confirm it again when Israel came out of Babylon nor after the Book of the Law was lost and found again in the dayes of Josia no more need we any Sign to confirm that which is already confirmed and also we know that John did no Miracle and yet was an approved Administrator Again whereas Mr. Henden said that he was a legal Minister and a Minister of condemnation which had no visible demonstration from the spirit viz. Miracle The answer was then Mr. Henden was a legal one and a Minister of condemnation because he professeth himself to be a Minister and yet never work a Miracle that ever I heard of there was much time spent upon a kind of running discourse to little edification for that which I would have had done in order to the legal managing of the discourse was that there should have been one question stated at a time and that managed but when one began he spoke of several things and so confounded one with another and cleared it not as it should be I could repeat what was said about the four Winds and what was said by Captain Tucker as to the grounding of faith upon the obscure and dark Prophesies which was well minded although not well weighed by our Antagonist and as I think as little understood I have found it a sure maxime that the greatest confidence amongst men hath the least reason to warrant it which is sad And whereas Hebrews 12. was brought together with Galatians 4. to prove the Church to be called Mount-Zion neither of the places proveth it the Apostle to the Galatians tels us that it is the Covenant which is called Jerusalem which is from above and from the Hebrews we learn also that it is the Covenant or the thing Covenanted and whereas he saith that we are come to mount-Mount-Zion he also saith that we are come to an innumerable company of Angels and to God the Judge of all things and the Spirits of just men made perfect so that we are come to one as well as to another and to neither of them but by faith in the Covenant for while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight And Paul doth not say to the Galatians that ye are mount-Mount-Zion or Jerusalem but Jerusalem which is from above is the Mother of us all so then it was the Church which was called Jerusalem but Jerusalem from above was the Churches Mother mark a difference between the Children and the Mother and secondly the Author to the Hebrews doth not call the Church of the Hebrews Mount-Zion but tels them that they were come to Mount-Zion viz. the Covenant of Mount-Zion and the Heavenly Jerusalem but I shall leave these things at present and pass to the Answer of some Objections usually urged against the perpetuation of Christs Ordinances or the constant practising of them and the first that I shall speak to is Object 1. There was a time when God did appear in his Ordinances which shewed there was the power of the Spirit went along with them as Peter in his Ministry in converting three thousand souls at one Sermon saith Mr. John Henden but now we see not the same effects therefore the cause ceaseth God hath left them and they are become as a dead carkass without a soul Answ It is very true there was a time when there was such need of a visible demonstration of Gods Spirit to go along with his Ordinances to bear witness to the sons of men that they were the Ordinances that were approved of by the Lord that they might be a pattern or platform for all men to walk in to the Worlds end and hence it was that when God gave to Moses and the rest of the Children of Israel the pattern of the administration of the Law he gave it with the visible demonstration of his own presence with thundrings and lightenings and the Mountain smoaking with a visible maifestation of Gods glory with and upon Moses so that his face did so shine with the Glory of God when he came from the Mount that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly behold him by reason of the brightness of the Glory of God shining upon him this was his appearance when he came down with the Tables of the Law written by God so gloriously did God appear in the giving forth of it but afterwards all that the Children of Israel were to do was to have the words of the Law read to them and they to do it or keep it and not to say who shall ascend up into Heaven for some visible demonstration but the Law is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou maist do it saith Moses Deut. 30.10 11 12. even so saith St. Paul Rom. 10.6 7. The righteousness of faith speaks on this wise say not in thy heart who shall ascend up into Heaven to fetch Christ down from above c. but what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart So that true faith giveth heed to Gods word and looks not for miracles for so saith Christ blessed is he that hath not seen and yet believed for a sinful and an adulterous generation seek a sign but none shall be given unto them c. Secondly If no Ordinance may be an approved Ordinance of God but such an one as hath a visible manifestation according to Mr. Hendens sense as aforesaid then he himself never met together so as God did approve of it because we find that when the Disciples met together the house spoke where they were assembled Thirdly his Ordinance of preaching hath not the Spirit with it because instead of converting three thousand at one Sermon I suppose he never converted three hundred in his life nor scarce half half so many and as for the Ordinance of Prayer I never heard any of those that usually hear Mr. Henden say that he hath prayed till the place hath spoke where he was praying as it did when the Disciples were a Praying Acts 4.31 and as for the Ordinance of Preaching and praying and the like Mr. Henden saith he owns to continue in all ages uncorrupted and they had once as great a visible manifestation as any Ordinance that I know of and yet there is no more appearance in a visible manifestation in them now than there is in any other Ordinance which Mr. Henden cryeth down and I may fitly say to Mr. Henden as Christ said to the Scribes and Pharisies which did much dote upon signs and miracles that the Kingdome of Heaven cometh not with Observations as gadding after miracles saying loe here or loe there for the Kingdome of God is within you that is as if he should have said it consists more in inward glory than outward glory or manifestation for the Kings daughter is all glorious within and the proper work of the Spirit is within as Christ
from him for Christ hath destroyed him that had power over death which is the Devil and hath delivered us by Resurrection who by the reason of the fear of death were kept in slavery all our life long For nothing would be so troublesome to the godly as the thought of death were it not for a Resurrection but saith the Lord I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces Hosea 13.14 Isa 25.8 2 Sam. 14.14 Heb. 2.14 From these Reasons and Scriptures and many more which might be added we may clearly see That the dead namely such as do now and shall sleep in the dust shall arise both good and bad and come to Judgment And now courteous Reader seeing it is so that the dead as before said must arise and come to Judgment be exhorted to take up that good resolution with the holy man Job 14.14 which saith If a man die shall he live again then all the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come giving thanks alwayes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away Therefore gird up the lines of thy mind waiting for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body according to his promise and mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light To whom be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Pet. 1.3 Phil. 3.20 21. 2 Tim. 1.10 Secondly take this word of advice by way of Caution which is take heed and beware of giving heed to such as do deny the Resurrection of whom there is two sorts now in our dayes as there was in the Apostles dayes the one sort is like unto the Saduces Mat. 22.23 which deny that there is any Resurrection Angels or Spirits viz. God or Devil Heaven or Hell of that sort is the Ranter and his adherents and such like Athiestical Spirits And the other are like unto HYMENEVS and PHILETVS 2 Tim. 2.17 18. who say that the Resurrection is already past whose words eat as doth a canker and of this sort is the Quakers who doth affirm that he is already risen from the dead and in the Resurrection and so the Resurrection is past to him who denyeth iniquity in words in the history and yet heaps up iniquity upon iniquity in the mystery And these are the two sorts which may fitly be compared unto the Sect of the Saduces and to Hymeneus and Phyletus and I do not report the things whereof I write by hear-say but from their own mouths the more is the pitty and to be lamented These two sorts differ in manners or conversation but very little in Judgment in point of doctrine unless it be in that of conversation as before said the which if they had the conversation of Angels and yet so corrupt in principle the Scripture declares them to be in a cursed and miserable condition Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Col. 2.18 19. Acts. 3.23 24. And indeed the conversation of many of them is bad enough although they disfigure their faces and seem unto men to fast from sin and to be more righteous then others yet they have been seen to want that special duty of prayer in their families and giving thanks in the presence of their Families for their food which God hath bestowed on them although Christ and the Apostle did not neglect to do their duty in that case to lead us an example but no more as to this I shall leave it until the day in the which God will try the wayes of the sons of men and discover all deceit and falsehood of what nature soever it be But as touching the opinion about Gods holy Ordinances by which he hath appointed to be worshipped in is sleighted and rejected by them as water-Baptisme and eating of Bread and drinking of Wine solemnly celebrated to set forth Christs death and a participation of the benefit thereof with the slightings of forms as they call them although God delight in nothing which is out of form and order as the host of Heaven and earth doth declare who when God found them without form and void did by his word put them in form and order and gave decrees to the Sea and ordinances unto the Sun Moon and Stars and they keep them so that God delights in form and order and also is a God of order in all the Churches of the Saints hence Saint Paul commended form Rom. 6.17 18. in these words But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you being therefore made free from sin ye became the servants of Righteousness c. From whence you may see That those men which do slight and deny forms in our dayes have not received that Spirit which was in the Apostle but another Spirit even the Spirit of error although it strive to transform it self into an Angel of light that thereby it may deceive the hearts of the simple for men are got to this height of wickedness in the mystery as to think that they comprehend all things and so consequently are Gods but they shall die like men for their breath is in their nostrils yet talk of what you will almost it is in them as they say as the first Adam and the second and God and also the Serpent slain within them the tree of life and the tree of knowledg the judgment seat Heaven and Hell Mount Zion and the new Jerusalem the two witnesses and what not they have comprehended all these things as they say but alass they die and in the very same time their thoughts perish and they are chased and gone like a vision of the night Mark one peece of horrible pride of Spirit which is in them they will not allow the holy Scriptures to be called the word of the Lord neither do they exhort and press men to be diligent to read and keep the things contained therein but their fraughty books must some of them bear the Title of the word of the Lord to the world and earthly men and the like so that he that seeth but very little may see them to be the men before spoken of which shall deny all that is worshipped as God shewing themselves that they are God O horrible pride and yet pretended humility this is ungodliness in a mystery I shall not enter upon the particulars of their bottomless opinion first because it is not my task at this time and
God never did appoint any man to be wicked yet he hath of old foreseen wickedness and also hath appointed punishment for it Question 2. Hath not God Elected one sort of persons to Salvation before the world was from whence they cannot fall and rejected another sort which cannot be recovered Answ Nay for then all did not fall in Adam neither were all justified by Christ but all did fall by Adams sin and all were justified by Christs righteousness Rom. 5.18 Mistake not there is a twofold justification I shall not explain it at present but read the text Rom. 5.18 Secondly there is no such thing because that many times those that have been wicked have become righteous and of bad have been made good and also such as have been righteous and good have become wicked and bad as the Angels which were once good are now bad also Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1.19 20. and those spoken of 1 Tim. 5.12 and 15. who had condemnation or were condemned because they had forsook their first faith and Saul had once the spirit of God and was beloved and yet he became wicked by reason of his wickedness about the business of the Amalekites and the good spirit of the Lord left him and he was rejected but to pass this and many such instances which might be added if I had time consider this If God have elected one sort of men to Salvation from whence they cannot fall before the foundation of the world and reprobated another sort that cannot be saved Then First Is not mans ruin from the Lord if his decree were thus made before man was made which so to affirm were to affirm that which the Scripture denyeth and so to put the lye upon God Secondly if that Doctrine be true then to what end is preaching and the like for if the Elect were never preached unto they cannot miscarry for their election stands sure and their Salvation is certain and if they have all the preaching to in the world it adds nothing unto them for the end of all means is Salvation and that they have whether they ever hear the sound of the Gospel yea or nay and therefore if that opinion be true preaching is but of very little use unto the Elect for they should have had Salvation if they had never heard of it And Secondly it is no wayes beneficial to the reprobate because if he had all the preaching unto in the world it would do him no good according to that opinion because he could never be recovered out of that estate and condition by it so then that opinion is very dangerous First because it makes Gods decree the author of sin for where God decreeth the end he decreeth the means leading to the end Secondly it makes the preaching of the Word of God of none effect for the Elect cannot perish if they be never preached unto and the reprobate cannot be recovered by all the preaching to in the world Thirdly it destroyes all christian assurance and builds men upon qualifications and not upon promises for this reason Because if there be but a very small number elected and they are not distinguished by name but by qualification then no man can prove his election but by his qualification and that is to build up men in themselves and not upon free grace in a promise and so their election is many times questioned when they are overtaken in temptation and have not the fruits of election appearing in them especially when they consider how great enjoyments and spiritual gifts and heavenly tastes men may attain unto and yet may not be in the election And Fourthly That opinion is the very fountain head as I may say of uncleanness for what is the plea of wicked men when they are reproved for sin in short thus say they if it had pleased God to have given me grace I should have done as other men but nevertheless if I be elected God will have a time to call me for it is not in my power to do good of my self and if I be not elected it is not my striving and endeavours will do me any good and by reason of this corrupt Judgment and corrupt mind men give up themselves up to walk in such courses as the flesh and carnal mind lusteth after Fifthly If that opinion be true that God hath elected one sort and reprobated another sort and that before the world was then the wicked are damned for doing the will of God as will plainly appear for what God hath decreed to bring to pass he doth decree to do it by means as first to save the elect thorow holiness and to damn the wicked for their wickedness and one he melts and softeneth that he may yeeld and be obedient and the other he hardeneth that he may be glorified in their destruction and if God do harden mens hearts to do wickedly is it not plain that it is the will of God they should so do for God works all things according to the counsel of his own will and then if so that God harden them to do wickedly and then deny them because they do wickedly doth not God damn the wicked for doing his will or for the doing of what he appointed them to do Let all Judge for so say some that men are appointed of God unto wickedness and disobedience from this scripture 1 Pet 2.8 But how that can be evil or disobedience for men to do what God hath appointed them to do as yet I know not And Sixtly and lastly If this opinion be true then we may not blame the wicked for any of their wickedness but conclude that the fault is in him if it be wickedness that they commit that did decree it and appoint it to be done and thus God by this vain and wicked opinion is made the author of all the wickedness which is committed and how dangerous it is I leave the reader to judge this short word premised and pass to the next thing considerable although I would have answered some Objections about this point but because I find none material cited by my Antagonist but that which I have answered in my former Treatise and also because my time is very pretious at present and calls for brevity and therefore I shall now come to speak to the last Particular in order which shall be the conclusion of this first part of my book which is about the Kingdome of our blessed Saviour and his Saints upon earth finding but little Objections by any urged against the Jewes return out of their captivity and none cited by my Antagonist worth speaking to and therefore I now come to prove That Christ and the Saints shall possess a Kingdome and raign upon earth OF The Personal Raigne OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR AND HIS SAINTS UPON EARTH HEre is comprehended in this Subject of Discourse such good newes as will doubtless comfort the heart of every one that waits for the Lord Jesus
the Scriptures as you may read Isa 9.6 7. In these words For unto us a child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the THRONE OF DAVID and upon HIS KINGDOME to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it then shall the Sun be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord of hosts shall raign IN MOVNT ZION AND IN JERVSALEM before his ancients gloriously Isa 24.23 From these Scriptures you may see that Christs Throne is to be in Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the time of his raign as First because God himself hath declared it by the Spirit of prophesie in David Psal 2.6 7. Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion c. Secondly it is a Doctrine preached by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1.30.31 32. In these words And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God And beh 〈◊〉 ld thou shalt coceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and be called the Son of the highest and the Lord shall give unto him the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID c. Thirdly Jerusalem is to be called the Throne of the Lord as faith the Prophet Jer. 3.17 Fourthly The Lord himself saith that he will dwell there Zach. 8.3 In these words Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth it is a Prophesie of the last times as is very clear from the Text. Fifthly The Lord saith that Zion and Jerusalem is his rest and dwelling place for ever speaking prophetically also by David Psal 132.13 and Isaiah saith Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Isa 12.6 A clear Prophesie of Christs Kingdome Again Lastly That Christs Seat is to be in Zion in Jerusalem is clear for Micah prophesying of the last dayes and of both the Houses of Israels return viz. Israel and Judahs return out of their last long captivity saith I will make of her that halteth a remnant and her that mas cast off a strong nation and the Lord shall raign over them IN MOVNT ZION henceforth even for ever for the Lord hath appeared of old unto thee saying I have loved thee with an everlasting love for there shall be a day that the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry arise ye and let us go up to ZION VNTO THE LORD OVR GOD. For there shall the glorious Lord be unto thee a place of broad rivers for he shall roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem for the LORD DWELETH IN ZION Micah 4.2 3 4 5 6. Jer. 31.6 Amos 1.2 Isa 31.4 Chap. 33.2 From these and many more Scriptures and reasons that might be given we may see where Christs Throne shall be in the time of his Kingdome which is on Mount Zion in Jerusalem that Throne which was his Father Davids which he took from the Jebusites and Christ will also take it from the Antichrist and will possess it for ever that the everlasting covenant may be made good in him even the sure mercies of David not to want a man to sit upon his Throne but that of the fruit of his loynes according to the flesh he should raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne and so shall the word of the Lord be fulfilled in its time which speaks of Christs Kingdome according to the very letter of the word as it was fulfilled in the letter of the word about his sufferings and thus I pass this particular and come to the sixt and last which is how long Christ shall raign and the estate of the wicked in that time Sixthly As it hath been already proved that Christ and the Saints shal receive a kingdom raign upon earth now I shal proceed to resolve the matter as touching the time and that is also fore-told in the Scriptures to be a thousand yeares which time will contain ten generations it being preconsidered that persons shall live in that day to be an hundred years old according to the words of the Prophet Isa 65.20 which saith There shall be no more thence an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes for the child shall die an hundred yeares old and the sinner being an hundred yeares old shall be accursed and that curse shall be the same spoken by the Prophet Zech. 14.12 and that the time will be a thousand years is plain from the words of the Lord to John Rev. 20.4 5 6 7. where the Lord shewed John that the godly were to live again after death and to raign with Christ a thousand yeares before the rest of the dead men viz. the wicked were to live again But if it should be demanded of me whether Christ and the Saints shall raign but one thousand yeares I should not say possitively that they are to raign no longer as just to limit the time yet I shall give my judgment as a man who have obtained favour of the Lord and say its like that a thousand yeares may be the set time first because we know that Christ is to give up the Mediator-ship and kingdome into the hands of the Father and then he is to be all in all as you may read 1 Cor. 15.24 and the Son then must be in subjection to the Father so that although Christ be to receive the Kindom and greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven and possess it and raign yet he is to leave it again at the time appointed of the Father which seems to be the time before mentioned viz. at the end of the thousand yeares but if it should be objected and said Object That that thousand years raign which you speak of may possibly be but the very time or day that Christ and the Saints shall pass sentence upon the wicked as Christ to judge the righteous to be said to judge as they acknowledg Christs judgement to be just so trample down the wicked because the Apostle saith that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 Answ It cannot be so understood because Christ is to sit upon the Throne of his father David and to GOVERN IT in which time his dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the rivers unto the end of the world they that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow to him his enemies shall lick the dust the Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents
9. the duties of charity all these are acknowledged by you to be perpetuated and to remain Secondly the other number as 1 Confirmation 2 Ordination 3 Church-Censure 4 Church-stating these are corrupted and are ceased as you say and which of these is the greatest number I leave the wise to judge from whence they may see that the two Pipes should not parallel with the perpetuated Ordinances and therefore shall leave them as excellent in their proper place and signification but altogether of an uncertain sound as they have been applyed not fit for persons to dance after and thus I leave this particular and come to speak somewhat to the four Winds Revel 7.1 The four Winds saith Mr. Henden Page 4. Is to be understood the Winds of the Spirit the begetting and preserving cause of these visible keyes before spoken of where by reason of the falling away were wholly with-held from their apparent blast and the cause failing the effects must also cease These four Angels we conceive to be evil Spirits working by their principal Ministers the four capital Patryarchs of the Christian World to wit the Bishop of Alexandria for the South of Antioch for the East of Constantinople for the North and Rome for the West who usurping all ecclesiastical government into their hands did by their contention and pride gradually detain the four Winds from breathing in the external regement till at the last the head-ship fell into Rome Page 29. Answ There is many things laid down the which I shall speak to in particular and that very briefly because I am much straitned for time and also I think there is so little coulour of truth in it that few will believe it whether I speak any thing to it yea or nay but because I would not willingly miss any thing that seems of weight in your eye I shall examine the particulars and first to the first which is The four Winds spoken of Revel 7.1 Is the Winds of the Spirit saith Mr. Henden In Answer to this I shall cite the Text and speak little to it but leave the Reader to Judge see the Text Revel 7.1 in these words And After these things I saw four Angels standing on the four corners of the Earth holding the four Winds of the EARTH that the Wind should not blow upon the Earth nor on the Sea nor on any green Tree From these words we may take notice that the four Winds are called the Winds of the EARTH mark that and wherever the Spirit of the Lord or the breathings forth of his Spirit is called by the name of the four Winds of the Earth I never yet read although I have examined Ezek. 1.4 5. chap. 37.9.14 Acts 2.2 The which none of the places run parallel with Revelations 7.1 They are not called the four Winds of the Earth as for Exekiels vision chap. the first Ezekiel saw the Heavens opened it was not the four Winds of the Earth no but a whirle-wind and a cloud from the OPEN HEAVENS North-ward in the which whirle-wind the Lord appeared to Ezekiel between the sour living creatures which were Cherubims and we know it is usual for the Lord to appear in a whirle-wind between the Cherubims that those living creatures spoken of in Ezek. 1.5 were Cherubims and that the Lord dwelleth between or amongst the Cherubims is clear from chap. 10. compared with 1 Sam. 4.4 2 Kings 19.15 Psal 80.1 and 99.1 And that which is spoken obscurely in the first chap. of Ezekiel is more plainly expounded in Chap 10. where the living creatures spoken of in Chap. 1. are called Cherubims in Chap. 10.20 in these words This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar and I knew that they were Cherubims Time would fail me to open the matter contained in the vision and the end of it but enough to prove that it relates not at all to the four Winds spoken of in Revel 7. Secondly as to the Winds spoken of in Ezek. 37.9 I say that its only used by way of allusion because our lives are called wind Job 7.7 and Israel being in captivity and so as dead men the Lord sheweth the Prophet Ezekiel that he would revive them and recover them out of their captivity and bring them again into their own Land vers 21. and also we may observe that they must first have the breath of life and be brought out of their graves which breath of life to raise them from their graves was to come from the four Winds and then after this they were to be brought into their own Land and the Spirit of God was not to be poured out upon them while they were in captivity but after they were come into their own Land at a set time Zech. 12.9 10 11. which sheweth that Wind spoken of there was not that Spirit which you aim at which if it were yet it holds no agreement with the text cited by you Revel 7.1 because it is not called the Winds of the Earth for there is the Winds of the Earth and there is the Winds of Heaven Dan. 8.8 Chap. 11.4 Zech. 2.6 Mat. 24.31 Revel 7.1 Thirdly To the Text cited by you Acts 2.2 in these words And suddenly there came a sound FROM Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind c. from these words we may see that this Wind came from HEAVEN and so was not that Wind spoken of in Revel 7. Because that was the four Winds of the EARTH mark that Fourthly it doth not say that there came a Wind from Heaven and sate upon each of them but cloven tongues which sate upon each of them and the sound was like unto a mighty rushing Wind it doth not say it was a Wind that blew but there was heard a sound as it were a mighty rushing Wind so then the sound of it was as it were or like a Wind and every likeness is not the same but why need I keep such a stir about this Wind I remember Mr. Henden saith in his 28. Page and line 19 20. that the with-holding the Winds of the Spirit hurt not the elect his words are these all save the elect were hurt thereby and subverted From whence we now learn from what Mr. Henden saith in this place that it was from the reprobate that the Winds of the Spirit was with-held from blowing on them This is that I understand from his words if I understand him aright unless there be a third sort of men that is to say the elect and reprobate and another sort which is neither elect nor reprobate and if this be Mr. Hendens opinion viz. that the with-holding of the Winds of the Spirit did not hurt the elect but the reprobate then one of us have fought as it were with our own shadow for it was ever my judgment since I knew any thing of God that Gods holy Spirit was ever with-held from the reprobate they having no part or portion in
it And thus I pass the sour Winds at present and come to speak somewhat briefly to the Angels which is saith Mr. Henden The Angels spoken of Revel 7.1 we conceive saith he to be evil Spirits working by their principal Ministers the four capital Patryarchs of the Christian World to wit the Bishop of Alexandria c. Answ Methinks it 's very strange Doctrine to be published or to be believed namely to say that evil Spirits should have power to hold the good Spirits and so the good Spirit or the Spirit of God to become as it were subordinate to the evil that God should put his Spirit into the hands of the Devil I have read in Acts 7.51 1 Thes 5.19 that wicked MEN may resist the counsel of God or Spirit of God against themselves and quench the workings of the Spirit of grace within themselves whereby they should be Sealed unto the day of Redemption But I never yet read that the Devil or wicked men could hinder the working of Gods Spirit in or amongst his Church and to think that God would give his good Spirit to be holden by and among wicked Spirits is very vain and rediculous for what concord hath Christ with Belial or what fellowship hath light with darkness or God with the Devil But peradventure some will say we cannot indeed readily believe that ever God gave his Spirit into the custody of evil Spirits to hold Therefore what Angels do you think they were and what were the Winds Answ The Angels I understand to be the Angels of the Lord who are Ministring Spirits sometimes to administer blessings but now sent forth by God to execute his Judgments upon the great Antichrist after the Man-child was caught up to God to his Throne for it followeth in the nick of time even when the Heaven is rowled together like a serouse Revel 6.14 15 16. to the great amazement that will be at the sign of the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory and at that time woe be to the inhabitants of the earth and sea Revel 12.12 because of the Devils being come down and then shall go forth the seven Angels to pour out their Vials upon the earth and at that time also shall the four Angels that held the four Winds execute their office at which time there shall fall grievous and noysome sores upon those that have received the mark of the Beast Revel 16.1 2 3. That both Sea and Land shall be infected and the Sun scorching with heat every green tree and the Sons of men also and by reason of the Winds being with-held the earth Sea and Rivers and Fountains of water together with the Sons of men shall be so scolded with the heat of the Sun that they shall be grievously perplexed and shall blaspheme the name of God because of the plagues Revel 16.9 and the execution of these things will be in the time of the Prophesie of the two witnesses Revel 11.6 compared with Zech. 5.1 2 3. with Revel 10.2 vers 10. chap. 11.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. the which if the Lord will I shall speak to more at large anon when I come to discover what the outward Court and holy City is and of its being trod under foot and who the woman is which travaileth and what the Man-child is and of his being taken up to God and to his Throne of the flight of the woman into the Wilderness and what Wilderness and the time how long these things with several other are so annexed together that they are unseperable and thus I pass saying that the Winds are to be understood according as the Scripture calls them namely the sour Winds of the EARTH and thus I come to the next thing considerable which is Of the outward Court and holy City Revel 11.1 2. in these words And there was given me a reed like unto a rod the Angel stood saying arise and measure the temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein 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 moneths and I will give power to my two witnesses and they shall Prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes cloathed in sackcloth Before I shall give you the exposition of the Text or unfold it unto you I shall shew what Mr. Henden saith is the meaning of the Text which is We maintain saith he the Temple to decypher the mystical union of the one hundred and forty four thousand Sealed or elected ones whereby they are built up a spiritual house and the Court without to be the externity of ecclesiastical order which was established by Christ in the primitive times page 38. Paragraph 1. Section 4. Answ I know not any one Text that seems to bear a face to such a thing as the Temple to decypher the mystical union of the one hundred forty and four thousand Sealed ones neither do I understand that the Sealed ones are or can be applyed to the faithful Gentiles without wresting and abusing the Text for the Text tels us plainly that they that are Sealed are the Tribes of the Children of Israel and reckoneth them according to their several Tribes as you may read Revel 7.4 5 6 7 8. in these words And I heard the number of them that were Sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the Tribes of the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL mark that of the Tribe of JVDAH were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of RVBEN were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of GAD were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of ASER were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of NEPTHALY were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of MAN ASSES were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of SIMEON were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of LEVI were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of ISSACHAR were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of ZEBVLON were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of JOSEPH were Sealed twelve thousand of the Tribe of BENJAMIN were Sealed twelve thousand the which amounts just to one hundred forty and four thousand there being twelve thousand of every Tribe Sealed for there is twelve Tribes and twelve times twelve thousand is one hundred forty and four thousand the which were all of the Tribes of the Children of Israel so that those that call them Gentiles wresteth the Scripture for the Scripture doth not only call them the Tribes of the Children of Israel vers 4. but also repeateth every Tribe severally so plain that it cannot without great abuse to the holy Spirit be evaded time would fail me to shew the particulars relating to this thing only thus it is evident by the Angel out of the East that these twelve Tribes are to be sealed in their fore-heads to that end that when the Angels go forth to execute
the 15 vers of that fore mentioned 11. Chapter of the Revelations in these words And the seventh Angel sounded and there was a great voice in Heaven saying the KINGDOMES of this WORLD is BECOME the KINGDOMES OF OVR LORD AND OF HIS CHRIST AND HE SHALL RAIGN FOR EVER AND EVER and thus much briefly to the Measurement of the Temple and City and outward Court being cast out and the holy City being trod under foot and fourthly the time of the witnesses Prophesying the which will be just three years and a halfe which is proved in the precedent discourse also more of that a non And as for Mr. Hendens computation of time which is saith he A day being taken for a year the flight of the woman and the City being trod under foot and the two witnesses Prophesying in Sackcloath is to be understood one thousand two hundred and threescore years in which time the Church is only a sealed number dis-robed of the beauty of her exterior Order paragraph 4 page 65. And also he further saith that the time of the beginning of the suffering of the Church and the City being trod under foot was in the year 390. and to be fully expired in the year 1650. and applieth it to a little light broke forth in England about that time and that you may see the SVM of this spoken by him although in more words at large read in his book page 10. compared with paragraph the fourth To which I answer briefly in particulars and First if the forty and two months and the one thousand two hundred and threescore daies with the TIME and TIMES and halfe a TIME all which is acknowledged to be one and the same Time for the Latitude thereof be expired and ended in the year 1950. then upon that account the Woman is come out of the Wilderness already and hath been almost for ten years since upon Mr. Hendens computation or calculation of time and if so I hope Mr. Henden will admit that the Woman may practise all the Ordinances as they were delivered or if not when shall she if it be answered that she is not to practise them till the Winds of the Spirit breath upon them again and if this be the time then is also as clear that the spirit is entered into them again from Mr. Hendens own opinion for these two Prophets saith Mr. Henden were to Prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore years in Sackcloath which time was expired or ended as he saith in the year 1650 and we find that when they had accomplished their Prophesies which was accomplished at the time aforesaid then they were slain and lay dead but three daies and a halfe the which upon Mr. Hendens account is but three years and a halfe at the end of which time the Spirit of life was to enter into them again Rev. 11.11 which was above six years since Sir look about you its time for you to up and be doing or to cast up your account a new but more to these things anon when I come to shew my opinion upon the travelling Woman and Man-child and Witnesse as before said but I fear I shall be much straitned for time Secondly It cannot be as Mr. Henden saith that the Winds of the Spirit is to be with-holden these forty and two months or 1260. daies so as that there shall not be that visible demonstration of the spirit as in the Primitive time for it is clear that the two witnesses in the time of their Prophesie in Sackcloath shall have as great power and visible demonstration as ever was known upon earth that they have power read Rev. 11.5 6. in these words If any wan will hurt them sire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enimies and if any man will hurt them they must in this manner be killed these have power to shut Heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their Prophesie and have power over waters to turn them into blood Rev. 16.3 4. and to smite the Earth with all plagues as often as they will For the Angels that hold the four Winds the seven Angels are imployed as ministering Spirits both to desend them from the malice of the Beast so as he cannot hurt or interrupt them all the time of their Prophesie and also to pour out their Vyals and with-hold the Winds and smite the earth with curses so often as they please and that they did also exercise their power in the time of their prophesie is clear from vers 11. where it is said that They tormented the Earth so then they had power and did also exercise it which confutes what Mr. Henden saith And thirdly whereas Mr. Henden saith in his page 65. that the true Church is only a Sealed number dis-robed of the beauty of her exteriour order I answer say it seems strange to me that the sealed number which Mr. Henden before said was not hurt and yet saith now that she were dis-robed of her beauty in outward order and if this be not hurt I know not what is hurt because God did ever delight in outward Order where there was inward grace he being a God of Order in all the Churches of his Saints Fourthly It yet wants a proof that ever the Woman lost any one of her robes if she be to be understood a Gentile Church as Mr. Henden saith she is for she had them on when Saint John saw her in his vision and I do not read of any ever saw her without them after she had put them on unless Mr. Henden did but I suppose he did not and so I shall leave this particular and pass to the next particular which is from the text Mat. 24 cited by M. Henden and I shall not take notice of every circumstance of things but the ground of the matter wherein we differ which is saith he The marks of the false Churches are four as first the visibility in their stative order loe here or loe there The second the phrase here and there notes a manifest place of rest or sitting down Thirdly the variety here and there which must Scatter whereas the true is uniform Fourthly The visible loe or model is first and then Christ is brought into it loe here is Christ as if the Spirit of life and divine primitive power were in it the Wilderness is to be understood a Metaphorical Wilderness and secret Chambers which figures out our lesser stated bodies and so forth page 50 51 52. In order to the answer of these things I shall not take notice of every objection or contradiction but shall plainly and briefly cite the text and open it and then leave the reader to judge whether it speak of gathered or false constituted Churches as Mr. Henden saith when it speaks of the Wilderness or desart or secret Chamber or whether it be to be understood litterally of a Material face Christ in a desart or in a