is not without a glorious light a bright shining light It 's by daies But more particularly I will give God Himself will give this inward spirituall glorious light of Himself Hee will give to his two witnesses a more Immediate discovery of Himself a more Divine and Heavenly light then to all the World besides More Spirituall light more life more grace more glory shall appeare when there shall bee an explicateing and unfolding of the secret but sweet Name of the LORD The LORD saith it This I will doe and the LORD doth whatsoever He saith I will give unto my two witnesses MY two witnesses The two witnesses are described to bee two Olive trees and two Candlesticks standing before the GOD of the whole Farth I the LORD will give unto MY witnesses To my TWO witnesses The LORD hath TWO Witnesses that testify concerning Himself which are Christ and the Spirit Two witnesses first the Son then the Spirit first Christ in flesh and then Christ in Spirit These are the two Olive trees Through which the golden Oyle of the God-head and Dietie runnes into the Church into the two golden Candlesticks That Holy anointing which runnes through the flesh and Spirit of Christ into the Saints whereby they come to bee the Holy Anointed ones of GOD and these two testifie that there is a God in the Earth The first Witnesse is Christ in the flesh testifying in weaknesse in lownesse in meannesse and this is the Olive tree on the left hand The other Witnesse is Christ in spirit in more power and glory testifying or bearing Witnesse to GOD in more brightnesse strength and power and this is The Olive tree on the right hand Christ in Majestie Christ exalted And I will give to my two witnesses I I the LORD will give I the Father wil give It 's the proper nature of the Father to give to send forth from Himself And they to whom the Lord gives are first Christ in flesh and secondly Christ in Spirit And these testifie and shew forth what God is And they shall prohesie a thousond two hundred and sixty daies clothed in sackcloth Such is the wisdome of GOD that when he will have the holy City the outward court left to the Gentiles to worldly Professours to be trodden under foot it 's for so many moneths It s for a space of time measured by the Moon But he will give to his two witnesses to prophesie by daies They shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty daies The course of the Moon is by months The course of the Sun is by daies A day is measured by the Sun as a moneth is by the Moon And it is to be observed that though the prophesying of the Witnesses be reckoned by shorter and quicker spaces daies being shorter then moneths yet is for a speciall reason to signify that this time of the prophesying of the witnesses is a day-time it 's a day the day of the Lord. And though the Gentiles time is more in bulk by moneths yet it is no more then the time of the prophesie of the witnesses is by daies It 's a glorious time it 's the time of the appearing of the Sonne of righteousnesse though it be reckoned by daies yet it is the same time and of as long continuance as the other that is reckoned by moneths When the outward Court is trampled under foot by the Gentiles forty two moneths then the two witnesses are prophesying a thousand two hundred and sixty daies I wil give you a particular reason why the time of the witnesses prophesying is reckoned by daies It is to note the infinite variety of dispensations in the prophesying of the witnesses In which time are many sweet bright shining daies many excellent discoveries many glorious mysteries are voutsafed unto the People of God in the time of their prophesying and yet the nature of their prophesie is They are cloathed in sackcloth It is a darke mournfull expression holding forth thus much That they are in a dark low course sad mean and poor estate and but prophesying neither The LORD comes and sets up his two witnesses Christ in flesh and Christ in spirit He gives two witnesses of himself the flesh of Christ and the spirit of Christ the one to be crucified the other to revive the one prophesying and foretelling what shall be in sackcloth in a very dark low mean estate the other prophesying and fore-telling heavenly things to come More high more glorious more divine discoveries are made known by the Spirit of Christ then by the flesh of Christ And these are the two Olive trees and two golden chandlesticks standing at the right hand and left hand of the God of the whole earth To my two witnesses There are many and various interpretations that People doe make of these two Witnesses which though very remote from the inward and spirituall pith and marrow yet they may bear some Analogie or proportion with the minde of the Spirit as they are a dark figure of truth and in their greatest distance may be gathered up into these two Christ in flesh and Christ in Spirit Some interpret them to be the Magistracy and Ministry this is a very darke interpretation and very remote from the Adequate sense and meaning of the place and yet it may hold forth some-thing of truth in it it being a dark figure of the Magistracy and Ministry of Christ Christ a Minister a Servant a Prophet a Priest So he is in the flesh Christ a Lord a King Reigning Governing and so he is the Spirit Some again interpret them to be the two Testaments the old and the new which they call Law and Gospel A remote and dark figure still of Ghrist in flesh and Spirit Christ in flesh having much in it of the nature of the old Testament Christ in Spirit the new man the LORD from heaven having much in it of the nature of the new Covenant or new Testament But it 's generally understood to be the Saints of God and to speake in proper language these are the Saints of God or the holy ones of God Christ in the Spirit Christ in the flesh and Christ in Spirit where these two are bearing witnesse in any they are the Saints of God they are the holy ones of God These are the two Olive trees spoken of and the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth Zech. 4. last verse These are the two holy anointed ones of God If the question be What be these two Olive trees which through the golden pipes empty the golden oyle out of themselves It 's answered They are the two anointed ones of God It 's too much for men meer men to be the Olive trees or the Olive branches arising out of the root of God emptying the golden Oyle out of themselves for men take oyle into themselves but Christ in flesh and spirit gives forth the golden Oyle into the two golden candlesticks The Spirit
where the carcasse is thither will the Eagles bee gathered together Thither this Eagle the Divine Spirit of GOD doth resort to this Carcasse I say to Revive it This heavenly Eagle or Spirit of GOD comes and eats up all the deadliness all the corruption all the Carcass that he in us might live in the Spirit There is no true life but the Spirit of life Then may we say we live when we live in the Spirit of GOD this is called the quickning Spirit The first Man was made a living soul the Second was made a quickning Spirit Man is a living soul a living creature and it is the Spirit of GOD that makes him to live a Spiritual life but when that life is killed and slain then he hath a second life for it a better life The Spirit of life life it selfe true life indeed And we know no life no true life but in the LORD our life When HE who is OVR life shall appear c. While the Witnesses prophesie they cannot say that they live but when they have received the Spirit of life then they can truly say they live Now they can claime that title I was dead but am alive I am the resurrection and the life There is no true life til there be a Resurrection til then it 's but a state of mortallity It is not yet life But when we revive and rise again mortallity is swallowed up of life now we live indeed That 's true life that is not subject to death that is true life that cannot be killed That life that is under the Power of death that is under the Command of death that can be extinguished by death is no true life It s life to be set free from death to be dis-engaged and dis-obliged from the command of this King of fears when we can say O death Where is thy sting O grave Where is thy victory When wee can trample upon death that is life true Life indeed The Spirit of life from God True life consists in a continual flowing forth from God a daily powring out of the Divine life the Divine nature into us enlivening and quickning all our actions and services Those are not living actions living services living performances that flow not from the life of GOD in us We live when every thing we act or speak flows from the life of God in us Then wee live when al we do comes from GOD when God sends it forth God speakes it God doth it then they are living words living actions In thy presence is life The absence of the soul from the body is the shadow and but the shadow of death but the absence of GOD from a thing or person that 's death Spiritual death You cannot say a man lives except you see his soul act move speak c. If yee were Christians indeed ye would not say you live until yee hear the voice of GOD saying to you This is the way of God these are the words and works of God There is life true life indeed The reviving and life of these two witnesses is the resurrection and the life the life of the Sonne of God God comes forth in these two in the Son and in the Spirit the fulnes of God shewing it self in the flesh of Christ and the Spirit of Christ this is life These three are all in union together the Father the Son and Spirit in one conjunction and unity The Father puting forth himself in the Son by the Spirit The Father acting quickning and inlivening the Son by the Spirit these mutually imbracing each other is our life Concerning this resurrection of the witnesses observe that it is graduall The Spirit of life from God first entred into them after that they live there was a kinde of absence before but now a presence of the Spirit of God The holy God suffers a kinde of parting to be between himself and his Son ney betwixt himself and his own Spirit which is himself and after this again there is a reuniting First There must be an entrance The Spirit of God first enters into them then they live The Resurrection though it be quick though it be in a moment in the twinkling of an eye yet it is graduall First There is an entrance of the Spirit The Spirit of life from God entered into them Secondly There is a double effect of this entering of the Spirit 1. They stood upon their feet 2. They heard a great voiyce saying Come up hither First The Spirit of the Lord entered into them while they are dead while their dead bodies were lying in the streets of the great City the breath of life from God entered into them And this is very certain we shall not lose any thing that we have had Though the Lord withdraw himselfe from us a little while yet he will returne to us again and then he wil gather up al that is scattered and enter into all that 's dead And they stood upon their feet This is the second gradation or the second degree of their Resurrection which is two-fold 1. They could own the Lord they could say The Lord is with us our God is with us and in us Life is come to us We are the holy ones of God We are the golden candlesticks upon whom the light of God doth shine This is the Spirit of life from our God And then secondly they are raised from the earth and so raised as that they can stand upon their feet an expression of the dry bones Ezek. 37. into whom when the breath of the Lord came they lived they stood upon their feet an exceeding great Army So the Prophet Ezekel when he was overcome by the glory of God in the great vision he saw chapter 2. it 's said The Spirit of the Lord entred into him and he stood upon his feet And so Daniel was raised chapter 10.10 11. O Daniel a man greatly beloved understand the words that I speak unto thee and stand upright Which is the same with this The Spirit of the Lord intring into us standing up in us manifesting and shewing what wee are making us visibly to appear the anointed ones of God inabling us to stand up and own a heavenly and spiritual life and light to appear to arise to shew our selves that we are the holy ones of God And though whilest wee were slain and dead we could not owne the Lord or acknowledge him we could not confesse the Lord who he was and what he was because we were in death and darknesse yet now having the Spirit of the Lord entred into us we now being raised from the dead we stand up and are able to say Wee are the Lords wee are the holy anointed ones of God There is life and strength and confidence appearing in the witnesses standing upon their feet so that they can say We by this life or in this life of God are able to live amonst men to walk about in the Name
Some Flashes of LIGHTNINGS OF THE SONNE of MAN Being the substance of eleaven Sermons upon severall Texts Preached in London By WILLIAM SEDGWICK of ELY PSALME 97.4 His Lightnings enlightned the World the Earth saw and trembled LONDON Printed by H. For Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the sign of the black-spread Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1648. A PREPARATORY word touching the Saints union with God a main point spoken of in this Book FIrst a Primun in unoquoque generi eâ— causa reliquorum The first in every kinde being the Cause of all the rest there is no perfect b Causa â—eflendi eâ— causa cognoscendi knowledge of inferiour or subordinate distinction and union without the knowledge of the supream The supream distinction and union is to be seen in God in the blessed Trinity where in the word the Father brings forth himself in all distinction and in the Holy ghost the Father and the word mutually conspire into the closest union The glory of unity is variety and the glory of distinction is union ie The glory of the Father is the word and the perfection of the word is his union with the Father in the Spirit Unity is barren without variety or distinction and distinction is a withered branch without union Secondly Whatsoever things the Father doth the same things doth also the Sonne bringing forth his fullnesse in all variety and distinction and yet retaining the same in perfect Union with himself as doth the Father Onely with this difference that the Object of distinction there viz. The word which is the fulnesse of the Father is intirely the object of union in the Holy ghost though not under the same respect as he is distinct But here the Sonne sends forth one World or the first World as a Lord to his left hand being in union with it only as a Creator and a new World to his right hand slaying the union of the fâ—irst covenant or creation or rather perfecting it in this later and better union of the second covenant or new creation And so that different respect that the Father hath to his owne fulnesse as Hee considers it first in the word and then in the Holy Ghost is manifest to us after a manner more reall and substantiall to us in the Kingdome of the Son being exemplified on different subjects Sheep and Goats For this is the honour the Father hath given to the Sonne that be hath made Him both Lord and Christ as bee is Lord he is the Floure of the whole Creation having all that beauty and strength in himself and being the root and originall of it to every other creature As he is Christ Himself is returned to his Head and Originall and possesseth all in the in-created glory and drawes up the new world thither Thirdly Aud as the first is the Cause of all the rest which being known the rest are known and not perfectly till then So the first is the last as will nessessarily follow from thence If the last be not known without the first then at least the first is in the last But the first is the last For what else should the first seeke to bring forth Vltimately but himselfe And therefore though God do Embroyder his appearances and coming forth with all Variety and fullnesse of distinction Yet his designe is by ALL to declare Himselfe and not to be vailed alwaies His designe is to beget and draw forth his own Form in and upon all this variety to bring forth himself in it and it in himself and yet this Variety and Unity to remain in the highest Consistency each with other in the Union and all these subordinations both to serve Supreamacy and to be Supreame the first to be the last and the last first which is the mutuall glory of them both And so the Scriptures speake 2 Ephe. last verse Yee are the habitation of God through the Spirit And sometimes they speak in the language of the subordinate 3. Eph. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Christ is in God and God is in Christ John 13.8 knowest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me And they that do not so know God and Christ they know Christ after the flesh as a branch of the first creation and not as the root of both creations And they that do not know themselves thus as dwelling in God and God in them are stil under the Law stick in the first Covenant and know not the Regeration but weakly If yee see not the blessed face of Unity drawn throughout all distinction in God in Christ in Saints yee see the Devill and an Antichrist and are in the smoke of the bottomlesse pit though yet ye may be the children of God And therefore none may so securely descend into the vally of distinction as they that have been in the mount of Vnion For they onely will and can carry the Union along with them through all distinction and that glory of the first Unity that hath seated himself and dwels in their Eye will bring forth himself in and upon all things and in what various formes soever they present themselves Vnion is the interest the delight the Food of Saints Distinction is the sawce or savour of Vnion The Saints could not enjoy God if He were not one with them where were the delight and wherein should they be the richer by enjoying him if he were not another from them There could not be such a ravishing Concord and meeting between God and the Creature without the parting and discord first of a created and un-created nature and this discord and distance proceeding and let down through many subordinations as between a Base and Treble in Musick there are middle Notes If we were not so low and God so high neither should we be so transported with this Match nor would the condescension of God be so manifested and then where would be one of the greatest glories of Gods love and one of the quickest grounds of our joy Therefore we cannot confound things for so we should offend against our own interest and who doe this so much as they that call themselves Christians and yet make Christ in Heaven and themselves upon the Earth confounding the things that God hath not only distinguist but seperated even the mystery of Godlinesse which is God manifest in the flesh And the mystery of iniquity which cals Christians and denies the Anointing And as we cannot confound things that God hath distinguist so we cannot seperate the things that himself hath joyned who hath joyned himself and Christ and Christ and VS the highest with the lowest the first with the last the top with the bottome and therefore wee the lowest cannot glory in lesse or lower then the highest of all Wee joy in God saith the Apostle Rom. 5. through our Lord Jesus Christ And God who is Lord descends and gathers up
clouds and darknes you approach the throne Righteousnesse and judgement are there That is it you look for Righteousnesse Shall put an end to sin Dan. 9.24 Righteousnesse and holinesse shall dwell so stabilly with us as it shall blot out all iniquity and make an end of sinne That wretched thing that hath been the reason of all plagues the root of all mischief the ground of vexation in all families he shall make an end of all this of all sinne God will be revenged of it by putting an end to it Ye shall not finde a sinne out of hell nor a sinner out of hell Sin shall be in its own place ye shall see wickednesse no where but in the devil and wicked men and them ye shall see in hell for their sin shall carry hell apparently with it But the Saints shall be free The LORD reigns Not so long as sinne is amongst US and abides with US so long as sin is there is a Traitour to his Kingdome and he hath no quiet reign But the LORD will have a constant habitation of holinesse that sinne shall appear no where but in the devil and hell And where ever you shall see sin you shall be able to say There is hell sinne and its torment together Sin shall carry hell in its bowels The very face of hell and devil in every sin The light of God shall break forth so clearly that it will judge and manifest all the works of darknesse Are the Habitation of his Throne All these waies of God that he is now dispensing come from the throne of God All these Clouds and judgements against King Parliament Cavaleers Army they al flow from the throne and are all dispensed in most exact righteousnesse and judgement there 's no fear of ruine of those that are the Lords All is in judgement and righteousnesse to destroy the wicked but to save his own people and to bring them out of the powers of darkenesse unto the throne of God There is no reason to be offended at that which comes from the throne of God these dispensations are confusions to men to the reason and wisdome of men but they are the wisdome and judgement of God and God doth dispense them with an exact hand with a watchfull eye with a tender care towards his own people not a hair of their head shall fall to the ground Nothing shall suffer in any of you but unrighteousnesse and sinne so farre as you are unrighteous worldly and wicked so farre yea shall suffer and no more God is in every sparke of this Fire in every corner of this Flame in every inch of these clouds in every jot of this darknesse therefore rejoyce and be glad all ye Saints the weakest the poorest the lowest the meanest of Saints Rejoyce for the Lord Reigneth The end of the first Sermon Psalm 97. 1 2 3 4 5 6. verses The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof Clouds and darknesse are round about him righteousnesse and judgement are the habitation of his throne A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw and trembled The hils melted like waxe at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth The heavens declare his righteousnesse and all the people see his glory THe great point wee have in hand is The Reign of God Which is first asserted The Lord doth Reign And then made good In the Second verse Clouds and darknesse are round about him testifying that hee is come and hee doth Reign Wee have a Cloud of witnesses testifying this truth The Lord doth Reign And darknesse it self speaks him That which is farthest from him that declares him and if wee come within him and come nearer to him we shall finde a consent of righteousnesse and judgement as the habitation of his Throne Righteousnes The righteousnesse of God the Father in whom all things are righteous and to whom all things in righteousnesse doth belong all things in righteousnesse are in him all things in righteousnesse are due to him here 's judgment too that is the excellency of Christ Psalm 94.15 Judgement shall returne to righteousnesse the Son returnes to the Father All things are in the Father in righteousnesse all things are in the Son in wisdome in judgement all things are in the Father as in their proper center all things are brought forth in Christ in their right order in Judgement Righteousnesse and judgment are the habitation of his Throne These two are the Foundation of his Throne The Spirit of God or God exalted and lifted up in these two Righteousnesse and Judgement is a Throne or the Righteousness of the Father and the Judgement of the Son exalted and triumphing in the Spirit is the Throne The Righteousness of the Father and the Wisdome of the Son Reignes in the Spirit is in-thron'd in the Spirit is exalted and lifted up and establisht eternally in truth in the Spirit And wee are made saith the Apostle Eph. 2.22 ver through the Spirit the habitation of God the words are In whom yee also are builded an habitation of God through the Spirit The Spirit building up man in its owne holy forme and enlarging of him into himself is this habitation of God Righteousnesse and Judgement In-thron'd in US In man this is the inward and spirituall view and sight of God if you stand without in the world there is darknesse if yee come higher into the clouds there is no cleare view sight and injoyment of him If yee are in any thing that is about him there is nothing but darknesse round about him but come within him into his Throne into his presence and there you will see righteousnesse and judgement set up exalted In-throu'd Righteousnesse in the Reigne of God is In-thron'd Iniquity and transgression is done away in the holinesse of God and he makes us by his own Reign in us holy as he is holy Hee doth wholly blot out Iniquity and makes US the seate and habitation of Righteousnesse and gives us righteous judgements righteous understandings a cleare and sound judgement in all things These two righteousnesse and judgement raised and exalted are the greatest glory and purity of the Kingdome of God in the holy Spirit But here are yet further testimonies that it may bee will bee more effectuall to most Christians most men being without those proofs of the Reigne of God that are without are foonest and easiest accepted fleshly signes much take fleshly Christians A Fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about him The forerunner of God Now is fire not John the Baptist that went before the flesh of Christ and ushered him in but an Elias in a Fierie Chariot The messengers that goe before God now are all fierie he makes his Angels spirits and his ministers flames of fire And therefore it s said hee comes in flames of
the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them c. They that dwell on the Earth shal rejoyce All fleshly powers and parts rejoyce and are glad in these formes There is an ease a freedome a joy a rejoycing that ariseth in and amongst earthly men when these two Prophets are slain And shall send gifts one to another Those that were before counted earthly men are now in their owne Esteem Heavenly Wee are say they good Christians Religious men yea in their owne esteem and so they judge of them selves in the midest of their merriment And though wee bee in the Earth and on the Earth yet wee have Peace and Quietnesse and gladnesse wee rejoyce and are merry together Now there is nothing to vex us because they that tormented us are dead This is the manner of their boasting and glorying over the dead bodies the Carcasses of the witnesses when they are slain But after three daies and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them After the death of the witnesses followes their resurrection there must be a death before there can be a resurrection People would fain ascend into Heaven and possesse Heaven and attain to the resurrection of the dead but this they cannot doe untill they be first slain You must die before you can rise I speak to those that are spirituall into whom these Olive trees have emptied themselves I say there must be a death before there can be a resurrection The most excellent the most glorious christians that I know must be slain After three daies and an halfe It 's a sad time this The slaying of the witnesses The prophesie is mournfull yet very effectuall When the Beast ascendes out of the bottomlesse pit killing the witnesses it 's a sad time but when they rise again it is a time of great rejoycing Though their death be grievious yet their resurrection is glorious After three daies and a half This is expressed else-where by a time times and half a time First A Time that 's one day Then times that 's two daies Then half a time or the division of time that 's half a day The meaning is this It will be but a while that the witnesses must lie in this sad and dead condition It will be but a day and two daies and half a day or a time times and half a time and then they shall rise again In this sad condition there will be an expectation of a quick and sudden deliverance Well saith the Soul after one day is past I shall be delivered and recover again This is comfortable that it is but a day O the slaying of the witnesses though a sad time will not be without a day to your spirits A day wherein ye shall see God A day wherein ye shall know 't is day A day wherein shall be an expectation of a seasonable and sweet deliverance But then alas there are yet two dries and half a day wherein it will grow more dark there will be multiplied evils there will be division of times Now saith the Soul let it be when God will I am contented to wait I am not carefull when it shall be When the heart shall lose its expectation of a quick deliverance and shall scarce have a thought of deliverance at all much lesse know when it shall be and shall ly down in a sweet submission now let it be when God pleaseth When this state daies or times is past then comes half a day or half a time And this is a short time now deliverance hasteneth He will cut his work short in righteousnesse For except these daies should be shortened no flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake they are shortend They are but half so much at last as they were at first God will cut his work short in righteousnesse And the Spirit of life from God entered into them There is not true life but by the Spirit of life which is in God When the Spirit of the holy God comes into us then we live that 's a life in deed Before it was the Spirit of God working in a poor low sad state it was a life in sack-cloth a mournfull a dying life a life next the grave But when the Spirit of life from God the Spirit of life that is life it self lives in man then he is well then he lives then he hath life indeed And I heard a great voice from Heaven saying come up hither Untill we hear this great voice Come up hither there is no life there is no motion but when we hear this Voyce then we live I see People are gaping after Heaven but they cannot come up thither see the glory of God or know any true solid joy or peace till they be dead and raised again Then shall they hear a great Voice saying COME VP HITHER And yet this is but the sixt Trumpet So much briefly for this time The end of the ninth sermon THE WITNESSES DEATH AND RESURRECTION REVEL 11.11 12. And after three daies and a halfe the Spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them And they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither And they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them WE have already opened part of this mystery of the two witnesses and have shewed you who they are These two Olive trees or the two golden Candlesticks that stand on the right hand and on the left before the God of the whole earth are Christ and the Spirit who do testify and witnesse concerning the Father And though other ordinary Interpretations of the two Witnesses may be taken in as that it is the Magestracy and the Ministry the old and new Testament and the Saints yet al of them in a very far and remote way and as they have some analogy and similitude with Christ and the Spirit Christ in the flesh being the Minister Priest or Prophet of the Church and Christ in the Spirit being the Magestrate King or Governour of his Church Some take them to be the old and new Testtament which is indeed a dark Figure of Christ in flesh and Christ in Spirit The Old Testament which stood in types shadowes and figures of Christ to come in the flesh may be taken to bee a dark figure of Christ in flesh and the New testament or New Covenant being the testimony and witness of God more clearly with open face may be taken in as a figure of Christ in Spirit Some say they are the Saints and these are indeed the Saints of God the Holy ones of GOD the truly Anointed ones of God These have power that if any man will hurt them fire proceeds out of their mouthes fire proceeds out of the mouth of Christ in the Sdirit and this devours their enemies and
into their eyes into their hearts that I know they see and connot but see and say This is the Lord and they tremble And I heard a great voyce saying Come up hither When we are alive we hear the voyce of GOD. And though the voyce of GOD be a mighty voyce a great voyce a strong voyce yet when we hear God speak we rejoyce O pleasant voyce pleasant because from Heaven O Heavenly voyce When Heaven speakes it speakes love and life and joy and glory and kingdome and power and goodness and excellency and majesty We hear it we hear it continually an eternal word It is alwaies sounding in our hearts and eares O this great voyce this mighty voyce Every thing that is in us heares it every faculty every part every gift Every thing heares this voyce It speaks largely it speaks mightily and powerfully it speakes to the whole man It is so big and great that it makes us to become all ear or the ear to be every where and every thing the head the feet the body the soul the spirit the inward man the outward man all hear this great voyce It speaks with Authority and Power It removes and sets aside every thought that hinders obedience to it hile we hear it we obey it we receive it It is so great that there is nothing else left but it This great Voyce saith Come up hither it is so great a voice that it turnes us into Heaven it turnes us into the voyce it selfe we are the voyce it fils Heaven and Earth so mighty so powerfull so full of majesty O it 's the great answer of our praiers the great end of our hopes the great glory we look for the great reward of our sufferings the great joy of our GOD the great love of our God! O It 's the voyce of our beloved of our Father of our King of our GOD It s thy voyce O GOD A great voyce from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither To them to none else none but the Holy ones the Anointed ones of God none but they that live in the Spirit of God though it be a great voyce yet it is spoken to none but them You my Son you my Spirit you my Self Come up hither Rev. 4.1 saith John A voyce said unto mee Come up hither and immediately I was in the Spirit So here When the Witnesses heare the voyce immediately they ascend The voyce takes them up into Heaven up into it selfe The voyce saiith unto them Come up hither Come to Me live in Me live in My Power live in My Strength live in My Glory live in My Kingdome Be as I Am Be where I Am Be what I Am Do what I Do Do as I Do Come into My Glory live not below the glory of God live no longer like creatures live no longer in the world but Come up hither and live in the glory of the Creator the glory of GOD Live not amongst men live not amongst Angels but live the life of GOD Come up hither Come to Me. This is not a going from place to place in a carnal way by a bodily motion but the true ascending and coming to God is in the Spirit of God in the life of God to live in the presence of God in the Face of God in the Kingdome of God in the Glory of God Come up hither O Excellent voyce O powerfull voicel O precious voyce O pleasant voycel Transcendent love Infinite goodnesse The bosome of the LORD opened Heaven it self opened The LORD Himself opening Himself and reaching forth his hand saying Come hither Come hither Ye cannot live any longer without me I can live no longer without you Let 's live together Ye are a part of my selfe I can no longer be parted from my self my self must come to my self we can live strangers no longer ye must come and live with me in my house Here 's a Throne sit down here 's a Crown put it on thy head here 's Glory weare it here 's a Kingdome it s yours We Come wee Ascend And they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud The third degree of their rising is upon their hearing We do arise we do ascend it is our nature to ascend and seeing we are now living the life of the LORD in the Spirit of the LORD we are able to ascend While wee were only men our faces tended to the earth down-wards but now our natural course is turn'd through the divine life of God in us we do ascend to Heaven to God or thus our ascending up daily more and more to God is become our naturall course Now we can quit the earth quit the creature quit the flesh al things below the glory of God we let them all go Now we bid farewel men farewel griefs and troubles and shame the companions of men Farewel earth farewel weaknesses cares and fears companions of the earth farewell now wee ascend to Heaven in a cloud In a cloud Whil'st we ascend in a Cloud somthing yet of darknesse and weakness accompanieth us Though we are hastening to glory hastening to God yet it 's in a cloud God descends Christ descends the Spirit descends and wee ascend yet we meet in a cloud GOD comes down to us we go up to meet God yet both in a cloud We meet together we converse together yet in a cloud Here 's the glory of God in the Saints not yet breaking forth into naked and open brightnesse but covered with Clouds with some weakness with some infirmity And their enemies beheld them Satan the Nations Kinreds Tongues religious Voyces religious Opinions Flesh and World all their enemies beheld them look upon them but its little comfort to them little joy to them to see them ascend This is an increase and addition to our glory that we must ascend in the sight and view of al those that hated us and persecuted us and were enimies to us and as they rejoyced when we were down so they must be troubled when we arise Hel death devil look on us and behold us and yet cannot hinder our asent we ascend and goe up in the sight and presence of all our adversaries yet they are not able to hold us down The witnesses that were slain arise and ascend into heaven yet their enemies cannot in the least measure hinder them As we ascend in the sight and view of God so in the sight and view of al our enemies As heaven is filled with joy at our arrivall so the world is filled with affrightment and amazment at parting with us we cannot leave the earth but we carry the life of the earth with us we take al good from hence and carry all good and glory into heaven with us Hel death devil shal al look upon us and shal bee troubled and not be able to keep one ragge of us from enjoying this Glory Majesty Brightnes and Excellency of GOD. The end of the tenth Sermon THE WITNESSES DEATH AND
RESURRECTION REVEL 11.13 And the same houre was there a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell and in this earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven WE are unfolding the mystery of the two witnesses which are the witnesses of God in which and by which every word of God is confirmed they are two in their prophesie in sackcloth but their is a third conjoyned with them in their resurrection as they are in Heaven Ascended and Risen There are thee that bear witnes in heaven and by these three is every word establisht The Father the Son and the Spirit each of them having a sufficiency to confirm each other and together to put an end to all controversies You heard in the morning that there were severall degrees of the reviving of the witnesses the first degree is the entering of the Spirit of life from God into them which caused them to stand upon their feet Secondly They heard a great Voyce from Heaven calling them up Come up hither And thirdly There is their Ascention into Heaven They were taken up in a cloud and their enemies beheld them And in the 13 verse there is the effect of al this In the same hour there was a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell These works of God are not yet pure though they are very excellent Though there be a Resurrestion and Ascention into heaven yet it is in a cloud covered with some infirmity and darknesse and yet in this there is the greatest glory And the same hour was an Earthquake Or to speak the language of God elsewhere A rejoycing with trembling In the greatest appearance and manifestation of God so long as there is any Earth it Trembleth and indeed the more glorious the discoveries of God are the greater the Earthquake No Earth can be without moving and trouble that bears the weight of the glory of God upon it In this hour of ascention there is a mixture of some secret rejoycing and some trouble occasioned by the Earthquake or else take the Earth heer as distinct from the witnesses and then their ascending up from the Earth makes the Earth to shake Christ and the Spirit of God those two witnesses are the streneth and stability of the Earth yea the strength of the Pillars of the Earth I uphold the Pillars of the Earth saith the Lord He it is that strengthens the very foundations of the Earth And therefore when these witnesses the strength and Pillars of the Earth ascend and remove from it the Earth must needs quake and tremble The witnesses are the corner stone of the World It was by the word of the Lord that Eternall word that the Worlds were made that the Worlds are supported therefore when this Word of the Lord Ascends out of the World the World must needs shake The whole World hath lived and leaned upon Christ and the Spirit of Christ and now his arising and removall out of the World must needs prove the ruine and downfall of the World All your strength peace and comfort hath been borrowed of Christ and now his leaving the World and carrying the Pillars of the World with him as Sampson the Gates of the City makes all the World fall to confusion A great Earthquake The naturall cause of an Earthquake is the wind pent up in the bowels of the Earth which seeking vent breakes forth and so shakes the Earth So the Spirit or breath or wind of the Lord pent up in the bowels of the Earth shut up amongst earthly men as the Son a Man was three daies and three nights in the heart or bowels of of the Earth when it breaks forth it shakes and rends the World And this is the cause of the Earthquake and commotions that are now abroad in the World The breaking forth or ascending of the Spirit of God out of the World An Earthquake is one of the greatest perplexities and evils that can befall the world the Earth being the Center and stay of man The very bottome and foundation upon which all the camfort and good of the life of man stands When this center this rest or stay this foundation shakes nothing more affrightens and astonishes man These Witnesses ascending out of the world the Bottom and Foundation of peoples strength and comfort trembles and quakes the root of al humane life is cut insunder at once the bottom of al humane joy is taken away The foundation of Ecclesiastical and Civil power is shaken the ground-worke of all earthly stability and comfort of Church and Comon-wealth quakes and trembles I say the world is losing the foundation and ground-work upon which Religion and Civil-government stands and this makes the Earth to shake And the tenth part of the City fell This City is Babylon called the holy City This holy City is trampled under foot as you may read in the second verse of this Chapter This holy City or the outward Court is left to bee possessed by the men of the world by the Gentiles by men uncircumcised in heart and spirit by fleshly and carnal men This is the fate of this City The tenth part The tenth part you know was the Levits part which was holy to the LORD or dedicated to the LORD it was offered up to the Priests under the Law it was the chiefe maintenance of the legal priesthood And here the tenth part of the City the chiefest part the devoted part as you say Gods inheritance the lot and portion of the Priest-hood this part of the City fell in summe the holyest the chiefest the excellentest part of the City fell The waies of worldly Prophessors and Christians are somthing that is holy somthing that is offered up to God but in the hands of the world trampled under foot by the world There is an excellency in this this is that that 's called the tenth part that part wherein men have thought themselves most sacred and holy that which they have offered up to God that which they have seperated from the world and their owne proper use and given to God some of their wisdome some of their estates some of their time some of their strength c. the tenth part This tenth part of the City fell this chiefest and most excellent part This tenth part when they have reserved nine parts to themselves and dedicated the tenth to God That which hath bin mens Religion and that wherein they have placed their confidence and comfort and by which they have thought to be saved this excellent part this tenth part of the City fell in this earth-quake I tel you againe When these two Witnesses ascend and leave the earth then the highest formes of religion the most excellent seperated things of men those holy things wherein they have most devoted themselves to GOD and the Temple of God their hours of Praier their Sabbaths their Fastings their Engagements and Covenants
The Sonne of God this Kingdome it passeth thorow lownesse and meannesse to excellencie and honour and therefore all the reason and parts of man in this generation are set against it that this may be fulfilled He must suffer many things and be rejected of this generation The end of the fourth Sermon THE COMMING OF THE KINGDOM of GOD. LUKE 17.22 And hee said unto the Desciples The dayes will come when ye shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and ye shall not see it QUestionings Occation this Scripture They that are least knowing are fullest of disputes They that have something to satisfy them are least in questioning To the Pharisees ther 's a rebuke ver 20. The Kingdome of God cometh not with obsevation And then a comfort ver 21. Behold the Kingdome of God is within you But now to the Disciples there is a sharp sentence The dayes will come when yee shal desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and ye shall not see it This is spoken to them that desire to see Christ The Disciples You that acknowledge Christ present with you your Master you that are called to an owning and confessing Christ to bee come To you that have believed and do believe and have published this This is the Messiah This is hee whom we looked for To you it is spoken for you are the Disciples What is a Disciple One that hath devoted himself and given himself to a constant and continual attendance upon Jesus or one that is seperated from the world and liveth in the family of Christ who alwayes is with the Lord. Then there is a sharp fentence to beloved Disciples In love to you I could be content to conceale it were it not love to you to declare it That the dayes will come when yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and yee shall not see it Such tribulation such darknesse such confusion within and without every where such trials and combustions that yee shal desire to see something of God something of the arme of God of the appearance of God and ye shall not see it Such flouds of darknesse wil bee let loose upon you and so drown all your understandings your senses your experiences your hopes your injoyments your comforts your confidences within and without That yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and yee shall not be able to see it yee shal desire to see and shal not see the least spark of the light of one of the dayes that ye have had The dayes will come It cannot bee avoided Heaven and Earth shall passe away but not one tittle of my word shall faile Nights wil follow dayes and the best day that ye have ever yet seen is not Eternall and therfore it will bee pursued and followed with a darke night The dayes will come Nothing can withstand them What is to come must come before the word of GOD can bee fulfilled All that ever you have known and understood is no more able to resist them then a poor straw is able to resist the greatest river or dry stubble to withstand fire These dayes are so firmly Decreed resolvedly Purposed in the Holy Conncell of God that all that ye have and know shal not be able to resist it These things I tel you before hand that when they come to passe yee may remember that I told them you It s appointed for man once to die c. It s appointed for your lives the life of all that yee have and are the life of man to die and come to judgement and in these daies yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man c. Ye think ye see GOD ye see Christ the time wil be when ye shal desire to see and shal not when yee shal confesse yee are in the dark when yee shal confesse yee know nothing when ye shal not say ye see but yee desire to see People that now are very confident that they do see and know something it wil be manifest that they do see and know nothing YE shall desire to see Though Disciples yet YE shall desire to see An earnest hunger and thirst shall bee after the view and sight of Christ when you wil long not to hear but to see Christ You are now satisfied with the report of him that 's nothing you shal desire to see him After all your injoyments there wil come a heavie thirst a grievious parching heat and thirst and nothing wil satisfy but this I must see GOD and Christ Yee shal bee in such tribulation and desolation that nothing but the sight of Christ can cure you at such a losse that if all the gifts and comforts of men Angels should be presented to you ye would throw them at your feet and nothing wil content but This I must see the LORD all that hath comforted you now will bee nothing yee will not bee at peace unlesse ye see the Lord Jesus yee wil bee in such a streight that yee shall desire to see one of the daies of the Son of man Mary would see Christ though a Crucifi'd Christ and would see the Son of God though in the grave You wil desire to see him though in the meanest and lowest condition O that I might have but one glimse of the light of God If he would but look through the lattis through the key-hole but without sight and view of him I can never bee at rest If I may injoy himself his Own-self though in never so small a degree it is wel Now ye are full yee shal be empty yee are rich yee shal be poor ye say yee see ye shal bee made blinde ye think ye have all and are rich and have need of nothing but ye shall finde that ye are nothing and have nothing Ye are contented new with the daies of man with the works of man these things make a good man yee think ye doe well if ye doe like wise men honest men and holy men this wil not alwaies satisfy you this wil not alwaies be desirable that which ye now rest in wil be unsatisfactory and ye wil desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man c. One of the dayes of the Sonne of Man The Son of GOD is the Son of man Christ borne of a woman Jesus Christ the Anointed of GOD descending from Man springing forth from Man This fruit of the Spirit This Holy Childe Jesus growing out of man There is first The day of man wherein man liveth and liveth upon faith and expectation of Christ and lives in looking and wayting for the Son of man the Sonne of GOD. In this state the Disciples and John were and they that bee in this state are by the knowledge that they have of Jesus Christ washed from the polutions of the world have fellowship and communion with
carry us to God Christ comes down to us we come down into the world to trade traffick and deal for God So in all this the favour that God gives to us is to give US a Propriety with Himself over Himself Neverthelesse Neither is the Man without the Woman nor the Woman without the Man in the LORD For as the Woman is of the Man even so is the Man also by the Woman These two are unseperable Man and Woman In the LORD they are unpartable It 's Sin and Satan the accuser of the breathren that makes a breach between these two The Man is not without the Woman nor the Woman without the Man Yee never see God but with Christ in his bosome you never hear of a God but you hear of a Christ too GOD will never speak or act any thing but with Christ And yee never see Christ without his Church Ye never see the Son of God but ye see the Spouse in his bosome If ever Christ be torne ffo from God it is by violence of Death of Satan and of Sin If ever wee bee rent from the bosome of Christ it s by the Devil Death and Sin Yet then when wee are rent from him are we with him When Christ was in the lowest estate in hel hee was in Heaven also Noe one is descended from Heaven but he which is in Heaven Ye never finde God without Christ nor Christ without the Church nor Man without Woman Yee never finde the Church without Christ nor Christ without God nor Woman without the Man If ye finde a Church without Christ t is a Harlot if you finde a Christ without a God 't is an Antichrist The true Church is alwayes as the Woman never without the Man you never finde her but in banishment in sin without the Man you never finde Cirist without God nor the Woman without the Man in the LORD In the LORD If these two are partable it 's not in the LORD it 's without the LORD but if they are reconciled in the LORD they are never parted Neither is the Man without the Woman Neither is the Woman without the Man Therefore give us leave to disclaim a God without a Christ or a Christ without a People Ye do not see God except ye see Christ ye see not Christ but ye see GOD also yee see not Christ but you see your selfe It is not true Christ only Christ THE Christ except thou seest him in thy owne person except thou seest thy self with him If thou seest him one and thy self another it s a Sad sight an Ill sight it s no true fight you cannot see the Son but you must see your self with him see him in the highest glory that you can you see him not right except you see your self there Man is not without the Woman If you would give God an exaltation above your self hee will not God saith I will not be exalted except my Son be there God will not exalt his Son where you are not And the Son saith I will not be where you are not I cannot be where you are not I cannot bee without you The Man is not without the Woman Neither the Woman without the Man You cannot be without Christ you cannot possibly bee The wife and spouse without Christ And if thou art sick he is sick with thee if thou art tempted he is tempted with thee if thou art afflicted hee is afflicted also Christ cannot be any where but the Father is with him I am not alone the Father is with me when he was in the lowest condition that could bee when God seemed to leave him yâ—t he was really with him and when he was in death then he was in death too when Christ suffered and dyed God suffered and dyed it was the bloud of GOD If I go down to hel thou art there And when thou knowest thy selfe to bee the wife and spouse of Christ then thou canst say I am in hel indeed but my Lord is with me I am in hel in death and sorrow but Christ is with mee The Woman is not without the Man All the violence of Satan cannot take the Son from the Father If he doth take him any whither the Father will go with him yea though the Son doth go away the Father goes along with him into that humiliation Neither can any thing rend us from the bosome of the Father but if we be or hereafter may bee by temptation rended from him yet wee shall see our Lord in temptation Where the one is the other is where one is both are The Man is not without the Woman He saith I have no glory but what thou hast wee say wee have no weaknesse but what thou hast Thus doth the LORD our GOD enterchange with us He makes US High and great with Him and makes Himself Low and Nean with US And this is another reason that secures that power which is given to us And though she rule over me yet I rule because she is my self And though I give her my power I give her my will too Fo 't is what I please And saith Christ though I give it you yet t is mine and there is nothing in you but my will yea for my good And as I give you my will so I give you my power and you cannot abuse me be cause you are my self No one hateth his own flesh but loves and cherisheth it And when you exercise this power over me it is my self The Woman is not without the Man In communion you are now the Man and I the Woman as I was the man and you the woman as I was mighty in you and you weak in me as I was weak in you and you mighty in me If the Husband should reserve any thing from the Wife then the Husband would be without the Wife If God should reserve any thing from Christ and did not communicate his uncommunicablenes And with all things his power then God would be some where where Christ is not or Christ some where where God is not Or if Christ had power without the Father then he would be some thing that the Father is not If the Father were not in subjection with the Son the Son would be some thing that the Father is not If I did not give you that power that I have by my spirit I should still be something without you And if you should be the subjector and I not servant then would you be some thing without me which I cannot indure I be nothing but what you are and you shall be nothing but what I am There would still be some jarres between us if there wrre any thing un-made-over ungiven If thou did est not take every thing that we have into Thee and set it on high we could not be exalted And if thou did'st not take our meannes and subjection upon Thee and walk in the flesh we could not enjoy Thee Heer 's another reason As the woman is
fire rendring vengeance to al that know him not And this fire of God is not a materiall but an Angelical fire Those grosse conceits of a materiall fire are chaffe and must themselves be burnt up The fire that Ushers in the holy God and goes before God is like himself Spirituall Heavenly The 〈◊〉 that men dreame of is like unto themselves earthly grosse fleshly but the fire of God is like himself spirituall heavenly Now this testimony doth the Lord send before him abundance of fire this fire of God and indignation of God is kindled and burns hot amongst us wee see there is no earthly thing is able to stand against it and although we see yet but the feet of God wee know hee hath not yet let downe his face into your view yet yee may see as Habakkuk saith Coales of fire kindled at his feet The LORD is walking amongst you trampling with fierie indignation upon all the excellency beauty and strength of this Creation filling all things under his feet with wrath burning up the Order the peace the comfort and joy of the whole creation into ashes And the fire of hell which is Confusion Wrath Death torment horrour breakes forth exceeding thick and fast upon the World and it burns up Nations Kingdomes Cities Governments Religions Ordinances Knowledge Peace Love and every thing here below It s more then bâ—ndled it flames-out and you wil see very suddenly this whole Creation nothing else but one flame burning up that which goes before it These burnings these everlasting burnings speak the presence of the LORD the face of God and tels the World If they will hear and understand the LORD is come they doe eminently publish and proclaim the LORD of glory to those that are awake they that are asleep in security and darknesse they hear it not These are the fires that God allarmes the World with all and burnes up his enemies round about wheresoever there appeares emnity against God there appeares fire that indeed being the greatest part of Hell Wrath against God and Gods wrath against men emnity and hatred against God and God hating wicked men and devils So that indeed there is no emnity but did we understand it we should see plainly that its hel it is fire and the discovery and breaking forth of it will consume and burn up the World Ther 's not a mouth belching out Oaths or blasphemies against God but it is kindled by this fire of hel There 's no man expressing rage envy and cruelty against another but it is from this fire of hel in them His tongue is set one fire of hel passion infirmity weaknesse doe for a while hide cloath and mask hel and wrath but hel is too hot and too big to be kept any longer in such bounds God loosens the bounds of hel and saies to them Now goe forth shew your selves God bring forth his own wrath in his own enemies as well as his love in his friends There is not an enemy of God but the fire of God hath already kindled upon him There 's not a devil in hel nor a wickednes in the minde of man which is hellish but begins to gnaw their tongues and to fret and vex and feel their torments And though people are not fully sensible of it yet those who are quicker sighted then others may see and easily smell the brimstone taste the saltnesse of hel breaking forth in the rage and violence of man And this fire burneth up the wicked into the fire of Gods wrath even as fire burneth up all that 's in it untill it hath made it to be fire And this fire of God that is already kindled upon US will never leave burning till it hath burnt US all up into it self into Heaven into the pure divine Love of God so that there shall remain no drosse at all but all pure gold no rag of infirmity weaknesse or earthinesse shall be left in us And the same God in wrath will so burn up all his enemies that they shall be nothing at all but pure wrath nothing at all but perfect misery nothing at all but utter destruction There shall not remain upon the Saints of God any thing on Earth to molest them All their enemies shall be burnt up sin Satan and flesh shall be cast into the Lake of fire and there shall be nothing to molest or hinder their joy And so much of the wrath of God shall fall upon wicked men that there shall not be The least drop of water to coole their tongues the least refreshment the least mitigation but all they shall have or enjoy shal be in the fire of Gods wrath burnt up Burneth up his enemies round about him This wall of fire is called in Scripture Our defence it compasseth US about on every side The holy pure being of God the Holy Ghost and fire compasseth US round about and burns up all things into it self that whatsoever hath been our enemies or adversaries sin Satan flesh man we see this fire of the Spirit of God feeds upon them is in them and keeps them at a distance from US and they cannot approach and come neer US We living in the LORD our God but this fire of God laies hold on them and destroies them Nay they cannot approach in any malice against US but its clear it is in Gods wrath We doe not hear a word of Anger nor a word of distaste that 's uttered against the appearance of God in US but it 's this fire of Gods wrath this We are sure of and We delight and rejoyce in it We delight to declare it abroad That there shall not be left a heart thinking a hand moving a tongue speaking but it is in the fire of God in the wrath and displeasure of the LORD This fire doth grow and increase and burns up round about and all that are not in God that doe not dwell with this everlasting burnings that live not in and with God shall be consumed and burnt up for this fire of God burns round about him and whosoever is not within Him shall be consumed and burnt up by Him Therefore there is no rest no peace no safety any where else but in this everlasting burnings in this fire of God in the LORD in the presence of the LORD This is a bright and hot testimony of the Reign of God His lightenings enlightned the world the earth saw it and trembled Here 's another testimony manifest to the world the lightenings of the LORD our God there is in the face of God in the day of the LORD a most constant bright shining light But besides this there is a distance from him and in the world lightenings certaine quick flashings sudden motions of the Spirit of God upon the world in the world and upon the mindes of worldly men and as it is said of Christ speaking concerning his coming That it is like the lightening that shineth from the East to the
West so should the comming of the Sonne of man be The first and the remotest and the furthest appearances of God are like lightenings this the Lord hath testified abundantly amongst Us What strange flashings of God have been upon men and upon the spirits of men There are few that have slept so soundly these times but this lightening hath broken in upon them into their beds betwixt their curtains There 's none have shut up themselves so close in the world locked up themselves so close in the earth and in the love of earthly things but I know these lightenings of God have flasht in their consciences and have in small quick blasts and discoveries of God told their hearts it is the day of the Lord. I say if men could see or would see the most worldly men have had some flashings of these lightnings upon them Many sudden quick throws pangs hot meltings breakings soul-terrifyings telling them clearly It is the LORD And though they recover againe out of them and the world heales it selfe again and makes haste to forget them because these lightenings are sudden and quick suddenly opening themselves and suddenly again inclosing themselves for God hath suddenly flasht Himself forth and suddenly extinguished Himself again yet God hath to all men more or lesse given enlightnings into their spirits telling them plainly they must give an account that Hee is come to judge them that He is come to exalt lift up Himself that the end of their world their profits pleasure is come That all their earthly comforts and contents are a dying That there is no rest or peace to be had here below These and such like motions have been in the minds of many men But especially these have bin in the hearts and spirits of Gods own people though they are in the world and though in a worldly state and at a great distance from God yet they have had some glances of the light of God I know your owne spirits are able to lead you to those flashings and lightenings And if yee are not quite drunk with the world and have not lost your reason and memory you must acknowledge that the lightenings of God have shined upon you and enlightened the world And the earth saw it and trembled So visible so manifest are the lightnings of the Lord that poor earthly man exceedingly trembles and quakes poore man Adam earth the poore earthy frame of man hath seen and trembled The earth saw and trembled you have seen the Lord though I know ther 's that in you that saies yee have not you doe not I know you have seen the Lord the earth hath seen God hath set His feete upon the earth all the earth have had a view of God ther 's never a doore at which God hath not knocked every eye shall see Him although when they see him they turn away from him and would forget him for so soon as ever the door is opened and they see the Lord they runne away from him and cannot endure the sight of him Amongst all the things of the world its most dreadfull and and terrible to see the lightnings of God I know yee had rather runne into the hottest fire then into the fire of God and though yee have seen yee say ye have not because yee have no minde to see him but the whole earth hath seen the Lord though they have been suddaine startings and quick motions and flashings yet the earth saw it And that it hath seen here 's the effect it trembles And trembled It s a constant universal effect of the sight of God this quaking this trembling there is no man hath the least view of God but it strikes death to him Oh man earthly man must die This sight kils man Oh now I must seace to bee Now all is going Now all is lost Now every thing is drawing into the sad pit of destruction Now every thing is swallowed up into the horrible pit of nothingnesse I have saith the earthly man seene and known and been but now I shall know and see and bee no more Wee know how dreadfull and fearfull the view and sight of God is and though nothing more joyfull to the spiritual man yet nothing more joyfull to the earthly man What shal we doe wee have seen the Lord said they that saw an Angel The Lord cloathing himselfe with an Angel was very terrible for they said we shal dye The appearance of the Lord is terrible to the flesh of man The mountains leape and fly away the waters roule back the foundations of the deep are discovered The whole Earth shakes A general Earth-quake seizes upon the Nations What ail you yee mountains to bee removed What ail you yee waters to divide asunder What all you yee Son and Moon that your lights are put out What ail you yee Stars great and small that yee drop down from Heaven like untimely Figgs What ail you all yee People and Languages that your Faces gather palenesse and blackness What ail you that yee are afraid and do tremble What 's the reason you so shiver and quake The reason is ye are before the God of the whole Earth The presence of the LORD is present Death to all but Himself when the LORD comes every thing retires and as he comes neare so all things Fly packing before Him The Rod of God is shaking over the hearts of men which makes them exceedingly to tremble and quake and if yee wil not yet bee sensible here 's that which is more visible more sensible hee that hath an eare must Heare and doth Heare what this Rod speakes The Hils melted Suppose there should bee that stoutnesse in the spirits of men that they are become like mountains and hils suppose that there should bee that hardnesse and brauninesse of hell and death upon the spirits of men that they will not see yet the hils do melt The hils melted like waxe If any Creature be upheld and strengthned it is by Satan like Pharaoh's heart that was hardened by the wrath of God that he might bee destroyed I know no man ignorant of this but it is through his suffering the Devil to seduce him but though a man be seduced by Satan hardned by hell and do not see yet the mountains doe see and feels and melt before the LORD Hils Mountains What are these Not materiall mountains or materiall hils the mountains of the Earth are Great-ones Strong-ones Kingdomes Nations Governments these are Great mountains which the men of the Earth yee may call them the beasts of the Earth have continually lived upon fed upon and been nourished by And those Churches that have called themselves the hils and mountains of the LORD mount Sinay and mount Sion these everlasting hils that have stood so long time shall melt That Justice Wisdome Power Strength Order Religion Ordinances Obedience and Love which hath been set up by God and by the Ministers and Angels of