not the spirit and life of God in them all these must be judged well may the world then vex and rage and gnaw their â—ongues for paine This is the reason of all that bitternesse malice sury and madnesse that is in the hearts of men at this day what makes them vexing and fretting but that all things they set up maintaine enjoy and take pleasure in are judged and condemned for dead power dead ordinances dead gifts all things of man are judged to be dead When the Lord comes to judge the earth confusion and a consuming fire goes before his face Psal 97. 2. which must needs make that judgement very dreadfull and terrible to all formall powers and fleshly actings especially because the Saints shall judge the world yea and Angells also 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. They shall judge men and things of highest principles and places those things that carry a civill or spirituall excellency upon them shall be judged by the Saints What follows Secondly The Saints are rewarded and advanced And that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that feare thy Name small and great As the portion of the world is vexing fretting cursing and wrath so the portion of Saints is love goodnesse blessings thankesgivings The dreadfull day of doome and darknesse of judgement and confusion unto the world is a day of light and joy of comfort and reward unto the Saints The worlds trouble and ruine is the Saints peace and salvation Though the Lord come in fire and wrath to destroy Antichrist yet he comes in love and mercy to save Sion and therefore when he comes forth and a devouring fire burning up his enemies round about Psal 97. 3. Yet Sion heard and was glad and the daughter of Judah rejoyced because of his judgements vers 8. The Saints have been a long time under oppression shame and persecution now the Lord will reward them and give them light for darknesse strength for weaknesse glory for shame they shall now receive reward and praise for all their former sorrow and sufferings The Saints shall rejoyce in heaven for the vengeance powred out upon Antichrist Therefore rejoyce over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her Revel 18. 20. When the Kings of the earth and Merchants mightie and rich men shall weep and wayl and cry alas alas then shall the Saints here called the holy Apostles and Prophets rejoyce and sing because the ruine and fall of these shall be their joy and reward Thirdly The Lord will not onely judge the dead principles practices ordinances and powers of Antichrist and give reward unto his servants but also will destroy the Antichristian partie And shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth The word translated destroy signifies corrupt that is Those that have managed the cause of Antichrist have corrupted the earth according as it 's said in Revel 19. 2. The great whore did corrupt the earth with her fornication That is by her sosseries and fornications she hath corrupted the minds of the men of the earth drawing them aside from the Lord by the intoxicating wine of her fornication she hath blinded the mindes adulterated the affections and polluted the hearts of the men of the world and have made them to serve Satan the God of this world These that have managed the cause of the beast and have thus corrupted the earth shall be destroyed This destruction is not so much meant of a bodily destruction as of place and power these that have by their power rule by their deceit and falshood corrupted the earth these in their dignity office rule and authoritie shall all be slaine It followeth VERS 19. And the Temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in the Temple the Arke of his Testament and there was lightnings and voyces and thunderings an earthquake and great hail COnsider three things from these words First The Temple of God opened The time was it was shut up as once the Temple of Jerusalem was under Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 24. So this spirituall Temple was shut up when it was measured in vers 1. When the outward Court or visible face of things were in the hands of the Gentiles vers 2. The Church was driven into the Wildernesse for many yeares into desert places there to be nourished for a time from the face of the Serpent that sought to devoure her But now the Temple is set open as of old it was by Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29. 3. Thus it 's said of the new Jerusalem that the gates should not be shut Revel 21. 25. And the reason is because there shall be no night nor danger the gates shall stand open continually This noteth the free accesse for multitudes of Saints to enter in to the new Jerusalem without impediment or stop Not as in times of persecution when they sought to worship the Lord in corners but they shall come and enter freely and boldly and that without let or molestation So that the woman shall no more be driven into the Wildernesse and shut up there but the Temple of God shall be set open and there shall be a free and great accesse unto it Secondly That which appeared in the Temple was the Arke of his Testament As the Temple was opened so the Arke was made visible which was shut from the eyes of men under the old Testament 1 King 6. 19. It was very seldome seen and that by the high-Priest onely the Arke was a pledge of Gods presence with his people and denotes unto us the mysteries of truth which formerly lay hid but now are made manifest The great high-Priest hath opened the Temple and made visible the Arke by making knowne the mysteries of truth In former time the Church was in the Wildernesse the Gentiles possessed the outward Court le ts of truth were discovered onely something was hinted out by a few choise instruments but now the Saints have a Temple opened a full and free accesse and now they have an Arke made visible or the hidden mysteries of God revealed not onely to a few called Clergie men but generally to all Saints the knowledge of the truth is revealed Thirdly The close of all And there were lightnings and voyces and thunderings and an earth-quake and great hail Earth-quake hail and lightning set forth Gods judgements most terrible and irresistible Esa 30. 30. Of an earthquake wee have spoken before from vers 13 of this Chapter Hail-stones was one of the plagues of Aegypt that destroyed their trees Exod. 9. 25. And by which the Amorites were destroyed in Canaan Josh 10. 11. By these judgements wee have the finall destruction of Antichrist This is the third woe that shall accompany the seventh Trumpet and is agreeable to the plagues of the seventh Viall by which Antichrist shall be wholly destroyed and should blaspheme God because of the plague of the hail that was exceeding great By this last and great judgement the mysterie of iniquitie is discovered and the power of Antichrist wholly broken at which his partie shall vex and fret gnaw their tongues and blaspheme God for all their paines sores whereby they shall be utterly ruined and consumed Thus we have the Effects of Christs kingdome and reigne layd open wee see for what it is that the Elders doe so exceedingly praise the Lord for that he takes to himselfe his great power and doth reigne by which he doth offend the Nations and reward his servants The Temple is no more shut up under restraint but free accesse is given the Arke is no more hidden but the mysteries of salvation made evident And the Lord by his sweeping judgements will wholly consume Antichrist both in his policy and power Hence it is that the Saints shall thus triumph and rejoyce How can the daughter of Sion but rejoyce when heâ— King cometh the redeemed of the Lord must needs triumph And besides the whole world shall rejoyce when the oppressor shall cease when violence shall be no more heard in the Land when our Exactors shall be righteousnesse then I say the world will sing and rejoyce because the whoâ—â—â—â—â—th shall be at peace and be quiet Esa 14. 4. 7. When Christ shall come to reigne in his appearance in his Saints bâ— shall judge the Nations with righteousnesse and governe the people with truth Psal 67. 4. 7. Therefore when the Lord shall come to reigne to set all things in order to governe and give settlement to the Nations well may Antichrist vex and fret and all oppressing powers be angry but the Saints shall rejoyce and sing and all the world besides shall be glad because of his righteous judgements So much to be spoken of the Effects of Christ's reigne and so I end this whole Discourse FINIS
word of God and despised his long-suffering in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was preparing Here that which Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse did is attributed unto Christ because Noah was but instrumentall in the businesse it was Christ in the spirit that put himselfe forth in and through Noah In like manner it was sayd that whatsoever the prisoners did in the prison Joseph was the doer of it Gen. 39. 22. because they did it by warrant leave from him or by his dictation commandement Just so Christ is sayd to prophesie all the dayes of Antichrist because his people receive their commission and power from him as managing of his cause and quarrell It is sayd in vers 8. that Christ was crucified in Egypt and in Sodome which cannot be meant of Christ's person because he was crucified at Jerusalem but it 's meant of Christ in his people his Saints being overcome and killed in spirituall Egypt and Sodome So that we sâ—e plainly that the testimony that these witnesses give forth is Christ's testimony it 's Christ in his Saints it 's the power of the most high one in his people In these respects Christ is brought in as having a share in this prophesie under the powerfull raigne of the beast From this whole verse thus opened take this one observation That all and Observ every one of the Saints are Gods witnesses The witnesses here meant cannot be onely appropriated to Magistrates and Ministers or to any two eminent persons neither are they to be restrained to those onely that suffered martyrdome in their bodies but of all Saints of evâ—ry individuall Saint of what quality or degree soever that gives forth a testimony of the truth of Christ all that doe according to their measures and abilities continually oppose the wayes and devices of Antichrist Christ the great and faithfull witnesse as the olive treâ— doth powre out his oyle of divine spirit into the Câ—ndlesticks of his people whereby they are enabled to shine as lights in the middest oâ— all the perverse generations of men and among ali the gain sayers of the truth The Propheâ— testifieth that the Lord will sinite the earth with the â—oâ— of his mouth and with the breath of his lips will destroy the wicked Esa 11. 4. The Saints of the most high have the everlasting word of God abiding and dwelling in their hears and as they hold forth the testimony thereof they are the very lips and breath of the Lord whereby â—e bruiseth his enemies and bâ—eaks â—hâ—n in pieces The Apostle doth affiâ—â—e that Antichrist shall be destroyed by the brightnesse of Christs coming 2 Thâ—s 2. 8. Now what is the brightnesse of Christâ— coming but his gloâ—â—ion rayes and bright bâ—â—mâ—s of heavenly diâ—coveries of light and truth that he shine forth withall through his people The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to consume by degrees to wast a thing by little and little untill it be consumed and come to nothing So shall the dissolution of Antichrist be by degrees by little and little even as the Lord shall be pleased to encrease and double his Spirit upon his people whereby they are enabled to testifie against the beast his image against the false Prophet and the deceiver and thus by degrees shall the man of sin be destroyed Now we perceive that it 's not onely for the wise and learned neither for the great and mighty ones to testifie of Christ or that they are those by whom Antichrist should be destroyed but it s for Saints of all degrees for every member how poore how meane soever that have received of that holy oyle from Christ the true olive tree that shines forth with the glorious testimony of Christ I say every such one is a Prophet and witnesse of the Lord. Then all those poor low and despised ones that have according to their measures and attainments given forth their testimony for Christ his truth against Antichrist and his falshood all the times of persecution as it were in the wildernesse and in sackcloth these I say are the witnesses here spoken of these are the two Candlesticks who receive a full supply from the two olive branches these stand before the Lord of the whole earth holding forth the word of truth and the testimony of Jesus in opposition to the man of sin that wicked one that son of perdition Such honour have all his Saints though in the wildernesse and clothed with sackcloth though under much persecution and trouble yet these are the Candlesticks of the Lord set by the true olive tree Jesus Christ receive of his oyle into themselves they together with Christ stand before the Lord of the whole earth and shine as lights in the world So much for the discovery of whom is meant by the two witnesses It followeth VERS 5. And if any man hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man will hurt them he must in this manner be killed HAving made a large description of the witnesses declaring who they are and what their businesse Now we come to shew how they are impowered to deale with their adversaries whereby we perceive the powerfull effects of their prophesie If any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouths c. In this verse consider first the haâ—mful carriage of the adversaries towards the witnesses If any man hurt them Secondly the means of defence or opposition made by the witnesses towards their adversaries fire proceedeth out of their mouths c. First the deportment of the adversary and that is expressed hypothetically or conditionally If any man c. whereby a certainty is affirmed This indefinite speech doth not imply that it should be a rare thing for men thus to doe but rather a certainty of punishment should be inflicted upon all those that should any way oppose these two faithfull witnesses If any man hurt them c. It cannot be meant as though few should hurt or injure them but rather that there should be no exception of persons amongst any that should hurt them none should goe unpunished for any exterior adjuncts or qualities whatsoever let them be of any kinde ranke or degree they should suffer for their violence offered to them The certainty of the enemies opposing the witnesses is held forth by the doubling of the phrase So Joseph tells Pharaoh that by the doubling of his dream the thing was established Gen. 41. 32. But how are these witnesses hurt by their enemies First by restraining of their persons by persecution imprisonment banishment and the like It hath been the practice of the beast continually to make war with the Saints with those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Revel 11 17. Secondly by rejecting their testimony the enemy doth not onely go about to hinder the course of their testimony but also to turne the truth they hold forth into a
tyrannicall powers that they have prophecyed against and cryed downe as Antichristian and wicked these have all been burnt up and consumed by the word of their testimony Wee have seene that whatsoever power greatnesse rule and dominion or whatsoever way or doctrine practice or invention have been set up in opposition against the testimony of thâ—se Witnesses that fire from the Lord hath come and destroyed them all This fire out of the mouths of the Witnesses have fallen upon all the powers greatnesse and dignities of men upon all forms of worship and invented ordinances of Antichrist and have burnt and consumed them Fourthly observe That the testimony Obser 4. of the Witnesses is of great force even while they prophesie but in sack-cloath Though these Saints and servants of the Lord prophesie in a poor weak low sad and persecuted condition their persons being slighted their testimony rejected yet their testimonie is of that vertue and power of that efficacy and force that it prevailes against the strongest powers and highest dignities in the world These poor despicable ones have such a testimony to give forth such a message to deliver that shall encounter with all the grand plots counsels and devices of their enemies yea and such is the strength and vertue of their Prophesie that the glory and excellency of man hath faded away and vanishâ—d before it Then God hath regard to the word and testimony of his poor weak and despised servants It followeth VERS 6. These have power to shut Heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their Prophesie and have power over the waters to turne them into blood and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will HERE we have a further description of the power of the witnesses to repay the injuries done unto them by their adversaries In the former Verse their power in generall is inserted here we have the manner how they are enabled to deale with their Enemies In which words you may observe a three-fold power that these Witnesses are invested withall 1. A power to shut Heaven that it raine not 2. A power to turne waters into blood 3. A power to ssmite the Earth with all plagues First they have power to shut heaven that it raine not In which phrase wee have an allusion to Elias of whom we have the Apostle testifying that hee prayed and it rained not for the space of three yeares and sixe moneths Jam. 5. 17. which holds a just proportion of time with these Witnesses Prophesie in sackcloath So that as Elias prevailed with God that it rained not for three years and a halfe so here these Witnesses obtaine the same power from God that it should not rain all the days of their Prophesie Now further consider two things 1. What is meant by raine 2. What it is to shut Heaven First we are not to understand this of a naturall raine but of that which is mysticall and spirituall and thereby is denoted the heavenly influences of God the sweet refreshing heavenly dewes that descend from him These divine droppings and heavenly distillings of gracious showers of grace communicated by the spâ—â—t through the Gospel of Christ are here meant by this spirituall raine Suitable unto this is that phrase of Moses when he saith My doctrine shall drop as the raiâ—e and my speech aâ— the dew Deutr. 32. 2. As if he had said My Doctrine shall drop upon your hearts to mollifie them to refresh them to make them fruitfull even as the raine and dew of heaven doth fall upon the earth to soften it to refresh it and to make it fruitfull to make grasse and flowers to sprowt and spring out of it Then the Gospel and word of Christ with all the heavenly dews of divine graces distilling and falling from God are here signified by raine Secondly To shut heaven that it raine not is to exclude all the ways and practices all the invented worships and services of Antichrist from those sweet distillings and divine droppings of that heavenly rain and dew that cometh from the Lord. The Witnesses by their Prophesie against all superstitious formes upon all invented ordinances and practices of Antichrist do hinder the heavenly dew of divine grace from falling upon it as it were shutting up heaven against them by excluding of them from the wayes and Ordinances of Christ or such as the Lord doth make use of to convey those gracious influences of spirit and life unto his people The Witnesses exclude all the worships and forms of Antichrist from having any of the light life or power of Christ in them they cast them out and reject them they prophesie against them as false and empty things as things of no value or worth and so consequently shut heaven against them that is raine not the showers of divine grace and life all the dayes of their Prophesie Thus the great power of the Witnesses is set forth by a resemblance to that of Elias who prevailed with God that it rained not for the space of three years and sixe moneths So these by their Prophesie against the wayes and practice the worships and services of Antichrist doe hinder the sweet influence of Heaven and the refreshing showers of divine grace and comfort from flowing down upon them wherby they become as light and empty as having no vertue or life at all in them they have no more Rain from heaven they wither as plants that God hath not planted as branches that have no life or sap in them In the second place these have power to turne waters into blood Here wee have another resemblance and that is unto Moses and Aaron who turned the Aegyptian waters into blood Exod. 7. 20. the same thing you have done by the hands of the Witnesses This is sutable to the effects of the second and third vials where you have mention made of turning waters into blood also Rev. 16. 3 4. So that the prophesie of the Witnesses hath the same effect with the powring â—orth of the Vials even to turne waters into blood Now as wee did understand their destroying their enemies with fire and their shutting heaven that it raine not Mystically and spiritually before so here must we understand also of their turning waters into blood Therefore consider 1. What is meant by waters 2. What it is to turne them into blood First by waters we may understand all the sweet refreshing streams of comfort strength supply and life that Antichrist did live upon as all worship and Religion all order and govrnment all peace and uniformity all doctrine and practice all these are as so many streams of water by which Antichrist is comforted and refreshed they being his very support and life The waters that the Egyptians were to drinke to live upon and be refreshed by were turned into blood so that they were like to dye with thirst both they and their Cattell So this water is the very life sweetnesse and peace that
name honour strength and dignity then he had been formerly So the Witnesses shall ascend into a state and condition much more excellent then they had before enjoyed This ascention is diametrically opposed to their sack cloath condition to that meane and low condition these Witnesses had lived in while they were under the power and raign of the beast This ascention is not a carnall or bodily transmutation or a motion from place to place but of a mutation of state and condition 't is an ascention unto more liberty freedome knowledg strength and glory then they had lived in before Secondly the place unto which they are to ascend and that 's to heaven the kingdome of Christ is mystically called Heaven The Saints are said to dwell in Heaven as Antichrist is said to dwell in Earth the meaning is they shall ascend into a more heavenly condition of liberty power strength wisdome knowledge light and life They shall come to possesse the Kingdome of Christ and enjoy all the immunities thereof They shall live more in heavenly discoveries of God and Christ and his will their externall peace and internal glory shall be very heavenly and glorious And in this respect the Saints that shall sound forth the everlasting Gospel are said to be in the midst of heaven Chap. 14. 6. The Saints are called Heaven it selfe Chap. 18. 20. The multitude of Saints that shall sing Allelujah's and praises unto God upon the destruction of Babylon are called a people that dwell in heaven Chap. 19. 1. because they live in heavenly enjoyments and praises So here the Witnesses are said to ascend up to heaven in respect of that heavenly and glorious condition and state that the Lord will advance his people unto when hee shal wholly break the power of the beast and advance his people to partake of the glory and dignity of his owne kingdome Thirdly wee have the manner how these Witnesses ascend that 's in a cloud This great thick Cloud that God draws over the Earth and with which he doth over-shadow the face of all things this is that darkness that confusion division contest warre envie this I say is that dark cloud that the Lord hath drawn over the face of the Earth Hath not God drawn this black cloud upon the affairs counsels wisdome and actions of men the order government peace prosperity of the world is all over-shadowed men know not where they are nor what they doe when they goe too fast nor when too slow the very hearts and affections of men are divided the world is full of contests and wars and confusions and there is such a mist upon mens spirits that they scarce know which way to turn themselves It 's in this cloud of confusion in which the Witnesses do ascended We cannot but remember that the Lord brought his people from Aegypt by dividing of the Sea by separating of the great waters so wil the Lord raise up his Saints by dividing of the men of the earth the great Sea or peoples of the earth by dividing of them by confounding of the wisdome and policie of the world by dashing one part of the earth against another I say in this manner and by this means the Lord will cause his faithfull ones to ascend Lastly we have that special Adjunct that is hereunto annexed And their enemies beheld them By their enemies we are to understand People Nations Kindreds and Tongues with all the inhabitants of the Earth All worldly carnall Antichristian men these shall behold them to their griefe and vexation This is mentioned first as to the torment and excessive grief that the Adversaries shall take when they shall see them that they have despised trampled upon and contemned to be lifted up to ascend unto honour and dignity unto life and glory And secondly it 's mentioned in the praise and happinesse of those that doe ascend in the view of their Adversaries As the Prophet makes it an augmentation of bounty that the Lord should spread his table in the midst of his foes Psal 23. So this is an addition to their honour they shall ascend in the midst of their Adversaries in their view and before their eye This is the saddest sight that earthly men can behold they shall see them ascend and shall not be able to stop their passage this shall be as worm-wood as gall and bitternesse to their spirits this shall even make them gnash their teeth but they shal not be able to help themselves The words being thus far opened we now come to raise some observations from them First observe That the Witnesses are 1 Observ enabled to ascend by the powerfull voyce of the spirit of God They can never rise nor ascend until they are called up to the Lord by this great voyce this loud heavenly voyce this voyce of Majestie and glory Antichrist was able to suppresse and keepe under these two Prophets of the Lord untill the Lord comes and raises them up by his owne voyce and command If all the world should call upon them to arise they could not untill the Lord speake the word and say Come up hither When the Lod speaks with a heavenly voyce it is so full of love and joy of light and life that every thing in the hearts of his doe heare his voyce every faculty every member all parts heare and obey The soule is never willing to ascend untill the Lord calls by his eternall voyce and that hath such force and power such excellency and and majestie that it removes every obstacle out of the way and sets aside every thing that would hinder And again this voyce is so great so powerfull carries with it so much authority that the men of the Earth cannot hinder their rising If the Lord speak with a powerful voyce to the world â—o Antichrist to the men of the Earth Let my people ascend lâ—t them come up hither all the force power policie of men shall not hinder them This voyce is dreadful to the men of the earth and doth so much affright them that they are forced at last as once Pharaoh was to let the Israel of God goe and ascend out of Aegypt to Jerusalem from bondage to liberty from weaknesse to strength from persecution to dominion from light to darknesse from Earth to Heaven Now the Saints are taken up to live in heavenly comforts and joyes in heavenly discoveries of â—ight and life in heavenly immunities and priviledges And all this is done by the great the mighty and powerful voyce of God Secondly observe from the ascention it selfe That the Witnesses have their 2 Observ time of triumph and rejoycing as well as they have a time of sack cloath and mourning When they ascend they shal shake off their sack-cloath and mourning they shal ascend farre higher unto an estate of more liberty honour peace and glory then their former estate was They shall not alwayes be made the scorne and reproach of the
also of internall light and glory This is part of the glory of the new Jerusalem and of the Kingdome of Christ when Antichrist shall be throwne downe from his throne and authority and when Christ shall be exalted and the Saints possesse his Kingdome Wee now proceed to the next observation Fourthly do the Witnesses ascend 4 Obser in a Cloud then observe That in the middest of the great confusion and darknesse upon the face of the world shall the Witnesses ascend There is a great thick cloud of darknesse distraction division and confusion upon the minds and actions of the men of the earth this day Now I say that in these thick mists and fogs of trouble and contention the Witnesses daily get ground and arise higher and higher and ascend gradually every day though the world neither sees it nor knows it Israel of old passâ—d through the Wildernesse untill they came to Canaan by the conduct of a cloud So this cloud that hath this day over-shadowed the world shall not passe away untill the Israel of God are ascended up to the land of Messiah our new Jerusalem Suitable unto our purpose is that place Isa 51. 9 10. Awake awake put on strength O arme of the Lord. Awake as in the ancient dayes Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon Art thou not it that hath dryed the Sea the waters of the great deep Thou hast made the depth of the Sea away for the ransomed to passe over God hath seemed in former times as it were to be asleep as if he had altogether forgotten the sorrows and sufferings of his people But now when the Lord shall arm himselfe with power and cloath himselfe with strength as with a garment as in the generations of old or auncient dayes when thou didst cut Rahab and wound the Dragon that 's meant of Aegypt and Pharaoh And how was this done by dividing of the waters and drying up the Sea he rescued his people from the bondage of Pharaoh and the oppression of Aegypt Thus God delivered his people from the captivity of Babylon by the same power as in the ancient dayes Now in the same manner when the Lord shall redeeme his people from those burthens of spirituall captivity that his people have endured under the tyrannicall dominion of Antichristian Babylon God will dry up the Sea and divide the waters that is he will wast and consume the state and strength of man and divide Peoples and Nations one against another a thicke Cloud of darknesse shall over-cover them all what a grosse thick Cloud hangs over all men this day upon all their Actings Counsels and Designes Most men grope in the darke and know noâ— what they doe what a darke cloud of feare anger division contention disquietnesse and confusion of face is this day upon the men of the earth Now in the midst of these confusions and divisions aomngst the men of the world in these Clouds of darkenesse the faithfull Witnesses of Christ they get ground and ascend higher and higher untill at last they shall fully ascend up unto the heavenly state and glory of Christs kingdome The Witnesses ascending in a Cloud the world sees it not 't is a misterie that few understand Then this thick cloud of darknesse fear division and confusion upon the world doth plainly demonstrate that the Witnesses are now arising shaking off their sackcloath and mourning and are now ascending up to Heaven to live in and enjoy the Kingdome of Christ to enjoy that freedome and peace that light and glory that we last spake of Fifthly and lastly do the enemies 5 Observ of the Witnesses behold their ascending up to Heaven Then observe That all the power and policie of the Enemies of the Witnesses shall not be able to hinder their ascention The Adversary doth behold them doth see them get ground arise and ascend and faine would hinder them but cannot This is the greatest and most amazing fight that ever the world did see the saddest spectacle that ever it beheld this fills the earth with astonishment and trembling to perceive the rising and ascending of these Witnesses formerly slain and it cannot in the least retard or hinder them This shall be the very glory and triumph of the Saints that they shall ascend in the view and â—ight of all their Enemies that hated persecuted and killed them Now as it was the sport and joy of these Enemies to kill and slay these witnesses how much more will it be their griefe and torture to see them arise from the dead and ascend into honour It could not be more grievous to Haman to see Mordecai advanced then it amazeth the world to see these ascend and that in their sight and presence This shall be the honour and joy of these Witnesses that they shall ascend in the view and sight of their Adversaries who shall look on them and be exceedingly troubled and vexed but yet shall not be able in the least to hinder them from ascending into the glorious liberty peace light and comfort of Christs Kingdome VERS 13. And the same hour was there a great earth-quake and the tenth part of the Citie fell and in the Earthquake were slaine of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heave HAving spoken of the resurrection and ascention of the Witnesses we now come to handle the great and notable effect that succeedeth thereon together with severall consequents thereunto annexed The same hour there was a great earth-quake and the tenth part of the Citie fell c. In the handling of which we may consider First the time of this Earth-quake in these words And the same hour c. Secondly the Earth-quake it selfe mentioned in the Text there was a great Earth-quake Thirdly the consequents thereunto annexed and they are three 1. The tenth part of the Citie fell 2. Seven thousand men are slain 3. The affrighted remnant give glory to God But first of the time The same houre there was a great Earth quake This terme of time is not to be taken restrictvely as if it should be meant of an hour consisting of so many minutes Some read the same day neither may wee take it for a naturall day of twenty foure hours It is an indefinite speech and holds no certainty for the space of time but it imports that the time of this great Earth-quake should answer the time of the Witnesses rising and ascending up to heaven Those words expressed in Chap. 17. 12. These receive power one houre with the beast import the same meaning the whole terme of their raigne with the beast Secondly the earth-quake it selfe follows And there was a great Earthquake The naturall cause of an Earth-quake is when the wind is pent up in the bowels of the earth and seeking vent from thence breaks forth into violent concussions and motions so that the earth shakes and rends contrary to its naturall firmenesse and
at last the waters arose to that height that they became a mighty river wherein a man might swim and without which he could not passe over them So that the Saints under the first second third Trumpets did all hold forth a profession of the truth and according to their measures did give a testimony thereunto though but in some small weake and faint discoveries of it and more in the letter then in the spirit These were glorious lights also in respect of the darknesse of those ages and generations they lived in but yet in respect of that light discovered and that declaration of the truth made out by the Saints under the sixt and seventh Trumpet they were under much darknesse and weaknesse not being come up to that degree of light that the Lord hath of late discovered and will make knowne unto his people Thirdly observe There shall be a most 3 Observ compleat and glorious discovery and declaration of truth made out by the Saints under the seventh Trumpet The seven Trumpets are all comprehended in one the last Trumpet includes all the former Seven as you heard is the number of perfection and rest So all the Trumpets are involved and wrapt up in this last The seventh seale is the highest revelation of truth the seventh Trumpet is the highest and most perfect declaration by which the Saints do proclaime and make it forth Suitable unto this is that Prophesie Esa 30. 26. Moreover the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes So that here is seven dayes brought into one day and one day shall have the light of seven So that the last and highest discovery of truth shall comprehend all the former The seventh and last Trumpet signifies the highest declaration of the glory of God the truth and kingdome of Jesus that ever the Saints publish or sing forth it is the breaking forth of the highest praises and greatest glory of God In this great and last dispensation the Saints obtaine a fuller measure of the spirit then ever they are now sevenfold more enabled to proclaime the glory power and kingdome of Christ then ever they could doe in former time Fourthly from the great voyces heard in heaven observe That the Saints 4 Observ fully risen and ascended up into heavenly injoyments at the finall destruction of Antichrist shall with one harmonious and sweet consent sound forth the praises and glory of Christ'â— kingdome Indeed the Saints could alwayes sing while they prophesied in sackcloth but it was like David when he sung of his deep waters so it was of their afflictions and sufferings as Paul and Silas sung in prison they had weake and faint joy in the middest of their sufferings But now the Saints in heaven they cry out they sing aloud and shout for joy These voyces be full of power and authority the world and it's strength and foundation trembles to heare them the riches the strengths the powers the governments of men are shaken by them So great and powerfull are these voyces that as it was said of Israel of old The voyce of a King is among them they sing forth the grace the excellency the authority and glory of Christ's kingdome saying The kingdomes of this world are become our Lords c. The Saints are sayd in Revel 15. 3. To sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. As Moses sung forth the praises of God for delivering his people Israel and destroying their enemies the Aegyptians Exod. 15. so his people shall sing forth the praises of his power and greatness for delivering them from Antichrist's yoke and tyranny And the song of the Lamb who worketh great and marvellous things to the destruction of Antichrist whose cruelty and oppression he had long suffered They shall extoll him as being King of Saints and shall acknowledge him just in his judgements punishing Antichrist and in his wayes true in performing all his promises made unto his people Having given you the observations from the former part of the verse namely from the seventh Trumpet and the voyces heard in heaven I now proceed to speake of the subject matter of these voyces The kingdomes of this world are become the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall raigne for ever and ever These words containe a glorious proclamation or declaration of the kingdome and raigne of Christ wherein we may take notice of these six particulars to be enquired into First What is meant by the kingdomes of this world Secondly How these kingdomes have been detained from Christ Thirdly How Christ will recover these kingdomes to himselfe Fourthly By what right Christ shall possesse them Fiftly The manner or nature of Christs raigne Sixtly The time and duration of his raigne Concerning the first thing namely what is meant by the kingdomes of this world we may easily perceive what they are by opposing them to the kingdome of Christ for these kingdomes of the world are diametrically opposit and contradistinct to the kingdome of Christ The kingdome of Christ is of a heavenly and spirituall nature Rom. 14. 17. It 's King Laws government and subjects are all spirituall it 's set up and advanced by no humane force or power but by that which is meerly divine Dan. 2. 45. Now the kingdomes of this world are called the kingdomes of men consisting of externall glory riches strength government policy that men by humane power have set up and doth act by In a word all the wisdome and policy all rule and government all power and strength all Constitutions and Lawes all the riches and glory of men of these are made up and formed the kingdoms of this world called the kingdomes of men Dan. 4. 25. consisting of worldly greatnesse externall glory humane policy outward strength advanced into the forme of rule government acted and brought forth by man this is the state glory and kingdome of the world Secondly How these kingdomes have been detained from Christ and that 's thus whereas Christ hath given forth his power by earthly men as by Kings and Princes of the earth according to that place in Pro. 8. 15 16. By me Kings reigne and Princes decree justice by me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth These have been the substitutes and deputies of Christ having received all their wisdome their strength their authority and dominion from him the Lord hath by these administred unto the world even by carnall fleshly wicked men by the Kings of the earth the Lord hath not administred by his people but by those that have raigned as Kings and Princes of the world Now this being so these Kings of the earth have committed fornication with the whore Rev. 17. 2. having mixed and joyned their power with hers and have with one consent and minde given up their power and strength unto