but after those bloody persecutions ended then came Constantine and then they had peace and were in a more flourishing condition But not then neither for presently Antichrist began to rise then This day is poyson poured into the Church Then they fell out one with another by their contentions then Arrianisme began to spread all over the World and within a little time they were brought into a great Bondage under an Antichristian power and so great darkness did come upon all the Churches I find Mr. Brightman and some others they begin the 42 Weeks even from the time that the Church did begin to flourish in some outward pomp and glory Then began the Prelatical power presently upon that and so they reckon the time of reigning from thence so that Jerusalem hath not been yet the praise of the whole Earth to this day Therefore this that the Prophet here speaks of must be meant of some other time that yet is not come to pass so that we live in these times wherein we are to look for the accomplishing of this Prophecy that God should make Jerusalem the praise of the whole Earth yet in another manner than ever he hath done and that 's the thing that I especially shall endeavour to shew you that yet there is a time for Jerusalem for the Church to be in a more glorious condition than formerly it hath been so that we may have our spirits awakened and stirred up not only to Pray but be Instumental all that we can for the setting up of the glory of the Church of God God is about the working of a great work this way and therefore it 's pity that any that have love to God and to his cause but that they should put on all they can by Prayer and all the wayes they can to further such a glorious work as this is it was that that was the comfort of the Saints of God in the Primitive times and a little after when they suffered hard things yet had comfort that there was a time a coming that Jerusalem should be the praise of the Earth and that Jesus Christ should come and Reign in his Church in another manner than ever yet he did Just in Martyr that lived about thirty years after John Prophesies in speaking of this point of a glorious time of the Church that should be Both my self saith he and all that are Orthodox do generally hold this that there is such a time of the Glorious condition of the Church And Lactantius that lived 1300 years ago or more he spends a great many Chapters in shewing the glorious condition of the Church of God that should be and they longed for it now we are fallen into the times that are nearer our salvation is nearer than when they believed yea or when we our selves did at first believe And therefore as in natural things the nearer a thing comes to the Center the faster it moves so the nearer the people of God come to the glorious condition that God intends for his people in the latter dayes the more should their hearts outrun them in giving God no rest till he come to establish it Wherefore then for the opening of this Christ hath great things to do for his Church in this world in making of it the praise of the Earth I 'le first shew it you by comparing divers Scriptures together And then I 'le shew you what the state of the Church is like to be when it comes to be made the praise of the whole Earth or what God will do for his Church when he intends it to be the praise of the whole earth For the first To compare some Scriptures the Scriptures are very remarkable especially in the Prophet Isaiah compared with divers Scriptures in the Book of the Revelations you may see as it were how they do Eccho one to another whereby we may see apparently that Isaiah was an Evangelical Prophet as he is called by many Divines The first is in the 24. Isa v. 23. compared with the 4. Rev. 4. v. In the 24. of Isa Then speaking of God's deliverance of his Church from evil then he makes this promise the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall Reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously The Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed The meaning of it is this There shall be so much glory as shall darken the glory of the Sun and Moon and because their glory shall be darkned they shall be as it were ashamed As a man when he sees others come that have more glory than himself it puts him to some shame so they shall be ashamed why because the Lord of Hosts shall Reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem before his Ancients gloriously Certainly this hath not been yet fulfilled the Lord hath not so reign'd in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem before his Ancients gloriously so as to darken the glory of the Sun and Moon Now in the 4th of Rev. v. 4. it seems to have regard to this Scripture and shews you what the Throne of Christ is when he shall come to Reign in Zion gloriously And round about the Throne were four and twenty seats and upon the Seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting cloathed in white rayment and they had on their heads Crowns of Gold and here the Lord reigns before the Ancients There 's the Throne of God set up and upon the Seats I saw four and twenty Elders or Ancients sitting cloathed in white rayment and they had on their heads Crowns of Gold So that John seems to have regard to this Text and that Prophesie of John is apparently of the state of the Church that was to be in after times And so there are other places of Scripture as that 54. of Isa and 21. of the Revelat. In the 54. Isa v. 12. there 's a promise to the Church that was Afflicted O thou Afflicted tossed with Tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy Foundation with Saphires And I will make thy Windows of Agats and thy Gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones Here God promises that he would build his Church with precious stones the Church that was so Afflicted and tost Now mark the 21. of the Revelat. and see there how St. John takes this Prophesie and doth plainly interpret it that it is of the glorious state of the Church that should be after saith the Text there describing there the glorious Estate of the Church And the Foundations of the wall of the City were garnished with all manner of precious stones Here 's a Prophesie it should be so and John takes this Prophesie and tells that this is to be understood of a time of the Christian Church that it shall indeed be so And again in the 60. of Isa v. 19. compare it with the 21. Rev. v. 23. In Isa there
will help you to pray much and you should put this into your Petitions Lord make thy Church appear to be thy Portion Thy Treasure Thy Glory Now come Lord Jesus come quickly O that that day might come The third thing is this That when God sets up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth then God will make good the Promises that he hath made unto his Church in the Old Testament And the Prophecies of the glory of his Church which are very many that the truth is we do not know what to make of them we are fain to make Allegories of them when it 's very probable that they are to be in a literal way to be understood and all for the want of the knowledge of this one thing that there is a time for God to set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth Commonly we find that Divines have opened the promises of the Old Testament either by way of an Allegory or of the state of the Church in glory so that there hath been a great mistake in this thing We find in the 54 of Isa v. 17. when the Lord makes a promise to his Church that no weapon that was formed against that should prosper he concludes it and saith This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. All the promises in the Old Testament are the Inheritance of the Saints of God It 's a very sweet place it 's an Excellent place to poor People that have no Riches nor Inheritance left them by their Parents but they have the Promises for their Inheritance Thou may'st look over the Book of God and watsoever promise thou findest made to the Church thou mayst look upon it as thine Inheritance Many carnal men that have great Inheritances other ways they have nothing to do with the Promises of the Saints But the poorest Saint hath all the glory that there is in the Promises of the Word of God they are their Inheritance But in the mean time I have little Why thou art under age yet and God he is thy Guardian and God will be accountable to thee for all and the longer thou stayest before thou comest to thine Inheritance the more shalt thou have when thou comest to it and therefore remember that all the Promises in the Word are to be made good to thee one way or other and all that concern his People will be made good in this world when God shall come and set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth We shall understand that hereafter and therefore we find in the 5 th of the Revelations that there the Lamb he only is able to open the Seals of the Book There was brought a Book Seal'd and a Proclamation was made to know who was worthy to open the Book and to loose the Seals thereof Now the Text saith that John saw none found worthy At length there appeared a Lamb as it had been slain and he was found worthy and the Book was given to him and he opened the Seals of the Book this Book is the Book of the Prophecies of the state of the Church in the new Testament and the promises of God for the glory of the Church of the new Testament Now these things have been kept Sealed for a long time and especially before Christs time But Jesus Christ the Lamb that hath been slain it is he only that is able to open this Book and the Seals of it and there is a time that he will open it he opens it by degrees to his Church And therefore I find it 's very observable in the 22. of Revel vers 6. There comes an Angel to John and said unto him These things are faithful and true And the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done Why now John was before speaking of the glorious condition of Jerusalem the Jerusalem that came down from Heaven Now saith he The Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel Why is it said here The Lord God of the holy Prophets The meaning is this that the Lord now sends his Angel to make his Servants to understand what was in the Prophets and therefore the Lord hath this title The Lord God of the holy Prophets It 's not said here The great God or the holy God only or the Father of Christ or any such title But the Lord God of the holy Prophets That is I here will manifest to my Servants what I did Inspire the holy Prophets with in former times and will open their Prophecies unto them O it will be a blessed time when we shall come to understand the Prophecies of the Old Testament and how they do aim at the New Testament you Read their Book and how often do you shut the Book and say O Lord I cannot understand I do not know the meaning of these things and so likewise the book of the Revelations and sometimes you are ready to think why doth God write so in his word But be satisfied in this thing in your Reading the Scriptures there are some things very dark But now the main things that concern thine everlasting Salvation are clear enough and bless God for that But now if you would know why other things are dark they are dark because the Lord intends in them to manifest some glorious thing that he will do towards the latter end of the world for his People that the truth is God would not have generally known till then You will say why then have we the Scriptures Yes we have them now that God may appear so much the more glorious when they are fulfill'd that they may be manifested to his Saints that these are no other things than the Prophets did Prophesie of divers thousand Years ago Now this will mightily add to the Joy of the Saints when they shall come to see O this is partly fulfilling of such a Prophecy in Isa and in Ezek. and in the Revelations now it adds to the Joy of the Church to know that these things that now they have are no other than God did foretel by his holy Prophets as no question now when Christ was Prophesied of For he was Prophesied of for four thousand Years before he came into the world and in a Mighty dark way as now this first Prophecy of Christ The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents Head what could they understand of this and yet under this Prophecy was the whole Gospel Prophesied of and he shall bruise thy heel there all the sufferings of Jesus Christ were Prophesied of under that Prophesie Now I am confident that for the general part of the Jews they understood no more of that Prophecy to be meant of Christ and his sufferings than we when we Read in Ezekiel and in the Revelations do understand what God will do for his Church in time to come But now when this Prophesie is fulfill'd that we find
more clear In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the House of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Mark he that is feeble shall be as David at that day and the House of David shall be even as an Angel of God Those that are weak Christians yet at that day when the Lord shall set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth weak Christians shall be as David and he that is strong shall be as an Angel of God Now I would but know when was this what time was this was this ever in the time of the Gospel I verily believe the times of the Gospel are as glorious at this day as ever they were since the Apostles days in regard of the graces of Gods Spirit There is as clear Revelations of Christ and as strange workings of the Graces of Gods Spirit in the generality I must except those that are eminent as the Apostles and those that had miraculous and extraordinary gifts but to speak of the generality of Christians they have as much knowledg of Jesus Christ and the wayes of Christ as ever any yet can we say now that even strong Christians are like David If we should examine and see what David was how short should we come where have we almost any that may parallel with David but there is a Prophecy that the feeble shall be like David and the strong ones shall be like the Angel of God In the forty fifth Psalm there the Church is described The Cloathing of the Kings Daughter is of wrought Gold and she shall be brought unto the King in Rayment of Needle-work Which is but to signifie the excellent Gifts and Graces of the Saints that they shall be cloathed as it were with their Gifts as Princes Daughters that have such Cloathing And Revel 22.3 4. there 's a Prophecy that they shall continually stand before the Lord and serve him night and day they shall be unwearied in the service of the Lord they shall serve him night and day Now you are quickly tired a little time in the worship of God doth tire you but there is a time coming when the Saints shall be so strengthened with the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit of God as they shall be able to serve him night and day The seventh thing that shall be done when Jerusalem shall be raised as the praise of the whole Earth it shall be the glorious presence of Christ that shall be amongst them I say the Glorious presence of Christ I do not say the Personal presence of Christ in his Body for that would require arguing and much dispute therefore we meddle not with it But that there shall be a more glorious presence of Jesus Christ in his Churches than yet hath been That the Scripture seems to be clear enough in As in the 21. Revel verse 22. And I saw no Temple therein that was in the New Jerusalem For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof That is there should not be such need of help as now there is either from Creatures or Ordinances in comparison for the Lord God shall be the light of that place and the Lamb shall be instead of the Temple In the 2 Pet. 1.19 compared with the Rev. 2.28 There is very much to give light to this and yet that we are not able to understand throughly the meaning of it We have also saith he a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a ligâ—â— that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the Day-star arise in your Hearts This more sure word of Prophecy he means certainly the Scriptures that we have and the way of Gods revealing himself there You do well to take heed saith he unto them Vntill the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your Hearts He seems to speak here of another manner of manifestation of light from God that shall be besides that sure Word of Prophecy that is the Day-star rising in their Hearts Now compare this with the 2. Revel and the 28. There is promised to such as do overcome in Antichristian times that at length the Lord will give unto them the morning Star Now these two being compared together may cause us thus much to see that there certainly shall be some further Presence of Christ among the Saints than in former times hath been For Christ he is the morning Star and God will give them the morning star that is he will give them Christ the Presence of Christ shall arise in the Hearts of the Saints in another way than formerly for they were Godly to whom this morning Star is promised but if you continue to be Godly and to overcome in the Antichristian time you shall have this blessing you shall have the morning Star They had Christ to justifie them and to sanctifie them But they were promised to have Christ yet further in another more high and glorious presence of his to be as a morning Star arising in their Hearts And in the 33 of Isa v. 17. there it 's promised to them that are upright that they should see the King in his Glory Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty The Promise is made to those that are described in the 15. vers Jesus Christ the King that was so much desired in former times shall appear in his beauty and glory unto them And in the 102. Psam there 's a clear Prophecy of this Estate of Jerusalem when the Lord shall make it the praise of the whole Earth Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come vers 16. But in the 15. vers So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the Earth thy Glory When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his Glory There will be a glorious appearing when God shall come to build up Zion and make Jerusalem as the Praise of the whole Earth God hath appeared gloriously in all his works in former times but this great work is the greatest next the sending of his Son into the World to be made flesh It is the greatest that ever was done the building up of Zion Then God shall appear in his Glory When the Marriage of the Saints shall be the new Jerusalem that is the Spouse of Christ As Parents do use to put on their best Garments in the time when they marry their Children so in the time when the Lord shall raise Jerusalem thus it shall be as a great marriage-Marriage-day of the Church to Christ Now there is a Marriage of particular Souls to
a Curse all that time For First all Creatures are subject to vanity and that vanity shall not be taken off nor the bondage till this time Secondly There will be trouble and Wars continually till this time there will be no certainty nor settledness of things till Jerusalem come to be made as the praise of the Earth There will attend affliction to the people of God yea and to others too Yea and there is a Curse upon mens Spirits which will not be taken off till this time comes The truth is when we look upon what is in the Earth we can see little that should make us desire to live in respect of the earthly comforts that are here and for my own part thinking in my thoughts about this point this Meditation came into my mind I wonder why men that live here and are not useful and serviceable to do service for God I wonder why they should desire to live for what pleasure is there in the Earth The Earth is under a curse Now were it not for this one thing that we might live to make our peace with God and to do God service I say it 's a wonder that any should desire to live for the truth is Afflictions and Fears and Troubles will countervail the Comforts of any that do live But indeed that will countervail our affliction if we may live to do service for God but let us give God no rest till this be because till then the Earth is under a curse It is this that brings a glory to the Earth O! it will be worth living in the World when God shall be set up in the World when Jesus Christ shall rule in the World it will be worth the living and not till then And then further give God no rest because that the time is near now howsoever it is near in respect of what it was when this Prophet thus spoke for â—t was above two thousand Years ago â—hat the Prophet spake these words Now the end of the world it 's even up on us and Christ seems to be even at the door Now as it is in nature a heavy thing the nearer it comes to the center the faster it moves so the nearer we are come to this time the more should our hearts be stirred for the time is even at hand and therfore let us pray now mightily as we find in the 9 th of Daniel Daniel did understand by Books that the time of their deliverance was near Mark at the third Vers the Text tells us that Daniel set his face to seek the Lord O then he fasted and prayed indeed My Brethren when you have such things as thâ—se presented to you and some hâ—â—â—â—â—l Arguments presented likewi 〈…〉 are near learn to set your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord and resolve never to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 king till he make this Jerusalem to be the praise of the whole Earth O my Brethren now a praying heart is worth something it is a miserable thing for any Man or Woman not to have a Spirit of Prayer in these times a dangerous sign that such a one shall never be partaker of the glory of this new Jerusalem that hath not a praying Spirit in these times Yea now we find there are mighty stirrings abroad in the world the hearts of men are more raised to expect it than ever they were before I remember it 's observed of the woman of Samaria you may see by her that there was a general expectation raised of the Messias at the time that he came saith she when the Messias comes he will tell us all things and truly there is the greatest expectation of the Saints of God and those that are the most strict and holy the greatest expectation of these times as ever yet was and we find the Lord is so stirring in the world as makes us think that he is bringing about some glorious things and therefore pray pray pray and you that want matter to pray among other things put this into your prayer both in your Closets and Families pray the Lord and cry to him so as to give him no rest every day O Lord make Jerusalem the praise of the Earth O Lord we see abundance of darkness in thy Churches and Godliness is little Honoured in the world but O Lord make thy Churches glorious set up the glory of Godliness in the world pray thus privately and so publickly And a further motive to give God no rest is this That in this your heart doth joyn with the work of God that is most acceptable to God and that his Soul doth take delight in and that 's a comfortable thing And besides give him no rest for God hath appointed Prayer to be a special Engine and a great means to further this In the 102. Psalm saith the Text The Lord will regard the Prayer of the destitute Alas may some say I am a poor weak Christian a poor Body I am able to do but little I may Sigh to God but what are my prayers worth Mark the Text speaking of the glory of these times and of the way to further it The Lord will regard the Prayer of the destitute Though thou beest but as a poor shrub the Lord will regard thy Prayer and mark what the Text saith This shall be written for the Generation to come vers 18. This is written for thee Prayer hath done great things hath made a mighty change of things and if ever People were encouraged to pray now they may be encouraged because they have seen so much that Prayer hath done already We have many Scriptures which I had thought to have spoken of for the encouragement of you in Prayer for these things that you might go on and not faint Though you see things seem to go very Cross yet be not troubled at it but still go on give him no rest it may be God will do nothing now yet still give him no rest but be constant till the thing be done for certainly it will be done at length and if it should not come to pass in your life yet this I will conclude withall When you die die in the Faith of it Any of you that have been earnest in prayer for this thing and yet you see little come of it yet die in the Faith of it when you die as it is said of Joseph in the 50. of Gen. 24. Behold I die and God will surely visit you and bring you out of this Land unto the Land which he sware to Abraham c. So you may speak to your Children I die now I must not see this new Jerusalem but there is hope that God will bring you into it though I perhaps shall not see it and close your Eyes with this belief when you are to die I die yet in the Faith that there is a time a coming that the Lord will make Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth FINIS The Witnesses not yet slain
JERVSALEMS GLORY Breaking forth into the WORLD BEING A SCRIPTURE-DISCOVERY OF THE New-Testament-Church In the Latter Dayes immediately before the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST LONDON Printed by J. A. and are to be 〈…〉 most Booksellers 168◠TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THIS Precious Treatise of the New Testament Church in the latter Dayes Preached many Years a-go by that Evangelical Prophet Mr. Jeremiah Burroughes was committed to us by a Citizen of Zion to whose ready Pen the World is much engaged for Preserving the Mantles of divers of our late Elijah's which they let fall from their Pulpits before they went to Heaven If thou hast seen and tasted that Gracious and Warm Spirit which runs through His many other VVorkes Published by Himself and His Brethren it will certainly encrease in thee a Spiritful Thirst and Longing after what else he hath received from his LORD and MASTER and hath freely Communicated as His Embassadour to His People which are yet to be printed The Principal Scope of this Small though weighty Book is to give us Scriptural notice that Jesus Christ will usher in His second Coming by making Jerusalem His Church a Praise in the Earth a Glory throughout the World This is plainly demonstrated according to the WORD by this Apollos mighty in the Scriptures and an Interpreter one of a Thousand Therefore seriously peruse every Text without a prejudicate Opinion Judge not rashly lest thou be judged For this Master-Builder hath set before thee nothing but that which is grounded upon the Pillar of Truth and which is according to the Golden Reed of the Sanctuary Here is a singular Collection of several Scriptures of the Old and New Testament looking one the other in the face as the Cherubims of Gold did which Moses made at each end of the Mercy Seat and shaking Hands together for the more evident and firm Demonstration of this Great Gospel-Truth following the Apostles Rule Comparing spiritual things with spiritual things so that you will find this Soul-ravishing Point that Christ's Church shall be the Praise and Glory of all the World as the Light of the Sun breaking forth more and more to a perfect mid-day of Glory Oh! how welcome will that day of Christ's Espousals and Coronation be to His Love-sick Spouse as the Dove with the Olive Leaf was to Noah or the re-appearing of the Star to the Wise Men Let us resolve in the strength of Christ who is the only Supream Head of His Church constantly to make it our solemn business to plead at the Throne of Grace those glorious Prophesies and Promises in his Name in whom they are Yea and Amen even till He Establish and till He make Jerusalem a Praise till He have not only laid the foundations with Saphirs but finished this City of Pearl not only brought forth the Corner stone but the Top Stone of Jerusalem and all the Earth with shouting cry Grace Grace to it 26 th of this 3 d. Month 1675. Less than the Least of Jerusalems Remembrancers William Adderley THE EPISTLE THE Publisher of these Sermons is desirous they might pass with Testimonial into the World that they might pass with the greater Freedom But indeed the Name of the Author so well known may be sufficient Argument for their Reception in every place These Sermons are but some Fragments of the VVorthy Authors Judicious and Pious Labours But Christ gave order to his Disciples that the Fragments should not be lost Faith may here find some food as it takes a prospect of the Glory that is hereafter to be revealed For here you have the Author's Sentiments about the last times and of the Catastrophe of all things at last After the Dragon and the Beast have acted their parts in their opposition to the Lamb and his followers wherein he hath presented to our View the many ancient Prophesies recorded in Scripture that bear witness to these things So far as you see Prophetick Light shine before you take heed to it which is all that is desired of the Reader and by the Publisher Who having this Commodity I mean this Copy lying by him was willing to bring it forth as men bring Corn and other necessaries to Market for publick Use and benefit only remember that it was not in the Author's Intention for to have it so Had his own hand been upon the Frame you should have seen the Lines drawn with more Accuracy and the Truth more fully searched into And if any hath thoughts different from the Author 's in these ensuing Sermons let him shew however that Respect to so Reverend a Man as to reject nothing Rashly that is Asserted by him and if he doth not Receive let him Consider And let us all be waiting and preparing for the Bride-groom's coming Amen Even so come Lord Jesus ISA. 62. v. 7. And give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth SERMON I. IN the former Chapter there are many Promises of an excellent and Glorious state that God would bring his Church into in his time with those Promises the heart of this Prophet Isaiah was much taken and therefore in the beginning of this Chapter saith he For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest until the Righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth And as he himself would not rest nor hold his peace so he would that all the Watchmen that were set upon the Walls of Jerusalem and so after all the Ministers of the Church that they should not rest yea he would that they should give God no rest until he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Give God no rest he speaks here after the manner of Men to note what importunity there should be among the people of God in seeking of God to make good all those glorious Promises that he hath made to his Church for the raising of it up to a glorious state as a man that is importunate of any business he is not satisfied if he doth Petition and nothing comes of it he falls to it again and again and seeks to get by importunity and resolves that he will be at no rest And so God speaks after this manner not that his rest or not rest doth depend upon us But that we should be as importunate with him for so great a mercy as this is as with any man in the world that we were resolved that till he had given us an answer we would give him no rest and give him no rest until he hath established and made Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Till he establish Till he makes good his word till the Church be brought to a settled way of mercy and into a safe and sure condition For sometimes as if the Prophet should say we find the Promises beginning to work and God is doing good for us but at other times things seem
to go back again therefore give him no rest till he Establish till we see things settled As you Mariners when you are to go a great Voyage you love to see the Wind settled in some place or other before you go forth so faith the Prophet Sometimes we find the mercy and goodness of God much towards us but things have gone back again therefore give him no rest till he hath established And till he hath made Jerusalem a praise in the Earth By Jerusalem we are to understand the Church of God not so much the City Jerusalem that then was but the Church of God that was to be in the times of the Gospel especially for Jerusalem was a Type of it As the praise of the Earth The Septuagint translates it and the word signifies the Glory the Exaltation of the Earth till he makes Jerusalem the praise of the Earth Now we know that Prayer ought to be in Faith then those that pray to God and especially that are importunate with God they must believe that there is such a thing to be done that the Church of God is to be made the praise and Glory of the Earth And if they believe it is to be done they must have some word for it Now this is the main thing that I intend at this time to make out unto you that there is a time that God hath to make his Church to be the praise and glory of all the world In this World To be the glory of the Earth not only to be glorious its self in Heaven that I suppose you all believe that there is a time that the Church Militant here shall be Triumphant in Heaven and glorious there but that there is a time that God in this Earth shall make his Church to be the glory of the earth And therefore all the Saints of God to whom the glory of God is dear who do desire that the Honour of God may be raised and set out they are to pray for this and to be importunate for this as a certain thing that is to be done and fulfilled by God Now because you cannot pray for it and be importunate to give God no rest till you see it plainly that it will be so therefore this thing is now to be opened unto you The truth is Jerusalem the Church of God hath been in a low Estate alwaies in comparison of what God intends it to be at this time when the Prophet here saith give God no rest till he make Jerusalem the praise of the whole Earth Jerusalem was in no glorious condition it was but a little before God intended a Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem For this Prophet you shall find in the beginning of his Prophecy did Prophesie in the dayes of Hezekiah now in the sixth year of Hezekiah's Reign did the Babilonians come and sack Samaria 2 Kings 18.10 and took the People into Captivity And it might be for ought we know not above a year or two before their captivity that here the Prophet calls upon this people to pray to God and give him no rest till he set Jerusalem up as the praise of the whole earth and yet he knew it was it to go into Captivity presently certainly then the Prophet did not intend here any time that should be in his dayes or in any little time after The Prophet therefore must needs have a Reference to some notable time of the Church that must be in after dayes the people of the Jews were never the praise of the whole Earth If you look before this time they were unto the other people but a contemptible people and lived in a little Countrey one way a little more than fourscore miles a very little Countrey it was that all the people of the Jews lived in and very contemptible in respect of the other Nations of the World Therefore it was not the praise of the whole earth before Not presently after this is spoken for they were to go into Captivity and to be there so long a time You will say it may be 't is meant about the time when they were to return from Captivity No not so neither for they were but very poor and contemptible in the eyes of the world after their Captivity for when they did return it was but by leave and they were but as Servants unto the Medes still they were but as servants unto Cyrus and the rest of them When they went to build the Walls of Jerusalem again they scoff at them And what doe these feeble Jews and if a Fox goes but upon their walls it will break them down Certainly in their return from Captivity they were not the praise of the whole Earth no nor in after times they had many interruptions before they could bring any thing to any effect Many Learned men compute that they were longer a building the wall than they were in Captivity and we know that it was not long after their Captivity that they all did lye at the mercy of a wicked Haman who had gotten a Decree to cut off all the people of the Jews therefore they were not in any glorious condition no not after their return from Captivity from that time till the time that the Romans came and destroyed them they were but in a low condition and then afterwards they were low enough so that it could not be meant literally of Jerusalem of that place nor of the Church of the Jews therefore it must be meant of the state of the Church in the times of the Gospel Now when was that as the praise of the whole earth certainly though it were the praise of God and God had his praise from his Church at all times yet now this must be meant of some eminent time that was to come and it must be some outward glory that they must have so as the whole earth must take notice of it And it was not in the time of Christ himself Christ himself was the glory of God but yet in the earth he was despised a man that had no form nor comeliness in him in regard of outwards they were then under Herod and rejected Christ when he came and within a while afterwards by Titus Vespatian they were destroyed and an unspeakable havock was upon Jerusalem and the people of the Jews and so they have abode to this day to be as a runnagate Nation For the Apostles nothing was more contemptible than they you know what St. Paul saith not only of himself but of other of the Apostles they were made the very off-scowring of the Earth the basest things of the Earth even the Apostles themselves they were in no outward glory before the face of the world that they could see it And afterwards in the Primitive times you know they were under most dreadful persecutions how they were Massacred and hackt and hew'd and what woful misery they were put to all this while Jerusalem was not the praise of the Earth Well
shall be made the praise of the whole Earth then there shall be new Heavens and a new Earth created That is there shall be as great a change of things as if there were new Heavens and new Earth created There shall be a mighty glorious power of God manifested towards his Churches as if God were Creating new Heavens and new Earth again Oh! we do not know but that either you or some of your Children may yet live to see such times as these are And it 's another World indeed It 's not the World that we live in now there shall be a kind of new World And therefore some Scriptures that many times we think are meant concerning the Life in Heaven after the day of Judgment because they are spoken of another World they are rather to be understood of the state of the Church here in this World And to the end that I may shew this for otherwise all that 's said is but in vain It may be you will say that the Prophet mean't that State of the Church Triumphant in Heaven And so the Apostle St. John in his reference to what the Prophet saith he seems to mean it of the glorious state of the Church in Heaven And I verily believe the most of you that have read with Observation the latter end of the Book of the Revelations you have thought it hath been meant of the State of the Church in Heaven but that it cannot be be meant I 'le give you a Reason or two why the 21 of the Revelations cannot be meant of the Church in Heaven First Because the Text saith That Jerusalem shall come down from Heaven after he had described it in the 10 Vers He carryed me away in the Spirit to a great and high Mountain and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God That is the Glory of Jerusalem shall not come from the Earth nor from any Earthly means Though men ought to do what they can yet it shall be too great a Glory for any earthly means to be able to bring but it shall come down from Heaven there shall be some admirable glorious work of God from Heaven to bring Jerusalem into such Glory as it shall be brought into And that 's one thing That it is not the State of Heaven for it comes down from Heaven And then besides that that is an undeniable Reason is that which you have in the 24 and 26 Verses And the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour into it They do not bring their Honour to the State of the Church Triumphant in Heaven The Saints in Heaven shall have no need of any of the Glory of the Kings of the Earth the meanest poorest Servant or Boy that is Godly shall be more glorious than all the Kings of the Earth ever were in this World but this is such a State that the Kings of the Earth shall bring their Glory to it And in the 26 verse They shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it The meaning is that when this time comes the Lord will make all the Kings of the Earth and all the Nations of the Earth to be some way serviceable to the Glory of his Churches that 's the plain meaning of it that whereas now the Kings of the Earth and the Nations do persecute the Church generally and as in the second Psalm you have it the Kings of the Earth they combine themselves together against Jesus Christ and will none of his Government but yet for all this the Lord saith that he will set his King upon his holy Hill And then here is the Prophecy that there shall be such a work of God upon the Kings and Nations of the Earth as they shall all come in and bring their Glory to Jerusalem to the Church to do the uttermost they can to make the Church to be Glorious This is in General the state of Jerusalem when it shall be made the Praise of the Earth But now that I might come to move Particulars about this The first thing is this When that time shall come all Tears shall be wiped from the Eyes of Saints the People of God shall be delivered from all Enemies they shall never be any further pestered with wicked and ungodly men to be enemies to them but be fully freed from them all We groan under the burden of the Enmity of wicked Men and their Opposition I but let us be content to bear it and to endure Oppositions from wicked and ungodly Men for there is a time a coming that thou shalt be delivered even in this World You will say when we come to Heaven we shall be above the Malice of all the wicked Men in the World Nay there is a time when the Saints shall be above the Malice of wicked men upon this Earth In the 28 of Ezek. A Chapter that speaks so much of the Glorious Condition of the People of God verse 24. There shall be no more a pricking Briar nor any grieving Thorn of all that are round about them that despised them They shall be so far from having any power to do any mischief to the People of God as they shall not be so much as able to prick them no grieving Thorn nor no bryer pricking of the Saints of God as heretofore they have done It will be a blessed time when the Saints shall be delivered from the Curse of the Earth the Bryers and Thorns it brings forth Where are wicked men certainly those are the worst Bryers and Thorns in the World and do the most mischief here in the World Now the Lord hath promised that they shall be delivered wholly from them Rev. 21.4 There is a Scripture leading to that way And God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes and there shall be no more Death neither Sorrow nor Crying neither shall there be any more Pain For the former things are passed away This is prophesied of for such times as these are for those that then liv'd the Saints are like to live when Christ shall come in that Glorious state of Judgment and have no pain nor sickness and therefore be delivered from all Enemies and from all evils both from without and within in regard of any pain or misesery and in the 19 of the Revelations we have it there prophesied of Christ that he shall come and have his Vesture dipt in blood in the overcoming all the wicked and ungodly Verse 13. And he was cloathed with a Vesture dipt in blood and his Name is called the Word of God And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean and out of his Mouth goeth a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron and he treadeth the Wine-press
of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God But this is observable why it 's said that the Garments of Christ were dipt in blood and the Robes of the Saints were white the meaning is this That it is to note that when this time comes to set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole World that Jesus Christ he shall come to be avenged of his Enemies of all the wicked and ungodly upon the Earth and so he shall come in an Hostile way against them But those that follow him they shall have their Robes white the Saints shall triumph they shall do nothing but take the Triumph Christ shall go before and endure all the difficulty and hardship and they shall come after in a triumphing way Thus the Scripture speaks of deliverance from wicked men And in the 12 Zech. verse 3. there you have a place likewise observable for this And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all People all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the Earth be gathered together against it I 'le make Jerusalem a burdensom stone will they fight against it it shall be a burdensom stone to them and whosoever set themselves against Jerusalem in that day shall not prevail but shall be cut in pieces Why that day hath not been yet But there shall be a day when whosoever throughout the World shall set himself against the Church shall not prevail but shall be cut in pieces And so we find in the 11 of Exod. the 7 verse That when the People of Israel went out of Aegypt the Text saith there was not a Dog that did move his Tongue against them We know the Deliverance from Aegypt was typical It notes the deliverance of the People of this new Jerusalem from the Tyranny of Anti-Christ And therefore in the 15 of the Revel you find that Moses Song it is sung again In the 15 of Exod. after their Deliverance from Pharaoh Moses sings a Song of Thanksgiving and in the 15 Rev. they sing it over again verse 2 3. after their deliverance from their Captivity The Dogs of the World they do move their Tongues against the Saints of God now but there is a time coming that no Dog shall move his Tongue They shall be so convinc'd of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem that God is with them that they shall not be able to move their Tongues against them And I remember Lactantius that I spake of before that did speak so much in his time so many hundred Years agoe that there was such a time a coming he hath this expression among others At that time it shall be with wicked men as it was with the People of Aegypt When God saith he did deliver Israel from the Aegyptian Bondage he brought most dreadful Judgments upon the Aegyptians at that time so saith he whenever the time shall come that God shall set up Jerusalem as the Praise of the whole World then shall be most fearful Judgments upon the ungodly Now indeed Judgment begins at the House of God and the Saints in many places suffer most but then Judgment shall fall upon the Aegyptians and God will destroy wicked men or at least subdue them so far as they shall not be able to do any hurt to the Saints And that 's the first thing that shall be when Jerusalem shall be made the Praise of the whole Earth the People of God shall be delivered from wicked men and all Oppression and much less shall they be oppressed by one another It is that that darkens Jerusalem now that it 's under oppression from evil Men and that the Saints do oppress one another so much But for the Union of the Saints that we shall speak of afterwards But for the second thing and that 's this Then shall all the Expressions of the Churches Glory that we have in the Old Testament in a Typical way be fully made good and that visibly it shall be visibly and apparently to the World made good You will say What are those There are very many the Lord speaks very much of the Glory of his Church when he had his Church but among the Jews but certainly the wayes of God towards his Church then were typical and God intended by his high Expressions of the Glory of his Church then some other thing that should be afterwards made good in a more apparent and visible way As thus now you have these things said of the Church of God in the Old Testament First That it is the Portion of God Yea it is his Pleasant Portion Jer. 12.10 verse By that that hath outwardly appeared who would think that a few People that were contemptible to the World were God's pleasant Portion All that we read of the State of the Church in the Old Testament will appear one day before all the World that indeed God did not say in vain of his Church that it was his pleasant Portion Secondly We find that God saith that his Church is his Inheritance Isa 19.25 It is his own Inheritance Yet how do the wicked break into the Inheritance of God for the present But there is a time a coming that the Lord will make it appear to all the World that his People are his Inheritance Thirdly The Church is called the Dearly Beloved of Gods Soul Jer. 12.7 It is a very high Expression the Dearly Beloved of his Soul And yet at that time the Lord saith there that he will give the dearly Beloved of his Soul into the hand of their Enemies Oh! but how doth it appear then that the Church is the dearly Beloved of Gods Soul Well though it doth not so appear now to the World God hath a time to make it appear before all the World that his Church is the dearly Beloved of his Soul A fourth Expression is That it is the Peculiar Treasure of God in the 19 of Exod. v. 5. Ye shall be a peculiar Treasure unto me above all People Men make much of their Treasure but especially Treasures that are Peculiar Now the Lord hath another Treasure besides the Church the Blessings of God in Nature are God's Treasure therefore in the 28 of Deut. 12. verse the Scripture saith that God did bring out of his good treasure when he speaks of the outward blessings of his People when God gives us of the good things of nature he gives us out of his good treasure I but that 's a Common Treasure the treasure of nature But God hath a Peculiar Treasure and that 's his Church there 's the Riches of God Just as if a Merchant should be trading for divers sorts of Commodities perhaps he trades for Cloaths or Lumber stuff there is some treasure there I but he trades for Jewels and Pearls besides and he hath them lockt up under divers Locks and there he accounts all his treasure to be Now I may compare all the good things of this world
the seed of the Woman is come and how he hath overcome Principalities and Powers and how the Devil hath opposed him now we see the meaning of this Prophecy And now we can bless God so much the more for Christ Christ is no other than the Lord did in Paradise formerly Prophesie of And so divers other Prophecies in the Old Testament as The Scepter shall not depart from Judah unto Shilo come Alas none of the Jews almost did understand this And that not a bone of Christ should be broken and so I might name you forty such Prophecies so just as now The Prophecies that were Prophesied of concerning Christs coming in the Flesh were very obscure in the Old Testament but were made clear by the fulfilling of them to us in the New So the Prophecies of the glorious state of the Church when Jerusalem shall be made as the praise of the whole Earth they are obscure to us yet but when it comes to be made clear the Saints of God will praise and bless God that now they come to enjoy that that so many years ago was Prophesied of And therefore comfort your selves in this when you Read the Prophecies in the Word But certainly when it shall come it will be a blessed time and therefore pray for it give the Lord no rest till he set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole Earth For then shall the Book of God be opened and things shall be seen mighty plain when that comes I will give you one Scripture for that of the clear opening of things when Jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole Earth You find in the fourth of the Revelations and vers 1. There was a Door opened in Heaven nothing else but a Door But afterwards you find that Heaven it self was opened In the 19. Chap. vers 11. And I saw Heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true c. First A Door was opened and then the Heaven of God was opened Noteing that there should be a Progress in the state of the Church at the first they should have but a little knowledge but afterwards they should have abundance of knowledge And in the 11. Chap. the 19. vers And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament c. How comes that to pass for in the time of the Law there was no such opening of the Temple as to see the Ark of Gods Testament for that was kept hid But now speaking of the glorious times of the Church in the state of the Gospel the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was the Ark of the Testament of God seen it was made clear Then the Ark of Gods Testament it was kept hid from the People that they could not see it in the time of the Law But when Jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole Earth the Temple shall be opened and the Ark shall appear the word of God shall be made open in the Promises and Prophecies of it Therefore let us pray and believe let us believe and pray that this time may be hastened The Second SERMON On a fast-Fast-Day at Stepny Octob. 31. 1645. IN the fourth place the time when Jerusalem shall be made the Praise of the whole Earth what shall be done then We shall be delivered from all Oppressions The Titles of the Church made good visibly Prophecies and Promises fulfill'd And in the fourth place there shall be a wonderful Confluence of People that shall joyn with the Saints in the way of God's Worship It 's true now there are but a very few that do joyn to worship God how little is God known in the World and Jesus Christ how little is he acknowledged in all the world if we should divide the World as some have into thirty parts we find not above five of those thirty that do so much as acknowledge Jesus Christ all the other are Heathens at this very day And then among those that do acknowledge Christ in the Grecian Churches though he is acknowledged to be Christ the Saviour yet they are extream ignorant generally And what a great part of the Christian World hath Popery under it And among those that make profession of Christ how few are there that do honour him and worship him according to his own way But when this time comes that Jerusalem shall be made the Praise of the whole World you shall have a mighty Confluence of People It shall not be said any more Little Flock fear not little little Flock but it shall be a great Flock and therefore you find in the Book of the Revelations that Jerusalem when it comes to be measured it is said to be a great City a mighty Confluence shall be unto the Church In the 2 of Daniel v. 35. it 's said there speaking of the Church as I remember 't is by way of resemblance of a Stone that it should grow great as a Mountain and it should fill the whole Earth there should be the generality of the World called in the fulness of the Gentiles together with the Jews I will not say every one but generally they shall be called in to the true Worship of Jesus Christ and to the embracing of the Gospel That Scripture in the sixtieth of Isa ver 3 4. and so on it is remarkable for this And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the Brightness of thy Rising Lift up thine Eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together they come to thee Thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters shall be Nursed at thy side Then thou shalt see and flow together and thine Heart shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee Mariners and those that converse at Sea they shall be converted unto the Church 'T is a Prophecy shewing that the Lord hath a special care of Mariners that have gone on in wayes of Ignorance not knowing Christ and the way of the Gospel saith he Abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee He doth not mean the waters of the Sea but the People that do converse in the Seas Mariners in the Sea that they shall even come over the Sea to joyn when they hear the Gospel comes to be set forth in the beauty and Power of it And so he goes on still further in the 6 vers The multitudes of Camels shall cover thee the Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah all they from Sheba shall come they shall bring Gold and Incense and they shall shew forth the Praises of the Lord. Read but this sixtieth of Isaiah and you shall find both this of the multitude of People And of abundance of Glory of Jerusalem that shall be which in the very Reading of it you cannot think that this hath been
that this Scripture in Peter though in some passages of it may seem to referr to the great day of Judgement yet compared with Isa out of which it is taken it appears to be but a very comment upon my Text and I find generally Interpreters do Interpret this of Isa to be meant of the Church of God in this World And so by comparing one Scripture with another we may find out much truth And besides the Prophets did Prophesie very little about the Eternal life after the day of Judgment though something there was about it but very little in comparison and therefore we have a great deal of Reason to think it to be meant concerning this time of this new Jerusalem when God shall make it to be the praise of the whole Earth Lastly This shall add to the beauty of this new Jerusalem that Prosperity shall do it no hurt and therefore as I remember in the 4 th of the Revelat. the state of the Church in this time is compared to an Eagle there were four Beasts the first like a Lyon the second like a Calf the third was like a Man and the fourth was like a Flying-Eagle Noting the four states of the Church and the last shall be as an Eagle that is they shall be lifted above all these outward things At first when the Church was raised from persecution in Constantines time the History of those times tells us that there was a voice heard in the Air To day is Poyson poured into the Church It was at that time when Constantine did endow the Church with great Endowments and we find it now that we have weak stomacks and are not able to bear much prosperity and therefore God hath thought it rather fit to keep his Church low but when that day comes for Jerusalem to be made the praise of the whole Earth there shall be no fear of hurt from prosperity For Christ shall be all in all to them There shall be a more immediate enjoyment of God and that will keep them from taking hurt by what they have in the creature Now let 's put all these together and see what a glorious condition the Saints shall be in surely when all these things shall be fulfilled then you must needs say that Jerusalem will be made a praise in the whole Earth That is First When there shall be a Resurrection a new creation a new world when all Tears shall be wip'd away when all wicked men shall be kept under When the Church shall appear to be the pleasant Portion of God his Inheritance his dearly Beloved his Glory and when all Promises that have been made to them and all Prophecies of their glory shall be fulfilled when there shall be a wonderful confluence of the Nations Jews and Gentiles to them and yet there shall be a great deal of purity in ordinances there shall not be filth among them as now there is And the gifts and graces of the Saints shall be mightily inlarged and raised when there shall be a glorious presence of the Father and of Jesus Christ with them when Godliness and the Saints shall be honoured in the World as much as it is contemn'd when there shall be a blessed Union among all the Churches when there shall be a mighty change of the creatures and when there shall be no fear of any danger of any hurt by any Prosperity that they shall enjoy surely then will Jerusalem be made a praise of the whole Earth Therefore let the Saints give the Lord no rest until Jerusalem be thus made as the praise of the whole Earth You will say are these things so are they so indeed This may seem to be very strange and a strange point to some of you But in former times it was not so accounted those that are learned will find that Lactantius 17. Book 18.23 24. Chapters spends them almost all upon this Argument and he speaks of very strange things which I am loath to mention It may be he might go too far and he liv'd about 1300. Years ago But Justin Martyr that was long before him for he was but thirty Years after John the Disciple speaking about this point that I am speaking of I and all that are Christians of the Orthodox Faith hold this that there is such a time a coming of a glorious condition of the Church I know that this hath been abused by those that they account Millenaries there were some that did abuse this Doctrine and made the glory of the Church to consist in fleshly pleasures and the like and so they were condemn'd But I make the glory especially to consist in Spiritual good yet so as it shall appear to all the World And I find some Expressions in the Revelations where the Holy Ghost speaks of this of Christs coming to appear in this glorious manner he hath another manner of phrase to express it than I find in all the Book of God when other things are spoken of In the 19. of the Revel v. 9. He had spoken before of the Kingdom of Christ And he saith unto me Write blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me These are the true sayings of God Are there any false sayings of God It were blasphemy to think so one would think that if he did but say these are the sayings of God it were enough or these are true sayings But to make it sure that we may believe it These are the true sayings of God Not only the sayings but the True sayings of God Now if you say How can these things be To that I answer as in the eighth of Zech. v. 6. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts if it be marvellous in the Eyes of the Remnant of this People in these days should it also be marvellous in my Eyes saith the Lord of Hosts It 's marvellous in your Eyes should it therefore be marvellous in my Eyes I am the Lord of Hosts We may be ready to think these things cannot be But the Lord intends to put forth an Almighty power in bringing this to pass and it is that that is much in the heart of God to do These things the nearer the time comes the more they will be known and therefore I think it very useful at some time or other that people should be acquainted only Ministers had need have a Spirit of sobriety and moderation because not yet being fulfill'd they are not throughly understood and therefore we must not dare to be too bold in our guessing at things that are not clear But such things as appear clearly so as we may see there is footing for we should exercise our selves in and labour to make others acquainted with But now If you ask me when shall these things be when shall Jerusalem be made the praise of the whole Earth I Answer thus The Third SERMON IT 's very hard to determine the particular time but surely at the end
of Antichrist's Reign it must be And how long Antichrist shall reign that we know certainly only the difficulty is to reckon the very time of the beginning of his Reign I say how long his Reign shall last we have certain knowledge of that that Antichrist shall reign for 1260 Years And we have such Parallel Scriptures for this that there is nothing more evident than it is and generally Divines agree upon it Those two Scriptures in the Book of the Revelations are sufficient especially compared with some in Daniel Rev. 11.2 3. The Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the Holy City which is the Church shall they tread under feet forty two Months And I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes cloathed in Sackcloath Now these forty two Months and one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes will come to the same that is a day for a year wherein the Church should be under the power of Antichrist And he saith two Witnesses not as if he meant only two men but because by two or three witnesses every thing is established But the Spirit of God means by the witnesses whatever they are those that shall witness to his Truth in the true Church of God in all places of the World those that witness to his truth They shall prophesie in Sack-cloath that is in a mourning condition they shall go on in their witness for 1260 dayes 1260 years And so in the 12 of the Revelations there we read of the womâ—n by which the Church is set out that fled into the Wilderness where she had her place prepared of God that they should feed her there even 1260 dayes The Holy Ghost falls upon this number which is 1260 years Now all the difficulty is about the beginning of this 1260 dayes that is when Antichrist did prevail and when the Church was driven into the Wilderness I find generally those that make a computaiton of the Reign of Anti-Christ they pitch it upon two Periods either upon such a time as will be ended within a very few years as Mr. Brightman and others he thinks it will be ended so as that the beginning of these dayes will be a matter of five or six years hence And others in the year 1666. But there is another computation of those that think Anti-Christ did not begin to reign so soon and they conceive it will be a matter of two hundred or more years before the beginning of these times But I think God hath not left it fully clear to determine about the time only this God by his strange kind of workings among us doth seem as if he were hastening of the time as if it were near at hand Wherefore then we leave all uncertainties and come to shew you what use you are to make of what hath been said about this time of Jerusalems being made the praise of the whole Earth Vse The first is the consideration of this that God hath his time to bring his Church to be in such a glorious condition here in this World this should be a great incitement to us all to come in and embrace Jesus Christ to be Godly Why because the Lord intends to glorifie himself so much in the Church and though I dare not tell you the time yet there 's nothing to the contrary but that it 's possible it may be in your dayes that you may live to see these times or if you should not live yet in the 12 of Daniel we read of a Resurrection that should be at that time However when we do but think that there is a time that Jesus Christ shall be honoured in the World and Godliness shall be had in high esteem in the World it 's a mighty Argument to cause man and woman to come in and imbrace Religion But if it should prove to be in your days as nothing appears to the contrary but many probabilities there are for it it would go very hard with you if so be these times should come upon you unawares and you not found to be Godly For the Scripture speaks most dreadfully against those that have liv'd in the places where Christian Religion hath been known and yet have been naught and ungodly and these times found them so After these times were described to John in the Book of the Revelations then saith he in the 21 Chap. 8. vers But the fearful and Vnbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Mark The very Fearful and Vnbelieving and I take it the Reason why the Fearful and Vnbelieving are here placed among these notorious Sinners it is because that in the time that Anti-Christ shall prevail many out of fear of trouble and danger shall deny the truth and cleave to the Antichristian Party and because they see things go very hardly with the Godly Party they will forsake them through their Unbelief and therefore they are reckoned in among the notorious vile sinners and the rather because that a little before this time shall come ☞ There will be a great tryal and hour of Temptation Men will be put to it to be tryed what they are whether they have faith in the Word or not or whether they have courage for God or not Now therefore because God intends to put men to the tryal a little before these times come therefore he saith The fearful and unbelieving he reckons up them among the notorious Sinners as if the Lord should say When I am about to set up this new Jerusalem there will come a time of tryal and abundance of you that made fair Professions while you met with some evils and troubles through your fear and unbelief you will forsake my cause and will rather cleave to them But know you shall have your Portion in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone which is the second death And so in the 22 Revelations there the Holy Ghost speaks of men that are unjust when this time shall come and saith he He that is unjust let him be unjust still he which is filthy let him be filthy still If men will go on in their Injustice and Filthiness let them go saith God I intend not now to work further upon them but as these times shall meet with them so it shall be with them to all Eternity The nearer the approaching of these times the less will wicked men be wrought upon Therefore now let us come in and embrace the truth for this truth that is preached to you and the works of God that you are put upon they will be honoured one day we love to be of the strongest side the side that will prevail we love to joyn unto it Certainly the side of Godliness and the truths of
say Are they not now No certainly not so as then in that we do not see such an eminency of Christs taking the Kingdoms of the Earth now more than formerly and I say this is an evident Argument that the Witnesses are not slain In the 12 of Daniel there you have a Prophecy of the same times that we have here But mark how he begins this Prophecy there saith he in the 1 vers And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the Children of thy People and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the Book Though the time of trouble without be great such as never was the like yet these that are written in the Book shall be delivered And so he goes on describing the glorious condition of the Church of God as it shall be I spake something to that in the opening of the Glory of this new Jerusalem and shewed you that it could not be meant there of the Glory of Heaven but of the glory of the Church here that should be upon the Earth And then in the 3 d. of Revel vers 10. we Read of an hour of Temptation that should be throughout the face of the Earth there is a time of Temptation that shall go quite through the whole world and whether yet this is come upon us doth not certainly appear and therefore let the consideration of this prepare us for suffering before hand For God will cause sufferings to try men who are true and will cleave to him and who are not but will desert him And so I remember Lactantius the former Author quoted he speaks as clearly of this as if so be that he did live and had seen it saith he A little before these times times wil grow so evil in comparison of the times that we live in now in which wickedness one would think were grown to the greatest height that possibly could be yet in comparison of these there shall come such evil times just before this glorious time of the Church as our times may be accounted Golden and Happy times in respect of those sad times for saith he good men they shall be a prey to wicked men and they shall be in contempt and poverty all right among men shall be confounded all Law shall perish and no man shall know what 's his own things shall be in such a cumbustion and confusion that no Law shall prevail and no man shall know what 's his own this shall be a little before saith he the glorious state of the Church wherein Christ shall appear Now if he could say so so long before certainly none then having Scripture so suitable to it have cause to fear that yet we may live to meet with very hard things ☞ Although it will be but short that 's the comfort if there should be great sufferings just before the day break and it should be darker than it was yet it will continue but a while three Years and an half will be the most But the times of the great sufferings of the Church before Jerusalem is to be made the praise of the whole Earth these three Years and a half will put men so to it that if they have not true grace they will fall off The Administration of Gods Providences are very strange we have had thoughts that all had been blowing over that we should have liv'd in safety and peace but clouds gather still And though the former clouds seem'd in some measure to be gone yet new clouds are gathering and therefore it 's wisdom for the People of God that fear God and look into his Word to see what God hath made known in his Word I say it 's their wisdom to prepare for the hardest that possibly can come That they may be bright and made white with all the troubles that they meet with and be not among them that shall not be found written in the Book and so to be cast out of all the good of this Jerusalem that shall be made the praise of the Earth Thirdly Though we should prepare for sufferings yet let us strengthen our faith and rejoyce in the hope of such times as these are in the midst of sufferings rejoyce it 's an Excellent thing when a Christian is able in the midst of sufferings to rejoyce in the assurance of a promise when things go never so contrary yet to keep in Gods ways upon the expectation of a promise to be fulfill'd You have an Excellent Scripture in the 64. of Isa vers 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness those that Remember thee in thy ways behold thou art wroth for we have sinned In those is continuance and we shall be saved If you read this Chapter you shall find that the Church was in a sad condition but mark Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness In the saddest times there were some that did not only work Righteousness but did Rejoyce and work Righteousness Though God was wroth and all things did seem to be very dismal yet there were some that went on in the ways of Righteousness and rejoyced in the ways of Righteousness It 's a most Excellent Scripture and of marvellous use to us if God should bring us into sad times for us not only to keep in the ways of Righteousness but to rejoyce in the ways of Righteousness to rejoyce that ever we were brought into it and that 's upon an expectation that the Lord will save us Whatsoever sufferings you meet withall yet strengthen your faith and rejoyce in the Expectation of this Glory of Jerusalem The believing of such times as these are really makes Life desirable especially because God is so stirring in this Age not for any great matters that we shall have outwardly in the World for a while but that we may come to see the Issue of all these stirs and at length out of all the Confusion to see Jerusalem to be the praise of the whole world And therefore in the 102. Psalm which I think verily hath reference to these times you shall find the Title of it to be A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. But mark in his pouring out his complaint before God how he comforts himself in the 13. vers Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof so the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory The Lord shall appear in his glory in building up Zion that is now cast down I say it 's a Prophetical Psalm