Ordinances shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the Moon give light unto thee and verse 21. Thy Sun i. e. the Lord Christ who is the light of this New Jerusalem shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon thy outward glory and felicity with-draw it self making a clear distinction betwixt the Sun that before was which is called the Sun and the Sun that at this time shall be which is called thy Sun as being another Sun peculiar to these times and not the same Sun as was in former times and this Sun that we may not be mistaken in it is interpreted twice over to be the Lord Verse 19. The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light Vers 19. as opposed to the former Sun And again For the Lord shall be thine everlasting light vers 20. being there added as a reason why this Sun should never go down no not in Heaven hereafter because the Lord should be this Sun And who is this Lord why Jesus Christ the Lamb who is said to be the Temple and Light of this New Jerusalem and that in opposition to the Temple Sun Moon i. e. all outward Lights and Ordinances that before had been Rev. 21.22 23. And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Lord God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And to this day as I conceive have those Scriptures reference Jerem. 31.34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brether saying Know the Lord for the shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them Isa 54.31 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord arguing an immediate feeding and teaching not so much by instruments means and Ordinances as the Lord himself And though it is not denied these Scriptures had a fulfilling in the beginnings when the Spirit was poured down teaching then Christ promising and sending his Spirit for that end being more abundant and spiritual than in former times for which cause they are by Christ himself and Paul after him interpreted as then fulfilled yet it is evident from the scope of those places whence these Texts are quoted that the Prophets had in their eye another time namely the time of the Jews delivery when not Judah only but Ephraim Head of the ten Tribes also spoken of expresly by Jeremy should return yea the very time of the New Jerusalem whose stones are therefore by Isaiah said to be laid with fair colours her foundations with Saphires her windows of Agates her gates with Carbuncles and all her borders with pleasant stones not unlike that description of the New Jerusalem John gives us but more full Rev. 21. of that although in part these Scriptures had a fulfilling before in which sense Christ and Paul mention them yet the fulness or the compleat fulfilling of them respects the time we are speaking of And doth not the phrase of New Heavens and New Earth spoken of by Isaiah Peter John and ever with reference to this time imply as much for the very phrase of making a new implies the abolishing of the old which new made that it cannot consist of any such outward things as did the old is clear because upon the abolishing of the old such things only are left standing in this new as can never be shaken or removed which all outward things are subject to Thus although in the New Jerusalem a Temple there shall be yet not such a Temple as was the Temple of Jerusalem of old or is the Temple of Jerusalem that now is but as the whole state of things shall be new so shall the Temple be new In the new Heaven the Lâ—mb who sits upon the Throne shall be the Temple and the great Voyce out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne is the Voyce of Christ himself who at this day will sit upon his own Throne in the midst of his Church and People which is clear as before I have said Chap. 21.5 6. And what I have formerly hinted I shall here remember again that the very reason as I conceive why many in these dayes cast off the holy Ordinances and Institutions of the Lord Jesus is this They find it clear in Scripture that the continuance of these things are but until his coming which coming puts an end to Ordinances they judging to be Spiritual only and not Personal and perswading themselves withall that in this sense Christ is come to them already they conceive it high time for them to quit and shake off all outward forms Object If against what I have said it be objected that Zechary Chap. 14.16 speaking of this time tells us They shall go up from year to year to worship the Lord and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles therefore Ordinances shall be at this day I answer If by worshipping the Lord and keeping the Feast of Tabernacles we understand a walking in Ordinances then shall the Ordinances at this day bee common to all even the worst of sinners for that such at this day shall be in the world hath been before proved and observe the comand to come up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles is general upon all that are left of those who came up against Jerusalem vers 16. All the Families of the earth vers 17. yea the very Heathen vers 18. and if Ordinances shall be so common at this day then will the purity of worship in respect of the Worshippers be less then than now it is and if so where then will be the holiness of this day which in this respect is to excel all dayes before it The meaning therefore I conceive is this That all people in remembrance of the terrible destruction Christ made of his enemies gathered together at Jerusalem upon his appearing shall from that day year after year i.e. often come and worship before the Lord i. e. fall down before this Christ sitting on the Throne acknowledging him to be the great King of the world and Jesus Christ the Lord to the glory of God the Father fulfilling that of Isa Chap. 45.23 Vnto me every knee shall bow And that of the Apostle Phil. 2.20 At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow And this the phrase used by the Holy Ghost of keeping the Feast of Tabernacles doth notably set forth for in Levit. 23.34 where we have the institution of this Feast we have vers 43. this added as the reason of the Institution namely the memorial of Gods strange and wonderful Providence towards and in preservation of Israel when they came out of Egypt which Deliverance as it was but a Type of this so the Memorial thereof by keeping the Feast of Tabernacles was a Type of the Memorial that should be kept
until seventy years should be accomplished God did not give any such positive commands unto other Generations After this in Ezra's Nehemiah's and Daniels time these Worthies and the Saints of that age had the proper work of their Generation which was to go forth of Babylon and rebuild the Temple of God at Jerusalem which Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Thus all along in the times of the Old Testament Gods Church and people in their several Generations have had their several works Let us look to the New Testament which dawned in John the Baptist had not John the proper work of his Generation which was to be the Fore-runner and Harbinger of the Messiah to declare to the Nation of the Jews that the Messiah whom they expected and waited for was now approaching and that the glorious Kingdom of God in the pure administration of the Gospel was at hand and that therefore it did behove every one now to have their eyes and hearts turned from Moses towards him and his administration which was now approaching After him the Apostles in their time had the proper work of their Generation which was to go forth and publish the glad tydings of salvation which before were cooped up within the narrow compass of Judea to all the world beginning at Jerusalem to gather Saints together so fast as they were converted into Churches and to appoint over these Pastors and Teachers and also to give Rules and Directions for the right ordering and governing of the Churches unto the end of the world Let us come to the Saints of following Generations had not they likewise their proper works which was in some to bear witness before the wicked world and the Heathen Tyrants and Infidels of those ages wherein they lived to the truth of that Doctrine they had received from the Apostles before them by sealing the same with their blood and willingly giving themselves up as sheep to the slaughter to the cruelties tortures massacres of the Paganish world in bearing testimony to the truth of Jesus Afterwards the work of the next Generation was to bear witness by writing preaching and all sound Doctrine against the damnable Heresies of Arrius and his complices and others which through that little tranquility which the Church injoyed under Constantine crept in and overspread the Christian world In after ages for some hundreds of years together the work of Saints in their Generation was to bear witness by speaking and suffering unto the truth and worship of Jesus against the pernicious errors and false worship of Antichrist and the boundless and swelling pride and pomp of that man of sin In Generations since the work hath been to recover the truth and worship of Christ which was well nigh buried under Antichrists reign to its ancient purity lustre and beauty And so Luther and the Saints and Worthies of his Generation as their principal work did recover out of the jaws of the Beast the precious truths of Christs Priestly Office the glorious Doctrine of our justification by Christ alone which was well nigh swallowed up by the Antichristian innovations of Masses Crosses Pardons Pennance Purgatory Vowes Pilgrimages solitary and single life with other inventions of humane wisdom for the procuring a righteousness of our own And since him the great work of Saints in their Generations hath been to recover the Kingly Office of Christ which the Lordly pomp and tyranny of the man of sin and his followers had cast a mist upon to set up Christ as sole King and Governor in his Churches as well as the onely and alone High Priest of his Saints Thus Saints all along from the beginning of the world in their several Generations have had their several works proper and peculiar to the Generations they have lived in so as that what hath been the work of one Generation hath not been the work of another and what hath been the work of that other hath not been the work of that unless at such time as it fell out in the Generations of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and also the several Generations of the Saints under the Roman and Antichristian persecutions wherein the dispensations of God towards his people hath continued the same and for substance alike for divers Generations together there the work hath been the same for no substantial change in dispensation there is none in the work of out Generation it being variation of dispensation that causeth the work of our Generation for to vary Third General Head That it is a thing of very great concernment for a Saint to attend unto and be active in the work of his Generation Generation-work is the most neglected work of all others with the generality of Professors who either consider not that such a work there is or if they do yet they think that it belongs to others not to them to mind it but in case they be industrious in those common duties which lye upon them as Saints and those special duties which attend their Callings Stations Relations or present condition it is enough for them and matters not whether they be active in the business of their Generation yea or no. Yea many that are imployed therein do not sufficiently weigh the greatness of the work they have in hand I shall therefore here endeavour to shew of how great concernment it is for a Saint to attend unto and be active in this work which I shall lay before you in some particulars 1 God by his dispensations calls aloud for it The dispensations of God have a voyce and God oft by these bespeaks a duty or duties of his people Mic. 6.9 The Lords voyce cryeth unto the City What voyce is this why meerly the voyce of a dispensation Gods dispensations being commands Hear the Rod and who hath appointed it To disobey then the visible call of a dispensation is to disobey a command of God The hazarding our lives is a weighty matter and if done carelesly a great sin yet Hester upon the visible call of a dispensation viz. Gods cause and people of God lying at the stake ready to suffer runs this sore hazard to which though she was stirred up by Mordecai as one Christian friend now may stir up another in such a capacity as Hester was to befriend Gods cause were it now dying as then it was yet were not Mordecayes words her warrant he being not indued with a Prophetical Spirit norspeaking as such as his doubtful speech she weth Who knows whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time as this but the call of the dispensation Meroz was called by Gods dispensations to help the Lord against the mighty We read not of any particular command Merez had to do it only the call of a dispensation Gods people were under oppressors and God was up to deliver them which call Meroz neglecting Meroz is doubly and bitterly cursed by the Angel of the Lord for it Judg. 5.23 Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the
Lord curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Whereas contrariwise Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite having no other call but this very call Meroz had for though it were prophecied a woman should slay Sisera yet was not that revealed to her or in case it were yet no particular woman named that was no warrant for her in obedience hereto slaying Sisera is doubly blest and that above women as the other is doubly and bitterly cursed Vers 24 25. Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Keniâ—e be Blessed shall she be above women in the Tent 2 Generation-work is of all others the greatest work and a neglect herein the greatest sin My meaning is that that obligation wherein I stand bound unto the work of my Generation is a greater obligation than that whereby I stand bound to any other duty and my fault or error herein is a greater and more provoking error than any other of my errors which Assertion although it may seem strange yet it appears thus in that God himself doth more delight in and account of that duty performed which is the work of our Generation than he doth of the performance of any other duty although it be a thing especially commanded by himself and on the other side God is more displeased with and provoked by those errors that men commit in the work of their Generation than with any other of their errors whatsoever The first is evident in those words of Samuel to Saul 1 Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offering as in obeying the voyce of the Lord Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams The offering sacrifice was Gods command and a principal part of his worship in those dayes yet when Saul out of pretence of obeying this command of God disobeyed God in that other special command of utterly destroying Amalek which was the great work God had to do and Saul was imployed in in that Generation the Prophet from the mouth of the Lord doth not only reprehend him and condemn his fact but pronounceth these two things upon this occasion now compared together that God did more abundantly delight in and account of the obeying of his voyce in that work which was the work of Sauls Generation than either he did or would do in Burnt-offerings Sacrifices or the fat of Rams though things of his own appointment In a word the meaning is this that obedience to God in that thing which is the work of our Generation is more acceptable to God than the performance of the most special acts of his worship as Sacrifice and Burnt-offerings in those dayes were Hence we find in Scripture which serves further to evidence this that when special Ordinances or acts of worship have come in competition with the work of the Generation Ordinances and acts of worship have yeelded and given place to that Circumcision was a special Ordinance given to Abrahams seed with that severity that the uncircumcised was to be cut off from amongst his people yet forty years together whilst Israel walked in the wilderness the work of that Generation being such as could not with safety to their persons admit of Circumcision which required some fixed abode at least for some time as Josh 5.8 which they were ever uncertain of being to follow the motion of the cloud as Num. 9.17 18 19 20 21 22. Circumcision though Gods Ordinance rather then God will alter the way of his dispensations which he could easily have done for forty years together till Israel was entred Canaan and so from under that dispensation of the cloud must and doth yeeld and give place unto the work of the Generation And which iâ— yet more not only special Ordinances but also common duties have given place to the work of the Generation To keep inviolate Articles and conditions of peace when made though with a Turk is a duty which the rule of common equity and justice betwixt man and man requires Yet Jael when the work of her generation called for all the help she could lend it though a league were betwixt Jabin King of Hazor and her Husband yet in the time of peace which peace too as far as we can understand betwixt her Husband and this King was kept inviolate as on Jabins part she taking her advantage murders Sisera the chief Captain of Jabin King of Hazor in his Tent and is so far from being blamed as she is commended and blessed by the Holy Ghost for it And as this first is clear so the other viz. That neglect of Generation-work is the greatest sin is as evident not only from the foregoing words of God to Saul 1 Sam. 15.23 paralelling his disobedience herein with sins of the highest and of a scarlet dye as Rebellion Witch-craft and Idolatry but also if we consider how that of all the sins we read of in Scripture we find not any more provoking to the Lord and falling so heavy upon the head of the sinner as offences and neglects in the work of their Generation The Spies who were sent by Moses to view the Land of Canaan because they sinned against the work of their Generation they presently dye of the plague before the Lord. The whole Congregation of Israel not Moses and Aaron excepted because they distrusted the power and goodness of God whereas the great work of that Generation was to trust God and beleeve in his power and goodness which Lesson they were taught by the daily dispensations of God towards them wherein his power and goodness were manifested before them have that heavy and dismal sentence passed upon them That they should never enter into the rest of Canaan but their Carkasses should fall in the Wilderness Num. 14.29 which afterwards God in the way of his providence fulfilled upon them causing them to wander in the Wildemess forty years untill all that Generation was consumed And which is very observable they befides this were guilty of many other grievous sins being Idolaters Fornicators Lusters c. as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 10. beginning and yet for none of these is the sentence passed upon them but only for their miscarriage in that which was the work of their Generation Heb 3.19 They could not enter in because of their unbeleef Yea wherefore was the unbeleef of the Jews in our Saviours and the Apostles time punished so severely with a breaking off and a rejection for now 1600 years together but because therein they sinned against the work of their Generation which was to beleeve in Christ and imbrace him as the Messiah who they had long expected and God in this age had sent amongst them their crucifying of Christ was a grievous sin but because not a sin against the work of their Generation therefore they are not for that act rejected but contrariwise
But when shall this be Then when the Mountain of the Lords house shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it vers 2. the time as even now was proved of the Jews conversion So Isa 24.21 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high and the Kings of the earth upon the earth When shall this be See vers 23. When the Lord of Host shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerâ—salem and before his Ancients the people of ancient times chosen and in Covenant with him gloriously So Chap. 30. last Tophet the pit of destruction is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared The meaning is not only an eternal as some carry it but temporal ruine shall attend great ones But when shall this be To that I answer Although in the type it was fulfilled upon Senacherib King of Assyria and his Armies yet the whole Chapter especially from vers 18. hath relation to another time which is that we are speaking of of the Jews conversion as is evident vers 19. For the people shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem thou shalt weep no more But more clear vers 26. The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun In the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound 5 The establishment of Justice and Righteousness in the world as Isa 1.26 27. And I will restore thy Judges as at first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterwards thou shalt be called the City of righteousness the faithful City Zion shall be redeemed with judgement and her Converts with righteousness Chap. 54.14 In righteousness shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from oppression So Chap. 60 18. I will make thine Officers peace and thine Exactors righteousness Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt cal thy walls Salvation and thy gates Praise These places as already hath been shewn looking all to the time of the Jews redemption 6 The pouring out of more abundance of the Spirit Joel 2.28 And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh When shall this be Even then when in Mount Sion and Jerusalem shall be deliverance as vers 32. or more clearly then when God shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem as Chap. 3.1 For although Peter Acts 2. speaks of these words as fulfilled in his time yet was that only in the beginning the powring down of the Spirit then being not so general as that here promised and that which shall be upon the coming in of the Jews So Zach. 12.10 And I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication So Isa 32.15 Vntil the Spirit be poured upon us from on high It is observable that the giving forth of the Spirit at this time is set forth by this word of pouring noting abundance that shall then be given forth more than in former ages 7 As an effect of the former Increase of light and grace as Isa 30.26 Moreover the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound Chap. 52.8 They shall see eye to eye i.e. clearly when the Lord shall bring again Sion See both Zach. 12.8 He that is fecble in that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Which that it relates to the time of the Iews call the whole Chap. is proof 8 The exaltation of the Lord Christ alone as King Isa 2 11. The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day Chap. 24.23 The Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Sion and in Ierusalem and before his Ancients gloriously Chap. 2 3 4. Out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem and he shall judge among the Nations Zach. 14.9 The Lord shall be King over all the Earth All which places I have already proved to speak this time So Isa 33.22 The Lord is our King he will save us When is this Ansâ— then when Ierusalem shall be a quiet habitation vers 20â— Look unto Sion the City of your solemnities Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation Ezek. 37.24 And David my Servant Christ of whom David was a type shall be King over them And to what time doth this look to that time in which Israel and Judah shall be gathered together and brought to their own Land and be made again one Nation upon the mountains of Israel as vers 21 22. Thus have I done with the second thing viz. the things foretold to be done in this age 3 The third is to observe the visible dispensations of God towards the age we live in and in case upon inquiry these be found to answer to what God hath foretold they shall be in that age in which the Jews shall be converted then this will not onely serve for discovery of the thing in hand wherein the work of this Generation lyes but also adde a beam of light unto the former viz. That we are fallen into that age in which the Jews shall be converted Onely here I would carry this along with me that in regard as yet things are but coming on therefore many things before this Generation is over may be transacted which yet we see little of But in case it appear that transactions begin already to agree with the things foretold and promised have we not ground then to hope things coming on apace every day that before this Generation expires wee shall see most if not all fully accomplished Let us then compare what God hath promised to the age we speak of with present dispensations and see what way Gods dispensations are making or have already made towards the performance of them 1 For the bringing in of the Jews is not a fair way made to that already by that general expectation they have of their Messiah's comming in this age as Manasseth Ben. Israel before quoted is witness sect 29.35 as also by that light that at present is amongst them which the aforesaid Author in several of his Sections declares into many of those Prophecies of the Old Testament which directly point at their call 2 For the Conversion of the Gentiles Not to speak of the great conversions of late near home in poor Wales and some parts of Ireland and the hopeful way we are in by the going out daily of poor despised Labourers into the Lords Vineyard of a large Harvest is it not admirable that in this age and that within a few years each of
glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come Chap. 12.12 Therefore rejoyce ye heavens and ye that dwel in them Wo to the Inhabiters of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Chap. 11.18 And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints c. LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1655. The Epistle Dedicatory To all those who love and patiently wait for the Appearing and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ Grace and Peace be multiplied Dearly beloved in our Lord IT is reported of the Primitive Saints that these words the KINGDOM OF CHRIST the KINGDOM OF CHRIST were so frequent in their mouths that their malicious Adversaries willing to mistake the simplicity of their meaning and intention did make the words matter of Fact charging them hereupon with Treason as if they had driven on some design to get for themselves the Kingdom Whether the simplicity of the Saints in the age we live in who being come to the very dawning of the day and beholding the Lord going up to his Kingdom cannot hold their peace but must cry out HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST may through the subtlety of the old Serpent have any such abuse put upon it or no I wave at present But this I am sure of the first ages had not the Kingdom of Christ so much in their mouths but after ages had it as little their hearts were not so warm to it but the generations since have been as cold And indeed it was necessary it should so be for the Beast Antichrist being to rise in the world who after his rise must continue to reign two and forty months Rev. 13.5 it was needful therefore to the end he might be revealed that there should be as the Apostle tels us 2 Thes 2.3 a falling away which falling away above all things was necessary that it should be in the Truths of Christs Kingdom no Truths being so diametrically opposite to Antichrist as these others shake off his leaves these pluck him up by the roots If therefore the policy of the Dragon had not found out a way to brand these Truths and by making them odious to hold them down his Kingdom must have fallen many ages since for he should have had no Beast to resign his Power Seat and great Authority to It stood him greatly in hand therefore by some means to cloud these which by continuing to shine would have nipped Antichrist in the bud and this the wisdom of God permitting to accomplish thereby in the end a more glorious design which he effectually did Hence within the fourth Century at the end of which the Beast arose the Truths of Christs Kingdom before generally received began to be condemned and to go under the odious name of Heresie Hence also we finde not in the Revelations any mention made of Christs Kingdom nor any noyse of such a thing in the world all the time of the Beasts reign but the great cry of the dwellers on the Earth is The Beast the Beast who is like unto the Beast yea the whole world wondereth after the Beast Rev. 13.3 4. But now in the latter days as the Beast begins to go down so do the precious Truths of Christs Kingdom again begin to revive and have a resurrection Hence we finde that as the world by degrees gets rid of the Beast so is the cry in it still louder and louder of Christs Kingdom First Amongst the Saints in the world who no sooner have got so much footing as to stand and face the Beast which before trod them down and trampled upon them but presently they make the world ring again with the noise of Christs Kingdom Rev. 15.2 3 4. And I saw them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name stand on the Sea of glass having the Harps of God And they sing the Song of Moses the servant of the Lord and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest Secondly After this the Beast having received a more fatal blow the cry of Christs Kingdom that was before among some Saints onely is now more general and runs among the multitudes yea the great ones too of whom till this day we hear little as Rev. 19.6 And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty Thunderings saying Allelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth Thirdly and lastly Yet after this upon the sounding of the seventh Angel when Christ comes to take his Kingdom it is then openly proclaimed with a great voyce Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are beâ—ome the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and â—e shall reign for ever And as an echo to this voyce â—he hearts of Gods faithful ones reply v. 17. We give thee â—hanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wert and â—rt to come because thou hast taken to thee this great â—ower and hast reigned Thus the noyse and cry in the world towards the latter end of Antichrists reign is very different to that which was in the time of his reign then the cry was The Beast The Beast now the old cry is up again The Kingdom of Christ The Kingdom of Christ Yet notwithstanding the cry of Christs Kingdom shall at this day be so loud shall not the ears of all no not of the Saints themselves be open to hear it but some of them as well as others shall be so deeply wedded to the sweetness of Antichristian wordly interests that to maintain these they shall rather choose to sit by the waters of Babylon than with the loss of them to stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion else what need would there be of any such Proclamation to be made as we read is immediately before Romes ruin Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sins and that yee receive not of her plagues And these who thus shall do are not to be reckoned among those who in this great business followed not the Lamb at all but among those who followed the Lamb some part of the way towards Mount Sion but upon some turn or falling in with some worldly pleasing interest by the way did quit his company before they came thither For this cause the hundred forty and four thousand which
having once at a pinch deserted Christs Cause he was not a man likely afterwards to thrive with in carrying it on and therefore wife wary Paul if there be no other way to clear his hands of him for the works sake rather than he will run the hazzard he will bid farewell even to his old beloved preaching suffering Companion Barnabas himself And now as for you dearly Beloved to whom I dedicate these Lines I onely say The Book it self is yours and whatsoever of the mind of Christ is discovered in it is yours I shall therefore close up this my Epistle with the words of the Holy Ghost Isa 2.12 13 c. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan And upon all the high Mountains and upon all the Hills that are lifted up And upon every high Tower and upon every fenced Wall And upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all pleasant Pictures And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the herghtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day And the Idols he shall utterly abolish Ezek. 17.24 Then all the Trees of the field shall know that it is the Lord that hath brought down the high Tree and hath exalted the low Tree hath dried up the green Tree and made the drie Tree to flourish Isa 9.3 The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this So beleeves he who is A poor unprofitable Servant in his Masters Work JOHN TILLINGHAST The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader IT was not in my thoughts when I put forth my former peece which I was moved to do partly for the encouragement of some who had ventured far in the work of their Generation and partly for the provocation of others that I should have appeared again upon the publick Stage whence few that climb up come down any better than losers if not from men yet through that corruption that lodgeth in their own hearts But being by more than one or two upon the coming forth thereof desired to speak my thoughts more clearly and particularly as touching the Design or Designs of God in the Age we live in And to that end some proposing this Prophecy of the Vials as a subject most suitable for such a discovery which opened they conceived would further unfold the Werk of this Generation and being added as an Appendix to the other might be of use Although considering how great the Task was how mystical that Prophecy in particular upon which the thoughts of good men were so various and how unskilful I my self was in the general knowledge of the Prophets which was a thing most necessary to such an undertaking I did for a while lay aside wholly the thoughts of satisfying their desires yet finding desires renewed after I had given them over I knew not but that it might be some call unto me seeing nothing but my own discouragements lying in the way to hinder Whereupon I resolved to make a trial and as the Lord should come in with light so to proceed or give over being incouraged hereto from that of Daniel Chap. 12.4 That the Book was to be sealed up but to the time of the end when by the running too and fro of many which implies a kind of duty knowledge shall be increased And also considering that a special blessing surely to quicken our dull hearts to this Work is annexed to the Book of the Revelations both at the beginning and ending whereas no Book besides it in Scripture hath the like Chap. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein Chap. 22.7 Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the Prophecy of this Book These things were at first some encouragement to me and are still refreshment to my spirit as touching what I have done for though I will not say I have in all things found the truth which yet I perswade my self is through Grace in some things here done yet do I judge a liberty left for me as well as others to croud into the number of that many who run too and fro to finde it and also do beleeve it is a thing may be done without prejudice to a mans grace comfort or communion with God yea as a help to all these seeing that a special blessing from Heaven is pronounced to such as read hear and keep these things And as to the Treatise it self I may give this account of it That when I began my thoughts were not upon a second Part but onely to have added this as a brief Appendix to my first But after I had taken a serious view of the Prophets and the Revelations comparing one with the other I saw so many precious ears of Corn lye scattered every where that an eager desire of gleaning made me forget my first resolutions and this little Peece which I had in my thoughts laid out but for two or three sheets at most upon the sudden to swell into a second Part more large than the former And truly in doing of it I have been so far from moulding things according to any pre-conceived opinion which I find a thing most apt to deceive as that setting aside some general perswasions which I had before as touching Christs coming I have upon deliberate consideration seen real cause to forsake some things formerly taken up by me and to alter those general conceptions which before I had of the Vials almost in every thing And notwithstanding I had some thoughts at first positively to lay down my own opinion in things referring to the Vials without mentioning the opinion of others yet did I afterwards judge it convenient for the satisfaction of such who delight to turn over Expositors not only to lay down my own but also briefly to insert those reasons which pondered in my thoughts made me see a necessity to forsake the old beaten paths and seek a new wherein I can speak it truly I have not desired to besingular though oft necessitated so to be nor forsaken any man so far as by right reason I have been able in my most serious thoughts to bring his opinion and the truth together and where I could not though I highly reverence the men as inestimable of more worth for grace and abilities both then a hundred such as my self yet have I not durst to follow them because I have taken it up as my resolution in this day which through the grace of God assisting I shall hold unto not to follow any man or men living though I honor their holiness and love their parts any farther then I can see the truth and them to follow that nor for any respect whatsoever
Vial is poured forth To this I do the more readily assent 1 Because the former Expositions cannot stand for the reasons aforenamed 2 Because the ordinary use of the words give this to be the meaning For Rivers and Waters in Scripture-phrase signifie People and Nations Ezek. 32.2 Son of man take up a lamentation for Pharaoh King of Egypt and say unto him Thou art like a young Lion of the Nations thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fouledst their Rivers Isa 8.7 Now therefore behold the Lord bringeth upon them the waters of the River strong and many even the King of Assyria Rev. 17.15 The waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and Nations and Tongues The Fountain in common language is as much as the Head of a River whence it ariseth and by which it is nourished 3 Because the reason of the Vial vers 6. For they have shed the blood of thy Saints doth as but now was shewed more fitly agree to those who have hitherto been the Actors in shedding the blood of Saints than to any other 4 Because this Interpretation doth make a glorious concurrence and harmony betwixt the order of Gods workings hitherto since the Vials began to be poured out and the order of the Vials For the first remarkable thing wherein the hand of God appeared against the Beast was in the detection of and destroying his damnable doctrine and abominable Idolatries Next pouring contempt upon and pulling down the Antichristian Hierarchy And the very next thing remarkable since that hath been the shaking of some Nations and removing from their seats their Kings and great ones who were secret friends unto and supporters of this Throne of iniquity accordingly the first came under the first Vial the next the second And why may not the third being a thing remarkable and distinct from the other come under this third Vial we are now speaking of 2 The EFFECT The Rivers and Fountains of Waters become blood And they became blood That is Wars do arise in those Nations subject to this third Vial to the involving the people in blood yea causing the blood of chief Heads and great ones to be poured forth How within these few yeers past our Rivers in England and the places subjected to it have run blood yea the Fountain head hath sprouted blood is sufficiently known to all men Now the reason why I interpret blood here according to the Letter is because a necessity so to do lyes upon me and that from the very words for such blood as hath been shed by the Rivers and Fountains of waters such blood by way of retaliation is given them to drink vers 6. but blood hath been shed by them in a litteral sense therefore God in their own kind repays them again and they become blood 3 An ADJUNCT Which I so call rather than an Effect because properly it is not an Effect and that is A Justification of God in these terrible executions of his wrath upon them 1 By the Angel of the Waters Vers 5 6. And I heard the Angel of the waters say Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou host judged thus For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy The Angel of the Waters is that Angel who shall be used to pour out the Vial of Gods wrath upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters called Angel of the waters because he hath a power over the Waters to pour out Gods wrath upon them Which Angel shall at this day acknowledge that notwithstanding the things themselves done by this Vial are strange and to be wondred at things unthought of unheard of yet being done that the hand of God in them is marvellously just and to bee magnified of all his people being the just recompence of the injuries offered to and the blood of Saints How in the midst of those great and wonderful changes and revolutions that of late yeers have been in England the hearts of all those who have gone along with God in these his glorious dispensations and mighty works of wonder have been notwithstanding the continual offence of others and of the greater part carried out to justifie God and say Thou art righteous O Lord c. cannot by them be forgotten 2 By another out of the Altar Vers 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say Even so O Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements The Altar was the place upon which Sacrifices being slain were laid to be consumed It signifies a suffering condition and so is used Rev. 6.9 10 11. I saw under the Altar the souls of them which were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held And they cryed with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Only with this difference the sufferings there spoken of were unto death and martyrdome and therefore they are said to be under the Altar but here though their sufferings are great yet not to death and therefore they cry out of the Altar though they are upon the Altar yet not so but that they can still give testimony to Gods work in the world The second Testimony therefore coming out of the Altar or from the Altar denotes the persons bearing this testimony to be such as lye under great sufferings who out of the Altar i.e. in the midst of all their persecutions do yet give testimony that the strange astonishing and unwonted Effects of this Vial are no other but the true and righteous judgements of God inflicted upon those upon whom this Vial is poured out How sutable hereunto is that Testimony not long since sent over by some exiled Bohemians from Lissa in Poland to us in England written by one of the banished in a little Book intituled Clavis Apocalyptica who in pages 1â—3 104. speaking of the great Revolutions in the Isle of great britain and particularly mentioning that of the Fountain Head becoming blood he though yet as one amazed at the thing saith thus We must by vertue of that clear Text say with the Angel Lord thou are righteous because thou hast judged thus Two things from what I have said are worthy observation First That this Vial hath a doâ—ble attestation going along with it which is not found in any other Vial of the Righteousness Justice and Equity of the things effected by it Why so I take the reason to be this because the things done under this vial shall be so strange and amazing so besides the ordinary path and course of Providence and without former President as that the legality and justice of them shall be called in question by most and therefore we have a double Testimony that out of the mouth of two Witnesses or
them and upon them and that before Christs appearance to them namely they shall be convinced that the Messias is come being that Jesus which was Crucified by their Nation which shall so affect them as that they shall begin to own the crucified Jesus for Lord and Christ and this I think the rather because I find the Apostle Paul seeming to intimate Rom. 11.11 that the Jews shall be provoked i.e. with a holy provocation by the Gentiles Yea vers 30 31. having before spoken of their Call vers 26. And so all Israel shall be saved he tells us plainly that as the Jews by rejecting the Gospel at first did make way for the same to be brought to and preached among the Gentiles so the Gentiles by having the mercy of the Gospel amongst them shall when the appointed time of Israels conversion to Christ is come be a means of the Jews obtaining this mercy again For as yee in times past have not beleeved God yet have now obtained mercy through their unbeleef even so have these also now not beleeved that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy And which strengthens this perswasion I find Rev. 19. as hath been before observed the Bride to be in her fine linnen made ready to receive and meet her Bridegroom and that before his appearance or coming forth to battel upon the white Horse But now though there shall be many amongst them who shall from such ends and principles move as have been before declared yet shall there also with these march a great multitude who moved from no work upon their heart shall yet go with the rest either led to it by perswasion example or some carnal ends or hopes of their own as it was with Israel of old at their coming out of Egypt first and Babylon afterwards both which were eminent Types of this deliverance these being still in their hardness their former state of sin and bondage shall not be able to bear the glorious Gospel Revelation of Christ crucified to be their Messiah but shall stumble at it kick against it and against such of their brethren who receive it This we have Isa 8.14 He shall be for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the Houses of Israel for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem which that it speaks of this time is clear not only for the reason that it is about the time in which the Assyrian i.e. as shall appear hereafter the great Turk who now possesseth what did anciently belong to the Assyrian Monarchy is to overflow the land of Judah yea and then too when the same shall be Immanuels land that is when Christ shall begin of the Jews to bee known and worshipped there as vers 7.8 but also because it is said in the words He shall be a stone of stumbling to both the Houses of Israel i.e. to some of the ten Tribes and some of the two both who shall at this day be reunited which never yet hath been And these are the Rebels spoken of Ezek. 20.38 which shall be amongst Gods people at this day when they are to be gathered out of all Countries as were Korah Dathan and Abiram in the dayes of old upon the coming out of Egypt Yea these shall bee they who immediately before the time of Christs appearance shall hate their Brethren i.e. such among them who tremble at the word of the Gospel which by the Gentile-Saints they shall have had some light into and cast them out for Christs name sake whom now they own who shall at the coming of Christ bee ashamed when he shall appear to the others joy as Isaiah speaking of the time of the Jews Call Christs coming and the setting up of the New Jerusalem tells us Chap. 66.5 Hear ye the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said Let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed Yea these are they who in the last and great day of the battel of Armageddon which Zechary speaks of Chap. 14. shall some of them even joyn hands they shall bee so horridly vile against the rest of their Fellow-brethren and that with those who from all parts of the World shall bee gathered together against Jerusalem as vers 14. And Judah also shall fight at or against Jerusalem as did part of those who in Nehemiahs time came out of Babylon conspire with Sanballat Tobiah and the rest of the enemies of Jerusalem against godly Nehemiah and their Fellow-brethren This mixture which shall be at this Day some being Israelites indeed some in name onely I take it was typed by the mixed multitude marching up with Israel out of Egypt the Congregation of Israel then or those who in that day whilst things were outward and typical were the natural seed of Abraham typing out those who shall at this day bee the Spiritual Seed or true Sons of God the multitude of Egyptians and oâ—hers who were not Israelites by birth though yet they went with the Congregation typing out those who at this Day although they shall bee the Seed according to the flesh and march with the rest are yet notwithstanding not accounted the Spiritual or Holy Seed which Holy Seed though but a Tenth that is a sew in comparison of the rest are yet called the substance Isaiah 6.13 i.e. the substance of this people that God looks at or will reckon for the Seed at this day And in regard of this mixt multitude which shall bee amongst them when they stir Daniel setting forth this their stirring by a Resutrection Chap. 12.2 which is the same with the Resurrection of the dry bones Ezek. 37. applyed there to the Jews stirring he saith some shall arise to everlasting life some to shame and everlasting contempt Which last words are an Argument that the Resurrection Daniel speaks of cannot bee the same with that first Resurrection Rev. 20.6 because none have part in that but such as are blessed and holy and on whom the second death hath no power Now because as I have said amongst those who come up to their Land the greater part shall be found not truly seeking the Lord but their own things therefore by that time they are settled in their Land and probably the Gentile-Christian removed from them or returned home shall a fearful storm such a day as never was from the foundation of the world fall upon them which Daniel mentions Chap. 12.1 and Zech. Chap. 14.1 by which as the better part shall bee brought through the fire and purified and their faith tryed so shall the other fall off as before to the Enemy or be cut off by this day of trouble so that a remnant onely shall bee left which remnant shall bee the Holy Seed which wee have Zecha 13.8 9. And it shall come to passe that in all the Land saith
them and also to the Great Turk to encourage and heart him on to engage with them in a quarrel that is his as well as theirs together with all others of whom they have either hope that they will or may be drawn to joyn with them that by one general Randezvouze of all their force together they may venture the whole sink or swim upon the event of one battel Which battel is here called for the remarkableness of it both in regard of the multitude of enemies and the glorious appearance of Christ with his Saints who will fight this battel for them in such a way as never before the battel of that great day of God Almighty which is I conceive the same battel with what is spoken Psal 110. Isa 63.1 to 7 chap. 6.15 to the end Ezek. 38.39 Dan. 12.1 Joel 3. Zech. 14.1 2 3 4 5. Mal. 4.1 2 3. Of which terrible yet glorious day to mention all that in the foregoing Texts and elsewhere is recorded of it would call for a Treatise of it self and therefore I think it meet rather to leave the same to the sober and pious meditations of the Reader than here to add any thing further upon so large a Subject Concerning the Agents and Ambassadors of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet who are said to be three though possibly they may be multitudes because a threefold number denotes perfection and said to come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet not as if one came out of the mouth of the one another out of the mouth of the other and another out of the mouth of the third but because their sending is by the common consent of the aforesaid three parties who or what they shall be I look upon it as a part of curiosity to enquire any further into then what is here by the Holy Ghost determined of them 1 That they shall be Spirits viz. for their subtilty nimbleness and activity 2 Unclean Spirits for the filthiness and impurity of their principles and conversation 3 Like Frogs for their bold impudency and continual croaking in the ears of those they are sent to giving them no rest till they have drawn them forth to battel withall creeping into every hole and corner of the world to carry on their design 4 Spirits of Devils for their dissembling lying and cunning craft in deceiving above all that ever were imployed before them 5 Working Miracles and that as it were in way of imitation of the great and wonderful things God either hath done or is then doing for his people by this not onely to gain credit to their Ambassage making the Kings of the Earth the more ready to receive it but also to blind the eyes of those they are sent unto and harden their hearts against the apparent works of God at this day when they shall see things somewhat like to what God is doing in the world done by these as the Magicians of Egypt did blind Pharoah's eyes harden his heart by doing like things before him by Diabolical art as Moses did by the finger of God And here I cannot but in the way take notice of that which is the spiritual Engine of the old Serpent and one of his most politick Stratagems and Devises to blind others to the truths and dispensations of God in the world making them very odious and to be loathed of many which is when he perceiveth that God hath any great Truth to make known or any great Design to drive on in the World which he cannot hinder he will now become an Angel of light and be of the foremost by setting his own instruments about it either in discovering this truth or putting forward this design that so from a just cause of suspition being laid a prejudice being begotten in peoples hearts against these things the things though discovered ever so clearly might find no acceptation but rather a general dislike from those that should receive them as at the time of Christs coming he raised up false Christs as a blind that the true might not be received At the first preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles he vaised up false Apostles that the true might not be beleeved which is a thing hath been worthily observed by a godly man of late and I here mention it onely by way of remembrance that none of us may be taken in this crafty and hidden snare Thus much of the first thing preparative to the pouring forth of the seventh VIAL 2 The Personal coming and appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ Verse 15. BEhold I come as a Theef That Christ shall personally appear before the last and General Judgement is a thing that seems to me to have much footing both throughout the Old and New-Testament without granting of which I my self cannot as yet possibly others may reconcile one Scripture with another And truly to take notice of this Opinion here I am necessarily put upon it unless I should either wholly pass over these words or be false to my own perswasions and that which as yet I cannot think otherwise is the main thing intended by the Holy Ghost in them Though yet as the Argument it self in this place doth more concern the time of his coming viz. that his coming shall be betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials than the coming it selfe So that I may keep to the Argument I must here let go several Reasons I might make use of to prove this personal coming and confine my self to such onely as will clear up this viz. That the time of his personal coming is here spoken of to be between the sixt and seventh Vials Now that Christs Personal coming and not a coming by his Power and Spirit onely is the thing here intended which will fall out in this Interval or space of time betwixt these two Vials though yet at the end of it so as that it may indifferently be referred either to the conclusion of this time or the beginning of the seventh Vial is clear to me for these Reasons 1 ARGUMENT Christ shall personally appear at the time in which the remarkable battel of Armageddon shall be fought But that shall be about this time That the battel of Armageddon shall be about this time is clear in the words That Christ shall then appear I prove Isa 66.16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many That this is the same with the battel of Armageddon hinted in the Text and more fully described Rev. 19. vers 17. to the end of the Chapter appears 1 Because the battel of Armageddon shall bee about the time of the Jews coming in This our Discourse at large under the sixth Vial proves So shall this For vers 7.8 we have their conversion spoken of Before shee travelled shee brought forth before her pain came shee was
I will gather her that is driven out and her that I have afflicted And I will make her that halted a remnant and her that was cast off a strong Nation and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Sion from henceforth even for ever Chap. 5.4 And he i.e. Christ as vers 2. shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord his God and they shall abide for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth vers 5. And this man shall be the peace it is proper to Christ alone to be called the Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land and shall tread in his Palaces Nahum Chap. 1.15 Behold upon the Mountain the feet of him that bringeth good tydings that publisheth peace O Judah keep thy solemn Feast perform thy vows for the wicked shall no more pass through thee he is utterly cut off explained Zech. 14.4 His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives vers 21. And in that day there shall be no more Canaanite i.e. the house of the Lord of Hosts Habakkuk Chap. 2.14 For the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea To what time this relates see by comparing with Isa 11.9 where wee have the same words Zephaniah Chap. 3.8 to the end Haggai Chap. 2.6 7 21 22 23. before opened Zechariah Chap. 6.12.13 Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying Behold the Man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord Even he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne and he shall be a Priest upon his Throne This Prophecie relates to Christ who is the Branch who is to bear the glory and not any creature yea who and no other is King and Priest both upon his Throne Chap. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the foal of an Asse And I will cut off the Chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem and the battel bow shall be cut off and he shall speak peace unto the heathen and his Dominion shall bee from Sea even to Sea and from the River to the ends of the earth Which latter words are an evidence the Prophecie is yet to be fulfilled and this coming of Christ as a King is the same which as under a type was represented by Christs riding into Jerusalem Mat. 21.4 5. and that was in a Personal way There is but one Prophet more and that is Malachy who also speaks of this Chap. 3.2 Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiners fire and like Fullers sope Chap. 4.1 2 3. Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stuble and the day that cometh shall burn them up that it shall leave them neither root nor branch But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise Thus I have lead you through all the Prophets naming but a few Texts out of each more especially the Psalms Isaiah and Zechary which every where are full of this instead of many that might be shewing you what a harmony there is amongst them all as to the time of Christs Kingdome which if any one can shew so full a harmony as to that of the General Judgement I shall for time to come lay by this Scripture as not of weight to prove the thing in hand but till this is done I shall hold my own conclusion viz. That the time of the Restitution of all things when Christ is Personally to appear being that which all the Prophets have spoken of is not the General Judgement which few or none have spoken of but the time of restoring the Kingdome of Israel that being the thing that all the Prophets are full of having treated of no one Subject more nay not half so much And indeed the 20. verse suits this Interpretation well And he shall send Jesus which before was preached unto you the latter words unto you having reference as well to sending as preaching and the meaning is That Christ shall at this time as verily be sent of the Father to the Jews as then he was preached to them by Peter and therefore Tremelius in his Translation out of the Syriack reads the Vobis to you twice after either Verb. The Argument then lyes thus If that Christ shall personally appear at the time of the Kingdoms restoring to Israel as hath been at large proved and if this shal be in the Interval of time betwixt the sixth and seventh Vials as also hath been formerly proved then doth it follow that Christs personal appearance or coming shall be betwixt the sixth and seventh Vials and so is the very coming here spoken of Behold I come as a Thief Two Arguments more to prove our Position are in the words themselves which are 3 ARGUMENT The phrase of coming as a Thief is most frequently used in Scripture to express Christs personal coming which therefore is the coming here intended 1 Thess 5.2 For your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noyse So Mat. 24.42 43 44. Luk. 12 39 40. 4 ARGUMENT The duty here spoken of to which a special blessing is annexed is that very duty which beleevers are with much earnestness exhorted unto whensoever Christs personal coming is spoken of Mat. 24.42 Watch therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come Chap. 25.13 So Mark 13.32 33 34 35 36 37. 1 Thess 5.2 compared with 6. all which places speak of no other coming but his Personal Yea the blessing annexed to this duty of watchfulness we do not read of but thrice more in all the Scripture and that is ever in such places where mention is made of his personal coming Luke 12.37 38. we have the blessing twice pronounced Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching And if he come in the second watch or in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants Mat. 14.46 Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when hee cometh shall finde so doing what doing why watching and being ready against his coming as vers 42.44 These two last Arguments taken from the words I must confess do not of themselves conclude the thing because the same expression of coming as a Thief with the duty of watching annexed thereto I find once used in a spiritual
into the Divinity so as that Christ shall be God-man no longer for the Apostle in saying the Humane Nature shall be subject denotes plainly that the same shall even in Heaven hereafter have a being for how can that be subject which hath no being And as the Lambs having a Throne in the New Jerusalem proves clearly that it cannot be meant of Heavenly glory after the day of Judgement so doth it as strongly prove what before I have laid down that not a Spiritual onely buth a Personal presence of Christ shall be with his people in the New Jerusalem all the time of the thousand years for Christ as the Lamb hath his Throne in it but Christ Spiritually onely is not the Lamb nor was he sacrifised in that sense Seventhly and lastly Because Isa 60. which Chapter as is most evident speaks not of heavenly glory but of a glorious state of the Church here on Earth is for time one and the same with this as plainly will appear by comparing one with the other Isa Rev. 60.11 the Gates shal be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night 21.25 And the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day Verse 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising Verse 24. The Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honor into it Verse 10. Their Kings shall minister unto thee Verse 11. That men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and that their Kings may bee brought Verse 26. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the Nations into it Verse 1. Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land Verse 20. The dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Verse 4. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor cryâ—â—â— neither shall there be any more pain Verse 19. The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Verse 23. And the City had no need neither of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb was the light thereof Verse 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous Verse 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs Book of life Yet because it would be a thing hard to be beleeved that the New Jerusalems glory should be here on Earth therefore it is said chap. 21.5 These words are true and faithful and again chap. 22.6 These sayings are faithful and true One thing here is of special concernment to be opened to the end the words of the seventh Vial may be brought to a reconciliation with the description of the New Jerusalem chap. 21. both as I have shewed being to be referred to one and the same time which is this Seeing John in describing the New Jerusalem saith I saw no Temple therein Chap. 21.22 and the contrary is here intimated There came a great voyce out of the Temple of Heaven how can these things agree or the one be made Expository of the other when they speak things contradictory I answer John saw no material Temple such as was in Jerusalem of old to which here new Jerusalem is opposed Or secondly which I rather incline to John saw no such Temple as was the former Temple or Church-state under the Gospel But that a Temple there shall be is manifest for saith he in the next words which are given as a reason why no such Temple as formerly had been should be in this New state because indeed they should now have a better Temple The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is the Temple of it So that a Temple there is but this shall not be such a Temple in which Christ through outward Ordinances as a medium is conveyed to his and they by faith enjoy him as now for what need of these things when Christ is with his people and to be enjoyed in another way of Visionâ— yea the duration of these things is but untill his coming 1 Cor. 11.26 For as oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup yee shew the Lords death till he come And the Apostle is clear in this that all injoyments of God by faith cease when sight takes place 2 Cor. 5.7 1 Cor. 13.8 9 10 11 12 13. And indeed what use will there be of 2 Glass to see Christ in when he shall present himself face to face which he will do at the day of his appearing 1 John 3.2 It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is yea to behold the Lamb thus shall be a principall part of the New Jerusalems glory Rev. 22.3 4. They shall see his face and his name shall be in their fore-heads So that this Temple shall not be a worshipping of Christ and an injoyment of him through outward ordinances but rather a more immediate worshipping and injoyment of him in himself who therefore in this New Jerusalem is not onely the person worshipped but the very Temple we worship in And this which now I am speaking of is I taâ—◠〈◊〉 clearly held forth in those words of the Apostle Heb. 12.26 Yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also Heaven which place he quotes from Haggai chap. 2.6 7. which before I have proved relates to this time Now as Christ at his first coming shook the legal worship which the Apostle tels us stood in meats and drinks and carnal Ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformations Heb. 9.10 for which reason the shaking hereof is called ashaking of the earth and did at his resurrection establish another way of worship far more spiritual than the former yee having also some outward Ordinances and Institutions as the former had which in Scripture is frequently called as opposed to the other Heaven and the Kingdom of Heaven so at his second coming will he shake this worship cast this Temple though more spiritual than the former to the ground also for saith he yet once more I shake not earth onely but Heaven also i.e. all the worship that now is I mean outward is upon Christs second coming to be removed and such a Kingdom and Worship instead thereof is to be set up as can never be shaken i.e. shall never be broken in peeces any more as the former worships have been but shall be the same for kind being as I have said a more immediate worship with that which shall be in Heaven hereafter And not darkly is this hinted Isa 60.19 20. The Sun that is those outward things which before were as a Sun under which are comprehended outward
this spirit shall be mediate or immediate p. 34 Ans Partly mediate partly immediate The mediate cause of this work shall be a loud Call given to the dead Witnesses from Saints out of another place p. 35 This noted in the voyce from Heaven Come up hither Two Reasons given why this voyce is mentioned after their standing upon their feet not before p ib. Who shall give them this Call p. 36 CHAP. II. VVHerein is farther set forth the state of the two Witnesses within their Prophesying time and the time of their being killed from Rev. 12. Divided into seven Sections SECT 1. Examining the common Opinion which makes application of the things foretold Chap. 12. to the first Period or the time of the Dragons Rule before yet the Beast arose which upon examination is found too light Here the general method of the 11 12 13 14 Chapters of the Revelations is laid down page 37 to 43 SECT 2. Confirming the truth of the former by proving that the time times and a half cannot signifie 1260 years but three yeers and a half only p. 43 to 45 SECT 3. An Objection answered viz. That the War made by the Dragon Chap. 12. is different from that made by the Beast Chap. 11.7 p. 45 Here inquiry is made into the War of Michael and the Dragon and it s proved to be the late German War p. 46 to 49 Object It may be the English War answered and the Reasons given of the contrary p. ib. Here also is shewed that a two-fold visible Dragon is spoken of in this 12. Chap. 1 The Old Dragon viz. the ancient Roman Empire 2 The New Dragon viz. the present German Empire p. ib. Two Reasons given why the Dragon who governs the whole Papal Kingdome doth at this day choose Germany as his seat p. 50 A Reason also given why the Holy Ghost Chap. 12. glides so quick over all the 1260 dayes descending presently to the latter end of them p. ib. What of the Prophesie of this 12 Chap. is yet to be fulfilled p. ib. SECT 4. Another Objection That our opinion necessarily supposeth the Woman to be come out of the Wilderness and yet afterwards to go in again answered p. 52 SECT 5 A third Objection That this opinion is repugnant to Daniels time times and a half answered p 53 to 55. Here Daniels time times and a half are opened at large and proved from the Texts themselves in Daniel Chap. 7.25 Chap. 12.7 to signifie only three years and a half SECT 6. What useful truths arise from this method and what a harmony of truth following it we have in the 11 and 12 Chapters p. 62 SECT 7. Making inquiry after that remnant of the Womans Seed that the Dragon within the time times and a half the term of the Witnesses lying dead makes War upon Quest 1. What people are meant by this Remnant Answer is given in opening two notable Characters of them lying in the words p. 63 Quest 2. What War that is which is or shall be raised against them Five things propounded in order to an Answer p. 64 65 Ans A two-fold War 1 A War raised against them by the invisible Dragon How that shall be and why such a War must be p. 66 2 A War raised against them by the visible Dragon How and why such a War shall be p. ib. Yet notwithstanding this two-fold War the remnant of the Womans Seed shall not suffer much p. 67 CHAP. III. VVHerein is shewed the state of the Witnesses about and in the time of their Rise from Rev. 14. opened Divided into six Sections SECT 1. The common Opinion which applies the Prophesie of the 144000 to the time of the Beasts reign disproved and the time stated where this Prophesie takes beginning p. 68 to 73 SECT 2. Proving two things 1 That the Head of this Prophesie is to be placed lower than the Head of the Vials p. 73 to 76 Here is shewed why the Head of the Vials is placed somewhat upwards in the Beasts Kingdome and the Head of this Chapter about the end of it 2 That this 144000 differ from the sealed 144000 Chap. 7. p. ib. The scaled company scaled before any of the Trumpets sounded ib. To say because the one are scaled in their foreheads the other bear the Fathers name in the forehead therefore they are one can be no Argument p. 78 Two Reasons given why these are set frth by the same number with the Scaled ones ib. No Mystery in the number it self ib. SECT 3. Proving This 144000 to be the Gentile Saints p. 79 to 83 SECT 4. Handling three things 1 The Cause of this glorious Rendezvouz p. 83 2 The manner of it p. 84 3 The state and condition they shall be in hereupon set forth in two things 1 They shall be owned by some eminent Head raised up by Christ p. ib. 2 They shall set forth with praises p. 85 Here is also shewed where the beginning of this blessed company will be p. 86 Occasionally also here is discoursed of Daniels stone and it is shewed 1 What time we are to pitch upon for the first Rise of that stone 2 What shall befal the stone suddenly after it begins to smite ib. 87 SECT 5. The Characters of this 144000. Eight choice Characters of this blessed company observed from the text p. 89 to 92 SECT 6. How the work shall go from the time of their standing up until the beginning of the thousand years What Prophesies those are in the Revelations that afford us light to this Question p. 92 For answer 1 More generally the work shall go on with a more swift and irresistible hand than ever formerly p. ib. 2 More particularly 1 The Everlasting Gospel is preached p. 93 Five things very observable concerning the preaching of the Gospel at this day p. 93 94 95 2 Romes ruin comes unavoidably upon her p. ib. 3 A serious warning to the Papals Why are they warned at this day p. ib. 96 Here the Angel standing in the Sun Rev. 19.17 18. is interpreted p. 139 140 4 A sweet word from Christ of Heavenly Consolation to his people the day of their Redemption being now come p. 97 5 Christs Personal coming this the thing noted v. 14. proved by four Reasons p. 98 99 100 The Resurrection of the dead intimated in those words Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord vers 13. p 99 Why the Resurrection of the dead is mentioned before Christs coming p. ib. Not Martyrs only but all Saints shall come with Christ p. 102 What the Harvest and Vintage signifie p. ib. Christ himself the Angel of the Vintage p. 103 A Conjecture as touching the two Angels that cry with a loud voyce to have the work of the Harvest and Vintage performed p 104 Why one of these two is said to come out of the Temple the other from the Altar p. ib. VVhy the Angel coming from the Altar is said to have power over
behalf of that cause which my heart is inwardly perswaded is Jesus Christs to whom I could not be faithful should I now be silent having this hope that that heart which once had in it such a flame of love to the cause of Christ and was so zealous of the work of God in the world and against the Beast as that thereby many were provoked cannot but yet have some sparks of this holy fire alive in it and that there is yet in your Highness an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit saith in the word if so be the sound be certain and distinct tho but a Child blow the Trumpet Or if not yet that herein I shall discharge a duty in my own apprehension incumbent upon me and every of Gods people so far as they have light namely to inform your Highness what Christ at this day expects from you according to which he will account with you and if what is written be truth it is you duty to hear it yea where is but an appearance of truth if you shall without diligent trial either neglect or reject it though the grounds upon which you may perhaps so do may serve to answer Conscience a while yet will they not answer the Lord another day who will account with you not as with others but according to that Talent of light you have had and is held forth unto you the professions you have made before many of his people and the opportunities you have And therefore my Lord as it is now no time for those who either love the Lord Jesus or your Highness to flatter you or speak their fears mincingly So let me here say what not long fince I told your Highness in a more private way That I do verily beleeve the thing is already manifest to the Lord and the day is not far off in which it shall be to your Highness also who are your most faithful Friends whether those that now hang up their Harps though they may be but as one Micaiah to 400 false Prophets or those that are singing their Songs of which latter sort I mean for the greater part of them I may for the truth of the thing I am sure without offence say in the Apostles phrase onely adding a word They who never yet loved you truly now zealously affect you but not well yea they would exclude you that you might affect them and serve their designs I would to God I could speak otherwise and that private cryes might have prevented this publick bearing witness which though I had no other motive yet ingenuity did I not consider that when it tends to hinder in the Lords work it is no longer a vertue but a vice to be mortified would have disswaded me from The love of the meanest Saint is precious to me the favor of your Highness much more but in these divided times offering many temptations of this nature I have often remembred the case as it stood betwixt Christ and Peter Matâ—h 16.21 22 23. who when Peter by his love and affection would have put him by his Fathers work Christ grew offended even at Peters love and did abandon it My Lord if ever the Mystery of Iniquity wrought spiritually it doth at this day And no wonder for a fear and dread of the Witnesses is fallen upon the Beast whose blow that he may escape he would now if that will do it enter into a high form of Saintship and indeed who looks for Antichrist take him either as he is the whole Body or as he is this oâ— that part in his last state in any other Garbe than the form of a gloribus â—aint though he may have read the Book of the Revelations yet is he still to learn the Mystery of the Beast there revealed Now is the man of sin struggling for his Kingdom which he will uphold as long as he can but though the Dragon Beast and False Prophet joyn heads and hands together yet shall they not bee able to keep it up long no not half so many years as some dream of Ages for God hath numbered Babylons Kingdom and in a manner finished it the Beast and the Whoreâ—s or the Beast and the False Prophet are already weighed in the Ballances and found wanting the Kingdom shall as most certainly so suddenly be divided broken and given to another And as a clear evâ—dence hereof we have the signs of the times grounded upon the woâ—d which Christ did refer the Generation of the Pharisees and Sadduces to when they would know of him a sign Matth. 16.3 O yee Hypocrites can yee not discern the signs of the times What signs of the times had they Answ Two evident signs founded upon Scripture 1. The departure of the Scepter from Judah in Herods then swaying it who was an Idumean 2. The expirations of Daniels seventy weeks the limited time of the Messiahs appearance By either of these they might have concluded that truth they opposed and received him for their Messiah whom they rejected but this they did not but must have farther signâ— yet for which cause Christ calls them Hypocrites a wicked and an adulterous Generation My Lord Let me here say The Lord in his Word hath left signs of this time I am now speaking of no less clear and demonstrative than were the signs of thaâ— and although I am of all the most unworthy to be acquainted with them or any thing of the mind of the Lord yet is it my perswasion that some of them are discovered in the following discourse and he that shall without prejudice read what in the close is written of the time and compare it with the things themselves specified throughout the Book may possibly be of my mind at least not censure me for thinking so And if now My Lord as persons willing to be blinded we shall shut our eyes to those signs of the times God hath left us in the word and ask for other signs to know his work by and when we are called to do it it is an evident token even from our Saviors own words of an Adulterous and Apostatizing generation I had almost said and if I had his words would have born me out of an hypocritical heart My Lord Let me not be made an offender for this plain dealing if I am so long as the Lord shall keep my feet in the way of my duty it shall not trouble me and I have hope that in this I have had his merciful guidance and have not as yet stepped out of that way For if in the day when Christ is going up to his Kingdom the stones would not hold their peace should not the Children cry Hosanna then surely it is a duty very incumbent upon the Saints at this day there being nothing more obvious than that Christ is well onwards upon his march to his Kingdom not to be silent but although they may be rebuked yea dealt worse by for so doing yet to follow their
people have their liâ—erty and in that respect as to their particulars are well yet if they see the work of the time at a stand let it not be grievous or be imputed to discontent in case they mourn as did Daniel look sad as did Nehemiah groan and complain they are sick And sometimes I have thought that when Daniel did mourn and afflict himself before God the second time three full weeks Chap. 10.2 upon the account that the work of God in that age was put to a stand by the power as is by good men judged of Cambyses Cyrus Son reigning while his Father was abroad in the wars that had Cambyses been a good man or a man likely to have been prevailed with Daniel undoubtedty would as did the Prophets before him frequently to the good Kings of Israel have made other applications in that case and accounted the doing thereof his duty than barely to the Lord alone Nay it is a mercy to Governours themselves to have applications in things of this nature made unto them for Woe be to those Governors to whom Gods people fearing or being without hopes in making address when they soâ—esee sufferings coming upon his cause retire themselves and spread the affliction of their souls before the Lord alone Yet let me also say it is a thing most certain and that which is a prejudice to the very cause in the hearts of many and ought to be matter of grief to all that Saints in most places at this day whilst they are crying that their Fathers work might go on do act too much like men and shew too much of their own spirits yea are very consused as to the making out the things themselves would have and moreover have many falling into their party that injure the very cause they stand up in But I earnestly wish it might be considered that although the child when it cries cannot alwayes give a rational account of the cause of its so doing yea possibly may oftentimes discover much peevishness and passion in crying yet doth it not ever cry without a cause and the wisdome of the Father is not so intent upon the weaknesses of the child in crying as to find out the cause why it cries And farther should not many and great weaknesses appear in those who stand up for Christs Kingdome how should his Kingdome come without observation no greater observation than of holiness if so be the appearance of that in them were to be eminently visible John came with much outward Holinesse and hee came with great observation Yea whether when the strife rose first betwixt the Brethren of the Presbyterian and Congregational way in England did not many who yet had truth and Christ did afterwards own before the world strive in many things like foolish peevish Children and whether in the times of the Apostles throughout the Primitive ages and almost ever since have not the croud of errors alwayes run into that side where truth hath been the reason is because the grand enemies design is to sow his tares in his enemies filed his own where as yet his title is not questioned nor shaken he will not meddle with These things therefore with others of a like nature are not to be made definitive Conclusions as to a cause which oftentimes God permits for the trial of Rulers patience his peoples faith and the carrying on of his own cause in a cloud which is the way he goes in in most of his works of wonder Governors because of these miscarriages may inflict civil penalties if they will yet let it bee considered that the great King is now coming to his Throne and there is not a Ruler in the world but hath his standing only protempore to whom as all must give an account so must they shortly surrender their Crowns or they shall be taken from them and if any of the subjects of this mighty King whilst they see their King upon his march and are followed with hourly intelligence that he is neer and such and such things must be done in order to his entertainment by speaking some words for their King that things may be in a readiness and by giving abroad what intelligence they have to that end shall offend and suffer any thing for it let it be remembred that when the righteous King is sate upon his Throne these things will not be husht up but it shall then be known whether such as shall so do exceeded their Commission or not did their own or the Lord Christs will My Lord That through multitude of words I may neither tire your patience nor incur the censure of being one that loves to hear himself speak I shall wave some things which otherwise I would yet have added and draw to a Conclusion only leaving with your Highness three or four plain sober and in my opinion necessary words 1 Let your Highness oft remember and set before you the example of that good man Asa who though he were a man of much zeal for God and his Worship destroying the Altars of the strange gods and the High places breaking down the Images cutting down the Groves c. a man of a tender conscience therefore removed his Mother from being Queen because she made an Idol in a Grove a man of much faith in the field by which faith of his he vanquished the huge host of Zerah the Ethiopian yet having made one eminent turn from God as one turn from God makes way for another he is afterwards in a rage at reproof and casts the Prophet into prison that reproved him and at the very same time oppresseth the people of the LAND and after all what will Sin bring even a good man to When Gods hand is upon him for this he seems as a man stubborn and seeks not to the Lord but to the Physicians which that it may never be your Highness case is my prayer 2 Let your hand be no way lifted up against any of the Saints in this Nation It was a good Position laid down by Dr. Goodwin in a Sermon preached upon Psal 105 14 15. before the Parliament that was at the time when the Brethren of the Presbyterian way had the turning of the Wheel and as well proved viz. That the dealing well or ill with the Saints is and hath ever been the great interest of States and Kingdoms that on which their welfare or ruine depends All Sodome made not the hands of those four Kings Abraham routed Gen. 14. so weak as their fingring one Lot 3 Pursue not too hotly every righteous principle It is an Observation of Dr. Owens worthy never to be forgotten preached when time was in a Sermon of his upon Ezek. 17.24 to the aforesaid powers concerning principles that men take up his words are these page 21.22 The most tremendous judgement of God in this world is the hardning the hearts of men Now saith he first Look on Pharaoh of whom it is most signally spoken that God
hardned his heart How did the Lord accomplish this Pharaoh settles himself upon as righteous principles as ever any of the Sons of men could do One is that it belongs to the chief Ruler of a Nation to see to the profit and glory of that Nation What more righteous principle is there in the world Hence he concludes that if iâ— be incumbent on him to see that the Realm receive no detriment he must not let the people go by whom they received so many great advantages God confirms his heart in these principles which are good in themselves but saith the Doctor abominable when taken up against the mind and providence of God Hence he and his perished in their principles acting against the appearance of God Secondly It is also said of Sihon the King of the Amorites that his heart was hardned that he would not let the people go through his Land How I pray even by adhering to that wise principle That it is not meet to let a potent Enemy into the bowels of a people and this made way for his ruine Thus saith he it is with many they fix on principles good in general and in their season Old bounds must not be broken up Order must not be disturbed Let God appear never so eminently so mightily they will keep to their principle what is this but judicial hardness And this is one reason why the actings of God in such a day as this are so unsuited to the expectations of men they square his works to the interests and principles which it will not answer Hitherto Dr. Owen 4 Take heed of that ungodly principle sprung up of late the contrary to which some call a State-Herene though I am sure the principle is a Scripture-Herefie viz. That godliness in a Magistrate or Civil Officer is but a secondary qualification natural accomplishments and endowments being the primary for which therefore a man is to be intrusted with this power rather than the other I cannot but wonder how any who profess the Name of Christ much more who profess themselves to have been faithful to his cause should together therewith profess such an unchrist an yea Machiavilian principle which First Lies point-blank against the promises made to the last dayes which assure 1 That God will restore his peoples Judges as at the first Isa 1.26 But were Judges at the first Moses Joshua c. such 2 That their Governors should be of themselves Jer. 30.21 But may we call such of themselves Secondly Leaves out as of little worth comparatively the main qualifications of that divine pattern by which the first Rulers that ever were so made by men amongsh Gods own people were made Exod. 18.21 Thirdly Makes null that Divine Maxime 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God for how can such rule in the fear of God who have no fear of God before their eyes which is one character of every natural man Rom. 3.18 Fourthly Layes an unavoidable necessity of a continued judgement upon a people For if it be a judgement to have Rulers that know not God because such make the people to erre Isa 3.12 chap. 9.16 then if such for their natural endowments are to be chosen of necessity must a judgement lye upon that people over or amongst whom they are set Fifthly Opens a door to all persecution by putting the Civil Sword into the hands of the Seed of the Serpent for better cannot be said of a meer moral man which from the beginning hath had a natural enmity to the Seed of the Woman My Lord Bear with the boldness of it if I say That in case your Highness be found steering your course and laying out your power by this crooked rule know assuredly that Christ will suddenly take though how I know not your power from you and give it to one that shall lay it out otherwise I shall not multiply many more words save to add that in case any expression either in this or the following Discourse savour of the spirit of man which my self allows not have kept a watch against yet may be guilty of I do in that humbly crave your Highness pardon but as for the matter and substance of those things I have written I ask none my Conscience bearing me witness that I have afferted nothing but what according to my present perswasions not grounded upon this or that particular Text which is a deceiving way but by comparing the whole of Prophecies together is the truth of Christ yea the truth of the time though yet through mercy I have drunk in no such conceit of my own knowledge as though it were more than in part not do I impose upon your Highness conscience or the consciences of any a belief of my principles any farther then Scripture and right reason doth approve them yet would have none on the other side condemn them as this age is apt to do upon the account of this or that single Text till he hath compared the whole of Prophecies together in doing which he may perhaps see my reason of stating things as I have done which upon every occasion I could not bring forth and therewith a full answer to his own doubt And farther I have not in this work knowingly stretched any one Text beyond what I have judged its due bounds or forced an interpretation to reach any Party a blow Nor have I on the other side with-held any peece of the truth so judged by me lying in any Text nor minced any Interpretation to spare any party a blow As I would be loath to strike any my self for my blows can do me no good and them little hurt so would I not have a hand in keeping off that blow that truth will strike whosoever it fall upon And although a Discourse of this nature would better have become a graver Pen than mine and possibly from such a one been sooner hearkned to pride rashness and headiness having been the coutinual accusation laid against young men and not alwayes groundless yet seeing the Aged silent and perceiving through the light the Lord of his grace hath larely given me to see by a cleer opening sundry Prophecies which not long since were mysteries to me the cause of Christ in sore travel either through an ignorance of what Gods Designs are at this day or somewhat worse in those that should manage it I conceived my self though others might better do it yet at this time called to speak and to speak plainly Elihu though a young man went and that with success over the head of such a temptation in a less case That a like success and blessing from above may accompany this is his Prayer who is Your Highness humble Servant Mournful for You hold with You for Sions sake JOHN TILLINGHAST To the several Churches of Christ within this Commonwealth Together with all those that have fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ The Church
clear Answer vers 11 12. And observe either Answer consists of two branches suitable to the Wonders themselves spoken of which were to have a double end or fulfilling time First A partial Secondly A total accordingly either answer hath I say two Branches The first Answer vers 7. hath first The time times and a half as one Branch Secondly The scattering the power of the holy people as another The second vers 11 12. hath First 1290 days as one Branch Secondly 1335 days as another Now that the same thing and not things of a diverse nature is pointed at in both these Answers is clear 1 Because each Answer consists as I have said of two distinct Branches 2 Because Daniel as is clear puts the Question the second time concerning that very thing that the first Question was moved about and the very reason of his putting the Question the second time is for more light into that answer which he heard given but did not understand therefore saith he vers 8. And I heard but I understood not and therefore puts the Question again The intent of the Question therefore in both being the same the Answer is to be looked upon as the same also 3 Because the very words of the Lord to Daniel before he gives him a second answer import as much for saith he vers 9. The words are closed and sealed up till the time of the end What words why those words Daniel asked after the words of the former answer more especially for the sealing the words of the Prophecy in general we had before vers 4. shewing plainly that as the Querist so the respondent was still upon one and the same thing as to say The thing O Daniel thou inquirest after is not to be revealed untill the time of the end yet because thou art so desirous to know thou shalt have it in a plainer and more familiar Dialect and what that is the second answer tells us Vers 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away shall be 1290 days vers 12. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days The answer then being one and the same in both the thing now to be inquired into is How or in what sense can we make the time times and a half to be one and the same with the 1290 days Answ We cannot make them one and the same in duration for the time times and a half stretched out at that length Expositors would have them make but 1260 days which falls short by thirty days or years of 1290 they must therefore be one and the same in termination either terminating and ending at one and the same point If so then suppose we take the time times and a half for three years and a half onely namely the last three years and a half of Daniels 1290 will the time times and a half concur with the 1290 in their end as well as if by time times and a half we should understand 1260 years for reckon three years and a half onely or 1260 years compleat and make either but to end at the same point with Daniels 1290 it amounts all to one and the one is as good and as firm as the other Nay that the time times and a half is rather to be understood in our sense viz. for three years and a half onely than in the other for 1260 years seems to me upon this account because the intent of the Holy Ghost in the first answer is not to measure the length of the time how long it should be until the performance of those things enquiry was made after which is done in the second answer but rather to give some knowledge of the thing by hinting two wonderful remarkable actions as marks of which two the first should fall out at the beginning time the last at the compleating time of the work The first mark is the time times and a half i.e. The black day of killing the Witnesses which God in his all-wise Providence had so ordered and would in his time so bring about as that that black day and the 1290 days should expire together Or thus That the rise of the Witnesses at the end of the time times and a half and the first stirring of the Jews at the end of 1290 years should both concur as it were in the same point fall out much about one and the same time The second mark which relates to the latter number viz. of 1335. days is the accomplishing to scatter the power of the holy people And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the Holy people all these things shall be fulfilled Two things ere we can make application of this mark to the number it relates to are necessary to be cleared up 1. Who are meant by this holy people 2. What that scattering is which is here spoken of and by whom To the first By the holy people we are undoubtedly to understand the Jews and no other in this place for the people whose deliverance Daniel is here so inquisitive after are that people of whose deliverance Daniel had had a promise made to him vers 1. At that time shall thy people be delivered but they were the Jews therefore called thy people i.e. Daniels people the people of Daniels Nation To the second This scattering is not to be understood of their present dispersed condition in which they are a people dispersed and scattered by the Lord himself into all the corners of the earth for in this state they are not the holy people but a people for the present rejected of God therefore called by God himself in this state Loammi Not my people Hos 1.9 but in the scattering here spoken of they are considered as the holy people and therefore the scattering of them is called the scattering of the holy people intimating that this scattering is not their scattering by God whilst they continue in their rejected state but a scattering by some other after they come out of that state and are again the chosen people of God and indeed were we to interpret this scattering to be the act of God then surely considering the person here speaking is the Lord himself as compare ver 7. with Rev. 10.5 6. he would rather have spoken in the first person when I shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people than in the third when he shall Quest But who then is this he Answ That proud raging He viz. the King of the North spoken of Chap 11 40 41 42. who at the time of Michaels standing up which is the time called in the words the fulfilling time or rather the concluding time when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all these things shall be fulfilled shall come raging mad into the Land of Judea where the newly come in Jews shall have seated themselves again Chap. 11.45 which day shall be a time of such trouble
is called the Son of Man here an Angel which name is also given him Rev. 10.1 2 3 5 6. Rev. 20.1 Chap. 16.17 which in my discourse on the seventh Vial I have shewed is to be understood of Christ I shall not much insist on onely adding that I rather incline to the latter that it is Christ himself 1 Because this work is done by the pouring out of the seventh Vial and the seventh Vial is poured out by Christ alone 2 Because this work is the treading of the Wine-press and the treading of the Wine-press is Christs work alone Isa 63.3 Rev. 19.15 3 Because it carrying greatest probability with it that the Harvest and Vintage should be but one and the same thing set forth for ampleness sake under two Similitudes it should also seem most probable to conclude the Angel of either to be the same Now the work of the Harvest is in express terms appropriated to Christ the Son of Man therefore the Vintage is his work too 4 Because supplication seems to be made in the same manner to this Angel as is to Christ himself An Angel coming out of the Temple cryes with a loud voyce to him that fate on the Cloud i.e. Christ the Son of Man to thrust in his Sickle and reap vers 15. In like manner an Angel coming from the Altar cryes with a loud voyce to this Angel to thrust in his Sickle and gather the clusters of the earth vers 18. therefore they seem to be one and the same and Christ himself the person pointed at in both If here I may add my conjecture concerning these two Angels that cry with a loud voyce to have this work of the Harvest and Vintage performed I have a conceit that the first may signifie the Gentile Churches the second the Jews who both about the instant time of Christs appearance are provoked by seeing the whole world gathering together to swallow them up to cry mightily to the Lord to manifest his power for their preservation for which cause either are said to cry with a loud voyce and both by seeing the rage and height of the enemy have saith to beleeve their destruction to be at hand therefore either are brought in pleading great words of faith The first pleads Reap O Lord for the time is come to reap the Harvest of the Earth is ripe vers 15. The second pleads Gather the clusters of the Vine for her Grapes are fully ripe vers 18. and for this reason also may as I conceive the same thing be set forth under two Parables that so hereby a clear way might be made for either of these two first Gentiles than Jews to be brought in pleading with Christ to shew forth his power and greatness at this day Now of these two the Angel of the Gentile Churches is said to come out of the Temple yet not the Temple of Heaven which the Angel of the Vintage i.e. Christ comes forth of ver 17. because the Gentile-Saints had long before this time even from the first day the Vials began to be poured forth had a Temple among them Rev. 15.5 6. this being the most remarkable thing concerning them that they had a Temple therefore are they described as coming thence The Angel of the Jews comes from the Altar vers 18. Quest Why is he so described Answ To note the wonderful sufferings that people shall be in and that in that very nick of time wherein Christ shall appear which is spoken of Daniel 12.1 Zoch 14.1 2 3. and of which we have discoursed before this being the most remarkable thing concerning them and that which makes them to cry so loud therefore are they described as coming from the Altar yet as touching this Angel it is added that he hath power over fire vers 18. noting the great prevalency that the cry of this Angel from the Altar should have to bring down the Wrath of God upon the Heads of the enemies as Elijah commanded fire from Heaven and the Witnesses in the time of their Prophecy are said to devoure their enemies by fire Rev. 11.5 so the cry of these poor Jews who at this present are to be exercised under an hour of such sharp trouble as never was until this day since there was a Nation shall be so prevalent with Christ that it shall in a manner constrain him out of Heaven and command down his sore and heaviest wrath upon the heads of their enemies which is here set forth by this Angels having power over fire As touching the 1600 Furlongs vers 20. conjectures are divers Napiers opinion is That it respects the date of this terrible day who reads the words thus Blood came out of the Wine-press unto the Horse Bridles by the space of 1600 stades of courses as if saith he appearingly he should mean Metaphorically as Wine may be thought to flow from the Press or the blood of slain men in a Field to ascend to the Horse Bridles so eternally shall the torment of the wicked ascend after that 1600 years be accomplished for saith our Author these stades agree well to mean years seeing a stade is that race or course that one may be thought to run with one breath before he begin to renew his breath again as one year is that race or course that the Sun makes in a Circuit before he begin to renew his Circuit again Now counting 1600 years from the time that this was written which was about the 97 year of Christ as Eusebius in his Chronicle saith or in the end of the reign of Domitian as Irenaeus saith which was An. Dom. 99. the end of the account shall fall out about the year of Christ 1697. or 1699. Thus Napier This agrees well to the time of Christs coming as the same is held forth in other Scriptures onely falls two or three years sooner Now whether Christ who tels us that for the Elects sake the days shall be shortned Matth. 24.22 may not by reason of that sharp trouble that precedes his coming shorten by so much as this comes to that determined time of his coming which we have in Daniel I will not say yet a seeming probability of some such thing there is in our Saviours words Mayer hath an opinion that this may relate to the place quoting Rabbi Menahen upon Gen. fol. 60. who affirmeth that the Land of Canaan was 1600. Furlongs in length Now saith our Author for so much as all things are carried here on in an Allegory to the Temple the Altar and the Holy City which were of the Jews I doubt not but in this space without the City it is also alluded unto that Country such an innumerable multitude are destroyed as if such a slaughter of men were made as would overflow in this depth all the whole land of Canaan This opinion the Prophets favor in that general concurrence that is amongst them that the battle of Armageddon which is that treading of the Wine-press here mentioned
shall be in the land of Canaan near Jerusalem Hence that opinion falls to the ground which would have this 1600 Furlongs to be a designation of Peters Patrimony which saith the Author of it in the longest extent thereof from the wals of Rome to the River Po is exactly 1600 Furlongs whence saith he its probable that the Popes own Territories may prove the Cock-pit of this execution whither Christ as into a Wine-press will from all parts gather the bloody grapes when he means to tread them Another opinion I find hereof which applies 1600 Furlongs to the greatness of the punishment which shall befall the enemys of Christ at this day and that in respect both of the multitude of those who shall be punished and the length of their torment Blood flowing so great a depth as to the Horse Bridles and this for 1600 Furlongs is an Argument both of abundance of blood and a long time of pressing This conjecture also agrees well to the Prophets who speaking of this day make mention of multitudes that shall be destroyed Ioel 3.14 Ezek. 38. 39. Rev. 16.14 16. 19.19 20 21. and also of length of torment Isa 66.24 Now seeing that either of these opinions will and do agree to the mind of the Holy Ghost in other places where mention is made of this day I judge it most safe not to restrain the interpretation of so great a mystery to any one but as the wisdom of God in Scriptures more plain much more in places so mystical is manifold so to conceive that either viz. the time place and greatness of the punishment also may be here intended Thus once more we are come unto the day of Christs appearing which though looked for but by a few yet doubtless hastens upon us By how much this blessed time is nearer by so much the more doth it call upon us to have our eyes fixed thereupon to awake arise put on our beautiful garments and shake our selves of our dust gather up our courage our zeal our life our love to Christ his cause and people resolving within our selves for Sions sake not to hold our peace and for Jerusalems sake to give him no rest till the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth till she who now is termed forsaken and her land called desolate shall become a Crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diadem in the hand of our God and be no more called Hephzibab nor her land Beulah but the Lords delight marryed unto him the praise of the whole earth an eternal excellency a joy of many Generations a City of solemnities a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the stakes be for ever removed where the glorious Lord will be unto his a place of broad Rivers and Streams to water the City of our God to replenish and make fat the Mountain of his Holiness Which things as he hath foretold them in his Word and will surely fulfill them in their season So let me say THIS GENERATION SHAL NOT PASS TIL ALL THESE THINGS BE FULFILLED for the time is at hand He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness Verily a short work will the Lord make upon the earth Warch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape those things that shall come upon the world and to stand before the Son of Man For he that doth these things saith Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according at his worke shall be I come as a Theesâ— Blâ—ssed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Gâ—rments lest be walk â—â—ked and they see his shame Even so Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Amen Isa 14.32 What shall oâ—â— now duswer the Messongers of the Nation That the Lord bath founded Sion and the poor of his people shall trust in it From my Sâ—â—dy in Trunch the 23. day of the first Month in the year of our Lord 1654. FINIS A MOTIVE TO Generation-work OR A Key to unlock the Mysticall Numbers of Daniel and the Revelations tending to resolve the great Question of the Age we live in viz. How long shall it be unto the end of Wonders By J.T. A waiter for the Redemption of Sion Dan. 8.13 Then I heard one Saint speaking and another Saint said unto that certain Saint which spake How long shall be the Vision concerning the daily Sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be trodden under foot Vers 14. And he said unto me Vnto two thousand and three hundred dayes then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed Exod. 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years even the self same day all the Hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt LONDON Printed for Livewell Chapman 1655. The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader IT hath been oftentimes in my thoughts that there is hardly any controversie in this age which is fruitful in little else but there are in that thing wherein the controversie lyes some more general principles of truth which as in their own nature they do carry a light round about them so could they be found our would in a few words inlighten a man more than all those tedious Volumes which about things controverted are daily sent forth into the world which ordinarily do but beat about the Bush never coming at the place where these principles lye The care of that man who would make discovery of Truth should be in the first place and above all to search these out and having found them to place them rightly for these being to be his foundation if but a stone in this foundation be either not of the true metal or displaced it necessarily follows that so much of the building as hath it for its Basis must be weak or carried awry The best outward means to attain these principles is to give attendance to the reading of the word and diligently to compare one place with another but yet this may be done and a man no whit the neerer if with this endeavour there do not concur the inward supply and assistance of the Spirit And truly I have many times thought with my self that as the great thing our faith is to have in its eye when it goes to the Promise for teaching is That the Lord would lead us to these so the principal thing in the Spirits teaching when it teacheth any soul is by its inward hints to point it unto these The most certain Character to know these principles by when they are attained and when not is an universal harmony of Truth for these principles are as the Center in which all the lines of Truth which are separated in the Circumserence do weet together and become one point But now as the wider any Circumference is the farther will a man be
cause of his people against him shall the power of this fourth Monarchy stand up and by him without the help of any Creature shall it be destroyed therefore said in the following words to be broken without hand i.e. without mans hand by Christ alone agreeing to other places which speak of the same time Isa 63.3 I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me Chap. 66.16 The slain of the Lord shall be many Rev. 19.21 the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat on the Horse with many others The final destruction also of that proud King spoken of chap. 11. viz. the fourth Monarchy is by the personal appearance of Christ as compare chap. 11. ult He shall come to his end and none shall help him with chap. 12.1 And at that time shall Michael or Christ stand up So that the utmost point of either Prophecy or the concluding act of that long Tragedy which we have First Rehearsed in brief chap. 8. Secondly More fully declared in that last and great Prophecy chapters 10 11 12. is the standing up of Michael therefore the 2300 days which bring us to the end of the first and the 1335 which bring us to the end of the second must both expire at one and the same point viz. with Christs personal appearance THESIS XXXV The point of time at which either ends is A.D. 1701. THESIS XXXVI The true beginnings of either number do necessarily infer this year to be the end THESIS XXXVII The 1335 days are to be begun at the same Head with the 1290 therefore but one Head of account is laid down to both which is the taking away of the daily Sacrifice and setting up that abomination that maketh desolate vers 11. Onely it is to be extended so many years farther as there are more days in the 1335. then we have in the 1290 which is 45 years now 45 years being added to the year 1656 where as hath been proved endeth the 1290 the 1335 wil expire with the aforesaid year 1701. THESIS XXXVIII The 2300 days are to be begun with the beginning of the Persian Monarchy namely with the first year of Cyrus The reason is because the eighth Chapter of Daniel is as I have said a Prophecy of the three last Monarchies onely viz. Medes and Persians Grecians Romans therefore may we not go upward into the Babylonish Monarchy for a beginning because in so doing we exceed the bounds and limits of the Prophecy but we are to begin with the first year of Cyrus with which year begins the Prophecy it self THESIS XXXIX That the Heads of either number which yet both end at one and the same point are so stated as that the greater begins with the beginning of the Persian Monarchy and so with the Head of the Vision it self running down quite through it the lesser not till near a 1000 years after about the midst of the Vision a little before the coming forth of the Beast is no less than the most glorious result of the wonderful wisdom of the All-wise disposer of all things who for divers reasons hath thought good so to order it 1 That hereby the Mysteries of these two Prophecies yea all Daniels Prophecies might be the greater for observe there being not above three years betwixt either Vision Daniel having the first of these two in the third of Belshazzar chap. 8.1 which year was the last of the Babylonian Monarchy his second in the third of Cyrus chap. 10.1 the third year of the Persian had both been to be begun from the time of the Visions then would the number of dayes in either have been equal to about three dayes which little time too the Text hath clearly determined to pass betwixt Vision and Vision and if so this one thing alone would have been so great a Standard of light into both these Prophecies yea all the Prophecies of Daniel his 70 weeks excepted all the rest having dependance on these as could no way stand with the design of the Holy Ghost which was to have the Book sealed up until the time of the end for hence it would have been obvious and evident to every eye 1 That either Prophecy were the same and had one and the same beginning and ending 2 That the thing spoken of the little horn chap. 8. and of the vile person chap. 11. were not to be applied to the time of Antiochus rage which very opinion hath been a cloud upon the Prophecies of Daniel for a long time for as Mr. Parker in his Daniels Prophecies expounded pag. 37. hath well proved the 2300 days are no way appliable to the time of Antiochus persecutions 3 That all Daniels Visions and Prophecies viz. That of the great Image chap. 2. That of the four Beasts and the little Horn chap. 7. together with these chap. 8 and chap. 10 11 12. do terminate at one and the same point and this point to be no other but the end of the 2300 the 1335 days for if these two be the same and terminate at one point then by a parallel of reason the other two also viz. that of the great Image and that of the four Beasts for either of those conclude with work of a like nature and glory of a like kind with these And if so then is that other clouding opinion which darkens all Daniels Prophecies at this day viz. That the little Horn chap. 7. is to be understood either of the whole Norman Race here in England from William the Conqueror the first of that Race as some conceive or of the late King Charles onely the last of that Race as others shaken off for that Race hath been extirpated root and branch these five years already whereas to the end of the 2300 days the 1335 it is near 50 years yet to come and therefore we must of necessity unless we deny that which from the scope of each Prophecy is so clear as that it is undeniable viz that Daniels Prophecies have but one and the same end conclude that either the little Horn Chap. 7. is no such thing as many now adays suppose or affirm that the final destruction of this little Horn is come upon him upwards of fifty years before the determined time Now this one beam of light followed being such as that it discovers most of those by-wayes that men have gone in and thereby darkned the truth of Daniel it could not I say stand with Gods design of sealing this Book to make Revelation of so great and clear light as would have come in had the heads of each number been placed with the time of each Vision 2 Reason Because hereby the latter Prophecy which is the clearer and intended by the Lord as a farther and more particular light into those things that in the general had been revealed before should have been as dark as the other in regard of making up any account of time had the same began as
likewise it is said vers 26. after 62 weeks that is 62 added to the other seven spoken of vers 25. which make 69 shall the Messiah be cut off and not after 70 weeks shall the Messiah be cut off because indeed Christs sufferings came before the 70 week was fully and compleatly expired These four deducted there remains to be accounted upon only 486 years which passed from the 20 of Artaxerxes Mnemon until Christs Passion THESIS LVIII Our third part or period comprehends the number of years from the year of Christs Passion until the end of the year 1655 or which is all one the beginning of that noted year 1656. THESIS LIX Within this Period we are to account upon 1622 years thus Christ was thirty years old when he began to preach Luke 3.23 from the time he began to preach until his Passion the common opinion holds three years and a half but we are to account three years only as is clear from Christs own words Luke 13.32 Go ye and tell that Fox Behold I cast out Devils and I do cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected vers 33. Nevertheless I must walk to day and to morrow and the day following Shewing us that Christ in preaching spent three full years and yet but three for as he is baptised at the very beginning of the seventieth week i.e. at the beginning of the first day or year of that week so he is perfected at the end of the third day of that week or the third year from the time he began to preach Christ then at the day of his Passion was three and thirty years old which three and thirty years because our common account begins from the year of Christs Nativity we are to deduct these deducted of 1655 there remains only 1622 which we are to account upon THESIS LX. Let us now reckon up the three last periods that wee have gone through and see what number of years of the 2300 we have already gained those yet behind will fall in of themselves The first period from the first of Cyrus to the twentieth of Artaxerxes Mnemon contains 147 years The second from thence to Christs Passion 486 years Both together makes up 633 The third period from Christs Passion to the year 1656 contains 1622 The total Sum is 2255 It follows then that with the beginning of the year 1656 there are 2255 of Daniels 2300 years expired the remaining years are only 45 which will expire A.D. 1701 the very year in which Daniels 1335 dayes doth also expire THESIS LXI The 2300 dayes of Daniel are the best and surest Chronologie of the Number of the worlds years that have passed since the first of Cyrus or the beginning of the Persian Monarchy until this present day THESIS LXII The 2300 years ending according to our former Computation at the same point with the 1335 is a good Argument to prove that our course by a good hand of Providence hath been steered aright both as to the beginning of either number and also the carrying on of this great number for should we seek after any other beginning of the 1335 dayes then what we have before stated the 1335 dayes could never be brought to end with the 2300. Or in case the head of the 2300 dayes were to be placed either higher or lower or the Computation to be made otherwise than what hath been laid down then would not the 2300 dayes concur in their end with the 1335. And such a Computation it is necessary should bee made as may bring both these to end together THESIS LXIII The Harmony that is betwixt all those Mystical Numbers we have passed through is a thing very glorious and admirable to behold for there is not any one of them but affords a beam of light to the other The 1290 dayes affords a great beam of light to the 1260 and contrariwise the 1260 to that again The 1335 dayes affords a glorious beam of light to the 2300 and contrariwise the 2300 to that again Finally as the beginning of the 1260 proves our beginning of the 1335 to be true so our beginning of the 1335 proves the beginning of the 2300 to be true And contrariwise as the beginning of the 2300 proves the beginning of the 1335 to be true so the beginning of the 1335 the beginning of the 1260 to be true So that which is glorious to consider the Mystical Numbers of Daniel and the Revelations though diverse and having diverse beginnings yet have within themselves such an universal Harmony that each one serves to inlighten the other and the other him again THESIS LXIV The final Conclusion is That the rise of the Witnesses the end of the Beasts reign and treading underfoot the Holy City and the first stirring of the Jews will in greatest likelihood be in the year 1656 with which year ends the 1290 dayes the 1260 the 42 months The Personal coming of Christ the final destruction of the four Beasts or Monarchy and the compleat deliverance of the Jews in the year 1701 with which year ends Daniels 2300 dayes and his 1335. Matth. 24.48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming 49. And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the Drunken 50. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of 51. And shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth A Concluding Word WHen Daniel understood by Books the number of the years whereof the Lord had said He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem he set himself to seek the Lord by fasting weeping and mourning When Moses understood the time of the delivery of Gods people out of Egypt to be at hand he not only strengthned his Brethren but took courage and went in unto Pharaoh Though it is far from entring into my thoughts to compare my self with these yet is it my duty and desire to imitate them in their grace As to the first my hearts desire and prayer to the Father of mercies is That a Daniels praying Spirit might abound in my self and all the people of God at this day As for the second my intents and purposes were to have closed up this discovery with a solemn Exhortation First To the Higher Powers of this Commonwealth Secondly To all those who have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ within it But considering how poor and vain a thing the words of the Creature are and how little where much is spoken reacheth the heart if the Holy Spirit apply it not in my after thoughts I judged it better to leave it to the Spirit of God to set home these truths than to undertake to do it my self and therefore resting in these thoughts I shall only in a word or two deliver a Message and I hope not my own First To the Higher Powers the Message is this THIS PEOPLE SAY THE TIME IS NOT COME the time that the Lords work should be carried on Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your cieled houses and this work of Christ lye waste Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider your wayes Yea thus saith the Lord Consider your wayes For if at this time you lay aside that work wherein the cause and glory of our dear and blessed Redeemer is so neerly and immediately concerned and attend to work of another nature which comparatively he calls you not to he will assuredly in sore displeasure with shame and contempt lay you aside ruine shall come to Babylon salvation and deliverance unto Mount Sion another way Secondly To the people of God in this Common-wealth the Message is this That although you are verily as unworthy a generation of Saints considering how formal the profession of some is how loose the Principles of others how unlike Saints of old yea Saints but of yesterday we are all of this so great Grace now ready to be revealed as ever the earth bore Yet that the whole world may see and know the exceeding riches of his grace and that by the sheddings abroad of his love which is a way more suitable to Gospel administrations your over-grown corruptions may be rooted out and the breaches of Sion made up and you made to remember your own evill wayes and doings that were not good and to loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and abominations his grace shall with a notwithstanding triumph over all this your unworthiness and he will yet redeem his cause from the Grave carry on his work among you before you and by you as Instruments gloriously and speedily yea with a high hand for his Name sake Thirdly in particular to the Imprisoned Saints together with all those who in this day suffer the reproaches of men the scorn and censures of Brethren for the testimony of Jesus and upon the account of his Kingdom my Message is Your Brethren that hated you and cast you out for Christs name sake said LET THE LORD BE GLORIFIED but he shall appear unto your joy and they shall be ashamed Lastly To all Sions Children wheresoever they may be that take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof let me say Lift up your heads with joy for your redemption draweth nigh For yet a little while and behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their Iniquity when as he hath purposed he will stain the pride of all glory and bring into contempt the honorable of the earth For it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompences for the controversie of Sion And though the scarlet Whore begins now to say in her heart I sit as a Queen am no Widow and shall see no sorrow yet shall her plagues come upon her in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord our God that judgeth her FINIS
by a glorious restauration bringing it into the liberty of the Sons of God For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God And also because in those very new Heavens and Earth that Isay speaks of and Peter quotes from him the Wolfe and the Lamb shall feed together that is good and bad shall be in the world together Neither let it be said that this will be any hinderance to the Saints glory and spirituality to bring them from Heaven the place of glory and that about a work so mean and low to rule over men upon earth for as Angels lose not their glory by attending upon the work of God here on earth nor their spirituliaty because the works they attend upon of ministring to the Saints destroying the Enemies of God c. are in themselves mean and low yea in a manner servile for so glorious Creatures as Angels to attend upon so shall not Saints at this day by being occupied in the Affairs of this Fifth Monarchy which shall be their work for Christ to act as Officers under him in his Kingdom lose any thing of their glory especially considering Christ himself whose presence is their glory shall be with them all this time nor of their Spirituality which never suffers decay in any through a being occupied in the will and work of the Lord. And what if the Lord who in the Legal Administration thought it good to have his peoples work a burden in the Gospel Administration work but no burden will in this administration have work and glory go together who will or hath cause to find fault with it Nay let me say what sometimes hath been in my thought with refreshing that the spirituality of Saints at this day shall be such as that from thence an awe shall be upon the surviving Sinners of the world who shall tremblingly come and how themselves down at the soles of their feet Isa 60.14 and subject themselves to them for this day as the Apostle saith Rom. 8.20 shall be the day of the manifestation of the Sons of God Gods people are Sons now therefore saith John 1 Epist 3.2 Beloved now are we the Sons of God but saith he though true we are so yet the world knoweth us not i.e. the transcendent glory and excellency of our state is now a thing veiled from the world but the day I am speaking of shal be the manifestation of the Sons of God wherein that noble and super-excellent Spirit that now under a veil it in the Sons of God shall be manifested before all men when all in general shall come to see the difference that is betwixt the spiritual man and the man that is meerly rational to be as vast yea far more vast than that which now is betwixt the rational creature and sensitive And as the sensitive creature now doth tremble before the rational from beholding through a secret instinct of nature a kind of Majesty and a more noble spirit in the rational creature than is in himself so shall at this day the meer rational man tremble before the spiritual when the manifestation of that super-excellent Spirit that is in the one above the other shall be open and naked before all and therefore Cant. 6.10 we have several degrees of the Churches light and glory 1 Looking forth as the morning with a little light so in the legal administration 2 Fair as the Moon more light So in the Gospel 3 Clear as the Sun that is come up to a high degree of spiritual light and life both for both are from the Sun which is giver of the one maintainer of the other so in the administration at this day And what then why terrible as an Army with banners the Saints and people of God through this high advance in spirituality grow terrible to the mean men of the world who now tremble before them By what hath been before said it may appear that notwithstanding the thousand years is a distinct time from the Day of Judgement being that time to speak properly in which Saints shall judge the world and reign on the earth yet in a large sense the time of the thousand years and the General Judgement both may bee called one great Day of Judgement And indeed that Saints shall one day judge the world is a thing so clear in Scripture that good men not making a distinction betwixt the judging in the time of the thousand years and the General Judgement do bring the Saints at the last day instead of standing upon Christs right hand even to fit with him upon the Bench and then and there to judge the world which opinion is not only repugnant to those other Scriptures wherein we have the manner of Saints reigning over and judging the world set forth which without a manifest forcing of them cannot be applied to this time but also hath not the least countenance for it self from any one Scripture that I know of where express mention is made of the last and General Judgement but the contrary rather as from that I have said before may bee gathered which is enough to put us upon a further search and not to receive this principle upon trust any longer And truly to me it appears that the Apostle himself 1 Cor. 15.23 24 25. makes a manifest difference betwixt these two times of judging calling one the time of Christs Reign to put his enemies under his feet the other the time of the end and both these after his coming Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Then cometh the end plainly intimating a distance of time betwixt his coming and the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and Authority and Bower For hee must Reign shewing what his work shall be betwixt the time of his coming and the end till he hath put all enemies under his feet Why both these different judgings may not be expressed in that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.1 Shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome the quick first in such manner as hath been shewed and then the dead at the last and General Judgement which both are called his Appearing and Kingdome because he is but once to appear to do both and both taken together do but make up this Kingdome of Christ in which as King of Kings Christ will glorifie himself in the eyes of all creatures I see no convincing reason to the contrary Having thus spoken of the coming of our Lord according to that light I have received from the word I only now desire that none of Gods people who shall read this may be of the number of those who are troubled in mind and shaken that the day of the
Lord is at hand but rather of those who patiently wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and love his appearing whose hearts till the rise of this bright and morning star will not cease but with the Spirit and Bride send forth their continual groans and eryes Come O come Lord Jesus come quickly I shall now conclude â—ll with a Rule or two which may bee some help to the Reader for the understanding such Scripture that speak of this coming namely 1 RULE That the divers expressions in Scripture concerning the coming of Christ which set him forth as coming in various Dresses somtime as a Bridgroom sometime in fire sometimes as a Warrior as a Judge are not to be understood of divers comings but one and the same coming in divers respects as when his coming is spoken of in respect of his Saints he comes as a Bridegroom when in respect of the wicked in flaming fire when in respect of the destruction he will make of those enemies he finds gathered together at his coming he appears as a Warrior with a Sword Armies following him Garments rolled in blood when in respect of that distinction he will make at this day betwixt the clean and unclean Saints and Hypocrites true worshippers and false or the purification he would make even of his own people he comes then as a Refiners fire to refine and separate the true gold from the dross when in respect of the principal work he comes about namely to execute judgement he comes then as a Judge Thus ever appearing in various Dresses either as the persons he comes to or the works he is to perform upon his coming are different 2 RULE As there is a Spiritual coming of Christ as well as a Personal so in some places which speak of this coming both these are included as before I have shewed in opening Isa 59.20 3 RULE As the Personal coming of Christ is twofold First a coming to bear our sins Secondly a coming without sin to salvation So in some places which speaks of Christs coming both these are couched together or at least wise joyned so near one to another as that they seem to be one and the same So Gen 49.10 Vntil Shiloh i.e. Christ the Messias come which in respect of the former words The Scepter departing from Judah hath reference to his first coming but in respect of the latter the gathering of the people to him Vnto him shall the gathering of the people be i.e. Jew and Gentile shall be gathered together under him as Head or King over them so it refers to his second coming So Mal. 3.1.2 the coming vers 1. is his first coming when John Baptist as a Harbinger comes before him but vers 2. that we may take notice what mystery is in Scripture the Holy Ghost glides from his first coming to his second which in so terrible as that who now may abide the day of his coming or stand when he appeareth So Zach. Chap. 13.7 speaks of his first coming Awake O Sword against the man that is my fellow smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered but presently Chap. 14.3 4 5. we have his second So Mic. 5 1. we have his first coming in which the Judge of Israel is smitten upon the cheek and the Jews thereupon being for this given up and rejected for a time as vers 3. we have presently his second coming spoken of vers 4.5 both comings being brought in almost in one breath Thus much of the second thing The Personal coming and appearing of Christ 3 Christs Watchword to his people to be in a readiness to meet him Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and thâ—y see his shame WAtchfulness and Christs coming usually go together where Coming is the Doctrine Watching is the Use reaching us that although watching is a duty Saints are alwayes to be found in yet more especially will it lye upon them as a principal work of that Age who live in or near upon the time of Christs coming to be watchful and as before I have spoken of the one to wit Christs coming so may I not here leap over the other viz. The duty of watching The Holy Ghost having joyned them together Yet for so much as concerns the practical part of this duty that being a thing more commonly known though not practised as known and also not so proper to the business I am now upon being only exposition I shall wave it chusing to insist upon as a thing more proper to our work and which also may be of use to stir up those who already know the duty to stand SHALL I SHALL I no longer but in good earnest to apply themselves to it the reasons why the Holy Ghost hath so conjoyned watching and Christs coming as that it is a thing rare to read of the one and not also to hear of the other Now in the 24. and 25. Chapters of Matthew the most full and pathetical Sermon that ever our Lord preached of his coming we have several things foretold by Christ himself the which too evidently would appear about the time of his coming which are the principal reasons why Christ so calls upon his Disciples and in them all Beleevers as Mark. 13.37 What I say unto you I say unto all Watch And therefore those more especially which should live in or about the time wherein these things were to have their accomplishment to bee watchful Chap. 24.42 Chap. 25.13 which things by how much we see them more appearing by so much may we conclude the second coming of Christ is nearer and still have strength added to our foregoing Position that it is that coming and no other spoken of in the words I come as a Thief Now these are 1 A strange sleep upon many Professors This is held forth in the Parable of the Virgins Mat. 25. vers 1. Then shall the Kingdome of Heaven be likened unto ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom 2. And five of them were wise and five were foolish Vers 5. While the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbred and slept Which sleep is not as I conceive a sleep in respect of outward Profession for the sleepers shall have a kind of Profession upon their backs still as is intimated in that of the foolish Virgins to the wise just upon the Bridegrooms approach Our lamps are gone out vers 8. arguing that the Lamps that is the outward Profession of wise and foolish was held up did not cease burning till the very moment of the Bridegrooms coming though yet at the time he tarried they are said to be asleep vers 5. But it is a sleep in respect of the practice and exercise of holiness which many at this day who had formerly been as well Practitioners as Professors should now lay aside as a needless and superfluous thing and so become meer Professors vanishing altogether into aery notions and