Though Peter shrunke and drew back a Mat. 26.69 at the speech of a poor wench yet when he had received power from on high He feard no coulers he could then b Act. 4.13 look with Boldnes any Tyrant in the face So howsoever before they had not life and courage yet when the Harpers Harpe such will be the hand of God upon them that they will not regard what their Enemies can doe either by fraud or force c Zech. 12.4 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 5. d Rev. 11.11 And great fear fel upon them that saw them Though there be nothing yet done but a more lively owning of the Lords cause than before and declaring publickly for it yet this strikes a terrible astonishment and trembling among the Adversaries e Act. 5.24 As doubting whereunto this will grow And their amazement is the more to heare how the number daily increaseth in all parts Saying f Jer. 31.23 The Lord blesse theâ— habitation of Justice and mountain of holiness We will have g Isa 26.2 the gates open that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Besides they see no meanes or way how to keep the peoples Liberties and rights any longer from them h Psa 76.5 The stout hearted are spoiled and none of the men of might have found their hands that is they are as if they had no hands they are not able to make the least resistance or defence 6. Whiles the adversaries are thus in confusion and fear a happy union and accord will be made between the Waters and Thunder So much I think is meant by the VVitnesses ascending up to heaven in a cloud It is but one cloud that hath them both Hence about this time I do exspect a great uniting of the Common-wealth men fifth Monarchy men upon good righteous Principles Unanimously agreeing to cary on the Lords work i Zep. 39. With one consent or Soulder k Isa 11.13 Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim But the Lord will l Eze. 37.17 joyne them one by another into one stick they shall become one in his hand This blessed agreement of the People instrumentally will be made by some eminent and choise Christians men that m 1 Chr. 12.32 Have understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do And this I take to be the n Rev. 11.12 great voyce from Heaven saying unto them come up higher 7. Union being made and all in Heaven here o Isa 13.4 the Lord of Hostes mustereth the host of the battel and p Rev. 19.14 the armies of heaven here he cloathes the Vial Angels q Rev. 15.6 in pure and white linnen having their breasts girded with a golden girdle This is Zion * Psa 110.2 out of which the Lord will send the rod of his strength the Mount Zion where r Rev. 14.1 the hundred forty and four thousand stand with the Lamb. Here he fits his people for the work and appoints them their work So that my opinion is for any people to go forth with the material Sword against Babylon or the Kings of the earth or to set up the visible Kingdome of Christ before the Lord hath brought them to this Heaven into the Temple to Zion and Mount Zion yea and to some good accord among themselves They will not be upon the Lords work as to the pouring out of any vial 8. Howsoever the Lords Sanctified ones in heaven are not smiting the Image yet it s said Å¿ Rev. 11 12 Their enemies behold them As how Terrible as an army with Banners Lifting up an ensign to the Nations and publishing warr against Babylon t Isa 52.12 Ye shall not go out in hast nor go by flight For the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rereward i. e. Seeing God hath taken away all their Feares and given them great faith made them one in the work and fitted them for it and withall experiencing the powerfull presence of God among them and how he hath left the enemy to feares darknesse division destruction c. The Dragon and the Beast shall behold what they do They need not fear these men for secret plots and treason they scorn it they need no such shifts What they do shall be in the sight of the Sun u Isa 47.12 Stand now with thy inchantments and with the multitude of thy sorceries wherein thouhast laboured from thy youth if so be thou shalt be able to profit if so be thou mayest prevaile So will these say to their Enemies bring forth the falsehood and lies ye trusted in Now see if your hypocrisie and craft will help you any more Now run to your Souldiers Lawyers Priests c. trie what they can do for you 9. The Lord having x Isa 13.3 called his mighty ones for his anger Next he brings them forth y Ps 149.8 9 10. With the high praises of God in their mouthes and a two edged sword in their hands to execute the judgement written z Rev. 11.13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake Here I understand begins the Vial work And the earth-quake to be the a Rev. 16.2 pouring out of the first Vial upon the earth The same with b Rev. 14.16.17 18. the reaping of the harvest of the earth and Clusters Only with this distinction The first Vial hath two parts or two effects which you will The first in the earth-quake The other in the sickle And the tenth part of the City fell The earth-quake reacheth but a tenth part the other nine are reserved for the Sickle As there are two Apostacies and they have each a distinct Head So they are set forth in this book by two Cities the one is called the Great Citie And alwayes so when the first Apostacy is meant The other hath not the word Great given to it because the Latter City or Apostacy shall not be so large big strong and populous neither of that antiquity and continuance as the former Understanding what this City is i. e. The last Apostacy It wil be easier to know the rest And in the earthquake were slaine of men seven thousand The Greek hath 7000 Names of men In Scripture persons that are famous renowned for Power Wealth Wisdome c. are called c Gen. 6.4 Num. 18.2 Men of Name On the contrary men without credit and respect in the d Job 30.8 world Children without name In this last Apostacy who are Men of name yea would be thought and counted the onely men of name If not Church-members and Church-officers those that are in the Congregational way as they call it As for the Cavileer Church that hath no name and the
THE TIME OF FINDING Shewing When the Lord will be FOUND and by whom and when there will be NO TIME of Finding also the Persons are describ'd who shall not finde the Lord though they seek him with tears Likewise Some Reasons why the Lord hath suffered his work and GOOD OLD CAUSE to be stopt and how it shall certainly be REVIV'D again Also Something is here shewed about the manner how it shall be reviv'd and the Time when By JOHN CANNE Numb 23.21 23. Jehovah his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel What hath God wrought London Printed for Livewel Chapman at the Crown in Popes head-Alley 1658. To the Faithful of the Land every where Mourning and waiting for the APPOINTED TIME OF FINDING under the name of FIFTH-MONARCHY-MEN and COMMON-VVEALTHS-MEN PRECIOUS WITNESSES for your God and Country THe neerer I am still the Throne of Grace the more is your present condition upon my heart and truly this I can say it hath been very seldome since I began this WORK but poor Zion a Jer. 30.17 Whom no man seeketh after hath been all along in my eye It is b Isa 62.1 for Zions sake I cannot hold my peace c Isa 60.1 untill the glory of the Lord be risen upon her Now is the time that d Mal. 3.16 they who fear the Lord should speak often one to another and strengthen the hands which hang down and feeble knees I shall not say any thing of the THING it self what is of God shall stand only a few words what hath mov'd me to send THIS as a LOVE-TOKEN to all the Friends of the Bridegroom First I have observ'd of late that the Interest of Christ and his People the GOOD OLD CAUSE is not methinks so lively and HEARTY upon some mens spirits as formerly it was but either some disappointment of time Mat. 25.5 or the Bridegroom 's tarrying long hath occasioned a little deadness and faintness in some Choyce Ones Now that I may speak to the heart of these Wherefore should there be any CASTING DOWN Isa 40.2 Is not your warfare accomplished and the day of the Lamb come Therefore O ye worthies g Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen your hearts wait I say on the Lord. If a traveller by reason of a long journey be almost tyr'd yet when he coms neer the place where he would be and sees it hard by this will put new strength into him again I have in this Treatise not only exprest my opinion that the Lord is REVIVING HIS WORK but have given some reasons for it what incouragement and refreshing the Lords people shall have by it a little time will shew For I am very confident as the Lord will suddenly check and blast all ways of falshood and deceitful pretenders to his Holy Secrets so he will shew a TOKEN OF GOOD to what is his own and is given forth by his Spirit concerning the Kingdom and Time Secondly As I know h Prou. 14.34 Righteousness exalteth a Nation and i Prov. 29.2 When the Righteous are in Authority the People rejoyce so my desire and prayer to God is that every yoke may be broken the oppressed go free and violence be heard no more in our Land Indeed we did expect before now to have seen better days and were in a hopeful way to have had England k Isa 1.26 call'd the City of Righteousness the faithful City by having Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning Now I do not doubt but we shall have our Civil Rights Liberties and Priviledges more full and free and better then ever any men had since England was a Nation Is any thing too hard for God to do cannot he raise up a Generation of faithful men and l Pro. 31.8 open their mouths for the dumb and in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction that is for him that hath not ability to speak for himself by reason of his simplicity unfitness or impediment in his speech or dare not speak for fear of his Potent Adversary I finde in our Chronicles how a Cardinal told the Pope * Speed Hen. 3. p. 624. That England was to the Pope as BALAAMS ASS which being so often wrong'd and cudgel'd it was no marvel if at length she open'd her mouth to complain What though * Here Gods judgment is a great deep that England should be the Beast or Asse on which must ride the Balaams or Heads of both Apostasies England have been an ASS and dumb a long while yet who can tell but after so often wrong'd and cudgeld she may speak and complain at last But more seriously that England hath been a while dumb I do not take the cause to be at least principally of any power or policy in men or fearfulness which hath surpriz'd the Nation but in order to the fulfilling of some Decree and Counsel of God and Scripture-Prophesies which were to be accomplished at this time the which time being expired such multitudes will stand up for their freedom and Civil-Rights that were the Enemies ten times more and stronger then they are they would signifie nothing Hence take notice of the blindness and folly of some men for if the time of Englands deliverance be not come there needs not such gathering of horse and foot together For I am confident the Lovers of ENGLANDS-LIBERTIE will be no secret plotters they scorn it neither will they move till the Lord by some signal Providence plainly shews that the time is come and when that is vain will be the help of man to frustrate the good purpose and work of God That Doctrine then which the Army us'd to preach to the Long Parliament will be often repeated by the people To punish only instruments St. Albans Declarat No. 16. 1648. p. 50. and let the head by whose power and in whose interest all hath been done not only go free but stand in perpetual priviledge and impunity to head such instruments again as oft as he can find opportunity and get any to serve him is a way so far far from security as it leads indeed to endless trouble and hazard or to perfect loss of all Again in point of Justice with what Conscience inferior ministers can be punished and the principal set free FOR OUR PARTS VVE UNDERSTAND NOT NEITHER DOE VVE KNOVV ANY GROUND OR REASON TO EXEMPT KINGS FROM HUMANE JUSTICE It is a maxime in the Civil Law Si quis ff quod quisque Juris c. That of right every man should be judg'd by such Laws as himself hath practised against others Thirdly What I have spoken about Professors I have plain enough exprest my meaning I only intend Backsliders who by their Covenant-breaking Hypocrisie and Falshood have made the Profession
pray before the Lord and yet in their actions not make conscience of any thing 4. There hath been such unheard-of impietie committed under a shew of Religion that it is now a common saying among Cavileers when they hear of any base thing done I warrant you say they it is some Professor hath done it As informer time when any Libel came from Rome presently Parsons was thought to be the Author and the more vile the more Parson-like I mourn because I cannot mourn enough wherefore came I out of the womb to such a day Ah! That the enemies of the Gospel should have so much cause given them as to think the worse the action is the more likely to to be done by Professing people 5. Such an Apostacy is seised on Churches especially in the Officers as none do more obstruct and hinder the Lords work of the day then some of them In the time of the Prelates if a good man out of Conscience opposed the Priests and held forth a publick testimony against their corrupt wayes he was presently rayl'd at counted factious and cast out of their Synagogue And is it not so now I could give many instances that the old Priests hardly shewed more bitterness against the Lords-witnesses then some Church-Officers do at this day against honest men for being faithful in the work of their Generation But to proceed 2. A Professing people causing scandal by their evil walking the Lord will soon take a course with when we see children rebellious and disobedient we are ready to say It is a shame to their parents to suffer them so to do what say profane men now Looking upon the actions of Professors Oh say they these call God Father and they would have us think none are his children but they if he be rheir Father how is it that he suffers such horrible lying falshood oath-breaking and self-seeking in them p Ezek. 36.23 I will sanctifie my Name which was prophaned among the Heathen which YE have prophaned in the midst of them and the Heathen shall know that I am the Lord saith the Lord God They were Professors of whom the Lord complains q Amos 2.13 Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves The sins of Non-Professors are a burden but Professors sins are more then a burden and therefore not so long to be born They were a backsliding people as ours are of whom the Lord speaks r Isa 1.13 14. That their Oblations Solemn meetings and their appointed feasts were a trouble to him and he was weary to bear them How can a man that is weary of a burden have ease if he cast it not off they are the Professors of the last Times which the Prophet mentioneth Å¿ Isa 65.5 These are a smoak in my nose Smoak continueth not long it soon vanisheth signifying that the Back-sliders of this age are short liv'd 3. That judgment doth begin at the house of God it will be for the silencing of them that are without when their day shall come t Jer. 25.29 Lo I begin to bring evil on the City which is called by my Name and should ye be utterly unpunished ye shall not be unpunished 4. It is a Professing people which have made the Last Apostacy the subject I conceive of the first vial 4. When men glory in their shame Fourthly Such will have no Time of Finding Who glory in their shame and think it their Grace that they are graceless As David said of Doeg do u Psa 52.1 boast themselves in mischief for having done as wickedly as they can they rejoyce in and bless themselves in it x Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my Majesty Is not this the wealth the power and greatness which I have gotten by craft deceit c. I have seen children when they have purposely made their hands and fingers black and foul have held them up and laugh'd to see what they had done Is there not a Generation of men who have made themselves foul and black within and without no Leper more foul nevertheless how do they glory in it boast of it and laugh to see so much blackness upon their fingers Among the Indians he is taken for the gallantest fellow that can make himself most ilfavored and is it not so among some Christians so call'd Is not He the None-such who by Hypocrisie and double-dealing can deform himself most and of all men is the VGLIEST to look on y Ezek. 30.2 Wo worth the day Quest But where is it proved when men take delight in their sins they shall have no Time of finding Answ In Gods Holy Book often 1. The Prophet a Ezek. 18.17 18. Ezekiel plainly tels us so Hast thou seen this O son of man is it a light thing to the house of Iudah that they commit the abominations which they commit here for they have filled the Land with violence and have RETVRNED to provoke me to anger and lo they put the Branch to their nose Therefore will I also deal in fury mine eyes shall not spare neither will I have pity and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voyce yet will I not hear them It was the manner of the Heathen and probably practised now by the Jewes to carry Branches with them to their sacrifices and to put them to the Idol and there to sprinkle them either with the blood of their Idolatrous sacrifice or to sweeten them with some Idolatrous perfume then to put them to their nostrils and kiss them shewing thereby how greatly they approved what was don so that the meaning is when men not onely do base things as break their oathes and Covenants set up Tyranny Idolatry persecute the Interest of Christ his people but likewise take pleasure therein and rejoyce in the wickedness they have done such in the day of trouble shall have no TIME OF FINDING Again as we read in b Isa 3.9 Jer. 3.3 6.15 8.15 Eze. 24.7 8. the Prophets of men that had Whores-foreheads refused to be ashamed and could not blush would discover their sins like Sodom and hide them not and set their blood meaning cruelties and oppression upon the top of a rock to be seen of all the world so we find in the same places that the Lord would not spare them but cut them off and not regard their cries in the day of trouble I have read it somewhere that in Cumena a wide mouth is in fashion and what is more in fashion now then a WIDE MOVTH He that hath the Impudence and Boldness to defend hypocrisie and falshood and to justifie oppression and Tyranny hath the Fore-head to plead for wicked persons and things he shall have Balaams wages and promotion and be c Mic. 1.11 the Prophet of