figure and so our Saviour takes in both he takes in the holy citty in the letter which Jerusalem was before Christs coming and he takes in the holy city in the mistery earthly Jerusalem among the Gentiles which was to run the very same race and course and to drink of the same cup with litteral Jerusalem and therefore you find in Revel 11. that very expression the holy Citty shall be troden under foot the same that our Saviour says of Jerusalem in the letter till the time of Papisme be fulfilled that is the 4th Beast under the last head so that from she expiring of those times commence these signes and this is a good step that we have gained to see where to pitch the Epocha of those signes now as to the true import of these signes there hath been great darkning of the sun and the moon and the starrs and the powers of the heavens have been shaken at the opening of the 6th seal But they have not been fulfilled as they were here intended those signes were to commence from the end of the 42. months or from Michaels standing up which is all one time as I conceive and brings us to the morning watch when those signes are to have their fulfilling under Daniels second number or under that space of 45. prophetical dayes added to the 1290. days in the first number Now then let us consider what these signes do import first let me shew you this place whence our Saviour takes these signes which it may be you have not considered for I did not of a long time till it was presented to me and I think it is that which will hold and will obtain your assent likewise Our Saviour as he did answer the Devil by Scripture and did delight to teach by Scripture so he shews the day of the Lord and the day of his coming by Scripture the place is Joel 2.31 where you have these words the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into bloud before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come and so chap. 3.15 Here is the very Mother text from whence our Saviour takes these signes he speaks here according to Scripture according to the prophets for our Saviour in his ministry spake by Scripture though he was Lord of the Scriptures as well as of the Sabbath yet did he speak by the Prophets and by the Scriptures to teach us to do so Now you know the sun and the moon and the starrs take them generally they are the greater and lesser lights of the world if you take them distributively some look upon the sun as the primitive light the original light the moon as representing worldly things and the light of humane affaires to be signified by that and the light of men whereby they walk in religion is exprest by the sun the starrs to be eminent lights whether in Church or state this is the common understanding of these things and we shall not dissent from that Now that which I would hold forth to you in these signes is this there is a 3 fold fulfilling of them 1. There is a sinful darkning of the Sun 2. There is a penal darkning of the Sun 3. And what shall I say a gracious darkning of the Sun or a dispensational darkning of the Sun and that which I would deliver to you in the opening of these is this I have with me the light of fulfiling going before me for that I shall say to you So that I shall tell you matter of fact matter of history in these things these signes have had their eminent fulfilling amongst us and in our sight and yet but little notice taken thereof First let me premise these two things time and place the time I have spoke of already I shall add only that it is not in every time that these signes were capable of being fulfilled but it must be in and from a time of great light of great liberty of great reformation from the begining of the performance of promises and of Christs kingdom that these signes must take effect For look you it would not be otherwise said properly the sun to be darkned that is dark before that the sun from it's shining forth in it's splendor and glory to be darkned there is the signe and the moon in its brightness to be turned into blood there is the signe and the starrs from shewing themselves in the height of heaven to fall from heaven there is the sign Now next for the place or subject in which these are to shew themselves that is another thing it is not to be limited or confyned to Babylon or Rome strictly taken for we shall finde that these expressions are spoken of Babylon and Idumea Esa 34. and in other places But I say the subject that these signs do operate upon and the heavens in which they are to shew themselves they are more large it is this old world this old state of things take it in it's utmost latitude and extent this old state of things let it be found amongst those that spit at Rome and at Popery and think scorn that they should be in the least tax with it Having promised these 2 things concerning time and place that these signs shew themselves at such a time after a great light and reformation and they will spread themselves all over Now I come to those 3 things the sinful the paenal and the dispensational fulfilling of these signs and all these you may consider them in the 3 fold orb and sphear I shall only give you a little short character of the fulfilling of these in each When a people of high and raised principles and profession shall degenerate and sit down in low vile and base practises This is one fulfilling of this signe of darkning the sun a spiritual Orb and sphear in a sinful way and let me tell you these signes have been upon us and had we been spiritual and acquainted with the Scripture we might have read the doom of the political and the Ecclesiastical state of things therein 2. The Second the political sphear the darkning of the sun there I would express thus when those that had the cause of God in their hands the cause of religion and the liberties of men when they did deflect and turn aside to a private interest to seek themselves when they did I say sit down in self interest self-seeking and ambition and neglected that plough that they had put their hands to then was the sun darkned in the political sphear sinfully this was a sinful darkning a sinful infirmity or weakness in the political sphear 3. Thirdly the Ecclesiastical sphear I will describe that thus when those that have groaned under the yoke and bondage of Antichrist and have found mercy and have been brought up from under deck when they shall wantonise it and forget the goodness of God and shall go about to build the things that they had destroyed and
although we do not hear of them every day I should now come to shew the nature of this coming of Christ which is here held forth to us in these words When he will return from the wedding but before I come to them I must make a little use of that word I have already hinted Use First if it be so that we are in the days of the son of man that is in that generation which Christs speaks of in Math. 24. and the other Evangelists when these signes of his coming are to have their course and in the rear of them all Christ is to appear I say if we be in that generation which probably is that 45 years spoken of by Daniel at the end of 1290. days and which 45 years I have told you by computation is one half of it run out or very near for there is but this difference between chronologers of a matter of 3 years from whence the 1290 commence either in 360 or 363. from Christ All agree it was in Julians time and some say in 360 others say in 363. there is but that difference and so accordingly they came out in 1650 or 53. so that I say there must be half or very neer of the 45 days following expyred Use Then in the first place this shews us that there hath been nothing in all that cry that hath been of the day of the Lord which hath been proclaimed by several voices and by several spirits and indeed the disreputation that hath been brought upon it by some mouths and spirits that have been the trumpeters of it hath made others I say it hath made many sober and cautious spirits decline it and to have no pleasure in it But if that would be a good argument against the truth because the devil himself doth acknowledg it surely then men should have disowned Christ in this day For you know that spirits of divination and unclean spirits did confess him and acknowledge him and such as were reputed devilish but the truth was nevertheless the truth for being taken up by unclean lips The intent of this Use is that we may gather up and not lose even that testimony which hath been given of the day of the Lord and that from good evidence from the sence of it the experience of it the feelings of the workings of it in the spirits and affairs of men Surely there can be no account given of these wonderful changes that we have seen not only in this outward world but in the inward world too unhinging and unhorsing and bringing down all the glory of man I say no other account of it can be given but that the days of the son of man are come in It 's true they are mixt days and so I told you all along Neither day nor night neither clear nor dark as Zachariah says in his 14. chap. They are days by themselves as I may say days full of trouble as Daniel says it shall be a time of trouble such as never was and yet days that have in the womb of them such a birth such a glorious birth and blessing for the world for the whole creation as well as the people of God as no former times have had They are days as I may say wherein Christ is in the mount with God ereating and taking instructions as I may speak with holy reverence for the administration of his kingly office in this world as Moses the typical mediator was in the mount 40. days and 40 nights receiving his instructions for the people let not the expression offend you it is said in the Psalms give thy jadgments O God to the king and thy righteousness to the kings son Which need be no more strange to us that Christ should receive his judgments from the father then that he should receive the revelations from the father which he owns the revelation that God gave to him to shew unto his servants things shortly to come to pass Now because I have mentioned that of Moses do but consider what fell out in the mean time Moses was in the mount with God and although the people had seen the Lord coming down upon the mount after such a terrible manner yet while Moses lingered and stayed in the mount they fell to Idolatry they made the calf is not this a wonderful thing that they should go turn aside I tell you there hath been as great an apostacy from these days of Christ from that hope and that witness that was given of the day of the Lord but it is no other then what our saviour himself had foretold us Math. 25. there you finde the virgins going forth to meet the Bridegroom it is said there was a cry at midnight saying behold the bridegroom cometh and yet after all this while the Bridegroom tarryed they all slumbered and slept and so it is at this day these days of the son of man are not exclusive of trouble and of strange spirits the devil when he sees that men are awakened and he cannot hinder it but they have an expectation of the Bridegrooms coming he will mingle heaven and earth together if it be possible He rushes in with all his delusions he seeks to blast this hope these expectations of the saints all manner of ways and if we had been well advised as I may say and had known the Scripture we might have expected a storm to be poured out upon us even a storm of inward exercises and tryals as well as outward troubles These days of the son of man are days which none of the wicked do understand as Daniel observes but the wise shall understand they are days wherein Christ comes privately as it is here intimated that when he cometh and knocketh you may open unto him immediatly it is that which is not unusual among men for Embassadors of Princes to come in privately at first and to be advised with about their publick reception before they make their publick entry Christ comes also privately to his own and his glorious appearance in his adequate person man as well as God comes in the rear of all So that I say let us not lose the things that God hath wrote It is true there is danger on the other hand that is of crying up the present day for the time of Christs appearance and if it were worth the while or that I were competent for such a business we might shew you that this notion of Christs being come and of the day of the Lords being come shutting up all the expectations of the saints within the present performances doth offend several ways it offends against the order of the works and appearances of God who hath set times and seasons for all his purposes If Christs day be as much as it ever shall be it doth mix and confound all things together it makes Antichrists day yea you may as well confound his first and his second appearance together it is said he hath appointed
a day wherein he will judge the world it is not now but it is appointed so the Apostle directs the hope of believers to another day and you will not say but that Christ was come to them in the spirit yet they waited for a further day the Apostle himself says he had not yet attayned nor was as yet perfect so that I say this doth strike at the order of Gods working and appearances and as the Apostle says concerning the resurrection those that say the resurrection is past destroy the faith of some It is a destroying of our faith and of our comfort to hold forth this to be the day of Christ to be the time of Christs appearance the all that we were to expect I confess it is not to be wondered at in the Prelatical Church that they would have us to expect nothing but tribulation in this world and persecution the Church of Christ say they must travel under the cross nntil the last judgment until they come to heaven though they minde not to do so themselves nay this they preach to others that they themselves may ride upon the high places of the earth they would keep the people still in ignorance and blindness of that day of Christ which when it comes will abase all the pride and loftynes of man as you have it in Esay 2. It will abase things that are high and exalt things that are low the vallyes shall be exalted and the mountains and hills shall be brought low But that any that are spiritual should go to destroy the faith of themselves and their brethren by taking the present dispensation for the full performance of the promise is that which may be justly wondered at and it is not certainly without a great designe of Satan thus to beguil them and through them to endeavour to beguil others of the comfort and the hope of Christs appearance and of the redemption of the body It is true there may be a revelation of the day of Christ in the spirit and this may be given forth at any time Abraham saw Christs day though he lived many ages before Christs time and so John was in the spirit on the Lords day but yet notwithstanding John tells us that this day of Christ was to come on orderly there is such a series of times and providences so many scenes that are to be presented before that concluding scene before Christs sitting on the white throne There were so many seals to be opened so many trumpets to be sounded it is true there was a glorious day in the primitive times but that was but the first fruits And it is called I conceive the first fruits because it was answering to the first fruits under the law for there were three seasts three times in the year all the males in Israel were to appear before the Lord there was the feast of the passover and the feast of the first fruits which was at Pentecost the very time when the spirit came down upon the Apostles as fulfilling that feast and there was the feast of ingathering or the feast of tabernacles and it was in the feast that you finde written in Joh. 7.37 In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus cryed and said c. This feast of tabernacles held several days there were 7 days that it was kept and so this feast that in the Antitype answers to the feast of tabernacles may take in all this generation that I speak of the 45 years of this last generation the days of the son of man But mark ye in the close of this time that is the great day then will Christ appear in his glorious equipage with all his holy Angels then will he come both in his own glory and in the glory of his father and of all his holy Angels and till Christ hath his full glory we cannot expect the full effusion of his spirit The spirit will not be poured upon all flesh the earth will not be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea till that great day of the feast till that last and great day of the feast So that I say take heed of taking part of payment for the whole t is true these are the days of the son of man and I do believe that from this time you shall see the interest of the son of man riseing and growing more and more all things shall work unto that glorious issue those that are wise shall see it every day to them day unto day will utter knowledge I say the interest of Christ is on the rising hand still and all opposite interests are in the way of declyning and therefore let us prepare for him we have seen something already of the day of the Lord upon things that have been high and lifted up let us look to see it yet more the Lord will abuse the loftyness of man both of one sort and of another I tell you there is a great deal of haughtiness which the Lord will abuse even in his own people and in their spiritual affairs it is said in Zeph. 3.11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings whorein thou hast transgressed against me for then will I take out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain this Scripture doth hold forth unto you the process of the day of God or of these days of the son of man they are humbling days to all God by these dispensations which have passed over us hath been bringing his people to this passe he hath been working upon them that necessarie qualification of making them an afflicted and poor people I remember very well that the first time I spake here when your desires gave me a call to make a little supply of that place that was destitute by the removal of that eminent help that did appear usually in this place before I told you then that for my part I was one that was spoiled by this day of the Lord and I must own and confess unto you that there is nothing doth relish nor can relish with me of the old glory of the excellency of man though I know that all of us have a young tooth in our heads as the proverb is and we should willingly be something among men but the Lord hath mercifully shut the door against any such hope or expectation and therefore let it not enter into our hearts for God hath forbid the banes we must never touch with any such things more for God is stayning the pride of all glory though spiritual discoveries have all along unhorsed and I may say unmanned us I mean the Lords people yet 't is now the work of the day more eminentlie What was Paul in his time rude in speech I come not to you in excellency of speech or in mans wisdom he accounted all those things dung
against sleeping and security I told you in all things you must be as looking for your Lord you may do business but with a wakeful ear and eye to be in a readiness to knock off from all affairs to enter with the Bridegroom and open unto him immediately but now I say we are called to wait for this Bridegroom for I tell you he may be nearer to us then we are a ware off and though the present time is such a time that puts the saints upon a great disadvantage as to this waiting and that in two respects First it is a dead time a dull time a silent time it is a time that hath such a complextion as is most disadvantagious to the saints it is like the midst of summer and the midst of winter there is no fermentation in the blood as I may say but all is quiet in the body so it is with us a still time our faith doth not work nor we are not exercised but are strangely becalm'd like a vessel at sea neither winde nor tide with it no waves to waft it over but there it lies still so is it with a saint at such a time Secondly it is possible it is a time of great confidence to the enemies of the Church who say we have them in a nooze and they cannot escape us yet and therefore I think it most necessary thus to apply to the saints at this time and to encourage them and call up their faith for I tell you this is the very complexion of the time wheerein Christ may be expected It is a time wherein the Church feels least working of any providence towards these issues but all things are still and it is a time wherein her enemies are most confident but this is no other then what the Lord acquaints us with by the Apostle in that 1 Thes 3.5 When they shall saypeace and safety that is when the enemy shall say so c. Now whether this be such a time or no judge that your selves wherein the Lords enemies do cry peace and safety to themselves I confess to you I am continually alarumed in my own spirit and I cannot be out of the hearing of this voice in my ear continually that the Bridegroom is coming and that the day of decision is nearer then most men do expect I could tell you somthing touching the place which I know is a great objection against these things the place where the Lord will begin the glorious discoveries of himself and the setting up of his kingdom we do expect that it should be in the great continent of the world and that it should be all over the world at once but we may be very much mistasten in that the Lord doth begin his judgments in a particular place Revel 16.16 Armageddon is a particular place what need they be gathered to Armageddon if Christ should take his enemies wheresoever they are all the world over then it were not proper to say they were gathered to a particular place so Joel 3. There you have the vally of Jehoshaphat that is the judgment of Christ which he will exercise before the final judgment of the dead before the raising of his dead enemies that have dyed from the begining of the world to that time We must first look for the judgment of the quick for they shall be judged before the dead and I tell you that it may be made out that the seat of this judgment is not to be all the world over but in this Roman monarchy or the seat of the 4th Monarchy And perhaps we may bring it into a narrower scantling then so too where the witnesses resurrection doth first appear there is the lamb that is the vally of Jehoshapbat there will this decision be it is not only the Western Empire as you have it in Esay 59. But it is the Isles of the west yea yet closer it is the north west Isles chiefly as I might shew you from Esay 24.15 It is by the Jewish Rabbies themselves applyed to the Isles of great Brittain this being the only north west Isle of note in the world there is not any people in the earth that God hath so owned and hononred and tryed and set up such a cause and interest among them as in these nations where his son hath been owned as king of saints his claym hath been put in for these kingdoms these things might be made clear to you so that I say there may be a begining of that work of God in these nations which other nations are not ready for I might shew you this from the last of Esay where it is said that they that shall escape in that day of decision shall go and be instrumental to bring in other nations and the nations of the Gentiles must be brought in before the Jews come in this seems to be the method of Gods work and therefore how neer may the Lord be to the begining of this work when all this is to be done before Christs appearing which is but a little time the 1335. days being within a little of coming up I should now come to shew you how we should wait for the appearance of the Lord. First we must wait patiently Secondly me must wait with a concern be so concerned for this as to forget all things else in comparison not to be satisfied with ought else though God throw in many things of another nature yet let this be the concern else all is nothing Thirdly wait in poverty of spirit The Nineth Sermon James 1st 4 v. But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing SInce the Lord perswaded me to answer the desires of some of his people to come sometimes and appear amongst you I have endeavoured to acquaint you with the grounds of my hopes and perswations that the day of the Lord is neer I have I confesse through the need I have found of it in my self as well as from the survey that I have taken of the condition of my fellow members in the body mistical needing some relief I have I say engaged my minde and have been wayting upon God for light in the point that I might have some satisfaction what time of the day or of the night it is that we are in and might have some discerning of the times and what God doth intend to do with us and you know that I have imparted to you what satisfaction I received in my self that the times of the man of sin that is the 42 monthes which were alloted to him are expired and that they did end with Daniels first number of 1290. days mentioned in Dan. 12. And that we are now in the middle of those 45 yeares that were to run out from that time until the time that he speaks of when he says blessed is he that wayteth sand so comes unto the 1335 days or years that is the 45 prophetical days from the expyring
â—EWS of a NEW WOâ—… FROM The WORD and WORKS of God Compared together Evidencing that the Times of the Man of Sin are Legally determinâ—… and by the same Right the Days of the Sâ—N of MAN are already Commenced Being some Account of Eight Sermons Delivered at a Lecture in London Whereto for further Evidence are Added Two Small Tracts The One touching the Times of Gog Magog the other touching the 3 last Vials By J. S. Psal 102.13 Thau shalt rise and have mercy upon Sion for 〈…〉 to favour her yea the Set time is come LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Caâ—… near the Royall Exchange in Cornhil 1676. If this be true as here our friend divines The promis'd morning-star appears and shines Which will us guide into the Land of peace Where errour sin and death shall wholly cease Added by his Friend Panagathophilus The PREFACE Candid Reader WAving all Apology for the neglected garb of the ensuing Discourses which being not pen'd before they were delivered owe their preservation from oblivion and their seeing the light in this way only to the value that some of the hearers put upon the subject and import of them which moved them out of their own notes to prepare this copy of them Waving also a particular account of the special arguments of the several sermons which by a continued series of evidence pursue that one scope of the nearnesse of the approach of the Bridegroom beginning first with the computation and calculation of the prophetical periods both in Daniel and the Revelation and thence discending to the signes given by our saviour Mat. 24. and thence proceeding to the days of the Son of man spoken of Luk. 17. shewing the complexion thereof and that probably these days are begun offering evidence thereof from the ancient Tipes and thence taking into consideration the Vyals and shewing contrary to the sense of many the probability that six of them are poured forth whereby a great stumbling block is removed out of the way of our faith and hope of the Lords coming being so near I say waving all these and referring the Reader for satisfaction to the discourses themselves I shall discharge the pâ—rt of this preface in 5 short notes on that text Is 52.7 how beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Sion thy God reigneth where we see 1. That the sum total of those good tidings or tidings of good things that the eares of the whole creation desire to be blest withall the substance the crown of that peace that salvation that every creature without stretched-neck waits and looks for is the reign of Syons God the reign of the Lord Jesus this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land when he shall tread in our palaces Mich 5.5 The Assyrian by a metonymy is the head-enemy comprehending under him every subordinate enemy or evil that shall be found at last upon the place afflicting the Israel of God at Christs coming which must receive their Discharge by the exercise of his regal power the reign of Christ Syons God and king is that visible and glorious state of Christs kingdom in the earth with reference to a set appointed time for its commencement and continuance when he takes to himself his great power and reign Rev. 11.17 as the great and only potentate king of kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 which time is immediatly without any Interregnum to take place from the expiration of Antichrists times measured in the Revelation by 1260 prophetical days which when they began and ended and so by consequence when the days of the son of man began is calculated in the ensuing discourses these days of the Son of man not beginning with Christs personal appearance but with Daniels 45 prophetical days at the end of his first number of 1290 days ch 12. which 45 days or years as I humbly conceive are that generation spoken of by our Saviour wherein all these signes that are immediatly to precede his personal appearance are to come up in view and receive their accomplishment and in the rear of them the Lord himself will as I humbly expect and believe appear in person By this stating and bounding of Christs reign those â—…es and acts of his mistical and spiritual reign all along 〈◊〉 great and glorious soever in the overthrow of Judaism and heathenism and wasting the man of sin are shut out 〈…〉 account as amounting to no more but the keeping up 〈…〉 in the world during the militant state of the 〈◊〉 called the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ Rev. 1. but not yet making these enemyes as the chaff of the summer threshing-floor to be carryed away with the winde and no place found for them as they must be Dan. 2.35 which is the work of these days of the son of man This is my sirst note upon these words upon which I have been something long I shall be briefer in the rest My 2d is this the peace the good things the salvation of Syon and the reign of Sions God commence together this arises also clearly from the text no other no earlyer messengers bring good tidings or publish peace to Sion then those that say unto her thy God reigneth there is a two-fold appearance of Christ testifyed of in the Scriptures the first as past the second to come each of them have their proper and distinct work and efficacy assigned to them we are said to be reconciled by his death saved by his life Ro 4.10 which life is his second appearance Heb. 9. last till his second appearance we are saved only in hope Ro. 8 24. Gal. 5.5 The second appearance it self is but in hope to this day then must all the fruits and advantages of it be so too how doth this endear Christs second appearance it self to us how should it make us watch to it long and cry for it come Lord Jesus come quickly our actual and compleat salvation depending in it which till then is a mystery then and not till then will be the glorious manifestation of the sons of God then will a full and glorious account be given of every letter and title of the glorious hopes and priviledges of the state of believers in Christ of those glorious things that are spoken of the city of God as their being not in the flesh but in the spirit their not sinning nor being able to sin their being the righteousnesse of God that those that live and believe in Christ shall never dy with many more which now are mysteries but then the vision shall be made so plain that he that runs may read it this is my 2d Observation 3ly The manifest glory of the Lord Iesus breaks forth out of the mystical state of it as out of a cloud silently secretly and unawars even to the surprize of Sion her self else what
make these tidings these publishings what need of them if to tell no more then was obvious and what Sion knew before it must be some unexpected news that makes these messengers so welcome their feet so beautiful Babylon was taken at one end three days before Belshazar knew of it the Jews were as men that dreamed when God brought back their captivity thence having either forgot or not studyed the promise The times of the man of sin may expire and the days of the son of man may commence and yet both their partyes may be ignorant both of the one and of the other in which sence that kingdome of God is said to come not with observation 4ly It is the gloriousest Testimony in the world to publish the reign of God nothing makes the feet of any messenger so beautiful as the bringing of these tidings the making Evidence of the drawing near of this day The very eye of the prophets testimony in the Old testament was Christs first appearance the glory of the prophets testimony under the New Testament is Christs second appearance Lastly the first notice of these blessed and joyful tidings is given to those that are upon the Mountains and by thâ—m are divulged and published to their fellows that like and with themselves have left the City Babylon ye and earthly Jerusalem too Luk. 21. that have forsaken the multitude that are on the mountains as doves of the vallies Ezek. 7.16 lamenting after the Lord as in Samuels days looking for his appearance such whether in Churches or out of Churches as mourn for the absence of the Bridegroom embracing mountains and desarts in spirit rather then sitting down in any buildings of men waiting for that building of God that Heavenly Jerusalem that hath the glory of God that are uneasy and cannot take up in any state of things that can corrupt to the joy of these will the Lord appear by these are these tidings brought to such as these they are sent and to every one of these they will be highly wellcome Wherefore now with the noble Bereans search the Scriptures whether these things be so you have the scales here put into your hands the Epocha's pitcht the Calculation made ready to your perusal the signes of the times opened the dark Characters uncipherd the types and ancient paralels applyed the series of the Apocaliptick visions and many of the Sinchronisms set before you what of them is fulfil'd and what yet to be fulfilled In reflection upon all which I may say with soberness without vanity and arrogating any thing to my self who for the light here offered am the greatest debtor of all that many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see these things to see such evidence of our redemption drawing nigh but have not been favoured with it And if upon perusal of the evidence you find it so as is reported that we are come to the days of the son of man and are so far entred upon them then for a farwel be admonished of this one thing that as these days of the son of man are days of great expectation wherein all things that are to precede his glorious coming are to be fulfilled and that before this generation passe away so they are and will be found to be days of great temptation and tribulation to the last even till the Lord appears in person from heaven therefore as the expectation should make us lookup and lift up our heads and concern our selves about these things with a more then Ordinary concern for that as they are great so they draw nigh and according to our concern will our fruit be in this day so the temptation calls us to more then ordinary circumspection and watchfulness therefore our Saviour inculcates that warning so often in speaking of this day and that to his disciples laying before them the danger if they do not and the safety and advantages if they do Luk. 21.34 35 36. ch 12.35 36.37 38 Mark 13.33 to the end of the chapter And where the Lord shews such a concern as he doth about this watching there to think that watching and not watching will come to the same reckoning argues a great slieghtness if not a profaneness of spirit Though ye be believers as to the main and your part in heaven cannot be taken from you yet ye may lose your part in these days and may be removed in some displeasure and so lose the honour of serving in the works of these days the honour of being of the number of the watchers by whose decree in association with the Lord the great watcher of Israel that great tree is to be grub'd up whose body is hewn down before Never are men yea good men in more danger of sleeping then when sleeping is most dangerous as we may see by the disciples whose eyes were never so heavy as when their Lord was in that bitter agony Wherefore to conclude if these be the days of the son of man set these days always before your selves to comfort and support you in all shocks and dangers say as he said Caesarem vehis fortunas Caesaris they are Christs days and Christ will have the day of all his enemies And bring these days and hold them up before the son of man call him to his own days ye that are the Lords Remembrancers such should all believers be keep not silence give him no rest till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth it is his work but it is our interest say if these be the days of the son of man then let the son of man appear in his day The sword of the Lord and of Gideon the faithfulness of Christ and the faith of the saints must be in association and then the like wonders will be done as in the day of Midian when the host run and cryed and fled The First Sermon Luk. 12.35.40 Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning and ye your selves like unto men that look for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediatly c. IN much of this Chapter our Saviour is discharging his disciples and followets of worldly cares which is a very merciful consideration of our Lord who as he knows that we have need of these things so he also knows how great a burden and hinderance the care of these things are unto us how they do let and hinder our speedy following after him Now in order to this he administers several considerations ot them to discharge their cares by the ordinary providence of God towards all his creatures even towards the very plant which he suffers not to want his moisture and the poor sparrows the providence of God watches over them but after all these considerations the Lord brings a powerful one in consideration for good and all and that you have in the 33. verse fear not little flock it is your fathers
your selves I fasten upon that like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding I have told you formerly it is part of my witness and testimony which else is a poor broken thing but I say it is a part of my witness and testimony that the saints are the inheritance of Christ the riches of the glory of his inheritance is to be seen if you will take a survey and account of it you must behold it in the saints I have also delivered in this place that it is Christs spiritual and powerful coming and appearance in the saints that is the gteat object of our expectation and that which must do our business for us It is not his appearing in the clouds it is not his coming down upon the earth and manifesting his glorious visible person that will do our work if his spirit be not at work in our hearts if he doth not come in a glorious manifestation of his spirit within us it is that that doth and will quicken us now and make us live the life of faith and it is that that must quicken us at the last day and raise our bodies out of the dust and make us live the life of glory And that we may reconcile the personal appearance to and wlth his spiritual I told you that the personal appearance of Christ is the glorious ministry that shall call up the life of his spirit in his people that lyes bound there as in a sleep this is by way of preface to that which I would observe at this time Ye your selves liko unto men that wait for their Lord now that which I would observe is this that the great care and concern of the Saints that live in those times that are upon Christs coming should be that themselves may be prepared that themselves may be in all things like unto men of such a hope and expectation Our work is to have it brought home to our selves mark ye your faith must be grounded upon this coming which I understand by having your loins girded about and your profession must be shining which it may be many are apt to think is concerned chiefly in their Church-administrations but this is not all but you are to look to your selves to the frame of your hearts and spirits look to your selves you your selves If this had not been something more then your loins girded about and your lights burning it had been a kinde of tantology and repetition therefore there is an Emphasis to be put upon this your selves not your loins only not your expectations only nor only your profession Christ holds your selves a distinct interest from other men well but what are your selves what are your spirits you may cloath a man with the habit of a prince yet may he be far from the spirit of a Prince and from the true worth of a Prince profession is but a habit and many men wear other mens cloathes and appear in a splendour and equipage that doth not at all belong to them look and see what they are within and alas you will find them full of rottenness and dead mens bones and therefore you your selves look to your selves and why should men look to themselves but because your selves are the great interest of the Lord It is not your way nor your profession but it is your spirit that is the Lords bride and that is his Bride chamber into which he will enter that when he knocketh you may open to him that is the great business your spirit is the Lords Bride and the Lords Bride-chamber Now what are we to look to in our selves why first let us look that we be in nothing unlike unto servants that look for their Lord I tell you there were no end if we should begin to shew the unlikeness where do you find a likeness to such servants what unlikeliness is there even in the Churches Our Saviour tells us what is unlike viz. to be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and the cares of this life this is unlike such a day such a hope such an expectation Now what is the surfetting and drunkeness there spoken of surely our Saviour I conceive would not suppose that surfetting and drunkeness in the letter was chargable upon professors and I wish that many professors were not too much tainted with this even with gusling and drinking from one Tavern to another and from one good meeting to another but there is another kinde of surfetting and drunkeness you know what the Apostle says be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the spirit this drunkenness is set in opposition to the spirit wine to the spirit From whence I gather that whatsoever hath the form or appearance of spirit and is not spirit all that is cautioned in that place to be abstained from I remember the saying of a good man that came from a meeting as we may be his report was this that they were so drunk he meant not that they were drunk with wine but Drink with their gifts self-sufficiency this is surfeting and drunkenness and I wish with all my soul that they that do profess the Lord and those that think they are on the upper ground and have the advantage of others that they would take heed of this surfetting and Drâ—nkenness of surfetting of their forms of their attainments thinking they are come to Sion because it may be they are come to the letter of a poor administration Though alas as it is managed amongst many if not most at this very day alas it is a meer Babel the one sayes it is thus and another sayes it is thus whereas I tell you I am not against any of them I am not against the Baptist nor against the congregational way that do baptize their children the Lord doth bear them both and he is able to make them both to stand but this crying out Lo here this is the way and the others crying on t Lo that is the way whereas it is the right spirit in each that is that will justify each administration and except there be the unity of the spirit maintain'd in the bond of peace I tell you our Churches are a meer Babel and yet there are among them that do maintain this unity God forbid I should think otherwise There is a seed among the Churches that are of the large spirit and do not set up themselves over Christ but shine forth according to the light communicated to them therefore I lay no burden upon them But I say this surfetting and drunkenness is opposite to the very expectation of Christs coming alas are we so full now are you so well are you so happy what do you think that the New Jerusalem will be only snch a kind of thing as your Church-fellowship is that it will set the crown upon the head of your form and your way are you where you would be so as that you are at rest you
carry back the people the flocks under their charge into Egypt again and bring them under bondage again this is the darkning of the sun in the Ecclesiastical orbe and state this is the sinful darkning of the heavens And this brought on the penal darkness which I think we are all sensible of when God did let those that had sinfully or through sinful infirmity been prevailed with by temptations to darken themselves and to draw sackoloth over the sun the light of the appearance of God in which they come forth then the Lord suffered them by their own divisions and by their weak foolish and heady mannagement of things to pul down their own walls to break down their own bankes and pull up their own hedges and to make way for the old bondage and the old corruptions to break in upon them this was the Lords penal darkning of the sun It may not be so expedient for me to be particular in these neither may it be needful because the sence of every one of us can readily prompt us and supply us with more particular enlargements and sad experience can shew that the Lord did remove and take away or suffered to be removed and taken all the light that did remain instead thereof most unsavory snuffs do fill the candlesticks and all places from whence the people of God in their civil and religious things should be fed either with judgment or instruction Brutish pastors are come up that feed not that care not for the flock a dark sun in the firmament in the stead of the true sun and of the chearing and refreshing light of judgment and justice and righteousness we might be large in these things but I shall rather leave this to your own enlargment in your own thoughts Now one word of the dispensational darkness of the sun there is a dispensation of God upon us and his dispensation is holy and it doth aim at the greatest advantages the greatest good to his people that ever any dispensation did travel of or bring forth And that the prophets are very full of that tell us the Sun shall be ashamed and the moon confounded when the Lord of hosts shall raign in mount Sion Esai 24. Do not think that the weakness of men your friends or the malice of men your enemies could whelm you under such providences such disappointments as these are if the Lords hand had not been in it if it were not for good the Lord would not take away the light of the sun the light of our eyes from us but that he might give us a better light a light that should be as that of seven days And therefore in this case we may reflect upon the swanlike song of John who closes his eyes and gave up to the Bridegroom with this consolatory consideration He must increase but I must decrease this he spake in the name and person of his administration and of his work And so says the prophet the day of the Lord says Esay shall be upon every thing that is high because it is that that will wonderfully exercise us when it is therefore the holy ghost enlarges upon it that so you may see it to be no other then what was in prospect in foresight And in that chapter there is a particular instancing in all those glories that shall be darkned and brought down before the Lord. If you ask upon what account I state it I answer It is upon this old aneient constant account all the comings forth of God they have as well supplanted and removed that which hath been before that is their first work For flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God It must be removed the old bottles cannot bear the new wine and therefore there must be new bottle for the new wine and I pray you in the taking of this in understand that it is no more nor no less then a first creation-glory that is removed Let it be found where it will in Church in ordinance in duty in gifts in ministry first creation-glory must all go down that is the reason that it hath not held it I believe we have had in our days as great a tast of first creation-glory and that in good men in Saints who I believe are in heaven yet I say their work was much in a first creation-spirit and it was too weak it could not hold out for the law makes nothing perfect and I tell you there is much of the law hangs still upon us in all our Church-work yea in all our duties I need not tell you your duties have been shaken I believe you have felt it but the reason is because you are not holy and unblamable in love but in fear and in bondage what is that that puts you upon all you do but times and seasons therefore I say so far there is a shaking and there will be a terrible shaking I will end with that Scripture in Ezek. 38.19 v. Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel in the land of Israel shall be a shaking as I told you before even the land of Israel shall not be exempted though it is all for Israel it is for the service of Israel that this shaking is that so that which cannot be shaken may remain I cannot now shew you what work this calls for from our hands if we be drawn from under these signes and recovered but I tell you there is no recovery till the Lord appear you will find this darkning will spread over all the christian and Antichristian world and it will not be long for we are upon the midle of the morning watch of Daniels last 45. days after the 1290. days The Third Sermon Luke 12.35.36 Let your loines be girded about and your lamps burning and ye your selves like unto men c. WHat the Apostle Peter sayes of the Gospel preached by the Prophets that non unto themselves but unto us did they minister may be said of the Evangelists in the present subject that we are more concern'd therein then those primitive times and that these times we are now in border very nigh upon Christs coming which gives great force to the exhortation this I have endeavoured to evince two wayes 1st That the time that was to run out before Christs second coming is fulfilled namely Antichrists time or the days of the man of sin are expired the beloved disciple John in his Revelation begins his account of the 42. months from the passing away of the heathen world the heathen Empire which though it began to be dissolved at Constantines coming to the throne which was about the year 310. yet was it not wholly blown off the stage until about the year 390. when that famous defeat was given to Eugenius the general of the heathen forces by Theodosius the Emperor after which time Heathenisme never displayed banner in the field more So that from that time I begin the 42. months of
the Beast and so reckoning from that time 1260. days you know when they came up 2. The next essay to evidence the time that we are now in to be so nearly approaching to Christs coming was by the signes of the times this being first premised that from the end of the 1290. days there is but 45. more by Daniels computation unto the resurrection of the dead or Christs coming and as to the signes of the times I pitcht upon Mat. 24. the turning of the sun into darkness the darkning of the sun and this I opened to you in a threefold sence The sun may be taken for the political or the Ecclesiastical sun and both these are darkned in a sinful way by mens own apostacy and declyning and in a penal way by the Lords just judgments overturning of them And in a dispensational way as a witnes and testimony to that better and brighter sun that is to shyne forth and so I did give you some little brief description of all these things whereby they that are wise may understand a great deal more then was then exprest But I shall stand no longer upon the repetition of any thing I spake the last day but let us look forwards I propounded to you you know in the next place to come to the influence that these considerations should have upon us which I thought I should be ready for upon what I had already discoursed touching the signes of the times But finde I shall be a little longer in making my way to it and I hope not without profit nor without some satisfaction to you And I will tell you what it is that cast me upon a little longer and further explication of the times I was considering that signes do import a futurity they import that the thing whereof they are signes is yet future and to come signes go before the thing whereof they are signes And truly there may be a great deal of snare in this and the flesh may take occasion it may take advantage by this to put off the day of the Lord saying we are but under the signes of it and who knows how long these signes may last the day may be a great way off Therefore I now must bring you a little nearer unto the day of Christ whereas you finde a passage in Daniel chap. 7. of their bringing the Son of man near unto the ancient of days they brought him near before him so there may be a bringing of us near before him or near unto the days of the Son of man and it will be a very good service to us if we can be so brought justly and righteously Now that is it which I shall at this time speake unto and I have confidence to tell you and I think the Scripture will stand at my back in it that the times of these signes that I have spoken of are called also The days of the son of man so that there is a beginning of the coming of the son of man in these signes And therefore our Saviour says in lukt 21. when you shall see these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your heads for the day of your redemption draweth nigh How nigh you will say why within a generation and what are these gnerations that our Saviour points at if you look into Math. 1. And compare all those times 14.14 and 14. generations you shall finde that the latter 14. generations were not much above 40. years one with another And I have already pointed to you the length of this generation in which these signes are to give Christ to the world that they are but 45. years at the most but I say this time is called the days of the son of man this you shall finde Luk. 17. in several verses from v. 21. to v. 27. The days will come wherein ye shall desire to see one of the days of the son of man c. So that there is more then one day there are days one of the days of the Son of man so likewise in the 27. and 28. v. and so on As it was in the days of Noah so it shall be also in the days of the son of man now mark what I ground my self upon it is this that as in the old world there was a matter of 120. years wherein God was giving warning to the world and yet all that while the flood was coming it was a coming all that 120. years and so as in the days of Lot for ought I know from the time that the captivity of Sodom was brought back by Abraham when he prevailed against the 4. Kings which was a figure of the 4. Monarchies that the true Abraham will vanquish For ought I know from that time Lot was a faithful warner and admonisher of the Sodomites for it is said that his righteous soul was vexed day by day he did vex himself with reproving of them and as Noah was a preacher of rigteousness so was Lot And there was such days of Lot days of witnesing and days of warning and all that while fire was coming upon Sodom so likewise now there are the days of the son of man that is there is a certain lot of time wherein the son of man is preparing for his coming wherein his curriers are going forth and are giving warning of the Bridgroomes coming The judge is coming his harbingers his Heraulds they are gone forth these are called the days of the son of man It is true it is not the days of the visible personal appearance that comes in the rear of all but these are the days of the son of man that are to dispose the world for his reception some as forerunners draw others in a way of mercy that they may have a sweet a comfortable closure with the Lord these I call the days of the son of man They are days wherein the son of man stands up and is preparing himself as you meet with such an expression in Dan. 12. At that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince that standeth for the ceildren of thy people And therefore these days of the son of man they are days in which all things are working to his interest towards his coming though they be trouble some times as Dan. says yea such as never was yet they are such times in which Christs interest is rising though it rises by very strange methods and ways that seems even contrary yet his interest is rising and his enemies are falling You may remember the two characters that I gave you the last day of the signes of the times how they must be qualified if so be they be signes if the trumpet give a certain sound there must be these two qualifications in the signes First they must be in a right place they must give their witness in a right place and 2dly in a right nicke of time a right juncture the place I told you where these signes
are to be looked for the darkning of the Sun and the like the place where these do give forth their voices It must be in a place that is most noted most eminent that is the very eye of the world or light and purity and reformation there it is that these signes must give forth their voices It is not in any part of the world it is not in Egypt it is not in Babilon but in Iudea in Ierusalem I say it is it must be in those places it must be that eminent sun that must be darkned that is as I may say the sun of the world the sun of the age this is the sun that must be darkned Then 2ly it must be in such a time too in such a juncture when the sun hath as I may say recovered his light and is in the greatest freedom hath dispelled and scattered the clouds and mists and shins forth more clearly it must be at such a time that it must be darkned and I suppose I need not apply these two qualifications to shew you that they may be discerned upon the signes that we have had that there hath been such a place and at such a time too there hath been such a darkning of the sun Therefore now to proceed if these signes have given forth their voice among us why then these are the days of the son of man the days wherein he is preparing wherein he is making ready for his expedition he is bowing the heavens as I may say to come down amongst us And the Lord grant that we may have a sanctified use of these warnings of his I must profess to you that I bave believed and therefore have I spoken I cannot get over these things in my own spirit I see such Progidies such prodigious times and perils such prodigious wickednesses and violence I see such impieties of the whole world the filthyness of Sodom the daring wickednesses of this age even egging and provoking the Lord down from heaven to judgment as if he did not make hast enough I see I say me thinks the age putting forwards themselves as if the stage would not be cleared fast enough for the Lord to appear they are driven upon self-destroying wayes and courses by a judicial hand these things are very notorious and visible I suppose to your eyes and observations as well as mine Nay to express it a little further we see the powers of heaven shaken we see foundations pulled up we see the very earth and the inhabitants thereof dissolved Merchants and others breaking nay what do we speake of them kingdoms breaking Churches breaking and are you asleep are you not a ware that these are the days of the son of man and which is indeed no less a signe then all the rest we see such a sleep such a lethargie upon most even the wise as well as foolish virgins nay we see now that night is for a vision unto the prophets and the sun is gone down even at noonday so that men do ask Watchman what of the night what hour of the day is it or what of the night and few there are that do see or take notice that these are the days of the son of man and that the coming of our Lord is so near as indeed it is And this is as great a signe as any for so we are told it should be who is blind as my servant and who is deaf as the messenger I sent seeing many things but thou observest them not and hearing but thou understandest them not Incase 40 or 50. years ago a man should have laid forth that which we have seen with our eyes and heard with our ears if a man I say should have laid them forth in lively colours of their own acting you would not have stuck to have said and concluded immediatly that these led the way to Christs coming But I say that fate that is upon us of hesitancy and darkness and blindness that we do not understand the signes while we are under them is of it self one of the greatest signes For when he comes shall he finde faith on the earth And Daniel hath told us that the wise shall understand but the wicked shall not understand well let me come now to make some improâ—…ent of this If these be the days of the son of man we may look for the fulfilling of all that is promised and I tell you that if these be the days of the son of man limitted for the performance of all before his personal appearance there is but a little time yet to come and therefore I say we may look for these births to come very thick one upon another those great promises of the destruction of all Christs enemies and the gathering of all his elect bâ—…th Jews and Gentlles from one end of the heaven unto the other But that which I desire to speake to at this time is a word to our selves or the Lords people that we may be ready if these be the days of the son of man and that there is determined such a darkning of all glory all first-creation glory and that such a consumption is decreed upon all the earth then it concerns us to look to our standing Those that have the name of Christ the affaires and interest of Christ in their hands as the Churches inspecial pretend to have It 's said that the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamtd when the Lord of hosts raigns in Mount Sion therefore I say it concerns us If I were now to speake to the Churches but it may be the Churches may hear what I say I desire to deliver my testimony without any just offence to the Churches But I must speake and I think the Lords interest doth require it it concernes the Churches to look to themselves and their work and to consider what it is they build whether it be that which will stand in the day of the Lord. It is true the Lord hath owned the Churches against darker forms and I have been of the number of them that have blest the Lord for his owning the Churches They have stood to their principles they have kept up their meetings and God hath been with them in this thing but let them take heed least their table become a snare and least this success and owning that they have had from God turn not to their hurt because they have born up against the day of man let them not think they can bear up against the day of God there is a day that will search them although they have stood the shock of their enemies and persecutors The Machabees were owned by the Lord in their days but the successors of those Machabees who were under the 2d temple fell before Christ though they were owned against the heathen These successors were the scribes and Pharisees men exceeding zealous of the law I say they were the successors of the Machabees That which I am jealous of is
that there is an interest of man a fleshly a formal interest by which we are in danger yea the best of men are in danger of Savouring such an interest of espousing it of carrying it up against the spirit For my part I do profess this that let the Churches manage their affairs in liberty in love and in humility waiting for the further appearance of Jesus Christ the further breaking forth of the spirit and let them keep their form till Christ comes from heaven for me I shall never have a hand to strike at them but that which is an evil signe upon the Churches is First their divisions among themselves Secondly their exceeding rigid and censorious carriage towards those that do not jump with them Thirdly they are every one overweening and magnifying and crying up their own form against and in barr of all others Whereas the Scripture tells us that where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty the spirit holds forth in a great latitude him that eats and him that eats not him that observeth a day and him that observeth it not that both may do it so to the Lord and both may be accepted the Lord can make both to stand and the spirit tells us that love is the great law of Christ and that if a man have all gifts and all knowledg and all faith and not charity and that charity what is it Why it is the holding tho unity of the spirit in the bond of peace it is not in breaking that unity for any different apprehensions about this or that I tell you that is Christ that is the great tye and obligation of Christians one to the other and the Church of Christ is built up only in him and his blood is the only cement that makes all these stones cleave together His blood and his spirit are the foundation of the Church of Christ If you say that all the Churches do not strike upon this rock I answert I hope so too or at least that there are many among all the Churches that are unconcerned herein there is a found part that falls not foul upon Christ and the spirit but why do they not purge themselves from those that do if ye do then shall ye be vessels of honour But where is there a testimony born to the spirit nay is there not a great jealously of the spirit and of the prevailing of the interest of the spirit I tell you those that look askew on the increasing glory of the spirit and of Christ in the spirit they stand very dangerously the day of the Lord will be heavy upon such and let my brethren of the Churches look for the conversion of the Jews so do I both of the ten tribes and the two tribes But let me tell you this that the Jews will not be converted till the vaile be taken off your hearts and you be turned to the Lord there is a mistical Jew as well as a natural Jew And what is the mistical Jew you may know them in allusion to the natural Jew as as to the natural Jew you know what the Apostle says the Iew seeks after a signe there was such as sought after signes and stuck in the letter and gloryed in outward priviledges in their Temple their services and sacrifices So I say now there are such nay where shall we finde among the generality of Professors any other the Lord help us the vail is too much upon all our hearts and I say that induring Christians are no friends to the conversion of the Jews We say also that Antichrist must be destroyed and that he is a great let and hindrance to the conversion of the Jews but I say that Antichrist will not be wholly removed untill we be more spiritual then we are in our converse in ordinances and in our manageing of spiritual affairs There is a great deal of Antichrist lies lurking here there is an old Church-spirit an old testament-spirit the spirit of the Jew much to be found among the Churches now therefore it concerns us if we would be found helpers forward of their conversion to be more spiritual for as Antichrist is to be destroyed by the brightness of his coming which some might take for his personal appearance I will not be positive in that But I say there must be such a brightness of his coming in his people at the last to vacat Antichrist and discharge him and I say likewise tha there is a text Rom. 11.31 Which doth import as if there should be a signal restitution or resurrection-spirit among the Gentile Christians before the calling of the Jews that shall provoke them to jealousy for so the Apostle sayes That through you mercy they also might obtain mercy now that which I would argue from hence is this if the Apostle means only the Gentiles receiving the Gospel that hath been these 1600. years and yet the Jews are not wrote upon therefore I look upon this mercy here spoken of to be some eminent mercy that the Gentiles shall be partakers of towards the end some eminent mercy that shall be shewed unto them to make them shak themselves from their dust to arise and shine and this shall be a provocation unto the Jews when they shall see their Messias in the armes of the Gentiles I tell you my brethren it may be I speake it rudely but yet I speake as if I were to appear before the Lord immediatly that I fear the present posture of the saints and of the Churches and the managing of their affairs is not to the service of Christ nor the service of the Jews nor the promoting of those great designs of God which he hath revealed to us in his word but we tread in the same steps of those that are gon before us as it is said in Eph. 3.6 I have cut off the nations their towers are desolate hearken ye my brethren hath not God cut off the nations the national Churches before the eyes of the Churches we have seen it in our days we have seen the sun turned into darkness and the moon into blood National Churches cut off the Towers faln this should have been for instruction of those that came up in the room of them in the room of rhose national Churches do you think I pray do but consider they were cut off because they were wicked why are you come past corruption was there not a beauty upon them in their day what have some said to me lately why all the Martyrs were of our religion say they It is true there was a virgin spirit in that degree of reformation in it's first coming forth and there was a freshness upon it but it quickly corrupted now may not the same corruption grow up in others in other forms and if it be so is God any respecter of persons I wonder that men should be offended at those that speake what they see when we see the signes upon us must we not
acknowledge it those that are offended with their brethren because they cannot build them up nor say a confederacy with them if they were humble Christians they would consider and enquire and say is there not a cause Is there not a cause why some walk at a distance why they dare not touch with us Why truely if you ask what cause I will tell you what cause you say why will ye not come among into the Sion of God I tell you that is enough to turn ones stomack you make as if you were come to your rest you are haughty because of Gods holy mountain Zeph. 3.11 thou shalt no more be haughty this intimates they were haughty before and I tell you that is cause enough to set Christ and his spirit at a distance from men when they are haughty haughty because of the Lords holy mountain and alas what is the Lords mountain if the Lord be not in the holy mountain T is true Christ calls Jerusalem to the last the holy city when it was a most abominable place and the temple his house but Christ calls it in another place your house it was my house indeed but now it is your house you have made it your own you have fill'd it with your own spirit and therefore it is your own now I shall come off from this theam and I shall conclude with a little further evidence that this is an extraordinary day that we are in they are the days of the son of man wherein the son of man must have his time things must be managed to his interest and according to his will the man of sin hath had his day and his time Now because I would relish your mouth with this at the close I will give you my evidence to this that the man of sin hath had his time he hath had his day then what should hinder but that the son of man should have his day now that the man of sin hath had his day I tell you either he must have more time then God hath allotted him or else his time is out for the Lord hath allotted him but 42 months All the business is where to begin these months now I say either we must begin them at the going off of the old dragon which was the enemy that did infest the Church before the rising of the beast or else we must leave so much time from the expyring of th Dragon to the rising of the beast without any assignation of it whereby so much time must run out in waft and for nothing Now that were to reflect on Christ and upon the spirit either that the Lord should loose so much time and let it run out in waft or that he should not give us an account of that time when he undertook that work not to acquaint us with all the times of the Church and all the occurrences thereof it were to impute insincerity to Christ which were blasphemy to think Whereas he tells his people the man of sin hath but 42. months and then shall he down mean time I will come in with faith and patience to you that so you shall weather the point some would not begin the 42. months till Boniface the 8th when Phocus murdered his master and was set up in his room but by that account there should be 200. years that would have no name whereas it is clear that the beast was in being and in working 200. years before and did give manifest proofs of his being up that he might be known what creature he was And therefore I know not what authority any have to contradict when the spirit says it is but 42. months for them to say they are not to begin till the Beast was in his full height when the spirit hath not said so Therefore I say the time of the Beast is expired and all that we find of the beast now which is exceeding much of his rage they are but the effects of his wounds he is dying and would save himself but i say this day is Christs day Michaels day and the Lord is going on conquering and to conquer And therefore it concerns the Saints to reflect upon these things for the upholding of them that so they may not faint look for breakings and desolations more and more but let your eyes be upon the designe that the Lord hath in all these come and behold the desolations that he hath made in the earth it is all upon the account of his own interest and his dear spouse and therefore let us open our hearts to these days of the son of man And say to the Lord whatever t s not consistant with thy interest O take it from the midst of my bowels be can did be sincere have no interest in your eye but Christs he must have his will now oh comply with him and it will be your own case say as Mephibosheth said let him take all for as much as my Lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house Sam. 19.20 Oh that the Lord would bow the hearts of the Churches of officers and members that they might carry on no interest but Christs I would you were all in fellowship but I would have it in the spirit do not shut out the spirit nor draw a veil nor a curtain before the spiritual glory of Christ These days of the son of man as they import great things to the publike so they import spiritual advantage to every particular saint for in these days a fuller discovery of Christ is to be expected and some have experienced it Christ hath been manifested much in my time comparing the discoveries of Christ with former times with an age before what a difference you will find and yet they were holy persons and accepted then but what high discoveries are there now this place was attended with one that had not only the tongue of an Angel but his discoveries was as sublime as his language his spirit was in the carrying up of Christs interest that was the eye of his ministry I would not glory in men but it is meet to be acknowledged unto God that it hath been an age of light and reckon upon it that whatsoever stands in the way of the interest of the Lord Jesus of his spiritual and powerful discoveries and manifestations it will down let it be Church or ordinances or what it will down it must go therefore let us take heed of setting our shoulders to uphold the interest of any thing that is obnoxious to that of our Lord Jesus The Fourth Sermon Luke 17.26 And as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the son of man I Am very sensible that I have not finished my former text there is a great deal yet to be spoken to upon it and therefore I must make a little apology for changing my text at this time But though I change my text and remove a little
nothing of the son of man in all those voices You shall desire to see them and go forth as many shall do but shall finde themselves mistaken for the days of the son of man are of a more general import and influence and they are of a spiritual discerning there is the first time that you meet with days And the 2d is in my text you have 3 times in this chapter the word day in the singular number spoken of So shall it be in that day when the son of man is revealed and so shall the son of man be in his day now if days in the plural number and day in the singular number be not the same then they are thus to be distinguished The days are that tract of time that lead to Christs giorious and visible appearance I shall stand no longer upon this because it will be more fully made forth when we come to shew the import of these days what these days do import what they contain in them which I do therefore immediatly address my self unto I have already shewed you that they do import this that the days of the man of sin are ended the days of Antithrist are over that is his 42 months spoken of in Revel 13. I shall repeat nothing that I have said concerning that but only this that the holy Ghost doth not speak so improperly as to call those the days of the son of man which are the days of the man of sin there is therefore a legall determining of the right of the man of sin though he may be actually troublesom for a while after even till Christs glorious appearing and so there is a legal commencement of Christs time though we see not yet all things in his possession yet he may have a legal right and so he hath in these days to which I add that as Jacob took hold of the heel of Esau so doth Christs kingdom take hold as I may say of the times of Antichrist I shall not give more authority to the Apocripha then what may seem fitting Let it stand or fall to that evidence of truth that shines in it but in Esdras you have such a question as this propounded by him who holds forth himself to be Esra There is a question held forth touching the parting of times he desires to know of the Angel what is the parting of time between the two worlds and he receives this answer that Esau is a figure of the old world and Jacob of the new and says he look as there is the hand of a man between the hand and the heel so there is no more time between the old and the new Now I can make no sence of that answer but this that as there was no hand at all between the hand and the heel that is the hand of Jacob the power of the new world that took hold of the very heel of the old world and thrust it out so doth the power of the son of man and his days the very begining and commencement of his kingdom thrust out the old world And let me observe this by the way that this kingdom and these days of the son of man if they did take place in our spirits and in our faith we might be so much the more serviceable in thrusting forth the old state of things Therefore now I shall come to shew what makes them to be called the days of the son of man for if you see Antichrist the man of sin still upon the stage you will say upon what authority do you lay Christs claim to these days what ground have you for it how are these his days more then any other Let me tell you my beloved friends these days are not only the days of the son of man because they are not the days of the man of sin as wafts and straies belong to the Lord of the Mannor it is not only for that reason I call them the days of the son of man but Christ hath a legal right unto them and his term begins in these days You may say we have always been otherwise instructed it is a common received thing that Christ's kingdom begins with his visible appearing and that 2 Timo. 4.18 v. seems to countenance this which runs thus I charge thee before God and our Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom where his appearing may be conceived to commence with his kingdom and his kingdom not to commence or begin till his glorious and personal appearing To this I shall answer it is true that text doth necessarily import that Christ must appear in his kingdom And that I do verily believe and do expect but that Christs day or Christs kingdom hath no beginning till there be an Adequate revelation of his person untill he appear as a man in that kingdom as well as God cannot that I see be thence infer'd For we shall shew you by and by by the types that were held forth and the times of the old testament that there may be a beginning of Christs kingdom and is so before his glorious appearance and manifestation and there may be many kingdom-Acts done before Christ in person do exhibit himself visible to our eyes that which I would begin with you shall finde in Dan. 12.1 At that time shall Michael stand up This is the first thing in the days of the son of man Michaels standing up for I look upon the action which is shewed unto Daniel here for the consuming and bringing to nought the four Monarchies both in the East and in the West to fall into these days of the son of man and to be performed by Christ who is the Michael here that stands up Now I confess there may be some question whether this Michael be Christ or no because we read of Michael in this prophecy of Daniel that is spoken of as one of the chief princes one of the chief Angels which is not proper to be applyed to Christ For he that is the supream is not in a rank with the Angels nor consigned to a particular charge or province as he is called Michael your prince in the 10 chap. and the last verse Now if it be but the standing up of Michael the Archangel there is something to be done when Michael stands up and it being a word which is both passive and mean too It signifies to be raised or roused up as if before this time he did couch or lye down therefore if we take it of Michael the Archangel it imports somthing but I have two or three reasons why I take it for Christ First because he is mentioned singly then at that time shall Michael stand up For though a single Angel may be sent to carry tydings unto the Saints yet a single angel is not competent to have the whole affairs of Christs interest and his kingdom committed to him and to stand up singly for it this is
a work rather for the Lord himself this is one reason Another reason is this because it is said at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince but in the Septuagint and so likewise in the Hebrew there are two Articles in the Septuagint it is Michael the prince the great now I say these are not proper for an angel these are sovereign titles and belong to the Lord himself As we use to say Constantine the great and Theodosius the great they are all sovereign attributes that is a second reason Thirdly at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince we never read of Gods sending any creature either Angel or man to be a single Champion and deliverer of his people but we read oftentimes that God engages himself singly to arise Psal 12.5 for the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy will I arise saith the Lord c. And so in Esay 23.10 and in Esay 42.19 and Esay 63.5 and several other places where you may reade of Christs engaging alone and so I say here it suits with Christs standing up but it suits not with any creature Now then what is there in this of Christs standing up who is the Michael here and if any shall yet be unsatisfied that he is called Michael we may as well ask why he is called David David your prince But I say standing up here doth import a change of posture and an addressing of himself to the Churches business why sleepest thou it is that which is intimated that the Lord in some dispensations seems to be asleep and let things go as they will but when the Lord stands up and awakens it makes a great change a great alteration when Christ laid aside his garments it was to do a singular thing it was to do or shew a singular a wonderful act of condscention and grace And so when Christ rises up it is the fall of his enemies and for the relieving of his spouse 't is a rising up with anger and indignation with a concern as the Lord says what have I here that my people are sold for nought I cannot bear it longer then up he gets it is said at Christs first coming it is for the rising and fall of many What then will his second coming be when he rises to judgment when he rises to pleade the cause of his people well but in the next place Michaels standing up or Christs standing up is a standing up for himself and for his people to take his great power as it is said in the Revelations thou hast taken to thy self thy great power now shall Christ stand alone consider this if a king stands up and hath great occasion to stand up either that he is invaded or that his subject rebels against him upon such occasion his confederates and allies will pour in their forces upon his enemies Surely our Lord Jesus hath great Allies and confederates his father and all his holy Angels you know it is Gods covenant with him that he will give him the heathen for his inheritance and he that will put all his enemies under his feet before ever he hath his kingdom we find the ancient of days upon his throne and it is a fiery throne too as you have it in Dan. 7. Now if Michael stand up all heaven all the hosts of heaven will stand up with him it will be found so and let the Saints reckon upon it Christ will not want power this is from Michaels standing up that is the first thing But then 2ly we find in Dan. 7. another strange thing which we reade but pass over not knowing well what to make of it we have done so many times in the 13. v. I saw in the night visions and behold one like the son of man come to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him not to exercise you with the difficulty of the understanding of this I shall immediately point you to what I think was the type of this and will give us a very good account of it Solomon you know was a type of Christs kingdom in the tranquility and peaceable time of it when it had wethered the point of all opposition and had now got the day of all its opposers now you shall find such a thing as this in that type before Davids days were out Solomon was presented to him for the kingdom and that by Davids allowance and David did as it were put his power upon Solomon and set him up which gives us the clearest light into this prophecy that I know of When David was old and cold that they could not keep heat in him but they were sain to provide otherwise to refresh his blood and to put spirit in him then was thought a time for Adonijah to set up for himself and get the kingdom for David was like a candle in the socket and so Adonijah might think the action would not be misinterpreted by David then they called all the kings Sons to the feast only they left out Solomon the true interest the heir designed by God and sworn by David he is left out and Zadoch and Benajah these were not called but all the rest now when Adonijah was at his feast Nathan hears of it and acquaints Bathsheba the mother of Solomon who goes forthwith to David about it Here is now in type the bringing the son of man to the ancient of days as she brought Solomon she is a type of the Church presenting Christ unto God saying hast thou not sworn that Solomon thy son shall raign after thee This is presenting the son of man to the ancient of days in the type now so it is in the Antitype so it is in these days of the son of man behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his mother crowned him Can. 3. the Lords Prophets and such as are true to the Lords interest bring the son of man to the Ancient of days the prayers of the Saints will run much in this strain and they will be speaking good of Christ in the ears of God and will be telling what their expectations are and how they tender the setting up of Christ and how they suffer and must suffer till Christ raignes and that they never expect to see good days till he comes this answers the type the bringing of the son of man to the ancient of days The ancient of days is commonly looked upon to be the father now 't is true the father hath covenanted and engaged to set Christ upon his throne and he calls him his King but you will find in Revel 1. this very description that is in Daniel applyed to Christ The hair of his head is said to be as white as snow and therefore how shall we understand this I will tell you how it may be reconciled by Davids Lord Davids son that is the head of Christ is God this is the head here spoken of the hair of his head was
as white as wool and therefore I say this presenting the son of man to the ancient of days is but the bringing the right heir Christ the son of man to the head of Christ which is God In the next place there is not only the presenting of Solomon as a type unto David but David doth appoint Nathan to go and anoint Solomon and set the crown upon his head and sends Benajah and Zadock with him So this is in these days of the son of man there is an anointing of Christ and an instructing of him as I may say as David did instruct Solomon his son and as in the Psalmist it is said give the king thy judgments O God and thy righteousness to the kings son David gave unto Solomon the charge for the building of the temple and he gave him the pattern of it and he exhorted him and encouraged him to be strong and know the God of his fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and by computation it took up about six months before Davids death that he was introducing Solomon in his room so that I may say here is a great deal of Christs kingdom demonstrated For all this was before the old state was out Solomon was actually enthroned and stated in the kingdom in his fathers time and Solomon did exercise his kingly power as you know 1 Kings chap. 1. v. 50.53 chap. 2.4.10 Now I shall not apply these things yet because I am not come to my assumption I am but laying my ground-work but before I come to that I must shew you the complexion of these days and although these days are the days of the son of man yet they are not such days wherein the glory of Christ and his kingdom do shine forth without a cloud and therefore for that we must have recourse again unto our text And you shall finde there that these days of the son of man are days of an extraordinary nature they are days wherein the world shall be drowned in a floud of prophanes and sensuality and security and this is in order to a making them fit for a floud of judgment so it is said here As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the son of man Likewise so also as it was in the days of Lot not only doth this scripture witness this thing that the days of the son of man will be of such a nature and complexion but likewise in Zach. 14. the Lord tells us there in several expressions that are very Emphatical as to what the nature of this day will be one day or a day by it self we may understand that by it an odd day such a day as hath not been or shall be known by the Lord as who should say none but the Lord shall know it Neither day nor night that is a strange day neither clear nor dark neither the one nor the other but mixt of hoth But at the evening tide it shall be light then it will clear up like it self briefly the days of the son of man will be a time of as prodigious wickednesses of as great tryal to the saints of as great calamity to the world as ever days were and beyond all president so Daniel says at that time shall Michael stand up and it shall be a time of trouble such as never was the like But what then makes the title of the son of man if there shall be such days of trouble is that title worth nothing in these days I answer there is a light side of these days and that is to be seen by those that have eyes by those that are spiritually enlightened to see there will be a dark hope in all the people of God and in all the whole creation in these days that surely there is something in the womb of these dispensations that will revive them at the last and this the blind world can see and say But the saints especially if they watch and if they obtain that favour from the Lord as Daniel did that was a man of desire they may see and will see whither all things will tend and where they will issue and so they will be comforted and they will sing for the majesty of the Lord they will rejoice in that which God will create They will be engaged actually with the Lord in creating a new heaven and a new earth this will be the mixt nature of these days they will be prodigiously wicked daringly wicked and yet they are the days of the son of man why so because it suits his designe upon all accounts that the Churches enemies might shew themselves like themselves that so his judgments might be the more conspicuous the more clear which he will bring upon them and also that his people might have the tryal of their faith and sense of their own weaknes and failings and so I say it doth suit Gods end who designes so to come as that his day should fall as a snare upon all that dwell on the earth that there shall be no more likelihood of the day before his coming then of many ages before that so the mockers might be confirmed saying where is the promise of his coming as who should say you talk of Christs approach being neer but there is no signe of it not considering that he comes as a thief you your selves know perfectly says the Apostle that the day of the Lord so cometh Christ comes before the 7th vyal that is preparation is making for his coming It it his legal time yea it is his actual time before the the 7th Phyal for sayes he behold I come as a thief should now shew you the Parallel having spoken of the complexion it is that which conforms this time to Gods former proceedings There were such days before God destroyed the old world 120 years Those were the days of Noah and the world was looked on as a drowned world from the beginning of those days and so the days of Lot from the time that Abraham had rescued the king of Sodom and the other four kings from their enemies which was a signe of the four Monarchies from whose hand Abraham the father of the faithful delivered Lot and for his sake the rest were delivered Now it is probable that from that time Lot used a greater freedom to admonish them to make a better use of their deliverance then they did those were the days of Lot there were days then there was a time for the judgments coming but it was not fully come so likewise doth Gods day prepare his enemies against such a time that they may be as fuel dryed for the fire that they may flame like a torch or a sheaf when fire is put to them So likewise he prepares the vessels of mercy I shall only tell you in our saviours time there was from the denunciation of the judgments against Jerusalem 40 years and so likewise from our Saviours rising till his
though we do not see yet have we heard nothing of the ratling of these dry bones let others take it for what they please for my part I take it for a truth and the rather the more because it is the time for them to appear and though they may be hid in the deserts for some time it is not more then what their fathers were in their day who lay still by the space of 37 years in the wildernes of Cadesh and the people of the nations little concerned themselves with them nor they with them Besides what we heard in the year 1665. when there were reports of their stirring it is not impossible to shew you earlier stirrings as we have it recorded of the year 1650. that there was a very great meeting of them in the plains of Ageda where they set up tents and there was a confluence from all parts no lesse then 300 Rabbies that were able to shew their Genealogy and in a very large tent there was an orderly dispute where they did with great ingenuity and candor put the question whether the Messiah was come or not Then came in the Priests and Jesuites with their vicar and their breaden God and made them break up in disorder nay what if I should say unto you that Christ hath shew'd himself to that nation distinctly it is crebly related that he shewed himself in the year 53. in Frankenland upon the cross and that he was there so seen by thousands of spectators with his Angels about him as if that very word of Daniel were in fulfilling and that the Angels were presenting him to the Ancient of days representing that in a visionary way then which is the work of the day still in the hearts of the saints through the intercession of the spirit I speak it only for this my beloved friends for that I know I feel that we need the quickning of this consideration we are amused with the times that we are in and do not know what Israel is to do because we do not know nor discern the times look to it and take heed of security take heed of an unwatchful frame of spirit for these are the days of the son of man The Fifth Sermon Luke 12.35.36 And ye your selves like unto men that look for their Lord when he will return from the wedding THe influence of Christs coming deriving it self from the nearness of it things though great that are remote seem but small and work but little upon us things that are not to be in our day nor in the days of our children we are apt to put off therefore I made it my business in two or three discourses to shew you the nearness of this coming of Christ I shewed it you first by the expiration of the times of the man of sin and Secondly by the signes of Christs coming being fulfilled pitching chiefly upon those signes in Math. 24. And in two other of the Evangelists of the suns being darkned and the moon being turned into blood The third time I shewed you that these are the days of the son of man by several particulars and by something I had spoken devolving our discourse to that point I pitcht upon those words in the 17 of this Gospel Where our saviour speaks of the days of the son of man and paralels them with the days of Noah and Lot which I told you doth intimate to us that there is a tract of time from the expiration of the 42 months of the man of sin to the glorious revelation of the son of man in person from heaven and that this tract of time is called the days of the son of man wherein he is preparing to set forward unto this glorious expedition Now in these days of the son of man I did partly open to you what was to be done and shewed you some figurative delineation of this work by former types and especially in the investing of Solomon into the kingdom I shewed you that before Davids death Solomon was set upon the throne and in opening of those passages we sound them to cast a great light upon some prophetical passages that we meet with in Daniel As about the bringing of the son of man to the Ancient of days which I told you doth very aptly agree with that type of Solomon to David bringing him unto remembrance as I may say which was done by Bathsheba by the advice of Nathan the prophet she goes to David and puts him in minde of his oath and she is seconded by Nathan and thereupon David doth send to anoint Solomon and to set him upon the throne and all this was in Davids life time Now the observation I made from these things was this David you know was a figure of the militant state of Christs kingdom his setting Solomon upon his throne before his own death doth intimate to us that before the militant state is swallowed up as I may say of victory or of the triumphant state of the Church Christ is to be set upon the throne as the succeeding links in a chain do enter into the former links so doth Christs time take hold of the former times even as Jacob took hold of Esau his brother From thence I came in the winding up to shew you that Christ was entred upon his kingdome and that there were many acts passed in order to Christs glorious raign and that he had laid his claim in partionlar to these three nations and had been proclaimed here as in the palace yard as I might say of his dominions I gave you also many concurrent passages that have faln in to strengthen our faith and answered some objections touching the calling of the Jews which although we do not yet see called to the knowledge of Christ is not to trouble us forasmuch as their calling is not to be expected untill they be setled in their own land For so the promise seems to cast things in that order that God will as freely look upon them even in their blood as he did at the first when they were in Egypt that so it may not be said that their turning to God did lead the Lords turning to them Yet I told you that we have heard of the ratling of those dry bones which because the time is come should make us take heed of saying there is nothing in it though we are not acquainted with the posture of their affairs how they stand since that only I told you that we may have this reserve of hope that as when they came out of Egipt they lay 37 years in the wilderness of Cadesb and probably were as much out of the eye of the nations for a great part of that time as they are out of our eye now So I say God may be forming that people secretly in the dark and may be carrying on his intended goodnes towards them and we may see the sun of their redemption and restitution suddenly break forth of the clouds
and dross And trulie I say our ordinances and administrations our ministrings one to another the ministring of pastors to their congregations and the mannaging of our affairs our fellowships must become more and more in the spirit less in man less in the wisdom of man and more in the power of God or else this day that is coming will throw it all to the ground And therefore happie will those be that are as that carkass that Christ speaks of in the end of Luke 17. where the carcasse is thither will the Eagles be gathered together that man that is made as a carcasse that is all his own life beautie and activitie it is all gone the Eagles of resurrection life and glorie will descend upon that carcasse and take it up into themselves or the Eagles are an Emblem of the resurrection in casting their bill And these are they that the day of the Lord comes to revive It comes to save the poor and needie it is not so much the poor and needy in purse for alas manie of the wicked are so manie of Christs enemies are so the Devil hath not power to make all his children rich if he had it would be a sad world and intollerable but the poor and needy that shall be saved and comforted in this day are the poor and needie in spirit such as are indeed nothing in their own eyes and therefore the world despises them they are such whose life is hid with Christ in God and God will rebuke us as he hath done he will rebuke our life whereby we are apt to court too much the glory of this first creation by which we are defiled I say the Lord is rebuking our life inwards and when this day of the Lord comes his glorious appearance it will find his people in the most forelorn and desolate condition of any people I will leave in the midst of thee an afflcted and poor people that iâ— ill I say still remember this that this day of the Lord hath a quarrel only with the undue exaltation of things it hath only a quarrel with the flesh with the glory of the flesh I do not say but that God will recompence and doth in his people recompence all that he takes from them in the flesh with inward minifestations yea let me tell you yet more the day of Christ even these days which are begun these days of the son of man as they do pull down with one hand so they will be building up with the other And the new world the new state of things shall grow up gradual he even as this old world finkes and declines the Lord hath I say this double work in hand and though he destroy the old foundations that we are apt to build upon yet he will substitute even under them a new foundation out of which all our comforts shall spring and grow up that so as the Apostle says being uncloathed we shall not be found naked God will not pull down this old world about the ears of his people but he will have a new state of things everlasting habitations readie to receive them and this new state of things shall grow up out of Christ and out of a root in the spirit strangelie wonderful he God shall do a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man God will serve his people by such hands and such instruments as they did little expect it from as we begin to see at this day that so we may learn ever from hence to take heed of comparing the instrument with him who is the workman but that it is God whatever the instrument be he will make the beasts of the field to honor him he will open rivers to 〈◊〉 people in the wilderness and in the dry places even those things which we were readie to cast away which we thought were altogether unprofitable God will make them fruitful in great advantages unto his people he will gird Cyrus that doth not know him And thus will he bring the blind by a way that they know not and will make darkness light before them so that God doth not father pul down the old fram but he is as forward with his new frame and though it be not all in our sight but like curious peices which are pulled in from the tumult of vulgar observers yet when the works is finished the vail shall be drawn aside and we shall see it a verie glorious piece I have been longer then I thought for detain'd from the words which I should come to of Christs returning from the wedding I see I shall but make an entrance into them now I shall give you a little general view of it and the sense and meaning of the words as the Lord doth open them to me Ye your selves like unto men that wayt for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediatly This enters us upon the nature of Christs coming he comes as a Bridegroom indeed he is to be look'd upon under several notions in his coming he comes as a judge and an avenger shall not God avenge his own elect that cry day and night unto him but that that hath the preceedency of all other considerations and is especially in the eye of his saints is his coming as a Bridegroom behold the Bridegroom cometh But here is a great difficulty in the text and that is it is said here he comes from the wedding 't is not said when he coâ—es to the wedding but from the wedding when he shall return from the wedding and if you will render the word gramatically it is when he shall return out of the wedding now this doth not hinder but that he comes to the wedding as other Scriptures intimate but what is this wedding that he comes from and why is he said to come from the wedding I answer First the wedding that Christ comes from is I conceive the glorious investiture of his own person as he is our head and representative in the glory of the father and in the glory of his kingdom that is the wedding he comes from And his coming is not only to publish but to impart the glory and the fellowship of this glorious marriage with his Church here on earth there are four weddings of Christ as we may say There was his wedding in Eternity of which Solomon speaks in Proverbs 8th Then was I by him as one brought up with him Christ was the image of the invisible God from eternity and so he was his spouse and his temple The Second wedding was Christs marrying our nature in the low estate of it marrying our raggs and infirmities the word made flesh The third wedding is Christs returning unto the father and being glorifyed with the same glory that he had with him before the world was for which he prays in John 17. And then the fourth and last wedding is that of
say there is an expectation in this patience even as the hireling waits for the end of the day and the watchman watches for the morning so do the people of God wait for the promised redemption we through the spirit do wait for the hope of righteousness by faith for we are saved by hope as the Apostle says in Rom. 8. But hope that is seen is not hope so as that now from henec we gather this that where there is not an expectation there patience will be found very weak and impoteut and indeed that will be found to be the account of our impatience want of faith and hope so is the strength and firmness of our patience Abraham saw the day of Christ he waited with a great firmness of patience because he saw my day and rejoyced and was glad and therefore let me tell you friends upon this account before I pass from this particular it is your interest as well as your duty I say it is your interest to study the promises to study the prophecies and to study the times these three things are to be studyed it is your interest as well as your duty to do it I know that you will grant the first that it is your interestto study the promises but alas this is a lame business the studying of the promises if you do not study the prophecies and study the times for to have a promise that some time or other there shall be a new state of things and not have the time discovered to you this is but a languishing tomfort alas say many it will not be in our days as that good man comforted himself that the evil threatned would not be in his days So patience is very lame upon this account because they know not whether it will be in their days or nor that is the cause of so great slightness in this respect they leave these things to others say they you have leizure you can study the times and the promises and so they take it upon the words of other men but we may speak long enough ere we can bear a solid ground of comfort into your hearts if you have it only from our words unless as the Samaritans said to the woman ye have heard and seen it your selves and so know that the time doth draw near And if you say how should we alas how should we discern those difficult those obscure periods that are delivered so darkly in the Revelations and other places let me tell you I desire to be free with you I know not whether it will suit with me or no to speak oft among you espetially this winter time though if I were among you I should embrace the call to be often among you for it is my comfort but let me tell you I have in these my poor labours among you directed you to Dan. 12. that you might take it and make somthing of it which you may if you wait upon God the words are plain that from that time of taking away the daily sacrifice and setting up the abomination of desolations it should be 1290 days If one should tell you that at such a time or at the end of such a period such an estate should fall to you or such a kingdom beyond sea would you not study it when this time would come up though it were set a little darkly it is nothing but that you have not a heart to it I beseech you bear with me it lies upon my spirit as a grief that people complain so of the times are so weary of the times and would be at better things in that regard and yet they will take no pains to look into the times of the promises if any should give you bonds will you lay them up in your desk will you never look when these bonds will be due I confess it is too plain and I have no ground to recall my word I stand to the reckoning that I have made among you that from the time of Julian the Apostate who in opposition to Christianity was engaging to repair Judaism from that time to 1650. or 1653. the 1290. days came up and that from thence there are but 45 years to come to the blessed period would you have any thing plaincr and if the Lord hath so considered us in such a Scripture as this we ought in thinkfulness to him to set our hearts to the understanding of it if all the interpreters be out yet we may fetch the sence of it from heaven strive then with God that he would give you some account of the prophecies as to the times having brought this glorious hope so near as I have done or as God haâ—h done to me and I to you as within a little more then 20 years now I lay aside all my books and all my reckonings though the evidence thereof abids with me still I cannot bring it nearer nor can I fee how it is further off I am now studying the times and there is a self evidencing light in the times in the dispensations of God and in his dealings with his people and his manifesting himself in their spirits and forming them it is a self evidencing property that is in the dispensations of God to acquaint us what they are and what Gods connsel and purpose is in them And I have sound great comfort in this reflecting upon the times our Saviour says it is that that may afford us light yea heathens can discern the face of the sky and yet cannot we discern the signes of the times there is as much light to be gathered from the times if we wisely consider them as our Astrologers gather from the face of the sky as our Saviour instances of them in some things as in a cloud arising out of the west and the blowing of the Southwind c. and have we not now a notable cloud arising in this western part of the world so that I say there is a light in the times and truly to give you one iustance I do apprehend that we may clearly see in the times both dissolution and restitution though more of the former then of the latter you know it is said that there must be a dissolution before there be a restitution the first heaven and earth fled away from the face of him that fate upon the throne and seeing all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be Then I pray answer me this in your own spirits whether this generation or age that we have lived in from the times of our childhood at least the most of us that are here whether it hath not been a dissolving age Remember the first Scripture that I pitch't upon to give evidence of the times from that Mat. 24. There shall be signes in the sun and in the moon and how I opened them this is that I say we have seen in this part of the world a little model of the great dissolution of
Churches and states oh how have we seen them disordered we have seen a first heaven and a first earth passe away though you may say it is come again yet there was a dissolution no man can deny but that is not all the dissolution continues and it works still the interest of the kingdom of God works in the bowels of all interests and of all affairs as it is manifest at this day why we see there is no glory is able to hold it long but it waxes dim it passeth away it is but like the mushrom that runs up in a night and but for a night or like Jonahs gourd as we are told it shall be before the day of the Lord. What dissolutions have there been in Churches how hath one glory of things risen up after another and passed away every one of them they have had their day in Churches in gifts in administrations in discoveries I tell you the heavens and the earth are visibly passing away If you should follow it to the affairs of men in the world why you will finde it there what breakings of trade what confusions are there I tell you the very joy of the earth is gone and except it be in a sew that are resembled by the gleaning after harvest as you have it in Esay 24.13 Except it be in a remnant that have hope in God there is no joy in the earth when thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people there shall be as the shaking of an Olive tree and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done they shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord c. and as it is Esay 30.29 They shall have a song as in the night I grant there is such a song as in the night in a dark season when all things are dark round about us there is a song as in the night which these gleanings have I mean this poor remnant which God says in Zephany 3 12. he will leave he will leave an afflicted and poor people they sing indeed in the spirit but alas as to all outward things they mourn as well as others they see all things to be sinking and dissolving so that all our rejoycing is in hope is in spirit I say moreover if you will consider as indeed we ought to do there is not any particular providence towards any of the saints but there may be an intimation in it of Gods visiting the rest of their brethren therefore I say study the times and study the dispensations of God to your own particulars and see what light you can finde for this is that which will be exceeding helpful to you in the work of patience Now having thus opened patience what it is I come now to the second particular And that is the requiring of it how it is required of us and with this quality Let patience have her perfect work what is this work of patience and the perfect work of patience why you know that patience is a work it self it is the work of faith the tryal of your faith worketh patience says the Apostle Jam. 13. and tribulation worketh patience Rom. 5.2 now patience hath a work too a work of its own and patience experience and so the one worketh or begetteth another all along and hope maketh not ashamed now mark you here all that follows from the first work that tribulation worketh patience all the rest is the work of patience the perfect work of patience it works experience patience is to make us experienced Christians this you know results naturally from patience from the long enduring of tryals going through many of them many for kinde and many for number we have great experience there by as a traveller that hath gone through many countryes he hath gotten great experience thereby having undergone many hardships and tryed several tempers of people he gets experience now this is a great accomplishment unto a man and we commonly mention it as a very great honour to a man for a man to be greatly experienced this is part of the riches of a Christian you will stand for a man of experience in point of Physick the practise is the thing that enables a man most to do good and to answer your end so it is with a Christian it is part of his riches and of his glory experience David was such an experienced Christian for they are all Christians that did believe in Christ to come but I say he was so experienced a Saint that you could not turn him to any thing but he was able to answer you saying God was with me in such and such circumstances I was able to encourage my self in the Lord my God So I say we have not only all the experience of the Saints that are gone before us but God will have us have a treasure of our own experiences this is a great matter But then secondly this perfect work of patience let patience have her perfect work indeed I had rather sum it up in the general and have you particularise at your leizure and as God shall bring them into your minds in your reading of the Scripture and in your spiritual race I say this same perfect work of patience is the perfecting of a Saint and making him an absolute piece in whom nothing can be desired more this is imported or implyed here in those worâ—s let patience have her perfect work nay further it 's exprest that ye way be perfect and entire wanting nothing So that it should seem that patience doth sustain or supply the place and do the part as I may say of all manner of tools to the polishing and perfecting of a faint there is the rough plain where with you plain at the first and after wards the smooth plain when the roughness is taken away all is in this work of patience I tell you there is a great deal to be done in a Christian to fit him for that glorious converse with Christ in the new Jerusalem and therefore you reade in Revel 19.7 the marriage of the lamb is come that is good news you will say bnt mark what is joyned with it the Bride hath made her self ready his wife hath made her self ready the Apostle tells us that flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God alas we have been looking for the kingdom of God but when it did draw a little near unto us we were as fit for it as a child is to mannage the affairs of men and therefore the kingdom of God withdrew from us alas we were not fit for it flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdous of God What is the meaning of flesh and blood there It is not meant that men in the body shall not enter into the kingdom of God for they most certainly shall we shall not all sleep but be changed it is not a putting off the body but flesh and blood in
the falne and corrupt state wherein there is both weakness and corruption and both these must be removed or else we cannot enter into the kingdom of God now the Lord give us a sence of this how unfit we are in our present fram and temper for that which we are so earnestly calling for may it not be said unto us as the prophet speaks it is not for you to desire the day of the Lord the day of the Lord is darkness and not light what will you do in the day of the Lord I tell you my brethreu the day of the Lord is a trying day alas when it comes to demand of us the giving up of such and such interests or lusts we cry O let me fly unto this it is a little one and my soul shall live O let not the Lord dsscompose this part of the old building we are for keeping up of one or other shedd of the old building I have been more within these two days thinking upon those words the carnal minde is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be then I ever was in my life that I know of and it is that I should be glad to hear others sensible of even the enmity that is in the carnal minde it is enmity aga nst God it is not subject neither can it be I tell you if yon do not know this by your selves you know not your own hearts and do we think that we shall pass into that new state of things by translation we might iudeed have done so if Adam had not sinned out of that which is natural into that which is spiritual But now believe it there must be knocking work there must be dissolving work and you will feel this it will put you to pain I would not discourage you for the Lord will be ut the whole charge of taking down the old state of things as well as the setting up of the new and he doth and wil make his people a willing sacrifice as Isaac was he can make this cup to pass from you or otherwise he can sweeten it to you though it be a cup that Chrish natutal flesh it self desired might pass yet I say the spirit is willing and if the Lord please to call up his spirit in us it will make us a willing sacrifice but then is a great change to be brought upon us Now hen having spoken so much of the time let me come a little to minister of this strength and help unto you we should look up to God that we might be ministers of the spirit when we converse in the things of God I shall propound two or there things unto you to help you in this tydeing it out with patience The first is this to reconcile you to all he hardships and tryals all the bitter things that God sees good to exercise his people with all consider the harmony that there is in all the ways and works of God how all of them conspire and work together they clash not one with the other but they are all of them by his wise contrivance set in their places as he says he hath set prosperity over against adversity he hath set evil days over against good days and they all of them deliver us up as from Constable to Constable one dispensation hands us unto another and that to a third and so they all bring us in our journey as the waves and billows of the sea do that makes the passage rough but yet they carry on the vessel so do all the waves and works of God and although you may think here comes a providence that will set me quite back again as Israel was set back in the wildernesse they were within a little of Canaan at their coming out of Egypt they were over against the land of Canaan where unto they did passe at the last and then they were brought back again yet God calls this a strait way yet if you had seen it delineated as I have done and observed their wandrings in the wildernesse you never saw such a crooked line in all your life but the rubbs of a bow I make it run so much the stronger And this I will propound to your further consideration that all the whole schem and all the scenes of Gods providences and dispensations to his people when they are set before us in an entire view as in some parts of the Scripture they are they are called a song as in that Deut. 32. Where Moses speaks of the several changes that should befall that people he calls it a song so like wife the book of Canticles which doth prophetically hold forth the feveral changes of the state of things from Solomons time to Christs coming it is called a song so if we could but look upon the whole body of divine counsel and of divine dispensations as a peice of poesy or a song it would sweeten it unto us you know this age is much given to plays to Comedies especially which begin tragically but end very satisfactorily so do the ways of God but if you should in a song leave out some or any of the feet in any of the lines the song will be lame it will hobble as I may say so I say if any thing of Gods dispensations if any of his purposes should fail and should not have their accomplishment alas ye whole would want something of its beauty so here in my text Let patience have it's perfect work that you may be perfect and entire lacking nothing men would be contented might they come to the end of their journey though they lost a great deal of the glory that God intends them by the way though they lost the advantages that afflictions would work out for them as that text says a far more exceeding wait of glory Look upon the contrivance of God the project of God there is not any one passage in his whole contrivance that can be spared not any one trouble either to the Church or to any particular member but all conduces to the beauty and the entrance of the whole Secondly consider this and it is a main thing and I pray set your hearts to it withdraw your own concerns out of the work of God and wholly look upon it as the Lords concern Let God alone be concerned do you engage him by your faith as the himself is engaged in his own glorious counsel and purpose That which makes things so troublesome is that we take Gods part upon our selves and that makes it so heavy we set our selves like Atlas to bear up the heavens and the pillars of the earth alas it is not our work to do it it is wholly Gods work it is his project and his undertaking and it is that which he would have us wholly to concern him in it is his work it is him glory so that he himself is concerned and he would suffer it any of his work should fail or miscarry pray
consider that I desire to draw out my heart to you it is the greatest comfort I have when I finde weaknesse in my self I have a great desire to live to see the glorious time of the Church and when at any time as the devil is wonderful busy to cast in his fiery darts and discouragements into the soul when I finde I am either assaulted with a sudden fear or that I cannot see how that little vigour and strength I have should hold out I finde a great deal of comfort in reflections of this nature that the Lord is more concern'd in and for me then I am in and for my self and whoever can do so shall finde and feel the benefit of it hath not the Lord given his son for me and he that gives his own son how shall be not with him freely give us all things are we not his peculiar treasure then I say leave your selves to God and say look thou to it we may with a holy freedom say to the Lord look thou to it it is not for us though we are to serve the providence of God and the publique yet it is Gods concern he is to look to it cast it upon God but 3ly A third consideration is his I have told you once and again and now also that I cannot bring tho time neerer the time of our hopes then I have done but yet consider this this time that is yet to run out before that very period comes wherein he is pronounced blessed that waits comes to that time I say those times that are to run out will be filled with wonders and with glory that shall give strength unto us from day to day from year to year to await the end to the last issne for although it is not said that Daniel shall stand in his lot until the end of those days and then it is promised he shall ye I say there may goundedly be an expectation of higher more transcendent and wonderfull works of God that shall entertain his people during their watching and waiting for you know who is there that needs watchers at any time but will provide them entertainment during their watching they shall have strong-waters or something by them and so shall the Lords people you will say what entertainment shall we have I must tell you I look upon the 45 years as well night half expyred which is the time in which Christ employs instruments for the throwing down of the remainder of his enemies throughout this whole western world and the Eastern too the great Turk the whole seat of the 4th Monarchy all the enemies in these two Empires the Eastern and the Western Christ takes this time to bring them down and wonderfully brought down they must be and come to their end this abundance of Scriptures tels us he will shake heaven and earth and the desire of all nations shall come and so he says in Joel he will gather the heathens to the vally of Jehoshaphet and so Zach. 14.3 But in Revel 16. you read that at the pouring forth of the 6th Vyal the great river of Euphrates shall be dryed up he is drying up Euphrates at this day and this will be a glorious work to see how Christ gets ground of his enemies and how the house of Saul grows weaker and weaker indeed it would be very little comfort to see destruction and desolation if the new state did not put off the old state as the old nail gives way to the new or as Jacobs supplanting Esan though that new state is not to be seen vulgarly or visibly yet the saints finde it coming on in the spirit and this if you be reasonable men will satisfy you God will satissy his people ere he hath done and it is your mistake if you are not satisfyed with this way he takes so did Israel dig up fouutains and their rock followed them The 4th consideration is this that if we did understand things aright we should rejoyce with all our souls it would turn to us for a testimony that the Lord holds us in so long suspenee being an argument of the greatness of the transcendency of the things that are promised otherwise God would not exercise his people so long in the wayting for them think you that God will exercise his people with waiting for a trifle Esa 64.4 From the begining of the world men have not beard nor perceived by the ear neither hath any eye seen besides thee O God what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him if you expect Christs glorious kingdom any otherwise you will be mistaken there is no common or ordinary thing in that day expect nothing but wonders things that are to put your faith to it to acknowledge them when they come to passe that you will be ready to say are we in a dream as when the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion this is that which makes our patience so lame we represent the kingdom of God in such a pittiful poor way and manner what is the utmost glory that men present it in why that it will be a time of pure ordinances and the ministers shall recover themselves with their people alas alas is this all is this the kingdome of Christ I saw no temple there God will bring his people to immediate converse with himself they shall see eye to eye God intends to bring his people to a state without sin past this state of infirmity I confess men may give such an account of Christs kingdom that may not ballance the charge or trouble of working it about Do you think that God would have suffered Paradise to fall but that he had a better state to bring forth Do you think that the temple had been suffered to miscarry but that he had a better state to present Do you think that the primitive state had been suffered to decline but that he had a better state yea better then the Apostles better then the Prophets We see say they through a glass datkly but in that day Christians shall be known to whom they belong you know a waterman by his badge the name of God shall be written in the foreheads of his people If you look for any thing but wonders in that day you will be mistaken things being working to that issue I say you will see wonders One word more till Christ comes in person let us emprove his spiritual presence with us which by promise shall never be taken away And I tell you as I have told you formerly it is the spirit of Christ in the Saints that is the power by which they shall be changed Christs personal appearance from heaven bears a part it is the glorious example to which we shall be conformed and it hath a ministry likewise of enouragement and strengthning it will call up our faith and the life of the spirit into exercise in us but they must both meet the shout of our faith with the shout
of the Angels when Christ comes from heaven the spirit is that power by which it is done and that being with us what advantage might we make to this day of God through the affistance of the spirit It is possible for men to have the name of the new Jerusalem written upon them before the new Jerusalem comes down from God out of heaven else what means that promise Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the house of my God and the name of the Citty of my God even of the new Jerusalem c. The overcomer is the person to whom this promise is made we must fight the good fight of saith we must be over coming all our spiritual enemies and this is the work of this present day let the Dutch and others grapple with their enemies we have other enemies to deal with though we desire that God would fight the battels of his people every where and give them the advantage in every battle ye I say we have other enemies that we are engaged with I tell you this overcoming is only by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ he is the overcomer that hath suffered in the flesh To this overcomer is the promise made of writing on him the name of the citty of God what is the meaning of that why he shall walk in the name in the power in the spirit of that new state An APPENDIX to the Former Discourse Of the 5th Trumpet with a general view of the four precedent trumpets THat the 5th trumpet is not to be ranged so high into the ages past as most interpreters do applying it to the incursions of the Saracens soon after the 600 year of Christ and allowing the space of 700 years well night between that and the 6th trumpet which they place upon the beginning of the 13th century There are many reasons to disswade as First from the general doctrine of the trumpets it is agreed by all that the man of sin or Antichrist hath as well his growing as his judgement and fall under the trumpets it must also be affented to that his sin must be full before his fall and judgment comes accordingly the four first trumpets are the time of his fin and corruption rising to the height and breaking forth and though those trumpets are applyed by most expositors to the judgment of the beast gradually destroying him and may with some fitness of allusion find ground and matter for such application for God though he gave up the Antichristian world to that Apostacy did not forbear to witness all along against gainst their growing corruptions in such manner as may answer the language and expressions of the 4 first trumpets yet I humbly conceive they properly set forth to us the gradual growth of corruption and degeneracy in that sinagogue of Satan and the occasion and means thereof which was 4 fold 1. The waxing cold of their love and the breaking forth of contentions about outward things exprest by the haile and fire mingled with blood and cast on the earth the generality of professors under the first trumpet The 2d degree ambition and burning desire of rule and supremacy in the clergy as they will be called exprest by the burning mountain cast into the sea under the 2d trumpet The 3d corruption in their administrations by a malignant star falling on the Rivers and fountains under the 3d trumpet 4ly A corruption of their light exprest by singling the 3d part of the sun the moon the stars under the 4th trumpet and here by this time things are come to that pass that the Lord sees it time to give a stop and to take in hand to judge this abominable state and therefore sin being finished so far as was ordained to be before for the rest of their sin breaks forth under their judgment and it is not the least of their sin there is an Angel sent to fly through the midst of heaven to denounce wo wo wo to the inhabitants of the earth i.e. to the worshipers of the beast by reason of the other voices of the trumpets of the 3 Angels that are yet to sound now these three last trumpets being of a classis ranged thus together distinguished from the 4. preceeding it is a strong presumption that they are of a different nature and import and that as the former trumpets discover the growth of Antichrists sin so these acquaint us with the steps of his judgment under the 4 first he was climbing up higher and higher in his state and in his sin under the 3 last he is declining still more and more and sinking into the wrath of God under judgment till at last he is cast into the lake both head and tail this is my first Reason My 2d is from the non-quadrature of the application of the 5th trumpet to the Saracens in respect of time the Saracens I grant were a sore judgment and infested the Roman world exceedingly by courses and by times from the year 60 till the time of the Turks prevailing which was for many hundreds of years and were that hand and judgment whereby God testifyed against those growing corruptions of Rome all along while they were springing up but these Locusts under the 5th trumpet are bounded and limited within their 5 months which take a day for a year make but 150 years how this time can give an account of the incursions of the Saracens by the space of 6 or 700 years I cannot see nor am I satisfied with Mr. Medes falve for it having I think good reason to dissent from him and to understand these Locusts under the 5th trumpet of the 1st times of the Turks from the beginning of the 13th century while by the space of 150 years they were very noisome and offensive tormenting the men that had not the seal of God in their foreheads but not killing them as after that time they did for about the year 1450. or 53. as Mr. Mede hath noted out of History was Constantinople taken by the Turks which was a killing or an extinguishing of the Roman name in the East where you have the 5 months exactly from the 1st uniting of the 4 families of the Turks under the Ottoman family My third ground is from the mother text as I may call it from whence this allusion of the Locusts is taken which is from the prophecy of Joel as Mr. Mede hath observed to my hand which prophecy throughout is a celebrating of the day of the Lord or the day of his judgment in a prophetical strayn as is in so many words expresly owned more then once or twice in that prophecy chap. 1.15 chap. 21.11.31 and chap. 3.12 And in this day of the Lord judgment begins at the house of God and that takes up the one half of the prophecy unto the 18th verse of the 2d chapter and from thence to the end is the judgment of the enemy and God brings this judgment
on the enemy by driving him by a judicial hand upon acting violence towards his people which was the violence of the enemy his own heart only God makes way for it takes off the bridle and gives them full scope that he may take advantage against them for it and so he doth 2 works at once he purifies his people by these scullions and for their filthy doing of it takes occasion to destroy them when they have done now therefore the allusion being taken from this place it is an argument that the work in both places is the same and that from the issuing froth of these Locusts here under the 5th trumpet the first two trumpets that hour of Gods judgment is to be reckoned to begin whereof he speaks Revel 14.7 which hour takes in these 3 last trumpets and they take in all the times from the begining of the beasts declyning which was from the begining of the reformation or the preaching of the everlasting Gospel at the entring of the 13th century to the white throne this is my third ground My 4th ground is from a knot of Arguments taken from this vision of the 5th trumpet Rev. 9. The 1st whereof is from the accommodation which arises from thus stating this vision to that schem of the 1000 years mystical raign from the downfal of heathenism 2 Hereby the Locusts under the 5th trumpet and the army of horsemen under the 4 Angels in the next trumpet are the same enemy split into 2 times and actions as by their characters in the prophecy they seem to be and not 2 several enemies as former interpretations have made them for they agree in their numerousnesse Locusts are innnmerable as the army of horsemen are in the vision 2. They are both like unto horses prepared unto battel 3. They agree in their breastplates 4. They agree in their Lion-like teeth and heads 5. They agree in their serpentine tails and stings so that whether you understand these locusts and these horsmen of the Turks or whether you understand them more largely of all the power of the Antichistian enemy and all his instruments to execute his wrath they are the same enemy acting a 1st and a 2d part the first only preparatory to the 2d tormenting but not killing so it is said under the 5th trumpet they were like horses prepared to battle v. 7. but v. 15 there they are loofed for execution that were prepared before and we have seen how appositely this may be applyed to the Turk who is the glasse or mirror of all Christs enemies under these 3 last trumpets as the beast is the image and representation of all the Babilonish enemies under that first 1000 years of the four former trumpets For these reasons I cannot consent that this 5th trumpet or first two trumpets should belong to so ancient times as above a thousand years ago but that it belongs to the times of Satan loosed from the year 1300 and that both these locusts and Euphratian army and Gog and Magog at last are no other then the whole power of the Dragon beast and false prophet combined that stand up for that cause which Satan hath all along managed by different parties and methods whether warrs of persecutions or inquisitions and so takes in both civil Ecclesiastical and military forces of Turk or Pope rising up against Christ and his interest or beloved city wheresoever and the designe of God herein is first to purge-and chasten his Church and so withall to spend and dry up these waters according to the import of the 6th Vyal and in the end to devour them with his fire from heaven which whatever it import more and more litterally according to the judgment that befell Sodom we have reason from what is said of the 7th Vyal and many places in the old Testament to include and take in the fire of their own divisions to which God will give them up to break and destroy one another as the Midianites did and Moab Ammon and Mount Seir to which way of working out the Churches quiet the prophets do frequently allude and we may see in part already this way on foot in the divisions between France and Spain and in other parts between men of the same profession who one would think should count it as they have done formerly their common interest to agree and joyne together against the beloved citty and would certainly continue so to do but that by a judiciall stroke from God they are blinded and so fall foul upon one another therefore let the people of God look up and lift up their heads for the day of their redemption draweth nigh and those that understand the Lords designe in these things will do so whence it is that in the prophets when they speak of this terrible day and these dismal dispensations they by the spirit of prophecy see come as the shaking of an olive tree and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done that lift up their voice and sing for the Majesty of the Lord glorifying the Lord in the fires they hear some that have a song in this night as when an holy solemnity is kept and gladness of heart as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord this to be when the earth is made empty waste is strange but who are those but such as Daniel calls the wise that shall understand that know the design of God in these things and where they shall end that have the mountain of the Lord in their eye and see these things working that way that know the thoughts of the Lord understand his counsel which the blind enemy doth not Mich. 4. These sit with the Lord in heaven and laugh for they see him about to fulfil that word that he hath spoken Joel 2.18 The Lord will be jealous for his land and pitty his people and remove far from them the Northern army as it follows there in confidence whereof they even dare their enemies as it is in the 3 chap. v. 11. Assemble your selves and come all ye heathen and gather your selves together round about for thither will God cause his mighty ones to come down and so v. 12. with a thousand more places to this purpose which the occasions of Gods people have called them to minde and acquaint themselves with of late times for which cause I need not quote them A Sober Enquiry into the Nature and Times of God and Magog and whether that Scene be not now on the Stage GOg and Magog is that last dark black cloud which God in his wisdom sees good to bring over his Churches affairs and hopes when after a troublesom and dangerous sea they are ready to enter the port or haven of their long wish'd expectations and is that in the body natural the last enemy after which follows an uninterrupted sevenity never to end but in the joy of eternity The false images that men have formed to
thy faith fail not Luk. 22.31 neither did Jacobs faith fail him in that night of his conflict Gen. 32.25 nor Jobs while he could make such a glorious confession chap. 19.23.27 neither did Davids faith fail him though it was shaken and seemed to fail when he said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 yet we read afterwards he encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1. Sam. 30.6 it is said the powers of heaven shall be shaken and so may faith be shaken but shall not fail Gog Magog shall compass the camp of the Saints on every side so that which way soever they look there is nothing but danger and sear this will make all things fail but faith as David saith my heart and flesh faileth but God is the strength of my heart it will put even faith if self to it and drive it into God where properly it is to dwell How great this tryal is like to be may be guessed from these considerations 1. That it is the last and dying effect of the Dragons cause therefore his rage is great saith the text knowing he hath but a short time after which he hath no more that he can do 2. He acts from desperation and though he cannot hope to prevail yet he will set his life as dear as he can and make it as costly and bloudy a victory to the Church as God will suffer him for no other bounds will be set to bloody rage then the restraint God lays upon him who in his holy counsel permits him to go as far as may be with the safety of the cause and interest and the faith of the Church which is to be a full tryal of it and of their patience that it may have it's perfect work and that the glory of that tryal may be the greater as we may see in Job the Devil had full scope to all manner tryals his life only excepted so the Church shall live and that is all till this tryal is over therefore the Lord sets this bound Esay 57.56 Lest the spirit fail before me and in another place lest the righteous put forth their hand to iniquity Psa 125.3 they shall almost come to it but there it shall stop A second end of god in this tryal is to bring upon the Church Christs mistical body that needful qualification and preparation for glory that God wrote upon Christ the head to make them conformable to him according to the law of his eternal counsel Rom. 8.29 for even Christ was made perfect by sufferings being crucified through weakness or for the weakness of that state he was in in the flesh which could not work out redemption for us without it's passing away and the Apostle tells us all after that law and example that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God this mistical death therefore is to rid us of our selves and those foul mixtures which made our former works miscarry and prove abortive as the snake pressing between sharp tones or rocks puts off her old skin and renews as the Eagle by casting her bill so God useth the ministry of Satan himself in these sharp tryals to help us off with the old man for it is a new race of Christians or Christians new formed regenerated spirited that are fit for the new Jerusalem and all this would not do to fit us for converse with Christ and that heavenly company if the Lord did not put to his own hand at last in that change in a moment in the twinckling of an eye but these tribulations help that is the 2d end The third is that the Lord may take occasion by this fresh and bleeding discovery of the serpent and his parties enmity to destroy them and deliver the Church from them for ever they have given occasion and provocation enough all along and God hath rapt them for it but deferr'd his anger till this time giving the Church support mean while as not having finished his work on Mount Sion and so former provocations slept and were forgotten but for the glory of Gods righteousnesse and to make his justice the more conspicuous he permits them this laft opportunity to shew themselves which they do to the full that God may take them in the fact while they are reaking hot in their rage against the Church that all the world may see for what it is he destroys them and how he favours the Church which the world could not well read in former dispensations they were so intermingled but now the vision shall be so plain that he may run that reads it this is the account which the Lord himself gives of this dispensation Zeph. 3.8 therefore wait ye upon me faith the Lord till I rise up to the prey for my determination is to gather the nations that I may assemble the kingdoms to pour upon them my indignation even all my fierce anger and Ier. 51.39 In their beat I will make their feasts and I will make them drunken that they may rejoyce and sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake saith the Lord God will give them all the scope their hearts can desire power multitudes to excecute their will and no power with the Church and then will God triumph over them as in the day of Iehosaphat and the day of Gideon call'd the day of Midian and the day of battel Zach. 14.3 Esa 10.26 Mich. 4.11.12.13 There are many other holy and gracious ends the Lord hath in this dispensation might be instanced as to commend the following rest and glory therefore the Lord continues to take his people just off a troublesom and tempest uous sea into it that they may have the fuller and more perfect rellish of it which to intimate to us seems to be consulted in that manner of phrase in Peter where he speaks of the spirit his testifying in the prophets beforehand of the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow as much as to intimate that the sufferings are ordain'd among other and great ends as a foil to the glory But I hasten to the conclusion of this discourse there is one point I would speak more fully to and that is to give in fuller evidence and satisfaction that the times of the 5th trumpet are not to be ranged so high as interpreters commonly carry them but to belong to the times of Satan loosed which having slipt the proper place to bring it in I shall therefore add it at the close of this discourse and therewith shall also offer a paper which I drew some months since whereby the main subject of this discourse may receive some further light in the mean space I shall speak a word as to the aplication of the precedent discourse to the times and to the particular concern of the people of God in these times 1. As to the times the designe of this short discourse hath been to give or get some light to discern the times and
to give some account why things go as they do in the world if the devil be let loose is it any wonder if Gog and Magog be upon the stage may we not wonder rather if we scape thus confider the evidence that hath been offered and what more follows at the end of these papers from the calculation of the time from the description of the enemy from the likeness of the action from the opening of the design both of God and Satan and the parallel between the dispensation of God to particular believers and the whole collective body of the Church which you have in the foregoing discourse to gird which a little closer to you take these two notes 1. That as it is but a mistical reign that the Church hath till Christs glorious appearing so it is but a mistical judgment that is executed upon Babilon or any of the Churches enemies till then else how should the day of the Lord come as a thief and fall as a snare on all that dwell on the earth as it is said it shall The not considering this makes us overlook the Vyals when they are before us it is true it is said at the pouring out of the Vyals his judgments are made manifest but to whom are they made manifest will not the wicked do wickedly still to the last must not the Lord even Christ at his appearing fetch the last blow himself at the wicked one therefore let us not think because a Pope lives still at Rome and a grand Signieur at Adrianople that therefore we are not near the finishing of the mistery of God By a mistical judgment I mean close and dark judgments such as take them not off their violence but heighten and harden them the more such the judgment executed by the Vyals seems to be and therefore by the 5th Vyal on the throne of the beast his kingdom is observed to be full of darkness and so little did the Antichristian party profit by that or any of the precedent Vyals that we fiud them under the next Vyal uniting and making head more strenously and universally then ever before like Pharoah that by every judgment was more and more hardened not but that God hath all along given many evident testimonies of his displeasure against them which those that have eyes see but they see it not or at least lay it not to heart to repent but are unjust and filthy still or as that word still may import are more and more filthy and unjust there in discovering the judgment to be upon their heart and thus it appears to me it will be till Christ fetcheth his last and dispatching blow at them and then they will see and be confounded My second note is this that there may be a great mistake in expecting those eminent scenes in the last times of the beast viz. the slaughter and rising of the witnesses the battel against him that sate on the white horse or the gathering to Armageddon and the visible effects of the Vyals especially the six first Vyals and so this attempt of Gog and Magog should equally shew themselves in all the parts and places of the beasts dominion it is sufficient for this mistical way of judging if the Lord single out some head-place some eminent part of his juridiction that is or hath been so and there present them at least more eminently thus Ezek. 5.5.8 God did set Jerusalem in the midst of the nations and did execute judgment in her in the sight of the nations and for their instructions this suits the way and manner of God who is one to judge and save in one as he did in Christ Therefore though the witnesses have been spread all over the juridiction of Babilon and have prophecyed and have been slayn by coast as I may say in all her streets yet the last and eminent settling of the cloud seems to be in one particular street or province and there their visible resurrection also to be which is called the tenth part of the citty and so the battel of Armageddon for the substance thereof without that specialty hath been fought by parties throughout the whole jurisdiction but the last and great dash of that shour may be found to have lighted on some particular place more eminently and that is like to be or to have been on the head kingdom or kingdoms of the Reformation and where that hath been there in probability it is that the Dragon will second the worsted beast his party with his succors of Gog and Magog These are my 2 notes which being premised I conclude that it is profitable that this is the time of Gog and Magog my reason in brief is for that there seems to me so little time yet to run out before the white throne be erected so little time that this old world hath to continue my confidence arises from those numhers pitch't by the Lord himself Dan. 12.11.12 the one of 1290 days the other of 1335 days the 45 years in the last number exceeding the former I look upon to be the time allotted for this expedition of Gog and Magog the one half of which 45 years is expired now let us but consider how much work is left for the other half that is to come the Jews are to be called and brought to their own land they are there to be settled and to get goods and cattel yea gold and silver in abundance and to live in great security before the Eastern Gog is let loose upon them which for a people so spoiled and that are to begin the world again as the greatest part of the twelve tribes are presumed to be may well require half of the time that is behind and then after the destruction of Gog and Magog they are to be seven years burning the weapons of warr all this probably before the coming down of the new Jerusalem therefore by this judge whereabouts we are Daniel is promised to rise and stand up in the latter end of those days those days come up 22 years hence there is not much difference among Chronologers all interpreters agree in the Epocha and fix it in Julians time all this work is to be done among the Jews ere that time is it not time therefore for us to expect their call and return Our western Gog and Magog probably may not stay for them but may lead the way and be a means of their awakning for the Aposile intimates that through our mercy they shall obtain mercy which probably must be understood of some eminent signal mercy farther then hath yet been seen upon us by the reviving the work and cause of God among the Gentiles and the deciding the controversy that hath been so long depending between Christ and Antichrist wherein this Gog and Magog is Antichrists last reserve Now there being so little sand in the glass it is very pardonable to expect these actions and issues which must shew themselves before that little sand
heaven though to them a tryal but with all a service fetching them off more fully and more home to God their true rest And for the outward part of this wo if this be the same time spoken of Rev. 12.15.16 as I have formerly hinted in this discourse it is the earth shall help the woman and open her mouth to swallow up the flood as we may observe it hath done thus farr hitherto But yet there is more comfort behinde for as in this tryal the devil comes forth in person I may say and it is the Dragons second appearance so will Michael standup yea he doth stand up and Christ will appear in person the second time to rescue his beloved city from this violence So that here is all the comfort can be desired the very action is a service to us to bring us to God and the issue will crown our joy in bringing down Christ unto us look on the deliverance of Let and Sodom the very type of this where you may finde all the parts and the whole contexture of this scene even to the fire that came down from heaven and the lake into which those filthy citties were cast but just Lot is delivered and the Lord appears in person to his deliverance look on the old world another figure of this all drowned but upright Noah saved in the Ark so shall it be with the Lords Noahs and Lots in this day when the enemy shall come in like a flood and when the Lord shall send his flood of his wrath upon them nay when he shall rain down fire from heaven upon them therefore his is the Lords call this day to his Lots to his Noahs to abandon Sodom to flee out of Babylon and to deliver every man his own sou let the Churches hear this and all that walk with them to arise and depart out of every form and appearance of things of holy things Church or ordinancé that is polluted that is destitute of the spirit where Christ and his spirit is not in rule in power is not predominant striks not the great stroke bears not the great sway that state of things is a Sodom and Egypt a Babilon it is not something of God or something of the spirit being there makes it otherwise if the spirit be not there in rule and dominion God knows how to save that something and will do it as he did Lot out of Sodom but that shall not save Sodom It is true the last Vyal is poured out upon the air the prince of the power of the air and his whole party not Ecclesiastical only but corrupt civil formes and constitutions also but with ths civil or rather uncivil rule of corrupt men the Lord will put down also very specious and glorious religious forms that are not in the spirit for the shall put down saith the Apostle all rule and all authority and power 1 Cor. 15.24 yea the same Apostle tells us in the third chap. of the Epistle v. 11. and 16. that though the foundations be right yet they that build bay and stubble upon it shall suffer losse in their work and though themselves shall be saved yet so as by fire therefore we see we had need to take heed not to our foundation only but also to our building The Apostle Peter tells us that all these things must be dissolved he saith not simply all things but all these things not the works of God for whatsoever God doth is for ever for as all Christs words so all Gods works are spirit and life therefore we reade in Revelation of the ark and the tabernacle taken into the temple in heaven as typically they were into Solomons temple and that at the founding of the 7th trumpet they were seen there the true spiritual substratum of every ordinance creation and institution of God when a higher glory is revealed is carryed up and taken into that glory but the earthly part of it falls to the earth how much more all the works and buildings of man and all his pleasant pictures Esa 2.16 and as all civil foundations pollicies constitutions built with blood and unrighteousnesse shall dash and break one another in peices so will these spiritual buildings that are so in name only be dasht in peices like potters vessels and that in great part by their own divisions Gog and Magog also are used in this work who as the Assirian of old are sent against an hipocritical nation Esa 10.6 to take the spoil to take the prey and to tread them down as the mire in the streets this is one way that the earth shall help the woman and drink up the flood the dragon designes the holy the beloved city but that shall not be given into his hand but there is an hipocritical nation which yet all themselves of the holy city and are so esteemed by one another being called by the name of Israel and come forth of the waters of Judah these shall be given into his hand and when these things are judged and dissolved the Churches enemyes destroyed and her self purifyed then shall appear the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Errata PAge 6. line 7. for charge reade change p. 12. l. 23. for the large r. a large p. 14. r. acknowledging p. 15. l. 21 for about r. above p. 18. l. 1. for him r. them p. 27. l. 13. for tax r. taxt p. 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and them that worship therein this was the temple of priests for there was the Altar in the holy place now the other temple which was the most holy there was the Ark and that is the temple which is opened after the 7th trumpet sounded The holy of holies the temple of God was opened and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament Revel 11. last The ark was not seen in the temple of the Priests where the Altar was but it was seen in the most holy place for thither was the ark carryed and so in that chap. 15. Behold the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened This is not that state of the Church whiles they were under suffering from Antichrist but it is that state that the Church enters into after the expiration of the term of Antichrist when they are just going up into the kingdom that is the temple that is opened at the 7th trumpet and there it is called the temple of the tabernacle of testimony Because the ark was called the ark of the testimony and the tables that were in the ark are called the tables of testimony so that I say these temples were distinct that is the first thing The Second thing that I have to prove is that this most holy place is not opened for the Vyals to come out but is opened after they are come out for when the Angels are said to come out of the temple there is no specification that that temple was the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony but I heard a great voice out of the temple chap. 6. v. 1. now to prove this he says in the beginning of the 15th chap. I saw a great signe in heaven and there is a summary account of the Vyals pouring out and the victory of the true Church of Christ over the Antichristian Sinagogue in the four first verses before you hear of the opening of the ten ple of the tabernacle of testimony for this is a character that is observed throughout the Revelations where you meet with that word after these things as you do in 5th vers there is always another vision of distinct new matter and that which follows in time after the former as for instance after the Lord had dispatch't his minde unto Johu in those Epistles in the 2d and 3d chap. It is said chap. 4. After this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven so likewise in the 7th chap. after the 6th seal had brought the heathen dragon down and cast him to the earth it is said after these things I saw 4 Angels standing c. Now this is an evident token of things that do succeed and follow and are not contemporary so here chap. 15. v. 6. It is said after the Vyals and not before the Vyals of which he had given a summary account in the former verses and indeed if we do but consider the nature and import of Vyals that will help us in the discerning of this point that is before us which will serve for an answer to another objection and that is this You will say the Vyals are the judgments of God upon the beast now this is the order of divine justice that sin when it is finished brings forth death but the beast had not finished his sin at the begining of the times of reformation and therefore it is not to be expected that he should have his reward till he hath done his work Answ Yet he had done work enough to be rewarded for before the Vyals began he was not idle he fell to work immediatly when once he had power given to him he opened his mouth in blasphemies He had ravished the Christian world from Christ before these Vyals began to be poured forth did he not deserve something for all this was he not ripe for judgments all the work that he did afterwards was very much occasioned by the Vyals by the coming forth of the light and the truth against him which did sorely vex him so that he behaved himself like a beast indeed with great rage more then before But consider in the 2d place mark ye the import of the Vyals of which word we read but once as I know in the old Testament viz. of a Vyal and that was Samuels taking a Vyal of oyl but the Vyals we read of in the Revelations are full of odours or the prayers of the saints now there are but 3 things that can fill the Vyals either the sin of the enemies or the judgments of God for those sins or the prayers of the saints and I think they may be all in the Vyals It is certain the prayers of the saints are there they cryed from the primitive times and so down all along The sins of the enemy they also fill up these Vyals you know what God says of the Amorite The sins of the Amorites are not yet full for so God tells Abraham as much as to say the Vyals are not yet full I shall give you one place here the Lord speaks much in this kinde of phrase Deut. 3.34 Is not this laid up with me in store or sealed up among my treasures he says before Their wine is the poyson of Dragons is not this laid up in store with me you know there are seven seals and six of them were opened before the heathen Roman was destroyed So that all the whole time from Christ unto his second coming is all under the seals we are under the seals to this day the 7th seal is not sully opened till Jesus Christ in person be exhibited to the joyful view and beholding of those that look for him All this while God is registring and recording all the sins of the enemy all their bitterness it is sealed up amongst his treasures that is the 2d thing that fills the Vyals the sins of the enemy Consider that antichrist had been at work about a 1000 years before ever a Vyal did stir against him before the beginning of the Reformation And as there was the sins of a thousand years treasured up against him and the prayers of a thousanp years for vengeance upon him so there was the wrath of God distilling into these Vyals for every sin brought a drop of wrath into these Vyals still therefore you need not say that antichrist had not done his work and so was not to have his wages for you fee he had done a great deal of his work yea his sin was full that is so much as was to precede the Vyals Now because the time is so farr past I shall spend the remainder of it in a word or two of application it is a word of exhortation to us To be waiting for the return of our Lord from the wedding and I would not have you think this is th same word altogether with that I spake the last day thongh if it were yet it were worth the while I exhorted you then to watch and that was