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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	act_n	church_n	zion_n	19	3	8.9584	4	false

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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

down the residue of the pasture with their feet and foul the water with their feet and caused the people to eat that which they had trodden and to drink of the water which they had fouled with their feet Ezekiel the 34. 18 19. Even so I conceive the Popes Clergie have defiled the ordinances of Jesus Christ by altring them from their first constitution and polluting them with their ceremonies and causing the people to back them and use them as they are pleased to command and to commit Idolatry by them and especially about the reall presence in the Sacrament Seventhly that as Antiochus having set up the Idol of abomination that maketh desolate in the temple of God and commanded the people to offer upon the Altar and those that refused he put to death even so the Pope of Rome having placed the abomination of desolation that is as I conceive the reall presence in the Sacrament did persecute and put to death all those that would not worship it and confesse this doctrine to be truth Eightly that as when Antiochus having placed the abomination that maketh desolate in the Temple of God and in the cities of Juda that then Matthias and his sons fled unto the mountaines for succour the first of Maccabees 2. 28. Even so the Lord Jesus adviseth his disciples that when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place whoso readeth let him understand then let them that be in Judea fly unto the mountains Matthew 24. 15 16. likewise I conceive the people of the Lord Jesus in the mystery are at this present to come out of the Romish Church and to fly into the mountaines of the protestant Churches where though in respect of the purity of the ordinances they come short of the perfection of the first times having lost their power and their greatest number being Christians at large that is having little else but the bare profession of Jesus Christ yet in doctrine which are things to be beleeved they come neer to the first times and I do conceive they are the earth as I shall hereafter shew God assisting me when I come to speake of the beast which did arise out of the Earth unto which the woman fled Revelation 12. 16. Ninthly that as Antiochus after he had set up the Abomination which maketh desolate in the Temple of God had such as resisted and withstood him and did exploits as Matthias and his sons and brethren with such as regarded their God even so when the Pope and his Clergie having corrupted the ordinances and set up the abomination which maketh desolate and commanded the people to worship it had such as did soon resist and withstand him with the losse of their bloud and that not a few but many as may be seen in Acts and Monuments at large treated of Tenthly and lastly that as Antiochus when he did defile the Temple of Jerusalem and set up the abomination that maketh desolate had armes to stand on his part which were the nations that were Enemies unto the Jewes and had such as did wickedly against the covenant to joyn with him Daniel the 11. 31 32. 1. Maccabees 1. 50. Even so the Pope when he did defile the Church of God by setting up the abomination that maketh desolate in the Church I mean the reall presence in the Sacrament and command the people to worship it had armes to stand on his side and doubtless all that forsook the covenant being many of the order of Monks that were the first devisers of transubstantiation for in a councell which was held in Laterane at Rome under Pope Innocent the third were gathered together through the christian world of severall nations to the number of 1300. Bishops which inacted transubstantiation as a Law to be set up throughout the whole Church in the year 1215. and then in the year 1220 Pope Honorius the third in another Councell inacted Elevation and Adoration of the Sacrament and thus was the Abomination of desolation set up in the Church of God as a law and all men commanded to worship it and so the Spirit of God forsook that Administration as you may see at large Acts and Monuments the second volume page the 457. 460. So that from these foregoing Reasons I supose I may safely conclude that it is somthing in the mystery in the church of God which the Pope is prossessed with that is the abomination that maketh desolate and drives the Spirit of God from his own worship and I know nothing in the church of Rome whereunto this may be applied so fitly as to the reall presence in the Sacrament or the fleshly body of Christ under the form of bread and if this in particular may be applied unto the abomination that maketh desolate then much more when all the ordinances of Jesus Christ in that Church are corrupted from their first purity either in substance or in form by adding many ceremonies unto them and the people forced to receive them as they command Thus having finished the description of the Beast which did arise out of the sea and spoken of the time of his standing and prevailing in the Church we wil now come to speak God assisting something of the beast which is to arise out of the earth and because I am not certain whether this beast be up or not I shall not speak much of him only I shall speak somthing of the earth from whence this beast doth arise It is a principle amongst men that earth in Scripture phrase signifies men of earthly condition being flesh and not guided by the spirit of God or if you will by earth you may take men of the meanest rank and quality in the world that is the vulgar multitude whom Mr. Prin in his Soveraignty of Parliaments and Kingdoms makes to be the originall of Authority in temporall things Reasoning thus that there was a people before there was a King And this people did originally chuse their King Now according to this principle If the Soveraignty of Authority remain in the people from whence the government ariseth and this Authority be it a King or common-wealth which you will have power to make Lawes in the church of Christ and have derived their Authority from the multitude and ascribe unto themselves the title of Head of the church of Christ it will come to passe that the multitude in generall originally and the King or state derivatively will be the head of the church of Jesus Christ which hath come to passe already in the severall nations of the protestants and this Saint John seems to intimate Revelation the 16. 19. where it is said And the cities of the nations fell where note I conceive Saint John doth not treat in this place of the civill government or state of the nations which may be applied to the nationall cities nor yet of the materiall cities of the nations as London Paris

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

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