the primitive times a childe of it a daughter of it amongst the Saints of God now Ye have not Zion but a daughter of it and ye are not Zion but a daughter a generation descended from Zion or Zion descended a daughter of a Church in weaknes and in infirmity in captivity and this message unto you is Rejoyce greatly To the poor low weak infirme Saints of God in bondage and captivity they are the daughter of Zion the beloved of God owned to be the seed of Zion the children of Zion and when yee shall be nourished and fed with the bread of life and the milke of the Word ye will grow up to be Zion but as yet ye are tender weake feeble weak vessels subject to be spoild tempted carried away by the deceits of Satan by the vanities of the world yet tenderly beloved and much affected by God owned and acknowledged by Him to be His owne seed His own children bearing the Image of the heavenly Zion and having the nature of the mountaine of God in You and are indeed though in extream weaknesse and infirmity the seat and habitation and the rest of God Therefore Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion and ye are not only called to rejoycing but also to shouting Shout Your language you know is poor weak broken feeble the most that is heard amongst you is vaine disputes Genealogies boastings and gloryings in the spirit of Antichrist humane and fleshly wisdome exalting and glorying in it selfe but a savoury sound and spiritual voice is much in fears doubts demands in asking questions by people in the wildernesse Which is the way to Zion How shall we doe to know God Just like one that 's blinde asks which is my friend which is God How shall I know God from Satan Christ from Antichrist How shall wee doe to understand the voice of the LORD Here 's a low poor mean voice How is it What shall we doe How shall we live And what shall we doe to get this and that And what 's the matter These and such kinde of questions demands complaints are the voice that is here amongst you but yee are called to shouting shout shout let 's hear the voice of God amongst you the voice of a King Israel shouted Balaam prophesied That the shout of a King was in the midst of them The King is in you the King is with you and in you in victory triumphing in the meanest and lowest state and condition Ye may see by the Spirit of the LORD and faith the mighty power of God there is with us and in us the fulnesse of God all wisdome all righteousnesse all certainty all good conquering all evil all joy removing all sadnesse all sinne taken away therefore shout Turn your complaints into triumphs turn your demands and questions into liftings up the heart and spirit rejoyce in such acclamations as these I have found I am I enjoy Kingdome glory life Christ and every thing that is good Shout speak out speak aloud in the name of the LORD and say Yee are the children of the living God say God lives in you Let 's hear it aloud speak boldly confidently open your hearts largely and say Christ is in you I have Him I am with Him He is in me I am in Him here He is He dwels in me I am His Temple I see Him now I see the LORD my Saviour I have heard of Him with the hearing of the ear but now mine eyes see Him I have Him I enjoy Him Shout O daughter of Jerusalem Though the daughter of Zion and in weaknes and lownes yet the mountain of God begotten by God and though as yet in infirmity descended from heaven yet the daughter of Jerusalem and the City of God though very poor and very weak yet this is the state and condition of the daughter of Jerusalem that is the Jerusalem that is descended from above Come downe from heaven The glorious state of the Church in which are twelve foundations of the twelve Apostles twelve gates and twelve Angels all of precious stones all of pearls all of pure gold transparent as glasse all righteousnesse beauty glory all this is in us and We are the daughter of it all the glory and all the excellency of Jesus Christ and all his Apostles and Prophets are borne and brought forth in us all the beauty glory and excellency of Jesus Christ of all the Saints Prophets Apostles and Angels are brought forth in us thou art the daughter of it the daughter of Jerusalem a little Epitome of the heavenly Jerusalem a low and little childe and a babe of the heavenly Jerusalem and when thou growest up to know thy self and what thou art thou shalt be the mother of us all and the mother of all the riches of God thou art as I may say Christened and in this day of the LORD called by this name the habitation and riches of all the fulnes of the LORD the place where the infinite Deity the divine excellency delights to fix to settle to live this is thy state thou art that building that is not made with hands that is eternall in the heavens the daughter of it and when thou shalt grow up in the name and strength of the LORD then wilt thou appeare to be the Zion and Jerusalem of God O what need thou hast now of great joy How should thy heart be inlarged when thou art the seat and habitation of all the glory and excellency of God that ever shin'd forth in all the Saints Prophets and Apostles and Angels All this joy glory and excellencies must come forth from thee must be Produced from thee must be inlarg'd in thee O then what cause hast thou to rejoyce and to shout greatly Behold thy King cometh unto thee This Scripture hath been fulfilled once in the first appearing of the Lord Christ when there was great joy in Jerusalem at his triumphant riding through Jerusalem upon an Asse the multitude of people spread their garments in the way and others cut downe branches of trees and strewed in the way crying and saying Hosannah to the Sonne of David Blessed is hee that commeth in the Name of the LORD Hosannah in the Highest And it s now fullfiling the Second time by the Second appearing of the Lord by the Second and GREAT appearing of our Jesus by the coming of the Son of God not in infirmity and weaknesse but in the Majestie and Power of the Father in the Kingdome and Power of God and therefore Behold it Look out for it Look out of your bondage and captivity Looke forth of your feares and darke and troubled thoughts See who is here Open your Everlasting doores stand open yee Everlasting gates Open your everlasting eyes Open your spirituall eyes Look up Look up O yee lights of God Behold the KING of eternal glory Arise Awake and stand up out of your carnal humane and fleshly state into your heavenly and spiritual light
the meeknesse and lowlinesse of our King our Lord our Saviour This high and lofty One this King is very lowly very meek very mean very poor though a King though Lord of all And these two cannot consist in the thoughts of man that he should be a King and yet very lowly The narrow heart of man cannot match these two together the highest of glory in the lowest of man but though man cannot reach this God can He dwels with poore low broken man The greatest glory in the highest Majesty lives in the brokenest spirits and you will finde and see the LORD breaking forth shining forth in those that are the lowest of people those whose wisdome is dasht in pieces those who have lost their strength and confidence their Religion their forme of knowledge and worship that are fallen as some maliciously say from grace they had thought they had had some knowledge and acquaintance of God but now they see they know nothing they thought they were in a safe state and condition but now they see they are in a wildernesse in a desolate barren estate they had something but now they are nothing Thy King cometh to thee in this low estate in this darknesse in this nothingnes Thy King comes and hath humbled Himselfe in that state and condition and delights to take up His residence in thee Hee comes to thee as a thief having stolen away the riches and treasures in the house goes and lives in a poor cottage So the LORD hath stolen away the glory and greatnesse of the creature and then chooses it for his Habitation and then lives in lownesse in meannesse a lowly Lord hears the King I see the LORD saith the Soul in emptinesse in nothingnesse in weaknesse and infirmity Behold What 's here A Mighty GOD a Mighty KING cloathed in raggs One that hath all things and yet yee hear nothing but complaints Possessing all things and yet poor and begging His bread The LORD of Glory and yet in pitifull infirmitie in a meane low estate and none regards Him This is the pleasure of the LORD This is Thy good will Oh LORD Riding upon an Asse It was once fulfilled in a grosser way in a more literall way now wee finde the Lord in His Second Coming fulfilling of it in a more Spirituall way An Asse is the dullest of all the creatures the slowest dullest basest creature and that by which we expresse fooles a creature of scorn and contempt and it was that creature which in and under the Law was refused it might not bee Sacrificed the Law would not bee satisfied with it the Law was so choise so wise as I may say as it would not accept of an Asse yet this the LORD Chooses of all other Creatures This is the lowlinesse of My LORD to come in such a Meane state and condition upon a dull heavie poor scorned and contemptible Beast Riding upon exalting Himselfe upon a Poor despicable creature the worst of Creatures dull heavie slow beastly poor mean and low Creatures These the KING OF GLORY makes use of and not of the High Stout Lofty Horses You shal have some that are very quick nimble and light of foot highly carried up in the excellencies of the letter knowledge professions and formes and now they are as lofty as Horses and can be leaping from text to text from truth to truth and out-runne and runne round a poor dul and heavie Christian and knowledge hath so puffed them up that a poore mean low Christian is refused despised and scorn'd at But these are not they which the LORD Chooses but it is such as are in a low mean and dull way The wisdome of the LORD is condemned rejected and refused by the wisdome of the World and it s counted foolishnesse But the Lord wil Ride wil bee Exalted in the poor mean low despicable things of the world Riding upon an Asse Me thinks Christ should choose a better beast saith the Law wee will not accept of him and saith the letter we wil not accept of an Asse Doth not the Scripture say plainly wee wil not have an Asse But the Lord Christ chuses to come to such as are despised and in such a way as the Law rejects and as the letter disownes and as men contemnes And upon a Colt the foale of an Asse An Asse an ignoble Beast and upon a Colt too The foal of an Asse the weakest of that poor creature the foal the Colt sets forth the weaknesse insufficiency indiscretion and foolishnesse The foal of an Asse is simpler then the Asse it self The poor creature that hath no discretion no judgement no understanding of things so simple that hee knows nothing understands nothing is not acquainted with any thing to these Christ comes We looked for Christ to come in another way then so mean so low wee now a dayes look for great things Signes Myracles Wonders Professions Ordinances Ravishments Astonishments such as may take up our affections wisdomes and judgements This was the manner of the Jewes they refused Christs in lownesse and would not accept of him in such a mean estate even so the Jewish estate in our dayes is not forwarn'd by their fall to lye down and bee humbled but this Jew doth in a more mystery of iniquity oppose refuse and reject Christ Reioyce greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem for Behold thy King thy Lord thy Saviour cometh to Thee is with Thee in Thee Riding upon an Asse Hee hath the Highest of Severity and Justice Glory and Power in the lowest state in the meanest condition He comes Riding upon an Asse His way though disallowed disapproved of by legal perfection and looked upon by humane wisdome to bee simple and foolish yet Behold thy King cometh having justice and salvation Come rejoyce greatly Hee that wil not take Christ upon an Asse shal never receive him Thou that wilt not let him in coming in a low mean estate shal never injoy him This is the way My Lord chuses to come I choose this state I Ride in a simple foolish way disregarded disesteemed despised by the wisdome of the world and by the strength of man yet I am thy King thy Lord thy God thy Saviour and having Justice and Salvation The end of the third Sermon THE COMMING OF THE KINGDOM of GOD. LUKE 17.20 21 22. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdome of God should come he answered them and said The kingdome of God commeth not with observation Neither shall they say Loe here or loe there for behold the kingdom of God is within you c. THis Scripture is proposed to be opened wherin we finde the Pharisees and Disciples all enquiring concerning The kingdome of God A parallel Scripture with this is that in Mat. 24.3 A little of the appearing of God in Jesus Christ makes both Disciples and Pharisees enquire after the Kingdome of God and you may observe how the Pharisees as wel
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
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
into joy A Voice so powerfull so effectuall that doth indeed cause sighings and sorrowes to flee away eternall and everlasting joy saies Rejoyce A Fountain of joy filling US with joy saith rejoyce Joy it self speaks it self in US and saith Rejoyce I would not have you be troubled any longer I shall not be satisfied til I have wiped all teares from your eyes So long as you sigh you wound and pierce my heart I cannot be merry my self till my Spouse doe rejoyce with me So long as you are afflicted I mourn and your mirth is my rejoycing Therfore come let 's rejoyce together Let 's sing together Let Me be the matter of Thy joy Knowing Me Thou can'st not but rejoyce I know nothing troubles you but the absence of GOD. And there is no grief but this That GOD is absent Nothing displeases you but that GOD doth not Reign Nothing can disquiet a Saint but this That GOD is not exalted And therefore you shall be eased of your sadest thoughts and greatest perplexities and Yee shall see that which will abundantly comfort you Yee shall see your King Ye shall see the LORD Reign This Reign shall be in you Thy King commeth unto thee Our God knowes our troubles and knowes how to apply a remedy He knows what mounds US to see sin and Satan lifting up their heads so high to see the honour of our God in the dust to see this that Christ is crucified to see that we are any thing but GOD this is our sorrow this is our mourning and our God comes to US and removes this sadnesse Indeed we will not rejoyce till we see our KING we refuse to be comforted because We are not Rachel mourning for her children refusing to be comforted because they were not We will renounce all comforts without the presence of a God We will not rejoyce but in this Joy and yet in obedience to this voyce to this Lord we cannot but rejoyce We have all joy in speaking We rejoyce at the heart with joy unspeakable and full of glory We are full of the glory of God and therefore Wee rejoyce greatly Rejoyce Greatly Every thing in US must rejoyce in God every thing must be satisfied and fild with joy ther 's no true mirth except it be universall mirth universall satisfaction if every part be not fil'd the whole cannot be pleased if we have not all Joy but if our God gives US all Joy it is so great as to fill US every one and fill every one full This joy and rejoycing is the Infinite End and Answer of fullnesse and when God doth fill us full the Rebound of this fullnesse is joy The Lord filling us so with Himself that wee returne back again into himself filling us so full that wee flow out this is our joy when we have so much as wee can hold no more when wee are weary of râ—ceiving pouring back to Him that gave us all This is our JOY and Rejoyceing So long as ther 's a defect and want wee cannot rejoyce til all are compleatly satisfied Indeed all Heavenly joy is great hath a greatnesse and glory and Majesty in it we are never so awfull and terrible to our enemies as when we are singing and rejoycing we are mighty strong and powerfull in joy the joy of God makes US to bee Great persons Eminent persons and our joy is heightened and doth daily rise higher and higher it growes continually fuller and fuller and the Spirit of the LORD doth screw us and winde us up to the highest note of joy great HIGH and Excellent joy It pleaseth thee Oh Lord our GOD to hear our voices lifted up Oh how it pleaseth the Lord to have a Triumphing joy in US as that wee should wholly forget all sorrow that wee should bee even wilde and drunke with joy that wee should even forget our selves in great rejoycing Rejoyce greatly leape dance and sing greatly Le ts have the largest of your hearts the largest of your affections and wee will fill them with joy doe not live like low mean and base persons but Great persons in the greatest height Not the joy of Common Men or Common Creatures but the highest joy the fullest joy Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion The Affections and love of God makes us rejoyce And finding God a heart full of love makes US to have hearts full of joy to heare God breake forth in expressions of love makes us break forth in expressions of joy when he cryes Oh my love then we doe sing with joy and when hee is in paine to deliver Himself into us to deliver us into Himselfe then do we rejoyce when Wee finde our God ravisht with love taken enamoured with us Oh Daughter Wee cannot but rejoyce when we see great love large expressions of the favour of our God then wee are well pleased O Daughter of Zion What a sweet Name is this It shews our relation though at a distance from him it shews our tendernesse and weaknesse yet the delight and pleasure that the Lord our Husband takes to us and in us Zion is the mountain of GOD Mount Zion the mountain of the LORD and we are the Daughter of this mountaine the Daughter of the LORD Take it as in a generation removed and the further we are removed from God the more need have wee of consolation and the greater love The heavenly state of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Apostles ye know is called mount Zion Ye are come to mount Zion to Jerusalem the City of the living God GOD dwelling with His people in a manifestation of his own Spirit and presence is mount Zion Jesus Christ exalted in the resurrection and His people walking with Him and in Him is mount Zion and the poor Saints of God at this time are but the daughter of this in the purest and best estate it is but the daughter of Zion dwelling with the daughter of Babylon the daughter of Zion in captivitie The uttermost that you have and enjoy and know of God it is but that Gospel-state removed or something that the Spirit of the LORD begets in you in some proportion and sutablenes unto the state that Christ and his Apostles had That uttermost Spirit of the LORD forming in you and begetting in you something of Himself and of His own grace that hath though in weaknesse and infirmity some likenesse to that state the Church lived in in the primitive times and that is I acknowledge and confesse the daughter of that the daughter of that faith the daughter of that love the daughter of that Gospel and the daughter of that presence of God though in infirmity and weaknesse a childe and that a female and in captivity in Babylon None hath this state and condition pure and perfect but mingled with darknesse and weaknes with much Antichristianisme This wee owne there is some similitude and likenesse of the state which was in deed and in truth in
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
salvation where ever he is Saith Antichrist I 'le give you a cleare discovery of all things I 'le give you peace No saith the Elect I am already with Christ I am nothing but what He is Hee is nothing but what I am I am with Him and in Him He is with me and in me why should I goe out after another For as the lightning c. Jesus Christ is the lowest state and condition in which you can be and he comes quick as lightning and then as lightning wil give you and is giving you the ful discovery of all things When he is in you at the depth the lowest point the centre of hell the bottom of the grave it is that hee might give you a full Restoration of all things The lightning from east to west makes east and west meet together so this appearing of the Son of God darkens flesh confounds man and makes the highest glory of God to be in the lowest pit and takes the lowest state of darknesse into the highest pich of light By these flashes flesh shal be blasted and destroied and consumed These blasts of the Spirit of the Lord doth open US and enlarge US to a large comprehension of all things of all in the East of all in the West of all above and all below Til wee be low we can't be high til we be the worst we cannot be the best and we are best when we are worst in the greatest darknesse He is present in the bottom and heart of such tribulations that all before it is nothing to it and nothing is like it that comes after it In this tribulation not to see and know Jesus Christ in this tribulation to have longing desires and then to have peace and deliverance seemingly tendered to us by a tempter we cannot but obhor it to have joy and gladnesse sounded in our eares and not be able to touch it What an extreamity is here The absence of the highest good the presence of the greatest evill our desires not answered by God and answered by Satan Out of this darknesse wil Christ arise out of the extreamity of deaths and confusions doth the Son nf God arise it is as nesesary ye should bee brought into this state as it is that the Night should go before the Day But first must hee suffer many things and be rejected of this generation The Desciples of God shal not injoy Christ til they have rejected him Ye must forsake him and leave him and bee Pharisees and persecute him before ye can be Coroned with Him That which is in a high degree malignity in the Pharisees is in a lesse degree and qualified in the Disciples the Pharisees killing the Disciples departing it s all flesh man weaknesse and ignorance Before any man see The Kingdome of GOD he must first reject it Doe ye long to see the Kingdome of GOD Do ye say When wil it come How shal I see it Where is it Ye shal not see it til He suffers by you Ye shal do him many injuries before ye know him Ye shal be offended at him ye shal stumble and fall and reject him before ye finde him Ye shal never be acquainted with Christ til ye know that ye have Murthered Him til ye have killed Him and beheaded Him and hanged Him He must suffer many things of YOV He must be rejected of the best of you and the best in you and the best of the best of you Ye shal reject hate and persecute Him before the kingdome of GOD can come in you Object I know you wil say Must wee be guilty of this wickednesse Is there such wretchednes in the heart of man to doe thus Why have you such hard thoughts of us Thus speaks the flesh But thus saith the LORD The Son of man must suffer many things from this generation Christ must suffer from some and be rejected by others some are so wicked as to kill him others so unbelieving as to forsake him some so cruel as to slay him some so faint as to leave him and not to own him some revile him others shake their heads and cannot tel what to think of him some cry out violently against him others are not able to speak a word for him Ye shal never see the LORD til ye can say this is he whom we have peirced this is he that I reviled that I hated Thus speaks Christ If ye stand upon termes and say What we crucifie Christ O God forbid that we should crucifie our Saviour the LORD of glory What we that are Gods own People Jews and Disciples we that are his own deare Children and shall be saved by him To whom Christ wil say If I suffer not by you I will not be deliverance to you If ye are so nice and curious that ye wil not make me a sacrifice ye shal never feed upon me If ever you see me you wil see you have pierced and murthered me I will save none but those that kill me If ye wil not owne that ye have slaine me ye shall not injoy me ye shal never eat my flesh and drinke my bloud unlesse ye slay my flesh and spill my bloud Jesus Christ suffers by all men which is clear in this That in all ye have in al that ye doe in all that ye are and in al that ye speak nothing is free from the bloud of Jesus nothing that ye doe speak live or act in the highest devoutest and most glorious way ye wil finde is nothing but Murther Murther and Bloud killing the LORD of life Yea It is necessary he must suffer by you hee wil not finde a throne in you til he hath found a grave in you heâ— wil not be raised in you til he hath been dead and buried in you ye shal never see him in the resurrection til ye see him kil'd and then he wil rise againe in your hearts this Son of righteousnesse wil arise with healing in his wings to your everlasting joy peace and comfort The end of the fifth Sermon THE EXCELLENCY OF THE LOVE of GOD. PSALM 36.7 8. How Excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God! therfore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall be aboundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drinke of the river of thy pleasure THis Psalm doth fitly set forth unto us the estate and condition of these times wherin wickednes increaseth and so in the former part of the Psalm is a discovery of wickednesse ver 3. the words of his mouth are iniquity and deseit he hath left of to be wise and to doe good Men now speak nothing but wickednesse and deceit and have left off to be wise they have left off to doe good and set themselves in a way which is not good abhorre not evil And what should we do when there is such wickednesse in the earth In the fift verse Thy mercy O Lord is in
carry us to God Christ comes down to us we come down into the world to trade traffick and deal for God So in all this the favour that God gives to us is to give US a Propriety with Himself over Himself Neverthelesse Neither is the Man without the Woman nor the Woman without the Man in the LORD For as the Woman is of the Man even so is the Man also by the Woman These two are unseperable Man and Woman In the LORD they are unpartable It 's Sin and Satan the accuser of the breathren that makes a breach between these two The Man is not without the Woman nor the Woman without the Man Yee never see God but with Christ in his bosome you never hear of a God but you hear of a Christ too GOD will never speak or act any thing but with Christ And yee never see Christ without his Church Ye never see the Son of God but ye see the Spouse in his bosome If ever Christ be torne ffo from God it is by violence of Death of Satan and of Sin If ever wee bee rent from the bosome of Christ it s by the Devil Death and Sin Yet then when wee are rent from him are we with him When Christ was in the lowest estate in hel hee was in Heaven also Noe one is descended from Heaven but he which is in Heaven Ye never finde God without Christ nor Christ without the Church nor Man without Woman Yee never finde the Church without Christ nor Christ without God nor Woman without the Man If ye finde a Church without Christ t is a Harlot if you finde a Christ without a God 't is an Antichrist The true Church is alwayes as the Woman never without the Man you never finde her but in banishment in sin without the Man you never finde Cirist without God nor the Woman without the Man in the LORD In the LORD If these two are partable it 's not in the LORD it 's without the LORD but if they are reconciled in the LORD they are never parted Neither is the Man without the Woman Neither is the Woman without the Man Therefore give us leave to disclaim a God without a Christ or a Christ without a People Ye do not see God except ye see Christ ye see not Christ but ye see GOD also yee see not Christ but you see your selfe It is not true Christ only Christ THE Christ except thou seest him in thy owne person except thou seest thy self with him If thou seest him one and thy self another it s a Sad sight an Ill sight it s no true fight you cannot see the Son but you must see your self with him see him in the highest glory that you can you see him not right except you see your self there Man is not without the Woman If you would give God an exaltation above your self hee will not God saith I will not be exalted except my Son be there God will not exalt his Son where you are not And the Son saith I will not be where you are not I cannot be where you are not I cannot bee without you The Man is not without the Woman Neither the Woman without the Man You cannot be without Christ you cannot possibly bee The wife and spouse without Christ And if thou art sick he is sick with thee if thou art tempted he is tempted with thee if thou art afflicted hee is afflicted also Christ cannot be any where but the Father is with him I am not alone the Father is with me when he was in the lowest condition that could bee when God seemed to leave him yâ—t he was really with him and when he was in death then he was in death too when Christ suffered and dyed God suffered and dyed it was the bloud of GOD If I go down to hel thou art there And when thou knowest thy selfe to bee the wife and spouse of Christ then thou canst say I am in hel indeed but my Lord is with me I am in hel in death and sorrow but Christ is with mee The Woman is not without the Man All the violence of Satan cannot take the Son from the Father If he doth take him any whither the Father will go with him yea though the Son doth go away the Father goes along with him into that humiliation Neither can any thing rend us from the bosome of the Father but if we be or hereafter may bee by temptation rended from him yet wee shall see our Lord in temptation Where the one is the other is where one is both are The Man is not without the Woman He saith I have no glory but what thou hast wee say wee have no weaknesse but what thou hast Thus doth the LORD our GOD enterchange with us He makes US High and great with Him and makes Himself Low and Nean with US And this is another reason that secures that power which is given to us And though she rule over me yet I rule because she is my self And though I give her my power I give her my will too Fo 't is what I please And saith Christ though I give it you yet t is mine and there is nothing in you but my will yea for my good And as I give you my will so I give you my power and you cannot abuse me be cause you are my self No one hateth his own flesh but loves and cherisheth it And when you exercise this power over me it is my self The Woman is not without the Man In communion you are now the Man and I the Woman as I was the man and you the woman as I was mighty in you and you weak in me as I was weak in you and you mighty in me If the Husband should reserve any thing from the Wife then the Husband would be without the Wife If God should reserve any thing from Christ and did not communicate his uncommunicablenes And with all things his power then God would be some where where Christ is not or Christ some where where God is not Or if Christ had power without the Father then he would be some thing that the Father is not If the Father were not in subjection with the Son the Son would be some thing that the Father is not If I did not give you that power that I have by my spirit I should still be something without you And if you should be the subjector and I not servant then would you be some thing without me which I cannot indure I be nothing but what you are and you shall be nothing but what I am There would still be some jarres between us if there wrre any thing un-made-over ungiven If thou did est not take every thing that we have into Thee and set it on high we could not be exalted And if thou did'st not take our meannes and subjection upon Thee and walk in the flesh we could not enjoy Thee Heer 's another reason As the woman is
is not without a glorious light a bright shining light It 's by daies But more particularly I will give God Himself will give this inward spirituall glorious light of Himself Hee will give to his two witnesses a more Immediate discovery of Himself a more Divine and Heavenly light then to all the World besides More Spirituall light more life more grace more glory shall appeare when there shall bee an explicateing and unfolding of the secret but sweet Name of the LORD The LORD saith it This I will doe and the LORD doth whatsoever He saith I will give unto my two witnesses MY two witnesses The two witnesses are described to bee two Olive trees and two Candlesticks standing before the GOD of the whole Farth I the LORD will give unto MY witnesses To my TWO witnesses The LORD hath TWO Witnesses that testify concerning Himself which are Christ and the Spirit Two witnesses first the Son then the Spirit first Christ in flesh and then Christ in Spirit These are the two Olive trees Through which the golden Oyle of the God-head and Dietie runnes into the Church into the two golden Candlesticks That Holy anointing which runnes through the flesh and Spirit of Christ into the Saints whereby they come to bee the Holy Anointed ones of GOD and these two testifie that there is a God in the Earth The first Witnesse is Christ in the flesh testifying in weaknesse in lownesse in meannesse and this is the Olive tree on the left hand The other Witnesse is Christ in spirit in more power and glory testifying or bearing Witnesse to GOD in more brightnesse strength and power and this is The Olive tree on the right hand Christ in Majestie Christ exalted And I will give to my two witnesses I I the LORD will give I the Father wil give It 's the proper nature of the Father to give to send forth from Himself And they to whom the Lord gives are first Christ in flesh and secondly Christ in Spirit And these testifie and shew forth what God is And they shall prohesie a thousond two hundred and sixty daies clothed in sackcloth Such is the wisdome of GOD that when he will have the holy City the outward court left to the Gentiles to worldly Professours to be trodden under foot it 's for so many moneths It s for a space of time measured by the Moon But he will give to his two witnesses to prophesie by daies They shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty daies The course of the Moon is by months The course of the Sun is by daies A day is measured by the Sun as a moneth is by the Moon And it is to be observed that though the prophesying of the Witnesses be reckoned by shorter and quicker spaces daies being shorter then moneths yet is for a speciall reason to signify that this time of the prophesying of the witnesses is a day-time it 's a day the day of the Lord. And though the Gentiles time is more in bulk by moneths yet it is no more then the time of the prophesie of the witnesses is by daies It 's a glorious time it 's the time of the appearing of the Sonne of righteousnesse though it be reckoned by daies yet it is the same time and of as long continuance as the other that is reckoned by moneths When the outward Court is trampled under foot by the Gentiles forty two moneths then the two witnesses are prophesying a thousand two hundred and sixty daies I wil give you a particular reason why the time of the witnesses prophesying is reckoned by daies It is to note the infinite variety of dispensations in the prophesying of the witnesses In which time are many sweet bright shining daies many excellent discoveries many glorious mysteries are voutsafed unto the People of God in the time of their prophesying and yet the nature of their prophesie is They are cloathed in sackcloth It is a darke mournfull expression holding forth thus much That they are in a dark low course sad mean and poor estate and but prophesying neither The LORD comes and sets up his two witnesses Christ in flesh and Christ in spirit He gives two witnesses of himself the flesh of Christ and the spirit of Christ the one to be crucified the other to revive the one prophesying and foretelling what shall be in sackcloth in a very dark low mean estate the other prophesying and fore-telling heavenly things to come More high more glorious more divine discoveries are made known by the Spirit of Christ then by the flesh of Christ And these are the two Olive trees and two golden chandlesticks standing at the right hand and left hand of the God of the whole earth To my two witnesses There are many and various interpretations that People doe make of these two Witnesses which though very remote from the inward and spirituall pith and marrow yet they may bear some Analogie or proportion with the minde of the Spirit as they are a dark figure of truth and in their greatest distance may be gathered up into these two Christ in flesh and Christ in Spirit Some interpret them to be the Magistracy and Ministry this is a very darke interpretation and very remote from the Adequate sense and meaning of the place and yet it may hold forth some-thing of truth in it it being a dark figure of the Magistracy and Ministry of Christ Christ a Minister a Servant a Prophet a Priest So he is in the flesh Christ a Lord a King Reigning Governing and so he is the Spirit Some again interpret them to be the two Testaments the old and the new which they call Law and Gospel A remote and dark figure still of Ghrist in flesh and Spirit Christ in flesh having much in it of the nature of the old Testament Christ in Spirit the new man the LORD from heaven having much in it of the nature of the new Covenant or new Testament But it 's generally understood to be the Saints of God and to speake in proper language these are the Saints of God or the holy ones of God Christ in the Spirit Christ in the flesh and Christ in Spirit where these two are bearing witnesse in any they are the Saints of God they are the holy ones of God These are the two Olive trees spoken of and the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth Zech. 4. last verse These are the two holy anointed ones of God If the question be What be these two Olive trees which through the golden pipes empty the golden oyle out of themselves It 's answered They are the two anointed ones of God It 's too much for men meer men to be the Olive trees or the Olive branches arising out of the root of God emptying the golden Oyle out of themselves for men take oyle into themselves but Christ in flesh and spirit gives forth the golden Oyle into the two golden candlesticks The Spirit
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