Witnesses against the enemy so as it was only kept as it were above-ground though it seemed to be as dead And so God would have it to be for the first three yeares and an half but when the first three years and an half were compleatly according to Scripture account expired then it was not possible for the adverse party to prevail over them for then the time was come in which the Witnesses were to be raised and then the Spirit of life from God entered into them and that was the reason why they went on like active living men so couragiously and victoriously for God had appointed them to carry on his worke for the fall of this Kingdom from Rome Deduction 13. Thirteenth In the next place this serves to exhort all those that were drawne to engage in the late war against the Parliament and those godly people that adhered to them to relinquish that act of theirs And that First Because it is so apparent that in so doing they were instruments of upholding the Kingdome of the Beast and that they did in it endeavour to support the Beast as much as in them lay whatever the pretences were upon which they were drawne to engage in it and therefore if they desire to be enemies to the Beast let them be enemies to this act of theirs for in it they went about to support the Beast though it was in vain the time of his ruine being come and therefore it behoves them to repent of what they have done in it for it is not good pretences can justifie an evil action It would be their wisdome therefore now at last to renounce it as they renounce the Beast himself And Secondly It concerns them to repent of this deed of theirs considering against whom they fought not against ordinary men but against the choisest of men the Witnesses and servants of Jesus Christ nay they fought not against them onely but against Jesus Christ for as Jesus Christ saith to his Disciples That the world hated them because it hated him and he that hateth him hateth the Father also Joh. 15. 18. 23. So it may be said that they that fought against the Saints of Iesus Christ fought against Iesus Christ himself and against the Father also Now therefore you that were active in that quarrel of the Beast how doth it concern you to renounce what you have done therein least you be found to be fighters against God and let no longer a spirit of emnity and difference remain between you and those that you opposed in that particular but be of one minde with them in a mutuall opposing of the Beast with them And this doe least persisting in that way of defending the Beast you be destroied with the Beast Deduction 14. Fourteenthly In the next place it enformes all those that did engage in the late defensive warre that they have cause to rejoyce in what they have done in that particular and no cause to repent of it Have you contributed to the maintenance of the warre in England and Ireland by lending plate and disbursing money And have you sent horses and arms and provisions to the Army And have your servants or children or your selves in person been actually in that warre You have cause to rejoyce in all that you have done therein for you see it was a most just and righteous act and God hath by it brought a most glorious worke to passe in the bringing this Kingdome from that vassallage to Rome in which it hath been this twelve hundred years and putting the cup of trembling into the hands of the enemies of Iesus Christ the dregs whereof they shall at last take off And therefore you have no cause to repent but to rejoyce in what you have done therein to rejoyce that you had the honour to be in any measure instruments of promoting such a cause and if you suffered any losses by being opposers of the adverse party yet it was farre better to be losers in opposing them then in any measure to comply with them And you that have received wounds or lost limbs for promoting that cause may glory in them for what soever you have herein done or suffered it hath been in and for opposing that grand enemy of Iesus Christ The Beast and in being instruments of bringing Gods designe to passe for the ruining of great Babylon and the setting up the Kingdome of Iesus Christ And therefore how ever you seem to be rewarded of men for it yet never repent of it but rejoyce in what you have done in it Deduction 15. Fifteenthly In the next place this may convince those of their errour that take to themselves a power over the consciences of Saints to rule over them and make laws for them and to force them to obedience to those laws Let such seriously consider this that this is apparently that cursed power that the Beast hath usurpt to himself or at least it had no other Donor then the Dragon the old Serpent the Devil who gave the Beast his Power and Seat and great authority And by this Power the Bishop of Rome first became and still continues to be the Beast And this is a Power that is abhorred of God for those men that exercise this Power doe take away the legislative power of God who is the King the Judge and the LAW-GIVER of his Saints and doe give Iesus Christ lesse honour then the Heathens doe their idols who doe allow them to be the orderers of their own worship O that these men therefore might be convinced of their errour in imposing their lawes upon the consciences of Saints and constraining them to worship God according to the rules that they have hammered out from them though they dare not affirme that they themselves are infallible for surely if they persist in it God who is jealous of his glory and will not give it to another will break out in the fire of his jealousie against them as well as against the Beast that great man of sin who sitteth in the Temple of God and takes upon him to make lawes as God It concerns them therefore to beware how they goe on in these waies least they be destroyed with that son of perdition Again Let such consider that all those that ever exercifed this power for the generallity of them were alwaies enemies of the most precious and most spirituall Saints and were followed with a curse Let them but look upon the Bishops and generally they were enemies of Saints and a curse rested on them even a blindenesse of minde and hardnesse of heart and at last they were brought down and shame and contempt cast upon them And it may be some of you that have endeavoured to take the same power have opposed the Bishops for the same thing O therefore that in the consideration heerof you might at last lay down that imposing power although thereby you may seem to lose that honour that you seek from men and
feet were as the feet of a Bear and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon gave him his power and seat and great authority And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the Beast and they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make war with him And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue fourty and two months And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwelt in heaven And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world The third place where the enemies of the Temple and the holy City viz. The Saints are described is Rev. 17. 3 4 5 6. as it followeth And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and the woman was arraied in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication and upon her forehead was a name written MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH And I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration Thus now the enemies of the Church the Temple or holy City which in the text in hand are only described by this word the Gentiles in these passages are more largely characterized But these expressions used in these descriptions of these enemies being for the most part very mysterious we have these mysteries opened and unveiled in the 17. Chap. from the 7 vers to the end of the Chapter as it followes And the Angel said unto me wherefore didst thou marvel I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the Beast that carrieth her which hath the seven heads and ten horns The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomelesse pit and goe into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the World when they behold the Beast that was and is not and yet is And here is the minde which hath wisdome The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth and there are seven Kings five are fallen and one is and the other is not yet come and when he commeth he must continue a short space And the Beast that was and is not even he is the eighth and is of the seven and goeth into perdition And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kindome as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast These have one minde and shall give their power and strength unto the Beast These shall make warre with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull And he saith unto me the waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire for God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast untill the words of God shall be fulfilled And the woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth In these words we have the mysterie opened of what is delivered in the 12 13 and 17. Chapters concerning the Beast and the Woman and the Heads and the Horns and the many waters which are all mysterious expressions and hard to be understood as those were Dan. 7. from the 1 to the 9 ver untill the interpretation was given to Daniel at the 16 verse and so on but the Angel having in this 17 Chap. opened these mysteries now the meaning of them is more apparent So that First If it be queried What is the Beast We have it answered verse 8. in these words The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and go into perdition Now by comparing this with some passages in the 12 and 13. Chapters we shall plainly see what the Beast is In the 11. Chap. at the 9 verse the Dragon there mentioned is said to be That old serpent called the Devill and Satan which deceiveth the whole world And in the 13. Chap. at the 1 and 2. verses it is said That a Beast did rise up out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten Crowns and upon his heads the names of blasphemy and the Beast was like unto a Leopard and his feet were as the feet of a Bear and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority So then The Beast that hath seven heads and ten horns and is like unto a Leopard c. is some wicked one in whom the devil raigns who hath power and a seat and great authority in the earth which power and seat and great authority was given unto him of the devil And though that wicked one that hath that devilish power and authority be distinct from the devil as he that receives is distinct from him that gives yet they are so one as the devill is said to be in the Beast for what the Beast is said to doe the devill is said to doe for in the 13. Chapter at the 7 vers it is the Beast that is said to make war with Saints but in the 12. Chapter at the 17 verse the devill is said to doe it And again they are so one as the Beast is said to be the devill and therefore when the Angel comes to declare what the Beast is in the fore-mentioned place saies he The Beast shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit It is not said he shall receive his authority from him that ascends out of the bottomlesse pit though that be the meaning of it as before appears but He shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit to shew the onenesse of the devil and the Beast Thus the mysterie of the Beast is unfolded and it appears that the Beast is a wicked one that hath
a devilish power and authority and is one with the devil This is he of whom it is said All the world wondered after the Beast and worshipped the Dragon that gave power unto the Beast and worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make warre with him And of whom it was said That there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue fourty and two months c. As you have it pages 46 and 47. But secondly If it be queried What that Woman is that is said Chapter 17. 3. to sit upon this Beast We have an Answer to this in the 18 verse of this 17. Chapter in these words And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City which raigneth over the Kings of the earth Now what that great City was that did then raign over the Kings of the earth though it were not so apparent in severall other histories as it is yet the Scriptures could sufficiently inform us for it informs us that Tribute was paid to Caesar Matth. 22. 17. And that because Caesar was he that raigned over the kings of the earth the Jews said to Pilate If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars friend And that Paul appealed to Caesar as being the highest authority that then was as appears Acts 25. 10 11. Now the place where Caesars royall seat was then was the City of Rome as appears in that Paul was sent thither So that Rome was the City that then raigned over the Kings of the earth And therefore it was that it was accounted such a priviledge to be a Roman Acts 22. 25 26. Now since it is clear in Scripture and all histories do acknowledge it that Rome was the great City that raigned over the Kings of the earth Then it appears That Rome is that Woman that is said to sit upon the Beast Now this being apparent it doth appear the more clearly what the Beast is It was clear before That the Beast was a wicked one in whom the Devill raigned that had received power and a seat and great Authority from the Devil but it did not so clearly appear who that wicked one in particular is But here it appears that it is particularly he upon whom the City of Rome sitteth he that supports it Now it is apparent that it is that wicked one the Pope that is the support of the cursed City He it is that bears her up in her pompe and pride and filthy abominable Sodomiticall practises He is the Beast upon which that great Whore sitteth And the City of Rome hath been and to this day is such a fountain of filthinesse and whoredoms and all cursed abominations as this name appears so perspicuously in her forehead as he that runs may reade it MYSTERIE BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH And it is apparent that She is drunken with the blood of Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus But thirdly If the Question be What the seven heads of the Beast are The Angel gives an answer to that at the 9 verse of the 17. Chapter The seven heads are seven mountains upon which the Woman sitteth The Woman being the City of Rome the seven heads of the Beast are said to be the seven mountains upon which that City was built And with this Historians agree 〈◊〉 say that the City of Rome was founded upon seven mountains Now these may as properly be said to be the seven heads of the Beast as the ten Kings may be said to be his ten horns as will appear by and by Fourthly If it should be enquired What the ten horns are mentioned Chap. 12. 3. and 13. 1. 17. 3 The Angel answers that in the 12 verse of the seventeen Chapter in these words And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdome as yet but receive power as kings one hour with the Beast These have one minde and shall give their power and strength unto the Beast these shall make war with the Lamb c. In these words the Angel unveils this also and tels us that those which are mysteriously exprest by the ten horns of the Beast are the ten Kings which did give up their power and strength unto the Beast with one consent one mind and thus it came to passe for when the devil gave the Pope that power and authority whereby the Emperor of Rome was subjected to him then the ten Kingdomes that were under Rome did likewise willingly give up their power to him also and were subjected to the Beast and as he so they also made warre with the Lamb the Lord Jesus in his Saints and so became the ten horns of the Beast by which he became the more dreadfull and terrible for he had not been so dreadful if he had but only had the strength of his seven heads of that great City that is seated upon seven hils but having these ten horns also these ten Kingdoms he was become very terrible But fifthly If it should be queried What the many waters are upon which the Woman sitteth mentioned Chap. 17. 1. 13. 1 The Angel answers that also in the 15. verse of the 17. Chapter in these words The waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues So that this is not left in the mysterie neither but the Angel plainly declares That by the waters is meant the peoples and nations and multitudes and tongues And the Whore is said to sit upon them because they have willingly subjected themselves unto her to be as it were vassals to her Now by this time it appears from these 12 13 and 17. Chapters what those Gentiles mentioned in the text to whom the Temple and the holy City was given are in particular for it appears that as though the Church of old had many enemies yet they were particularly given to the Babylonians the Chaldeans So now the Church is particularly given to be trodden under foot of mysticall Babylon Rome and of that wicked one the Pope that hath received from the devil his power and his seat and great authority Now that these particular enemies did as the text declares Tread the holy City under foot appears also in these following passages Rev. 12. 13 14 15. The Dragon persecuted the Woman which brought forth a man-childe and to the Woman were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the wildernesse into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent and the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood That by the Dragon here mentioned is meant the Pope who is one with him appears page 49. 50. Now he is here said to persecute
the praiers of all Saints were offered upon the golden Altar that then the Angel took the Censor and filled it with fire of the Altar and cast it into the earth and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earth-quake So that this is the power that Saints have to devour their enemies and though their enemies be never so high and potent yet they are not so high nor so potent but they can reach them either to kill or destroy them or to binde and imprison them And this is further witnessed unto by the Psalmist Psalme 149. 6 7 8 9. where speaking of the Saints saies he Let the high praises of God be in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the Gentiles and punishments upon the people to binde their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his Saints Here the Psalmist speaks of executing vengeance upon the Gentiles and punishments upon the people of binding Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of iron Why Who must doe thus Must it not be some great and mighty Potentate No but this is to be done by Saints and that not only by some Saints but as well by the weakest of Saints as by the strongest For this honour have all his Saints All Saints doe execute vengeance upon their enemies If any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth from their praiers proceedeth a fire of wrath and devoureth their enemies And if any man will hurt them he must in this manner be killed As a fire proceedeth out of their mouth that devoured their enemies in general so if any man will hurt them he must in the same manner be killed that is by the fire that proceedeth out of their mouth Verse 6. These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the daies of their prophesie As the fire mentioned in the former verse was not material fire but it was mystically spoken so the rain here mentioned is to be mystically understood as it is in severall places of Scripture I will cite but only two places for they will be sufficient and in both of them what is to be understood by water or rain is declared As Isa 44. 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirstly and flouds upon the dry ground Now would we know what is here meant by water and flouds it follows in the next words I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring So that here the Spirit and the blessings of heaven are expressed by water and by flouds The other place is Joh. 3. 38 39. He that beleeveth on me as the Scripture hath saâ—d out of his belly shal flow rivers of living water The next verse explains this This he spake of the Spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive So that we see what the Scripture means by water when it speaks mystically of it so that it is in this sence that the Saints are said here during the prevalency of the Beast to shut heaven that it rain not for it cannot be understood of materiall rain for that hath been extended to the unjust as to the just and if materiall rain should be with-held the Saints and Witnesses might have as well suffered by the with-holding of it as others no it is not the with-holding of materiall rain but a greater judgement then that for as the Saints had power to bring a fire of wrath upon their enemies so to shut up the rain of spirituall blessings that the flouds of the spirit do not descend upon them But whereas the Saints are like the tree that is planted by the rivers of water that is alwaies green and flourishing their enemies are for want of these waters as a dry tree that brings forth no fruit and must be hewen down and cast into the fire That it rain not in the daies of their prophesie We see what the daies of their prophesie is at the third verse where they are said to prophesie cloathed in sackcloth a thousand two hundred and threescore daies which hath been shewed to be so many years which is the tearm of time which the Gentiles the Beast is to prevail and the holy City the Saints are to be troden under foot these we see are said to be the daies of their prophesying cloathed in sackcloth not but that they might prophesie after that time is expired but those were the daies of their prophesying in sackcloth because they are troden under foot and they are given to the Beast the Babylonians and during these daies of their prophesying in sackcloth they have power to shut heaven that it rain not spirituall blessings upon their enemies And hath it not been even thus Hath not the Beast and all his adherents been as dry trees and have they not continued to be so without ever obtaining a drop of spirituall grace Have they not been as the dry ground obdurate and hardened in their hellish waies insomuch as it is to be admired that they should so continue without any relenting or returning for so many hundred years although they have had the Scriptures and many of them great outward parts and abilities and the writings of many precious Saints which are means by which God uses to worke but none of these means could work any thing because they had the Heaven so shut that none of the waters of the Spirit did descend upon them Therefore it was that the letter of the Word and all other advantages could doe nothing for they are all nothing without the Spirit And have power over waters to turn them to bloud This is another plague distinct from the former but it is also mystically expressed therfore these waters are not those that are said to be shut up from them for it is not possible for them to be turned into bloud that is to be made uselesse as waters are when they are turned into bloud but they are those waters which their enemies the Babylonians made use of in stead of the waters of the Spirit And what were they It were their Canons and Decrees and Constitutions which they gave forth as equivalent unto the very dictates of the Spirit it self and they declared them to be of as great authority and of these waters they made all that did adhere to them to drinke and with these waters they contented themselves never caring for the waters of the Spirit Now the Saints had power over these waters to turn them to bloud which they did by the Spirit of prophesie which they had whereby they did so hold forth the Testimony of Jesus Christ in the purity of it as all the Romish Doctrines and Popish Canons were turned to bloud rendered uselesse unto others and discovered to be corrupt And this is that which was done by those Angels or Saints that poured out the second and third viols
Revel 16. 3 4. And to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will How Saints may be said to smite the earth or earthly men with all plagues doth in part appear page 72. where it appears That they doe it by their praiers for when the praiers of the Saints ascended up before God then it is said Revel 8. 5. That fire was cast upon the earth or earthly men and produced dreadfull effects as voices and thundering and lightnings and an earthquake Thus Saints doe smite the Earth with all plagues by their praiers But they doe not only smite the Earth by their praiers but also by their prophesying and holding forth the Testimony of Jesus Christ for by the earth here spoken of is peculiarly expressed those earthly men that in a more especial manner trod the Saints under foot Now they as before appears were the Beast the Pope and his Complices the Babylonian Romans and all that were of that faction Now these the Saints do smite with all plagues by their holding forth the Testimony of Jesus Christ against them as well as by praying against them for thereby is their Doctrine discovered to be a pack of abominable lies and this proves a plague unto them and this pains them at the very heart for by this plague they are like to die it is like to prove a mortall disease unto them and therefore is very grievous Revel 12. 11. The Saints are said to overcome the Dragon by the bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony for they loved not their lives unto the death Whereby it is evident That by holding forth the Testimony of Jesus Christ and sealing it with their bloud the Saints doe smite the devil in the Beast so as to overcome him And thus by their praiers and by the word of their Testimony Saints doe smite the earth that is their Babylonical enemies with all plagues as often as they will Verse 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony It is but a prefixed terme of time as appears in the third verse That Jesus Christ will have his people prophesie in a despicable sad and low condition cloathed in sackcloth and that is so long as the Beast is to continue as appears by comparing the third verse of this Chapter with the fifth verse of the thirteenth Chapter and that tearm of time which the Beast was to continue and the Saints to be troden under foot and to prophesie in sackcloth is a thousand two hundred and threescore years as appears page 62. Now this 1260. years being added to the year wherein the Beast received his devillish power and seat and great authority in the raign of Phocus the Emperour which was as say Historians in the year 404. I say adding to this 1260. it makes up 1664. And this year 1664 should be the year wherein the Witnesses should finish their giving Testimony Cloathed in sackcloth If this 1260 years should be computed according to the rule of Astronomers allowing 365 daies to a year and to every fourth year adding a day more But we finde that the holy Ghost in this prophesie not observing that rule doth allow but 360 daies to a year and according to that rule 1260 daies to three yeares and an half And therefore in computing the time of the Witnesses prophesying in sackcloth we are to observe the rule which the holy Ghost here laies down to allow 360 daies to a year and so the time of the Witnesses prophesying in sackcloth is to expire eighteen years and almost an half sooner then as by the other account and so the beginning of the year 1645. was the time when the Witnesses prophesying in sackcloth and of being troden under foot of the Beast and his adherents did expire And when they shall have finished their Testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit That the Pope is the Beast that ascended out of the bottomlesse pit is made evident in p. 49 c. And therefore it is the Pope that is expressed here also by the name of the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomles pit shall make war against them This warre which is here mentioned that the Beast was to make against the Witnesses the Saints of Jesus Christ is the late warre that hath been by him made in Ireland and England as will perspicuously appear by comparing it with that description of it which is given in this and the following verses And first that this warre was made by the Beast that ascended out of the bottomlesse pit that is by the Pope is most evident For First What is done by any of the ten Kingdomes that are of his hornes is his act And Secondly Whatever is done by his instigation is done by him Now in both these respects the warre late in England and in Ireland is the Beasts warre For First All that have acknowledged any Kingdoms to be the horns of the Beast have acknowledged England to be one of them Therefore this warre being made by the authority of one of the ten horns of the Beast was made by the Beast But it may be objected But England was fallen from Rome before the warre which was begun in 1641. for Queen Elizabeth long since cast off the Popes Supremacy and it was never since acknowledged by the Kings of England and together with the Popes Supremacy was the Popish Canons and Decrees rejected and for matter of Doctrine the Doctrine embraced in England was purely refined from the dregs of mens inventions And how could England then be said these things being done to be one of the horns of the Beast and a part of the Babylonicall City of Rome Answ Although England had done these things yet England was still one of the horns and a part of that City And this will appear if we consider what it was that made the Bishop of Rome to become the Beast and what made the City of Rome to become the mysticall Babylon Now the Bishop of Rome did then become the Beast when he did receive from the devil for Jesus Christ never gave it him a power to exercise authority over the consciences of all that did professe Christianity and by this power he did oppresse and trouble and afflict the precious Saints of Jesus Christ by this means also did Rome become the mysticall Babylon for heerby did it enslave and vassalize the Saints as Babylon of old did the Church that then was and then consequently all the ten Kingdomes that did exercise this authority over the conscience did thereby become a part of Babylon and the horns of the beast by which he did push and gore and destroy the Saints of Jesus Christ And hereby was the holy City troden under foot Now then though Queen Elizabeth cast of the Popes supremacy and a great part of his devilish doctrine yet England did notwithstanding remain one of the horns