God which have been the safety peace and comfort of the World these hils will melt like waxe Those glorious Angelicall Excellencies those Excellent good things that Angels have produced in the world and which are nearer to God then Poor base man WISDOME KNOWLEDGE UNDERSTANDING JUSTICE ORDER GOVERNMENT these Hils melt like waxe There is not an Angel in Heaven able to maintain any of his works Those excellent hils before spoken of melt downe before the brightnesse of the LORD And though man will not see yet the mountains and hils upon which they live sinke under them Secretly and unsensibly doe the mountains of all humane confidence melt under them There is a fearfull desolation of all the Powers and strength of the world And those High exaltations of them how they melt away How low doth the high spirits of men fall How doth our strength and confidence and that staff which we leaned upon waste and consume away And in what a deep consumption are all the good things of the world Melted like wax The glory of man or man refined as we may say is like wax The LORD makes poor earth fine Images of Himselfe in wax He doth set up and drawes poor Earth in some likenesse to Himselfe Gives him His own Image Wisdome Justice Holinesse But when he comes Himselfe He then melts this picture melts these Images And therefore where humane strength is in its greatest power exalting it self in it greatest height It now appears what it is to be Earth to be wax and when God in his glory and brightnes appears it gives place to the heat of God to the fire of God That which as yet ye have seen of God is but waxen Images of God and God hath hitherto upheld them by his absence but now because he comes they go they give place Like waxe at the presence of the LORD Man would be if God were not present You would injoy whatsoever you injoy if the presence of the LORD did not melt it away if the light of God did not come if a greater light did not out-shine this Creation The Sun would not be turned into darknes nor the Moon into bloud If the presence of the LORD the Son of righteousnesse did not rise it would be still the day of man nothing would destroy the glory of the world Satan hath bin at the worke a great while hee hath been hacking at it to bring the world to confusion and the men of the world have been digging at the root of the world and would fain over-turn it though they would fain keep it for themselves but it hath stood till now and now it melts now the presence of the LORD shall cause it to melt away Rev. 20.11 At whose face the Earth and Heavens fled away and there was no place found for them Kingdoms Powers Governments Dignities Righteousnesse Justice and all at this appearance of the LORD say Come le ts goe into confusion and darknesse for here is a light come that confumes us our work is done we were to give a representation of God till He came and now Hee is come there is no more place for us There is no place for Images and Pictures where God is Where the brightnesse and majesty of God comes no place for man no place for creatures no place for worldly and earthly things The majesty brightness and glory of the LORD cannot endure them nor they it but GOD sits them flying and they themselves hasten away At the presence of the LORD of the whole Earth It is the presence of the LORD nothing but the presence of the LORD it is the LORD Himselfe the LORD Himselfe in His owne presence It is My own Face saies the LORD of the whole Earth the Earth I made My foot-stool it hath had some print of My feet and as it hath served Me in its being till I came so now it serves Mee in its departing The earth is Mine I made it it s Mine I disolve it I am LORD of all these things by My presence I gave them a being by a greater presence I dissolve them They obeyed Me in their being they obey Me in their not being I by My Word brought them out of confusion out of nothing and now they obey My Word in returning to that emptines and confusion againe They served Mee when I brought them forth they serve Me at their return Satan hath had the Earth hee shall have it no longer Men have had the Earth they shall possesse it no longer saies the Lord I will possesse it My self I will enjoy it My self I will redeem it from that bondage it hath bin in by wicked and ungodly men and Satan I am LORD of the whole earth Here are quick short dark low remote hints of God of the presence of God but if yee are not yet sensible of it come up higher and further and you shall have a clear Discovery The Heavens declare the righteousnes of God and all people see his glory Come to the open heavens creep out of the earth of worldly affairs and businesses and come into the open state of Heaven and you shall see the righteousnesse of God declared the heavenly discovery of God the Spirit of the LORD and the true presence of the LORD are so visible that al the people that are therin do see the glory of God For truly if you be men you are there in this heaven otherwise you are not worthy the name of men but beasts In heaven the righteousnesse of God is so fully declared that there 's no question to be made of it it s so openly so fully discovered so largely declared that there is nothing else done nothing else spoken of but the Kingdome righteousnesse and glory of God and all the people and all the spirituall people that have got out of their fetters their banishments that are got home to their owne places See this glory of God The most earthly craatures have some heart-meltings breakings shakings terrours troubles upon their spirits by the appearing of God by the lightnings and enlightnings of God this fire of God but those who are heavened into the spirit of God who are awaked into the true life of God where the righteousnesse and glory of God are openly discovered where there 's a full declaration of things as they are in themselves they clearly and manifestly see the glory of God Beholding with open face the glory of God and are changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the LORD The end of the second Sermon THE COMMING OF THE KING of ZION Zechariah 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King commeth unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a colt the fole of an Asse ZION hath long suffered but must be delivered Zion hath long mourn'd but we have here a Voice that turns our mournings
to serve the Lord this tenth part in the Earth quake falls al to the ground the tenth part c. And in the earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand As the tenth part of the City fell the chiefest part the best part the excellentest part of the holy City so the best part of men or an excellent number of men and both understood by this number seven thousand one thousand is a great number and an excellent number as wel as a great number ten hath an excellency in it therefore the tenth part was given to GOD one hundred is ten times ten one thousand is ten times an hundred which in the Law is multiplied to hundreds and thousands Seven thousand is the perfection of the creature as it is able to be numbered or it is the multiplying of al the perfections of man or man numbered into the highest perfection or largest number that may be multiplied that is not Infinite which is God Seven thousand Seven is a Holy number and therefore the seventh day was sanctified and made holy A blessed number therefore GOD blessed the seventh day It s also a number of rest GOD rested the seventh day and appointed the seventh day to be observed as an holy rest Here is humane perfection in the greatest number in the blessedest number in the quietest estate wherein men have thought themselves to be holy men blessed men men at rest wherein they have thought themselves truly blessed truly holy truly happy When men have numbered up themselves to such a state to seven thousand a holy number a blessed number a number of perfection to such a state wherein they have thought themselves holier then others more blessed and happy then others when they have thought themselves at rest and indeed in humane account have had abundance of blessedness thousands of blessednesses thousands of blessed hopes blessed believings blessed joyes and comforts such a state wherein they have rested and been satisfied yet now in this Earthquake in the same houre that the Lord leaves the Earth that the Witnesses ascend up to Heaven when the LORD wil no longer converse with Earth but with Heaven when he wil no longer converse with his People in an earthly but in an heavenly way and manner he and they walking together and enjoying each other in Heaven Then those thousands those seven thousands all those holy happy blessed resting men shall be slain And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the GOD of heaven The chiefest and choisest part of men are gon and that which remaines now is but a Remnant a small part so mean and poor a part as is not worth the numbering or to be gathered up into order and beauty or into the account of holiness and blessedness as other men are they are onely a poor remnant This Remnant was affrighted and gave glory to the GOD of heaven Nothing is more frequent in the Prophets where mension is made of the judgements of God through which he brings his people to salvation then this That a remnant shall be saved a remnant shall be brought through the fire Here one and there another as the gleanings of the vintage like small bunches of grapes upon the uppermost boughs a smal company and them not regarded a remnant They are but little and exceeding little a Remnant shal come to happiness The bulk and body the head the crown and glory of man falleth and are slain and a Remnant only escapes The LORD wil take off the head of man according to that saying And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus Rev. 20. I say the LORD wil take off the head the glory the top the crown the wisdome the excellency of man the maine the chiefe the principle part wil th e LORD slay al these in man shal be taken away and only a remnant shal remain The LORD wil waste and consume flesh to a very low state He wil bring down man to a fragment to a very small Remnant til ther 's almost nothing left to a state and condition that shal not be considerable that shal scarce be fit for any use The thousands the seven thousand the excellentest the greatest the richest the most numerous the most religious and devoted part shal be slain a remnant only shal be left and those affrighted too And great fear fell upon them that saw them When they saw the LORD ascending out of Earth leaving the Earth desolate leaving Religion Society Common-wealthes to wasting and destruction when they saw stability goodness wisdome righteousnes and holyness forsaking the earth and ascending up into the holiness of God this affrights men and it affrights them almost out of their wits to see that there is no living amongst such men that there is nothing to be seen amongst them but death horrour and confusion in the whole creation And to see that if we do not submit to the Lord live in the Spirit of the Lord and follow the guidance and conduct of the Spirit of the Lord we are for ever ruin'd If we are not able to ascend with these Witnesses go up with them to Heaven and live with Christ and the Spirit of God an heavenly life we are utterly undone for ever we shal see hel opening her mouth to devour us miseries feares and wrath ready to cease upon us and swallow us up therefore if we cannot ascend to Heaven with these witnesses Wo be unto us for we shal see there is no possible way of subsistence out of heaven We shal see much hellish wrath and darknes and confusion fall upon men that they cannot live in that state and condition wherein they have lived And they gave glory to the GOD of Heaven Strange language that a Remnant a poor affrighted remnant should be able to give glory to God Yet thither we must be brought before we can give glory to the God of Heaven Whil'st we have any glory left we give glory to our selves and not to God but when we are become a Remnant Affrighted and dasht in peeces then shal we glorify God We think that men of excellent wisdome and strength should glorify GOD O no they take from the glory of God and give it to themselves We think that Assemblies and Parliaments and Synods and Councels of great Men should give glory to God no none at all they give glory to themselves None but an affrighted remnant gives glory to God God neither hath nor wil have any glory til man be brought to an affrighted Remnant they that were affrighted gave glory to God Mark it if you are able to mark it that such a poor and affrighted remnant should give glory to the God of Heaven that the God of Heaven should receive glory from so poor an affrighted remnant a poor fag-end of the world wasted and consumed by sword plagues and judgements that they that have nothing should yet give to God When men are wasted and
who had the infirmity and flesh of man to Judas That thou doest doe quickly Lasting woes are the worst woes Then commeth the third woe which shall last but half a day And as it is short so it is that which shall let us into the third state of the glory of God As there is the day of man the day of Christ and the day of God so their is the glory of Man the glory of Christ and the glory of God This Heaven into which the witnesses ascended is not the highest Heaven the highest glory There must come a third woe that will carry them thither And it comes quickly It is an happy state the witnesses are in when they are raised from the dead yet it 's not lasting though their condition be glorious yet it hath a woe stealing upon it yea though it be a very blessed state a Resurrection from a sinfull Earth yet it is such a blessed state as is subject to warre for immediately succeeds the third woe This clear bright Sun of righteousnesse is subject to an eclips The tenth part falls and 7000. are slaine yet all earth is not cleared away There were sweet enjoyments of the glory of GOD yet it was mingled with some weaknesse and this is our happinesse that our God wil never cease refining us til all Earth till all flesh bee quite removed from us til he hath perfected us into himself The Third woe is a tolerable woe though it hath its sting yet it comes quickly and goes quickly It 's such a one as we are wel able to endure And then cometh the seventh Angell Sounding and hee saith aloud The Kingdomes of this world are become The Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ The two Witnesses their prophesying their slaying resurrection and ascension is in the Mysterie of the Spirit Angels sounding It comes neere to perfection but yet is not absolute perfection the highest Reign and Kingdome of the Lord and of his Christ breakes forth at the sounding of the seventh Angel The seven Trumpets are all but one Trumpet The last Trump shall sound The Spirit of the LORD being able either to contract all into one or to enlarge one into seven when and as he pleaseth He can give all to one call it one make it one discover it and open it into one or enlarge it into seven Seven dayes make but one with him Seven Angels and seven Trumpets make but one Angel and one Trumpet with him Seven is a number of rest and blessedness and here is the seventh Angel or the ange licall nature in et's perfection Christ the Head of Angels or the Perfection of Angels Angels are ministring spirits sent forth from God Ministers and Trumpets sounding forth the Kingdome of glory The exellency or perfection of Angels is to trumpet out the last and greatest glory of God Yet Christ the Arch-angel the head and chiefest Angel takes pleasure to sound forth the glory of God before the breaking forth of the Highest and Last glory Trumpeting is a proclaiming or declaring of the glory of GOD. Jesus Christ the Arch-angel the head or chiefest Angel sounds and sends forth a proclaimation or declaration of the Kingdome of GOD. And when we hear the sound of this great Trump we enter into glory or the sounding of the last Trump by Jesus Christ the great Archangel goes before the approach of the highest glory of God And it s said There were great voices in heaven After the sounding of the Trumpet comes forth the voices which is a more distinct and excellent note in musick then the sound of the Trumpet No Organ or Instrument sends forth so sweet a note as the tongue of man It s said There were great voyces in heaven and as it s exprest afterwards these voyces are uttered by the four and twenty Elders that sate before the Throne worshipping God Twelve you know was the number of the Apostles who had only the first fruits of the Spirit We saith the Apostle have the first fruits of the Spirit They had as it were a single harmony of musick publishing and declaring the glory of God But here is not onely twelve but twenty and four Elders The Spirit of God appearing in a double measure twice as much as in the Apostles having the full harvest of the Spirit a greater company of Saints and the Apostolicall Spirit or the gifts and graces of the Spirit in the Apostles doubled upon the heads of the Saints or Jesus Christ appering in the Saints in a double measure of the Spirit of God And they are all Elders too al taken up into the Ancient of daies living in the eternall and everlasting Spirit He is an Elder indeed who was before the World was made he is but an Novice and of yesterday that can speak but from the begining of the World These are the great voyces in heaven by the four and twenty Elders In this dispensation you have that measure of the Spirit of God that was given to the twelve Apostles and Church in the primative time doubled raised up to the Ancient of daies And there were GREAT voyces in heaven Some times our God speaks in a low still voice and indeed His very whisperings are pleasant Here is not only one voyce or a low whispering voyce but many and Great voyces Audible and Mighty declarations Great and various discoveries of our God When the witnesses Prophesied in sack-cloth Thousands were sufficient but now here are Thousands of Thousands Now here 's Christ in the flesh and Christ in the Spirit joyned together Now they are multiplied to Thousands of Thousands in heaven Many voices tuned multitudes of hearts enlarged in heaven they are four and twenty In the former dispensations they were shut up in Earth they were cloathed in sack-cloth they were but twelve Here they are increased to twenty four All the voices crying out Now in one Great voice and that so clear so shril that it shal spread thorrow the whole Earth The Kingdomes of this world c. It may be those people that are of the earth that are of the world question and doubt what these voyces say and they cannot say after them or with them The LORD lives the LORD reignes they think it they dare not speake it or if they do speak it it is but poorly and weakly from a bare letter not from the Spirit of God But hear when Heaven is opened the glory of God manifested and the Spirit of God doubled There are great Voyces thousands of voices concenting and concentering together al speaking aloud al singing that heavenly Halelujah saying The Kingdom of the LORD The Kingdom of of the LORD The Kingdome of the LORD Now heer 's ful Language ful speech bold and loud speech in Heaven saying The Kingdome of the LORD The Kingdome of the LORD There are many and great Voyces in Heaven saying The Kingdomes of this World are become the Kingdomes of OVR Lord. When the
into joy A Voice so powerfull so effectuall that doth indeed cause sighings and sorrowes to flee away eternall and everlasting joy saies Rejoyce A Fountain of joy filling US with joy saith rejoyce Joy it self speaks it self in US and saith Rejoyce I would not have you be troubled any longer I shall not be satisfied til I have wiped all teares from your eyes So long as you sigh you wound and pierce my heart I cannot be merry my self till my Spouse doe rejoyce with me So long as you are afflicted I mourn and your mirth is my rejoycing Therfore come let 's rejoyce together Let 's sing together Let Me be the matter of Thy joy Knowing Me Thou can'st not but rejoyce I know nothing troubles you but the absence of GOD. And there is no grief but this That GOD is absent Nothing displeases you but that GOD doth not Reign Nothing can disquiet a Saint but this That GOD is not exalted And therefore you shall be eased of your sadest thoughts and greatest perplexities and Yee shall see that which will abundantly comfort you Yee shall see your King Ye shall see the LORD Reign This Reign shall be in you Thy King commeth unto thee Our God knowes our troubles and knowes how to apply a remedy He knows what mounds US to see sin and Satan lifting up their heads so high to see the honour of our God in the dust to see this that Christ is crucified to see that we are any thing but GOD this is our sorrow this is our mourning and our God comes to US and removes this sadnesse Indeed we will not rejoyce till we see our KING we refuse to be comforted because We are not Rachel mourning for her children refusing to be comforted because they were not We will renounce all comforts without the presence of a God We will not rejoyce but in this Joy and yet in obedience to this voyce to this Lord we cannot but rejoyce We have all joy in speaking We rejoyce at the heart with joy unspeakable and full of glory We are full of the glory of God and therefore Wee rejoyce greatly Rejoyce Greatly Every thing in US must rejoyce in God every thing must be satisfied and fild with joy ther 's no true mirth except it be universall mirth universall satisfaction if every part be not fil'd the whole cannot be pleased if we have not all Joy but if our God gives US all Joy it is so great as to fill US every one and fill every one full This joy and rejoycing is the Infinite End and Answer of fullnesse and when God doth fill us full the Rebound of this fullnesse is joy The Lord filling us so with Himself that wee returne back again into himself filling us so full that wee flow out this is our joy when we have so much as wee can hold no more when wee are weary of râ—ceiving pouring back to Him that gave us all This is our JOY and Rejoyceing So long as ther 's a defect and want wee cannot rejoyce til all are compleatly satisfied Indeed all Heavenly joy is great hath a greatnesse and glory and Majesty in it we are never so awfull and terrible to our enemies as when we are singing and rejoycing we are mighty strong and powerfull in joy the joy of God makes US to bee Great persons Eminent persons and our joy is heightened and doth daily rise higher and higher it growes continually fuller and fuller and the Spirit of the LORD doth screw us and winde us up to the highest note of joy great HIGH and Excellent joy It pleaseth thee Oh Lord our GOD to hear our voices lifted up Oh how it pleaseth the Lord to have a Triumphing joy in US as that wee should wholly forget all sorrow that wee should bee even wilde and drunke with joy that wee should even forget our selves in great rejoycing Rejoyce greatly leape dance and sing greatly Le ts have the largest of your hearts the largest of your affections and wee will fill them with joy doe not live like low mean and base persons but Great persons in the greatest height Not the joy of Common Men or Common Creatures but the highest joy the fullest joy Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion The Affections and love of God makes us rejoyce And finding God a heart full of love makes US to have hearts full of joy to heare God breake forth in expressions of love makes us break forth in expressions of joy when he cryes Oh my love then we doe sing with joy and when hee is in paine to deliver Himself into us to deliver us into Himselfe then do we rejoyce when Wee finde our God ravisht with love taken enamoured with us Oh Daughter Wee cannot but rejoyce when we see great love large expressions of the favour of our God then wee are well pleased O Daughter of Zion What a sweet Name is this It shews our relation though at a distance from him it shews our tendernesse and weaknesse yet the delight and pleasure that the Lord our Husband takes to us and in us Zion is the mountain of GOD Mount Zion the mountain of the LORD and we are the Daughter of this mountaine the Daughter of the LORD Take it as in a generation removed and the further we are removed from God the more need have wee of consolation and the greater love The heavenly state of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Apostles ye know is called mount Zion Ye are come to mount Zion to Jerusalem the City of the living God GOD dwelling with His people in a manifestation of his own Spirit and presence is mount Zion Jesus Christ exalted in the resurrection and His people walking with Him and in Him is mount Zion and the poor Saints of God at this time are but the daughter of this in the purest and best estate it is but the daughter of Zion dwelling with the daughter of Babylon the daughter of Zion in captivitie The uttermost that you have and enjoy and know of God it is but that Gospel-state removed or something that the Spirit of the LORD begets in you in some proportion and sutablenes unto the state that Christ and his Apostles had That uttermost Spirit of the LORD forming in you and begetting in you something of Himself and of His own grace that hath though in weaknesse and infirmity some likenesse to that state the Church lived in in the primitive times and that is I acknowledge and confesse the daughter of that the daughter of that faith the daughter of that love the daughter of that Gospel and the daughter of that presence of God though in infirmity and weaknesse a childe and that a female and in captivity in Babylon None hath this state and condition pure and perfect but mingled with darknesse and weaknes with much Antichristianisme This wee owne there is some similitude and likenesse of the state which was in deed and in truth in
the primitive times a childe of it a daughter of it amongst the Saints of God now Ye have not Zion but a daughter of it and ye are not Zion but a daughter a generation descended from Zion or Zion descended a daughter of a Church in weaknes and in infirmity in captivity and this message unto you is Rejoyce greatly To the poor low weak infirme Saints of God in bondage and captivity they are the daughter of Zion the beloved of God owned to be the seed of Zion the children of Zion and when yee shall be nourished and fed with the bread of life and the milke of the Word ye will grow up to be Zion but as yet ye are tender weake feeble weak vessels subject to be spoild tempted carried away by the deceits of Satan by the vanities of the world yet tenderly beloved and much affected by God owned and acknowledged by Him to be His owne seed His own children bearing the Image of the heavenly Zion and having the nature of the mountaine of God in You and are indeed though in extream weaknesse and infirmity the seat and habitation and the rest of God Therefore Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion and ye are not only called to rejoycing but also to shouting Shout Your language you know is poor weak broken feeble the most that is heard amongst you is vaine disputes Genealogies boastings and gloryings in the spirit of Antichrist humane and fleshly wisdome exalting and glorying in it selfe but a savoury sound and spiritual voice is much in fears doubts demands in asking questions by people in the wildernesse Which is the way to Zion How shall we doe to know God Just like one that 's blinde asks which is my friend which is God How shall I know God from Satan Christ from Antichrist How shall wee doe to understand the voice of the LORD Here 's a low poor mean voice How is it What shall we doe How shall we live And what shall we doe to get this and that And what 's the matter These and such kinde of questions demands complaints are the voice that is here amongst you but yee are called to shouting shout shout let 's hear the voice of God amongst you the voice of a King Israel shouted Balaam prophesied That the shout of a King was in the midst of them The King is in you the King is with you and in you in victory triumphing in the meanest and lowest state and condition Ye may see by the Spirit of the LORD and faith the mighty power of God there is with us and in us the fulnesse of God all wisdome all righteousnesse all certainty all good conquering all evil all joy removing all sadnesse all sinne taken away therefore shout Turn your complaints into triumphs turn your demands and questions into liftings up the heart and spirit rejoyce in such acclamations as these I have found I am I enjoy Kingdome glory life Christ and every thing that is good Shout speak out speak aloud in the name of the LORD and say Yee are the children of the living God say God lives in you Let 's hear it aloud speak boldly confidently open your hearts largely and say Christ is in you I have Him I am with Him He is in me I am in Him here He is He dwels in me I am His Temple I see Him now I see the LORD my Saviour I have heard of Him with the hearing of the ear but now mine eyes see Him I have Him I enjoy Him Shout O daughter of Jerusalem Though the daughter of Zion and in weaknes and lownes yet the mountain of God begotten by God and though as yet in infirmity descended from heaven yet the daughter of Jerusalem and the City of God though very poor and very weak yet this is the state and condition of the daughter of Jerusalem that is the Jerusalem that is descended from above Come downe from heaven The glorious state of the Church in which are twelve foundations of the twelve Apostles twelve gates and twelve Angels all of precious stones all of pearls all of pure gold transparent as glasse all righteousnesse beauty glory all this is in us and We are the daughter of it all the glory and all the excellency of Jesus Christ and all his Apostles and Prophets are borne and brought forth in us all the beauty glory and excellency of Jesus Christ of all the Saints Prophets Apostles and Angels are brought forth in us thou art the daughter of it the daughter of Jerusalem a little Epitome of the heavenly Jerusalem a low and little childe and a babe of the heavenly Jerusalem and when thou growest up to know thy self and what thou art thou shalt be the mother of us all and the mother of all the riches of God thou art as I may say Christened and in this day of the LORD called by this name the habitation and riches of all the fulnes of the LORD the place where the infinite Deity the divine excellency delights to fix to settle to live this is thy state thou art that building that is not made with hands that is eternall in the heavens the daughter of it and when thou shalt grow up in the name and strength of the LORD then wilt thou appeare to be the Zion and Jerusalem of God O what need thou hast now of great joy How should thy heart be inlarged when thou art the seat and habitation of all the glory and excellency of God that ever shin'd forth in all the Saints Prophets and Apostles and Angels All this joy glory and excellencies must come forth from thee must be Produced from thee must be inlarg'd in thee O then what cause hast thou to rejoyce and to shout greatly Behold thy King cometh unto thee This Scripture hath been fulfilled once in the first appearing of the Lord Christ when there was great joy in Jerusalem at his triumphant riding through Jerusalem upon an Asse the multitude of people spread their garments in the way and others cut downe branches of trees and strewed in the way crying and saying Hosannah to the Sonne of David Blessed is hee that commeth in the Name of the LORD Hosannah in the Highest And it s now fullfiling the Second time by the Second appearing of the Lord by the Second and GREAT appearing of our Jesus by the coming of the Son of God not in infirmity and weaknesse but in the Majestie and Power of the Father in the Kingdome and Power of God and therefore Behold it Look out for it Look out of your bondage and captivity Looke forth of your feares and darke and troubled thoughts See who is here Open your Everlasting doores stand open yee Everlasting gates Open your everlasting eyes Open your spirituall eyes Look up Look up O yee lights of God Behold the KING of eternal glory Arise Awake and stand up out of your carnal humane and fleshly state into your heavenly and spiritual light
doth certainly foretell though in them very darkly something that is to come But first let me tel you that that which shall kill them must Ascend out of the Bottomlesse pit It shall bee no outward or visible force that shall slay these two Witnesses It shall bee by no visible Power of Kings or Princes Papists or Malignants that these Witnesses shall be killed no we may see to the Bottom of al these That which shall slay these two Witnesses shall Ascend from a pit that hath no Bottom that is There shall such hellish fins such Hideous Monstrous darknesse such filthy Beastlinesse arise in the mindes and spirits of men that shall fight against the very Light of Christ and the Spirit of Christ in His People But these Witnesses are above the rage and reach of all visible Powers They may indeed kill and slay the bodies of men and after that can doe no more for alas that is not that which is here slain But the two Olive Trees Christ in Fesh and Spirit And that which kills them is a Beast a Beastlinesse below the Beastlinesse of man It 's not man it 's by no power of man It 's Beastly darknesse Beastly lusts Hellish wickedness such as ariseth from a Pit that hath no bottom such as you cannot tel whence it is nor what it is such as hath not been visibly manifest amongst the Sons of men Ye shall see yet more abominable hellish hiddious beastly black wickednesse then ever yet appeared Ye cannot yet tel the Father of these wickednesses Ye are able to say such and such wickednesses comes from the Pope such and such from Jesuites and Papists such and such from your owne hearts But yee shall finde such black hellish wickednesse such disorder and confusion such torment such disquietment such ignorance such base ignorance come out of a Pit deeper and darker and filthyer then hath yet been found out amongst the sons of men such as is without length or breadth such as is not to be fathomed or measured such a pit shal be opened and such darknesse come in to the world as never before appeared such as shall be blacker and baser and fouler then hitherto hath been brought forth And these shall make warre against the Witnesses and overcome them First fight then overcome and kill them First oppose the light of the LORD the Spirit of the LORD Christ I say oppose these two witnesses and testimonies of the presence of the LORD of GOD dwelling in flesh killing flesh offering up flesh upon the Alter These shal be opposed Secondly overcome them and kill them There is a continuall opposition of the Death and of the Resurrection of Christ and of Christ Risen in us of GOD dwelling with us and in us And there shal such a darknesse such a black darknesse arise out of this bottomles pit that shal fight with this light overcome it and kill it So that ye shal not bee able to say ye have God in you These Olive trees shall not give forth their Oyle they shall not bee able to speake their own Language in you ye shal not enjoy those sweet inward refreshings that some times yee have had The Witnesses shal be overcome killed and slain such hidious monsterous darknesse shal arise in you that yee shall not know that yee have the Spirit of God that Christ dwels in you ye shal not be able to see or say that yee have the presence of God with you that ye have the presence of these two Olive trees Emptying their Golden Oyle into you Al their opperations shal be quite killed slain and dead And their dead bodies shall lye in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified The place of the dead bodies is the streets of the great City Babylon The world govern'd by Satan the god of the world is Babylon In the Streets of the great City Babylon yee shall have the dead bodies of the Witnesses lye un-buried There yee shall have some formes and figures of what they have said and done but dead without life without power without spirit Yee shal have strange workings of the Devill and Satan in the streets of the great City when the Witnesses are killed to preserve their carcasses formes and figures spiritless and life-less And this is the wickednes of the flesh Heightened There are these two Streets in the great City Sodom and Egypt that will bee found in you though they doe not yet appeare The filthinesse of Sodom pride gluttony fulnesse of bread and abundance of Idlenesse The wickednes of Egypt Idolatry enmity rage and malice against the Israel of GOD. Where also our Lord was Crucified Our Lord was Crucified at Jerusalem litterally or according to the Letter But spiritually it was in Sodom and Egypt It was the filthy wickednesse of Sodom and the cursed enmity of Egypt that Crucified Christ And you wil finde that that spirituall Sodom and Egypt that filthy wickednesse of Sodom and that cursed Idolatry of Egypt is that same wickednesse which shal wil and must kill and slay these two witnesses or thus That wickednesse in the Scribes and Pharisees that crucified Christ formerly I say that wickednesse Heightened and Spirituallized in the worldly fleshly part of the Saints that wickednesse growne more vil'd and more abominable then ever was known before The wickednesse of the Scribes and Pharisees that accused Christ of the High Priest that condemned Christ of Judas that betrayed Christ that grown as Sodom and Egypt as the filthy whordome of Sodom as the cursed emnity of Egypt shal make warre against these two witnesses and kill them Here the Dead bodies of these two Witnesses Lyeth And they of the people and kinreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three daies and an halfe and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves Peoples Kinreds Nations Tongues Gifts Strengths Powers c. Shal see the dead bodies of the two Witnesses the outward forme and figure without spirit and life The outward carcasse that these Heavenly lights that these two witnesses did minister in They shal see them and shal not suffer them to be buried to bee put in graves The earthly carnal worldly part of man cannot endure that these bodies should bee buried And why They live upon them they cannot subsist without them their very life and being is upheld and maintained by the carcass by the body the dead body by the fleshly part that is in man in the Saints The Remembrance and sight of these is their very life therefore they will not suffer them to bee put in graves to bee buried out of their sight They keep up al outward and fleshly formes above ground as long as they can It is their life their peace their comfort their joy they are glad that the Spirit and life is gon that was wont to vex and torment them And they that dwell on
if any man wil hurt them it is death they must in this manner be killed These have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the daies of their Prophesie c. To deny the blessing grace and favour of God to any man any creature or to any thing And they have power over waters to turne them into bloud c. To kill and slay and to mingle strifes contentions debates envie malice and wrath in the minds of men because they are disobeyed And to smite the earth with ALL plagues c. Plagues both inward and outward The Plague of Sword Pestilence Famine Blindness Barrenness Nakedness c. as often as they will And when they have finished their testimony c. Wee have seen their death when their testimony was finished but not before When the Sonne of Man had finished his testimony when his houre was come then must he suffer and not before So when the Witnesses have finished their Testimony they must be killed and not before Then there ascends a beast out of the bottomlesse pit out of the lowest hel the nethermost hell A new and undiscovered wickednesse and uncleannesse of Spirit riseth out of this Bottomlesse pit against the two Witnesses And makes warre against them overcomes them and kills them And then their dead bodies lye in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt This whole World is this great City as it 's governed and ruled by the God of this World and in this great City of the World is the filthines of Sodom and the Idolatry of Egypt Where also our Lord was Crucified It was a spirituall wickedness that Crucified the Lord Jesus and it shal be a more spirituall wickedness that shal kill and slay these two Witnesses And they of the People and Kinreds and Tongues and Nations c. Humane Carnal Fleshly Gentile Christians the Nations of this world shal see these witnesses lie dead and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves When the Spirit is with-drawn kil'd and slain by the Beast or cloud of darknesse that riseth out of the bottomless pit these Gentiles People worldly Christans shall not suffer their dead bodies outward formes to be buried the natural man upholds the body or form without the spirit a bare humane carnall remembrance to keep up the forme and flesh of Christ left spiritless and life-lesse this is the nature of the men of the world or earthly and fleshly men to live upon the dead carcasse of Christ but they cannot indure the spirit and life of Christ they can live no longer then they have the body dead and slain if that revive they dye And they that dwell on the Earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry And shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the Earth An expression of joy and rejoycing and this is the wickednesse of earthly People that dwell in the Earth that dwell in the World they have no peace no joy longer then they get the mastery of the Spirit of God and when they can by the strngth of that wickednes that ariseth out of the bottomlesse pit trample upon the Spirit of God and of Christ then they are well then they can goe rejoycing from one to another blessing themselves and comforting one another telling vain and foolish stories of their victory that they have killed and slain the Lord and denied him to reigne over them In these three verses following is the reviving of the two witnesses After three daies and an half When these two witnesses shall appear in any shall finish their Testimony bee killed and slain they shall ly dead three daies and an halfe or as it is exprest in the next chapter of the Womans being in the wildernesse for a time times and half a time The time of the killing of the witnesses shall be a time of great joy and rejoycing to them that dwell one the Earth eartly Christians carnall Christians Yet there shall be in it a day Jesus Christ makes the grave a day There is a quiet rest and a sweet day in the death of Christ in the killing of the witnesses and though in it self it be very grievious and terrible yet you shal see brightnesse and glory shinings and twinklings forth of light so that ye shall be able to call it a day But there is a day and two daies and half a day or a time times and half a time First a day and season in which there shall be a comfortable expectation of a seasonable and speedy deliverance where-we are able to say These witnesses are now slain but they shall speedily revive and rise again After that comes times or two daies wherein there will be lesse expectation and more trouble multiplied evils time devided and then there shall not be such an expectation of a speedy deliverance as was before The Soul shall be able to say I shall be delivered but I know not when for ought that appears I may lie long in this state but I will waite with patience I will submit to the will of the Lord. Then after this there 's half a day or a season wherein there shall be a sudden reviving an unexpected deliverance A short work will the Lord make on the Earth The Spirit of life from God entred into them They had before but the Spirit of prophesie The Spirit of Prophesie is the testimony of Jesus wherein though they live'd yet their life was but a saying they should live but a fore-telling of a higher and further state of life to come but now they have a Spirit of life The Spirit of life from God entred into them Not the Spirit of prophesie only but the Spirit of life not only to bee able to fore-tel what they should be but what they are That they are righteous holy happy that they live Yea not only to be able to say they live but to be life it self Not only to Prophesie in sack-cloth to be under a vaile but by the re-entry of the Spirit of life into them to see GOD opening and un-vailing his face These Witnesses must and wil Prophesie before they live First wear sack-cloth Prophesie darkly that they shal live then live First be in expectation and Prophesie of live then live first beleive hope and expect then live We never lose any thing but we gain by it If we lose the Spirit of prophesie we gaine the Spirit of life for it we gaine by sufferings we gaine by losing If a spirit of darkneses ascend out of the bottomlesse pit clouding our comfort we receive a better Spirit for it The Spirit of life from God and so are gainers This we may be assured of for the LORD saith it He will not leave my soul in hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption We may be brought to the death we may bee killed and slain wee may be dead carcasses But
of the Lord to owne and confesse God amongst men and with confidence to looke men in the face Hell in the face Devils in the face To out-look out-speak out-act all our adversaries To say We live and God lives in us We dare owne our selves what we are We dare go up and down and act and speak in the Name of our God And they stood upon their feet Time was that the glory of God was carried about upon the shoulders of men The Prophets did testifie and witnes in the strength and by the strength of the creature and in and by the meanes and use of some creature gifts parts Scriptures experiences and such like things wherein God stood upon the shoulders of man upon the feet of man was upheld and borne up by the strength power and authority of the creature by reason by judgement by opinion by strength of argument c. but this they are now dead unto and now there appears in them a high a more excellent way the witnesses Christ in flesh and Spirit stand now upon their own feet upon their own strength simply and immediatly upon their own strength and power not leaning upon cratckes of man the wisdome of man the strength of man the parts of man not borrowing ought from any creature but standing barely upon their strength their own power their own authority And because they are the Saints of God therefor they stand and require not helpe from creatures Now they can say This authority God gives us this power doth God administer to us and this we dare challenge and claim being the holy ones of God being the anointed ones of God We need no strength from others wee care for no crartches wee lean upon none wee stand barely and simply upon the strength and power of our God We need no arguments to confirme us no reasons to parswade us no authority of men to strengthen us wee stand upon our own feet we dare say Heer we are in the Name of our God Because we are we are because we llve wee live And because we are the anointed of God therefore we act therefore we speak therefore we live and upon no other account at all And they stood upon their feet They yet are upon the Earth and have not wholly put off their earthlines though they are able to live to act to speak in the Name of the Lord yet they goe upon the ground Though they need not cratches yet they stand upon the Earth Afterwards they ascended up into Heaven into a higher and more spirituall life then this when they hear that great voyce from Heaven Come up hither The Feet the lower and inferiour part of the body are alwaies subject to defilement by dirt and filth of the Earth for they have continually fellowship with the Earth But these two witnesses though living in the earth though standing upon the Earth yet have some fellowship with the Lord of Heaven And great fear fell upon them that saw them Earthly men and they that dwell onely on the Earth when the witnesses are slaine they looke and expect that that state of death and darknes wherein they lie should utterly swallow them up O say they what a dark what a sad condition are they in While the witnesses prophesied and testified against the flesh against the strength and wisdome of man earthly men were troubled and cast down but when the witnesses are slain and lie dead in the streets without the actings of the life of God in them presently they conclude they are wholly destroyed O say they see what a sad state they are in they are quite undone they have lost their life their strength their joy their peace their comfort they are dead they are gone there is an end of them Thus they speak thinking they shall never revive again These are the thoughts and this is the language of earthly men but when they see them stand up upon their feet revive and live again O this strikes them to the very heart to see the Lord standing upon the Earth owning himself in his People is terrible and dreadfull to earthly men the glorious appearance of God strikes man to the very heart O I shall dye I have seen the Lord. So Daniel when he saw the Lord he fell upon his face So Job when his eyes had seen the Lord he repented in sack-coth and ashes And know this that the reviving grace the reviving Spirit of the Lord bringing up his holy ones from the depths of temptations and troubles to a state of life and joy is terrour to the world a terrour to them that see it When any thing of the appearance of God of the clear brightnes of the Lord breaks forth and speaks thus I am the Lord the holy one of God man cannot stand he fears he trembles he fals down as dead when men live onely in the light and strength of God then great feare fals on them that see them Great fear fell upon them It fals irresistably they cannot avoid it every creature that is earthly within or without Fear fals upon them Fear surprizeth them at the reviving of the witnesses I know palenesse and sadnesse fears and astonishments and great troubles fall upon the flesh of man It hath upon me and it doth upon the flesh of man and upon al that hear any thing of the tidings of the appearing of Jesus Christ I say The reviving of the witnesses the enterance of the life of God into them the quickning the appearing of Jesus Christ in the Spirit God being in man and man being in God this life of God strikes horrour terrour and amazment into the hearts of earthly and carnall men It fals upon them like a Milstone it breaks them to peeces it grinds them to powder Men are weak things poore things base things fearfull things guilty things and therefore fearfull things full of bondage and slavish fear The least appearance of the high power and glory of God doth affright startle and confound rhe strongest the nost stout-harted amongst men No man no earthly man no fleshly man Dares Dares look upon God when he appears While man is able to say it is not God while he is able as he thinks to shut his eyes against him and not see him he may please himself at least a while in having a little peace and perswade himselfe that he shall doe well but this appearance of God is so sharpe so bright that he cannot must not shall not be able to shut his eyes possibly he may doe as a man that shuts his eyes against the Sun the man that lies in the Sun though he doth shut his eyes as fast as close as he is able yet the bright beames of the Sun doe so pierce and work into his eyes that he doth see do what he can So when men say This is not Christ this is not the Spirit yet the bright beames of the Sun of righteousnesse do so pierce