astonishment and terrour of all their enemies who shall behold them But now a little more particularly to cleere the words we shewed before how the Lord's witnesses may be slain two wayes either corporally in separating their souls from their bodies or mystically and in a similitude or parable in a separation of their life from the world that is from all coÌ„merce coÌ„munion with the world so as their life is made no better but rather worse then death Now for them that are slain after the first manner we are not to expect that God wil according to the Letter rayse them up from the dead as here after three days and a halfe And for them that are slain after the second manner here specified though God should not deliver and restore them from that their civill death though he be able to do it and will doe it if he have so determined unto their libertie and communion with humane societie as formerly Yet this we are sure of as Gods Word here must needs be true that of the very dust and ashes of his dead witnesses under this Trumpet in what manner so ever dead hee will raise up again to life and that in the time of this Trumpet either those very witnesses in their own persons or else in the Spirit of these hee will raise up other witnesses and such as if they were those very witnesses formerly slain Thus wee read of Elias c Mal. 4.5 6. Behold saith the Lord I will send you Elias the Prophet before the comming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord and he shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the children c. Now this Elias was meant of John the Baptist that morning Star that ushered in the d Mal. 4.2 Sun of Righteousnesse that was to prepare the way before him e Luke 1.17 He saith the Angell to Zachariah shall goe before him in the Spirit and power of Elias to turn the heart of the Fathers to the Children c. Whence it is plaine and cleere that John the Baptist was that Elias there prophecied of and he is called Elias because hee came in the spirit and power of Elias And therefore Christ faith to his Disciples when they objected that Elias must first come f Math. 17.11 I tell you saith he that Elias is come already c. whereupon they understood that hee spake unto them of John the Baptist And Matth. 11.14 Speaking of John Baptist he saith This is Elias which was to come Thus wee see how the Prophet Elias being dead and buried many hundred yeers before yet was as it were raised up from the dead to be Christs harbinger But how Not in his person but in his spirit and power So as John Baptist comming in the spirit and power of Elias is called Elias and in him the Prophecie is fulfilled that Elias should come and now in Iohn he was already come Now according to this sense wee may safely interpret this Prophecie also in this place After three dayes and a halfe the spirit of life from God shall enter into them to wit into the two slain witnesses and they shall stand upon their feet c that is after a short but set time with God the spirit of life from God shall rayse up his former witnesses that were slain though not in their owne persons yet in other witnesses that shall succeed them who shall be indued with the same spirit and power which they had beene indued with all And this is that spirit of life from God which entring into his servants raiseth them up to be lively witnesses of his truth full of vigour strength courage zeale constancie g Revel 12.11 not loving their lives unto the death but as it is said of Paul and Barnabas such as had h Acts 15.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abandoned or given up for lost their lives for the Name of Christ So that as the same spirit of life from God entring into Iohn the Baptist made him to be called that Elias who had been indued with the same spirit and was foretold to come againe which was fulfilled in the Baptist So here the same spirit of life from God nor is it said to bee their own spirit which the slain witnesses had now entring into other witnesses succeeding them they by the same reason may be called those very witnesses as being now by the Almighty power of GOD raised from the dead as Iohn the Baptist was called that Elias because hee came in the spirit and power of Elias And in this respect seeing the raising and restoring of these two witnesses is perhaps not personall but spiritual it is not necessary that we tie or restrain the succeeding witnesses strictly to the number of two only For as it was said of old Sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae The bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church and as one seed or grain sowne and dying brings forth much fruit as i Iohn 12.24 Christ saith so as one corne brings forth the increase of a hundred and some of a thousand as in some Countries as of Virginia So these two witnesses may in the multiplication of their spirit and power and of that spirit of life from God bring forth an abundant harvest even great plenty of more witnesses that shâ—ll stand up for that Truth for the which these two were slaine What shall wee say of those many witnesses whom the Lord lately raised up in Scotland standing up upon their feet to mayntain their Christian Liberty against Antichristian bondage and to vindicate Christs Scepter and Government over his Church there out of the tyrannicall hands of that proud usurping Beast out of the bottomlesse pit who by his Egyptian Taskmasters the Prelates so oppressed Gods people as they were made weary of their lives And when were these witnesses raised up Surely not much after three dayes and a halfe that the two witnesses were slaine those I meane who suffered worse then death for bearing witnesse against the Tyranny of the Romish Beast and his cruell Taskmasters And what other spirit but that spirit of life from God could raise up so many witnesses so unanimously and with such a wonderfull wisdome discretion judgement zeal and courage to stand up in defence of Christs Kingdome against Antichrists Tyranny Yea and what other spirit and power but that of God could move the heart of his anointed Vicegerent to assent to his peoples just and religious plea to have Christ alone to raigne over his peoples soules and consciences which is his peculiar and incommunicable Prerogative Nor could the King either have advanced higher his own Royall honour or more surely have established his owne Throne in the uniting and fastening of his Subjects hearts and affections in all love and loyalty unto him then by giving Christ his due honour who hath said k 1 Sam. 2.30 Those that honour me I will honour and they
and behind And in that their tayls are said to have heads like Serpents it doth argue that this army against Babylon is not only potent but prudent and politicke in managing of the warre And where it is said Verse 20. That the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of gold and silver and brasse and stone and of wood which neither can sea nor heare nor walke Neither repented they of their murthers nor of their sorceries nor of their fornication nor of their thefts hence we note these particulars First that all this warre all these plagues as is touched before are against spirituall Babylon against the Kingdome of the Beast and the head and body of Popery Secondly for confirmation hereof this Spirituall Babylon notwithstanding all her smooth evasions and shifts to put it off as the r Prov. 30.20 whore in the Proverbs wipes her lips and saith I have done no wickednesse is found to be a notorious and egregious Idolatresse in as much as all her Images of gold silver brasse stone wood are here in plain termes called Idols as which can neither see nor heare nor walke Yet Papists doe give that worship and honour unto them as if they did both see and heare and walke yea as if they had a very Deity in them And this is that Spirituall fornication of that great Whore Chap. 17.3 with whom the Kings of the earth have committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth have beene made drunke with the nine of her fornication as being no lesse mad upon her Images and Idols and other service devised by men then Drunkards are upon new Wine Therefore is this Babylon the Great called the Mother of whordoms and abominations of the earth Ver. 5. But yet for al this you must not cal her so She wil be called no other but the Holy Catholike Church the chast Spouse of Christ Thirdly I note here that all her idolatrous Service in her Image-worship is the worship of Devils cōsequently all Papists are the Devils vassals and servants A hard doome you will say but it is as true as Gods Word here is true Fourthly Notwithstanding all this and that God plagues the Beast and his brood and wars against Babylon with his terrible armies and doth and will prevaile against her yet she is altogether incorrigible incurable though they see the third part of them slain yet the rest will not repent of their Idolatry and other Babylonian sins as murthering of Gods Saints and Martyrs using Witchcraft and Sorcery authorizing of publike Stews and that for money and robbing and cheating the simple people of their money by their Mountebanke Masses Dispensations and Pardons and a thousand such like trumpery being those sins that are proper to Babylon to this Kingdome of the Beast Fiftly I note here that God rayseth armies against Babylon cuts her short and powres many and grievous plagues upon her thereby to bring her to repentance or otherwise to leave her unexcusable And so much of the ninth Chapter Now follows the tenth Chapter wherein are some things observable that fall under this Sixt Trumpet And so what wee find written in this and the next Chapter till we come to the Seventh belongs all to this Trumpet This tenth Chapter is very mysticall For here are voices of seven thunders uttered but sealed up and unwritten Yet because the very sound of thunder leaves some impression behind it and though mans understanding cannot interpret it yet the Conscience being strucke with terrour will pick some meaning out of it therefore taking the Scripture still for our guide we will assay to speak something of this Chap. by the way In the first Verse an Angel is sent out with great Majesty This requires attention to what followeth He hath a Little Book in his hand Verse 2. Verse 2 3 4. Of which more is spoken from the eighth Verse to the end of the Chapter The next thing of marke is the seven Thunders uttering their voices but sealed up and this followeth immediatly upon the Angels setting his right foot upon the Sea and his left foot on the Earth crying with a loud voice as when a Lion roareth This is very mysticall But this Angell by his description should bee Christ the same that is described Chapter 1.13 14 15 16. His standing with one foot on the Sea and another on the Land seemes to allude to ſ Exod. 14.15.16 Moses standing on the Sea side and stretching his Rod over the Sea and crying with a strong voice of Prayer to God Or it alludeth to the t Iosh 3.14 15 16. dipping of the Priests feet in the brim of Iordan so soon as the one foot touched the water the Streame recoyled and gave way Both these were Types of Christ and of his Church And this which is here written falling under this Sixt Trumpet is a prophecie of the destruction of Babylon and of the deliverance of Gods people Upon this cry follows the voice of the seven thunders but sealed up The voice of Thunder is the u Psal 29. voice of God So the Heathen called their God x Iupiter Altitonans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Iupiter the thundring God But this voice uttered is sealed up But these thunders will speak plain enough in the next Trumpet as also under the seventh Viall when they shall take their effect in blasting and consuming the Kingdome of the Beast For the voice of the Thunders is a Prophecie to be fulfilled in the Next Trumpet As also Verse 5 6 7. the Angell speaketh what shall be under the voice of the Seventh Angell And there is a secret meaning in the voice of the thunder which is expressed not in words but in the effects As the Lord saith y Psal 81.7 Thou calledst in trouble and I delivered thee I answered thee in the secret of thunder This is spoken of Israels deliverance from Egypt where they cried to the Lord and he plagued the Egyptians by his thunder and of their passage thorow the Sea when Moses cried to the Lord and he answered his cry in giving passage for his people and in the secret of his thunder in destroying the Egyptians Even as David saith also in another Psalme where elegantly describing that miraculous deliverance through the Sea The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee they were afraid the depths also were troubled the clouds powred out water the Skies sent out a sound thine arrows also went abroad he addeth The voice of thy thunder was in the Heaven the Lightnings lightned the World the earth trembled and shooke This is that thunder in the secret whereof the Lord heard the cry of his people in delivering them and in discomfiting and destroying their enemies And thus here the voice of these seven thunders is sealed up and reserved to be
as no true Churches of Christ And because his single word which is his best and only argument may the better passe without controule hee goes about tooth and naile to cry downe the sufficiencie of the Scriptures as being an imperfect rule of it selfe to measure the Church by And this his Booke he hath beene so bold as to dedicate to the King and makes it the faith of his Church of England as professing one Faith and Religion with Rome Is it not high time then for some John or other faithful Ministers of Christ to rise and take the measuring Reed in his hand Gods Word and therewith exactly measure the Temple of God Christs Church that it may be distinguished and differenced from all false pretended Churches and in especiall from the Antichristian Hierarchie the prelaticall Catholike Church as the d In his last reprinted Conference Epist Dedic p. 16. and elsewhere in his Book Prelate cals his Church in which Catholike his Church of England and of Rome are both one and the same Church No doubt of that They be the Prelats owne words So as when the Prelate was so Zealous to bring Scotland to a conformitie with England and when the Scots read in his Book Englands conformitie with Rome as to be one Church and to professe one Faith and Religion with Rome might not this trow you startle and move the Scots to expell and repell to thrust out and keepe out at the Speares point this Conformity And so might not the Prelates false Hierarchicall Catholike Church excluding all Protestant Reformed Churches from being any true Churches of Christ justly incense the Zealous hearts of Scotland seeing Christ thus to be dishonoured and thrust out of his Throne and Antichrists Prelates to be so mounted aloft to cast out such usurping Lords that so none but Christ according to his Word and the Lords Anointed according to his just Laws might rule over them Thus we see how necessary this measuring of the Temple is under this sixt Trumpet and what a cleere note it is of the time wherein this sixt Trumpet is sounded So as we may boldly say upon such cleere evidence that now is the time of the sixt Trumpet when there is such need of measuring the Temple with the Reed thereby to know and vindicate and separate Christs true Church from all counterfeit and Antichristian Churches that at this time doe so boast themselves for the only true Catholike Church of Christ As in Chrysostome the uncertaine Authour upon Matthew Chap. 24. hath observed Let them which are in Iudea flee to the Mountains that is saith hee let all true Christians flie to the Scriptures for in the time of Antichrist it will bee impossible to know the true Church from the false but only by the Scriptures So hee But the said Prelate of Canterburie rejects the Scripture from being a sufficient and perfect measuring Reed of the Temple and good reason because on the one side the Prelate makes the Hierarchie to be of the very essence of the Catholike Church and on the other side the Scripture no where approveth of Prelacie or of Diocesan Lord Bishops it knows none such yea and both e Matth. 20. 1 Pet. 5. 3 Iohn 9.10 Christ forbade it to his Apostles and they afterwards never practised it themselves but expresly condemned it in all as in the Reply to the Prelates Relation the Author hath cleerly proved Come wee now to the measuring of the Altar As the Temple and Tabernacle under the Law had their just measures and Dimensions prescribed of God so also the Leviticall Altar Now under the Law there was but one Altar one for burnt offerings and one for incense both these as one were types and figures of Christ the true and only Altar under the Gospell For as the Altar under the Law did Sanctifie every guift and offering upon it as Exod. 29.37 and Mat. 23.19 so Christ is to us that only Altar on which wee offering our selves and our Spiritual Sacrifices both are Sanctified and accepted of God This is that Altar Heb. 13.10 of which the Apostle saith We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eate which serve the Tabernacle That this Altar is Christ and only Christ is cleer because He being come who is the true Altar the typicall altar must altogether cease Otherwise those who still served the Tabernacle might have had right to eate of our Altar could the Type and the Truth have consisted together And the Apostle expresly applyes this Altar which wee Christians have to Christ as Verse 11 12 13 15. where he showes the proper use of this Altar in sanctifying our offerings concluding and saying By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name By him that is by Christ our Altar in his Name we must offer up all our Sacrifices that so they may be Sanctified and accepted of God This is so cleere that no sober Divine that understands any thing at all can deny So as the measuring of the Altar here is as the measuring of the Temple whereof wee have spoken before the vindicating of Christ to be the true and only Altar of true Christians And this is a dutie enjoyned all faithfull Ministers and especially under this Sixt Trumpet in these our very times wherein we have seen such furious Romish Zeale in hoysing up of Altars every where and boldly maintaining both in f Doct. Pock in his Altare l. Christianum Rather Damâ—scenum Books and Sermons the necessary use of such their devised Altars of wood and stone as without which God cannot be served nor their Sacrifices sanctified wheras these their Altars with al their Altar-service worship of maÌ„s devising are not only derogatory from Christ the only true Altar but also a flat deniall of Christ and a very Masse of all Heathenish impietie and atheisticall infidelitie and Antichristian apostacie For that multitude of wooden and stone altars which our Prelates do erect in all their Churches are taken rather from the Heathen as King g 2 Kings 16. Ahaz and his Priest framed their Altar according to the pattern of that at Damascus or from Rome which took them from the Heathen or from the Iews but if they say they take them from the Jewes as they doe many other of their Rites then they very much forget themselves and that in two mayne points first because the Church of the Iewes had but h 2 Chro. 32.12 one altar for Incense and Sacrifice and that was at Ierusalem they might not set up Altars in any other place so as in their seventy yeeres captivitie in Babylon they had no altar there and at this day the Temple and Altar at Ierusalem being demolished they have no Altar as no Sacrifice or Incense So as no Jerusalem and no Temple there no Altar now of wood or stone or any other matter or
signified which the Lord is about to doe in the time of this Sixt Trumpet For the finding out whereof we are to compare these words with that prophecie which we finde written in the fourth Chapter of Zechariah where Ver. 1. the prophet is by the angell awaked as out of sleep Which noteth a stirring up of the Prophet to great attention to what was now in a vision shewed unto him as being a matter of great moment and diligently to bee marked In the vision the prophet Saw a golden Candelstick with Seven Lamps and on each side thereof two Olive trees This vision came in the time when the Temple at Hierusalem was a reparing by Zerubbabell and it was by the word of the Lord to signify unto him as V. 6. Saying This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel saying Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts This was to comfort and incourage Zerubbabel in the work as also Verse 9. which the enemies of Gods people did so much deride and mock at as a worke which could never be finished as we read Nehem. 4.2 3. Where Sanballat spake to his brethren and the army of Samaria having great indignation and mocking the Jews said What do these feeble Iews Wil they fortifie themselves Wil they sacrifise Wil they make an end in a day Wil they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burnt And Tobiah the Ammonite said Even that which they build if a Fox go up he shal evē break down their stone wal Now against all this the Lord incourageth Zerubbabel and his people by this Vision of the Candlesticks and two Olive-trees shewed to the Prophet whereof the Lord himselfe is the Authour and not man Therefore he saith Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts That like as the Spirit of the Lord shewed this Vision to his Prophet wherein is shadowed out the indeficient and never fayling Kingdome of Jesus Christ who is the fountain of grace and the good u Ro. 11.17 24 Olive-tree which runneth and floweth forth with Oile continually to supply his x Revel 1. golden Candlesticks his Ministers and Prophets by the light of whose Prophecie as the Temple was founded and finished by the Prophecie of haggai and Zechariah the Prophets of the Lord at that time so the Church of Christ in all ages shall be built up repaired and in fine fully finished But in speciall this worke this great worke of repayring the Temple and restoring true Religion unto its primitive purity is to be accomplished under this sixt Trumpet wherein the Lord hath his two witnesses answerable to those two Prophets Haggai and Zechariah by whose Prophecie the ancient Temple the figure of the Church under the Gospel was repaired by the power of whose prophecie through the Grace and Spirit of Christ his true Church and Religion shall bee repaired maugre all the malice of Sanballat and Tobiah with their Samaritan Army to withstand the building and notwithstanding all the scorne and mockerie power and policie of Antichrist and his nimble Foxes that thinke by their treading upon the wall to overthrow it This work I say is to be performed and is now already begun to be acted under this Sixt Trumpet And therefore hath the Spirit of Christ in this place compared his two witnesses and their prophecie unto two golden Candlesticks and two Olive-trees that stand before y Zech. 4.14 the Lord of the whole Earth as it is said in Zechariah as it were pointing us with the finger to that whole vision of the Prophet setting forth the perfect reparation of that Temple to the end wee might be out of all doubt that the Lord under this Trumpet is about the like great work of reparation and restauration of his Church and Religion which shall prosper and be accomplished not by might nor by power of men but by the Spirit of the Lord in the mouth of his two witnesses and by the word of their prophecie crying as in Zechariah z Zech. 4 7. Grace grace unto it And for our further confirmation in the truth hereof have wee not a cleere and evident demonstration of it in that admirable worke of Reformation of the Kirke of Scotland at this day whereof we are all eye-witnesses And was this done by might and power of man No. They indeed as a Neh. 4 17 18 those Jewish builders and repayrers as aforesaid began to build working with the one hand with the other holding a weapon or having their sword at their side to defend themselves against the Antichristian yoke of the Herarchie as against Sanballets and Tobiahs and chiefly to vindicate the honour crown throne Scepter and Kingdome of Jesus Christ over his people from Antichrists proud and impious usurpations which all Christian Princes and people are bound to doe as also they had their Prophets with publike fasting prayer such as the Jews also used at the repairing of the Tēple whereby they so prospered and God gave them such favour in the eies of their Sovereign that they altogether laid aside their weapons and so not by might nor by power but by the Grace of God that great work notwithstanding all their adversaries plotting and labouring against it was in some good measure accomplished to the everlasting honour and prayse of our Lord Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and to the renowne of that King the Lords Anointed whose heart was moved to become the Lords great Instrument in permitting and assenting unto so glorious a worke whereby as Christs Kingdome and Temple is now in a faire way restored and established in that Nation and freed from Antichrists yoake So the Kings throne also is established in that Kingdome and shal be unto the comming of Jesus Christ by whom alone b Prov. 8.15 Kings do reigne and Princes decree justice And as the Lord hath thus begun his great glorious work of repayring his Temple and restoring Religion so evidently represented before our eyes as in a most cleere Vision in this sixt Trumpet as hath beene shewed by comparing this Prophecie with that in Zechariah aforesaid so certainly the Lord will finish his own worke in other Kingdoms also where both Princes and people are deluded and brought into at least Spirituall bondage under the Antichristian yoake which though it be curiously painted and guilded over and as it were faced and lined with Pharisaicall broad Phylacteries woven with goodly words As The Church most Reverend Fathers holy Hierarchie Christs Vice roys and the like pompous and pretended titles yet these be but golden chains and silken cords purple coloured wherein to lead captive even Kingdoms and States to make up the traine of Antichrists triumph And here for a close of this excellent Prophecy in this fourth Verse give mee leave to relate a true story My selfe having certaine yeers agone
published in print and that also by Authority an Answer entitled The Bayting of the Popes Bull to a Bull of Pope Vrban the eighth which passed up and down in England inciting his Roman Catholikes to stand for the Catholike Cause and having set in the Frontispiece of the Book a Picture representing King Charles with a sword in his hand the point whereof was directed so as it put off the Popes triple Crowne in the other picture over against it representing the Pope with Verses interpreting the same and having a young daughter then of three or foure yeeres old at most to whom I my wife holding the child in her armes shewed this picture interpreting the same unto her the childe presently thereupon replyed O Father Our King shall cut off the Popes head Jt must be so Jt must be so And this so redoubled she spake with such an extraordinary vigor and vivacitie or quicknesse of spirit and utterance as both my selfe and wife were struck with great admiration Now if a man should have said then when this was uttered that such a speech proceeding so strangely from a child was sure some Prophecie inspired into her by Gods Spirit of what should after come to passe would have found but a few to give credit thereunto but rather would have beene laughed to scorn Although I presently thereupon said to my wife surely this in time may prove to be a true Prophecie God is able to bring it to passe though never so unlikely But now that wee see the Hierarchie utterly raced and rooted out of the Kingdom of Scotland and that by King Charles his Royall assent ratifying the same in Parliament tell mee what think yee Was not here a cutting off of the Popes head by the King as touching his Kingdome of Scotland For is not the Popes headship upheld in chiefe in the Prelates and Hierarchie Might not then the childes speech be a Prophecie being thus far verified in so great and unexpected a work as this And if so why may it not reach to be a like verified in cutting off the Popes head also in England as it is now in Scotland Is any thing hard to the c Pro. 21.1 Lord who hath the Kings heart in his hand as the rivers of waters turning it whithersoever hee will But for this we must patiently wait and incessantly pray that the Lord will bring to passe his owne counsell and finish his worke thus begun and that Antichrists Throne and Kingdome being throwne downe and destroyed Christ alone may reigne in the hearts and consciences of his people and the Kings Crowne may ever flourish and shine forth in the beauty of abundance of peace and prosperitie till time shall be no more Nay whither the child prophesied or no here we have a most sure word of Prophecie which tels us what Christ is now a working namely the great Reformation of his Church and Restauration of Religion which as he hath so gloriously begun to doe in Scotland so I trust hee will shew the like mercie to England though a sinfull Nation in rooting out those wicked limbes of the Beast by whom Religion and the whole Land is so of late more than ever before since Queene Elizabeths dayes defiled Yea wee may be as sure hereof as wee are sure this is Gods Word that the Lord will and that very speedily so finish this worke now begun within the compasse of this sixt Trumpet as not all the power and policie of Antichrist and his Confederates shall be able either to prevent it or ever to overthrow it For Christs Word here must needs bee fulfilled which saith These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks which stand before the GOD of the earth As if hee had said Even as the vision of the golden Candlestick and of the two Olive-trees on each side thereof standing before the Lord of the whole earth was shewed unto the Prophet Zechariah to be a word of the Lord to incourage Zerubbabel the Prince and the people of God in repayring and finishing of the Temple in Jerusalem then in hand which the enemies of Judah resisted and withstood with all their might and malice but were not able to frustrate the worke So I have here purposely named my two witnesses the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth that it may be the like vision as it were to my people living under the sixt Trumpet to encourage them not only to begin but to proceed to the finishing and perfecting of the worke of Reformation of Religion and restauration of my spirituall Temple the Church and though the adversaries be potent and labour tooth and naile to hinder the worke and my people are weake yet know that it is d Zechar 4.7 not by might or by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts For e Esay 46 10. my Counsell shall stand and I will do all my pleasure And as for thine enemies O my people feare them not but say unto them f Esay 8.10 Take counsell together and it shall come to naught Speake the word and it shall not stand for God is with us And I say to thee O my people Behold g Esay 54.16 17. I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth an Instrument for his worke and I have created the waster to destroy No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shal rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. And thus much of this Verse Now follows Verse 5.6 Verse 5.6 And if any man shal hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man wil hurt them he must in this manner be killed These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their prophecie and have power over waters to turn them into bloud and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they wil. In these two Verses is set forth the efficacie of that power which Christ giveth to his two witnesses in their prophecying And this power is such as that of Elias and that of Moses was For first here is an allusion to the power and spirit of Elias in the fifth Verse wherein this speech is redoubled thus If any man shal hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man wil hurt them he must in this manner be killed How is that h 2 King 1. Elias we know when the first Captain with his 50 men were sent to fetch him by force to King Ahaziah saying unto him Thou man of God the King hath said come downe answered If I be a man of God then let fire come downe from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty And there came down fire
from heaven and consumed him and his fifty And the like befell the second Captain and his fifty Thus fire came out of Elias his mouth and it consumed or devoured his enemies And this was done twice Accordingly here it is twice repeated If any man hurt them c. Now by fire comming out of their mouth is not meant literally that fire proceedeth out of their mouth but that as Elias by his word brought fire down from Heaven wherin his Word took effect so the judgments which these two witnesses shall denounce against their injurious adversaries the implacable furious enemies of Gods Church that will not be brought by the word of their prophecie to repentance shall as certainly come to passe and fall upon them to their destruction as that fire did fall from Heaven upon those men according to Elias his word I say if they repent not For the third Captaine with his fiftie we see humbled himselfe and intreated Elias so as Elias went with him to the King but being come what judgement hee denounced against that wicked idolatrous King fell upon him also that hee died of his sicknesse And in this respect Gods Word in the mouth of his Prophets is compared to a fire so as he that resists this word is as the foolish fly that flappeth against the flaming of the Candle and so is consumed in the flame And the like manner of speech the Scripture useth elswhere As Revel 2.16 Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth And Chap. 19.21 And the remnant were slaine with the sword of him that sate upon the horse which sword proceeded out of his mouth Which is all one with that speech 2 Thess 2.8 And then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth So wee see what is here meant by the fire whith proceedeth out of the mouth of these two witnesses And this word If any man hurt them in the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is If any man will doe them injury or offer them violence against all law and equitie fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies that is the word of their prophecie shall bring as certaine destruction upon their injurious enemies as Elias his word brought fire from Heaven upon those that were sent to take him And therefore the word is here doubled as before is noted for the certainty of it as was i Gen. 41. Pharaohs dream Againe it is said here These have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie This also alludes to Elias whose word of prophecie did shut up the heavens that it rained not for the space of three yeers and a halfe in the time of Ahabs Reigne So as here again is set forth the power of these two witnesses prophecie in bringing judgements upon the Land where Gods Word is not received and entertained in that love and respect as it ought to bee but that the witnesses even for no other cause but the words sake which they prophesie are injuriously and violently handled against all Law and justice yea and all humanity in all best iall crueltie And therefore no marvail if in the time of their prophecie being thus evill intreated manifold judgments in sundry kindes doe fall upon a Land as the Sword Famine Pestilence or the like Yea and if God send extraordinary foule weather in an extreame abundance of a long continued raine and that against harvest as we have seen lately this very last Summer in England so as the harvest suffered much damage thereby it were good that they should enquire and consider what is the cause that hath so of late provoked God to send forth from Heaven so many tokens of his wrath and indignation threatning even desolation to the whole Land if they repent not Are there no witnesses abroad at this time Or hath not England defiled it self with the violent and lawlesse cruelty of shedding the innocent bloud of some at least of Christs witnesses If it be so as England can neither wash her hands from the guilt nor stop the eares of Heaven from the hideous cry of that innocent bloud no marvail I say if England be many wayes plagued For these witnesses have power to shut Heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie as Elias did Not only so But they have also power over waters to turne them to bloud and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they wil. These words have an allusion to Moses as we said before Who in Egypt had power given him of God with his Rod to turn their waters into bloud and so smite the Land with manifold plagues And here seemes to be more couched then so in this parallell of these two witnesses power to that of Moses and Aaron For the words here imply thus much that as those many Plagues which Moses brought upon Egypt by his Rod word of prophecy were so many forerunners of the utter desolation of hard-hearted Pharaoh his obstinate Egyptians who would not suffer Gods people to go sacrifice to the Lord their God So those many tokens of Gods wrath which have bin powred upon England of late days for their sore afflicting oppressing of Gods people by the Prelats and their officers those Egyptian Taskmasters not suffering them to enjoy that freedom liberty of conscience which Christ hath by his precious bloud purchased for them but holding their noses to the Grind-stone as wee say and enslaving them to the Egyptian tasks in the observation of those many Popish Ceremonies so tyrannically imposed and pressed upon them as also for that most impious crying downe of the Sanctification of the Sabbath and stopping Ministers mouthes for preaching the sincere Word of God throwing them out of their Ministery and many such like worse then Egyptian out-rages and such as were never done in any Christian State since the Apostles times to this present those tokens I say doe plainly shew that without speedy repentance and a thorow reformation of these intolerable iniquities God will certainly bring the Taskmasters to desolation and in the same sea of destruction to the Egyptians will make a way for his peoples libertie from that Egyptian bondage wherein they have been so long so miserably captived Nor let it seeme strange that I match Englands Taskmasters with those of Egypt for by and by wee shall find a spirituall Egypt wherof that in England will hardly acquit it selfe from being apart or party at least if all circumstances be but well weighed And so we passe to the Verses following Verse 7. Verse 7. And when they shall have finished their testimonie the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them c. Here begins a battaile wherein three circumstances
word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text is not altogether to be slighted for it signifieth not only names but men of fame and m Gen. 6 4. renowne such as were the Giants and Tyrants of old and those n Gen. 11.4 Babel-builders who would get them a Name by building that Towre And such are those men we speak of these Giants Tyrants Babel-builders they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of Renown terrible men yea not only the Lord-prelates themselves but their whole retinue for not a Pursuivant and Apparitor and the least Boy in their Kitchin but he is a mickle man Well all these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even seven thousand the whole generation of them in Scotland is slaine in that Earthquake that is utterly cast out as dead men For still I say these plagues fall only on them that have the Beasts marke or the number of his Name as the Prelats and their followers And if any here stand strictly upon the just Number of seven thousand I answer whether there were more of them or whether fewer the Number of seven thousand being a perfect and compleat number is sufficient to comprehend all of that ranke in that Countrey This number here being like that Chap. 9.16 an Army of Horsmen of two hundred thousand thousand Which number comprehends all those in the Armies though they were by many degrees short of that huge number as before And so here It followeth hereupon That the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven The remnant whether the whole people in that tenth part as aforesaid or whether those that were a kind of Retainers or favourers or parties siding with the Prelates faction or altogether they were struck with feare as beholding the Almightie power of God in the effecting of that great and admirable work and thereupon gave glory to the God of Heaven I will conclude this with that of David n Psal 64.7 8 9 10. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow suddainly shall they be wounded So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves all that see them shall flee away And all men shall feare and shall declare the work of God for they shall â—isely consider of his doing The righteous shal be glad in the Lord and shall trust in him and all the upright in heart shall glory Even so Amen Now a word of the next Trumpet the seventh or last But by the way we find these words o Verse 14. The second woe is past and behold the third woe commeth quickly Chap. 18.13 Wee finde three woes woe woe woe The first woe belongeth to the fift Trumpet as Chapter 9.12 the second woe to the sixt and the third woe to the seventh So as the sixt Trumpet being ended it is said here The second â—oe is past and the seventh Trumpet now following is it added And behold the third woe commeth quickly That is the seventh Trumpet commeth quickly bringing its woe with it to the Beast and his Kingdome The seventh and last Trumpet Verse 15. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever and ever c. This seventh Trumpet as it bringeth woe even the last woe that is utter ruine and destruction to the Beast and his Kingdome to Antichrist the Whore of Babylon that great p Ver. 8. Chap. 17.18 Citie and to the whole Hierarchie where ever it be in any part or Kingdome of the World so it brings great joy and triumph to all the people of God under the Sun This is that great voice from Heaven yea great voices that is generall acclamations of the whole Church of Christ in all places which is here called Heaven as q Verse 12. before Saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord even of God the Father and of his Christ and he shal reigne for ever and ever That is when this Trumpet shall sound which shall be quickly as V. 14. all the Kingdoms of the World shall consent to the rooting out of Antichrist and his kingdome they shall cast downe his Throne which is exalted in and by the Hierarchie and his whole Hierarchie shall they cast out and shall set up Christs throne over them shall subject the Kingdoms to Christs Government in submitting and conforming to his Doctrine Discipline according to his Word For till they doe this so long as they uphold and take part with the Beast in admitting and mayntaining his Hierarchie in their Dominions they r Chap. 17.13 give their strength and power unto the Beast and subject their Kingdomes unto him making warre against the Lambe Jesus Christ and so their Kingdomes the while are not Christs Kingdomes but Antichrists rather A thing well to be considered of Christian Kings and Princes and States But when this seventh Trumpet shall sound which will bee shortly if not rather already begunne then is that time fulfilled which was forelimited of GOD when they even the ten Kings to wit all Christian Kings and States which before took part with the Beast against the Lambe even Å¿ Chap. 17.16 17. these shall hate the Whore and shal make her desolate and naked and shal eat her flesh and burn her with fire For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his wil and to agree and give their Kingdome unto the Beast until the words of God shal be fulfilled And although this may seem strange and almost incredible to mans reason and apprehension yet God shall as certainly bring it to passe as his Word hath said it And that we might not be diffident herein God hath given us a famous and remarkable instance and as it were a sensible taste hereof in that late glorious worke of his in the Kingdome of Scotland which we noted before in throwing down that proud Antichristian throne of the Beast which the Prelates thought impossible to be done and which seemed at first but as a t Psal 126.1 dreame even to Gods people when the Lord brought againe the captivity of his Sion in that Land in so good a measure begun whereas now that out-cast Hierarchie hath as little hope ever to be restored as in their prosperitie they had feare or doubt ever to bee so cast out Yet wee see it with our eyes that God hath brought to passe this great thing And shall we doubt of the rest when he hath given us such a sure earnest of his never fayling word and of his invincible power Hee that hath puld off one of the the Beasts hornes shall shortly breake off all his hornes as the Lord saith u Psal 75.10 All the hornes of the wicked also will I cut off but the hornes of the righteous shall be exalted And then then I
and to use their own Phrase worme out godly Ministers and good people and make havock of all holinesse as is noted before and commit all manner of out-rage and crueltie upon the Servants of God And this their extream out-rage and crueltie hath continued now very neer three yeers and a halfe or fortie and two moneths I say the extremitie of it k Heb. 12.4 as when they fall to shed bloud c. though they have been playing their pranks and laying their plots a long time but more covertly and insensibly till of later days the flame of their Antichristian outrage hath broke out ready to set all in a combustion But I trust to see the expiration of these two and forty moneths to run out very shortly And were there not such a time here limited yet such hath beene the fury of these men like a hideous storme or impetuous torrent that it cannot be conceived it should last any long time but quickly run it selfe dry or out of breath And God being so desperatly and Giantlike provoked it cannot stand with his patience nor with his honour to suffer long such affronts And he hath promised to l Luke 18.8 avenge the cause of his Elect quickly And therefore certainly it will not bee long before he m Esay 59 1◠repay fury to his adversaries and the rather at this time when the Lord sees things so desperate that there is no man to stand in the gap no intercessor but that truth faileth and he that departeth from evill maketh himselfe a prey and there is no judgement as the Prophet there speaks therefore his own arme shall bring salvation when hee shall put on righteousnesse as a brest-plate and an helmet of salvation upon his head and the garments of vengeance for clothing and Zeale as a Cloake Thus n Heb. 10.37 38. he that shall come will come and will not tarry Now the just shall live by faith It followeth Verse 3. Verse 3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes clothed in sackcloth Here it is to be noted that during all the hardship of Gods people under this sixt Trumpet wherein the holy Citie Christs true Church is trodden under foot by the Spirituall Babylon or by the Beast out of the bottomlesse pit yet God will not want his witnesses to prophesie and testifie his truth even against the most cruell and bloudy persecutors therof And hee will have at the least two witnesses by whose testimony n Math. 18.16 every word shall be established Nor can it be expected that in such a terrible time o Amos 5.13 an evill time wherein the prudent do keep silence there should be many witnesses to be found But that there should be some at the least two God will raise them up Christ will give them power I will give saith he power to my two witnesses To doe what To prophecie that is to preach the truth to witnesse it against all opposition to denounce judgements against the Adversaries and to comfort Gods people with his promises As the Prophet Micah saith p Mic. 3.8 9. c. Truly I am ful of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgement and of might to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sinne Heare this I pray you yee Heads of the house of Jacob and Princes of the house of Israel that abhorre judgement and pervert all equitie They build up Sion with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquitie The Heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets therof divine for mony yet wil they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us None evil can come upon us Therefore shal Sion for your sake be ploughed as a field and Jerusalem shal become heaps and the Mountaine of the house as the high places of the forest Thus the Prophet Now who is hee that would stand up for a witnesse against wicked Prelates Priests and Prophets against wicked Princes and Rulers against wicked Heads and Judges in a forlorne time as here the Prophet did except the Lord had first filled him with power judgement and might by the Spirit of God Therefore saith the Lord to Jeremie when he complained saying q Ier. 15 10. Woe is mee my mother that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth c. r Verse 18. Why is my paine perpetuall and my wound incurable c ſ Verse 19.20 Therefore saith the Lord If thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth Let them returne unto thee but returne thou not unto them And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wal and they shall fight against thee but they shal not prevaile against thee for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee saith the Lord. And I wil deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked and I wil redeeme thee out of the hand of the terrible And Esay saith The Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people nor to make a confederacie with them Thus there And thus here the Lord gives power to his two witnesses to prophesie and beare testimony against the wicked and terrible enemies of his Church here under the Sixt Trumpet In the next place is set down the time how long these two witnesses shall prophesie and that is a thousand two hundred and threescore days And this answeres to the forty and two moneths of Antichrists oppressing of gods people which is three yeeres and a halfe For a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes make up within one weeke just three yeers and a halfe So as their prophecy continueth during the great affliction of Gods People under this Sixt Trumpet Whence we may note here God never leaves his people in affliction without comfort nor his truth without testimony nor his adversaries without conviction but he sends his witnesses to prophesie evē in most forlorn times Then follows here the estate and condition of these two witnesses expressed by their outward habit they are cloathed in sackcloth sutable to Elias and Iohn Baptist And sutable to their habit was their prophecying preaching repentance and remission of sins to the penitent and believers and denouncing judgments to the obstinate And as was their habit such were their affections men crucified to the World forsaking all and accounting all things to be losse and betaking themselves to their Sackcloth It was no time now as the Lord saith to Ieremie t Jer. 4.5.5 to seeke great things to themselves It followeth Verse 4. Verse 4. These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the Earth In these words is couched a great mystery and a great worke