Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	angel_n	dragon_n	fight_v	3,032	5	9.6120	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

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

this is no appearance of that second glory which shall be revealed which the Lord hasten in his due time I shall now in the fifth place speak of the suddenesse of the Lord his appearance therefore pray mind the Prophet Isaiah in his 66. 7 8. where speaking of that marvelous change which shall be wrought in the world at that great restoring of all things saith before she that is the Church travelled she brought forth before her pain came she was dilivered of a man child and then he calls upon all to take notice of this strange work saying who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such a thing shall the earth be made to bring forth in a day or shall a nation be born at once for as soon as Sion travelled she brought forth her children shewing the suddenness of that marvellous work which the Lord will perform when he delivers his people out of their captivity wherein they have lain captivated among the nations for so many ages So the Evangelist Matthew speaking of the suddenness of the Lords appearing in chap. 24. 27. saith For as the lightning cometh out of the East and shineth unto the west so shall the coming of the son of man be now what can be more sudden then lightning for mark the effects of lightning it is a glory so sudden and so quick as a man cannot compare any thing to be so sudden for it spreads in a moment so speedily as a mans thought cannot be more sudden or speedy so in the same chapter the 44. verse he saith therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as you think not the son of man cometh The like Marke 13. 35. speaking of the sudden approach of the Lord Jesus he exhorteth them watch ye therefore for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh at even or at midnight or at the cock crowing or in the morning lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping So Luke the 12. 39. where exhorting them how they should carry themselves in regard of the Lords sudden appearing he saith And this know that if the good man of the house had known at what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not have suffered his house to have been broken up be you therefore ready also for the son of man cometh in an hour when ye think not on The like warning gives the Apostle Paul the first Thessalonians 5. 2. in his exhortation unto them he saith For ye your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thiefe in the night for when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction as travell upon a woman so likewise the same Apostle Paul in the first of the Corinthians 15. 52. where speaking of that great change which should be wrought upon those that are alive at the Lords appearing saith In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump In all which places it is cleer from the word of God without contradiction that the Lords appearing will be sudden and unexpected I shall now in the sixth place speak of the severall enemies the people of the Lord Jesus have had in these severall dispensations As first no sooner did the Lord Jesus appear to go about to exercise his ministry and to gather disciples and to make himself known to the world but the divell under the notion of the Dragon by his head which I conceive were the Emperours and by his tail which were false Ministers with the Scribes and Pharisees did go about to persecute him untill hee had by his instruments wrought his death and so he was caught up to heaven Revel the 12. and 5. So likewise after our Saviours Ascension into heaven and the promise of the holy Ghost being come upon the Apostles and the Church being cloathed with the sun or spirit and having a crown of twelve starrs that is the Apostles beginning to exercise their Commission in distributing the Ordinances and in gathering of Churches immediately the Dragon transforms himself into an Angel of light and creeps in amongst them and doth trouble and afflict them in their Ministry and this all the Apostles complain of in their severall Epistles And these false Apostles which were crept into the Church I conceive to be the tail of the Dragon by which he did draw the third part of the starrs of heaven and did cast them unto the earth Secondly the Dragon not being content in persecuting the Church by false Ministers which were his tail but he likewise falls to persecute them by his head which is the Emperour and the Magistrate of the Empire which lasted three hundred yeers all the time of the Ten persecutions and by troubles and afflictions he doth waste and spoil the Church of Jesus Christ which time I conceive to be that battell which was in heaven wherein Michael fought and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels in which battell the Dragon is cleerly cast out of heaven For whereas before when there was but little persecution in respect of the heat which was during the later persecutions the Dragon had still some false Ministers among the saints under the vizard of true Christians now in the heat of this persecution they all not being sincere did not abide the tryall but like as chaffe in a fresh winde is divided from the good seed so in the violence of persecution the good seed continued immovable but the chaffe was scattered and so the Dragon was cast unto the earth and his Angels were cast out with him And yet notwitstanding all this the Church increaseth and goeth on conquering in despite of the dragon for it is said Revel 12. 21. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death Which shews plainly that notwithstanding the Dragon did what hee could by his head and tail yet neverthelesse the people of Jesus Christ did still prevail to the overthrow of the Dragon and his Angels by the help of Michael which is Jesus Christ and did cast him and his Angels out of heaven unto the earth And for the exposition of the Dragons head to be such as are in Authority and for his tail to be false Ministers it is the exposition of the holy Ghost by Isaiah in the 9th chapter and 15th verse The ancient and honourable he is the head and the Prophet that teacheth lies he is the tail And thus the Dragon did afflict the people of the Lord Jesus in the first dispensation which lasted according to the accompt of Mr Fox in his Acts and Monuments of the Church of England to the yeer from the Nativity of Christ 324 in the first Volume pag. 520. Now the Dragon having received this repulse being cast unto the earth he now tryes another course for whereas he failed by his subtilty in thrusting in false Apostles amongst the Churches and also

the utmost parts of the world and this is that time as I conceive of that battell which was in heaven in which the great dragon was cast out that old Serpent called the divel which deceives the whole world he was cast into the earth and his angels were cast out with him Rev. 12. 9. and this flourishing condition of the people of the Lord Jesus is fully set forth in those severall places Rev. 6. 2. 11. 1. 12. 1 2. in all which places there is mention made of a building and increasing condition of the Church of the Lord Jesus and to this particular I have met with no objection But secondly That the Church did by degrees decline and fall into a slumbring condition is a truth which needs some cleering therefore pray mind our Saviour Mat. 13. 25. speaks of the servants being a sleep and in his 25 Chapter and 5th verse he speaks that while the bridegroome tarried all slumbred and slept which cleerly shews that there was a time in which the peace and tranquility of the Church by that Riches which did come into her by means of Constantine the first Christian Emperour did cause her to be negligent and to forget her watchfulness and by degrees to suffer Antichrist to get possession of her and this is set forth by Saint Paul 2 Thes. 2. 3. where speaking of the day of Christ he saith that that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition and is further set forth though mystically Rev. 8. in the sounding of the 2. 3. 4 and 5 trumpets I shall speak of the trumpets as they ly in order where in the 8. verse it is said And the second Angel sounded and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the Sea and the third part of the Sea became bloud and the third part of the Creatures which were in the Sea and had life died and the third part of the ships were destroyed which as I conceive at the sounding of the second trumpet the Roman Empire under Constantine being the great mountain which is a phrase usuall in Scripture was cast into the sea that is as I conceive into the Church which is compared unto the sea by reason of the many afflictions which like waves follow one in the neck of another burning with zeale like fire and the same Emperour granting such priviledges unto the Churches as immediately the third part of the Creatures which were in the sea and had life died and the third part of the ships were destroyed that is the third part of the particular Churches of Jesus Christ began to fall away and decline from the truth of the Gospel by means of that outward peace and riches which now they had gained in the world by favour of Princes towards them But it may be asked this question what proofe I have to compare the Churches to ships To which I answer that Isaiah in the 33. Chapter of his prophesie compares the Church to a ship which will be a sufficient answer as I conceive And then in the tenth verse it is said And the third Angell sounded and there fell a great star from heaven burning as it were a lamp and it fell upon the third part of the Rivers and the fountains of water and the name of the star is called Wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter which as I conceive the starr was the Bishop of Rome beginning to apostate and by degrees to corrupt the Scripture with his false glosse and corrupt doctrine in so much as many seeming Christians died of the waters that is of the corrupt glosse and false interpretation of the Scripture And then at the sounding of the fourth Trumpet it is said And the third part of the Sun was smitten and the third part of the Moon and the third part of the stars so as the third part of them was darkned and the day shone not for a third part of it and the night likewise that is as I conceive the third part of the spirit began to be darkened in respect of its operation unto the Lords people as it was in the first Gospel times that is in respect of those miracles and gifts of the spirit which the former Christians were indued with and the ordinances like unto the Moon which received their light from the sun or spirit began to be corrupted with mens traditions for a third part of them and the third part of the eminent Christians began to lose their beauty and luster wherein they shined unto the Church and the day and night not shining for a third part I take to bethe Church in generall losing the third part of her beauty in all which places is laid down though mystically the declining condition of the Lords people and how by degrees the people of the Lord Jesus did fall to a slumbring condition and did suffer themselves to fall off from the integrity of the Gospel And to this also I have met with no objections being so known as that it is scarce denied by any man except it be by Chatholicks I shall now come to speake of that third particular namely That sleepy or dead condition of the people of the Lord Jesus and for proof of this pray take notice of these places for to this condition almost all the Prophets bear witness namely Isaiah 6. 13. the Prophet compare the Church unto a teyl-tree or an oak in winter time when they cast their leaves shewing that the deadness of this condition of Gods people will be such as it will have no outward beauty but be like a tree in winter time without leaves yet nevertheless it shall have its substance in it for the holy seed shall be the substance thereof So likewise Isaiah the 10. 25. and 28. 22. the prophet fore-tels that there shall be a consumption in the midst of the land that is as I conceive a sleepiness or deadness upon the outward face of all the Administrations Likewise in Cha. 32. 13 the prophet foretels that upon the Land of my people speaking in the person of God shall come up bryers and thornes yea upon all the houses of joy in the joyous City and then in the 14. verse he shews how it shall come to passe that is because the palaces shall be forsaken the multitude of the Cities shall be left the forts and towers which I take mystically to signifie the Churches shall be for dens for ever a ioy of wild asses a pasture of flocks And in the 15. verse he shews the time how long it shall be which is untill the spirit shall be poured upon us from on high and the wilderness be a fruitfull field and the fruitfull field be counted as a forrest thus much for Isaiah Now let us here what the Prophet Ezekiel doth

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