West so should the comming of the Sonne of man be The first and the remotest and the furthest appearances of God are like lightenings this the Lord hath testified abundantly amongst Us What strange flashings of God have been upon men and upon the spirits of men There are few that have slept so soundly these times but this lightening hath broken in upon them into their beds betwixt their curtains There 's none have shut up themselves so close in the world locked up themselves so close in the earth and in the love of earthly things but I know these lightenings of God have flasht in their consciences and have in small quick blasts and discoveries of God told their hearts it is the day of the Lord. I say if men could see or would see the most worldly men have had some flashings of these lightnings upon them Many sudden quick throws pangs hot meltings breakings soul-terrifyings telling them clearly It is the LORD And though they recover againe out of them and the world heales it selfe again and makes haste to forget them because these lightenings are sudden and quick suddenly opening themselves and suddenly again inclosing themselves for God hath suddenly flasht Himself forth and suddenly extinguished Himself again yet God hath to all men more or lesse given enlightnings into their spirits telling them plainly they must give an account that Hee is come to judge them that He is come to exalt lift up Himself that the end of their world their profits pleasure is come That all their earthly comforts and contents are a dying That there is no rest or peace to be had here below These and such like motions have been in the minds of many men But especially these have bin in the hearts and spirits of Gods own people though they are in the world and though in a worldly state and at a great distance from God yet they have had some glances of the light of God I know your owne spirits are able to lead you to those flashings and lightenings And if yee are not quite drunk with the world and have not lost your reason and memory you must acknowledge that the lightenings of God have shined upon you and enlightened the world And the earth saw it and trembled So visible so manifest are the lightnings of the Lord that poor earthly man exceedingly trembles and quakes poore man Adam earth the poore earthy frame of man hath seen and trembled The earth saw and trembled you have seen the Lord though I know ther 's that in you that saies yee have not you doe not I know you have seen the Lord the earth hath seen God hath set His feete upon the earth all the earth have had a view of God ther 's never a doore at which God hath not knocked every eye shall see Him although when they see him they turn away from him and would forget him for so soon as ever the door is opened and they see the Lord they runne away from him and cannot endure the sight of him Amongst all the things of the world its most dreadfull and and terrible to see the lightnings of God I know yee had rather runne into the hottest fire then into the fire of God and though yee have seen yee say ye have not because yee have no minde to see him but the whole earth hath seen the Lord though they have been suddaine startings and quick motions and flashings yet the earth saw it And that it hath seen here 's the effect it trembles And trembled It s a constant universal effect of the sight of God this quaking this trembling there is no man hath the least view of God but it strikes death to him Oh man earthly man must die This sight kils man Oh now I must seace to bee Now all is going Now all is lost Now every thing is drawing into the sad pit of destruction Now every thing is swallowed up into the horrible pit of nothingnesse I have saith the earthly man seene and known and been but now I shall know and see and bee no more Wee know how dreadfull and fearfull the view and sight of God is and though nothing more joyfull to the spiritual man yet nothing more joyfull to the earthly man What shal we doe wee have seen the Lord said they that saw an Angel The Lord cloathing himselfe with an Angel was very terrible for they said we shal dye The appearance of the Lord is terrible to the flesh of man The mountains leape and fly away the waters roule back the foundations of the deep are discovered The whole Earth shakes A general Earth-quake seizes upon the Nations What ail you yee mountains to bee removed What ail you yee waters to divide asunder What all you yee Son and Moon that your lights are put out What ail you yee Stars great and small that yee drop down from Heaven like untimely Figgs What ail you all yee People and Languages that your Faces gather palenesse and blackness What ail you that yee are afraid and do tremble What 's the reason you so shiver and quake The reason is ye are before the God of the whole Earth The presence of the LORD is present Death to all but Himself when the LORD comes every thing retires and as he comes neare so all things Fly packing before Him The Rod of God is shaking over the hearts of men which makes them exceedingly to tremble and quake and if yee wil not yet bee sensible here 's that which is more visible more sensible hee that hath an eare must Heare and doth Heare what this Rod speakes The Hils melted Suppose there should bee that stoutnesse in the spirits of men that they are become like mountains and hils suppose that there should bee that hardnesse and brauninesse of hell and death upon the spirits of men that they will not see yet the hils do melt The hils melted like waxe If any Creature be upheld and strengthned it is by Satan like Pharaoh's heart that was hardened by the wrath of God that he might bee destroyed I know no man ignorant of this but it is through his suffering the Devil to seduce him but though a man be seduced by Satan hardned by hell and do not see yet the mountains doe see and feels and melt before the LORD Hils Mountains What are these Not materiall mountains or materiall hils the mountains of the Earth are Great-ones Strong-ones Kingdomes Nations Governments these are Great mountains which the men of the Earth yee may call them the beasts of the Earth have continually lived upon fed upon and been nourished by And those Churches that have called themselves the hils and mountains of the LORD mount Sinay and mount Sion these everlasting hils that have stood so long time shall melt That Justice Wisdome Power Strength Order Religion Ordinances Obedience and Love which hath been set up by God and by the Ministers and Angels of
Some Flashes of LIGHTNINGS OF THE SONNE of MAN Being the substance of eleaven Sermons upon severall Texts Preached in London By WILLIAM SEDGWICK of ELY PSALME 97.4 His Lightnings enlightned the World the Earth saw and trembled LONDON Printed by H. For Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the sign of the black-spread Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1648. A PREPARATORY word touching the Saints union with God a main point spoken of in this Book FIrst a Primun in unoquoque generi eâ— causa reliquorum The first in every kinde being the Cause of all the rest there is no perfect b Causa â—eflendi eâ— causa cognoscendi knowledge of inferiour or subordinate distinction and union without the knowledge of the supream The supream distinction and union is to be seen in God in the blessed Trinity where in the word the Father brings forth himself in all distinction and in the Holy ghost the Father and the word mutually conspire into the closest union The glory of unity is variety and the glory of distinction is union ie The glory of the Father is the word and the perfection of the word is his union with the Father in the Spirit Unity is barren without variety or distinction and distinction is a withered branch without union Secondly Whatsoever things the Father doth the same things doth also the Sonne bringing forth his fullnesse in all variety and distinction and yet retaining the same in perfect Union with himself as doth the Father Onely with this difference that the Object of distinction there viz. The word which is the fulnesse of the Father is intirely the object of union in the Holy ghost though not under the same respect as he is distinct But here the Sonne sends forth one World or the first World as a Lord to his left hand being in union with it only as a Creator and a new World to his right hand slaying the union of the fâ—irst covenant or creation or rather perfecting it in this later and better union of the second covenant or new creation And so that different respect that the Father hath to his owne fulnesse as Hee considers it first in the word and then in the Holy Ghost is manifest to us after a manner more reall and substantiall to us in the Kingdome of the Son being exemplified on different subjects Sheep and Goats For this is the honour the Father hath given to the Sonne that be hath made Him both Lord and Christ as bee is Lord he is the Floure of the whole Creation having all that beauty and strength in himself and being the root and originall of it to every other creature As he is Christ Himself is returned to his Head and Originall and possesseth all in the in-created glory and drawes up the new world thither Thirdly Aud as the first is the Cause of all the rest which being known the rest are known and not perfectly till then So the first is the last as will nessessarily follow from thence If the last be not known without the first then at least the first is in the last But the first is the last For what else should the first seeke to bring forth Vltimately but himselfe And therefore though God do Embroyder his appearances and coming forth with all Variety and fullnesse of distinction Yet his designe is by ALL to declare Himselfe and not to be vailed alwaies His designe is to beget and draw forth his own Form in and upon all this variety to bring forth himself in it and it in himself and yet this Variety and Unity to remain in the highest Consistency each with other in the Union and all these subordinations both to serve Supreamacy and to be Supreame the first to be the last and the last first which is the mutuall glory of them both And so the Scriptures speake 2 Ephe. last verse Yee are the habitation of God through the Spirit And sometimes they speak in the language of the subordinate 3. Eph. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Christ is in God and God is in Christ John 13.8 knowest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me And they that do not so know God and Christ they know Christ after the flesh as a branch of the first creation and not as the root of both creations And they that do not know themselves thus as dwelling in God and God in them are stil under the Law stick in the first Covenant and know not the Regeration but weakly If yee see not the blessed face of Unity drawn throughout all distinction in God in Christ in Saints yee see the Devill and an Antichrist and are in the smoke of the bottomlesse pit though yet ye may be the children of God And therefore none may so securely descend into the vally of distinction as they that have been in the mount of Vnion For they onely will and can carry the Union along with them through all distinction and that glory of the first Unity that hath seated himself and dwels in their Eye will bring forth himself in and upon all things and in what various formes soever they present themselves Vnion is the interest the delight the Food of Saints Distinction is the sawce or savour of Vnion The Saints could not enjoy God if He were not one with them where were the delight and wherein should they be the richer by enjoying him if he were not another from them There could not be such a ravishing Concord and meeting between God and the Creature without the parting and discord first of a created and un-created nature and this discord and distance proceeding and let down through many subordinations as between a Base and Treble in Musick there are middle Notes If we were not so low and God so high neither should we be so transported with this Match nor would the condescension of God be so manifested and then where would be one of the greatest glories of Gods love and one of the quickest grounds of our joy Therefore we cannot confound things for so we should offend against our own interest and who doe this so much as they that call themselves Christians and yet make Christ in Heaven and themselves upon the Earth confounding the things that God hath not only distinguist but seperated even the mystery of Godlinesse which is God manifest in the flesh And the mystery of iniquity which cals Christians and denies the Anointing And as we cannot confound things that God hath distinguist so we cannot seperate the things that himself hath joyned who hath joyned himself and Christ and Christ and VS the highest with the lowest the first with the last the top with the bottome and therefore wee the lowest cannot glory in lesse or lower then the highest of all Wee joy in God saith the Apostle Rom. 5. through our Lord Jesus Christ And God who is Lord descends and gathers up
of your captivity and misery Hee hath kept you to his task to doe him service He hath said Be angry and then you have been full of rage He hath said Be covetous and then you have been full of covetousnesse He hath said Bee Dark and then you have beene full of blindnesse Hee hath said Be proud and then yee have been full of haughtinesse And so he hath but by Divine will tormented the world The sting of Satans whips are in your consciences I know His errors mistakes have beene in the kingdome of darknesse in you that you do not know God the holy will of God You would come into the enjoyment of God Satan will not let you you would know God hee will not suffer you You would be wise unto Salvation hee will not permit you Hee hath fettered you with his chains of darknesse hee hath captivated your judgements he hath made you to grinde at his mill and to drudge in his service and hath made you to cry-out O when will the Lord come But now his wicked Reigne is at an end what yee had yee shall want and what yee want ye shall have what hath been shall not be that which shall be must bee and cannot chuse but be ye shall have Love because the Law of God is Love and ye shall have peace because the Kingdome of God is peace and yee shall have light because this Inheritance is Marvelous light yee shal have righteousnesse because this state is true holinesse ye shall have liberty setlednesse stability and every good thing in this Kingdome of God It s alwaies ill with us while Satan reigns It s alwaies wel with us while God Reignes when our Husband is King we shall have Preferment and honour and riches and greatnesse and power and authority because our God Reignes The Lord Reignes for us the Lord takes his Kingdome and it is for us the Lord hath Reigned in himself all this while now hee Reignes by us the Lord counts himselfe not to have a Kingdome till Wee have it with him The Lord thinks himself meane and despised till We are exalted He is poore without US He is weake while absent from US Hee is not himself unlesse hee enjoyes US Thou art my Excellency my First-borne The power of God is in weaknesse till We become almighty The Kingdome of God is in darknesse till Wee shine it forth The treasures of God were of no worth to Him if We were not his richest jewels The Lord doth Reign This is not to be passed by it s in the present tense This is the Song that wee heare and see Angels sing The Elders and Saints in Heaven sing it perpetually we daily hear it Hallelujah Hallelujah The Lord Reigneth There is administered into our hearts and eares An Hallelujah The Lord Reignes indeed every creature speaks it all in Heaven and Earth All these powers and darknesses on the face of the Earth speak out this aloud The Lord Reignes Your King hath taken power to himself and from every thing else The Lord doth Reign and saith I AM UPON MY THRONE I AM GREAT NONE IS GREAT BUT MY SELFE I AM KING I HAVE THE SCEPTER IN MY HAND I AM POWERFUL NONE IS POWERFUL BUT I. All the power of men is broken All the Thrones of men are shattered into dust All the wisdome of men is turned into folly All the strength of men is melted into weaknesse and water The meltings and moulderings away of the powers and dignities of the world speaks it aloud The LORD Reigns Let the Earth rejoyce and the multitude of the Isles be glad This Reign torments none but wickednes and wicked men The devil and his children may be dismaied but let Heaven and Earth rejoyce The Heavens they doe rejoyce All Saints all Angels Christ and all his members they sing in this Kingdome But that 's not enough that Heaven shall rejoyce but Earth too Poor Adam That 's his name Earth Poor man poor earthy man low Earth The lowest of the creation the basest and meanest of the whole world Poor dark Earth Let this creation which is Earth let it rejoyce Let men and women and children relations and comforts estates all the things of this World Religion worship gifts trading dealing eating drinking let all these things rejoyce Object Why must not all these things be done away that God may Reign The evill of them shall be done away the sinfulnesse the basenesse and filthinesse of them shall be done away the corruption the vanity the infirmity of them shall be done away but this Earth must not be lost The Kingdome of God must be established in this Earth but the waies of men and men so far as they are acted by the devil so far they shall be done away and destroyed by the breath of the Lord be burnt up by the fire and Spirit of the Lord. As they are in emnity with God as they shut out God as they are below God as they doe not own and acknowledge God so they shall be done away And they shall all be taken up into fellowship with God purified and sanctified and restored Every thing shall be brought up into the holinesse of God the nature of God the being of God the Spirit of God Therefore let the Earth rejoyce It s good newes for the poorest creature that dwels in darknesse that lives below that are strangers from Heaven that dwell at a great distance from God You that live below in the world in the meanest or lowest condition rejoyce God is come to dwell amongst you God is come to restore you to make you all new A new Heaven and a new Earth and nothing shall be troubled but the Sea The confusion of the devil that shall roar be vexed and tormented but the low poor simple Earth The mean Earth whatsoever is pure Earth those whose hearts are not set against God and Christ so far as there is submission to the Lord and subjection to God If ye are not fierce violent and mad against the appearing of a holy God rejoyce though ye be never so low But if yee quarrell with God or are angry with him ye cannot rejoyce That the Lord should Reign Let the multitude of the Isles rejoyce There is a continent of Earth and there are Isles that are naturally divided from the firme land by water They are in a lower a weaker condition then firme Land And so here is a fuller discovery of the poor people of God that be as the multitude of Isles separated by the Sea from the firm land As Isles are divided from fellowship with the firm land by Sea and cannot passe to it without danger so there are people that are at a distance from God that are cut off from that firmnes and stability that others have in the Lord the Land of the living There are divisions between them and God and they are broken one from another by the Sea of darknesse that is
God which have been the safety peace and comfort of the World these hils will melt like waxe Those glorious Angelicall Excellencies those Excellent good things that Angels have produced in the world and which are nearer to God then Poor base man WISDOME KNOWLEDGE UNDERSTANDING JUSTICE ORDER GOVERNMENT these Hils melt like waxe There is not an Angel in Heaven able to maintain any of his works Those excellent hils before spoken of melt downe before the brightnesse of the LORD And though man will not see yet the mountains and hils upon which they live sinke under them Secretly and unsensibly doe the mountains of all humane confidence melt under them There is a fearfull desolation of all the Powers and strength of the world And those High exaltations of them how they melt away How low doth the high spirits of men fall How doth our strength and confidence and that staff which we leaned upon waste and consume away And in what a deep consumption are all the good things of the world Melted like wax The glory of man or man refined as we may say is like wax The LORD makes poor earth fine Images of Himselfe in wax He doth set up and drawes poor Earth in some likenesse to Himselfe Gives him His own Image Wisdome Justice Holinesse But when he comes Himselfe He then melts this picture melts these Images And therefore where humane strength is in its greatest power exalting it self in it greatest height It now appears what it is to be Earth to be wax and when God in his glory and brightnes appears it gives place to the heat of God to the fire of God That which as yet ye have seen of God is but waxen Images of God and God hath hitherto upheld them by his absence but now because he comes they go they give place Like waxe at the presence of the LORD Man would be if God were not present You would injoy whatsoever you injoy if the presence of the LORD did not melt it away if the light of God did not come if a greater light did not out-shine this Creation The Sun would not be turned into darknes nor the Moon into bloud If the presence of the LORD the Son of righteousnesse did not rise it would be still the day of man nothing would destroy the glory of the world Satan hath bin at the worke a great while hee hath been hacking at it to bring the world to confusion and the men of the world have been digging at the root of the world and would fain over-turn it though they would fain keep it for themselves but it hath stood till now and now it melts now the presence of the LORD shall cause it to melt away Rev. 20.11 At whose face the Earth and Heavens fled away and there was no place found for them Kingdoms Powers Governments Dignities Righteousnesse Justice and all at this appearance of the LORD say Come le ts goe into confusion and darknesse for here is a light come that confumes us our work is done we were to give a representation of God till He came and now Hee is come there is no more place for us There is no place for Images and Pictures where God is Where the brightnesse and majesty of God comes no place for man no place for creatures no place for worldly and earthly things The majesty brightness and glory of the LORD cannot endure them nor they it but GOD sits them flying and they themselves hasten away At the presence of the LORD of the whole Earth It is the presence of the LORD nothing but the presence of the LORD it is the LORD Himselfe the LORD Himselfe in His owne presence It is My own Face saies the LORD of the whole Earth the Earth I made My foot-stool it hath had some print of My feet and as it hath served Me in its being till I came so now it serves Mee in its departing The earth is Mine I made it it s Mine I disolve it I am LORD of all these things by My presence I gave them a being by a greater presence I dissolve them They obeyed Me in their being they obey Me in their not being I by My Word brought them out of confusion out of nothing and now they obey My Word in returning to that emptines and confusion againe They served Mee when I brought them forth they serve Me at their return Satan hath had the Earth hee shall have it no longer Men have had the Earth they shall possesse it no longer saies the Lord I will possesse it My self I will enjoy it My self I will redeem it from that bondage it hath bin in by wicked and ungodly men and Satan I am LORD of the whole earth Here are quick short dark low remote hints of God of the presence of God but if yee are not yet sensible of it come up higher and further and you shall have a clear Discovery The Heavens declare the righteousnes of God and all people see his glory Come to the open heavens creep out of the earth of worldly affairs and businesses and come into the open state of Heaven and you shall see the righteousnesse of God declared the heavenly discovery of God the Spirit of the LORD and the true presence of the LORD are so visible that al the people that are therin do see the glory of God For truly if you be men you are there in this heaven otherwise you are not worthy the name of men but beasts In heaven the righteousnesse of God is so fully declared that there 's no question to be made of it it s so openly so fully discovered so largely declared that there is nothing else done nothing else spoken of but the Kingdome righteousnesse and glory of God and all the people and all the spirituall people that have got out of their fetters their banishments that are got home to their owne places See this glory of God The most earthly craatures have some heart-meltings breakings shakings terrours troubles upon their spirits by the appearing of God by the lightnings and enlightnings of God this fire of God but those who are heavened into the spirit of God who are awaked into the true life of God where the righteousnesse and glory of God are openly discovered where there 's a full declaration of things as they are in themselves they clearly and manifestly see the glory of God Beholding with open face the glory of God and are changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the LORD The end of the second Sermon THE COMMING OF THE KING of ZION Zechariah 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King commeth unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a colt the fole of an Asse ZION hath long suffered but must be delivered Zion hath long mourn'd but we have here a Voice that turns our mournings
and see here What 's here Behold thy King cometh unto thee Behold thy King Thou poor afflicted Zion Thy Lord is a KING Thy light is a KING Thou shalt see this Behold and see the KING in his glory Jesus Christ glorified thou shalt see Jesus Christ upon his Throne Come see the Majesty of your Saviour see him made KING He that a long time hath bin subject to the emnity of Satan and the world in you Now He is setting His feet upon Satan see Him whom men hated and despised exalted upon the Throne Come and be acquainted with a glorious Christ Come and see the Reign of your Saviour see Him in His Highest Kinglinesse Lordlinesse see Him taking His great Reign Hee wil now take His great Reign He hath Reigned in infirmity and weaknesse He wil Reign now in power He Reign 's Greatly Mightily I know this wil make your hearts rejoyce and nothing but this I know you will never see good dayes until yee see the KING upon His Throne till you see Christ upon THE Throne and you will never see shouting and rejoyceing til you see your KING your Owne KING KING Jesus KING Christ upon the Throne til yee see Him whom yee love til ye come to see Jesus Christ Your LORD Your Saviour that died for You that hath bin dead in you living in you quickning you and doing whatsoeve Hee will in Heaven and Earth Hee hath been called a King but now He will be a KING indeed you have said He hath bin a King at a distance but He wil be a KING come Reigning here Come see A KING cometh to Thee Reigning in Thee manifesting Power and Glory and Majestie in us with us What joy can it be to us if our KING reign elswhere and be Inslav'd in us Captiv'd in us No but He comes to Reign in Thee poore man Hee cometh unto Thee poore Daughter of Zion Hee cometh Hee cometh saith the Psalmist Psal 96. last ver to judge the earth He shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the People with His truth He comes Hee comes Hee makes haste Hee is already mounted into His Chariot He hath got up already He is not here hee is Risen He is free from the grave Hee is ascended He Rides upon the wings of the winde Hee is in the Clouds hasting Mightily to US and you shal see Him and injoy Him and He comes to bee with thee Hee shal reign and thou shalt reign with Him and sit upon His Throne You shall injoy His great power and Reign with Him He comes to man poor man and makeâ— man a King Hee comes to Thee to glorify Thee to fill thee with Royalty to make Thee a KING Hee doth not speake righteousnesse and comfort to thee if he do not speak this He comes to thee Thou shalt live the life of a KING and thou shalt have the power of God and Christ All power in Heaven and Earth He is just having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse The first thing is that we shall see him in his Justice He will slay all his enemies He is just holy and righteous a holy God He hath the very extremity of Justice He will not spare one there shall not a wicked one stand before him He wil severely punish his enemies fear it not the sword of justice is in his hand and its extream sharp He will take away all filthinesse and filthy things all iniquity and wickednesse Justice is the habitation of his Throne Nothing but pure justice shall dwell with our LORD He will give to every man according to his workes so shall they receive at the hands of our KING the hypocrite shall have a hipocrites portion and the unbeliever an unbelievers portion the proud shall be brought down the poor shall be lifted up the low exalted the high laid in the dust men evill men wicked men shall be slain shall be plagued with the vengeance of the Lord. The holy men heavenly men shal bee raised and restored Who are righteous shall bee known Who are wicked shall bee discovered there shall be a just and righteous administration of all things all the Goats shall be cul'd out from the Sheep and the Sheep from the Goats and though the Saints are with wicked men dwell together yet they shal bee set at a wide difference Come ye blessed Goe ye cursed and the Righteous and Holy-ones shal bee Highly Exalted to the Highest Heavens and the evill and good that so cleaves to you shall be perfectly drawn forth the Gold from the Dross and bee refined with the exact Justice of Jesus Christ so that nothing that 's holy and good shal be lost and nothing that 's evill and wicked shal be saved Every thing that 's holy shal bee saved just just to a hair None of the elect shal be lost and none of the wicked saved No evill shall remaine to trouble our good any longer the righteous shal be rewarded the wicked punished by exact Justice we shal be Just in Christ He shal make US Just and He shal do Justice to all the flesh and all the power of the flesh and the strength of the flesh and the wisdome of the flesh He shal likewise do Justice to God God shal have all the honour that is due to Him Just honour Just praise Just wisdome and His Enemies shall bee Justly plagued And having Salvation Yee shal bee saved by Justice yee shal bee saved with Vengeance If the Lord Jesus be not Just He cannot be a Saviour but He is perfectly Just therefore a perfect Saviour If He were not Violent against iniquity He could not save If he were not an implacaple enemy to flesh sin Satan if flesh sin and wickednesse could possibly deceive the eyes of Justice we could not be saved by Him If any iniquity could hide it self from his eyes wee should never be saved If hee were not Just for to pull down all wickednesse all antichristianisme there could bee no Salvation but this is your KING this is your Saviour one who is free from Iniquity and Sin one who is just and having Salvation And having salvation People now a-daies talk much of a King and much is spoken every day of a King but yet ye are not saved here 's no salvation appears but here 's a King that hath salvation ye shall be saved Salvation is heaven glory redemption deliverance to be in a state and condition where we are safe from sinne safe from trouble safe from enemies within and without ye shall have justice done too yea Justice done against your enemies and ye shall be advanced up into salvation made safe all saved in Justice His name is a Saviour He saves Israel from their sins from all our enemies from all that hate us having Christ we have salvation and our Lord hath salvation the height of salvation glory the height of glory so also He is very lowly And that particularly take notice of
The Sonne of God this Kingdome it passeth thorow lownesse and meannesse to excellencie and honour and therefore all the reason and parts of man in this generation are set against it that this may be fulfilled He must suffer many things and be rejected of this generation The end of the fourth Sermon THE COMMING OF THE KINGDOM of GOD. LUKE 17.22 And hee said unto the Desciples The dayes will come when ye shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and ye shall not see it QUestionings Occation this Scripture They that are least knowing are fullest of disputes They that have something to satisfy them are least in questioning To the Pharisees ther 's a rebuke ver 20. The Kingdome of God cometh not with obsevation And then a comfort ver 21. Behold the Kingdome of God is within you But now to the Disciples there is a sharp sentence The dayes will come when yee shal desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and ye shall not see it This is spoken to them that desire to see Christ The Disciples You that acknowledge Christ present with you your Master you that are called to an owning and confessing Christ to bee come To you that have believed and do believe and have published this This is the Messiah This is hee whom we looked for To you it is spoken for you are the Disciples What is a Disciple One that hath devoted himself and given himself to a constant and continual attendance upon Jesus or one that is seperated from the world and liveth in the family of Christ who alwayes is with the Lord. Then there is a sharp fentence to beloved Disciples In love to you I could be content to conceale it were it not love to you to declare it That the dayes will come when yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and yee shall not see it Such tribulation such darknesse such confusion within and without every where such trials and combustions that yee shal desire to see something of God something of the arme of God of the appearance of God and ye shall not see it Such flouds of darknesse wil bee let loose upon you and so drown all your understandings your senses your experiences your hopes your injoyments your comforts your confidences within and without That yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and yee shall not be able to see it yee shal desire to see and shal not see the least spark of the light of one of the dayes that ye have had The dayes will come It cannot bee avoided Heaven and Earth shall passe away but not one tittle of my word shall faile Nights wil follow dayes and the best day that ye have ever yet seen is not Eternall and therfore it will bee pursued and followed with a darke night The dayes will come Nothing can withstand them What is to come must come before the word of GOD can bee fulfilled All that ever you have known and understood is no more able to resist them then a poor straw is able to resist the greatest river or dry stubble to withstand fire These dayes are so firmly Decreed resolvedly Purposed in the Holy Conncell of God that all that ye have and know shal not be able to resist it These things I tel you before hand that when they come to passe yee may remember that I told them you It s appointed for man once to die c. It s appointed for your lives the life of all that yee have and are the life of man to die and come to judgement and in these daies yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man c. Ye think ye see GOD ye see Christ the time wil be when ye shal desire to see and shal not when yee shal confesse yee are in the dark when yee shal confesse yee know nothing when ye shal not say ye see but yee desire to see People that now are very confident that they do see and know something it wil be manifest that they do see and know nothing YE shall desire to see Though Disciples yet YE shall desire to see An earnest hunger and thirst shall bee after the view and sight of Christ when you wil long not to hear but to see Christ You are now satisfied with the report of him that 's nothing you shal desire to see him After all your injoyments there wil come a heavie thirst a grievious parching heat and thirst and nothing wil satisfy but this I must see GOD and Christ Yee shal bee in such tribulation and desolation that nothing but the sight of Christ can cure you at such a losse that if all the gifts and comforts of men Angels should be presented to you ye would throw them at your feet and nothing wil content but This I must see the LORD all that hath comforted you now will bee nothing yee will not bee at peace unlesse ye see the Lord Jesus yee wil bee in such a streight that yee shall desire to see one of the daies of the Son of man Mary would see Christ though a Crucifi'd Christ and would see the Son of God though in the grave You wil desire to see him though in the meanest and lowest condition O that I might have but one glimse of the light of God If he would but look through the lattis through the key-hole but without sight and view of him I can never bee at rest If I may injoy himself his Own-self though in never so small a degree it is wel Now ye are full yee shal be empty yee are rich yee shal be poor ye say yee see ye shal bee made blinde ye think ye have all and are rich and have need of nothing but ye shall finde that ye are nothing and have nothing Ye are contented new with the daies of man with the works of man these things make a good man yee think ye doe well if ye doe like wise men honest men and holy men this wil not alwaies satisfy you this wil not alwaies be desirable that which ye now rest in wil be unsatisfactory and ye wil desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man c. One of the dayes of the Sonne of Man The Son of GOD is the Son of man Christ borne of a woman Jesus Christ the Anointed of GOD descending from Man springing forth from Man This fruit of the Spirit This Holy Childe Jesus growing out of man There is first The day of man wherein man liveth and liveth upon faith and expectation of Christ and lives in looking and wayting for the Son of man the Sonne of GOD. In this state the Disciples and John were and they that bee in this state are by the knowledge that they have of Jesus Christ washed from the polutions of the world have fellowship and communion with
intemperance While ye would be knowing men ye are tempted to erre While ye would be honest men ye are tempted to deceit but when ye would live the life of Christ then ye are tempted with Antichrist and have false Christs presenting themselves to you When ye come to thirst after the day of the LORD then will be the triall of these false Christs Then ye shall have false Christs presenting themselves unto you ye shal have Christ come upon you more then you would have If ye goe into the desert ther 's Christ if into the City ther 's Christ Some shall say Loe here others Loe there Ye shall have false Christs every where a false spirit a false resurrection a false glory a false God continually offering themselves unto you Loe here loe there Such excellent glorious high ravishing delightful comfortable wonderful admirable discoveries of spiritual things that they shal say plainly to you I am Christ Such things so farre excelling al that ever you have knowne so heavenly so glorious as thereby ye shal be able to judge al men to judge al Angels and to say with open face Here 's Christ Ye shal have a light above men and Angels and al and yet al this shal be but a delusion I know you are not acquainted with this as yet but you shal have such glorious discoveries in such illustrious brightnesse Majesty and authority that shal absolutely say in you I am the Christ I am the LORD I am the Sonne of the living God It is that which I have been acquainted withal In Ezek. 28.2 there is a type of the wicked appearance of the God of this world Thine heart is lifted up and thou hast said I am God and I sit in the seat of God yet thou art a man and not God though thou set thine heart as the heart of God Behold thou art wiser then Daniel there is no secret that they can hide from thee c. Ye shall be so transported and carried up out of the world that al men shal be as dwarfs to you as beasts to you such heavenly mighty inlargements shal be in you such a spirit as shal say I am the LORD such a majestie as now ye dare not aproach to that shal say I sit in the seat of GOD but though thou set thy heart as GOD yet thou art a man and not GOD c. Ye shal be so enlarged in understanding that ye shal be wiser then Daniel that ye shal see through al the mysterie of Daniel through al the dark Prophesies of Daniel as a cleare thing yet there wil be a false christ an Antichrist under al this It is that man of sin we have not yet been acquainted with al we have not yet known that man of sin we have a long time known the woman of sin sin in that sex sâ—in in its weaknesse but we have not known the man of sin Goe not after them follow them not Such appearances wil present themselves unto you and invite you to the discovery and clear understanding of the dark places of Scriptures but saith GOD folow them not They are such that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect so glorious and so beautiful as for a while so far as ye are men ye shal be deceived That wisdome and knowledge in which you live that experience you have of the way of God in your hearts the utmost light and understanding that ye have attain'd unto by reading and searching and knowing the Scriptures is no more able to keep you from falling down before and worshipping these false christs then a little Childe is able to withstand a mighty giant Al you that seem to be knowing men shal be deceived only there is an elect a secret seed of the blessed GOD that wil keep you from being utterly deceived nothing but the seed of God nothing but the chosen elect one can preserve you and secure you from being beguilded by them The Son himself saith Goe not after them for as the lightning shines from one part of heaven unto the other c. Here is a greiveous condition Evil daies such as never were before nor ever shall be earnest desires after Christ and yet no sight of him seeking and hunting after the true Christ and beautiful and glorious false Christs coming and saying I AM HE This is he whom ye seeke Hungry to death and excellent meat in appearance offered and no daring to meddle with it thirsty and panting for refreshment and a river of pleasures presented and yet not daring to venture on it A sad state much darknesse great troubles an earnest seeking after deliverance a voice from one that stands by speaking thus here is one will save thee and shew thee light shal I follow him saith the soul No saith Christ Shal I lye in this darknesse and trouble and torment Yea. Why For as the lightning lightneth from one part under heaven to the other so shall the coming of the Son of man be Here 's the reason why we must waite in these unheard of tribulations because Christ wil come on a suddain as lightning and then Hea will Shew US the truth of ALL. Christ wil immediately come as quick as lightning though he doth with-draw himself and deny our desires yet he wil come suddenly and no flesh in its fleshly condition shall be saved and except those daies should be shortened no flesh should bee saved it shal be intolenable for flesh This coming of Christ or this day of Christ it is beyond al the patience and hope and comfort and strength of all flesh He wil come as quick as lightning and though hee doth delay to come at many disires yet now he wil come at the first desire even then when ye are in the depth under heaven below heaven under the earth in the depths of the earth even then the light of the brightnes of the Lord Jesus Christ shines from one end under heaven to another and ye shal see and know then that ye are in Christ When yee most desire to see and your desires are unsatisfied and perplexed for want of it even then The light of Jesus Christ shines into the bottom of that yee are in the darkest night of that Sunne set that West even in the most unsatisfied condition that ye can pobssile come unto shal Jesus Christ break forth and shine in that dark pit Goe not gaping after another yee are in it already The kingdome of heaven is within you All this is but himself His light shines from East to West He is as glorious in the Setting as in the Rising Yee cannot be any where out of him He saith When you think I am farthest off then I will bee nearest when yee are hungry I will give you bread when ye are thirsty I will give you water when ye are in darknesse I will be you light and this only shal be your rest and satisfaction the Lord is
the heavens and thy faithfulnesse reacheth to the clouds God is gathering up al goodnesse mercy and peace from man to himself and though there is cruelty mischief and wickednesse in the world in the earth yet there is mercy truth and faithfulness in the clouds and its good that wisdome goodnesse truth and righteousnesse leave the world and cleaves to God that so we may follow it and what goodness mercy truth and faithfulness we formerly injoyed in man we may injoy it in God And when wickedness increaseth righteousnesse increaseth likewise Thy righteousnesse is like a great mountain When the world teares and breakes it self in peeses then is the righteousnesse of God a great mountain Thy judgements are a great deepe when the whole world is become one Sea of confusion then are the judgements of the Lord a great deep where not only man but beasts may rest safly Thou preservest man and beast And though this time is a time of growing and spreading of wickednesse in man yet it is a time of sweetest admiration and love in God and when men that sin doe cry out O wofull man they that injoy God cry out O happy man And though men that live in the earth cry out O miserable What times are here Men that live in heaven cry out How excellent is thy loving kindnes O God! The LORD makes al things naked and bare that we only may have him to be our safety In the first part of this verse our God sets up a standard and proclaims the excellency of his own name in these troubleous times O how excellent is thy loving kindnesse and he doth it to this purpose only that the children of God should put their trust under the shaddow of his wings and when they are abundantly troubled They shall bee abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house How excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God Wee have thought men and creatures have bin excellent and we have bin much taken up with them but now we see al creatures fallen and nothing but GOD exalted Thou O GOD dost exalt all things thou dost exalt all treatures The Lord our GOD sets forth the vanity emptinesse and weaknes of the creature that so he may set forth his own excellency The Lord our God is not only good but exceeding good not only gracious but exceeding gracious O the loving kindnesse of God! and the grace of God is most sweet it is most satisfying most precious How excellent How great How good it is Come tel us you that have large hearts how excellent and good he is come tel us the glory and riches of our God you that have the liveliest quickest inversion set your hearts on work in setting forth the loving kindness of God it is so ful so glorious so compleat that instead of murmurring it sets us on rejoycing Loving kindnesse That thou shouldest impart all thy selfe to us make us so hppy as thy selfe O here is a kind heart indeed doth all for us suffers all for us we doe not suffer thou sufferest we are not reproacht the world reproacheth thee in us we are not hated no thou art hated thou takest all upon thy self only we are greived to see thy sufferings so kind art thou that thou doest empty thy self into us and doest un-heaven thy self unglory thy self that thou maiest make us heavenly and glorious It s thy kindness to dwel with us and to dwel with us these evil times and to dwel in afflictions themselves to make them speak kindly to us to come down into a shaddow of death that we might receive no hurt there to come and dwel in a tempest of stormes and earthquakes that they might be kinde and gentle to us Thy loving kindnesse Thou doest not only shew us kindnesse but loving kindnesse not only kindness to such who are in distress but the loving kindnesse of a Father to a childe a Husband to a wife not only kindnesse to us as strangers but loving kindnesse as a Father and Husband Thou doest not only shew us kindnesse but love that bindes thee to be kidnesse to us The fountaine of love the cause of thy kindnesse Yee are my Children I love you my love begat you yee are descended from me I must needs use you kindly ye came out of my loines yee were once in me yea yee were alwaies in my loines ye are my spouse my wife ye were taken out of me ye are my companions my friends My Felowship is with you I am solitary when I injoy you not ye are my House and habitation I must preserve you ye are my self and when I hurt you I hurt my self when ye are wronged I am wronged O GOD This is excellency of love because its O GOD It would not excel if it were not GOD if it were not Divine it were not excellent Thou givest us thy self O GOD to give us thy love in thy self to be as kinde to us as to thy selfe to binde us upon thee and to write thy self upon us O GOD We speak the same thing with joy comfort confidence and triumph that once we spake with fear sorrow and doubtfullnesse O God! When shall wee come unto thee O God! when shal we see thy face and injoy thy loving kindnesse When shal we be filled with thy beauty O GOD Now How excellent is thy face O GOD How excellent is thy loving kindnesse O GOD Wee beg that thou wouldest love us O God! Now thou shewest us that thy loving kindnesse is excellent O GOD now wee can doe nothing but admire the goodnesse and loving kindnesse of our God wee delight in nothing else We fix here we live here wee wil sit down here wee wil rest here This song wee wil sing O GOD the Excellency of our GOD This shall bee our safety our Castle our protection The loving kindnesse and goodnesse of our God Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings God is so excellent that he preserves man and beast and yet men are but the children of men and the devil Thy loving kindnes is so excellent so sweet that all the children of men wil put their trust under the shadow of thy wings There wil not be found a man that shal be groping and looking after any Idol any creature to be saved by it It is and would be found inhumane to trust in any thing but in the LORD for the LORD wil write so visibly and manifestly Folly Vanity and Fashood upon all creatures that it shall not onely be man-like but devil-like to look for any good from man The LORD doth so visibly appear in judging and condemning the creature that children the lowest and weakest shall trust in nothing but in God the veriest babes in knowledge shall trust in the LORD a man shal scorn to look after any creature a man shal scorn to owne any creature in the world every babe every childe shal scorn the glory of the creature
he that hath the least acquaintance with God though a babe and childe yet he shal be able to puff at them to despise all the glory and strength and power of the creature The children of men The new man is the LORD from Heaven children and men and the children of men all believe the great God of Heaven and Earth children with Christ the holy childe Jesus The children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings Grown men shal come into the light of thy countenance but Children shall trust under the shadow of thy wings The LORDS wings take the near unto himself but the shadow of his winds takes in the most poorest and weakest the shadow of his wings reaches very far The excellency of the loving kindnesse of God makes every one glad to gather near unto him and glad to get under shelter of the name of the LORD glad that they can in the least manner be shadowed and kept by the goodnesse of God it is that which the LORD saith How often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathereth her chicken under her wings c. It is an expression often used in Scripture covering with wings the wings of God I will carry you upon Eagles wings As birds flying so will the LORD defend Jerusalem It shewes the excellency of the goodnes of God his spirit his power is to his in the worst times soft and tender as feathered wings when God is the hardest and ruffest to the world then is he gentlest as feathered wings to his people or that great darknesse that is upon the world and upon the enemies of God is but shadowes of Gods wings to his own people and we seeing these troubles that are abroad in the world we know they are but the shadowes of Gods wings with which he doth cover his people and when God opens and spreads forth his wings and causeth that darknes and confusion to be upon the people its cause of joy and comfort to his people for they see them to be the wings of God in which they have peace and rest and therefore that which is the worlds trouble is our safety that which is the worlds grief is our joy and that which is the worlds and the men of the earths disquietnesse is our comfort and consolation When wee see these motions and commotions wars and tumults in and upon the earth then God is risen from his seat and he is flying he is upon his wings and therefore as the world the flesh the earth dreads these things and runs from them the children of God shal run to them and put their trust in them what though wee doe not see the face of God in brightnes and clearnesse yet I see this is the shadow of his wings though I doe not triumpt with him upon the Throne yet I see this is the shadow of himself Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings The weakest and poorest Saints of God shall be able ney are able to put confidence and trust in God in trouble and that which darkens the joy and comfort of others is a comfort and shelter to the Saints and that which they so much complaine of That the Sunne is turned into darknesse all our ligts created comforts and peace appears to be nothing but darknesse yet this is a shadow a shelter unto them and they shall see that this is the wing of God by which he will carry us up into himself And though God doth not walke with us in the setled way of creatures as he hath done yet wee see him flying about us with the wings of his own Spirit with the wings of his own favour and love so there is a shelter and safety for us but that is not enough though this be good for children for the children of men but they shall also be aboundantly satisfied with the fatnes of thy house They shall be abundantly satisfiid with the fatnesse of thy house I shal rejoyce a little to speake of these words Protection is very sweet to lie down in the shadow of God the hollow of GODS hand is very comfortable but not onely so But they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house heer 's not onely protection and safety but food and plenty satisfaction abundance of satisfaction and that of the richest and chiefest of all Fatnesse and that in the house of God wee shal be alwaies full we shal alwaies feast we shal alwaies have our table richly furnished we shal continually have bread enough and our waters shal not faile wee shal want nothing we shal not say of any thing I would we had this or if we had this or that it would be wel with us wee shal see compleatnesse not a desire unsatisfied not a longing expression unles longing it selfe may have its satisfaction in it self not a desire but shall be satisfied and then the desire shal be satisfaction it selfe and this is the greatest happines that is satisfaction and dissatisfaction is the root of unquietnesse to look for and long for that which you dave not is restlesnesse but in this enjoyment of God wee have alwaies what wee would have the LORD wil so manifest himself that wee shal not say of any thing wee would have this wee shal never be baging and craving but alwaies enjoying never be hungering unlesse hunger sets an appetite to heavenly things and so makes them more delightful to us wee have nothing present that shall be absent there shal bee no corner of our heart unfill'd but every thing shal be compleated every thing shal have enough so we shal be satisfied And abundantly satisfied Not a little but very large satisfaction abundant of satisfaction we have enough and shal have enough and to spare we shal have overflowings of light peace joy power strength and of every good thing The LORD our GOD feeds us not in a nigerdly way but gives us abundance enough to spare we have more then wee are able to receive more then we are able to carry or makes us know such abundance that if it were not a abundance it would be a burthen to us so thronged with joy comfort peace wisdome power and strength that if it were not GOD we might complain we had too much it doth superabound all nessessaries all wants it 's even more then we desire onely we have a desire created in it if there be any difficulty it is because it 's too much too great too large if we have any reason to complain it is because it 's excessive and if any desires come from us it is that God would withhold and if any paine it 's because we cannot stand under the weight of glory But this is goodnesse to be overcome with this fulnesse drowned with mercy We are even laden with blessings and because they are blessings they are no loads else it would be a huge load indeed if
of the man so the man is by the woman but all things of God The Woman is of the Man Christ saith I am of the Father The Church saith I am of Christ I have nothing saith Christ but what I have of the Father I have nothing saith the Soul but what I have in Christ I doe nothing of my self but what I see the Father doe saith Christ I doe nothing of my self nothing of my own but as I see Christ doe what I have or am I am of him saith Man I am all of him and in him This is more easily confest But then Even so is man by the woman As I am of Christ saith the Soul even so is Christ by me As the woman saith I am of man I confesse so is man by me and he hath his being from me Question How comes this to be so Answ First Thus Man is by the Woman in the stubstance in Jesus Christ As Wisdome borne of a woman He is therefore called the Sonne of Man descended from Man As Christ descends from God in a way of descending the Father begets the Sonne the Son begets us so the Sonne ariseth out of us The Father out of him As Christ receives substance from the Father and we from him so Christ ariseth out of us The Father out of him And as we borrow our selves of him so he is borrowed out of us As by his travel we are brought forth he labours six daies and brings forth us so by our labor he is brought forth by us And he doth as freely confesse us to be his Mother as he is willing to be our Father He hath his originall from us and doth confesse that it is his glory that he hath his birth rice and growth out of such a poore mean stock and root as Man Jesus Christ is by us he is of man he is called the Son of man First Nan is in the World then Christ then God as God is first in Heaven then Christ then Man And so if ye will take the point of the lowest from the Earth Then first Man is begotten Man is Man lives and after man is then comes Christ borne of Man an age after Man the second unto unto Man when Christ hath lived heer a time then is God As we are of him so he is of us Even so is the man by the woman God doth so empty Himself of all that he hath into the Son that he doth as it were receive a new being from the Sonne God doth so love Jesus Christ that he doth deny himselfe for his sake I doe even spoyle my self of my glory my Son to empty it into thee I doe divest my self of my glory to put it upon and in thee Christ comes and empties himselfe by his humiliation into us I will powre out my Kingdome into you I will suffer my Kingdome to be wholly emptied into flesh into man And the next Kingdome that I have shall be in Man in you And if I am not emptied enough into you by my incarnation then I le come forth on the crosse and be slain that I might be more in you And the glory that I had distinct from you I have lost it And ever I be raised again it shall be by you and in you or in you and with you Even so is Man also by the Woman That seeing it hath pleased me to humble my self so low or it hath pleased thee for my sake in obedience to me to be abased therefore in reward to this righteousnesse and subjection of thine I le have my glory out of thee by thee And then when our Lord Jesus hath brought us into subjection and slain us Now Mark That out of an empty and dying state I will arise into glory and I will come to my greatnesse and majesty by this meanes that you are in Though Man be the head of the Woman yet Man is by the woman and though this be the greatnesse of Man yet he must have his being by the Woman A woman shall compasse a man And he is swollowed up and lost even in this weaknesse that he might receive another glory out of us by us and in us But all things of God Now if ye meet with this mystery in any peece of it if you meet with this truth in in any percel of it or if you meet with this in a side-look it will have no comlinesse at all in it or nothing to be desired but if you see this in open face as in God if you see God below and God above God in you and GOD without you God in Christ GOD in his People If you see God fill all in all how he is the highest in the lowest the lowest in the highest how he is gift in taking and taking in giving that what he gives he hath and what he hath he gives O this is order and harmony there 's no striffe or jarre in this tune every string speaks to one another and imbrace each other all points are good in their place and every period if you take them in God as all things are in God O now 't is excellent here 't is precious Heavenly mysteries are pleasant reconciled sweet no where but in God of GOD but out of him they are full of weaknesse obsurdity and meer vanity And any of these enjoyments outward beings inward speculations outward actions c. if they are not all as of God in GOD they are all nothing In being broken off from the whole they are kil'd and slain but in the head ye see them joyntly imbrace one another as many and yet one being two and yet one being two and yet the same being one and yet devided devided yet whole This is sweet The end of the eight sermon THE WITNESSES DEATH AND RESURRECTION REVEL 11.11 12. And after three daies and a halfe the Spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon-their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them And they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither And they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them THere is much talk and discourse of the two witnesses and of the slaying of the witnesses which hath occasions the opening of this Scripture at this time I shall briefly passe through the former part of the Chapter which shews the mystery of these two witnesses in a lower and sadder state Prophesâ—ing in sack-cloth together with their death and the lying of their dead bodies in the streets of the great City And shall hasten to that which to me is the most pleasant and delightfull Their Resurrection and Ascension which are exprest in the verses now read It s said in the first verse of the chap. There was given to me a Reed like unto a Rod and the Angel stood saying Rise and measure the Temple of God and the Alter and they that worship therein We know concerning the
of the Lord to owne and confesse God amongst men and with confidence to looke men in the face Hell in the face Devils in the face To out-look out-speak out-act all our adversaries To say We live and God lives in us We dare owne our selves what we are We dare go up and down and act and speak in the Name of our God And they stood upon their feet Time was that the glory of God was carried about upon the shoulders of men The Prophets did testifie and witnes in the strength and by the strength of the creature and in and by the meanes and use of some creature gifts parts Scriptures experiences and such like things wherein God stood upon the shoulders of man upon the feet of man was upheld and borne up by the strength power and authority of the creature by reason by judgement by opinion by strength of argument c. but this they are now dead unto and now there appears in them a high a more excellent way the witnesses Christ in flesh and Spirit stand now upon their own feet upon their own strength simply and immediatly upon their own strength and power not leaning upon cratckes of man the wisdome of man the strength of man the parts of man not borrowing ought from any creature but standing barely upon their strength their own power their own authority And because they are the Saints of God therefor they stand and require not helpe from creatures Now they can say This authority God gives us this power doth God administer to us and this we dare challenge and claim being the holy ones of God being the anointed ones of God We need no strength from others wee care for no crartches wee lean upon none wee stand barely and simply upon the strength and power of our God We need no arguments to confirme us no reasons to parswade us no authority of men to strengthen us wee stand upon our own feet we dare say Heer we are in the Name of our God Because we are we are because we llve wee live And because we are the anointed of God therefore we act therefore we speak therefore we live and upon no other account at all And they stood upon their feet They yet are upon the Earth and have not wholly put off their earthlines though they are able to live to act to speak in the Name of the Lord yet they goe upon the ground Though they need not cratches yet they stand upon the Earth Afterwards they ascended up into Heaven into a higher and more spirituall life then this when they hear that great voyce from Heaven Come up hither The Feet the lower and inferiour part of the body are alwaies subject to defilement by dirt and filth of the Earth for they have continually fellowship with the Earth But these two witnesses though living in the earth though standing upon the Earth yet have some fellowship with the Lord of Heaven And great fear fell upon them that saw them Earthly men and they that dwell onely on the Earth when the witnesses are slaine they looke and expect that that state of death and darknes wherein they lie should utterly swallow them up O say they what a dark what a sad condition are they in While the witnesses prophesied and testified against the flesh against the strength and wisdome of man earthly men were troubled and cast down but when the witnesses are slain and lie dead in the streets without the actings of the life of God in them presently they conclude they are wholly destroyed O say they see what a sad state they are in they are quite undone they have lost their life their strength their joy their peace their comfort they are dead they are gone there is an end of them Thus they speak thinking they shall never revive again These are the thoughts and this is the language of earthly men but when they see them stand up upon their feet revive and live again O this strikes them to the very heart to see the Lord standing upon the Earth owning himself in his People is terrible and dreadfull to earthly men the glorious appearance of God strikes man to the very heart O I shall dye I have seen the Lord. So Daniel when he saw the Lord he fell upon his face So Job when his eyes had seen the Lord he repented in sack-coth and ashes And know this that the reviving grace the reviving Spirit of the Lord bringing up his holy ones from the depths of temptations and troubles to a state of life and joy is terrour to the world a terrour to them that see it When any thing of the appearance of God of the clear brightnes of the Lord breaks forth and speaks thus I am the Lord the holy one of God man cannot stand he fears he trembles he fals down as dead when men live onely in the light and strength of God then great feare fals on them that see them Great fear fell upon them It fals irresistably they cannot avoid it every creature that is earthly within or without Fear fals upon them Fear surprizeth them at the reviving of the witnesses I know palenesse and sadnesse fears and astonishments and great troubles fall upon the flesh of man It hath upon me and it doth upon the flesh of man and upon al that hear any thing of the tidings of the appearing of Jesus Christ I say The reviving of the witnesses the enterance of the life of God into them the quickning the appearing of Jesus Christ in the Spirit God being in man and man being in God this life of God strikes horrour terrour and amazment into the hearts of earthly and carnall men It fals upon them like a Milstone it breaks them to peeces it grinds them to powder Men are weak things poore things base things fearfull things guilty things and therefore fearfull things full of bondage and slavish fear The least appearance of the high power and glory of God doth affright startle and confound rhe strongest the nost stout-harted amongst men No man no earthly man no fleshly man Dares Dares look upon God when he appears While man is able to say it is not God while he is able as he thinks to shut his eyes against him and not see him he may please himself at least a while in having a little peace and perswade himselfe that he shall doe well but this appearance of God is so sharpe so bright that he cannot must not shall not be able to shut his eyes possibly he may doe as a man that shuts his eyes against the Sun the man that lies in the Sun though he doth shut his eyes as fast as close as he is able yet the bright beames of the Sun doe so pierce and work into his eyes that he doth see do what he can So when men say This is not Christ this is not the Spirit yet the bright beames of the Sun of righteousnesse do so pierce
into their eyes into their hearts that I know they see and connot but see and say This is the Lord and they tremble And I heard a great voyce saying Come up hither When we are alive we hear the voyce of GOD. And though the voyce of GOD be a mighty voyce a great voyce a strong voyce yet when we hear God speak we rejoyce O pleasant voyce pleasant because from Heaven O Heavenly voyce When Heaven speakes it speakes love and life and joy and glory and kingdome and power and goodness and excellency and majesty We hear it we hear it continually an eternal word It is alwaies sounding in our hearts and eares O this great voyce this mighty voyce Every thing that is in us heares it every faculty every part every gift Every thing heares this voyce It speaks largely it speaks mightily and powerfully it speakes to the whole man It is so big and great that it makes us to become all ear or the ear to be every where and every thing the head the feet the body the soul the spirit the inward man the outward man all hear this great voyce It speaks with Authority and Power It removes and sets aside every thought that hinders obedience to it hile we hear it we obey it we receive it It is so great that there is nothing else left but it This great Voyce saith Come up hither it is so great a voice that it turnes us into Heaven it turnes us into the voyce it selfe we are the voyce it fils Heaven and Earth so mighty so powerfull so full of majesty O it 's the great answer of our praiers the great end of our hopes the great glory we look for the great reward of our sufferings the great joy of our GOD the great love of our God! O It 's the voyce of our beloved of our Father of our King of our GOD It s thy voyce O GOD A great voyce from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither To them to none else none but the Holy ones the Anointed ones of God none but they that live in the Spirit of God though it be a great voyce yet it is spoken to none but them You my Son you my Spirit you my Self Come up hither Rev. 4.1 saith John A voyce said unto mee Come up hither and immediately I was in the Spirit So here When the Witnesses heare the voyce immediately they ascend The voyce takes them up into Heaven up into it selfe The voyce saiith unto them Come up hither Come to Me live in Me live in My Power live in My Strength live in My Glory live in My Kingdome Be as I Am Be where I Am Be what I Am Do what I Do Do as I Do Come into My Glory live not below the glory of God live no longer like creatures live no longer in the world but Come up hither and live in the glory of the Creator the glory of GOD Live not amongst men live not amongst Angels but live the life of GOD Come up hither Come to Me. This is not a going from place to place in a carnal way by a bodily motion but the true ascending and coming to God is in the Spirit of God in the life of God to live in the presence of God in the Face of God in the Kingdome of God in the Glory of God Come up hither O Excellent voyce O powerfull voicel O precious voyce O pleasant voycel Transcendent love Infinite goodnesse The bosome of the LORD opened Heaven it self opened The LORD Himself opening Himself and reaching forth his hand saying Come hither Come hither Ye cannot live any longer without me I can live no longer without you Let 's live together Ye are a part of my selfe I can no longer be parted from my self my self must come to my self we can live strangers no longer ye must come and live with me in my house Here 's a Throne sit down here 's a Crown put it on thy head here 's Glory weare it here 's a Kingdome it s yours We Come wee Ascend And they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud The third degree of their rising is upon their hearing We do arise we do ascend it is our nature to ascend and seeing we are now living the life of the LORD in the Spirit of the LORD we are able to ascend While wee were only men our faces tended to the earth down-wards but now our natural course is turn'd through the divine life of God in us we do ascend to Heaven to God or thus our ascending up daily more and more to God is become our naturall course Now we can quit the earth quit the creature quit the flesh al things below the glory of God we let them all go Now we bid farewel men farewel griefs and troubles and shame the companions of men Farewel earth farewel weaknesses cares and fears companions of the earth farewell now wee ascend to Heaven in a cloud In a cloud Whil'st we ascend in a Cloud somthing yet of darknesse and weakness accompanieth us Though we are hastening to glory hastening to God yet it 's in a cloud God descends Christ descends the Spirit descends and wee ascend yet we meet in a cloud GOD comes down to us we go up to meet God yet both in a cloud We meet together we converse together yet in a cloud Here 's the glory of God in the Saints not yet breaking forth into naked and open brightnesse but covered with Clouds with some weakness with some infirmity And their enemies beheld them Satan the Nations Kinreds Tongues religious Voyces religious Opinions Flesh and World all their enemies beheld them look upon them but its little comfort to them little joy to them to see them ascend This is an increase and addition to our glory that we must ascend in the sight and view of al those that hated us and persecuted us and were enimies to us and as they rejoyced when we were down so they must be troubled when we arise Hel death devil look on us and behold us and yet cannot hinder our asent we ascend and goe up in the sight and presence of all our adversaries yet they are not able to hold us down The witnesses that were slain arise and ascend into heaven yet their enemies cannot in the least measure hinder them As we ascend in the sight and view of God so in the sight and view of al our enemies As heaven is filled with joy at our arrivall so the world is filled with affrightment and amazment at parting with us we cannot leave the earth but we carry the life of the earth with us we take al good from hence and carry all good and glory into heaven with us Hel death devil shal al look upon us and shal bee troubled and not be able to keep one ragge of us from enjoying this Glory Majesty Brightnes and Excellency of GOD. The end of the tenth Sermon THE WITNESSES DEATH AND
RESURRECTION REVEL 11.13 And the same houre was there a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell and in this earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven WE are unfolding the mystery of the two witnesses which are the witnesses of God in which and by which every word of God is confirmed they are two in their prophesie in sackcloth but their is a third conjoyned with them in their resurrection as they are in Heaven Ascended and Risen There are thee that bear witnes in heaven and by these three is every word establisht The Father the Son and the Spirit each of them having a sufficiency to confirm each other and together to put an end to all controversies You heard in the morning that there were severall degrees of the reviving of the witnesses the first degree is the entering of the Spirit of life from God into them which caused them to stand upon their feet Secondly They heard a great Voyce from Heaven calling them up Come up hither And thirdly There is their Ascention into Heaven They were taken up in a cloud and their enemies beheld them And in the 13 verse there is the effect of al this In the same hour there was a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell These works of God are not yet pure though they are very excellent Though there be a Resurrestion and Ascention into heaven yet it is in a cloud covered with some infirmity and darknesse and yet in this there is the greatest glory And the same hour was an Earthquake Or to speak the language of God elsewhere A rejoycing with trembling In the greatest appearance and manifestation of God so long as there is any Earth it Trembleth and indeed the more glorious the discoveries of God are the greater the Earthquake No Earth can be without moving and trouble that bears the weight of the glory of God upon it In this hour of ascention there is a mixture of some secret rejoycing and some trouble occasioned by the Earthquake or else take the Earth heer as distinct from the witnesses and then their ascending up from the Earth makes the Earth to shake Christ and the Spirit of God those two witnesses are the streneth and stability of the Earth yea the strength of the Pillars of the Earth I uphold the Pillars of the Earth saith the Lord He it is that strengthens the very foundations of the Earth And therefore when these witnesses the strength and Pillars of the Earth ascend and remove from it the Earth must needs quake and tremble The witnesses are the corner stone of the World It was by the word of the Lord that Eternall word that the Worlds were made that the Worlds are supported therefore when this Word of the Lord Ascends out of the World the World must needs shake The whole World hath lived and leaned upon Christ and the Spirit of Christ and now his arising and removall out of the World must needs prove the ruine and downfall of the World All your strength peace and comfort hath been borrowed of Christ and now his leaving the World and carrying the Pillars of the World with him as Sampson the Gates of the City makes all the World fall to confusion A great Earthquake The naturall cause of an Earthquake is the wind pent up in the bowels of the Earth which seeking vent breakes forth and so shakes the Earth So the Spirit or breath or wind of the Lord pent up in the bowels of the Earth shut up amongst earthly men as the Son a Man was three daies and three nights in the heart or bowels of of the Earth when it breaks forth it shakes and rends the World And this is the cause of the Earthquake and commotions that are now abroad in the World The breaking forth or ascending of the Spirit of God out of the World An Earthquake is one of the greatest perplexities and evils that can befall the world the Earth being the Center and stay of man The very bottome and foundation upon which all the camfort and good of the life of man stands When this center this rest or stay this foundation shakes nothing more affrightens and astonishes man These Witnesses ascending out of the world the Bottom and Foundation of peoples strength and comfort trembles and quakes the root of al humane life is cut insunder at once the bottom of al humane joy is taken away The foundation of Ecclesiastical and Civil power is shaken the ground-worke of all earthly stability and comfort of Church and Comon-wealth quakes and trembles I say the world is losing the foundation and ground-work upon which Religion and Civil-government stands and this makes the Earth to shake And the tenth part of the City fell This City is Babylon called the holy City This holy City is trampled under foot as you may read in the second verse of this Chapter This holy City or the outward Court is left to bee possessed by the men of the world by the Gentiles by men uncircumcised in heart and spirit by fleshly and carnal men This is the fate of this City The tenth part The tenth part you know was the Levits part which was holy to the LORD or dedicated to the LORD it was offered up to the Priests under the Law it was the chiefe maintenance of the legal priesthood And here the tenth part of the City the chiefest part the devoted part as you say Gods inheritance the lot and portion of the Priest-hood this part of the City fell in summe the holyest the chiefest the excellentest part of the City fell The waies of worldly Prophessors and Christians are somthing that is holy somthing that is offered up to God but in the hands of the world trampled under foot by the world There is an excellency in this this is that that 's called the tenth part that part wherein men have thought themselves most sacred and holy that which they have offered up to God that which they have seperated from the world and their owne proper use and given to God some of their wisdome some of their estates some of their time some of their strength c. the tenth part This tenth part of the City fell this chiefest and most excellent part This tenth part when they have reserved nine parts to themselves and dedicated the tenth to God That which hath bin mens Religion and that wherein they have placed their confidence and comfort and by which they have thought to be saved this excellent part this tenth part of the City fell in this earth-quake I tel you againe When these two Witnesses ascend and leave the earth then the highest formes of religion the most excellent seperated things of men those holy things wherein they have most devoted themselves to GOD and the Temple of God their hours of Praier their Sabbaths their Fastings their Engagements and Covenants
to serve the Lord this tenth part in the Earth quake falls al to the ground the tenth part c. And in the earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand As the tenth part of the City fell the chiefest part the best part the excellentest part of the holy City so the best part of men or an excellent number of men and both understood by this number seven thousand one thousand is a great number and an excellent number as wel as a great number ten hath an excellency in it therefore the tenth part was given to GOD one hundred is ten times ten one thousand is ten times an hundred which in the Law is multiplied to hundreds and thousands Seven thousand is the perfection of the creature as it is able to be numbered or it is the multiplying of al the perfections of man or man numbered into the highest perfection or largest number that may be multiplied that is not Infinite which is God Seven thousand Seven is a Holy number and therefore the seventh day was sanctified and made holy A blessed number therefore GOD blessed the seventh day It s also a number of rest GOD rested the seventh day and appointed the seventh day to be observed as an holy rest Here is humane perfection in the greatest number in the blessedest number in the quietest estate wherein men have thought themselves to be holy men blessed men men at rest wherein they have thought themselves truly blessed truly holy truly happy When men have numbered up themselves to such a state to seven thousand a holy number a blessed number a number of perfection to such a state wherein they have thought themselves holier then others more blessed and happy then others when they have thought themselves at rest and indeed in humane account have had abundance of blessedness thousands of blessednesses thousands of blessed hopes blessed believings blessed joyes and comforts such a state wherein they have rested and been satisfied yet now in this Earthquake in the same houre that the Lord leaves the Earth that the Witnesses ascend up to Heaven when the LORD wil no longer converse with Earth but with Heaven when he wil no longer converse with his People in an earthly but in an heavenly way and manner he and they walking together and enjoying each other in Heaven Then those thousands those seven thousands all those holy happy blessed resting men shall be slain And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the GOD of heaven The chiefest and choisest part of men are gon and that which remaines now is but a Remnant a small part so mean and poor a part as is not worth the numbering or to be gathered up into order and beauty or into the account of holiness and blessedness as other men are they are onely a poor remnant This Remnant was affrighted and gave glory to the GOD of heaven Nothing is more frequent in the Prophets where mension is made of the judgements of God through which he brings his people to salvation then this That a remnant shall be saved a remnant shall be brought through the fire Here one and there another as the gleanings of the vintage like small bunches of grapes upon the uppermost boughs a smal company and them not regarded a remnant They are but little and exceeding little a Remnant shal come to happiness The bulk and body the head the crown and glory of man falleth and are slain and a Remnant only escapes The LORD wil take off the head of man according to that saying And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus Rev. 20. I say the LORD wil take off the head the glory the top the crown the wisdome the excellency of man the maine the chiefe the principle part wil th e LORD slay al these in man shal be taken away and only a remnant shal remain The LORD wil waste and consume flesh to a very low state He wil bring down man to a fragment to a very small Remnant til ther 's almost nothing left to a state and condition that shal not be considerable that shal scarce be fit for any use The thousands the seven thousand the excellentest the greatest the richest the most numerous the most religious and devoted part shal be slain a remnant only shal be left and those affrighted too And great fear fell upon them that saw them When they saw the LORD ascending out of Earth leaving the Earth desolate leaving Religion Society Common-wealthes to wasting and destruction when they saw stability goodness wisdome righteousnes and holyness forsaking the earth and ascending up into the holiness of God this affrights men and it affrights them almost out of their wits to see that there is no living amongst such men that there is nothing to be seen amongst them but death horrour and confusion in the whole creation And to see that if we do not submit to the Lord live in the Spirit of the Lord and follow the guidance and conduct of the Spirit of the Lord we are for ever ruin'd If we are not able to ascend with these Witnesses go up with them to Heaven and live with Christ and the Spirit of God an heavenly life we are utterly undone for ever we shal see hel opening her mouth to devour us miseries feares and wrath ready to cease upon us and swallow us up therefore if we cannot ascend to Heaven with these witnesses Wo be unto us for we shal see there is no possible way of subsistence out of heaven We shal see much hellish wrath and darknes and confusion fall upon men that they cannot live in that state and condition wherein they have lived And they gave glory to the GOD of Heaven Strange language that a Remnant a poor affrighted remnant should be able to give glory to God Yet thither we must be brought before we can give glory to the God of Heaven Whil'st we have any glory left we give glory to our selves and not to God but when we are become a Remnant Affrighted and dasht in peeces then shal we glorify God We think that men of excellent wisdome and strength should glorify GOD O no they take from the glory of God and give it to themselves We think that Assemblies and Parliaments and Synods and Councels of great Men should give glory to God no none at all they give glory to themselves None but an affrighted remnant gives glory to God God neither hath nor wil have any glory til man be brought to an affrighted Remnant they that were affrighted gave glory to God Mark it if you are able to mark it that such a poor and affrighted remnant should give glory to the God of Heaven that the God of Heaven should receive glory from so poor an affrighted remnant a poor fag-end of the world wasted and consumed by sword plagues and judgements that they that have nothing should yet give to God When men are wasted and
consum'd to nothing yet that that nothing should be able to adde and give to God this is worth your observation So long as we are any thing we are still attributing and giving to our selves and when we are wholly revelled out into nothing and lost then we are contented to give all to God It is much that we that are nothing should give to him that is al things and it is very much that we should give him glory that which is most dear to him and that he should accept of it from a poor affrighted Remnant Though I say the glory of God be that which is exceeding deare to him and that of which he is most Jelous yet it is not dear to him until we give it him and then it 's double glory even then when it comes from a poor affrighted Remnant When God can come and speak out of the mouth of a poor creature wasted and consumed to nothing that is his glory It is not his glory that he hath it from Mighty Angels No he laies aside that nature and is pleased to accept of it from poor flesh poor man poor wasted consumed man I say Our God hath his glory from wasted consumed man God hath glory in wasting and consuming flesh in man He takes away the glory from the creature into himself Gods greatest glory is to repair wasted man When man is carried out of himself into the lowest estate that can be when the glory of man is laid flat upon the Earth then GOD is gathering it up into his garner And this is certain til this poor remnant gives glory to God God hath visibly and manifestively no glory at all It must be this poor man this wasted man this poor flesh this poor creature walking through the fire and passing through many tribulations that must set this Crown of glory upon the head of God that must make God glorious a glorious blessed God The root and foundation of the glory of God is lost and undone man And gave glory to the God of heaven Before as I said they gave glory to themselves or if they gave glory to any God it was to that God that is the God of this world All that men contend for in the strength or power of man is to give glory to the Gods of this world the Gods of the earth Ther 's is indeed a seed of sincerity in the Saints that gives glory to the God of Heaven but it is in a poor low dark way Prophesying in sack-cloth These stand before the God of the Earth as the Olive tree on the left hand of God offering Sacrifice to the God of Heaven though it is as yet but in an Earthly manner unto God it is though in weaknesse or unto the God of Heaven in an Earthly way That which most men in this world doe is to give glory to themselves or to the God of this world the devill as Rev. 9.20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship devils and Idols of gold silver and brasse and stone and wood which can neither see nor hear nor walk The greatest care and industry of most men is onely to maintaine an outward earthly power an outward government an outward worldly Kingdom a State Religion which is nothing else but secretly to provide for their owne carnall peace carnal ease fleshly and diabolical State and so they worship the divel and give glory to the god of this World Now when a man is wasted and consumed and affrighted and brought to a Remnant he is contented to give glory to God to the true God and to him in Heaven in a heavenly way and the matching of these two together is an exceeding wonderfull and glorious thing that the lower end of man cut down by the Ax of the Spirit to a stump and left a poor remnant That this retched creature this poor Remnant should be able to give glory to the God of Heaven That is should so speak act and live as to be alwaies giving glory to the God of Heaven or rather that it should speak act and live the glory of the God of Heaven and enjoy continuall communion and fellowship with the God of Heaven that it should be able to set forth adorne and beautify the God of Heaven in a heavenly way to hold forth God in his brightnes excellency and majesty This is the work we are called unto through death through slaying through Earth-quakes through commotions through temptations to ascribe and give glory to the God of Heaven to give up our selves to the glory of the God of Heaven to give up that little that nothing that remaines of us that Remnant to be to the glory or to be the glory of the God of Heaven or to suffer the God of Heaven to render himself glorious upon us I say This is wonderful Why have we heads bearts hands tongues to be kill'd and slain wasted and consumed to nothing but to be raised again What is it for but that the God of Heaven should enjoy them So long as we kept and enjoyed them to our selves we used them to the glory of the god of the Earth but now having been wasted and consumed to nothing and raised again they are to be imployed in the service for the use and to the glory of the God of Heaven And now in this condition we are in Heaven now we are in the Kingdome of God in the presence of GOD in the Majesty and glory of the GOD of Heaven The second Wo is past behold the third Wo commeth quickly We are not yet at the higth of our glory nor past through all our woe It pleased God to devide these woes into three parts a first a second and a third The first is not the greatest the second is as I may call it the wofulest it is the middle woe it is as it were the heart of the woe it 's such a one as is like that tribulation Mat. 24.21 such as never was before nor ever shall be like come after T is that which is the very Center of the woes and this at the Resurrection of the witnesses is past then the heart of the woe is broken and we are fully delivered from the middle woe then wee are broken out of the bowels of the Earth out of the bitterrest woe As Christ lay three daies in the grave and rose again the third day so the witnesses having laine dead in the streets of the great City three daies and an halfe at the end they are raised up again And behold the third woe commeth quickly The great woe of all is the lying of the dead bodies of the witnesses three daies and an half in the streets of the great City but it is some mittigation of the evil that it is quick short full of dispatch but three daies and an half Therefore saith Christ
who had the infirmity and flesh of man to Judas That thou doest doe quickly Lasting woes are the worst woes Then commeth the third woe which shall last but half a day And as it is short so it is that which shall let us into the third state of the glory of God As there is the day of man the day of Christ and the day of God so their is the glory of Man the glory of Christ and the glory of God This Heaven into which the witnesses ascended is not the highest Heaven the highest glory There must come a third woe that will carry them thither And it comes quickly It is an happy state the witnesses are in when they are raised from the dead yet it 's not lasting though their condition be glorious yet it hath a woe stealing upon it yea though it be a very blessed state a Resurrection from a sinfull Earth yet it is such a blessed state as is subject to warre for immediately succeeds the third woe This clear bright Sun of righteousnesse is subject to an eclips The tenth part falls and 7000. are slaine yet all earth is not cleared away There were sweet enjoyments of the glory of GOD yet it was mingled with some weaknesse and this is our happinesse that our God wil never cease refining us til all Earth till all flesh bee quite removed from us til he hath perfected us into himself The Third woe is a tolerable woe though it hath its sting yet it comes quickly and goes quickly It 's such a one as we are wel able to endure And then cometh the seventh Angell Sounding and hee saith aloud The Kingdomes of this world are become The Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ The two Witnesses their prophesying their slaying resurrection and ascension is in the Mysterie of the Spirit Angels sounding It comes neere to perfection but yet is not absolute perfection the highest Reign and Kingdome of the Lord and of his Christ breakes forth at the sounding of the seventh Angel The seven Trumpets are all but one Trumpet The last Trump shall sound The Spirit of the LORD being able either to contract all into one or to enlarge one into seven when and as he pleaseth He can give all to one call it one make it one discover it and open it into one or enlarge it into seven Seven dayes make but one with him Seven Angels and seven Trumpets make but one Angel and one Trumpet with him Seven is a number of rest and blessedness and here is the seventh Angel or the ange licall nature in et's perfection Christ the Head of Angels or the Perfection of Angels Angels are ministring spirits sent forth from God Ministers and Trumpets sounding forth the Kingdome of glory The exellency or perfection of Angels is to trumpet out the last and greatest glory of God Yet Christ the Arch-angel the head and chiefest Angel takes pleasure to sound forth the glory of God before the breaking forth of the Highest and Last glory Trumpeting is a proclaiming or declaring of the glory of GOD. Jesus Christ the Arch-angel the head or chiefest Angel sounds and sends forth a proclaimation or declaration of the Kingdome of GOD. And when we hear the sound of this great Trump we enter into glory or the sounding of the last Trump by Jesus Christ the great Archangel goes before the approach of the highest glory of God And it s said There were great voices in heaven After the sounding of the Trumpet comes forth the voices which is a more distinct and excellent note in musick then the sound of the Trumpet No Organ or Instrument sends forth so sweet a note as the tongue of man It s said There were great voyces in heaven and as it s exprest afterwards these voyces are uttered by the four and twenty Elders that sate before the Throne worshipping God Twelve you know was the number of the Apostles who had only the first fruits of the Spirit We saith the Apostle have the first fruits of the Spirit They had as it were a single harmony of musick publishing and declaring the glory of God But here is not onely twelve but twenty and four Elders The Spirit of God appearing in a double measure twice as much as in the Apostles having the full harvest of the Spirit a greater company of Saints and the Apostolicall Spirit or the gifts and graces of the Spirit in the Apostles doubled upon the heads of the Saints or Jesus Christ appering in the Saints in a double measure of the Spirit of God And they are all Elders too al taken up into the Ancient of daies living in the eternall and everlasting Spirit He is an Elder indeed who was before the World was made he is but an Novice and of yesterday that can speak but from the begining of the World These are the great voyces in heaven by the four and twenty Elders In this dispensation you have that measure of the Spirit of God that was given to the twelve Apostles and Church in the primative time doubled raised up to the Ancient of daies And there were GREAT voyces in heaven Some times our God speaks in a low still voice and indeed His very whisperings are pleasant Here is not only one voyce or a low whispering voyce but many and Great voyces Audible and Mighty declarations Great and various discoveries of our God When the witnesses Prophesied in sack-cloth Thousands were sufficient but now here are Thousands of Thousands Now here 's Christ in the flesh and Christ in the Spirit joyned together Now they are multiplied to Thousands of Thousands in heaven Many voices tuned multitudes of hearts enlarged in heaven they are four and twenty In the former dispensations they were shut up in Earth they were cloathed in sack-cloth they were but twelve Here they are increased to twenty four All the voices crying out Now in one Great voice and that so clear so shril that it shal spread thorrow the whole Earth The Kingdomes of this world c. It may be those people that are of the earth that are of the world question and doubt what these voyces say and they cannot say after them or with them The LORD lives the LORD reignes they think it they dare not speake it or if they do speak it it is but poorly and weakly from a bare letter not from the Spirit of God But hear when Heaven is opened the glory of God manifested and the Spirit of God doubled There are great Voyces thousands of voices concenting and concentering together al speaking aloud al singing that heavenly Halelujah saying The Kingdom of the LORD The Kingdom of of the LORD The Kingdome of the LORD Now heer 's ful Language ful speech bold and loud speech in Heaven saying The Kingdome of the LORD The Kingdome of the LORD There are many and great Voyces in Heaven saying The Kingdomes of this World are become the Kingdomes of OVR Lord. When the
seventh Angel sounds when there is freedome and liberty in the hearts of the Saints they all now say The Kingdomes of the LORD There were great voyces in Heaven They talk aloud of God in Heaven Below in the Earth people whisper and speak as it were in a corner of God they speak low and in private therefore saith Christ What you speak in a cornes shall be published on the house top Al the appearances of God have been but as in a corner Though the sending out of the Apostles into the World did typify that universal free abundant declaration of GOD this Name of God in the World Yet al that which hath been made known of God hitherto hath been but a speaking in a corner in comparison of that which is now breaking forth God hath been spoken of in a corner heer a little and there a little But now there comes a great Voyce that throwes downe State Kings Kingdomes and al the powers of the Earth to make way for the glory of God God wil whisper it no longer nor speak with a faint Voyce with a cold language but wil speak so and come so That every Eye shall see him every Eare shall heare him every Tongue shal speak him and every heart shal acknowledge and confesse him This is the LORD Now doth GOD REIGNE Now is Christ exalted This Voyce may be heard in Hel and spoken in wrath but when ever it is spoken freely and aloud with joy then it is in Heaven to the Saints And this is the close of the great Voyce The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ The Kingdomes of this world are become c. God heretofore hath had the meanest of this World A sort of poor low mean People only have testified a little for God and Christ heer a little and there an handful but doe you think it or can it be thought That God wil alwaies be contented with this Or doe you thinke the GREAT things of the World were made eternally for the Devil and wicked men Or can it be imagined that God should fil a World with men and furnish them with parts and abilities Greatnesse Wisdome Riches Majesty Authority c. that wicked men should alwaies abuse them and devils alwaies have the command of them and God forever be excluded and shut out No no such matter No the Kingdomes of this World al the Riches al the Strength al the Authority al the Power al the Righteousnesse Justice Judgement and Excellency of this World both in respect of Civel and Ecclesiastical Government Al the Kingdomes of this World shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ We dare in the power of the Lord speak it The Voyce wil be No man hath to doe with any Power Authority Wisdome Riches or any thing in the World No creature hath any power or priviledge to dispose of any thing on the Earth Al Power Strength Riches c. are taken from men or if any thing be left that which remaines is consuming and blasting and shal wast away til al greatnes and excellency whatsoever resolves it selfe into the Kingdome of OUR Lord and of his Christ The Kingdome of Our Lord they are become OUR Lord now must Reign Al things now are become his They were Our Lords from the beginning and of right al did belong to him If he did intrust them to other Kings Nobles Great ones c. it was but onely as they were his Servants they were but intrusted and committed to them as Talents they are but his Stewards and woe be his Stewards when he turnes them out of their Sewardship they must be Stewards no longer but must give an account of their Stewardship of their Talents And these Kingdomes of the World must immediately become the Kingdomes of Our Lord and of his Christ Wee have a Lord that is a Lord indeed The great Lord of Heaven and Earth The Lord af Lords and King of Kings others are but Images and Pictures of this OVR LORD they are but his Substitutes and now OVR Lord comes and throwes out al other Lords He casts these Stewards out of their places and the Kingdomes of the World return again to Him whose they are They were of old thine only they were let out to use for a while The original right is in OVR Lord he hath it and wil maintain it and he himself wil Reigne The Spirit of God hath prophesied of this in al Ages and now he is performing it The next Age nay at this time this dominion is Our Lords Now for Our LORD now for the great GOD. Now for Our King Now all the Kingdomes of the World are become the Kingdomes of OVR Lord. OUR Lord wil take al and leave nothing un-possessed He must have al and we must have all in him He must Reign and we must Reign with him He that upholds us and comforts us He that is in us and with us He that speakes this language in us and puts forth this expression by us is OUR Lord God with us or Emanuel This LORD shall have all the Kingdomes of the Earth and he will put us in possesson of al that is good excellent rich beautiful all that is Kingly and Noble all that excels al the Kingdomes of the World And out of the Lord and from the Lord shal be nothing but desolation and confusion yea desolation and confusion it selfe is our Lords prison into which our Lord wil cast his enemies They are al become Our Lords and his Christs OUR Lords and his Anointeds It is Christ in the glory of the Father that is Our happinesse and Our life The Son in the glory and power of the Father God exalting the Son into himselfe The Kingdomes of the World are the LORDS yet so the LORDS as that Christ is King epual with the Father Christ laies down his Kingdome that he might ascend into the Kingdome of the Father And we lay down our Kingdomes of the World and creatures that we might live in the Kingdome of Christ that so the Father Christ and Wee might Reigne together The Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ or his Anointed There are many Anointed that pretend to be THE Anointed of God And many there be that have some Anointing But none shal Reign but His Anointed The holy one of God the Anointed of God Hee that is filled with the Spirit of God Hee that is Anointed with the Oyle the Oyle of GGD He shal Reign for ever no other None but the ANOINTED of GOD. OUR God Anoints US and We are the Anointed of GOD the Christ of GOD the holy one of God all gathered up into one Anointing one Anointed one God and in this unity all in one we shal Reign with him for ever and ever And so it s said Revelations 5. He hath made us Kings and Priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth The