when it was in its glory and in the earth-quake not in the fall of the City for the earth-quake is to shake down the whole Kingdome of the Beast throughout the world in the earthquake I say were flaine of men seven thousand that is thousands upon thousands and so the second woe made up of Popiâ—h idolatry and Turkish cruelty passeth away ver 14. Now immediately upon this the seventh Angell sounds a Jubilee and then there be great proclamations and acclamations in Heaven that the Kingdomes of the World indefinitely set downe that is all the Kingdomes are become Christ's Kingdomes And whereas before the Divell Dragon Beast his hornes have reigned now Christ takes to himselfe his great power and reignes for which the whole Church under the type of 24. Elders praise him though the Nations be angry as they ever are when Christ puts forth his just power ver 15 16 17 18. He now gives rewards unto his servants the Prophets c. and destroyes them that destroyed the earth that is he ruines the wicked and idolatrous generations of Antichrist who wasted his Church before ver 18. His Tabernacle is now opened in Heaven and the Arke of his Testament seene ver 19. that is Christ represented by the Arke is clearly manifested before that wicked generation had forbidden men to read the Scriptures had kept them in unknowne tongues had involved the mysteries of Christ in Masses and rude heaps of other superstitions and ceremonies but now he and all his excellencies shall be fully manifested to the Nations The other place is Rev. 16.17 c. where Antichrist having by his emissaries that is the uncleane spirits like Frogs drawne the Kings of the earth into (a) A militiae or confoederation subiect to the divine Anathâ—ma Hormageddon i. e. into a cursed and crafty warre for herein I assent to Graserus sodainly the Angell finding them in that state powrs out the seventh Viall upon them upon which follow thundrings lightnings and an earth-quake such as was not since men were upon earth so mighty an earth-quake and so great it is called the greatest earth-quake that ever was haply in regard of the sodainnesse and violence of it or either else in regard of the extent of it as being to shake all the world 1. The effects are the great City is divided into three parts by which understand probably that the Kingdome of the Beast shall be rent in peeces by fractions and devisions ver 19. 2. The Cities of the Nations or Gentiles fall by which no doubt we are to understand the false Christians that filled the visible Church all Antichrists reigne that is Papists and false professors for it is said that these Gentiles or Nations for the word is the same should tread down the holy City that is the visible Church Rev. 11.2 Peradventer these two effects of the earth-quake are now in fulfilling ver 19. 3. Unto great Babylon the cup of God's wrath is given c. now shee shall be remembred and destroyed 4. Yea all parts of Antichrists monarchy shall fall Object Some Kingdomes are strong and invincible like mighty mountaines they will stand others are remote like the Islands they cannot be come at they will continue No saith the Text every Island fled away and the mountains were not found ver 20. nothing so remote as the Iland nothing so mighty as the mountains could stand And because this ruine of the Beasts Kingdome is one of the greatest things that ever did or ever shall fall out in the world and shall have the strangest consequents therefore the holy-Ghost is pleased after a description of the Beast and the Whore chap. 17. that we may know who they are the Beast to be the Pope and the Whore Rome The holy-Ghost is pleased I say to set downe these things particularly and at large First the destruction of the Whore chap. 18. then the destruction of the Beast himselfe and all the Kings his partakers chap. 19. after which followes the binding up of Sathan with its consequents chap. 20. and then the glorious restauration of the Church both of Jewes and Gentiles under the type of the new Jerusalem in the two last chapters In the next place let us consider such grounds and reasons as the Scriptures lead us unto why the Lord in the course of his administration and providence doth cause such great shakings of Nations before he doth reforme and refine his Church and we shall find these three in speciall First Reason 1 that he may plague and punish the persecutors and oppressors of his Church and so deliver his people from persecution and oppression I joyne these two together and we shall find them to be things the Lord hath alwayes aimed at in his concussions of States and Nations if there were a Church there Why did the Lord so terribly shake Aegypt but that he might plague the oppressing Egyptians and enlarge his persecuted people of Israel And why Babylon but that he might destroy the Babylonian tyrants and deliver captivated Judah These things the Lord Intended when he ruined the Dragons Kingdome the persecrting heathen Empire and which he now intends being about to destroy the Kingdome of Antichrist take one place for all Jer. 50.33 34. The Children of Israel and the Children of Judah were oppressed together and all that tooke them captives held them fast they refused to let them goe their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name He will thoroughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon Marke here Gods people were oppressed their enemies held them hard as never minding to let them goo and deliver them no more did the enemies of God's Church now well who can help it B. L. in his Epist Ded. before his ans to Fâ—sheâ— they have no such strong assistance to back them for so one hath written Yes saith the Phophet they have a strong Redeemer what may his name be the Lord of Hosts is his name what will he doe for them He will thoroughly plead their cause and give rest unto them how will he doe that by disquieting the Inhabitants of Babylon it is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will disquiet that is he will destroy them Observe it wherefore would the Lord bring such a devastation upon Babylon but that he might redeeme his people by oppressing their oppressors That he may take away the impediments of his Churches restauration and namely these three Reason 2 That he may take away the scandall of great sinnes Imped 1 The visible Church is like a draw-net that takes in Fishes good and bad it so falls out often times that this Church is filled with grosse sins committed and permitted with blasphemy swearing cursing lying stealing Hosea 4.2 3. prophanation of Gods Ordinances and Sabbaths persecutions of the godly and all kinds of licentiousnesse open sins against the very letter of the Law and
wâ—e against them from the Lord Isa 5.18 19. though they be an idle generation yet they will work like Cart-horses to commit sinne they will draw iniquity to them with cords of vanity and sinne as with Cart-ropes How might one know them might some man say why by this they say let him make speed and hasten his worke that we may see it let the councell of the holy one of Israel draw nigh and come that we may know it as much as if they had said we would see what he will doe we would see his threats executed we will beleeve them when we see them I so did the men of the old world just of this temper and sped accordingly The most desperate Gyant of them all when he saw the waters to cover the tops of the highest mountaines no doubt beleeved the floud but then it was too late to beleeve it Blessed are they that beleeve though they never saw If Noah had been of that mind also he had perished with them The like we have in the place cited before Amos 9.10 All the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword note they are called sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in a high degree who Why those that say the evill shall not overtake nor prevent us They scorne the Prophets comminations then ver 11. In that day when they are taken off God will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen meaning the Church but he will first knock them downe Multitudes of such were removed in the captivity of Babylon before the Lord restored his Church in Judah The second sort are the obstinate resisters of Gods spirit Sort 2 striving with them in the use of his Ordinances and meanes of grace For his spirit shall not alwayes so strive with men in vaine as we see Gen. 6.3 When the Lord is forced to say of a people unto whom he hath afforded all his Ordinances for a long time as he doth of his Vineyard which he had choicely planted and drest c. Isa 5.4 What could I have done more to this people then that I have done meaning in an ordinary way of meanes setled by himselfe and God useth not to save Nations though persons sometimes by a prerogative why then it must be expected he will deale with that people as he did with his fruitlesse Vineyard break downe the hedge about them with his owne hand let the wilde beasts rush and runne in and depopulate all This was one cause of the captivity of Babylon The Lord rose up early and sent his Prophets long before plagues came but they mocked his Messengers despised his words and mis-used his Prophets untill the wrath of God rose against his people untill there was no remedy whilst men are without meanes there is hope they might be reformed if they had meanes but when as they have for a long time prophaned all meanes their case growes hopelesse therefore now the Lord brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who destroyed all 2 Chron. 36.15 16 17. So because our Saviour would have gathered to him the Jewes by his word as the Hen her Chickens under her wings and they would not therefore their habitation should be left unto them desolate Mat. 23.37 38. Sor. 3 A third sort are the cruell persecutors of his people persecution ever goes along with prophanation and contempt of the means of grace spoken of before When the Husband-men reviled beat and stoned the servants whom the Lord had sent to demand rent and fruits of the Vineyard he at last in fury sends out his men of warre and kils those Husband-men and then le ts out his Vineyard to better Husband-men that will yeeld him his fruits in their season Mat. 23 33 34 c. A fourth sort of enormous transgressors Sort 4 whom the Lord takes off in a publike calamity as the great impediments of Reformation are the proud strong and otherwise invincible supporters of false worship errors haeresie Idolatry prophanenesse as the Popish Hierarchicall generation both of the ecclesiasticall and civill estate Thus the Lord destroyed the High-priests and other supporters of Idolatry in the captivity of Babylon 2 Kin. 25.19 20 21. 2 Chron. 36. And so the Scribes and Pharisees and the whole Jewish state in the last destruction of Jerusalem and this is to be one maine effect of the earth-quake before the Churches future reformation in a word the Lord will take away whatsoever in Church or Common-weale is unreconcilable unto his Sonnes Scepter even Kingdomes and all see Dan. 2.34.35.44.45 In the dayes of these Kings speaking of the last times and of the Kingdomes that issue out of the feet of the Image or the iron Empire of the Romans viz. the Kingdomes of Europe shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome that shall never be destroyed and the Kingdome shall not be left to other people but it shall breake in peeces all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever ver 44. this interpretation is sure ver 45. see for this also Rev. 19.17 18 c. Quest Shall all of all these sorts be taken off in a publique calamity Answ As many as necessity enforceth for freeing Gods way in the worke of Reformation God usually takes off the tops principals and ring-leaders of all these kinds he fels the great Cedars for clearing the ground where the City is to be built and stand whose name is the Lord is there Quest Why are these kinds removed Answ 1 First because they have highly and in so extraordinary a manner provoked God that we parallelling them with such in other Scriptures may justy suspect God hath sworne against them in his wrath and then he will never reverse his threats then their sinne cannot he purged away with sacrifice and offering for ever as it said of Ely's house 1 Sam. 3.14 Then though Noah Daniel and Job should pray for them they should not prevaile for a man may sinne himselfe past and beyond mercy so that though he should repent yet the externall plague should not be removed Secondly because they are not counted worthy to see the good that God will doe for his people as the Text speaâ—eth of the false Prophet Shemajah the Nehelamite Jer. 29.32 that made the Lord take off the old generation in the Wildernesse Thirdly they are unframable for God's building they would never lye even nor keepe a due proportion with the foundation and the rest of the building God hath tryed them sufficiently before Fourthly they would spoyle all Gods work If all the six hundred thousand murmurers had come into the Land of Promise how would they have hindred the advancement of Gods Kingdome and worship they being so inured to Idolatry murmuring c. and so hardned therin such would be like the enemies of the Jewes Ezra 4.2 they would needs assist the Jewes in building the Temple but they would have marr'd all the worke they would have made a wise
their fore-fathers that kept them from blood which they did also shed in part and we see what they doe now But because they durst not it is I take it agreeable to the word it should be so besides there was a fatall concurrence of subordinate causes to hinder them therefore wonder not if you see an earth-quake begin upon it Signe 2 When the enemies of Religion make an attempt upon the whole Church together to ruine it It is with the Church as with a great City it is very molestious to have an Enemy-King lyes loofe off with a mighty Army to hinder all trade and traffique and to catch up and kill now one Citizen then another but if he hath once begirt it with a strong siege made many great breaches threatens to kill man woman and child if the King to whom that City belongs intend to save it he must now appeare to their rescue Even so the Lord can endure the enemies and persecutors of his people for a long time to destroy row one then another of his Saints though they shall at last heare of him for it but when once they determine and endeavour to cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance now the Lord must of necessity and will eft-soon's appeare for if he should suffer all his Church and people to be destroyed what should he doe to his great Name Josh 7.9 he must needes have a people to beare up his Name before the world Doth Pharaoh to all his other cruell persecutions adde this that he will destroy all the male-children of Israel for that strikes at the root of the Church why now have at Pharaoh you shall heare of some mischiefe upon Aegypt ere it be long Doth Hamon get a cruell decree against the Jewes to destroy them altogether upon one day and so to cut off the necke of the whole Church as it were at one blow and that upon a pretence that their lawes differ from all other Nations and that they keepe not the Kings lawes and that it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them an ordinary accusation against the Saints Hester 3.8 9. Well now beware Hamon if we read forward we shall find him hanged anon upon his own gallow's made for another Hest 7.10 When Gog will needs come against the Land of Israel then shall Gods fury come up in his face Ezek. 38. from the 18. ver to the end Surely in that day the Lord will make a great shaking in the Land so that all Creatures shall shake at his presence the mountains shall be thrown down and every wall shall fall to the ground he will call for a sword against him throughout all his mountain every mans sword shall be against his brother he wil plead against him in pestilence blood hailstones fire and brimstone c. When Gog and his Armies doe compasse about the Campe of the Saints and the beloved City intending to ruine all for that I take to be the Emphasis of this word compasse about and this by the way is the last enemy that ever the Church of Christ shall conflict withall here upon earth then suddenly fire comes down from God out of heaven and devoures them Rev. 20.9 The adversaries of Religion have now of late made desperate attempts upon the whole Church plotted the ruine of it every where and had as they imagined a compleat victory both here and else-where they rode in triumph The great Whore began to sing and to say shee was now a Queen againe was no widow and should see no sorrow c. but whilest the meat was yet in their mouthes the heavy wrath of God fell upon them Loe even in the middest of their triumph an hand-writing upon the wall that tels them God hath numbered their Kingdome and finished it An earth quake takes them and hath already shaken thousands of them downe into the pit themselves had digged for others and the earth at this present doth terribly tremble under their whole Kingdome When the Lord ariseth to the succour of his people upon their sufferings and supplications Signe 3 For the oppression of the poore and the sighing of the needy I will now arise saith the Lord. I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 12.5 and these words are as pure and true as refined silver ver 6. When the blood of the Saints cryed Rev. 6.10 and their prayers also Rev. 8.3 4 5 6. instantly the Censâ—r that brought up their prayers is filled with fire â—ed that cast down upon the earth and immediatly follow thunderings lightenings and an earth-quake fâ—ure Angels with Trumpets sound a desiance against the World and upon that follow foure plagues that utterly ruine the Roman Empire Now God is risen upon the prayers and teares of his people groaning under the intollerable oppressions of Hierarchy Praelates High-commission c. who Lorded it over their faith and consciences and tyrannized over their bodies and estates crying unto him day and night for helpe For I am confident there was scarce ever the like crying of that nature in the world as of late yeares there hath been in England why should it not still be continued The Lord therefore being up will not sit downe againe till he have done his worke and hath made his enemies his owne and his peoples footstoole And whereas the enemies doe consult with hell digging deepe and in the duke for Gods people in these quarrels doe not wrestle with flesh and blood onely but with principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses yea and whereas they doe with force and fury with fire and sword goe about to propugne their idolatries and persecutions and to withstand the Lord comming with power for the vindication of his inheritance they in so doing doe nothing else but accerse and draw downe upon themselves the more certaine utter and irrecoverable destruction even as the Canaanites of old were hardned in their hearts of the Lord to come against Israel in battell that they might have no favour but be destroyed utterly Jos 11. â—0 For the Lord will not be alwayes bearded and out-braved by man but will even strike through Kings in the day of his wrath he shall iudge among the heathen he shall fill the places wâ—th the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many Countries he shall drinke of the brooke in the way like a chafed Conquerour pursuing his flying enemy unto perdition therefore shall he lâ—fe up his head Psal 110.5 6 7. When God causeth judgement to be heard from heaven he makes the earth feare and be still when he ariseth to judgement to save all the meeke of the earth sarely the wrath of man shall praise him the remainder of wrath shall he restraine Psa 76.8 9 10. If the unjust Judge that neither feared God nor man would avenge the Widdow because of her troublesome importunity and our Saviour bids
the thoughts of idolatry Iosh 22. the Lord God of Gods the Lord God of Gods he knowes and Israel he shall know say the two Tribes and an halfe to the ten being accused of an intention to revolt from God if it be in rebellion or if in transgression against the Lord save us not this day that we have built us an Altar to turne from following the Lord c. let the Lord himselfe require it Iosh 22.22 23. Much more shall the Reformation be excellent in the last ages wherein it is promised that there shall be new heavens and new earth new Church and new Common-wealth wherein righteousnesse shall dwell 2 Pet. 3.13 In the amplitude and extent of the Church before it was sometimes contained within the narrow bounds of Jury afterwards the Nations of the Gentiles had it successively first the easterne Nations then the westerne c. But now the Church shall be generally if not universally spread over all the world The Kingdomes of the world that is all the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Revel 11.15 And so when the judgement hath sate and the Beasts Kingdome is consumed to the end then and not before then the Kingdome Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven it seemes to be spoken without all hyperbole shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high Dan. 7.26.27 When the stone that is the Kingdome of Christ hath smitten the Image upon the feet and broken them to pieces it selfe shall become a great Mountaine and fill the whole earth Dan. 2.35 Then shall all Nations rejoyce in Christ Psal 67.2 3 4. then a great multitude not of a few but of all Nations and Kindreds and Peoples and Tongues shall stand before the Throne and before the Lambe praising God Rav. 7.9 Nations shall be borne in a day Isa 66.8 All Nations shall serve him Dan. 7. ult In the excellency of the government Christ shall then take to himselfe his great power and reigne Rev. 11.17 and the Saints under him The Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdome and possesse it for ever even for ever and ever age after age for many ages Dan. 7.18.27 they shall reigne on the earth Rev. 5. to 20.4.6 a thousand yeares They shall then indeed be the head and the wicked the taile Many tough and tedious disputes about government which exercise the Church now may haply be of small use in that Reformation It is to consist in the affluence and confluence both of spirituall and externall prosperity for the Lord having humbled and broken his by the earthquake may now trust them The Church hath been before like an homely huswife or like a poore woman living in a cave having scarce a rag to cover her nakednesse and bringing up her Children very hardly whereas Antichrists Strumpet in the meane while hath beene gorgeously attired in Purple with gold and precious-stones and pearles but now the Church shall be like a bride adorned for her husband Rev. 21.2 Now her peace shall be as the Rivers the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to her Rev. 21.24.26 Wait for it and hasten it by faith and prayer Use unbeliefe doth a world of mischiefe Our Saviour could not doe many mighty workes in his owne Country because of their unbeliefe Mat. 13.58 see also chap. 17.16 17 20. How it hindred the healing of the Lunatick the old Israelites for unbeleefe were debarred from entering into the Land of Promise Heb. 3.19 It hindered the building of the second Temple for it is remarkable that whilest the Jewes gave over the worke upon the complaints of their adversaries and the inhibitions of the Persian Kings unto whom they were then subject it never prospered but when they hearkned to the Prophets Haggai and Zechary and beleeved the promises which they brought from God they went on thoroughly and perfected the worke the Persian King Darius Nothus though the adversaries afresh complained consenting who also forbad their adversaries to hinder them upon their greatest poenalties yea commanded them with all possible diligence to further the Jewes in the worke God who hath the hearts of Kings in his hand so framing that Kings heart that he entreated the Iewes to pray for his life and the life of his Sonnes He had lost one or two before and now feared he should lose the rest Ezra 6. and this was almost six score yeares after they had laid the first foundation for in divers Kings reignes they were absolutely hindred Ezra 4. and were at times six and fourty yeares as it seemes in building it Iohn 2.20 I shall never see this Reformation Quest Thou canst not certainly tell Answ 1 the eye sees the Sunne I doubt not that shall see the beginning thereof Seeing thou wilt buy houses and lands yea reversions which thou never lookest to enjoy thy selfe for thine heires forward this for their sakes to come that the little ones may goe in and see that good land c. Faith is the substance of things hoped for it breeds such an apprehension of things promised and to come as gives comfort and confidence concerning them as we may behold in Abraham who rejoyced to see the day of Christ so many hundred yeares before it came Iohn 8.56 and in the old Saints Hebr. 11.13.40 who beleeving in him to come were saved Thou maist by the tastes of these clusters of Grapes set before thee in the former Priviledges discerne what a good Land it is Thou mayest by them as from off the top of Mount Pisgah behold it with thine eyes and view the Land round about The beleeving praeapprehension of these things will give a sweet fruition of them in measure before hand unto the godly Lastly beleeve and wait and though thou misse thy part in the new Ierusalem here on earth yet shalt thou certainly be a Sharer in that Ierusalem which is eternall in the Heavens FINIS A passage or two pretermitted 1 The westerne Roman Empire was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which did let the appearing of Antichrist which when it was taken away then was the man of sinne revealed 2 Thes 2.6 7 8. This belongs to the first Indice spoken of in the fourth Signe 2. The two Witnesses include all those that did sustaine the Cause of Christ against Antichrist and his Gentiles for the Text divides all within the visible Church during Antichrist's reigne into two ranks and no more viz. two Witnesses or Prophets the same are called worshippers and Gentiles Rev. 11.1 2 3. 3. The 1260. dayes of the Witnesses and the 42. months of the Beast begin and end together For else Christ should have none to be for him during some part of Antichrist's reigne For none are for him but the Witnesses Besides the Church was to be all that time in the Wildernesse for which provision is made Rev. 12.6.14 Errata Page 1. line 9. read ranne l. 10. r. houses p. 2. l. 12. r. Ezra 3. p. 3. l. 7. r. hieroglyphicall p. 6. l. 9. r. Tabernacle p. 13. l. 9. r. penitent p. 36. l. 19. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 41. l. 6. r. learned Curteous Reader if there be any more verball or literall mistakes as I doubt there are many pardon the Printers over-sight and correct them with thy Pen.