strangers to it such as were a far off as such as were enemies to the Temple and would have the Temple ruined and laid wast But note though the difference between Jewes and Gentiles since the daies of the Gospel be taken away and the Gentiles as well as the Jewes may now be of the Church of God if they be built upon the Lord Jesus yet the word Gentiles is heer used to expresse those that were not of the Church nor of the Temple but would have the Temple ruined And as the Babylonians of old had the Temple for a while given unto them So now Jesus Christ gives his spirituall Temple into the hands of these Gentiles the mysticall Babylonians for a while And the holy City This title the holy City we finde in Scripture is first given unto the City of Jerusalem the City wherein the materiall Temple was scituate as appears Matth. 37. 3. where it is said at the death of our Saviour That the graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Which City it is evident was the City of Jerusalem And indeed Jerusalem was then accounted a City more holy then others because it was the place wherein men ought in a more especiall manner to worship God And therefore saies the woman of Samaria Ye say in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship And our Saviour doth not contradict this for indeed it is out of all contradiction that Jerusalem had been the place where men ought to worship for God had placed his name there and there he would be worshiped because the Temple was there wherein was his speciall presence So that in this respect Jerusalem was once a more holy City then others But when the cause was taken away the effect ceased when Jerusalem ceased to be the place where men were enjoined to worship God and God had removed his special presence from the Temple then Jerusalem was no more holy then another place And because that Jerusalem was to cease to be the place of worship and the holy place therefore it is that our Saviour Iohn 4. 21 23. saith The hour commeth when ye shall neither in the mountain of Samaria nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him As if he had said Jerusalem shall not be the place of worship men shall not worship God there for if men doe perform Jerusalem worship that is worship with that worship that hath respect to an outward place it shal be accounted as no worship no men shall not worship in Jerusalem but such as worship the Father must worship him with an inward Spiritual worship and in truth that is in the Son in the Spirit and in the Son and such the Father seeks to worship him such he is now a seeking out both of Jews and Gentiles and such worship is most pleasing unto him So that Jerusalem had once the title of the holy City It was once the place wherein God was worshipped but it is now ceased to be so But secondly This title The holy City is given in Scripture unto that City of which that Jerusalem of old was a figure and that is the Saints and people of God who are all citizens of the holy City And therefore Paul writing to the Saints at Ephesus saith he Ephes 2. 19. Ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And that Jerusalem of old was a figure of this Holy City appears Hebr. 12. 22. and Gal. 4. 26. where the Saints are called by the name of Jerusalem only they are differenced from the material Jerusalem in that they are called The heavenly Jerusalem and Jerusalem which is above Now that this Heavenly Jerusalem which is compacted of Saints and Sanctified ones and therefore must needs be a Holy City I say that this Spirituall Jerusalem hath this title The holy City given to it doth appear Revel 21. 2. And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem comming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband Who is the spouse the bride that is adorned for her husband Jesus Christ but his Saints They then are the new and heavenly Jerusalem they are the holy City And the holy City shall they that is the Gentiles fore-spoken of tread under foot To be trouden under foot by an enemy is the highest kinde of insultation of an enemy over a people that possibly can be for what greater contempt and scorn and envy can an enemy expresse then by treading a person or a people under feet And yet this is the condition the Church was put into which is spoken of in the prophesie of Isaiah Chap. 51. 23. where it was said that those enemies that afflicted the Saints Said to their Souls bow down that we may goe over and their bodies was laid as the ground and as the streets to them that went over And this is the condition which the holy City the Temple of God his precious Saints are here also appointed unto even to be trod under foot to be depressed and greatly persecuted to be bowed down under the feet of their enemies to be made as the ground and as the street to them to goe over Querie But now before I proceed any further the Querie will be What those Gentiles are in particular to whom the Temple and the holy City was to be given and by whom they were to be trodden under foot For as Jerusalem and the Temple of old were given to the Babylonians in particular so the question is now Who the particular enemies are to whom the Temple and the holy City now are delivered For though the holy City hath many enemies yet she is not given to them all Answ I Answer Though in this Chapter there be no other description of them but only this the Gentiles yet we have a large description of them in three severall Chapters of this prophesie which descriptions as they lie I shall here incert The first is Rev. 12. 3. 4. And there appeared another wonder in Heaven and behold a great red Dragon having seaven heads and ten horns and seven Crowns upon his heads and his tail drew a third part of the Stars of Heaven and did cast them to the earth The second place in which the enemies of the Saints to whom they are given for a while are described is Rev. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. verses which is as followes And I stood upon the sand of the Sea and saw a Beast rise up out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten Crowns and upon his head the name of blasphemy And the Beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard and his
to lose much of these outward things the things of the world which at best are but vanity for it is far better to be without these and have a good conscience than to enjoy much of these either with a troubled or seared conscience and a hardened heart It is better to be at emnity with the Beast heerin and lose much of the world then to enjoy abundance of the world and soon after to perish with the Beast Again This let me tell you with all that if you shall persist in endeavouring to get such an imposing power it being that by which the Beast raigns in any place where it is it is in vain for you to endeavour it in England for England is fallen from Rome and is no more a part of Rome and therefore it is in vain to seeke to exercise a Romish power any longer in it And England being thus fallen is become a president to the other Kingdomes so to doe and shall not return to Rome again for England and all the other Kingdomes must hate the whore and make her desolate And thus much I cannot but speake to you that endeavour to take such a power upon you whether you will hear or whether you will forbear Deduction 16. 16. The next particular arising from these verses thus opened is an exhortation to all the Saints in England to dwell together in unity O you precious sonnes and daughters of the Almighty the Saints and Witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ that are in this Kingdome of England Consider you what your condition was about seven or eight year ago at what time you were trampled upon by the Bishops which was a treading under foot of the Beast Call to minde how some of you were pillored and had your eares cropt and many of you imprisoned and fined and by severall other waies were persecuted and troubled by the members of the Beast your adversaries and that onely for acting that which in your conscience you were parswaded was according to the minde of God and which if you had for fear of men or for any other reason left undone your conscience told you that you should in so doing be disobedient to your heavenly Father I say call these things to minde and what a great pressure it was to your spirit that you could not with liberty and freedome follow the Lamb but men did what in them lay to enforce you to worship the Beast and to embrace for doctrine the commandments of men O how grievious was this oppression to you And what a burden was it And how did you groan in your spirits to be delivered What a grief was it to you to see precious Saints cruelly and ridgedly dealt with by the enemies of Iesus Christ And how many frequent prayers did your souls breath out and lift up to heaven against your enemies and for deliverance from their yoake of bondage I say call these things to minde and remember that this was the condition of you all whether you are such as are commonly called Presbyterians or Independents or Anabaptists if you were Saints if you loved the Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity you were all a like hated of and opposed by the Beast and it was a grief and burden to all your spirits to see the enemies of Iesus Christ to prevail so much and you all both Presbyterians Independents and Anabaptists did pour out many effectual fervent praiers against the Beast and the Bishops his adherents in England Again Consider as the Beast was thus an enemy to you all alike so it was a mercy to you all alike when in the year 1645. God gave you all a full victory over the adherents of the Beast in this Kingdom for then the Bishops and them that fought for them and in them the Beast was overcome And this I say was a mercy to you all alike and it was alike answer to all your praiers and alike joy to all your spirits to see your enemies and the enemies of Jesus Christ overcome And now since you are all children of the same Father and have all one Lord Iesus Christ and have all one Spirit and have all drank of one cup of affliction and had all one common enemy that hated you all and persecuted you all because you had all the one holy Spirit of the Father and of the Son in you and since your Father in love to you all and in answer to the praiers of you all gave you all alike deliverance from that enemy of you all O unite unite unite since your God hath made you one in his love O be you one in your love one to another and let it appear that you dwell in God by dwelling in love What a low unworthy thing is it for you that dwell in God to grow cold in love towards your brethren the children of your Father for differing from you in judgement in some circumstantiall things only What if some be weak and doe not know so much of the minde of God in some circumstantial things as you whether you be Presbyterians Independents or Anabaptists conceive you doe Will you therefore not love your weak brother for whom Christ died and who is beloved of your Father because your Father in his wisdome hath yet with-held that light from him which he hath given to you What a weaknesse is this in you thus to doe Doe you not know that it is not for your merits that you have more then him but it was from grace from free favour that you have it And doth what you have received from grace worke such an effect in you as to make you grow cold in love toward your brethren O let it be far from you And what though some are Presbyterians and some Independents as they are commonly distinguished Though I could wish that these distinctions of difference might be all laid aside and that all that belong to Jesus Christ might only be called Saints and the servants of Jesus Christ and by such generall expressions as include them all though they still differ in circumstances for there were no such distinctions used among Saints in the primitive times though there were differences in some circumstances But I say What though some are Presbyterians and some Anabaptists c. Yet if they are such as you judge to be in Christ Jesus and to be beloved of the Father resolve you in the strength of Christ to suffer none of their differences from you in judgement to with-draw your affections from them but since you love your God and Father love you his beloved children and your brethren and since you sincerely love the Lord Jesus Christ let it appear in loving of those upon whom his image is stampt For there is no reason why you should not love Presbyterians as well as Independents and Anabaptists as well as Presbyterians c. unlesse you look upon them as no Saints as such as are no lovers of the Lord Jesus but if you
apprehensions neither to faith nor peace nor joy nor strength but have seemed to be as unbelieving as carnal and as fleshly as ever walking heavily for a long time And that Word which hath been sweet to others that at the same time heard it hath been as nothing to them That word which hath raised the heart and strengthened the faith and inflamed the love of others hath seemed to have no effect upon them and thus some have continued weeks months nay years together and if they have had any reviving it hath been but as a morning dew and yet at last when the Fathers appointed time was come wherein he hath raised them up to joy and peace in believing and given them life vigour and strength then hath the Spirit brought to their remembrance the things which they heard many years before and then have they been wonderfully overcome and taken with it and it hath brought forth fruit abundantly in them Therefore Saints you that say you finde little or no effect the word hath upon you for the present be not thereby discouraged but goe on to reade and to hear the word still for it is a means which is often blessed to many But thirdly Is it so that it is a blessed thing to reade and hear the Word so as to keep it Then it serves to exhort all as to hear and reade the Word so to look beyond it in the frequent hearing and reading of it waiting for the coming in of the Spirit for the blessing is not pronounced upon the hearers of the Word only but such as hear it and keep it and hear it and doe it and then shalt thou hear the Word so as to keep it when the Spirit comes along with it Therefore when thou comest to hear the Word doe not rest upon the bare hearing of the Word but expect the coming of the Spirit and that thou maiest thus doe consider that there are frequent presidents in Scripture That in the hearing of the Word the Spirit hath been given as you have it Act. 10. 44. While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word And in the second of the Acts at the 41. verse we finde that there were three thousand souls converted at the preaching of Peter And when Philip went down to Samaria and preached the Word there were by his preaching many converted both men and women as appears Acts 8. 12. There are severall other passages in the Acts to this purpose And Gal. 3. 2. saith the Apostle Received you the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith Whereby it appears That the Spirit was received by the hearing of the word of faith and therfore it is that the Apostle cals the Ministery of the Gospel The ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. Therefore let all be encouraged in the hearing of the Word to wait for the Spirit whereby they may not be forgetfull hearers but doers of the Word and be blessed in so doing Vse 4. And in the last place it serves to encourage all Saints to be frequent in reading of and meditating upon the book of the Revelation for there is a blessing particularly pronounced upon them that read or hear and keep the things that are written therein therefore let none be discouraged from reading those things that are written in this book because they are so hard to be understood and are more darke and mysterious than most places of Scripture It is true they are so but to encourage us to be frequent in reading of it notwithstanding the mysteriousnesse of it the holy Ghost hear pronounces a particular blessing to it which is a speciall encouragement to incite us to the reading of it And there is also another encouragement in these words For the time is at hand And now if we be desirous to be informed of the things that concern the present time then let us look diligently into the book of the Revelation for this word The time is at hand hath held true and doth and shall hold true in all ages and times even until the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ to judge the quick and the dead when all shall appear before the judgement seat of Christ for there hath been no age since the delivery of it in which it might not be said The time is at hand that is The time is come in which some part or other of it hath been fulfilling for at the time when this Revelation was given to John then was fulfilling that which is spoken concerning the seven Churches and soon after that which was to be done in the opening of the seals began to be fulfilled which is not yet fully accomplished and about four hundred year after Johns time began that to be fulfilled which is spoken of concerning the rising of the beast and what is revealed concerning the actions of the beast and the pouring out of the viols upon the beast hath been since that and now is a fulfilling and what is spoken concerning the totall ruine of the beast and the happy deliverance of the Saints and the glorious state of the Church after deliverance shall be hereafter fulfilled So that still it might and now and hereafter it may be said of the prophecy of this book The time is at hand therefore it concernes us to be frequently looking into it and diligently to observe the things that are written therein And now since the following Discourse is on a part of the book of the Revelation let these two motives which here you have to stirre you up to the reading of the whole book as that it is a blessed thing and it concerns the present time incite you to the reading and the serious consideration of what is herein delivered concerning the exact accomplishment of some of the things contained in this book which comes now to be spoken of AN EXPOSITION VPON Part of the eleventh Chapter OF THE REVELATION The Exposition of the first Verse And there was given unto me a reed like unto a rod IN the 21. Chapter of this book at the 15. verse when the holy City was put into a delivered enlarged raised condition there is mention made of a golden reed wherewith it was to be measured But here is not a golden reed but a reed like unto a rod importing that it is a chastized and afflicted depressed low condition into which it was at this time to be put and that it was indeed so appears in what follows And the Angel stood saying This Angel chap. 10. 1. is thus described And I saw a mighty Angel come down from heaven cloathed with a cloud and a rain-bow was upon his head and his face was as it were the Sunne and his feet as pillars of fire This description resembles that which is given of Jesus Christ Chap. 1. 15 16. by which it appears That this Angel here spoken of is Jesus Christ It is
testimony of Jesus were they that did prophesie in sackcloth I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore daies clothed in sackcloth Jesus Christ having in the former verse declared that the holy City should be troden under foot which is the afflicted condition of the Church he doth here declare what supplies they should have in that condition in that he saies that he would give unto them this gift that they should prophesie Though they are to be destitute of outward comforts and outward liberties by the enemies persecuting of them yet they are to have inward comforts the Lord will reveal his secrets to them which shall exceed all outward comforts they shall have the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophesie I will give unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore daies That this one thousand two hundred and threescore daies is a thousand two hundred and threescore years appears in pag. 59 60 c. Where it is evident that it is the same term of time with that in the former verse and with that in former passages of this book and that the meaning of them all is a thousand two hundred and threescore years there appears Cloathed in sackcloth While the Church was in the materiall Babylon they were in a sad and mourning posture for they wept and hung their harps on willows and could not sing the songs of Sion So the Church now being in mysticall Babylon and insulted over by their enemies God having for a time given them to be troden under foot by them they are in mourning sad and sable garments clothed in sackcloth though they inwardly enjoy the discoveries of the bosome secrets of the Father the comforts of the Spirit though they have the Spirit of prophesie yet they prophesie in sackcloth their out-side their cloathing is sackcloth to the outward eye they are in a sad posture and they cannot be otherwise while they are under the power and tyrany of Babylon Verse 4. These are the two Olive-trees These that is these two Witnesses are the two Olive-trees In that they are said to be the two Olive-trees it implies it hath reference unto some passage of Scripture wherein there is a former mention of them Now the place where they are mentioned is Zech. 4. so that Zechariah doth prophesie of these two Witnesses under the expression of two Olive-trees and therefore the holy Ghost mentioning the Witnesses here declares that these are they that are elsewhere called the two Olive-trees Now in that place Zech. 4. 4. we finde that the Prophet doth ask the Angel What these be And then the Angel makes this answer This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel saying not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts Who art thou ô great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings crying Grace Grace unto it Now this is somewhat a mysterious answer but thus much appears in it That though the Saints seem to be little in the eyes of men and their enemy whether it be the materiall Babylon or the mystical Babylon seem to be a great mountain as if it were impossible for the Saints to remove their mountainous enemy yet they shall be removed out of their way the great mountain shall become a plain before them and those Saints that seem to be little but as an handfull to a mountain they shall when the great mountain is become a plain again become a glorious Temple and when it shal be thus there shall be shoutings crying Grace Grace unto it And this appears to be spoken of the two Witnesses in the Text for they have seemed to be small and little and their enemy a great mountain but undoubtedly this mountain shall become a plain before them and they shall again become a glorious Temple a mountain of holinesse the praise of the whole earth But the Prophet at the 12 verse is said again to ask the Angel What the Olive-branches are and receives this further answer These be the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth here is another description of them in which it is most evident that by the two Olive-trees is meant the Saints Servants and Witnesses of Jesus Christ for this is a plain character of Saints for first Saints are anointed ones and are said to be anointed 2 Cor. 1. 21. and are said to have received an unction from the holy One 1 Joh. 2. 20. Again secondly as Saints are anointed ones so it is they only that can come into the presence of God it is they only that can enter into the Holy of Holies by the new and living way which Jesus Christ hath made for them Now by this time it is clear That by the two Olive-trees is meant all Saints for they are anointed ones and they stand in the presence of God they then are the two Olive-trees which have prophesied cloathed in sackcloth and though they have been but as a handfull compared with that great mountain the Beast so that they could not prevail by might nor by power yet by that unction by that anointing that Spirit that is upon them they shall prevail These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candle-sticks These Witnesses are also said to be candle-sticks because all Saints as they are anointed ones so they are the light of the world Mat. 5. 14. they are light in the Lord and they shine as lights amidst a crooked and perverse generation These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth The wicked saith the Psalmist shall not stand in thy presence neither shall evil dwell with thee It is indeed onely the prerogative of those holy ones that are washed in the bloud of the Lamb that are unblameable and unreprovable in his sight and to these doth hee hold out the golden scepter of his grace and these do stand in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth Verse 5. And if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies The Saints in a sence are the Judges and Executioners of their enemies Behold a King saith the Prophet Isa 32. 1 shall raign in righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in judgment speaking of the raign of the Lord Jesus and his Saints ruling with him so that as he judgeth so doe they and they passe sentence with him upon their enemies and therefore is it here said If any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies That is that breath of the spirit that proceedeth out of their mouth in their praiers doth both pronounce the sentence and bring down the fire of wrath upon their enemies And this is clear Revel 8. 3. for there it appears That when
Witnesses against the enemy so as it was only kept as it were above-ground though it seemed to be as dead And so God would have it to be for the first three yeares and an half but when the first three years and an half were compleatly according to Scripture account expired then it was not possible for the adverse party to prevail over them for then the time was come in which the Witnesses were to be raised and then the Spirit of life from God entered into them and that was the reason why they went on like active living men so couragiously and victoriously for God had appointed them to carry on his worke for the fall of this Kingdom from Rome Deduction 13. Thirteenth In the next place this serves to exhort all those that were drawne to engage in the late war against the Parliament and those godly people that adhered to them to relinquish that act of theirs And that First Because it is so apparent that in so doing they were instruments of upholding the Kingdome of the Beast and that they did in it endeavour to support the Beast as much as in them lay whatever the pretences were upon which they were drawne to engage in it and therefore if they desire to be enemies to the Beast let them be enemies to this act of theirs for in it they went about to support the Beast though it was in vain the time of his ruine being come and therefore it behoves them to repent of what they have done in it for it is not good pretences can justifie an evil action It would be their wisdome therefore now at last to renounce it as they renounce the Beast himself And Secondly It concerns them to repent of this deed of theirs considering against whom they fought not against ordinary men but against the choisest of men the Witnesses and servants of Jesus Christ nay they fought not against them onely but against Jesus Christ for as Jesus Christ saith to his Disciples That the world hated them because it hated him and he that hateth him hateth the Father also Joh. 15. 18. 23. So it may be said that they that fought against the Saints of Iesus Christ fought against Iesus Christ himself and against the Father also Now therefore you that were active in that quarrel of the Beast how doth it concern you to renounce what you have done therein least you be found to be fighters against God and let no longer a spirit of emnity and difference remain between you and those that you opposed in that particular but be of one minde with them in a mutuall opposing of the Beast with them And this doe least persisting in that way of defending the Beast you be destroied with the Beast Deduction 14. Fourteenthly In the next place it enformes all those that did engage in the late defensive warre that they have cause to rejoyce in what they have done in that particular and no cause to repent of it Have you contributed to the maintenance of the warre in England and Ireland by lending plate and disbursing money And have you sent horses and arms and provisions to the Army And have your servants or children or your selves in person been actually in that warre You have cause to rejoyce in all that you have done therein for you see it was a most just and righteous act and God hath by it brought a most glorious worke to passe in the bringing this Kingdome from that vassallage to Rome in which it hath been this twelve hundred years and putting the cup of trembling into the hands of the enemies of Iesus Christ the dregs whereof they shall at last take off And therefore you have no cause to repent but to rejoyce in what you have done therein to rejoyce that you had the honour to be in any measure instruments of promoting such a cause and if you suffered any losses by being opposers of the adverse party yet it was farre better to be losers in opposing them then in any measure to comply with them And you that have received wounds or lost limbs for promoting that cause may glory in them for what soever you have herein done or suffered it hath been in and for opposing that grand enemy of Iesus Christ The Beast and in being instruments of bringing Gods designe to passe for the ruining of great Babylon and the setting up the Kingdome of Iesus Christ And therefore how ever you seem to be rewarded of men for it yet never repent of it but rejoyce in what you have done in it Deduction 15. Fifteenthly In the next place this may convince those of their errour that take to themselves a power over the consciences of Saints to rule over them and make laws for them and to force them to obedience to those laws Let such seriously consider this that this is apparently that cursed power that the Beast hath usurpt to himself or at least it had no other Donor then the Dragon the old Serpent the Devil who gave the Beast his Power and Seat and great authority And by this Power the Bishop of Rome first became and still continues to be the Beast And this is a Power that is abhorred of God for those men that exercise this Power doe take away the legislative power of God who is the King the Judge and the LAW-GIVER of his Saints and doe give Iesus Christ lesse honour then the Heathens doe their idols who doe allow them to be the orderers of their own worship O that these men therefore might be convinced of their errour in imposing their lawes upon the consciences of Saints and constraining them to worship God according to the rules that they have hammered out from them though they dare not affirme that they themselves are infallible for surely if they persist in it God who is jealous of his glory and will not give it to another will break out in the fire of his jealousie against them as well as against the Beast that great man of sin who sitteth in the Temple of God and takes upon him to make lawes as God It concerns them therefore to beware how they goe on in these waies least they be destroyed with that son of perdition Again Let such consider that all those that ever exercifed this power for the generallity of them were alwaies enemies of the most precious and most spirituall Saints and were followed with a curse Let them but look upon the Bishops and generally they were enemies of Saints and a curse rested on them even a blindenesse of minde and hardnesse of heart and at last they were brought down and shame and contempt cast upon them And it may be some of you that have endeavoured to take the same power have opposed the Bishops for the same thing O therefore that in the consideration heerof you might at last lay down that imposing power although thereby you may seem to lose that honour that you seek from men and