till the sixth Vial and then it will fulfil The drying up the River Euphrates to make way for the Kings of the East unlikely to last long and at present even to cease from continuing the Plague of a Woe-Trumpet And being at the time when the second Woe-Trumpet is past and the tenth part of the City is fallen both which are now about being fulfilled it 's said The third Woe cometh quickly it can hardly be at a greater distance than the said year 1735 and therefore the great event signified then to fall out must in all likelihood be it Which is much confirmed by the 42 months of the continuance of the Beast so agreeing therewith For his time beginning in the year 476 and ending at the seventh Trumpet as before shewed the 42 months from the said Epocha end in the year 1736 the year after the said 1735. But it may be objected That the said Numbers of Daniel in â—…e typical sense mentioned should rather commence with the 〈◊〉 months of the Antichristian Reign which in their typical sense â—…ey respect than with the 1260 days which have an higher Eâ—…ha To which I say that the taking away the dayly Sacriâ—… c. may in a typical sense be well applyed to the Epocha 〈◊〉 the 1260 days both in respect of the persecution by which 〈◊〉 Devil caused the Woman to fly into the Wilderness and â—…o in respect of the Advance Antichrist had then made in corâ—…ing the World with the Mysteries of Iniquity And thereâ—…e though his Reign cannot be said to commence till he beâ—…e a new Head of the Ten-horned-beast succeeding the sixth â—…ead which expired A.D. 476. yet those Numbers in their tyâ—…al sense may well respect him before the proper commenceâ—…nt of his Reign And they being there introduced in reference 〈◊〉 the preceding time and times c. as aforesaid they are to â—…ve the same Epocha and so notifie signal times of the advanceâ—…g and accomplishing the deliverance of the People of God â—…ch commenceth at the end of time and times c. or 1260 â—…ys by the rising of the Witnesses after the slaying them and 〈◊〉 the Judgment that then begins to sit as aforesaid to take â—…ay the dominion of the Beast c. Having thus discovered the time of the expiring of the 1260 â—…ys and so of the slaying and rising of the Witnesses thereon â—…e are next to enquire How History Answers the same or â—…ere and how the same hath been fulfilled The year 1660 â—…ing as before shewed the time of the expiring of the 1260 â—…ys nothing then fell out that appears capable of Answering â—…e description of the slaying and rising of the Witnesses unless 〈◊〉 great Revolution by the Restauration The slaying them is â—…ed chiefly to one of the ten Kingdoms the Empire was diviâ—…d into by the falling of the Tenth Part of the City that 〈◊〉 one of those ten Kingdoms on their rising and ascending 〈◊〉 Cloud And what Kingdom can this be but ENGLAND â—…deed the French Persecution and also the Hungarian did beâ—… about the same time both the French and the Imperial Court â—…ing Encouragement thereunto from our KING's Restauraâ—…n as well they might considering what he as well as his Broâ—…er proved to be on which and the preceding Pyrenean Peace 〈◊〉 Design was set on foot for Ruining the Reformed Religion So that it 's a very remarkable time for the slaying of the Witnesses to commence at which considered together with the Reasons I have given for the 1260 days ending then seems to make it unquestionable to be the true time thereof But nothing then or since fell out in France or elsewhere but in England that can answer the Vision of the slaying them c. For it 's said thereon They that dwell on the Earth shall rejoyce and make merry and send Gists one to another because that those two Prophets tormented them that dwell on the Earth But no such rejoycing hath been at those foreign Persecutions they being not so much approved of as to cause such solemn rejoycings but on the contrary those that have been deeply concerned in promoting the French Persecution have been ashamed to own the same it being so inhumane and barbarous as to move pity and favour from Papists themselves whereas it 's well known what great and solemn rejoycings there was both at home and abroad for the King's Restauration by reason that the dwellers on earth had been tormented by that Party which was then prevailed against and which thereon was retaliated with those severe punishments and sufferings which they have since undergone But then How was the Witnesses lying dead three days and a half that is three years and a half fulfilled in England To which I say That there may be such a symbolical meaning of their lying dead as to make the fulfilling thereof according to the Prophetick time needless For it may refer to Antiochuâ— Epiphanes his Prophaning the Temple and to the time of Elyah's mournful prophesying when he caused great Famine by shutting up Heaven c. both which were for the same time and so signisie that their lying dead shall be alike short time of Tryal and have thâ— like happy Issue Yet a fulfilling thereof according to the prophetick time may be aptly enough assigned For reckoning the slaying the Witnesses here chiefly to respecâ— the excluding so many Non-conforming Ministers by the Bartholomew-Act yet including also those who were shut out of Civil Employment by the Corporation-Act or otherwaies for favouring that Cause that was then so run down from Bartholomew-day 1662 the three years and half will end in Februarâ— 1665. About which time the dreadful Plague had so finisheâ— its slaughter as to make the Citizens flock fast to London agaiâ— And the Non conforming Ministers having during the Plague 〈◊〉 the Risque of that danger which the Parish-Ministers sled 〈◊〉 and supplyed their Pulpits which they deserted did thereâ—… gain that Reputation with the City as was a beginning of â—…e Entrance of the spirit of Life into them to set them on their 〈◊〉 For the People were so affected with that dreadful Judgâ—ent and the Zeal and Faithfulness to their Duty which the â—on-conforming Ministers did manifest thereon as much to â—…ntenance their Meetings which they were then encouraged 〈◊〉 set up and were so born out therein that the Oxford-Act â—…de during the Plague could take little effect to drive them â—…om the City On which see Mr. Baxter's Non-conformists â—…ea for Peace p. 236 237 238 239. and he hath these remarkâ—…le Words thereon Thus the dreadful Plague began that which 〈◊〉 so much offendeth as a dangerous Schism Also the next disâ—…l Judgment which laid the City in Ashes and so gave more â—…untenance to the Non-conformists Meetings by reason of the â—…ish-Churches being destroyed and the Unsuccessfulness of â—…e Dutch War wherewith it was expected to ruine that Naâ—… were together with the preceding Plague such astonishâ—…g Providences as must
needs strike the evil World with some â—…ead of that Divine Power so wonderfully manifested in its â—…dgments But the Contemplation thereof was such reviving â—…d animating of the Witnesses which might be with a due â—…passion of the evils inslicted by those Judgments and an â—…ancing of their Repute and Interest as to complete the setâ—…g them on their feet from their slain condition Which begat in their Adversaries such fear of them fulfillâ—…g what is said of the Witnesses raised again on their feet That â—…t fear fell on them that saw them as brought the Penal Laws 〈◊〉 them to suppress and hath since begotten many politick Arts 〈◊〉 keep them under and hinder their ascending in a Cloud to 〈◊〉 Heaven of Power whether the great Voice ver 12. does 〈◊〉 them Notwithstanding which they have continued still eâ—…ging in the World and will do so till that Voice be fulâ—…ed And as our late Revolution hath gained them that Liâ—…ty which is like to be so holding as to prove an open Door â—…em which no man can shut so it seems designed also for the â—…illing that Voice and thereby accomplishing the Fall of the â—…th Part of the City though the same be hitherto much obâ—…cted by continuance still of the former Enmity against them and Jealousies of them notwithstanding the great detriment the Publick receives thereby Though this Vision thus concerns our Nation as it chiefly respects one of the ten Kingdoms the Empire was divided into as before noted yet it hath also a concurrent fulfilling in other Countries where the afore mentioned design against the Reformed Religion on the Restauration c. hath been pursued to the utmost whereby as the slaying of the Witnesles hath been fulfilled with them so there hath and will be a fulfilling of their Resurrection by the aforesaid Judgment that now sits at the end of time and times c. To take away the dominion of the Beast and to consume it unto the end This Account of the slaying and rising of the Witnesses as respecting one of the ten Kingdoms c. is further confirmed from the Persecution here which succeeded the Restauration it s better agreeing with the slaying of the Witnesses than those Persecutions which then and since have faln out elsewhere coming short of their barbarous Inhumanity though so severe and heavy as to prove ruinous to many and so better answering to the slaying the Witnesses which is different from the former Antichristian Persecutions both as being peculiar to the Witnesses the Worshippers in the Inner-Court or Temple and Altar whereas the former extends also to the Outer-Court trodden down and as being not so much designed to destroy as to silence and subdue importing a political and a spiritual Death viz. as to their exercising their Function of Prophesying from whence they are raised by the Spirit of LIFE entring into them c. Also the Persecution here is more likely than any elsewhere to be the slaying the Witnesses because the Sufferers under it were such as espoused the Cause they were engaged in upon their own Judgment and Choice and much contrary to their worldly Interest both in respect of their excluding themselves thereby from Preferments and also exposing themselves to manifold evils from Punishment of Laws and Enmity of their prevailing Adversaries Whereas the Persecution in France and elsewhere being against a Religion so long established by Law that the Professors of it received it by Education it was therefore like a National Religion which involves all Professors true or false and so had multitudes in its Communion not so much from Principles of Conscience as the Influence of Education whereby the Truth was not so rooted in their hearts as to enable them to abide those Tryals that came upon them But this Account of the slaying and rising of the Witnesses tho' enforced with so strong Reasons will not be easily digested by those who so highly esteem the Reformation as to make the breaking then with Rome to be a dismembring us from the Ten-horned-beast or a separating this Kingdom from continuing one of the Horns thereof Which cannot be if the slaying the Witnesses was fulfilled according to my Account thereof For they being slain by the Beast that ascends out of the Bottomless-pit that is the Ten-horned-beast which cap. 13. is said to arise out of the Sea and cap. 17. to ascend out of the Bottomless-pit this Kingdom must continue a Member of that Beast or one of the Horns thereof at the time of the slaying them Which that it did so seems so clear from other Reasons also as to make it hardly conceivable to be otherwaies For the Reformation made no Alteration in the Civil Government and therefore could not make any as to this Kingdoms continuing a Part or Member of the Ten-horned-beast which is a representation of the Politick or Civil State of the Empire Nor did it make any in the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction so called the same Hierarchy continuing here with rejection of the foreign Jurisdiction usurpt by the Pope And though the Reformation made in Religion was much Praise-worthy as a good beginning yet it fell much short of obeying that Voice Come out of her my People c. Rev. 18. And yet instead of making further progress it proved retrograde and backsliding became so prevalent as to beget dismal apprehensions of our relapsing to what we had reformed from and thereby involved us in the calamities of the Civil War Yet so far were we from being warned thereby that the Restauration proved a reviving of the same designs which before had produced such sad effects and which now became more eagerly driven on both out of enmity to that Party which were God's Scourge for the former pursuing the same and also to prevent the like sufferings from them again by a total suppressing them It appears therefore that the Antichristian Spirit of the World hath been the prevailing or predominant Spirit in the Nation since the Reformation and how can it then not continue us of the same Antichristian-body the Ten-horned-beast as formerly whatever Variance we have had since with Rome And being refin'd in Profession by the Reformation whilst the same Antichristian Spirit and worldly Power continues to bear sway does rather make us more complete Members of that Beast than make us cease from continuing Members thereof the Mystery of Iniquity consisting in warring against Christ under a Christian Profession or having Horns like a Lamb yet speaking as a Dragon And such Reformation in such enlightened times is indeed serviceable for the prolonging of worldly Power in opposition to the coming of Christs Kingdom whilst Satan being transformed into an Angel of Light and his Ministers into Ministers of Righteousness become thereby enabled the longer to vye with the true Children of Light Also the 1260 days of the Witnesses Prophesying and the Womans abode in the Wilderness ending as before shewed but in the year 1660 and by some not so
part of the City seems not accomplished But there 's reason to reckon the fulfilling thereof near both from the light of this Vision and also from our seeing that Power so declining and languishing that all politick bands and subtle workings of the deceiver for upholding and prolonging it prove like the loosed tacklings that cannot strengthen their Masts nor spread their Sails whereby the Nation as to the worldly politick state of it is in alike unhing'd and crazy tottering condition as in Esay 24.19,20 is described to precede the glorious state of Christ's Kingdom And the Conflict that does spring from this declension of worldly Power and the emerging of the Witnesses ascending in a Cloud is the cause of our present Troubles and Distractions Nor can we well hope for settlement and prosperity till the Judgment that sits hath ended this Conflict by so taking away the dominion or power of the Beast as to fulfil the Fall of the tenth part of the City and the great Voice that calls the Witnesses up to Heaven This will give new Life and Vigour to the Government By the Lord being exalted among us to fill us with Judgment and Righteousness and make wisdom and knowledge the stability of our Times and strength of Salvation It will be a laying the Foundation of that City whose Builder and Maker is God whereby we shall find Him carrying on that Spiritual Building till he hath raised us up to the glorious state of the New Jerusalem And it will be such a preludious commencing of Christ's Kingdom in the Nation as will occasion great Changes throughout Christendom and so be a preparative making way for the great Revolution at the seventh Trumpet which settles Him in his Kingdom on Earth and therein be a great transaction of the fifth Vial which fils the Kingdom of the Beast with darkness And indeed that Vial seems to commence from our late great Revolution and so the Exit of King James did conclude the fourth Vial poured on the Sun as we have before noted his Fathers Fate to be a signal Transaction of its beginning But then whereas the present Consederacy against France is the result of that Revolution which seems not well established till the Confederates have so succeeded against that Sun which hath shined with much scorching heat to the great annoyance of Christendom as to make him set in a Cloud when this befals him which seems very hopeful as well as desireable it may well be reckoned a Transaction belonging to the fourth Vial as being so connext with King James's Exit that the Fall of the one did involve the others Fall Since therefore so great Consequences are like to attend our late Revolution they are much in the dark who are so much concerned for our settling upon our old bottom or worldly state acquiescing in the Deliverance received as if it rendred us as happy as is to be desired or however to be expected like those who reject all speculations of Christ's Kingdom on Earth telling us that he came not to interest himself in or give disturbance to the Rights of Princes or Civil Governments his Kingdom being not of this world shewing themselves of like spirit with those who said We will not have this Man reign over us But tho' his Kingdom be from above as He himself was and not from beneath of this world or according to the course thereof yet it s in this world where He must reign till he hath put down all Authority and Power all Enemies under his feet and so make the Kingdoms of the World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ c. And the Laws and Liberties which we so Joy in are owing to the advancement of his Kingdom on Earth But the world being unable so to consider them claims them as the Rights of Free-born People and which our Rulers are bound to observe by Original Contract with the People c. Whenas indeed what Change there is in the Government of the Christian world from the absolute dominion of Heathen Princes proceeds from the Victory gained over the powers of the world by the Man-child being caught up unto God's Throne to rule and the Dragon being cast out into the Earth Rev. 12. which caused the great Revolution in the Empire described in the sixth Seal And what Liberty or Freedom can any pretend to who are the Servants of Sin and Satan who having the Power of Death through fear of it makes them all their Liver-time subject to Bondage Which Bondage of Corruption all Mankind are subject to so far as Redemption through Christ Jesus hath not freed them from it And they being thus the Children of wrath under the Thraldom of the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience what Rights or Priviledges could they obtain Or what Assurance could they have of them when granted by absolute Heathen Rulers under the Prince of darkness Whose Power did set them above the need of making such Grants and could easily frustrate them when made So that the Grants and Concessions whereby the Princes of Christendom have obliged themselves to their Subjects and thereby enfranchised them from Heathen Thraldom are owing to the downfal of the Devils power by his being cast out of Heaven whereby they being unable to continue that absolute dominion were driven to comply with their Subjects by such Concessions And though his power hath been so restored by the Impostures of the false Prophet and other his subtle Arts to corrupt the Nations of Christendom as in some Countries almost to frustrate the benefit of that Victory over him yet in others it continues to be enjoyed and with that firmness in our Country as to make both former and latter Attempts to deprive us of it fatal to the Undertakers And the late Revolution seems not onely design'd to confirm to us that Benefit when there appeared so much danger of losing it but also much to enlarge the same by that advancemene of Christ's Kingdom which is signified by the Fall of the tenth part of the City But we seem insensible thereof and as little disposed to and prepared for so great a Blessing as Lot and his Family were to depart out of Sodom to escape destruction It 's too high a Blessing for the world to like tho' it be well pleased with than already received of being freed from Heathen Thraldom It can like such Blessings that free it from the evils and miseries that attend it s lapsed state lying in wickedness but is not pleased with such Blessings that tend to recover it out of that state by Reforming its Corruptions Which Indisposition to higher Blessings designed us makes the world so little sensible to whom to ascribe what we already enjoy and so to fail of rendring Him due Praise and Thanks for the same to whom all Judgment is committed that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father
subjection to himself that must introduce that peaceable state which this Author imagines the World shall be restored to to prepare it for his immediate Rule and those visible Ministers by whom he supposeth such preparation to be made must be his Ministers in human Governments and so are more likely to oppose than make preparation for his immediate Rule by which they shall be put down This Author therefore by ascribing so much Vertue to Faith in Christ before his coming both for bettering human Nature and human Governments and by making such Governments reformed by righteous Laws to be the Theocracy of Christ's Kingdom he does in effect reduce the spiritual dispensation of that Kingdom into a state of legal Righteousness of living according to the Precepts of the Gospel without the aid of that Power which onely can enable us to do it and so with many Christian Professors does stumble at the Righteousness of God by Faith in like manner as the Israelites are described to have done Rom. 9.32.33 cap. 10.2.3 And his conceits of Christs and the devils Kingdom in the other World are as odd as those of their state in this World For he makes the usurp't Authority of the devil to be spiritual in the other World over the Souls of men as well as temporal in this c. and makes the Fighting of Michael and his Angels and the Devil and his Angels Rev. 12. to signifie the perpetual War in the other World between the opposite Powers of Christ and the devil for the dominion over Souls p. 21. whenas doubtless it signifies the War that ensued between the Christian and Pagan Emperours and other Champions for Paganism on the former professing Christianity which produced the great Revolution described in the sixth Seal spoken of in the preceding discourse And it appears not that the devil hath any concern with Souls further than to corrupt them with his deceits and allurements of this Life whereby to secure them under his Thraldom and so to strengthen his Kingdom in the World And Christ does withstand and oppose the same by the counter-working of his Spirit by which he destroys the works of the devil and is at length to subdue all things to himself And to imagine any such War for dominion over Souls distinct from what is transacted between those opposite powers in this Life by the Conflict between Flesh and Spirit is an unaccountable Conceit But this Author in thus attempting to give an Account of Rise of the Kingdom of Christ and the devil in the World hath hit upon the properest course for ending our great Controversies about the Duty of Allegiance to Worldly Powers For when it appears That their Power or Authority hath no foundation in Nature and so cannot be considered as those Properties that are founded on natural Right but is derived from and exercised under him who by seducing man into like Apostate State with himself at length obtained the dominion over him and that as God did give him that Power for correcting and disciplining by Thraldom those who would not be kept in Obedience to Him whose Service is perfect Freedom so he does enlarge and straiten it and otherwaies govern and controul him in the exercise of it as best serves the ends for which he gave it So that no Changes or weighty Affairs of Government can be transacted without his Concurrence who thus superintends the administration of that Power he gives These Considerations will remove all doubt concerning the Right to the Duty of Allegiance when it 's apparent where the Ruling Power resides especially in case of such Changes as are for the ease and relief of People from their oppressive Thraldom for they must proceed from the interposing Providence of God as surely as the devil will have no hand in the lessening his own Power And therefore How can we doubt of our late great Revolution proceeding thence having already found such happy effects of it and having such grounds of hopes of much greater from that fulfilling the Fall of the Tenth Part of the City which the preceding Exposition gives an Account of FINIS ERRATA PAge 32. line 17 for is become read is to become Pag. 4. lin 39. for Ius the read lus The