author thereof or against his most distressed Church and Spouse either in these kingdomes or in any other as they have been too too much heretofore by that cruell Beast and most proud whore Jezabel but rather in a more sincere zeale to Gods glory then that of Jehu as shee is entred into the house of God by the window so let her be cast out of it that shee may be trodden under the feet not onely of the horses and most base people as she is already but of your selves for it is prophecied that you ought thus to hate her and make her desolate and naked yea that you ought to eate her flesh burne her with the fire of Excommunication that thereby you may at length fulfill the words of God Revel. 17. 16 17. And to conclude with a word of exhortation and encouragement also to my fellow-brethren of the Ministery that * Phinees-like having already shewed a great zeale in the cause of the Lord against Zimri and Cosbi they may also like him goe with the thousands of Israel with the instruments of the Sanctuary and the Trumpets of alarme in their hands to execute the vengeance of the Lord against Midian sparing none of their Princes not Balaam himselfe nor any of the women neither because they have caused the children of Israel through the counsell of BalaaÌ„ to commit a great trespasse against the Lord in the case of Peor wherfore came the plague among the Congregation of the Lord And therefore like * Elija take all the Prophets of Baall so that not a man of them doe escape though they were seven thousand in number for all of them must be slaine with the spirituall sword of ExcoÌ„munication * going out of the mouth of Jesus Christ But above all be careful to commend the rooting out to the very stumps yea stumps all of that Hierarchicall Antichristian-like Church-government with all the Officers thereof to those that are now fighting the battels of the Lord in lieu thereof labour to have the holy Church Discipline of Christ stablished countenanced and authentically authorised among us seeing that no man usurp under what colour or title how favourable and specious soever it be any dominion over the Lords inheritance that Gods wrath may no more be provoked against us who is as you know a consuming fire now more then ever zealous of his glory and who to manifest the same hath taken in hand his vindicating power to take vengeance of * all his enemies who would not that he should rule over them and who have bin likewise the mortall enemies of his true Witnesses and most faithfull
viz. two Archbishops see the emblem in the frontispice of this treatise * Psal. 65. 2. * Psal. 102. 17 18 c. * 1 Pet. 5. 5. * Revel. 18. 7 8. * Ibid. 17. 16 Iosh. 1. 2 3. 4 c. * Revel. 18. 6. * Iosh. 1. 8. 9. * Revel. 14. 11. and 14. m The covenant made by both the nations of England and Scotland c. is typified by that action of Joshua circumcising the people of Israel in Gilgal presently after their passage over Jordan by the expresse commandement of God n Josh. 5. 2 c. to verse 12. parallell to Revel. 19. 4. * Iosh. 5. 9. * Revel. 11. 18 o Iosh. 5. 13. 14 15 parallel to Revel 19. 5 He will no lesse manifest his good wil more and more to ouâ— great leader under him concerning the reformation now in hand * Exod. 30 19. 20. See Ainsworths Annot. in locum * Ioâ—â— 5. 9. p It should therfore have preceded the Covenant because it was the cause of our separation and divorce from the Lord therfore that Jonas was first to bee cast into the sea of Sodom spare it not therefore or else you must be sure that the Sea will not cease her raging q The lake of Sodom a type first of the Excommunicatition of the Church called by Christ Gehenna of fire Mat. 5. 22. by Saint Paul to be delivered unto Satan 1 Cor. 5. 5. by Saint John Revel. 19. 10. and 20. 10. a lake of fire and brimstone secondly of hell it selfe * Iâ—â— 51. 63. 64. reade and consider well the contents thereof * Revel. 19. 5. parallell to Josh. 5. 13 14 15. * Numb. 27. 18. 21. See Iudg. 20. 27. 28. 1 Sam. 23. 9 10 c. and chap. 28. 6. Ainsworth in Exod. 28. 30. r The joy of Joshua and of the people of Israel passing over Jordan dry testified by Psal. 66. 6. parallell to Revelaâ— 19. 1. expressing the joy of the Christan Israel for the assembling of the Parliament Preaching at the very beginning of it liberty to the captives and to them that were bound by the Prelates the opening of the prison Isa. 61. x. s The passage over Jordan mentioned Josh. 3. 9 10 11. and 16. parallell to the proceding in judgement or Arainnement of the Hierarchie in Parliament expressed Revel. 19. 2. * Ezech. 24. 16. * Psal. 88. 4 5 6 7 8. t I have observed this concerning M. Burton who was confined in the Castle Cornet in the Isle of Garnzey in whom especially I finde this type verified to the full for since the 14 of June 1637. in which day he together with his two other fellow Martyrs and right {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} were condemned c. to his arrivall in the said Island which was the 15. day of December in the same yeare are just sixe whole moneths during which time he was as it were in a very darke night of affliction hid as the spies sent by Joshua to Jericho under stalkes of flaxe upon the roofe of a house and from that time decained close prisoner three whole yeares viz. from the said 15. day of Deâ—ember 1637. to the 15. day of November 1640. being the Lords day and the first of the last moneth of the said third yeare in which day he heard the great voyce of the Heavenly Parliament saying unto him come up hither u These are the true members of the true Church called alwaies heaven in this Revelation opposed to the Hierarchicall Nationall earthly Church of the Prelates * Revel. 11. 12. 13. and chap. 19 1 2 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} x Iosh. 6. from verse the 1. to the 22. is contained an Historie parallell to the praediction in Revel. 19. ver. 6 7 8. y This conquest of Jericho as well as that of the rest of the land of Canaan was corporall though this first was performed in a spirituall extâ—â—ordinary manner thereâ—… their 〈…〉 corporall 〈…〉 z this is a spirituall conquest whereby these Christian Kingdomes are to be conquered to Christ in slipping from off their necks or casting off the cruell and intollerable yoake of Antitichrists usurped tyrannicall power to take in liew thereof the most easie yoke of Christ embracing the sincere profession of his truely reformed Religion and submitting to his holy Church Government discipline therefore the order kept by these three troopes in their march uttering of their Hallelu jah after their said conquâ—st is different from that of the type because the spirit of God hath as it seemes reference to the Spirituall warfare of the Parliaments where the honorable house of Commons representing the whole bodie of the Kingdome doth as it were march in the forefront of the whole Armie Then the Peeres of the land Princes of the Tribes of their fathers and heads under God and the King of the thousands of Israel doâ— follow after then the Priests or Ministers come in the rereward of the said Armie with the rammes hornes of the powerfull though most despised preaching of the word of God and servent prayer of a long blast bearing upon their shoulders the â—â—borious Ministerie thereof whereby especially the wall of this Jericho I meane according to Prov. 18. 11. these rich Vice-Roys Merchants and Mariners superfluous and ill acquired wealth wages of unrighteousnesse so called 2 Pet. 2. 15. which was as their strong citie and as an highwall in their owne conceit must bee tumbled downe These come in the last place because their proper place is occupied by those who should bee thrust out of it * Josh. 6. 22 c. a By these understand all the true witnesses of Christ and among them especially they that have suffered for the truth who are to informe and shew by the word of God how the Chuch ought to be reformed and purged of all false Popish and Arminian doctrine and Idolatries of all the Popish garments and superfluous ornaments of that pompous will-worship and Liturgie and of all the ragges and superstitious dayes of feasts or fasts all which ought to be abolished See the Law Deut. 21. 12. verse 13. and the law for the clensing of the leprosie Levit. 14. 8. Numb. 5. 2. 3. and for the practise thereof see Numb. â—2 14. 15. and Ezech. 16. 52. 54. for the performance of this in the Antitype weigh Revel. 19. 7. 8. and 11. 13. the latter end * Iosh. 6. 18 19 Idem cap. 7. 21 wherefore all Israel was troubled 36. of them were Killed and the rest fled before the men of Ai vers. 4. 5. * Revel. 19. 14 * Isa. 30. 22. * Deut. 13. 17. 2 Sam. 14. 17. 2 Cron. 19. 4. 7 8 9 10. * Mat. 22. 21. in restoring Church lands impropriations Church tithes c. to whom they belong Revel. 10. 〈◊〉 5. 6. * Verse 7. * Rom. 12. 8. * Origen lib. 3. contra Celsum * Ambros. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tim. 5. he lived about the yeare of the Lord 37. 4.