true Key can possibly be contrived How the false Prophet Bicorne rallyed this Papal Secular Beast's ten Kingdoms under him we leave it to the sequel where we handle it at large This Beast these texts mention Apocal. 13.1 to the 8th Also vers 12 14 15. chap. 14.9 11. chap. 15.2 chap. 16.2 10 13. chap. 19.19 20. chap. 20.4 10. Thirdly The false Prophet is the third Head of this threefold City There were three false Prophets the Sensual Secular and Spiritual The first was the Pseudoprophetick Seer of the second Dragon First as Paganoarrian after as Mahumetan and in all times of his Epoche over sensual loose Christians in all Sects This Seer ascending with the second Dragon out of the bottomless pit when he sallyed out of the North about 406 is not that false Prophet intended here in he Text But the Bicorne Beast is the false Prophet here intended Revel 13.11 whose two Lamb-like Horns are the two false Prophets Secular and Spiritual The first Horn or Seer Secular was the Clergy of the Papal Decapolity that owned the Popes Supremacy over all Bishops and Churches but not over Kings and Councils This Horn Secular was the mouth of the Decadiademick Beast Secular and there was given him a mouth saith the text speaking great things c. Chap. 13.5 This mouth or Horn Secular was Vinculum unitatis Catena amoris the linck of Amity and bond of Unity betwixt the ten Nations of Papal ROME I call this Horn Secular because he was given as a Pseudoprophetick prolocutor or mouth to the Beast Secular and Papal for the purposes aforesaid But The second the Spiritual Horn was more absolutely Temporal than the former and elated in Spiritual pretended proprieties above him This Horn was such of the Supream Papal Clergy as owned the Popes Supremacy not only over all Bishops and Churches as the former did but over all Kings and Councils and over all that is called God 2 Thes 2.4 These two Horns or Seers Secular and Spiritual will be more distinctly apparent in the Guelsick and Gibeline Factions when we come to speak of them This Spiritual Horn was both Temporal and Spiritual but claimed his Temporal Supremacy over all Powers Secular from his pretended Spiritual Right of Apostolick Succession and therefore more properly Spiritual This may suffice the Reader at present to know what is meant by the Dragon the Beast and false Prophet and by their three Seers or Pseudoprophetick mouthes Chap. 16.13 For This Horn as Spiritual was the mouth of the false Prophet As Secular was the Civil Representative of his Body Temporal This Series though perhaps sufficiently clear at present will be much more apparent in the sequel These Texts demonstrate this Bicorn-Beast Rev. 13.11 to 16. Chap. 16.13 Chap. 19.20 Here is may some say a very fair Indication of three Representatives the Dragon Beast and false Prophet and it s very probable That these three are the three Heads of this threefold City only we could wish that the premises were a little more plain and the truth apparent that these three are undoubtedly and undeniably the three heads of this threefold City I Answer And the great City was divided into three parts Chap. 16.19 There 's this threefold Cities three parts And these three Heads are as heads are set above their bodies set down a little above this threefoold body in the 13 verse of the same Chapter the words are these And I saw three unclean Spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are Spirits of Devils c. Here 's a threefold cause three Spirits of Devils of a threefold division devolved from the three Heads of it upon this threefold body Bodies by Spirits from their Heads receive sense and motion And therefore this threefold Body was to be divided into three parts because those three unclean Spirits proceeding from its three Heads were Spirits of Devils causing divisions For so the Text saith they went forth to the Kings of the Earth to gather them to battel vers 14. And this influence as the threefold cause from those three Heads and that threefold effect or division in this Tripolity proves by an inevitable necessity the Community of those Heads and this Body in a threefold individuum which we find here at its dissolution divided into three parts as we find it erected of three parts at the first Constituting of it Chap. 11.8 I have thus far distinguished and described this threefold City of the grand Apostacy and declared who and what Her three Heads were But because Contraria juxta se posita maximè elucescunt Contraries compared together best appear we shall now shew what her Antithesis the Holy City or true Church is and handle and compare both together that both may better appear to the Reader CHAP. IV. What the Holy City or true Church contrary to this threefold City is with an account of Her First As Primitive in Heaven clothed with the Sun till about 407. And Secondly As fled into the Wilderness and troden under foot by the Free Denisons of this threefold City for 1260 years CAin and Abel were born of the same Parents in one and the same Family so the true Churches Antithesis took beginning in the true Church at the beginning of the grand Apostacy That Apostacy brought forth Antichrist Sensual Secular and Spiritual which had long struggled with the true Saints like Jacob and Esau in the Womb of the Primitive Church but were then about four hundred and ten or twelve brought forth Howbeit Antichrist Sensual had his head power and enlargement from those Forreign Nations of the North at the Inundation of those Barbarians upon the Christian World And those multitudes of Military Forces in whose Van the second Dragon after 400 advanced to the Imperial seat and over-spread the Christian Empire cannot be accounted so well any part of the body of Apostacy but revolted loose Professors in the Church conjoyned in one body sensual with those Barbarians made up the body of Antichrist sensual The five wise Virgins slept the five foolish slept also So the primitive Church and Saints fell And her Church and Saint persecuting professors in her fell also They fell but not internally and totally but these fell totally to the Apostacy of Antichrist The true Church and Saints were the holy City even then after they were faln and whilest they were troden under foot by the Gentiles Chap. 11.2 but Her and their persecutors falling totally chiefly Constituted that Cities Antithesis this threefold City called spiritually Sodom c. that trod and contemned the true Church as aforesaid They treading her under foot and she troden under foot by them are both distinctly and apparently held forth in the verse abovesaid as also in the 8th verse c. For These three sorts of Professors the Sensual Earthly and Devilish in all
chap. so called also wherein their grosse mistakes may be clearly manifest For That City called Babylon the Great in the 17th and 18th chapters was more properly and literally the literal City of Rome Pagan and Imperial because five of her heads were faln and the sixth existed when John wrote which was above three hundred years before the first head of Papal Rome did or possibly could aspire For Intus existens prohibet alienum It was impossible for Rome Papal to rise up in power until Pagan and Imperial Rome that letted and should lett her rising up was taken out of the way as the Apostle expresly foretold and I shall prove from primitive Fathers in its due place 2 Thess 2.7 Herein the learned Hammond in expounding those 17th and 18th chapters to intend Pagan and Imperial Rome did not much deviate for they did not intend Papal Rome otherwise than as that City in the said chapters to wit Pagan Rome was the penultimate Antitype of Prototype Babylon and might be in some respects only a Prophetick shadow of her immediate Antitype Rome Papal And Shadows and Substances are distinct things But That City in the 11th and 16th chapters called also Babylon the Great ver 19. was contrary to the tenents of many learned Writers Rome Papal only without the least relation to Pagan Rome because we find it standing under the six Vials and Trumpets and falling under the seventh Trumpet and Vial whom Rome Pagan and Imperial never reached And so the most reformed Writers almost generally maintain That the transactions of the seven Trumpets and seven Vials respect Papal Rome only though they miserably if I may say it confound those Vials and Trumpets and transactions under both But The Epoche of the six Trumpets or which is all one of the Witnesses Sackcloth-Prophesie is 1260 years chap. 11.3 And the Epoche of the six Vials of the Plagues and Wrath of God or which is all one of the Witnesses smiting the Earth with all Plagues was 1260 years chap. 11.3 6. And the Period of the sixth Trumpet and sixth Vial conterminates as the beginning of the first Trumpet and first Vial began the duration of this triplicit Decapolity of Papal Rome ch 11.13 15. ch 16.17 19. Therefore this threefold City of Papal Rome must have of necessity the same Epoche of 1260 years with the six Vials and six Trumpets And that more inevitably because that time is also the expresse predicted duration of this City treading under foot the holy City and of her proper head ch 11.2 3 8. ch 13.5 And this may make the premises no lesse than fully concludent But The proper Epoche of Pagan Rome from the time that Pompy reduced Judea under its Jurisdiction to the dissolution of it was about 460 years which are 800 years lesse than was the Epoche of this threefold City Therefore it follows irrefellibly That this City called Babylon the Great in the 17th and 18th chapters must of necessity be the literal City of Pagan and Imperial Rome But it follows inevitably That this City in the 11th and 16th chapters called also Babylon the Great must be the tenfold Tripolity of Papal Rome Nay say some that City in 17th and 18th chapters is one and the same City because both have one and the same Names and are both called Babylon the Great I answer Prototype or literal Babel was called Babylon the Great Dan. 4.30 Therefore that City in the 17th 18th chapters and that in the 11th 16th chapters must be Prototype and literal Babylon because they have the same Epithet and Appellation Sed faedissima foret inconsequentia This absurdity is most shameful For Prototype Babel only was in her time Babylon the Great Dan. 4.30 And Rome Pagan and Imperial was as the penultimate Antitype Babylon the Great only in her time Rev. 17.5 18.2 And so Rome Papal a Spiritual City containing sometimes ten Nations was and she only in her time Babylon the Great Rev. 11.8 16.19 This the Reader may carefully observe and seek diligently to discern the distinct intents of those Texts to avoid confusion For such dangerous and universal mistakes in Scriptures are the seeds of wicked Sedition of endless Dissatisfaction betwixt Dissenting Brethren and oppose Truth and Peace But all Papists and some Reformists will have all those Texts to intend Pagan Rome only which is true only in those Texts of the 17th 18th Chapters But those Texts in the 11th and 16th Chapters hold forth Papal Rome only as we have proved and shall further prove Therein all Papists and some Reformists though not mistaken in the former Texts are much mistaken But Secondly All Reformists besides will have all those Texts to hold forth Papal Rome only and thereby strengthen the hands of the Papists exceedingly against themselves and against the Truth For say the Papists That City in the 17th and 18th chapters we are sure was Pagan and Imperial Rome which is so clear from the Texts that it 's impossible to have the least Plea for any just ground against it Because five of its heads were faln and one existed when John wrote which was above 300 years at least as the Reformists themselves affirm before Rome Papal was in being But the Reformists themselves almost generally confesse with us That all the said Texts hold forth one and the same City And we certainly know by irrefellible record from Sacred Scripture and Church-History that the City in the 17th and 18th Chapters was Pagan and Imperial Rome and we are sure it 's one and the same City for that the Reformists themselves confess with that in the 11th and 16th Chapters Therefore that City in all the said Texts must be even by the necessary and inevitable concession of all Reformists Pagan Imperial Rome and hath not the least relation though all Reformists confessing it indeed affirm the contrary to Papal Rome wherefore not the Scripture but the Reformists by their mistakes in them charge us with much falsehood But the Scriptures themselves charge them as their Corrupters and our false Accusers For if all those Texts hold forth as all Reformists confess and we affirm one and the same City Then that City we are sure must be Pagan and Imperial Rome for those Texts in the 17th and 18th Chapters intend against all contradiction or any plea to the contrary Pagan and Imperial Rome Thus the Protestants in a manner joyntly and generally give their power against the Papists to the Papists against themselves and by these and many like mistakes in Scripture strengthen their hands against the Truth Such mistakes or this only are enough to maintain the Papists whom they should reprove and refel in their opinions to eternity And these and many such mistakes amongst Papists amongst Protestants and amongst Professors different from both keep back till they be refelled and those mistakes removed all Societies of dissenting Brethren from concentring in one Spirit of Truth and Peace But
the first-fruits are in future to come then these pretenders incult and careless of true Christian practice cannot be the first-fruits for others to follow Such Professors cry up with vain acclamations old Errors and Deceits for new Lights and are so far found lyars We shall now enquire Fourthly What is here meant by Mount Sion in the Text It s Type had its higher and lower parts It s higher part contained Moriab Sion and Calvary On Moriab stood the Temple On Sion was the Tower and City of David On Calvary was Christ crucified Jerusalem was built on the lower part of it The upper and lower parts had the denomination from its highest part of Mount Sion Sion and Sinai are Synantitheses or directly contrary So was the Wilderness and the Land of Promise As Jerusalem was the Metropolis of the Land of promise and Sion the chief place of note therein So Sinai was the Head and Symbole of the barren Wilderness Their disparities appear thus expresly from the Text. Tell me saith the Apostle Do ye not hear the Law for is written That Abraliam bad two sons the one by the Bond-Maid the other by a Free-Woman which things are an Allegory For these are the two Covenants The one from Mount Sinai which is Hagar and engendreth to bondage But he of the Free-woman was by Promise And Jerusalem above the Mother of us all is free The Mother of us all That is of all Sarah's Seed the sens of promise Wherefore Sion and Sinai as Types differed as Hagar and Sarah as the two Covenants as Grace and the Law Life and Death Bondage and Freedom Type Sion was a threefold foundation the substructure of the Temple of the City of God of the City of David Thither the twelve Tribes came to keep the Passover Therefore Type Sion was a Figure of the Foundation of the Church of God and a literal place But Spiritual Sion no literal place shall be the Antitype-foundation of the Gospel-Church For the Lamb and with him 144000 having his Fathers Name written in their foreheads shall stand there Ch. 14.1 The Foundation of the Church of God is transcendent Secondly Derivative The Transcendent Substructure is Deus in Christo pacatus God reconcil'd in Christ This Foundation the Rock and Pillar of Truth from eternity stands for ever The Derivative Foundation of the Gospel-Church is the knowledge and love of the Truth or a fruitful Faith in the Promises of God through Christ Christ said to his Disciples But who say ye that I am Peter said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Jesus answered Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church Matth. 16.15 This Derivative foundation of the Gospel-Church was the Faith which Peter confessed and it had respect to and was built upon that first and transcendent Foundation This Derivative Foundation a living and fruitful Faith shall be that Mount Sion Ch. 14. where those conscript 144000 the Antitype of Solomons Temple shall stand and whereon the City of God shall be built Chap. 21.2 The Prophetick-promises are express and the Texts full and clear that prove it which notwithstanding many may object and say That this Foundation was laid long before The Assertion I confess and grant that this foundation was laid long before even in the Primitive times But a falling away was to come and a departing from the Faith 1 Thess 2. 1 Tim. 4.1 For the Church at least in a very large measure forsook the Rock of her safety the Foundation of her standing fell from Heaven where she stood and fled into the Wilderness for 1260 years Revel 12.1 6 14. So the Prototype-Church Jacobs family fell away departed out of the Land of Promise fled into the Wilderness and into her place there prepared of God To wit Egypt the most barren place in that Wilderness were it not miraculously prepared of God and as it were in the middle of it and returning thence through part of the Wilderness turned aside there also They were then far remote and long removed from the Type-foundation Sion literal where Abraham would have offered his son Melchizedeck was King of Righteousness and where the Lord was twice seen in abundant Grace and Mercy So their Antitype the Gospel-Church was long removed as aforesaid into the Spiritual Wilderness from the foundation of her standing But as many of the captives carried to Babylon were mindful of Sion and would not forget Jerusalem Psal 137.5 6. So some of the faln servants of God in the Gospel-Church have had some weak desires of Sions welfare and are somewhat though very little mindful of their first foundation But may some say this foundation Faith in the Promises stands still firm I Answer Sion stood after the City and Temple built upon it were turned to ashes but it was left desolate the living were departed the dead only and the slain were left there as the Lamentatious declare at large And so the Faith of the Antitype revolted-Church in the Spiritual Wilderness was and is a desolate Faith a Faith fruitless or far from being fruitful in the practice of good Manners and at least drawing near to a dead Faith and therefore no way fit to be the Foundation of the Gospel-Church adorned to be the Lambs Bride Ch. 21.9 But Antiype Sion shall be a fruitful Foundation a living Faith giving life to the City of God that shall be built thereon For Such as the Tree is such is the Fruit and such as this Foundation shall be the Superstructure upon it But these 144000 the Antitype of Solomons Temple built thereon shall be undefiled and withour fault saith the Text vers 4.5 That is Their Righteousness shall be so perfect in a fourfold conformity but there is no man that sinneth not I Kings 8.4 6 that it shall be a sweet Savour and a Sacrifice well-pleasing to God But the Faith of the Gospel Wilderness-Church is as was that of her Prototype a barren faith affording very little fruit to Gods glory or the good of men The Wituesses we read were to be killed And this faith is much after the manner of the Carcasses of those killed Witnesses And indeed their Carcasses was such a Faith a dead or dying faith having some small insensible and almost unperceivable true life For Faith without Works saith the Apostle is dead a Carcass of Christian Profession without power James 2.17 20. And such a Carcass of the killed Witnesses or somewhat like it the Spiritual Gentiles kept unburied to be a foundation to build the Apostacy of Antichrist upon and it 's the Pillars of it to support it Nor are inanimadversive clypt inconform half-performances any fruits of a living but the deceits of a dead faith Such a faith Such a fruitless foundation is Sinai not Mount Sion and most unfit to be the Substructure of the Church of the living God Nor can it procure his favour but his anger or enmity for so Sinai signifies
that dwelt upon the Earth saith the Text and with them the Primitive Sects and dissenters blinded by this Architectors words and works words of deceit workes of false miracles came or rather as it were fled as the afflicted pursued Primitive Church also did into this tenfold City of deceit The Church fled into it out of necessity and constraint but the rest flowed to it so glorious were its buildings and its builders strong delusions instead of Zion and as to the true Catholick Church In this Decapolity of deceit especially in the time of the building of it did they that dwelt upon the Earth and the Dragons floods concenter in a deceitful unity and they and all Sects as the different Species in the Ark rested in her somewhat peaceable for a short space And thus much of the Son of perdition his coming with all deceivableness of unrighteousness when he first laid his foundation of deceit pulled down Primitive Church-Priviledges and built his Decharcy of the Apostacy from about 407 to about 620. We shall now shew his further proceedings after 620. The False Prophet's further Progress in supporting but with a much more remiss hand his new built City of Apostacy HE his work by him thus finished about the year 620 did not lay aside but less regarded his first but fitter instruments of deceit whereby he built that City Therefore it fell to many decayes for want of his wonted care and soon became as it were equally divided betwixt Christians and Mahumetans For The false Prophet remitting his usual stricter reignes of government began to indulge himself more then before to sensual delights would oft wallow in the filthy styes of Spiritual Sodom oft accompany himself with the beast in secular covetousness oft with the Dragon in voluptuous pleasures Nor did he so cast aside Secular and Spiritual wickedness but superadded sensual filthiness to both In a word he stearing a most irregular course ran the hazard to destroy his new erected Decaprincipality continuing and proceeding still worse till about the year 1210. Nor did he then reclaim himself but rather disclaimed to be some shelter as formerly to the Gospel Church nor did he so much defend her as before from the second Dragons fury but loosed the till then for about 1000 years bound first Dragon upon her That is he acted the Dragons part himself by persecuting her members after the manner of Dioclesian For he and by his procurement the King of France Commissioned Simon Earl of Montford to perpetrate most horrid Massacres upon her Then also that loosed Dragon or not long after sent abroad his bloody Inquisition breathing forth slaughter both to Papists and Protestants that had but so much as the least appearance of honesty or religion Howbeit the thus afflicted Church found some small shelter from Religious Kings Nobles and Emperours And the Gibelin Faction afforded her some succour But she continued thus troden under the loosed Dragons feet and driven by fierce storms and tempests till about the year 1417. Next and not without great need came in the Locusts a relief to the Church ready to perish by the rage of the loosed Dragon Apocal. 9.1 to the 12 ver But here may Elephants swim or rather these Texts seem fathomless Here difficulties with double files stand prepared to stop my progress Therefore I must of necessity first unty many Gordian knots seeming indissoluble Because these Locusts seem to be Reformists most deceitfully formal some refuge to the Church and so most difficult to be discerned though most contrary to them from true Saints men somewhat reformed in Doctrine nothing in manners but affecting manners more confining upon the deceiveableness of Spiritual wickedness then the usual practices perhaps of former Hypocrites But we shall first see what sacred Writt sayes of them And Smoak saith the Text ascended out of the bottomless pit and out of the Smoak came Locusts This shews them to be the Off-spring of those that hold forth only formal smoaky pretences of seeming-Religious deceits Secondly And smoak ascended out of the bottomless pit c. This also shews them to be the products of the bottomless pit whose duties devotions knowledge faith formal reformations and fruitless obedience are bottomless or have no bottom That is are without fidelity or veracity For veracity is the reality of truth the bottom of all gifts and graces without which they are inconform to Gospel rule and but formal smoaky deceits Therefore Reformation all reformation in Doctrine and not in Manners in Profession and not in Practice in Practice but not conform to Gospel Rule is bottomless reformation no reformation indeed but real deceits These Locusts seem the rather because said to ascend out of the bottomless pit to be the successors of the Gibelin Faction which and whose like Predecessors s ubservient to the secular horn of the Bicorn beast had regulated his temporal principality and spiritual superintendency with more seeming sober moderation and discretion of deceit during the time of his Spiritual horns extravagant and ambitious exorbitances for about 800 years In these Locusts at least near their latter end Anti-christ seems to end as he began at first with all or as it were double deceivableness For they had faces like the faces of men seeming sound doctrine and profession but neither so in deed but deceits ver 7. Secondly They had hair as the hair of Women a right ordered and right ordering discipline in appearance but that was nothing so but deceit ver 8. Thirdly They had Crowns like Gold like Crowns of righteousness and true obedience but they were not such but deceits ver 7. For they had O truculent cruelties of detracting covetousness teeth of Lions ver 8. They strictly in a blind profession profest Christ and pursued Covetousness eagerly Fourthly their shapes were like horses prepared to battel ver 7. And yet their shapes were partly like men partly like women and partly like unto Lions as we shewed before Therefore The Aggregate of their politick body was Chimaera multiformis a manifold monster of mysterious deceit But their shapes their principal shapes were like horses prepared to battel They were all more or less bent as in a military order against those that had not the seal of God in their foreheads All rallyed as in several Regiments in sundry factions against them But they were commanded not to hurt the Grass nor any green thing nor any Tree ver 4. That is not the servants of God that had his seal in their foreheads whose doctrine they partly espoused whose persons and professions though they followed not their manners they defended For That was as it were a command from God not to hurt but defend them because they much alike outwardly embrac'd the same common faith and profession Therefore They by an implicit command of a much like common profession were commanded not to hurt these but only those men that had not the seal of God in their
and profitable to Man For so their site position and number import We find them not wandering in the Wilderness nor sitting under shadows of Death as they did before when the Woman fled into the Wilderness and her Witnesses were killed for 1260 years Revel 12.6 14. Ch. 11.7 9 11. But we find them situate and built standing no doubt after the Patern of the Lamb upon Mount Sion where Solomons Temple was built and so the Antitype of it Ch. 14.1 For We find their number to be 144000 Ch. 14.1 3. And the quadrate dimensions of Solomons Temple were 144000 Cubits thus cast up It s length 60 Cubits multiply'd by its breadth 20 Cubits makes its product 1200 Cubits which multiply'd by 30 Cubits the heighth of it makes 36000 Cubits whose square is 144000 Cubits And we find this sacred company to be 144000 to stand upon Mount Sion That is To be the Antitype of Solomons Temple or the true Gospel-Church returned out of the Wilderness and turned back to obedience That is To have the Name of the Father of the Lamb written in their foreheads which necessarily infers That this Caetus Virgineus must needs be Chorus Agni the Church of Christ That is The City of God re-built upon Mount Sion To wit upon inviolable Principles of Truth in Faith and Manners For Secondly Both their number and position imports a Quadruplex-conformity in practice For this City saith the Text lieth four-square in 12000 furlongs Ch. 21.16 It s Quadrate Dimensions it 's so easie and evident that it needs no casting up are 144000 furlongs which principally imports That the Righteousness of this Chorus incontaminatus should be of a Quadruplex-conformity or every way conform to that which is Right in it self A righteousness of arduous industry and acquisition directly contrary to the Goldlike-Crowns and deceits of Locusts and Hypocrites Thirdly The Name of God shall be in the foreheads of his servants the inhabitants of this holy City saith the Text Chap. 22.4 And his Name shall be written in the foreheads of these 144000 Ch. 14.1 Therefore these 144000 shall be that City of God I omit for brevity many other comparityes betwixt this conscript 144000 Ch. 14. and the holy City Ch. 21. The Position of the Prototype twelve Tribes about the Tabernacle was in a fourfold figure And their Antitype this 144000 Ch. 14. are of a square number And the holy City Ch. 21. is to be both of a quadrate number and figure And this fourfold congruity betwixt both in their number in the Name of God in the place of that Name and in their quadrate position signally proves that these 144000 Ch. 14. shall be the same City of God Ch. 21. And likewise that the practice of that quadrate polity for such as the Tree is such is the Fruit shall be a righteousness of a quadruplex or fourfold conformity which only or what tends thereunto is substantial and true Righteousness All other is but deceits We have already shown who that Lamb upon Mount Sion shall be Secondly Who these conscript first-fruits that shall attend him are to be And Thirdly We shall further enquire why this conscriptcompany is called The first-fruits redeemed c. Or from what and for what they shall be so redeemed And first from what they shall be redeemed To which I answer They shall be redeemed from doing the works of Heathens and Hypocrites that are contrary to Gospel-rule And from those obscure commixt works of proud careless true Christians that are inconform to Christs Commands and render them though true Saints doubtful to themselves and others whether they be such or not Secondly We shall enquire for what they should be thus redeemed The Text expresly answers this demand in these words These are the first-fruits That is They should be thus redeemed to be the first-fruits or foregoing examples for all Ages to follow To wit To draw the Nations both Heathens Sects and Saints to practise good works conform to that which is right in it self For the works of Hypocrites have no power to draw others to practise sincere obedience because they by their works give not nor can give any good examples for Papists Jews or Turks to follow Nor can careless true Christians corrupt in Manners draw others nor be drawn without those first-fruits for them to run after their examples Therefore All Sects and Nations without these first-fruits and the Lamb for their Patern must remain statu quo prius ever unconverted never truly united but be as they are and long have been Or be if that be possible worse than ever they were Sic subitò deterrima deteriora si sint sequentur Saecula For corrupt careless slothful true Christians cannot run nor draw others to run the ways of Gods Commands They though their Doctrine were most sound they strict and devour their gists great and many have more need to be drawn than power to draw others by their examples Their drawing is rather a drawing back of themselves and a with-holding of others from pressing forwards For the proud covetous careless conversations of such true Saints have no attractive force to good draw forceably to evil Their slothful pains of careless Levity Pride and Avarice are usually fond and rash impugnations of censorious ignorance against the practice of that which is right Therefore the secret and scarce discerned Graces of such true Saints are too feeble to draw others by solid Doctrine or depth of Knowledge which they never seek after Or by good examples which they never give These are no attractive first-fruits though they may in due time be drawn by them But The Righteousness of these first fruits shall be opposite to the works of darkness Justitia manifesta works of Light made thereby manifest and for that cause forceable to draw he Nations Men Sects and Saints to God and to bind the attentive ears of all to hearken and obey by its delicious harmony Nor shall that sacred company serve for Paterns of practice to posterity but be Gnomon judicij vel Norma judicandi the Rule of Right Judgment to all Saints Sects and Professors that pretend to extraordinary gifts of the Spirit of God and to be endowed with power from above above their brethren of present or former times Such may try and judge themselves and discern and be discerned by others in a very large measure whether they be led by the spirit of delusion or by the Spirit of Truth and Sobriety For The Gospel-Church was to be in the Wilderness vailed in great obscurity involved in great distresses and decaying daily in Graces for 1260 years and until these first-fruits her Off-spring should begin to stand upon Mount Sion Therefore all Sects and Professors that pretend to be endowed extraordinarily with Gifts and Power from above before this time expire appear inevitably and may appear to themselves by undeniable Record of Sacred Scripture to be so far Impostors and Seducers of others For if