Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	age_n	church_n	scripture_n	2,636	5	6.5110	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62540	The two witnesses: their prophecy, slaughter, resurection and ascention: or, An exposition of the eleventh chapter of the Revelation wherein is plainly proved that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are the witnesses there spoken of, who have prophesied in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty years compleat; that they are already slain, revived, and ascended. That the tenth part of the city is fallen by our late earthquake, wherein seven thousand names of men were slain. The second wo is past. This is the first part of the chapter, the second part follows. By Tho. Tillam, a weak labourer in the Lords Harvest.	Tillam, Thomas.	1651 (1651)	Wing T1168; ESTC R219308	67,928	180

certain rule for his Subjects to walk by till his second Personal appearance denouncing Anathema to all such as shall presume to prescribe any other rule or pretend any voyce or vision revelation or inspiration beside or against this sure word of Prophesie Here we see the transcendent excellency and unparallel'd Dignity of these glorious Witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this sure foundation we are built to this sure Word we do well if we take heed it being the Character of a truly blessed man to make these testimonies his delight Psal 1.2 and to meditate herein continually abominating the Witchcrafts Sorceries and cunningly devised Fables of such as come with all plausible sweet affable carriage and mild pleasant behaviour lieing in wait all the while to deceive with inticing words smooth as oyl saluting the Lord Jesus Christ with a Hail King of the Jews thou art most excellent the chief of ten thousand full of grace are thy lips pleasant yea most lovely is thy voyce all thy odours are fragrant therefore the Virgins love thee and the like expressions Here 's a beautiful cup indeed who would dream there should be any Poyson in it But amongst all these heavenly truths comes up secretly one little horn or a beast having two horns like the Lamb but he speaks like the Dragon bringing in such an expression as this as he finds a fit opportunity when he hath pretty well wrought upon his Auditory Oh saith he of Christ thou art the most glorious Creature in heaven or earth who would not run after thee who would not be ravisht with thine excellency thou chief among all the Gods c. And now hath many a filly fish swallowed this pleasant bait hook and all and little dreams of a foundation here laid to destroy the divinity and eternal diety of Christ and to make him a Creature-God These Jesuitical Principles are plainly detected in some that would go for Gospel preachers in these daies whom the Lord Jesus whom they thus dishonour will shortly consume with the breath of his Nostrils and utterly destroy with the brightness of his comming except they repent But to return having cleerly as I conceive proved the holy Scriptures or two Testaments to be the two Witnesses of Christ or the two Olive-trees spoken of by Zachary and John I descend to the other conclusions mentioned as Secondly That the Candlesticks are the Churches of the Saints which in Zechary's time was but one National Church of the Jews and therefore by him said to be but one Candlestick but in Saint Johns time they are sometimes called two Zech. 4.2 Rev. 11.4.1.20 1 Cor. 14.33 sometimes seven that is many several Congregations of Saints springing from the Lord Jesus Christ the Root of the Olive tree or the bowle of the Candlestick being daughters of that heavenly mother Jerusalem that is above 〈…〉 .26 Ephes 3.15 Hebr. 12.22 or the whole family in heaven and earth the general assembly and Church of the first born the several congregated Churches in Gospel order as so many Branches of this great Candlestick which also are themselves called Candlesticks growing and increasing by the heavenly Artifice of those Instruments that Christ hath designed for this building till we all come in the unity of the faith Ephes 4.13 and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and this is the Catholique or universal Church and not any other Churches neither National Provincial or any other devise of Antichrist have the least appearance in the Gospel save only I say those particular congregated Churches which are planted together in the likeness of his death Rom. 6 5. being as so many similar parts of this universal Church of Christ his compleat glorious body Thirdly The two Branches of the two Olive-trees are the Doctrine and Discipline of the Churches these two are the Rod Psal 23 4. and the staffe with which the Lord did lead and feed his servant David and when the abominable wickedness of those Idol Shepheards which he placed over his ancient People was ripe for destruction Zech. 11.7 the Lord himself pittying the Flock that had escaped the slaughter of those wicked Shepheards takes his beautiful staff of Doctrine and his ruling Rod of Discipline and with these he feeds the poor of the Flock till by their ingratitude and high provocations Acts 13.46 rebelliously rejecting the tenders of Grace and the word of Salvation they so exceedingly incensed the Lord against them that he takes his beautiful staff of Doctrine and cuts it asunder and it was broken in that day when the dreadful word was uttered Lo we turn to the Gentiles Now was the Doctrine of salvation which they had so long slighted and abused hid from their eyes Luk. 19.42 of which the Lord Jesus had warned them with strong cryes and tears as pittying the obstinacy of this his People Indeed there remained yet among them some external forms and shadows a body without a soul a Lanthern without a Candle The rod of Discipline or staff of Bands was not yet broken and this they rested on crying The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord but as they regarded not so the knowledge of the most High was departed from them and at last a total rejection and absolute exclusion of this rebellious people by the Lords breaking his other staff of bands and this was done by the destruction of that Temple they so much trusted in and so grosly abused by Prophaness and Idolatry Thus was the prediction of our blessed Lord fulfilled by Vespatian and Titus fourty yeers after his Ascention when the Temple being fired could not possibly be quenched by any industry of man yea so eminently and remarkably did the hand of God appear against this Place and People that the heathen Titus confessed That he had only lent his hands and help to God in this work Now did the Lord give them a bill of divorce upon which they were exposed to such direful plagues and woful miseries as never befel to any People as Histories do abundantly testifie Mat. 24.21 according to the Scriptures And thus I have delivered what I apprehend to be the sence and meaning of the two Branches of the two Olive-trees namely the Doctrine and Discipline of the Scriptures which pour out of themselves that golden oyl continually Zech 4.12 Rev. 12.6 by which the Churches of Christ are fed in all Ages Fourthly The last general conclusion from this fourth of Zechary is that the golden Pipes are the Ministers of the Churches through which the golden Oyl is conveighed from the two Olive-trees the two Testaments by the branches of Doctrine and Discipline into the Candlestick the Church to feed and nourish her Rev. 12.6 These Pipes in the second Verse of this fourth of Zechary Zech. 4.2 are said to be seven which in the

shall not be able to stop their mouthes till toward the end of their Testimony they shall prophesie all along though it be not in that external pomp and glory wherewith Popes Cardinals and the rest of the Antichristian rable rout now flourished but all forlorn retired obscured in mournful Sackcloth yet they shall Prophesie the Temple even in the midst of the outward Court that is the Apostatized Church of Rome is given to them and even there do they worship the Lord in purity but so covertly and obscurely that they are not easily discerned especially by the Pope and his scarlet Conclave whose eyes are dazled with external pomp and glory Thus is the Virgin Spouse of Christ and her heavenly Witnesses which in the midst of Heathen Persecutions was clothed in the Royal Robes of her everlasting Husband now become an object of scorn and contempt to those wicked watch-men who what in them lay spoyled and depraved her of that heavenly simplicity and Gospel-purity she lately shined in Rev. 2.13 Now is she become the true Antitype of the Church of Pergamos dwelling in obscurity where Antichrists throne is and there she holdeth fast the Faith and denyeth not the name of her crucified Lord which ever and anon doth cost some faithful Antipas his life And here the blessed Witnesses nourish her and Prophesie against her Adversary that proud Scarlet Strumpet did so defile darken wrack wrest and pervert the holy Scriptures to uphold their abominable Idolatry and Superstition that no other vesture appear'd upon them but sable weeds of sorrowful Sackcloth and when in despight of their fond Allegories and sensual conceits these two Witnesses spake to their faces against the dreadful abominations creeping in so fast this Harlot not able to bear their reproof hating to be reformed Psal 51.17 and rejecting instruction did at length cast behinde them into secret holes and corners these blessed Scriptures of truth so that in the midst of all this Papal Tyranny which daily increased they remaind secretly nourishing the true Church even where the Beast reigned yea in the heart of his dominions the whole term of their testimony in Sackcloth viz. 1260 years during which time this is the Character which is given of the Romish Harlot Mich. Cec. contr Tyrannid Papae Mornaus Myst Iniq. Bez. quaest There were within the Papal Territories two Churches the one of the wicked sort flourishing wherein the Pope reigned the other of godly and good men and this he persecuted so that the Church was under or within the Papacy but the Papacy was not the Church Now this being clear in the word of truth that the true Church remains alive in the midst of this dead sea and is preserved like Jonah in the belly of this monstrous Leviathan What will become of that empty flourish of a vaunting Jesuite Where was your Church before Luther We see to the high prayses of our eterternal King that it was in the Ark in the midst of the great Deluge in Goshen in the midst of the Egyptian darkness in the den amidst those roaring Lyons in the furnace safe and secure in the extremest heat of Popish persecution And is now come forth of that great Tribulation as pure gold out of that fiery Tryal as a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord Isai 62.3 and a Royal Diadem in the hand of our God But who can marvel at this foolish question of blinde Papists when the poverty obscurity and simplicity of the True Church and her abstruse Witnesses is considered how could their eyes so grosly blinded with the black scales of ambition pomp luxury behold or discern such contemptible objects as the Church in her exile and her Witnesses in their Sackcloth Did not their Fathers the Scribes and Pharises grope in the same Egyptian darkness when they could not discern a Messias though working wonders even in the very midst of them their Holinesses lookt too high to behold Christ in a Carpenters coat even like His prophane wickedness who sitting in that Chayr of pestilence at Rome could not perceive the holy City under his feet nor the heavenly Witnesses in their mournful habit of both which their Predecessors and themselves are alike wilfully ignorant to this day O the distinguishing love of a gracious Father Why should not we be thus blind and ignorant shall we see the cause Luke 10.21 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight The fourth Verse These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth Mr. Mede saith Clav. Apoc. pag. 11. 12. there lieth hidden in these words an Hebraism having this signification viz. The two Olive-trees at or besides the two Candlesticks Annotat. Zech. 4.3 they are said to stand by the sides of the Candlestick or as the London Ministers have it With the two Candlesticks or Churches so that the Churches are one thing and the Witnesses feeding them another thing These two Olive-trees are plainly called the word of the Lord Zech. 4.6 not Zerubbabel and Joshua as some imagine nor Enoch and Elias as others conjecture nor Christ and his Saints as a third conceive nor Burton and Prynne as hath been confidently affirmed but all with as much show of truth as that the two Houses of this present Parliament should be them but all these conceits and all other fancies of like nature are not worth the Answer as having not the least ground or warrant in that blessed Rule that is able to make the man of God wise unto salvation others have supposed that they are the Word and Spirit And our English Prophet Mr. Brightman thinks they are the holy Scriptures and the Churches of the Saints But this may not be granted for these reasons 1. The Scriptures and the Saints cannot die one kinde of death and there is not the least appearance in the Word of any difference or distinction in their sufferings and we must be sure to keep close to the Reed that was given John to measure all true Believers by 2. The Saints cannot be said in any cleer sence to rise again three years and a half after their sufferings at the time mentioned by Mr. Brightman 3. It is evident that the Saints suffered as great misery and were as vehemently persecuted after his supposed resurrection as at any time before which were absurd and without any Scripture ground to conceive of the Witnesses after their reviving 4. Rev. 12.6 The Saints are the woman or Church and the Witnesses distinctly added for her aid succour and support in her exile 1260 dayes or years Therefore the Saints and the Scriptures both cannot be the Witnesses But some who have thought that these two Witnesses are the Word and Spirit do come nearest the truth and