REYNER BABYLONS ruining Earth-quake and the restauration of ZION Haggai 2.6 7. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry Land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this House with glory saith the Lord of Hosts THE Prophet Haggai lived and flourished after the returne from the Captivity of Babylon His prophecy is spent partly in reproving the people of the Jewes for their negligence in not building the Temple of the Lord appointed for his worship partly in declaring Gods hand against them for the same in their Corne Cattell and otherwise because they came to build and even to siele their owne house and let Gods House lye waste partly in exhorting and encouraging them unto the building This last he doth diversly First he tels them the Lord was with them chap. 1. ver 13. chap. 2. ver 4. And that therefore they need not feare the oppositions of their enemies who formerly so often as ever they began to build did by their complaints to the Kings of Persia still stop the worke and that his spirit did remaine among them now this was to be done not by might not by power but by the spirit of the Lord as Zec. his contemporany Prophet tels them Zech. 4.6 even against might and against power and this according to the Covenant he made with them when they came out of Aegypt chap. 2. ver 5. Next he assures them that the disire of all Nations should come to this house and that he would fill it with glory And whereas this house might seem to be a despicable and contemptible thing compared with the sumptuous Temple of Salomon that was before it which made the old men weepe when they saw the foundations of it first laid Ezra 1.12 he comforts them against that and tels them that the silver and gold are his so that if true glory had consisted in them he could have given them in aboundance for the adorning of this second Temple but he had a greater glory to bestow upon it namely Christ and in this place he would give peace viz. by Christ the Prince of peace unto his people The words may be divided into two parts First a Commination against the Nations as an antecedent or a thing that in act and execution should goe before Secondly a consolation unto the Church as a consequent or a thing that in accomplishment should follow after the Commination The Commination is in these words I will shake the Heavens and the Earth c. I will shake all Nations the Consolation in the words following and that consists of a double promise First The desire of all Nations shall come Secondly God will fill this house with glory Both these are set out by two circumstances First of the person that saith these things secondly of the time First the person Who is it that saith this Answ He that is able to make good what he saith thus saith the Lord of Hosts and this to make all more sure is put both before and after the Commination and Consolation Secondly we have the circumstance of time and that is double First Quoties how often shall this be before Christ come Answ Once Secondly Quando or quam diù when or how long is it before it be Answ ere it be long yet a little while The sense of the Words The Prophets living in the Easterne regions did frequently use the phrase and stile of the Easterne Nations they did not alwayes in a plaine down-right manner declare things as they be as we for the most part doe but did use many high phrases tropicall speeches and other figurative exornations many continued metaphors or allegorie's aenigma's and darke riddles hyperbolees and excessive speeches many emblematicall and hieroglificall expressions these puzzle us when we read them but were familiar to the people of those times and places Heavens were used not onely for the coelestiall bodies above but sometimes to set forth a State of dignity and prosperity Earth a state of mediocrity hell of adversity Againe sometimes heavens were used to set forth things appertaining to the Church or ecclesiastick State earth things appertaining to the Common-Weale or civill State as we shall heare afterwards Seas and dry Land making up the whole Orbe of the universe are put comprehensively and extensively to signifie the extent of this shaking so as it should be of all the world round about as it is interpreted even in the next Words I will shake all Nations see further verse 22. By shaking we are to understand the raising of great stirres in those Nations among all estates whereby great alterations should follow and desolations That such a sense is not insolent in the Scriptures we may see in an instance or two Isa 14.12 13 14 15. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer sonne of the morning c. Thou saidest I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my throne above the Starres of God c. Yet thou shalt be brought downe to hell c. Who was this Lucifer Answ None other but the King of Assyria as appeares by the context What were the Heavens and Starres he exalted himself above Answ The great estates and Princes of the world compared thereto What Heaven was he fallen from Answ from his high Soveraigne Dignity and Majesty To what hell was he brought downe Answ To utter confusion and ruine for not long after this an hundred eighty five thousand of his Army were slaine by the Angell of God in one night himself shortly after killed by his owne sonnes in his Idols Temple and a little while after this his whole Kingdome brought to destruction and the Soveraignity transferred to another Family viz. that of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and that Kingdome at length also ruined Look upon another instance Jer. 4.23 24. I beheld the earth and be hold it was without forme and voyd and the Heavens and they had no light I beheld the Mountaines and loe they trembled and all the Hils moved lightly c. Did the Prophet Jeremy indeed see any such thing was the earth like an old confused Chaos without all forme and voyd so as no Grasse nor Tree did grow upon it had the Heavens so lost their light as that neither Sun Moon or Startes did shine Did Jeremy see the Hils to skippe and leap No such matter surely but this was all the meaning that there was a great confusion in the Land among all estates both in Church and Common-weale as appeares in the verses following which tell us that the fruitfull places were even become a Wildernesse the Cities broken downe and the whole Land desolate Let us goe on in the interpretation And the desire of all Nations shall come Some understand this of Beleevers the desirable people of all Nations others of other things but no doubt
Angels c. Pharisees Essenes what they were may be doubted They had put many false glosses upon the law morall as we may see Mat. 5.21 c. They stood stiffely for the ceremoniall law as a thing that was to be perpetuall as appeares by our Saviours telling them that He came not to destroy it but to fulfill it Mat. 5.17 by their stoning of Stephen upon that false accusation Act. 6.13 14 15. Yea the converted Jewes were very tenacious of it Act. 21.20 The false Apostles urged some part of it as circumcision c. upon the Churches of the Gentiles Act. 15.1 Insomuch as the Lord at length shakes downe Temple Priests service ceremoniall government and all and almost the whole Nation and then was Christ made the desire of the Nations c. unto this shaking of the Church and the antiquating the old administration and forme of worship doth the Apostle apply this Text of Haggai in part Heb. 12.26 27. He hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also heaven And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that is of the ceremaniall Ordinances and Law that those things that cannot be shaken may remaine that is the Ordinances of Christ as the Word and seales of the Word under the Gospell A second instance we have in the planting the people of Israel in the land of Canaan In Aegypt they were under great oppression and it seems had no publique service of God for when they desire leave of Pharaoh to goe out of the land they told him they must serve the Lord as he should command them Ex. 8.27 and they knew not how that must be till they came thither where he appointed them Exod. 10.26 The Lord therefore would have them out of Aegypt into Canaan but before that he was forced first to shake Aegypt terribly with many sore plagues and at last when it would not otherwise be he tumbled Pharaoh and all his Army into the midst of the Sea he destroyed six hundred thousand Israelites in fourty years space in the Wildernesse and after that twenty or thirty Kingdomes of the Canaanites and then plants in his people and sets up his Tabernacle and Glory in the middest of them A third instance we have in the people of the Jewes after the captivity of Babylon before Religion was come to a low ebbe the land was full of prophanenesse idolatry and contempt of God and his Word 2 Chron. 36.14 15 16. Ezek. 22. Jer. 6.10 The Lord therefore doth as a man useth to doe with an old house that is too bad to patch and repaire he puls it downe that he may build it fairer from the ground Thus did the Lord he puls downe all the Ecclesiastik civill State too destroyes the Temple Priests Sacrifices the Princes and Nobles of the Land carries the Kings one after another into Babylon suffers Nebuchadnezzar to put out the eyes of Zedekiah having first slaine his Children before his sace that that might be the last sight that ever he might see 2 Kin. 24. 25. 2 Chron. 36. Jer. 39. captivates the people also and beslaves them to the Chaldeans for the space of seventy years when those were over wholy overthrowes the Babylonian Kingdome and then brings back their captivity settles them againe in the land of Judah restores his glory to them makes them take rooting downward and bring forth fruit upward Let us looke into the Christian Church under the new Testament and there we shall find predictions of such earth-quakes one is already past another is to come The Church you know was after our Saviours time almost 300. yeares continually molested with dreadfull persecutions under the heathen Empire at length the Lord upon the humble supplications of his people and the cryes of their blood Rev. 6.10 was pleased to grant peace and liberty to his servants but before this could be done there must be a great earth-quake which makes a mighty confusion in all estates as if heaven and earth were mingled together the Sunne is darkned the Moon is turned into blood the Starres fall c. which is interpreted afterwards the Kings of the Earth the chiefe Captaines the great men c. doe call to rocks and mountaines to fall upon them and hide them from the face of the Lamb who now is like a Lion Rev. 6.12 13. c. the meaning is the heathen Emperours when God stirred up Constantine the great who was the Churches first masculine child to undertake the quarrell of Christ and of his Church against them and being overcome in many dismall battels were so amazed and confounded together with their great Captains and Commanders as that divers of them confessed Christ had overcome them as Galerius Maximinus Licinius happy was he that could first make an end of himselfe Maxentius a cruell enemy of Christ after he had bin overcome in fight was drowned or did drown himself in Tyber Dioclesian is said to have poysoned himselfe Maximinianus to have hanged himselfe or to have been strangled by Constantine's command as was afterward Licinius Maximinus having in a rage slain many of his Idol-priests that stirred him up to warre against the Christians and revoked his decrees being sodainly stricken with Gods hand was eaten away peece-meale and so his eyes leaping out of his head he breathed out his cruell Ghost Galerius was eaten up with vermine and rotted above ground All of them extreamly frighted with Christs victories over them in feare and tormert together with multitudes of their Souldiers ended their dayes What was this but rocks and mountaines fall upon us and hide us from the presence of the Lamb After followed peace and liberty to the people of God These and many more are already past and gone there is one earth-quake to come that is the greatest that ever was in the world and shall be followed with the most notable Reformation of the Church that ever was I call it the greatest that ever was because the Text cals it so Rev. 16.18 and it is very probable Daniel meanes the same Dan. 12.1 where he speaks of a time of trouble that should be such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time We read of it first Rev. 11.13 the Beast hath long persecuted the Prophets at last besides many former he got an unexpected victory over them triumphed over them for three dayes and an halfe but now in the middest of his jollity and his whores also spoken of Rev. 18.7 8. an earthquake comes upon them both Rev. 11.13 and utterly ruines them for this fals out at the end of the Prophets prophecying in sack cloath ver 7. and consequently 〈◊〉 Mead at the end of the Bâ—asts reigne and the tenth part of the City fals by which we may understand the City of Rome that now is being but the tenth part of that which it was
building and as strange a worship would they have set up Quest Whom doth God use to preserve in these great calamities Answ Some of divers sorts as First a convenient number of Saints already called not all but a sufficient number There is I take it such a distinction intimated Dan. 12.1 At that time thy people shall be delivered not all in general but every one that shall be found written in the book implying that some of Daniels people the Saints are written in the booke of life that is of naturall life for escape but not all see also Isa 4.3 God must have a number of these called ones first to be the constant objects of his love and grace secondly to praise and serve him and thirdly to be the pillar and ground of truth to support it before the world and then fourthly if I may use so loe a comparison as those that write of Bees report the Bees still send out some of their old ones with the new swarmes to manage their work so God will have a competent number of called ones preserved to carry on his worke of Reformation Secondly all the Elect that are not yet called at lest till they be effectually converted else their election would be frustrated which is impossible Thus 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is long-suffering towards the world so that he destroyes it not because he is not willing that any should perish i. e. not any of his own chosen should perish but that all meaning all they should come to repentance Thirdly the progenitors of the Elect to come for otherwise the Elect that are to come of them would be prevented And this I take to be our Saviours meaning Mat. 24 2â— where speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem he saith that except those dayes should be shortned no flesh should be saved but all the Jewes should have been destroyed Why were they not might some man say they that escaped were as bad as those that perished why saith our Saviour for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortned i. e. for the Elects sake that are to come of them it may be seventeene hundred or two thousand yeeres after And to the same sense are those words Isa 65.8 As the new wine is found in the cluster and one saith destroy it not for a blessing is in at that is let it grow till the vintage and there will be a blessing viz. good wine in it so will I doe for my servants sake that I may not destroy them all that is I would destroy all this sinfull generation were there not a blessing in them namely were it not for mine elect servants sakes that are to proceed from them Fourthly haply some may be saved out of a generall deluge in some relation or respect to others of Gods people to whom they belong as bad children for the godly Parents sakes And backe againe wicked Parents that they may nurse up children that are elect these deliverances are blessings not so much to the wicked themselves as to the godly to whom they relate They in the ship were saved for Pauls sake Acts 27.24.44 that they might be of some use to his person and their deliverance some honour to his office Reprobates thus saved shall be as the Gibeonites hewers of wood and drawers of water to the people of God they shall doe some baser drudgeries for them study Arts and Sciences for them as the heathen Philosophers did God taking from him that hath not giving unto him that hath bestowing the use benefit of wicked mens gifts not upon themselus but upon the godly The third Impediment of the Churches restauration taken away by these great earth-quakes Imped is errour haeresie false worship idolatry c. You cannot preach nor pray them downe directly and immediately though all other meanes depend upon these and the Saints must own the thing God is terrible out of his holy places Psa 68.35 Well that which the Word cannot do the sword shall that which the water cannot wash out the fire will burn out Unto this particular the Apostle applies this very text in part namely concerning the shaking of the Heavens Heb 12.26 27. Yet once more I shake not earth onely but also heaven c. An earth-quake as we have heard was appointed to shake downe the ceremoniall Ordinances now if this were necessary for the abolition of that divine worship which had sometimes been by Gods owne holy institution how much more shall that which hath been of humane invention yea the very fumes and fogs of the bottomlesse pit to Gods infinite displeasure and dishonour be tumbled downe with violence and vengeance to hell from whence it came And therefore as the heathenish idolatry fel with such a terrible earthquake as shook down both it and all its supporters both Emperors and Empire even so shall antichristian idolatry and haeresie with Babylon their Mother the Beast their Father and all their intoxicated and dementated defenders be throwne like a Mil-stone into the bottome of the sea Rev. 18.21 The third generall Reason of these great Earth-quakes before the Churches restauration is that the Saints may be prepared and qualified for the right use of such a state and condition of happinesse and prosperity and so made capable thereof Reas 3 The qualifications required and whereof the earth-quake is a meanes by the operation of Gods Spirit in the Saints are these First they are thereby made humble for so the Lord humbles his c. that he may do them good in the latter end Deut. 8.16 The people of the Jew 's before the captivity were exceeding proud despised Gods Word spoken by his Prophets c. 2 Chron. 26 16. yea in the time of the captivity when all was broken in peeces Yet so proud and stubborne were they that they would not beare the yoake of the King of Babylon though the Lord would have had them promising them in so doing safety and blessing many of them would needs into Egypt and when they came there would worship the Queene of heaven the Sunne Moone and Starres though the Lord by Jeremiâ—h under great penalties expresly forbad both the one and the other Ier. 42 43. 44. But after the Lord â—ad hammer'd them thoroughly by 70. yeers captivity and hard bondage how humble were they and tame as Lambs now you may doe any thing with them now they come weeping to seeke the Lord and exhorting one another to enter into a covenant with their God never to be forgotten Ier. 50.4.5 and so they did as we may see at large Nehem. 9 10. where they undertake some things that it is probable they never did before as to live in Boothes in the feast of Tabernacles and though they were very poore yet they charged themselves deeply for the maintainance of the publique worship of God Secondly they are thereby made hungry after Christ Isa 4.1.2 when the Lord hath wasted them in the publique
their fore-fathers that kept them from blood which they did also shed in part and we see what they doe now But because they durst not it is I take it agreeable to the word it should be so besides there was a fatall concurrence of subordinate causes to hinder them therefore wonder not if you see an earth-quake begin upon it Signe 2 When the enemies of Religion make an attempt upon the whole Church together to ruine it It is with the Church as with a great City it is very molestious to have an Enemy-King lyes loofe off with a mighty Army to hinder all trade and traffique and to catch up and kill now one Citizen then another but if he hath once begirt it with a strong siege made many great breaches threatens to kill man woman and child if the King to whom that City belongs intend to save it he must now appeare to their rescue Even so the Lord can endure the enemies and persecutors of his people for a long time to destroy row one then another of his Saints though they shall at last heare of him for it but when once they determine and endeavour to cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance now the Lord must of necessity and will eft-soon's appeare for if he should suffer all his Church and people to be destroyed what should he doe to his great Name Josh 7.9 he must needes have a people to beare up his Name before the world Doth Pharaoh to all his other cruell persecutions adde this that he will destroy all the male-children of Israel for that strikes at the root of the Church why now have at Pharaoh you shall heare of some mischiefe upon Aegypt ere it be long Doth Hamon get a cruell decree against the Jewes to destroy them altogether upon one day and so to cut off the necke of the whole Church as it were at one blow and that upon a pretence that their lawes differ from all other Nations and that they keepe not the Kings lawes and that it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them an ordinary accusation against the Saints Hester 3.8 9. Well now beware Hamon if we read forward we shall find him hanged anon upon his own gallow's made for another Hest 7.10 When Gog will needs come against the Land of Israel then shall Gods fury come up in his face Ezek. 38. from the 18. ver to the end Surely in that day the Lord will make a great shaking in the Land so that all Creatures shall shake at his presence the mountains shall be thrown down and every wall shall fall to the ground he will call for a sword against him throughout all his mountain every mans sword shall be against his brother he wil plead against him in pestilence blood hailstones fire and brimstone c. When Gog and his Armies doe compasse about the Campe of the Saints and the beloved City intending to ruine all for that I take to be the Emphasis of this word compasse about and this by the way is the last enemy that ever the Church of Christ shall conflict withall here upon earth then suddenly fire comes down from God out of heaven and devoures them Rev. 20.9 The adversaries of Religion have now of late made desperate attempts upon the whole Church plotted the ruine of it every where and had as they imagined a compleat victory both here and else-where they rode in triumph The great Whore began to sing and to say shee was now a Queen againe was no widow and should see no sorrow c. but whilest the meat was yet in their mouthes the heavy wrath of God fell upon them Loe even in the middest of their triumph an hand-writing upon the wall that tels them God hath numbered their Kingdome and finished it An earth quake takes them and hath already shaken thousands of them downe into the pit themselves had digged for others and the earth at this present doth terribly tremble under their whole Kingdome When the Lord ariseth to the succour of his people upon their sufferings and supplications Signe 3 For the oppression of the poore and the sighing of the needy I will now arise saith the Lord. I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 12.5 and these words are as pure and true as refined silver ver 6. When the blood of the Saints cryed Rev. 6.10 and their prayers also Rev. 8.3 4 5 6. instantly the Censâ—r that brought up their prayers is filled with fire â—ed that cast down upon the earth and immediatly follow thunderings lightenings and an earth-quake fâ—ure Angels with Trumpets sound a desiance against the World and upon that follow foure plagues that utterly ruine the Roman Empire Now God is risen upon the prayers and teares of his people groaning under the intollerable oppressions of Hierarchy Praelates High-commission c. who Lorded it over their faith and consciences and tyrannized over their bodies and estates crying unto him day and night for helpe For I am confident there was scarce ever the like crying of that nature in the world as of late yeares there hath been in England why should it not still be continued The Lord therefore being up will not sit downe againe till he have done his worke and hath made his enemies his owne and his peoples footstoole And whereas the enemies doe consult with hell digging deepe and in the duke for Gods people in these quarrels doe not wrestle with flesh and blood onely but with principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses yea and whereas they doe with force and fury with fire and sword goe about to propugne their idolatries and persecutions and to withstand the Lord comming with power for the vindication of his inheritance they in so doing doe nothing else but accerse and draw downe upon themselves the more certaine utter and irrecoverable destruction even as the Canaanites of old were hardned in their hearts of the Lord to come against Israel in battell that they might have no favour but be destroyed utterly Jos 11. â—0 For the Lord will not be alwayes bearded and out-braved by man but will even strike through Kings in the day of his wrath he shall iudge among the heathen he shall fill the places wâ—th the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many Countries he shall drinke of the brooke in the way like a chafed Conquerour pursuing his flying enemy unto perdition therefore shall he lâ—fe up his head Psal 110.5 6 7. When God causeth judgement to be heard from heaven he makes the earth feare and be still when he ariseth to judgement to save all the meeke of the earth sarely the wrath of man shall praise him the remainder of wrath shall he restraine Psa 76.8 9 10. If the unjust Judge that neither feared God nor man would avenge the Widdow because of her troublesome importunity and our Saviour bids
when it was in its glory and in the earth-quake not in the fall of the City for the earth-quake is to shake down the whole Kingdome of the Beast throughout the world in the earthquake I say were flaine of men seven thousand that is thousands upon thousands and so the second woe made up of Popiâ—h idolatry and Turkish cruelty passeth away ver 14. Now immediately upon this the seventh Angell sounds a Jubilee and then there be great proclamations and acclamations in Heaven that the Kingdomes of the World indefinitely set downe that is all the Kingdomes are become Christ's Kingdomes And whereas before the Divell Dragon Beast his hornes have reigned now Christ takes to himselfe his great power and reignes for which the whole Church under the type of 24. Elders praise him though the Nations be angry as they ever are when Christ puts forth his just power ver 15 16 17 18. He now gives rewards unto his servants the Prophets c. and destroyes them that destroyed the earth that is he ruines the wicked and idolatrous generations of Antichrist who wasted his Church before ver 18. His Tabernacle is now opened in Heaven and the Arke of his Testament seene ver 19. that is Christ represented by the Arke is clearly manifested before that wicked generation had forbidden men to read the Scriptures had kept them in unknowne tongues had involved the mysteries of Christ in Masses and rude heaps of other superstitions and ceremonies but now he and all his excellencies shall be fully manifested to the Nations The other place is Rev. 16.17 c. where Antichrist having by his emissaries that is the uncleane spirits like Frogs drawne the Kings of the earth into (a) A militiae or confoederation subiect to the divine Anathâ—ma Hormageddon i. e. into a cursed and crafty warre for herein I assent to Graserus sodainly the Angell finding them in that state powrs out the seventh Viall upon them upon which follow thundrings lightnings and an earth-quake such as was not since men were upon earth so mighty an earth-quake and so great it is called the greatest earth-quake that ever was haply in regard of the sodainnesse and violence of it or either else in regard of the extent of it as being to shake all the world 1. The effects are the great City is divided into three parts by which understand probably that the Kingdome of the Beast shall be rent in peeces by fractions and devisions ver 19. 2. The Cities of the Nations or Gentiles fall by which no doubt we are to understand the false Christians that filled the visible Church all Antichrists reigne that is Papists and false professors for it is said that these Gentiles or Nations for the word is the same should tread down the holy City that is the visible Church Rev. 11.2 Peradventer these two effects of the earth-quake are now in fulfilling ver 19. 3. Unto great Babylon the cup of God's wrath is given c. now shee shall be remembred and destroyed 4. Yea all parts of Antichrists monarchy shall fall Object Some Kingdomes are strong and invincible like mighty mountaines they will stand others are remote like the Islands they cannot be come at they will continue No saith the Text every Island fled away and the mountains were not found ver 20. nothing so remote as the Iland nothing so mighty as the mountains could stand And because this ruine of the Beasts Kingdome is one of the greatest things that ever did or ever shall fall out in the world and shall have the strangest consequents therefore the holy-Ghost is pleased after a description of the Beast and the Whore chap. 17. that we may know who they are the Beast to be the Pope and the Whore Rome The holy-Ghost is pleased I say to set downe these things particularly and at large First the destruction of the Whore chap. 18. then the destruction of the Beast himselfe and all the Kings his partakers chap. 19. after which followes the binding up of Sathan with its consequents chap. 20. and then the glorious restauration of the Church both of Jewes and Gentiles under the type of the new Jerusalem in the two last chapters In the next place let us consider such grounds and reasons as the Scriptures lead us unto why the Lord in the course of his administration and providence doth cause such great shakings of Nations before he doth reforme and refine his Church and we shall find these three in speciall First Reason 1 that he may plague and punish the persecutors and oppressors of his Church and so deliver his people from persecution and oppression I joyne these two together and we shall find them to be things the Lord hath alwayes aimed at in his concussions of States and Nations if there were a Church there Why did the Lord so terribly shake Aegypt but that he might plague the oppressing Egyptians and enlarge his persecuted people of Israel And why Babylon but that he might destroy the Babylonian tyrants and deliver captivated Judah These things the Lord Intended when he ruined the Dragons Kingdome the persecrting heathen Empire and which he now intends being about to destroy the Kingdome of Antichrist take one place for all Jer. 50.33 34. The Children of Israel and the Children of Judah were oppressed together and all that tooke them captives held them fast they refused to let them goe their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name He will thoroughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon Marke here Gods people were oppressed their enemies held them hard as never minding to let them goo and deliver them no more did the enemies of God's Church now well who can help it B. L. in his Epist Ded. before his ans to Fâ—sheâ— they have no such strong assistance to back them for so one hath written Yes saith the Phophet they have a strong Redeemer what may his name be the Lord of Hosts is his name what will he doe for them He will thoroughly plead their cause and give rest unto them how will he doe that by disquieting the Inhabitants of Babylon it is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will disquiet that is he will destroy them Observe it wherefore would the Lord bring such a devastation upon Babylon but that he might redeeme his people by oppressing their oppressors That he may take away the impediments of his Churches restauration and namely these three Reason 2 That he may take away the scandall of great sinnes Imped 1 The visible Church is like a draw-net that takes in Fishes good and bad it so falls out often times that this Church is filled with grosse sins committed and permitted with blasphemy swearing cursing lying stealing Hosea 4.2 3. prophanation of Gods Ordinances and Sabbaths persecutions of the godly and all kinds of licentiousnesse open sins against the very letter of the Law and
can detect and discover many blasphemies of the Beast and foedities of the Whore as justification by workes the propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse c. Yea not onely discover them but in an holy zeale denoâ—unce grievous judgements against the authors and fomenter of them according to the Word These doctrines and denunciations thus breathed out will prove even a sword of the Spirit for so they are being put into mans spirit by the Holy-Ghost to cut and kill slash and slay the Antichristian generation see Revel 2.16 19.21 Yea not onely a sword to kill the enemy that stands neere but an arrow also to kill the enemy that stands a farre off Psal 149.6 7 8 9. an axe to hew downe Hosea 6.5 Mat. 3.10 a wine cup of fury which they shall be forced to drinke and then grow mad spue and fall and rise no more Jer. 25.15 16.27 28. Lastly this Word shall be a fire to burne them up and they shall be as wood to it and it shall devoure them Jer. 5.14 For God will execute upon them the judgements threatned It shall be an hot even to the wicked and proud and they shall be as stubble easily and utterly burnt so it shall leave them neither root nor branch Mal. 4.1 This fiery weapon of the Word is one of those wherewith the poore sackcloath-Prophets have defended themselves against Antichrist and his gentiles all his long reigne and wherewith they have offended them Rev. 11.5 and therefore still proper to be used against him the great wild Beast for fire they say is the best weapon and of most excellent use against wilde Beasts Breathe out therefore this fire of the Word into their faces run with these flaming torches and thrust them into the dry thatch of Antichrists house that will set all on a light fire it hath done it in a great measure already the enemies feele the heat thereof to their great paine Rev. 16.2.9 10 11. They cast on all the cold water that hell can afford them to quench it as cruelties treacheries but every thing proves oyle to encrease the flame this Word at last will prove unto them unquenchable fire utterly to consume them Shake the Beasts Kingdome by prayer Vse 2 David shook Saul and all his enemies downe by this meanes see Psal 18.6.7 8. compared with the title of the Psalme which David composed when the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul In my distresse saith he I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my voyce out of his holy temple and my cry came before him even into his eares Then the earth shooke and trembled the foundations also of the hils moved and were shaken because he was wroth God upon Davids cry laid about him and overthrew all his adversaries for the more the Saints pray the more they accelerate plagues upon their wicked enemies which is often the meanes of the Saints deliverance By this the two Witnesses did shut the heavens against the Antichristian brood Rev. 11.6 And therfore our fight being with their armie 's we are to be instant in prayer against them that is a weapon they have no skill at they can blaspheme and curse c. but not pray Moses and Eliah to whom that text alludes by this weopon and the Word overcame whole Nations alone Moses did but speake to God spreading out his hands and then as a God could tell Pharaoh that a plague would come to morrow shall be such a plague or to morrow shall such a plague be removed Eliah could but pray to the Lord that it might not raine and then confidently tell Ahab that there should be no raine but according to his word 1 King 17.1 Open therefore O you servants of the Lord the heavens by this Key open Gods Armory and get from thence the best dayes for the Church the helpe of God the Father the Mediation of the Sonne the Spirit of strength the assistance of Angels Seas rivers windes c. get from thence wisdome courage stratagems successe shut the heavens against the enemies that they may not get one good looke from thence not so much as one arrow but if they have any plot in hand get the heavens open for wisedome to discover it if any enterprize get from thence power to defeat it make it appeare to the enemies that Gods people have power with God Execute judgement for God Vse 3 every one as farre as his power will stretch First doe judgement upon thine owne selfe for thy sinnes in all wayes of godly revenge as by Fasting c. Sing mercy and judgement to thy Family as David Psa 101. Doe thy best that judgement that hath beene turned into Wormewood and Hemlocke may run downe like a mighty streame in publique and where thy hand cannot reach a blow or cast a stone at an idolater blasphemer persecutor c. let thy heart at least doe it For if a mans consenting to or approving of an act of injustice may inguilt hâ—m as I may say in it as it was with the Jewes whose state was ruined for killing Christ and the Prophets though most part of them had never seene any of them Mat. 23.37 why may not a mans executing judgement with his heart when he can proceed no further be accepted in respect of him for an act of justice by him that is pleased both in good and evill actions to accept the will for the deed This duty is principally incumbent upon the Magistrate who is to execute the judgement of the Lord not arbitrarily as himselfe pleaseth but according to the rule of the Word both for matter and manner For the Matter man hath no warrant either to leave grosse and horrid sinnes unpunished in the committers of them such as are the ring-leaders in idolatry and persecution nor yet to commute or change the nature of the punishment As by the way I question whether a pecuniary mulct especially if it be alone be a proper punishment for a sweater or blasphemer but it rather ought to be personall And here I cannot choose but with griefe take notice of a miserable failing in our first Reformation that the Maise priests were suffered still to continue in their places for he that had said or sung Masse the last Lords day and if he were a Preacher had Preached for Popery if he would but take the new Oath of Supremacy and read the Service-Booke this Lords-day was accounted a sufficieâ—t reformist aâ—d admitted to the Ministry So that of twenty thousand Prelates and Pâ—iests at least in England and Ireland very few were cast out of their places and searce any of them unlesse it were Boner for any thing they had done Oh wofull I confesse I thinke the State did then want due information in that point But this hath been one thing that hath undone the Church viz. those that have all along and do still infest the Church
the thoughts of idolatry Iosh 22. the Lord God of Gods the Lord God of Gods he knowes and Israel he shall know say the two Tribes and an halfe to the ten being accused of an intention to revolt from God if it be in rebellion or if in transgression against the Lord save us not this day that we have built us an Altar to turne from following the Lord c. let the Lord himselfe require it Iosh 22.22 23. Much more shall the Reformation be excellent in the last ages wherein it is promised that there shall be new heavens and new earth new Church and new Common-wealth wherein righteousnesse shall dwell 2 Pet. 3.13 In the amplitude and extent of the Church before it was sometimes contained within the narrow bounds of Jury afterwards the Nations of the Gentiles had it successively first the easterne Nations then the westerne c. But now the Church shall be generally if not universally spread over all the world The Kingdomes of the world that is all the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Revel 11.15 And so when the judgement hath sate and the Beasts Kingdome is consumed to the end then and not before then the Kingdome Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven it seemes to be spoken without all hyperbole shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high Dan. 7.26.27 When the stone that is the Kingdome of Christ hath smitten the Image upon the feet and broken them to pieces it selfe shall become a great Mountaine and fill the whole earth Dan. 2.35 Then shall all Nations rejoyce in Christ Psal 67.2 3 4. then a great multitude not of a few but of all Nations and Kindreds and Peoples and Tongues shall stand before the Throne and before the Lambe praising God Rav. 7.9 Nations shall be borne in a day Isa 66.8 All Nations shall serve him Dan. 7. ult In the excellency of the government Christ shall then take to himselfe his great power and reigne Rev. 11.17 and the Saints under him The Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdome and possesse it for ever even for ever and ever age after age for many ages Dan. 7.18.27 they shall reigne on the earth Rev. 5. to 20.4.6 a thousand yeares They shall then indeed be the head and the wicked the taile Many tough and tedious disputes about government which exercise the Church now may haply be of small use in that Reformation It is to consist in the affluence and confluence both of spirituall and externall prosperity for the Lord having humbled and broken his by the earthquake may now trust them The Church hath been before like an homely huswife or like a poore woman living in a cave having scarce a rag to cover her nakednesse and bringing up her Children very hardly whereas Antichrists Strumpet in the meane while hath beene gorgeously attired in Purple with gold and precious-stones and pearles but now the Church shall be like a bride adorned for her husband Rev. 21.2 Now her peace shall be as the Rivers the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to her Rev. 21.24.26 Wait for it and hasten it by faith and prayer Use unbeliefe doth a world of mischiefe Our Saviour could not doe many mighty workes in his owne Country because of their unbeliefe Mat. 13.58 see also chap. 17.16 17 20. How it hindred the healing of the Lunatick the old Israelites for unbeleefe were debarred from entering into the Land of Promise Heb. 3.19 It hindered the building of the second Temple for it is remarkable that whilest the Jewes gave over the worke upon the complaints of their adversaries and the inhibitions of the Persian Kings unto whom they were then subject it never prospered but when they hearkned to the Prophets Haggai and Zechary and beleeved the promises which they brought from God they went on thoroughly and perfected the worke the Persian King Darius Nothus though the adversaries afresh complained consenting who also forbad their adversaries to hinder them upon their greatest poenalties yea commanded them with all possible diligence to further the Jewes in the worke God who hath the hearts of Kings in his hand so framing that Kings heart that he entreated the Iewes to pray for his life and the life of his Sonnes He had lost one or two before and now feared he should lose the rest Ezra 6. and this was almost six score yeares after they had laid the first foundation for in divers Kings reignes they were absolutely hindred Ezra 4. and were at times six and fourty yeares as it seemes in building it Iohn 2.20 I shall never see this Reformation Quest Thou canst not certainly tell Answ 1 the eye sees the Sunne I doubt not that shall see the beginning thereof Seeing thou wilt buy houses and lands yea reversions which thou never lookest to enjoy thy selfe for thine heires forward this for their sakes to come that the little ones may goe in and see that good land c. Faith is the substance of things hoped for it breeds such an apprehension of things promised and to come as gives comfort and confidence concerning them as we may behold in Abraham who rejoyced to see the day of Christ so many hundred yeares before it came Iohn 8.56 and in the old Saints Hebr. 11.13.40 who beleeving in him to come were saved Thou maist by the tastes of these clusters of Grapes set before thee in the former Priviledges discerne what a good Land it is Thou mayest by them as from off the top of Mount Pisgah behold it with thine eyes and view the Land round about The beleeving praeapprehension of these things will give a sweet fruition of them in measure before hand unto the godly Lastly beleeve and wait and though thou misse thy part in the new Ierusalem here on earth yet shalt thou certainly be a Sharer in that Ierusalem which is eternall in the Heavens FINIS A passage or two pretermitted 1 The westerne Roman Empire was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which did let the appearing of Antichrist which when it was taken away then was the man of sinne revealed 2 Thes 2.6 7 8. This belongs to the first Indice spoken of in the fourth Signe 2. The two Witnesses include all those that did sustaine the Cause of Christ against Antichrist and his Gentiles for the Text divides all within the visible Church during Antichrist's reigne into two ranks and no more viz. two Witnesses or Prophets the same are called worshippers and Gentiles Rev. 11.1 2 3. 3. The 1260. dayes of the Witnesses and the 42. months of the Beast begin and end together For else Christ should have none to be for him during some part of Antichrist's reigne For none are for him but the Witnesses Besides the Church was to be all that time in the Wildernesse for which provision is made Rev. 12.6.14 Errata Page 1. line 9. read ranne l. 10. r. houses p. 2. l. 12. r. Ezra 3. p. 3. l. 7. r. hieroglyphicall p. 6. l. 9. r. Tabernacle p. 13. l. 9. r. penitent p. 36. l. 19. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 41. l. 6. r. learned Curteous Reader if there be any more verball or literall mistakes as I doubt there are many pardon the Printers over-sight and correct them with thy Pen.