Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover Israel Isa 11.11 When the Jews shall see the utter ruine of the Romish Beast and his Image the Pope with the dissolution of all his Images and Idols And likewise the extirpation of all that cursed tradition and invention which Antichrist is said to bring into the world with him by his power which are said to be 666. Here is wisdome Rev. 13.18 let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. That is he that hath wisdome to distinguish between those traditions which that Antichristian Beast brought into the world and mixed his cup with and those pure Ordinances of Worship which he tooke from Christ and his Saints in the day he entred into the Temple let him but divide between the one and the other and he shall finde those traditions to be 666. And when all these abominations are cast out of the worship and service of Christ and they likewise heare those blessed voices of the Gospel Rom. 3.25 26. Jer. 20.37 Rom. 11.25 which came out of the Temple and likewise hearing the same voices of the Gospel declaring the truth of the promises made to their fathers of old and Gods free grace and love and mercy in Jesus Christ shall thereby be brought into the bond of the Covenant for saith the Text blindnesse happened unto the Jewes but untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles came in and then all Israel shall be saved Here we have first the meanes of their calling secondly the manner of it thirdly the effects of it First the meanes or way by which they shall be called is by the sound of the Trumpet of the Gospel Matth. 24.31 and he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet Isa 11.12 and they shall gather together his Elect meaning the Jewes from the foure windes from one end of the Heavens to another Secondly the manner of their callings Then shall the Lord poure upon them his spirit of humiliation and godly sorrow that they shall looke upon him whom they pierced and shall mourne bitterly as one that mourneth for his onely Sonne yea Zach. 12.10 as the mourning of Hadda-drimmon in the Valley of Megiddon which was the greatest mourning that ever we read of Again Jer. 13.9 with weeping and supplication will I lead them Thus then the manner of it shall be with much sorrow lamentation and humilation Thirdly the effects which follow upon this their great humiliation and conversion is they shall enquire after the true Church-way of the Gospell which way the Lord Christ will be worshipped in his House and Temple asking the way to Sion with their faces thitherwards which notes Jer. 50.6 that their hearts shall be fully set to worship Christ after his owne way and it notes likewise their willingnesse and readinesse to the worke but yet not all of them shall God take into his House and Temple no but one of a City Rev. 3.14 and two of a Family and bring them to Sion his Church Secondly But all of them shall have their owne Ezek. 28.25.20.42.34.13.24 I and given them again for an everlasting possession and they shall dwell in it for ever and none shall make them afraid and they shall be no more a prey to the Heathen Againe I will bring againe the captivity of my people Israel and they shall build the waste places and plant Vineyards and drinke the Wine thereof Jer. 9.14 15. and make Gardens and eat the fruit thereof and I will plant them upon their owne Land and they shall be no more pulled up out of the Land which I have given them saith the Lord. Now the Jewes being scattered to the foure winds of Heaven amongst all the people in the world therefore this is noted of them that they amongst whom they lived in all Nations shall bring them to their owne Land upon horses and in Chariots and in Litters and upon Mules and upon swift Beasts Isa 65.20 for an Offering to the Lord to his holy Mountaine Jerusalem Gods Covenant in an outward way is with all the naturall seed of Abraham to bring them all into their own Land and to give it them for an everlasting possession and they shall no more be two Nations nor divided into two Kingdomes any more Ezek. 37.22.24.25 Jer. 3.18 even the Lord Christ shall be King over them for ever as he sits King over Nations But that Sion and Church-Covenant shall be but with some of them By which Covenant God is said to be married to them Therefore saith the Lord Jer. 3.14 I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and bring you to Sion my Church and Temple For we are not to suppose that the whole Nation of the Jewes from Generation to Generation for so many hundred yeares will be all godly men and women no but all indeed shall submit to that outward way of worship as other Kingdomes shall Zach. 14.16 over whom Christ in his Saints shall reigne a thousand yeares But not all godly and holy men and women fit to be taken to Sion into that new Jerusalem and holy City Rev. 22.1 where God and the Lambe hath their spirituall Throne Therefore saith the Lord to Daniel All thy people shall be delivered that is with an outward deliverance from that captivity and slavery that wicked men kept them it Dan. 12.1 2. But some of them shall awake to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and contempt Now we are to speake of the time of the pouring forth of these three last Vials and the end of Antichrist with the finall deliverance of the Churches from their captivity and the beginning of that glorious reigne of Christ and his Saints for a thousand yeares the time of the little horne Antichrist and the last enemy of the Church we have it set downe in Dan. 12. by a three-fold gradation The Question being put by one Dan. 12.6 to the man cloathed in linen How long it should be to the end of those wonders after a solemne Oath taken by him that lives for ever Which Oath notes the certainty and infallibility of the thing he sware to he gives a three-fold answer First That it should be for a Time verse 7. Times and halfe a Time Secondly a thousand two hundred and ninety dayes Thirdly a thousand three hundred and five and thirty dayes The first is the full time of Antichrists reigne in which he was to scatter the Churches power Dan. 12.7 called the power of the holy people Which power he scattered from the time of his beginning to reigne not so much over the Empire as over the Saints to the end of his reigne from the yeare 375. to the yeare 1635. the full time of 1260. yeares vid. chap. 3. which is
1000. yerres And for ever to the second terme or end of time after the 1000. yeares are ended from the destruction of Gog and Magog unto the end of the world because they were so wise to see and diligent and faithfull to turne many unto the right way of divine worship But there is some light though it be not cleard so that those which are said to be wise can see and understand in part that now the day-starre is risen and the great work concerning the enemies ruine and the Saints finall deliverance is begun and the Sunne of righteousnesse the Lord Christ will ere long arise with healing in his Wings Maal 4.2 But at this time it is not light nor darke Zach. 14.6 7. a day as it were knowne to the Lord onely none else knowing or understanding what God is doing for his people onely a few whom he hath made wise to understand a vision the words of the wise God concerning this great Mystery and the darke sayings thereof Againe this is noted that it is not day nor night The day of the Churches peace is not yet come nor the night of her misery and bondage is not fully upon her as it hath been but shee is between the day and night in the birth and upon the borders of spirituall Aegypt and Canaan But at the even-â—ide when the worke shall be almost at an end Zach. 14.7 then it shall be day-light all shall see what God is doing for his Church and then will that glorious Sunne shine forth in his full brightnesse and glory that the light of the Moone shall be as the Sunne and the Sunne seven-fold then the eyes of the blind shall be opened to see the way of Christ in his House so plainly that way faring men though fooles shall not erre therein Isa 35.8 6 And this is also noted in the Scripture of truth that an Army out of the North shall come up against Babyon and be the chiefe cause of her mine and destruction They come from a farre Country from the end of Heaven Isa 13.5 the Lord and the Weapons of his indignation to destroy the whole Land which is meant of England and Scotland For we are a very remote Country from mystical Babylon from the end of Heaven as Scotland is yea if we look to the men that are to be imployed in this warre we shall see them to be the same which the Lord Christ hath in his Army at this day as we may see in the third verse I have commanded my sanctified ones verse 3. I have also called my mighty ones for my anger even them that rejoyce in my highnesse The Lord meaning his owne servants who are said to retoyce in his highnesse aud are set forth by chosen and faithfull ones which are now with the Lamb Rev. 17.14 following him upon white horses in Heaven Rev. 19.14 who are this day upon the high places of the field and are said to be in Heaven with their Army because they are raised by Christ and his Witnesses who are in Heaven and by that ciuill power which they have in their hands by right as they are lawfully called to that high place Againe wee shall see that the Lord intended England and Scotland to come against this mysticall Babylon if wee looke in Jeremy 50.9 I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an Assembly of great Nations from the North Countrey Now of all Countries in the World England and Scotland is North to mysticall Babylon And againe Dan. 11.44 Tydings out of the East and out of the North shall trouble him By East here surely as may be supposed is meant the Sweedes And by North is meant England and Scotland so consequently they shall joine together against Antichrist Object Rut all these threatnings were against literall Babylon Answ I grant they were in the Letter but as truly as Rome is called mysticall Babylon Rev. 17.5 and as truly as all these threatnings which the Lord hath pronounced against literall Babylon were made good in the Letter against them so will the Lord do against mysticall Babylon in a spirituall and mysticall way Therefore when Scotland and England have dryed up the River Euphrates here they shall not then sit downe on this side Jordan to enjoy peace themselves and leave their brethren in misery beyond the Sea and out of their owne possessions but shall go over Jordan with a strong Army to help their Brethren that they may likewise dry up that River Euphrates there to the utter ruine of Antichrist and for the setling of a perfect peace in the ten States that the powers of States and Churches may be put into the hands of Christ and his Saints that they may live and raigne over the Nations of the earth in peace and tranquility 1000. yeaees CHAP. X. The seventh Viall poured forth two great effects follow thereupon The first is the hringing in the fullnesse of the Gentiles And the second is the calling of the Jewes with the time when the fifth sixth and seventh Viall began and ended and liberty given to the Saints by the Witnesses to build that new Jerusalem THe fifth and sixth Viall being poured upon Antichrists seate and thrones and upon his Armies the Beast and false prophet taken by Christ and his Army that followed him upon white Horses in Heaven and both of them cast into a lake Rev. 19.21 hurning with fire and brimstone Yet there is a remnant of that Antichristian race left whom Antichrist hath poysoned with his Antichristian aire with errors and heresies in whom those five Beasts are said to live Dan. 7.12 though they be dead Therefore the Lord Jesus hath another Viall to poure upon these men as is the maladie such is the medicine Rev. 17.10 and as the disease so is the cure The disease is inward in their spirits their understanding is filled with mists and darknesse which Antichrist brought into the world with which he filled his whole Kingdome Rev. 15.10 This Vial must be poured upon this Antichristian aire and darknesse by the preaching of the Gospell For this being an inward and spirituall worke is fittest for spirituall weapons and spirituall men and such will Christ have to do the worke Rev. 16.17 Therefore voices came forth of the Temple The Ministers of the Churches are to be imployed in this worke and spirituall weapons or swords therefore saith the Scripture The remnant were slaine by the sword of him that sate upon the white horse which sword proceedeth out of his mouth Chap. 19.21 The way of Antichrist hath been to slay such men as they conceive factious and erronious with the civill sword Dan. 8.12 therefore he gets an Host or the power of Princes The civill sword used by Antichrist to root errors out of mens hearts and hales them before Princes and Judges for to root out errors as they pretend out
The great MYSTERIE OF GOD OR The Vision of the Evening and the Morning opened Whereby comparing Scripture with acts of Divine Providence will plainly appeare that the Ruine of Mysticall Babylon and the Erecting of spirituall Jerusalem are the ground of these present Commotions which are not to cease till by meanes of this present Parliament The Worke being so compleated That Christ shall in and by his Saints in tranquility reigne on earth one thousand yeeres Revel 1.2 Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophesie and keep those things that are written therein for the time is at hand Exod. 15.18 The Lord shall reigne for ever and ever Dan. 2.22 For he revealeth deep and secret things he knows what is in the dark and the light dwelleth with him Revel 22.10 Stale not the sayings of the Prophesie of this Booke for the time is at hand LONDON Printed for John Wright in the old Baylâ—y 1645. To the RIGHT HONOURABLE the House of PEERS AND TO THE HONOURABLE the House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT at Westminster HIgh and most honoured ever renowned Senators the Lord of his free grace and love having about some two or three yeers since cast my thoughts and meditations upon that great vision shewed unto his servants Prophets Daniel and John concerning the time of the raign and the ruine of these five grand enemies of the Church set forth by the Spirit of God to Daniel to be one Image and to John to be but one Beast all in league together to persecute the Saints of God by comparing the Words of God and the Acts of Gods providence one with the other I finde that these enemies destruction is nigh at hand and Gods peoples finall deliverance neere yea the worke is begun already and will not be long before the Lord will consummate it Withall I humbly conceive that You are those two great Witnesses which the Spirit of Christ foretold long since should be raised up to Heaven the high place of Justice and Judicature though all the people and Saints of God from the yeer of Christ 375. unto 1639. be reckoned for his Witnesses and so looked upon by Christ because they all bore witnesse unto those Truths of Christ which that man of sinne denied yet You in a more especiall manner at this time because You are not onely to protest against Antichrist and his grand lie who said That the power of Churches and States belonged to him But You are that Judgement which should sit and take his Kingdome and Dominion from him Dan. 7.26 raised up to Heaven by the power of Christs Spirit for the same end Dan. 2.34 45. And by that little stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands even by the Spirit of God the day You ascended up into Heaven by this little stone shall you destroy all those enemies and when You have taken all powers from them As will further appeare in the following Treatise Psal 149.6 the Civill power will remaine in Your hands as You are Christs civill Magistrates and all the exercise of the Ecclesiasticall power of Churches shall You give unto the people of God which are the Body of Christ whereof You being Members and sitting with the rest of Your Brethren in Gods House Rev. 21.2 10. shall exercise that spirituall Sword and by Your leave and Authority the Saints of God are to build that holy City new Jerusalem Psal 149.6 where God and the Lambe will have his Throne Rev. 22.1 He who is the meanest and lowest Instrument that ever the Lord Christ made use of for so great a worke doth humbly crave leave to conceale his name and to present these his Labours to Your Honours that the whole world may see and know what great things Christ will by You doe for his Church and people The Lord make good his great and gracious promise unto You Isa 28.6 who hath promised to be a Spirit of Judgement to You that sit in Judgement and Strength to You that have turned the battell to the gate and for a Crowne of glory and for a Diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people The Preface to the Christian Reader THe union and onenesse of all the grand enemies of the Church of God Dan. 8.26 from the evening to the morning with their fury and rage against the people of the most High and the time of their destruction and ruine with the time of the Churches Captivity with those severall Titles which the Spirit of God sets them forth by sutable to their conditions they were to be in and the time of the enemys fall the finall deliverance of the Church together with the ways and means of their Redemption is called The great Mystery of God Rev. 10.7 and 5.1 Dan. 12.9 and 8.19 Rev. 1.1 and 22.6 and 5.3 written in a little booke and sealed on the back side with seven seales and the words closed up and sealed till the time of the end A mystery and vision shewed to Daniel and John But no man was found in Heaven nor in Earth neither under the earth worthy to open and to read the booke Vers 5. neither to looke thereon but the Lord Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of Judah he prevailed and was counted worthy to open this little booke and to loose the seven Seales thereof And you have this Lion or Lambe who had been slain opening all the seven Seales 5 6 7 and 8. Chapters And this mysterie of God or little booke was not finshed or opened till the seven Trumpets sounded Rev. 10.5 and then an Angel that stood upon the sea and upon the earth lift up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever That there should be time no longer that is that the enemies of the Church should have no longer time to tyrannize and raign over the Churches of the Saints nor the mysterie any longer concealed And saith further that in the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angell when he shall begin to sound the mysterie of God should be finished Vers 7. And we shall finde that this Angel did not begin to sound untill the witnesses were ascended up to Heaven and the tenth part of that Antichristian City fell Rev. 11.5 Therefore though many learned and pious men have undertaken to open this book and to loose the seven Seales thereof Rev. 5.4 yet indeed were not able because they were not found worthy and because this vision was to be shut up for many dayes and the words and booke closed up and sealed with seven Seales till the time of the end Dan. 8.26 and 12.19 Rev. 5.1 Something indeed hath bin done by way of Ecclesiasticall History and paraphrasing upon the Text Vers 9 10. but to open the booke and loose the seven Seals did only belong to that Lamb which was in the midst of
Christ 1639â— at which time God promiseth it shall speake and not lye Hab. 2.3 as indeed it did speak if we could have heard it and understood it But saith the Lord None of the wicked shall understand Dan. 12.10 but the wise shall understand none of the wicked shall understand Isa 29.10 11 12. Priests nor Prophets Rulers nor Seers all hid covered the vision is become to them all as a sealed book if one desire them to read they cannot it is sealed but the Lord gives many reasons why these wise learned Doctors Rabbies could not understand the vision of the time of the end when it is to speak and to be made plain upon Tables Hab. 2.2 3. Isa 29 9. First because they are drunke but not with Wine they stagger but not with strong drinke This drunkennesse is not a drunkennesse with naturall wine but it is a spirituall drunkennesse with the wine of that spirituall fornication Rev. 17.2 with which that Antichristian Whore hath filled her cup and made them drunke with it therefore they erre in vision and stumble in judgement Isa 28.7 Secondly Isa 28.10 they having drunk of this wine of spirituall fornication now a deep sleep of security and spirituall stupidity hath seazed on them and so cannot make use of their understanding nor learning in such a spirituall way as to come to understand a vision or mystery of God It is true there is darknesse as well as light Zach. 4.6 7. but if it were not for this spirituall slumber they might see as well as others though the light be not cleare Thirdly Because they draw nigh to God with their lips verse 13. but their hearts is farre from him Teaching men to feare God by their owne precepts and commands Therefore the Lord will proceed to do a marvelious worke amongst this people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisdome of the wise man shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid yea such a marvellous worke shall be done in their daies that they will not beleeve it though it be told them Hab. 1.5 Fourthly Vers 15. Because they seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord and their works are in the darke and they say Who seeth or who knoweth They by their owne policy craft did take counsell together to mingle their owne water with the Saints wine and their drosse with the people of Gods silver Vers 15. their owne traditions with Gods institutions and for this they digged deep wrought in the darke and hid their craft from Gods people and said in their hearts Who seeth us Vers 16 or who knoweth by this means they are said to turn the worship of God up side downe even quite overthrow the whole worship of God and to make his Law of none effect But saith the Lord It shall be counted as Potters clay at the end all broken to peeces and never set together againe Thus none of the wicked shall understand nor but few of the Saints only the wise The wise they shall understand Dan. 12.10 we are to finde out who are said to be wise in this sense which the Spirit of God speakes of in this place This is not that wisdome which makes a man wise unto salvation for with that all the people of God are invested but it is that wisdome which the wise man speakes of Prov. 1.6 To understand a Proverbe and the interpretation thereof the words of the wise and their darke saying Which is to be done two waies First Dan. 9.2 by searching and seriously pondering the bookes and the roles of the Proverbs and Vision as Daniel did which speakes of the vision and mystery which God hath shewed to his Prophets and they that do so are blessed of God and wise Secondly and they that secretly eye God in those secret and hidden acts of his providence by which he usually makes a vision to speak Psal 107.43 and makes it plaine upon tables Who so is wise and considereth these things saith the Text what things why they were the acts of Gods providence all the Psalme over Even they shall understand the loving kindnesse of God to his Church and people And who are those you have seen they are none of the great Rabbies and Doctors of our age but such that are weaned from the milke and drawn from the breasts Isa 28.9 those young babes of Christ that have not drunke of that filthy abominable cup of that Antichristian Whore Them will the Lord teach knowledge and instruct in the way of understanding Thirdly they that have not dranke or sipped of that Antichristian cup but hath overcome that beast and Whore with all their abominable errors and heresies to them hath Christ promised to give the morning Starre Rev. 2.28 By Starre cannot be meant Christ as some have supposed for there is none able to overcome Antichrist his marke or number of his traditions brought in by his power which is called his name but he must first be made one with Christ by faith and draw and derive power and strength from him to enable him thereunto therefore by morning Starre is meant some thing else Rev. 13.14 The morning Star doth rise before the day come an houre or two to give notice the day is not far off but nigh at hand So the Lord Christ by his Spiritin those secret waies of his providence will give to those his servants that overcome Antichrist the bright morning Star That is will discover such a light to them as shall be as the morning Star to give them notice that the glorious day of Jesus Christ shall shortly appeare wherein he and his Saints shall raigne in peace and tranquility for 1000. yeares Thus those that are wise shall understand and they that overcome shall see the first dawning of that glorious day of Christ God doth so loath that abominable cup of spirituall fornication that whosoever drinks or sips thereof shall not lye so neare Christs heart as to have the vision or mystery made knowne to him no they that are the young men they shall see visions even the young babes of Christ Act. 2.17 Mat. 21.16 that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings he may perfect praise This vision is both meant of Christs comming in the flesh and of his comming to judge Antichrist and none of those great Doctors and Rabbies did understand when Christ should come in the flesh but the young men and poore men they understood and beleeved And so it is with this present age who will beleeve of all our great men and learned Prelates that Jesus Christ is come in the clouds of Heaven and is set downe upon the throne of Judicature in his Saints and witnesses to judge that man of sin CHAP. VII The seventh Chapter openeth the seven Seales Trumpets and Vials shewing that they are