Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	christian_n	lord_n	zion_n	20	3	8.8289	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89056	A further discovery of the mystery of the last times; as an addition to a little book, called Some discoveries of the mystery of the last times, bordering upon the coming of the Lord Jesus. Set forth for the good of all men; but especially of those who in these dissenting times (wherein Ephraim envieth Juda, and Juda vexeth Ephraim) know not where to settle themselves, or to what society of Christians to joyn themselves: wherein is (as simply and plainly, as the author was able to open those mysterious scriptures quoted in this following treatise) shewed the cause of all our divisions and contentions about matters pertaining to form and order in the church of Jesus Christ; and wherein is moderately proved from those scriptures these particulars. 1. The flourishing and building condition of the church of Jesus Christ in the time of the gospel. ... 7. Lastly, that the Lord Jesus will by himself destroy all those enemies, and deliver his people, when the restoration of all things shall be.	Mercer, Richard, fl. 1649-1651.; Mercer, Richard, fl. 1649-1651. Some discoveries of the mystery of the last times, bordering upon the coming of the Lord Jesus].	1651 (1651)	Wing M1732; Thomason E637_16; ESTC R206616	80,538	60

and upon her head a crown of twelve starrs now I think no man will deny but the Church which undoubtedly was the woman which was cloathed with the sun when she had such abundance of the spirit that it sat upon them as fire and they were filled with the holy Ghost and spake with tongues and were enabled with power to distribute the ordinances of the Gospel unto whom they did appertain and when the Church was crowned with twelve stars namely the twelve Apostles But it is yet objected Be it so that this is true yet is there no workings of the spirit are all things so dead as there is no appearance of God by gifts and ordinances I answer I do beleeve that there are some breathings of the Spirit in the Saints for it is not said the sun is wholly darkened but darkned that is doth not give that light as it did in the first Gospel times and this the very experience of times doth evince but for the ordinances which are likened to the moon they are in a manner wholly darkened from that they were in the first times and as for the stars the third part of them was darkned in the sounding of the fourth trumpet Rev. 8. 12. and 12. 4. and they which persisted in the faith are killed by the beast Rev. 11. 7. It is further objected that though it be said The powers of the heavens shal be shaken yet it follows not that they are removed no more then trees that are shaken of a mighty wind are removed To which I answer that shaking in Scripture sense is removing and this is cleer from that of Haggai 2. 6. where it is said for thus saith the Lord of hoasts yet once it is but a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land which shaking is expounded by the Authour to the Hebrews to be a removing Hebrews the 12. 27. And thus I hope I have fully answered these objections Another objection is made against that exposition which I make upon that text Luke 17. 34. where it is said In that night there shall be two men in one bed the one shall be taken the other shall be left which say they is meant when the Lord appeareth then shall one that is a Christian be at work with an unbeliever and where it is said There shall be two in one bed the one shall be taken the other shall be left say they it is meant the husband may be a believer and the wife an unbeleever as it was in the first Gospel times To which I answer That the text saith it is two men and two women and therefore it cannot be meant of that matrimonial coupling of man and wife and touching the two men being in the field together as it is Matth. 24. that it may be expounded at work together the one a beleever the other an unbeleever this the words going before will cleer for it is said Luke 17. 26. As it was in the dayes of Noe so shall it be in the dayes of the Son of man likewise as it was in the dayes of Lot they did eat and drink they bought they sold they planted they builded but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone and destroyed them all Now we all know there was no difference between Noe and the world and Lot and the Sodomltes in any outward worship but onely they were preachers of righteousnesse which is cleer by that speech of Abraham where he prayeth for Sodom Gen. 18. 24. and saith Peradventure there be found fifty righteous so likewise in the dayes of the coming of the Son of man those that are truly Christians and watch and pray cannot but be preachers of righteousnesse forasmuch as that man that is addicted to sin and uncleannesse cannot be said in reason to watch over his actions and he that is praying or prepared alwayes to pray cannot be voyd of righteousness towards man Another Objection is made touching the raising of the Witnesses for say they It is true the Witnesses are to lie dead but there is a time for their raising again and this is our practice sor we are raising the Witnesses from death to meet the Lord in Sion To which I answer That it is true that the Witnesses are to rise and to stand upon their feet but the question is when this should be which I beleeve upon examination will appear to be when the Lord appears from heaven which I shall prove thus as it is said Rev. 11. 11. and after three dayes and a half the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon all that saw them which compared with Ezekiel 37. and Rev. 20. 5. will appear to be that resurrection spoken of in those two places But it may be said Those places speak of the raising of the dead out of their graves to meet the Lord in Sion but this of Revel 11. must be meant of the raising the people of the Lord Jesus out of that darkness wherein they lay in the Antichristian state To which I answer It is true it seems to be so but mark well the sense of the place and you shall finde it is at the Lords appearing as to mee it seems cleer from the 12 verse where it is said And they heard a great voice from heaven saying Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them which compared with 1 Thes. 4. it will appear to be when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven with a shout and the voyce of the archangel as it is in ver 16. besides mark the effects that did follow upon the rising of the witnesses for it is said verse 13. And the same hour there was a great Earth-quake and the tenth part of the City fell and in the earth-quake were slain of men 7000 and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven so that I think no man will affirm there is any such effects wrought by any arising from death of the witnesses in these our days and thus I hope I have answered this objection It is yet further objected that the changes that are wrought in this nation are some tokens of the Lords hand for we may plainly see that there be many men that were before wicked persons both swearers and lascivious in their lives and conversations that upon their coming in are changed in their lives likewise there are many young men that were of no gifts and parts in the sight of the world are now able to dispense the word and to pray very heavenly somtime to the admiration of the hearers insomuch as they are forced to say God is in you of a truth and therefore this must needs be a testimony that the hand of God is in this work and that he will prosper it To this I answer

Reason that all men should be deceived and you onely know the truth To those men I answer and do acknowledge the doctrine is strange and I do confesse I do not remember that I ever read of any such thing treated of and for the most part of the places I have opened in some measure I do not remember that I ever heard any exposition upon them yea I acknowledge that the matter seems sometimes strange to my self having nothing in me that deserves that the Lord should reveal any thing to me rather then to another I see in my self so much weakness and deadness to any thing that is good that it seems to the contrary but when on the contrary I consider the harmony and agreement which is among the prophets tending to the same things and when I consider the experience of the ages past confirming it and making it to appear a truth in part without contradictions and when I consider that the Lord hath in severall ages taught some of his people yea his prophets by men of inferiour parts to them as may be seen in Jethro's counsell to Moses and by Amos which was a herd-man of Tekoa which taught Amasiah the priest of Bethel and when I consider the Lord confounds the wisdome of the world by things of no esteem and brings to nought things that are by things that are not I then take encouragement and am constrained to beleeve that this is the meaning of the holy Ghost in those places and shall beleeve untill I do perceive a better sense given which being done I hope I shall not be so self-conceited as to prefer my sense before a better if it begiven It is further objected that we are commanded to come out of Babylon left we are partakers of her sins and so receive of her plagues which is a duty required of us and besides we have now an oportunity given us to come out for the States give us liberty to walk according to Gospel order and according to our conscience there in and to gather our selves into bodies To the first I answer That it is true that we are commanded to come out of Babylon but it is necessary to know the time when we are to perform that duty lest haply we should lose our labour and I could wish that some man that is so zealous for the performance of that duty would labour to demonstrate by the Scripture Prophesies that the time for the performance of this duty were fully come lest the practice of this duty have no better success then those men in Jeremy 29. 21. namely Ahab the son of Kolajah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah which were two false prophets which did perswade the people that they should speedily return from their captivity contrary to the prophesie of Jeremy which had prophesied their captivity to continue seventy years which were a duty necessary to be done for so much as the prophet Daniel did understand by books the number of yeers where of the word of the Lord came to Jeremy the prophet that hee would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem Dan. 9. 2. and accordingly did make his prayer for their return So likewise in the Revelation there are set times for the people of the Lord Jesus to lie in this and that condition as may be seen in the 11. 12. 13. chapters which I shall endeavour the Lord enabling me in the sequell of this treatise to make appeare not to be fully accomplished Besides take notice of those places which speake of the people of the Lord coming out of Babylon and you shall finde that Babylon is first fallen before the Lords people are exhorted to come out of her as may be seen Rev. 14. 8. and 18. 4. But we do not yet see Babylon fallen nay rather we see her as high as ever almost only we have seen one of his heads wounded to death but his deadly wound is almost healed neither do we see any glory like unto that glory which is spoken of in those two places to precede the fall of Babylon neither do we see the Lamb upon mount Sion with his hundred forty and four thousand neither an Angel come down from heaven having great power and the earth was lightned with his glory which are things which goe before the peoples deliverance besides pray marke that Babylon in the letter was destroyed before the people of God were dilivered and his people had a Leader to goe before them out of Babylon Even so likewise I conceive that the people of the Lord Jesus are to have a leader or diliverer to goe before them to call them out of Babylon in the mystery and to send his Angels to gather together his Elect from the four windes of the heaven according to those Scriptures Isai. 11. 11 12. and 52. 12. and 66. 19 20. Joel the 3. 11. Obadiah 21. Zechariah 2. 5 8. Matt. 24. 31. compared with Rev. the 14. 6 7 8 9. and 18. 1 2 4. In all which places is mention made of the Lords deliverance of his people by himself and of sending forth his Angels to declare the fall of Babylon and to exhort the people of the Lord to come out of her To the second branch of this objection I answer It is true that the State gives liberty to tender consciences for which they deserve much honour but these men must also remember that as the State gives them liberty so must they have liberty of God also which I desire to see proved for first if they will come out according to order they must have their Leader with them which is the Lord Jesus for it is said expresly Isaiah the 52. 12. for you shall not go out in hast nor go out by flight for the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rereward But in this reformation which is profest in this nation in any profession I see no glory that comes neer the first Gospel times whereas the coming of the Kingdom of God with power did exceed the first glory as may be seen Mat. 17. 2. Secondly it must be granted that the nations of Christiandome are all of them at the least Christians at large as I may term them that is professing the name of Christ now if we follow order we must reform by the major or greater part as is the order in all assemblies as also in the Church of Christ whilst they had power as may be seen in the Churches of Asia but we cannot reforme that way because the major part will keep their customes still be they never so ill and therefore we cannot this way reform according to order because the best part is over-voted But thirdly seeing that all our reformers do acknowledg that the ordinances are corrupted touching Church discipline and if we will reform we must bring them to the first standard and because all our ministers have derived their office of ministry through

failing by his open violence of persecution he now out of that afflicted estate of the Church wherein persecution followed upon persecution like the waves of the sea I say out of this sea of persecution and troubles of the Church raises a beast for no sooner did the Roman Empire become Christian under Constantine but immediately the Church fals asleep and loseth her integrity and by ease and riches pleasure and profit she in time becomes of a sufferer a persecuter and what the divels could not attain one way he now tryeth another way and prevailes and whereas Sathan acted by the Roman Empire heathen by open violence and could do no good now by the Roman Empire becoming Christian he gaines his desire and the Roman Empire or beast Christian in conclusion under the name of Christ persecutes as much as did the Roman Empire being heathen But this being a matter of great consequence needs much proofe which I shall endeavour to prove as the Lord shall direct me As for proofes from history of time I have but little being a man unlearned therefore my proofe must be from Scripture therefore pray mind you have the dragon in the 12. of the Revelation and 3. verse set forth by those marks viz. A great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven Crownes upon his heads which I conceive was the severall Emperours which were Enemies to the people of God and did persecute them signified by the number of seaven and the Crowns were upon these heads that is the government rested upon them he had also ten hornes which signified the severall nations which were a strength to the Roman Empire and were under the subjection of the Roman Monarch now pray mind in the beginning of the 13. chapter it is said And I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise out of the sea having seven heads and ten hornes and upon his horns ten crownes and upon his heads the names of blasphemy and the beast which I saw was like a leopard and his feet were as the feet of a beare and his mouth as the mouth of a lyon and the dragon gave him his power and his seat and great Authority Now pray mark that whereas the dragon or Roman Empire heathen had his crowns upon his heads that is the government remained among the Emperours touching the administration of the common wealth and had the ten hornes or ten nations as a strength to the Empire subject unto them so the beast which did rise out of the sea or the Empire Christian had his crownes upon his horns that is upon the nations which were a strength unto the Empire Christian and had authority in all civill things so far as to do the commandments of the Roman bishops and whereas the heads of the beast had upon them the name of blasphemic this I take to be the Popes of Rome being the heads did arrogate the name of supreme bishop and did begin to sit in the temple of God shewing himself as if he were God forgiving sins and doing what he listed in the Church of God which without a sufficient warrant from Scripture rule for him to do so was no better then blasphemy this beast also was like unto a leopard that is all spotted with sin and uncleanness as his doings in future times makes it appeare his feet as the feet of a beare scraping together the goods of the nations unto himself as is witnessed in Acts and Monuments of the Church of England the first volume in many places and his mouth as the mouth of a lion speaking cruell things and commanding all men by his Excommunications and cursing them to hell if they did not obey all his commandments and the dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority and this the experience of things testifieth for the Emperours by degrees did give unto the Popes great power insomuch as in time the Popes began to depose Emperours and set up others in their stead and left them in time wholly their seat which was Rome Now I am perswaded to beleeve that the beast which did arise out the sea to be the Empire Christian under the Pope by these ensuing reasons first because this beast which did arise out of the sea is as it were a compound of the three beasts which did arise out of the sea Daniel the 7. having his body like unto a leopard imitating the Macedonian Monarch and his feet as the feet of a bear like unto the Persian Monarch and his mouth as the mouth of a lion speaking with such a commanding voyce as did the Babylonian Monarch now these put together will make the fourth beast which was dreadfull and terrible Now what people or government hath been in the world that hath had and exercised the like cruelty as hath the Roman Empire Christian under the Pope especially upon his own subjects for when I consider what blood hath been spilt by that Romish beast upon such as any way differed from him in Religion being put to death with all the rigour that could be imagined wherof burning is the highest and all to uphold that blasphemous title of Head of the Church and also when I diligently ponder that infinite blood which hath been spilt among Christian Princes stirred up thereto by the Pope somtime for the patrymony of the Church as they call it fighting for the temporall possessions of the Church somtime raised to destroy Hereticks as he called them which were protected by their Princes against his fury somtime by means of schism which happened between the Popes there being somtimes two and somtimes three at one time which amounts to such a summ as I think cannot be paralelld in the world for infiniteness no not among the most barbarous nations And which is to be much more lamented it being among such men and such people as acknowledge themselves to be subjects to the Lord Jesus which is King of peace which how well it hath agreed to their profession I leave it to themselves to judge so that I conceive that the description of the fourth beast cannot in all likelyhood be applied to any other then the Roman Empire heathen but more especially to the Roman Empire Christian Daniel 7. 7. A second reason moving me to beleeve that the beasts which did arise out of the sea to be the Empire Christian under the Pope is from the dragon giving him his power and his seat and great authority for how can we expound the dragon to be any other then the Roman Empire heathen and did not the Empire as soon as it turned Christian almost come into the Popes hands by degrees at the least spiritually So also was not Rome the seat of the Emperor but it quickly became the feat of the Pope so likewise how quickly had the Bishop of Rome such Authority as he made Emperours and again deposed them A third reason I ground from these prophesies as