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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89056	A further discovery of the mystery of the last times; as an addition to a little book, called Some discoveries of the mystery of the last times, bordering upon the coming of the Lord Jesus. Set forth for the good of all men; but especially of those who in these dissenting times (wherein Ephraim envieth Juda, and Juda vexeth Ephraim) know not where to settle themselves, or to what society of Christians to joyn themselves: wherein is (as simply and plainly, as the author was able to open those mysterious scriptures quoted in this following treatise) shewed the cause of all our divisions and contentions about matters pertaining to form and order in the church of Jesus Christ; and wherein is moderately proved from those scriptures these particulars. 1. The flourishing and building condition of the church of Jesus Christ in the time of the gospel. ... 7. Lastly, that the Lord Jesus will by himself destroy all those enemies, and deliver his people, when the restoration of all things shall be.	Mercer, Richard, fl. 1649-1651.; Mercer, Richard, fl. 1649-1651. Some discoveries of the mystery of the last times, bordering upon the coming of the Lord Jesus].	1651 (1651)	Wing M1732; Thomason E637_16; ESTC R206616	80,538	60

in the Church of God as have been but outward professors and therefore this makes not but that there may be a Church of Jesus Christ distinct from the world or that of antichrist and so his people may be in a Church order notwithstanding those proofes you have brought to the contrary To which I answer that there was as many foolish as wise but marke the posture they where in during this time which was that while the Bridegroome tarried all slumbred and slept Now if it be said they were asleep in spirit that is in such graces of the Spirit as love to the Lord Jesus as faith hope humility selse-deniall and all the graces of the Spirit wherein they were inwardly alive unto God in this sleepy condition if so then sure there was no difference between the wise and the foolish and then the wise must be in the number of those upon whom the day of the Lord did come and find them sleeping that is unprepared which sense being granted will overthrow the text it self for it is said that their lamps were not out whereas it was otherwise with the foolish for it is said that their lamps were out so that it must needs follow that the true sense of the place must be this That both wise and foolish were asleep in respect of outward order according to the first Gospel times or pattern and so lay together mingled under the bondage of Antichrist and so in that sense the wise were asleep as well as the foolish ut in respect of those inward graces of the Spirit as faith hope love selfe-deniall humility meekness and all those graces of the Spirit they were before the foolish virgins and this exposition is made good from Canticles 5. 2. where the Church professeth that she is asleep but her heart waketh And thus much to this objection Another objection is made against the abomination of desolation spoken of Mat. 24. 15. for say some men that the abomination spoken of in that place is the destruction of Jerusalem which fell out some forty years after our Saviours ascension for say they it is an answer to his Disciples which made the question touching the temple and besides it is said Luke 21. 20. when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with armies then know that the desolation thereof is neer To which I answer and say that this objection seemeth to have some weight for I do believe that the destruction of the City and temple is there meant but that there is another thing meant I do also affirm which I shall thus prove Therefore pray mind in the beginning of the same chapter there are three questions demanded by the disciples one of the destruction of Jerusalem and temple a second of the signes of the Lords coming and a third of the end of the world and in the same chapter there is an answer given to either of them but in Luke the 21. there is but one question demanded by the Disciples touching the destruction of the City and temple and an answer given unto it by our Saviour and some little hint of the signes going before the Lords second coming And then look into the 17. of Luke and 20 and you shal find a question propounded by the Pharisees and an answer given unto them that is That the Kingdome of God is within you and that the kingdome of God cometh not with observation neither shall they say lo here and lo there for behold the kingdome of God is within you As much as if he should have said unto them think not that the kingdome of God cometh with the vain pompe of the world or with the observation of the Sacrifices of the Temple or the Ceremonies thereof which are now ended but saith he the Kingdome of God is within you when you do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with your God and when you fulfill that great commandment which is to love God above all and your neighbour as your self as it is cleer from all the Prophers which call upon them to do Justice and to love mercy Psalm 51. 16 17. Isaiah 33. 15. and 66. 2. Micah 6. 8. Zechariah 8. 16. 17. And likewise ver 23. there are instructions given unto his Disciples how they should behave themselves unto his second coming when once the abomination was set up for he saith The dayes will come when you shall desire to see one of the dayes of the son of man and you shall not see it Implying thus much You shall desire to return unto the wayes of the Lord Jesus but you shall not for they are polluted And you shall have such as shall say unto you see here and see there but he gives the warning saying Go not after them nor follow them for as the lightning that lightneth out of one part of heaven shineth unto the other part under heaven so shall the son of man be in his day which compared with Mat. 24. 24 25 26 27. veries fully agree together So that to me it seems cleer that there is some other thing meant besides pray look in my booke called Some Discoveries of the mysteries of the last times and you shall find five Reasons given why the polluting of the ordinances is there meant It may be further objected that in regard the Lord Jesus gives warning when his Disciples shall see the abomination set up that they should flee to the mountains how I can give it a mysticall meaning seeing the words are plaine compared with Luke 21. that it is the besieging and destruction of the Temple and City For answer unto which that there is a mystery in the words I have partly declared already and shall further cleer it as first I desire it may be considered that the Gospel as touching the believing part is altogether in a mysterie secondly consider that all the Prophesies and predictions of the Gospel are mysteries and not to be fulfilled in the letter which is cleer from those places in the same chapter as verses 26 27 28 29. with the whole following chapter Thirdly consider it had been to little purpose for our Savionr to have exhorted his Disciples and the Jews to have fled into the mountains of the Earth for they must then have perished for want of subsistence or else have fell into their Enemies hands for the Romans would not suffer the Jews to inhabit any part of Judea until they had submitted themselves un to them for Josephus Of the Wars of the Jews makes mention of a part of the Jews which were fled into a wood for succour and the Romans made warr against them and destroyed almost all of them as may be seen in the history of their Wars which place having not the book in my hands I cannot direct the Reader unto therfore it must necessarily follow that it was to the mountains of the nations unto which they were exhorted to flee It may yet further be objected how I can

plain by those places Lev. 6. 22. and 7 34 35. Jer. 33. 21. and 35 19. But fourthly if all these considerations fail then let this answer suffice namely by these mens judgments confessed that whereas there is a promise annexed to the commission that they meaning his Apostles and their successors that if they failed not to do their duty in going and teaching all nations baptizing them in the purity of the ordinances that the Lord would not fail to be with them unto the end of the world but they having failed as is acknowledged by all our reformers therefore the Lord is not ingaged to his promise and is not with his people as must be acknowledged by all men as he was in the first Gospel times in respect of the purity of the ordinances It is yet further objected that if the ordinances are polluted or changed some of them then it is likely they are all corrupted and then watching and prayer being also ordinances of Jesus Christ are also corrupted To this I answer and shall make a distinction between the ordinances as first there are ordinances which for the performance of them there were officers appointed to the dispensation of them and these officers had a peculiar charge given them and had more then an ordinary Spirit given them for the performance of that worke as may be seen Acts the 2. 4. and their office was to preach baptize lay on hands and administer the Sacrament and these also were to chuse able men and to appoint ministers from hand to hand to after times by way of succession which is cleer from the first of Tim. 4. 14. and 2 Tim. 1. 6. and 2. 2. in all which places there is mention made of the Apostle and Presbitery in ordaining others for the Ministry and these had a singular ministry and commission given them for this work as may be seen Matthew 18. 19. and those that came not into the fold this way were theeves and robbers John the 10. 1. Romans the 10. 15. now if those that restore the ordinances and are the reformers in this age can shew that they received their office of ministry for the dispensation of ordinances from hand to hand by succession from the Apostles without interruption or without corrupting both the ministry and ordinances by coming through that corrupt channell of the Church of Rome why then I do beleeve they have power to set up the ordinances in their purity and we are bound to submit unto it but it being acknowledged there hath been an interruption and cessation in them by most of our reformers therefore it remaines that there should be some text or texts of Scripture which should speake of their Restoring after the cessation or corruption at the least by way of consequence but as yet I find none produced or else we goe not to Scripture Rule for all our practises But secondly concerning watching and prayer that although I do consess them to be ordinances yet they were not delivered by way of succession but may be in any man it being a gift given by Gods Spirit without any outward means concurring with it and was bestowed upon the Gentiles as well as the Jews in the time of the Law witness Job and Elihu and was bestowed indifferently upon all men without the outward means of laying on of hands in the time of the Gospel either in a gueater or lesser measure according as the spirit of God was pleased to breath in them and this may be seen in the example of Cornelius and of the Eunuch of Ethiopia though I do acknowledg those gifts and graces of the spirit were highened and enlarged by the practising of the ordinances Gods Spirit concurring with the outward means whilest the ordinances remained in their purity and also did continue to breath in the people of God after their ordinances were corrupted and doth yet without the ordinances in their purity It is further objected that if the people of the Lord Jesus are to ly scattered among the antichristian state without the benefit of ordinances in their purity or without any Gospel order contrary to the common multitude of Christians that then how can that saying of Saint Paul be fulfilled which saith he that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution First to this I answer that persecutions in some measure shall cease and this is no more then what hath been foretold by the Prophets and by Saint John in his Revelation as may be seen Hosea 2. 14. compared with Revelation 12. 6. 14. where it is said therefore Behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her now what can be here meant but that the Lord having poured out upon his people the fierceness of his wrath and visited upon them the days of Balaam and hath executed his judgements upon them as it is in the former part of the Chapter now he begins to speak comfortably unto her and gives her leave to flye to the mountaines and to nourish her in the wilderness for a time times and half a time from the face of the Serpent Zech. 14. 5. Mat. 24. 16. Revel 12. 14. But secondly though persecution in some measure doth cease yet it doth not fully cease for it is said Revel the 12. 17. and the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make warre with the remnant of her Seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ in which text pray note two things First that the Church is retired into the wilderness and but a remnant left Secondly this remnant keep the Commandements of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ. From the First I observe that there is no being of any visible Church having the Ordinances in their purity upon the face of the Earth during the time times and half a time and from the Second I observe that notwithstanding there be no visible Church upon Earth yet there is a remnant that keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ which Commandments I take to be to love God above all and our neighbours as our selves or if you will having Faith Love Self-denyall Humility Meekness Temperance Patience Justice and Righteousness and by these things give testimomy that they own Jesus Christ and to such men it is unpossible but that Satan will raise up persecution for that of Solomon doth in all ages prove true Prov. the 29. 10. 27. the bloud-thirsty hates the upright and he that is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked and this we finde by proof in these days that let men be upright in their conversation these men are alwaies envied of their neighbours and the good man is alwaies hated of the wicked for there is a great difference between them but for that persecution which doth arise unto men because they walk contrary to the practice of the common multitude that by

A further Discovery of the Mystery of the last times As an Addition to a little Book called Some Discoveries of the Mystery of the last Times bordering upon the Coming of the Lord Jesus Set forth for the good of all men but especially of those who in these dissenting times wherein Ephraim envieth Juda and Juda vexeth Ephraim know not where to settle themselves or to what society of Christians to joyn themselves wherein is as simply and plainly as the Author was able to open those mysterious Scriptures quoted in this following Treatise shewed the cause of all our divisions and contentions about matters pettaining to Form and Order in the Church of Jesus Christ and wherein is moderately proved from those Scriptures these particulars 1. The flourishing and building condition of the Church of Jesus Christ in the time of the Gospel 2. The slumbring or declining condition of the state of the said Church 3. The sleepy or dead condition in respect of outward order of the said Church with an Answer to all the objections the Author hath met with touching this subject 4. That there is to be a most glorious Restoring of the said Church by the Lord Jesus himself 5. That this Restoring will be most sudden and unexpected 6. Is shewed the severall forms of Governments which have been enemies unto the people of the Lord Jesus in these severall dispensations viz. the Dragon the Beast which did rise out of the sea the Beast that did rise out of the earth with the time of prevailing of each Government 7. Lastly That the Lord Jesus will by himself destroy all those enemies and deliver his people when the Restoration of all things shall be Hos. 2 2. 3. Plead with your mother plead for she is not my wife neither am I her husband let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight and her adulteries from between her breasts Lest I strip her naked and set her as in the day that she was born and make her as a wildernes and set her as a dry land and slay her with thirst Rev. 2. 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first work or else I will come quickly unto thee and will remove thy Candle stick out of his place except thou repent Ezek. 16. 3. And say Thus saith the Lord unto Jerusalem thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan thy father was an Amorite and thy mother an Hittite Eph. 2. 12. That at that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Hos. 2. 14. Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speak comfortably unto her Rev. 12. 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the wilderness unto her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the Serpent Rev. 16. 15. Behold I come as a thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame London Printed for W. Roybould at the Unicorn in Paul's Church-yard 1651. The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader THou shalt know that some twenty months since there came out under my name a little Book intituled Some Discoveries of the Mysteries of the last Times which coming into the hands of the men for whom principally it was intended they in stead of giving moderate Reasons against it that so the Truth might be found in these disputing times wherein every man almost shews his judgment in one sort or other and was the thing I aimed at in publishing of it began some of them at the least to vilifie both me and the work that I had set forth that it was a weak and simple thing and not worth the reading and for my person as I was credibly informed it was said That they thought I did it against my Conscience a sin if in me indeed against the holy Ghost so uncharitable were they towards me Again there was another sont of men which seemed to approve of the Work But say they You have laid down your judgment so darkly and obscurely that we are not able to reach your meaning Which things considered there came into my thoughts two main ends for which man was created the one was to glorifie God his Maker the other to be serviceable to all men in his generation Upon the account of which two ends but especially of the later I began to consider that I was a debter both to the wise and unwise Therefore to the wise I thus say that if there be any thing in this following Treatise that is worth taking notice of as it is much there should be nothing that they would esteem it not according to the worth of the Author or the manner of the delivery of it which are both mean and of no esteem but according to the truth of the thing Especially insomuch as Moses being indued with an extraordinary spirit did not despise the counsell of Jethro which was a stranger to the Common wealth of Israel and forasmuch as it pleased God to reveal to shepherds those things which were hid from the great Rabbins and learned men of that time as may be seen in the Gospel And to the unwise I say If there be any more unwise then my self that it pities me to see how we contend for the body untill we well nigh lose the spirit how earnest we are for shadows which must in their due time passe away untill we endanger to lose the substance how we quarrel for form and discipline yea unto bloud in destroying one another as hath been seen in this nation and ought to be lamented untill we almost forget that great and new Commandment which is the law of Love and all under pretence of Reforming the Church of Jesus Christ which upon due consideration made me stand amazed to see such offences committed amongst Christians in profession and as seemed zealous on both parts until entring into a most serious search into the prophesies of the last times not without the outward means of prayer and humility and sincere desire to find out the cause and knowing that the Lord had promised to reveal his secrets to the humble upon which I found and I trust by some breathings of the Spirit of God that these things were foretold and that Ephraim should envy Juda and Juda vex Ephraim and that by negative consequence they should hurt and destroy in the mountain of Gods holiness and that until there come a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse and a branch grow out of his root at which time the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea and then the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid

fallen from heaven which starr I take to be that starr which fell from heaven in the 8th chapter and 10th verse which I take to be the Bishop of Rome and as saith the text to him was given the key of the bottomlesse pit and he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and the sun and the air was darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit that is as I conceive the spirit and whole worship of Jesus Christ compared to the air wherein the saints lived spiritually as their bodies lived in the air naturally so that now all the outward worship of God is darkened and his people are asleep or dead in respect of outward order To the like purpose you have Rev. 11. 2. where the Angel saith But the Court which is without the temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two monthes thereby shewing that the ordinances which I take to be the outward Court should be defiled by men which are gentiles in manners and to be trodden down and the ordinances to be polluted and the holy City to be trodden under feet forty and two months during the dead condition of the people of the Lord Jesus Another text to the same purpose you have Rev. 11. 7. where speaking of the witnesses he saith And when they shall have finished their testimony the beast that doth ascend on t of the bottomless pit shall make war with them and shall overcome them and kill them and their dead bodies shall ly in the streets of the City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt As much as if he should say when Antichrist shall have prevailed over the worship why then the Lords people shall be among the Antichristian state as though they were dead in respect of any outward order as Lot lay or dwelt in Sodom and the children of Israel in Egypt waiting for their Deliverer Another text to the like effect you have Rev. 12. 14. where he saith And to the woman meaning the Church were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the wilderness into her place which shews that the woman which was the Church was retired and not to be seen or discerned Thus having proved and I hope cleered that the third dispensation is a sleepy and dead condition wherein the people of the Lord Jesus must live in captivity under the Antichristian state without the spirit and ordinances in that purity as was in the first Gospel times having no other note upon them but what may be in Earth or having no other form but as having a face like unto a man So that here will arise a question necessary to be discussed and that is what posture the people of God must waite in untill their Deliverer do come and deliver them out of this captivity To which I answer That all the posture which I find in Scripture for the Saints to wait in during their sleepy or dead condition is waiting for the Lord Jesus by watching and prayer and this is cleer by these Scriptures Isaiah 8. 17. Micah 7. 7. Mat. 24. 42. Mar. 13. 35. Luke 12. 36 37 39. Rev. 16. 15. and in handling of this particular that is the sleepy or dead condition of the Lords people which is the dispensation which doth precede that glorious dispensation of the Lord Jesus by himselfe unto his people I shall the Lord enabling me answer all the objections which are made against this discourse As for objections against those texts I have alleadged out of the old Testament I have not met with any it being a truth confirmed by experience of all ages that the Jews and Israelites after the flesh have lain among the nations captivated without any temple or worship or kingdome and priesthood for many ages that prophesie being fulfilled upon them Hosea 3. 4. where it is said For the Children of Israel shall abide many days without a King and without a prince and without a sacrifice and without an Image and without an ephod and without a teraphim which is a Type as I conceive of that spirituall captivity of the Lords people under Gospel dispensations which truth is abundantly confirmed by the Prophets and acknowledged almost by all the learned only herein as I conceive they mistake in that they endeavour to deliver themselves out of this bondage and captivity by themselves that is by their own gifts and abilities without that pure Anoynting of the Spirit which is prophesied to be poured out in the last times upon the Lords people when they shall see Eye to Eye when the Lord shall bring again Sion And therefore as to the old Testament I shall passe it by it being not objected against and as for objections against those texts that I have alleadged out of the new Testament there are many as first it is objected concerning the parable of the tares that though it be true say they that it is the Masters saying that the tares should grow with the wheat unto the harvest yet nevertheless this should be in the world and not that they should both grow together in the Church for if they should then it would contradict Scripture Rule which is that the Lord Jesus left power unto his Church to purge themselves and not to suffer the tares to grow among them To which I answer first pray mind how the Lord Jesus sowed good seed in his field and gave his servants power to water it and to weed out all such bad weeds as might grow amongst them now pray mark those servants in processe of time fall asleep and in time forget and neglect their duty the Divell taking this occasion soweth his tares amongst them which when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the tares also and in time grew too many for the good seed Secondly The servants in processe of time begin to wake and finding the tares by their works to be tares indeed they begin to be offended at them whereupon they go to the housholder and say unto him Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy field whence then hath it tares he said unto them An enemy hath done this The servants said unto him Wilt thou that we gather them up But he said nay left while you gather out the tares you roote up the wheat also let both grow together untill the harvest at which time I will say to the Reapers Gather together the tares first and bind them in bundles to burne them but gather the wheat into my barn It is objected again True they may grow together in the world which as the Lord Jesus expoundeth it is the field but they may not be permitted in the Church together To which I answer and desire all men to consider the difference of times for it is not now as it

prove the nations or the governments of the nations either temporall or spirituall to be mountains To which I answer that the Prophets usually apply the name of mountains to the nations or government and magistracy of the nations as may be seen Psalm 72. 3. Zechariah 4. 7. Daniel 2. 45. Rev. 6. 15. with divers the like places now it being so that the Jews were permitted to flee unto the mountains of the nations when their City and Temple were destroyed to hide themselves from the fury of the Romans their Enemies in like manner I conceive the beleeving Gentiles have the like permission to flee to the mountains of the protestant Churches to shroud themselves from the fury of their oppressing Enemies the Christian Romans when once the Abomination makes the whole worship of the Lord Jesus desolate of the Spirit of God and they cannot in conscience submit unto it and the fury of the beast being such as they that did not submit unto his worship they were to lose their lives as the Jews were sure to be cruelly handled if they did not submit to the government of the heathen Romans And so much to these objections Another objection is made against my exposition of Mat. 24. 29. of the sun moon and stars with the powers of the heavens some saying that there is meant those created lights of the heavens which guide the times and by the providence of God enlighten the Earth naturally others say the sun signifies Magistracy and the moon the Ministry To which I answer and say that the Scripture is full of such expressions as the sun moon and starrs and for the cleering of this figurative speech I shall be forced to set forth the severall Acceptions wherein the sun moon and stars is taken in Scripture First sometime the sun moon and stars is taken for those glorious lights of heaven as Josuah 10. 13. and Isa. 38. 8. with divers the like places where the sun is taken for the light of heaven Secondly somtime the sun moon and stars are taken in a figurative sense as that which is most excellent amongst men as the sun signifies that spirit of government which naturaly al men that have any excellency of nature fit for government are indued with as the spirit of counsell prudence and fortitude and the like which are vertues fit for government and may be in a naturall man the moon to figure out the laws of the nations which are divers according to the policy of every nation and are changed according as the state of things require like unto the moon and receive their light from that spirit of counsell that is in those law-makers which are indued with it the stars to signifie those eminent counsellers which shine as starrs in any common-wealth the powers of the heavens to be that Rule of government which is especially exercised in any nation where those lights are applied unto and of those sort are these Scriptures Isaiah 13. 10. and 34. 4. Ezekiel 32. 7. Joel 2. 31. and 3. 15. Rev. 6. 12 13 14. with divers other the like places and for proof of this that this is the meaning of the holy Ghost in these places pray take notice of Isaiah 34. where the same figurative speech is used in ver 4 5. it is said my sword shall be bathed in heaven behold it shall come down upon Idumea and upon the people of my curse to judgment And then in the 12. verse it is said They shall call the Nobles thereof to the Kingdome and none shall be there and all her Princes shal be as nothing Which shews plainly what is meant in the 4 verse where the like figurative speech is used And observe also Isaiah 13. 10. Rev. 6. 12 13 14. in which places there is mention made of the destruction of the nations but especially of Babylon Thirdly sometime the like figurative speech is used and applied unto the people of God and then the sun signifies the Spirit of God which his people are indued with the moon the ordinances of God as the tabernacle temple and sacrifices of the law in that standing and to the ordinances of the Gospel in the time of that standing and hath been changed according to the change of times which the Lord hath been pleased to alter in his Church in severall ages the starrs to those eminent Saints of God which as stars did shine in severall ages in the Church of God the powers of the heavens to be that Ruling power of the Lord Jesus which his people did act by his Authority in the time of the Gospel which was in the Church of Jesus Christ wherein they did receive in and cast out all such as were meet to receive or unmeet for their spirituall society and of this sense are these places of Scripture Isai. 5. 10. Joel 2. 10. Micah 3. 6. Matt. 24. 29. Rev. 8. 12. and 9. 2. In which places it is to me evident that those things are meant But it may be objected that this is but my exposition without any Scripture proof for it To which I answer and desire all men to weigh diligently those places of Scripture as Isaiah 60. 19. 20. where the prophet speaking of the glory of the Church in her Restoring saith The sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee meaning as I conceive when the Lord restores his Church and people they shall need none of those secondary means to enlighten them with but the Lord shall be unto them an everlasting light and thy God thy glory and then in the 20. verse it is said Thy sun shall no more go down neither shall thy moon with-draw it self in which texts are two things considerable to this purpose first that the Church hath a sun and moon secondly that this sun hath gon down and this moon withdrawn her self and I think that no man can find out any fitter exposition to the sense of the text then this is and to the order of the Church in all ages which some time hath been flourishing with abundance of the Spirit of God and the laws of the Administrations touching outward order especially kept and the Church being crowned with her twelve stars which abundantly did shine in her and encrease her glory Sometime again she hath been in captivity and her temple and ordinances destroyed and made desolate of the spirit of God and the glory of God in respect of outward administrations by degrees leaving her for her sins as it is plainly set forth Ezekiel 10. and 11. chapters besides the experience of things in all ages doth confirm this truth as is cleer unto us in these dayes and explained by me in my book of some discoveries of the mystery of the last times page the 14. Secondly pray take notice of Rev. 12. 1. where Saint John saw a wonder in heaven a woman cloathed with the sun and the moon under her feet

that corrupt channel of the Church of Rome therefore it must needs follow that insomuch as the Scripture is acknowledged to be our director in all things by all Reformers and for so much as all that enter not by the door are theeves and robbers John 10. 1. and for as much as none can preach except they be sent according to the doctrine of Paul Romans the 10. 15. and for as much as the prophet Isaiah sends us to the Law and to the Testimony and saith If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isaiah 8. 20. and the Apostle Saint Paul in the aforesaid text of the Romans alledgeth Scripture for his and others preaching the Gospel and saith As it is written how beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tydings of good things therefore I say If we will reform being the lesser part we must necessarily have some Scripture for our warrant to shew that the time is out for our deliverance and some mention made in Scripture of some Anoynting to reform the Church of Jesus Christ after the ordinances are corrupted or changed as is acknowledged which if it can be produced either by plain letter or by consequence that when once the ordinances are changed or corrupted that they are to be restored in their purity and that the people of the Lord Jesus are to gather themselves out of Babylon or the Antichristian state wherin they lay in captivity among all sorts of men in visible bodies with all those officers as Apostles Pastors Teachers and Elders as they were in the first Gospel times before the Lords appearing to restore his people I shall by the help of God subscribe unto them and confess my Errour yet nevertheless there are some texts alledged for the maintenance of it I shall name them as I go and examine them according to my understanding and leave them to the men that alledged them to judg The first text which is aleadged for the raising of ordinances is from Psalm 75. 2. where the prophet speaking in the person of God saith when I shall receive the congregation I will judg uprightly whence is inferred that when the Lord Jesus doth appear there will be a congregation To which I answer and do confess that the Psalmist in that place speaks of the appearance of Jesus Christ as is plain from verse the first where it is said for that thy name is neer thy wondrous works declare but touching that 2 verse from whence that inference is taken I conceive the true sense is no other but that before the Lord appeare the congregation is judged unrighteously by the men of the world or by such as Rule in the Church of Jesus Christ having no commission from him or as it is in Matthew the 24. 48. and Zechariah 11. 16. by that evill servant which saith in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken but when the Lord doth appear he will take the government of the congregation to himself and will judg uprightly Agreeable to those texts of Scriptures Isa. 11. 4. Micah 4. 3. The second text is from Isaiah 10. 27. where it is said And it shall come to passe in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulders and his yoake from off thy neck and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the anyonting from whence is inferred that in the last dayes the Lord will anoynt his people by his Spirit so that they shall by degrees gather themselves out of Babylon or the antichristian state into bodies or single fellowships to meet the Lord in Sion For answer unto which pray note the text it self for it is not said thou shalt deliver thy self because of the anoynting but it is said In that day his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder and the yoake from off thy neck and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the annointing which argueth thus much that the Lord will deliver his people by the hand of some extraordinary messenger that he wil appoint for that purpose which I conceive is the Lord Jesus for he alludes unto the deliverance of his people out of Egypt and to that deliverance from Midian at the rock Oreb as it is in the foregoing verse being the 26. Now it is known to all men that in those deliverances there was Moses and Gideon extraordinarily sent to deliver his people and can it be thought that in that great deliverance of all the deliverances that have happened unto the people of God that deliverance from sin and death only excepted wherin Ephrahim shall no more envy Juda nor yet Juda vex Ephrahim and that from thenceforth the wolf and the lamb shall feed together and that from thenceforth they shall hurt nor destroy no more in the mountain of Gods holinesse that the Lord will deliver his people by themselves contrary to his practice in all ages as may be abundantly proved from Moses Joshua Jeptha Deborah Barak unto Zorobabel which were all types of that great deliverer of his people as may be seen Haggai 2. 23. where Jesus Christ is set forth under the name of Zorobabel Beside pray mark the 33d verse of that 10. of Isaiah where it is plainly said Behold the Lord the Lord of bosts shall lop the bough with terrour and the high ones of stature shall be hewen down and the mighty shall be humbled and he shall cut down the thickets of the forrest with iron and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one Now let any man judge if this be meant his people by themselves or else the deliverance to come by some extraordinary messenger The next two texts which are alleadged for the raising of ordinances I put them both together because I suppose they aime at one and the same thing are the 2 Pet. 2. 11 14. and the Epistle of Jude ver 20 21. where it is said Wherefore beloved seeing you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse And then in Jude it is said But ye beloved edifie your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost and keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternall life From whence is gathered that in the last daies the people of the Lord Jesus Christ must walk in Gospel order being baprized and gather themselves into visible bodies to meet the Lord in Sion To which I answer and desire all men to take notice of the scope of the Apostles in these two places namely to arme the Christians unto whom they wrote to take heed of false teachers which were crept in amonst them to beware of them and to be watchfull over themselves and that they should build up themselves in their most holy

and to keep himself unspotted of the world Which having further considered I began more fully to understand the sense of those three places of that most Evangelicall Prophet Isaiah in his 29th chapter and 17th verse where it is said Is it not yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitfull field and the fruitfull field shall be esteemed as a Forrest and that text in the 32. chapter and 15 verse where it is said Vntill the Spirit be poured out upon us from on high and the wildernesse be a fruitfull field and the fruitfull field be counted as a Forrest and that text in his 35. chapter and 7 verse where it is said And the parched ground shall become a poole and the thirsty land springs of water in the habitation of dragons where each lay shall be grasse with reeds and rushes In all which places the Prophet testifieth that in that great change when the Lord restores his people by pouring out his Spirit from on high there shall be a fruitfull field which will then be counted as a Forrest which according to this doctrine I suppose cannot well be applied to any but to the Church of Rome it so flourishing by converting of nations and by the sanctity of doctrine and life of the chiefe professors thereof and this I am induced to believe from those two places Matthew the 23. and 15. where it is said Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you compasse sea and land to make one proselite and when he is made ye make him two fold more the child of hell then your selves And that of the Apostle to the Romans chapter 10. 2. where he saith speaking of the Jews For I bear them record that they have zeal of God but not according to knowledg from whence I inferr that in a corrupt Church there may be a zeal of God though not according to knowledg which may reach to the converting of nations and to abundance of zeal in works of the flesh such as man is able to devise of himself and also in that great change there will be a people that in the esteem of the world and in these actions which are set forth as marks of the true Church in this book and place thereof that before men will be counted a fruitfull field which shall then prove the Forrest so much doth the Lord reject mens performances devised by themselves But I am not ignorant that it may be readily objected that those places of the prophet Isaiah have reference unto the Jewes which esteemed themselves as a fruitfull field and counted the gentiles as a Forrest and by our Saviours and his Apostles preaching were converted and became the fruitfull field and the Jewes became the forrest For answer unto which I do acknowledg that the prophet Isaiah hath prophesies touching the same thing but those three places speak of that great change at the Lords bright appearing to restore all things which I shall prove from the texts themselves where note in the 29. chap. and 20. verse he saith for the terrible one is brought to nought and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for iniquity are cut off which is not yet performed for there are many that yet watch for iniquity and many scorners not cut off And then in the 22 verse it is said Therefore thus saith the Lord who redeemed Abraham concerning the house of Jacob Jacob shall not now be ashamed neither shall his face wax pale which shews cleerly that this change was to be wrought when the Lord restored the house of Jacob and I beleeve no man will say that Jacob is yet restored And in the 32. chapter and 13. verse it is said speaking of that desolate condition of the Jews and I conceive mystically also of the beleeving Gentiles Upon the land of my people shall come up thornes and bryers yea upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city and in next verse he shews the reason because the palaces shall be forsaken the multitude of the city shall be left the forts and towers which I conceive are mystically Churches shall be dens for ever a joy of wild asses a pasture of flocks But after the Spirit is poured out in the 18. verse he saith And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places which cannot yet be applyed unto the Jews nor yet to the beleeving Gentiles And touching that text in the 35. chapter pray take notice that the prophet having in the 34. chapter spoken of the destruction of the nations but especially of Idumea or mysticall false brethren comes in the 35. chapter to say The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them that is for their destruction and the desart shall rejoyce and blossom as a rose and then in the second verse it is said The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it that is to the wildernesst and I am sure this is not yet performed neither to the nations nor yet to the Church which in this chapter is compared to a wilderness and parched ground therefore I conclude these texts are no way appliable to the Jewes and Gentiles at the Lords first appearing And thus much by way of digression now again to my former matter Seventhly I shall prove that the people of the Lord Jesus must wait for their Master by watching and prayer in this sleepy and dead condition without the purity of ordinances by that deaf lame and blind condition that they shal be found in when the Lord destroys Babylon and delivers them and this I shall prove from Isa. the 29. 18. and 35. 5 6. in which places it is said Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leap as an hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and why what is the cause of this great change he saith for in the wilderness shall streams break forth and waters in the desart and all this to follow the destruction of the nations and false brethren as in the foregoing chapter Now if it be thus that when the Lord delivers his people by destroying their Enemies they shall be blind lame and deaf and like a wilderness which I think no man will be so impudent as to affirm that the people of the Lord Jesus shall be blind lame and deas and like a wilderness in respect of the graces of the spirit as faith hope love self-deniall and meekness but in respect of outward order and discipline how comes it to passe that we have so many men that boast of the spirit that they be come to Sion and enjoy God perfectly and are not sensible of any sin and how comes it to passe that we have so much boasting of the purity of ordinances and of Apostles and Prophets as it was in the first Gospel times I profess that if any have