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
the praiers of all Saints were offered upon the golden Altar that then the Angel took the Censor and filled it with fire of the Altar and cast it into the earth and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earth-quake So that this is the power that Saints have to devour their enemies and though their enemies be never so high and potent yet they are not so high nor so potent but they can reach them either to kill or destroy them or to binde and imprison them And this is further witnessed unto by the Psalmist Psalme 149. 6 7 8 9. where speaking of the Saints saies he Let the high praises of God be in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the Gentiles and punishments upon the people to binde their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his Saints Here the Psalmist speaks of executing vengeance upon the Gentiles and punishments upon the people of binding Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of iron Why Who must doe thus Must it not be some great and mighty Potentate No but this is to be done by Saints and that not only by some Saints but as well by the weakest of Saints as by the strongest For this honour have all his Saints All Saints doe execute vengeance upon their enemies If any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth from their praiers proceedeth a fire of wrath and devoureth their enemies And if any man will hurt them he must in this manner be killed As a fire proceedeth out of their mouth that devoured their enemies in general so if any man will hurt them he must in the same manner be killed that is by the fire that proceedeth out of their mouth Verse 6. These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the daies of their prophesie As the fire mentioned in the former verse was not material fire but it was mystically spoken so the rain here mentioned is to be mystically understood as it is in severall places of Scripture I will cite but only two places for they will be sufficient and in both of them what is to be understood by water or rain is declared As Isa 44. 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirstly and flouds upon the dry ground Now would we know what is here meant by water and flouds it follows in the next words I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring So that here the Spirit and the blessings of heaven are expressed by water and by flouds The other place is Joh. 3. 38 39. He that beleeveth on me as the Scripture hath saâ—d out of his belly shal flow rivers of living water The next verse explains this This he spake of the Spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive So that we see what the Scripture means by water when it speaks mystically of it so that it is in this sence that the Saints are said here during the prevalency of the Beast to shut heaven that it rain not for it cannot be understood of materiall rain for that hath been extended to the unjust as to the just and if materiall rain should be with-held the Saints and Witnesses might have as well suffered by the with-holding of it as others no it is not the with-holding of materiall rain but a greater judgement then that for as the Saints had power to bring a fire of wrath upon their enemies so to shut up the rain of spirituall blessings that the flouds of the spirit do not descend upon them But whereas the Saints are like the tree that is planted by the rivers of water that is alwaies green and flourishing their enemies are for want of these waters as a dry tree that brings forth no fruit and must be hewen down and cast into the fire That it rain not in the daies of their prophesie We see what the daies of their prophesie is at the third verse where they are said to prophesie cloathed in sackcloth a thousand two hundred and threescore daies which hath been shewed to be so many years which is the tearm of time which the Gentiles the Beast is to prevail and the holy City the Saints are to be troden under foot these we see are said to be the daies of their prophesying cloathed in sackcloth not but that they might prophesie after that time is expired but those were the daies of their prophesying in sackcloth because they are troden under foot and they are given to the Beast the Babylonians and during these daies of their prophesying in sackcloth they have power to shut heaven that it rain not spirituall blessings upon their enemies And hath it not been even thus Hath not the Beast and all his adherents been as dry trees and have they not continued to be so without ever obtaining a drop of spirituall grace Have they not been as the dry ground obdurate and hardened in their hellish waies insomuch as it is to be admired that they should so continue without any relenting or returning for so many hundred years although they have had the Scriptures and many of them great outward parts and abilities and the writings of many precious Saints which are means by which God uses to worke but none of these means could work any thing because they had the Heaven so shut that none of the waters of the Spirit did descend upon them Therefore it was that the letter of the Word and all other advantages could doe nothing for they are all nothing without the Spirit And have power over waters to turn them to bloud This is another plague distinct from the former but it is also mystically expressed therfore these waters are not those that are said to be shut up from them for it is not possible for them to be turned into bloud that is to be made uselesse as waters are when they are turned into bloud but they are those waters which their enemies the Babylonians made use of in stead of the waters of the Spirit And what were they It were their Canons and Decrees and Constitutions which they gave forth as equivalent unto the very dictates of the Spirit it self and they declared them to be of as great authority and of these waters they made all that did adhere to them to drinke and with these waters they contented themselves never caring for the waters of the Spirit Now the Saints had power over these waters to turn them to bloud which they did by the Spirit of prophesie which they had whereby they did so hold forth the Testimony of Jesus Christ in the purity of it as all the Romish Doctrines and Popish Canons were turned to bloud rendered uselesse unto others and discovered to be corrupt And this is that which was done by those Angels or Saints that poured out the second and third viols
you to consider how evident it is that Jesus Christ hath had some true Prophets during all this twelve hundred years that the Beast hath troden the Saints under foot For Jesus Christ saith expresly I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty daies cloathed in sackcloth And this hath been made good for it appears thaâ— in all times since Christ hath had some that have prophesied that is have held forth the Testimony of Jesus Christ For the Testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie And indeed every true Saint is a Prophet because the Lord revealing his secrets to a soul as it maketh it a Saint so it maketh it a Prophet and so the Lord looks upon his Saints as his Witnesses and Prophets Now this being evident That Christ hath had true Prophets this maketh it clear that as it is said Ephes 4. 10 11 12 13. That Jesus Christ when he ascended up farre above all heavens gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of Saints for the worke of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. So this word hath been fulfilled Jesus Christ hath alwaies continued these For First Apostles have been continued for the edifying of the body of Christ as it is here said for the Apostles being the eie-witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ in all that he did and suffered and of his Resurrection as it is evident in that expression of Peter when another Apostle was to be chosen in the place of Judas Acts 1. 21 22. Wherefore of these men which have accompanied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us Beginning from the baptisme of John unto that same day he was taken from us must one be ordained to be a Witnesse with us of his Resurrection I say they being eie-witnesses of the Lord Jesus their witnesse which they gave of him is left still upon record in which Apostles still continue usefull to the Church for perfecting of Saints for the work of the Ministery and for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come c. and in this sense Apostles have continued but Prophets Evangelists Pastours and Teachers have actually continued in the Church and that doth appear by this because we here see it is evident that Prophets have been continued Now a man that is a true Prophet of Jesus Christ may be and in some degree truly is an Evangelist and Pastour and a Teacher also For First To be an Evangelist is to be able to hold forth the Gospel in the grace and sweetnesse of it and he that is so is an Evangelist And Secondly To be a Pastour is to be able to feed the flock of Christ both the sheep and tender lambs with the wholsome saving truths of Christ to the nourishing and strengthning of their Souls And Thirdly To be a Teacher is to be able to unfold the mysteries of the Gospel and clearly to hold forth the truths of Christ to the instruction of the ignorant and encreasing of knowledge and he that is so is a Teacher Now he that is a Prophet may be all these First He may be a man that publisheth the glad tydings of the Grace of the Gospel And secondly A man that teacheth and instructeth people with knowledge and understanding And thirdly A man that feeds the flock of Christ with wholsome saving truths I say a Prophet may be an Evangelist a Pastour and Teacher and so was Paul that he was a Prophet appears Acts 13. 1. and that he was a Pastour appears in that he was so frequent in feeding the Church of God and that he was a Teacher appears Acts 13. 1. and 2 Tim. 1. 11. and Acts 20. 27. and that he was an Evangelist appears in all his Epistles by his full and sweet holding forth the Grace of the Gospel in them and as Paul was so so it might be also said of Apollo and Peter and Barnabas and Timothy and others But here it may be objected If one man may be both a Prophet and Evangelist a Pastour and Teacher Why doth the Apostle speak of them particularly as given to particular persons For saith he Jesus Christ when he ascended gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers And again 1 Cor. 12. 29. he saith Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Are all Teachers Implying that the Spirit had dispenced out the gift of prophesying to one of teaching to another of Apostleship to a third and not all these gifts to one Answ Though it be true That a Prophet may be also an Apostle an Evangelist a Pastour and Teacher as Paul was yet the Scripture speaks particularly of them because they are severall gifts and sometimes they are severally dispensed so that one man may be more properly said to be an Evangelist because he may be more able to hold forth the sweet word of the Gospel and to be a son of consolation and to be more Evangelical then other and so may be more properly said to be an Evangelist And so of the rest one man may be more eminent in one of these gifts then in the rest and so may be more properly said to be either a Pastour or a Teacher and yet notwithstanding he that is an Evangelist may in some sort be able to act as a Pastour or a Teacher so he that is a Pastour may in some sort be able to act as an Evangelist or a Teacher though in an especiall manner he may be fitted to doe the work of a Pastour and so of the rest So that the reason why they are particularly spoken of is because that some Saints may be more eminently fitted for one of them then for the rest and not that they that have one of these gifts have only one of those gifts and is utterly void of the rest and this will be the more confirmed and cleared by comparing this with that passage 1 Cor. 12. 8 9 10. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome to another tbe word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another faith by the same Spirit to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit to another the working of miracles to another prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another divers kindes of toungues to another the interpretation of tongues Here the Apostle speaks of severall gifts and saith that one is given to one and another to another and a third to a third c. And his meaning is That one Saint is more eminent for one gift and another for another and not that he that had the word of wisdome had no knowledge nor no faith
them neither yet they cannot be without the use of praier and prophesying and therefore we see that Saints have alwaies enjoyed them during all the time they have been troden under foot the spirit of praier and prophesie hath been still upon them And herein they have appeared to be both living Christians and waking Christians a dead man cannot breathe nor can a sleeping man speak but when a man breathes and speaks he is discovered to be both a living and a waking man Now if Christians be not dead Christians then sure they will both breathe and speak as soon as the breath of spiritual life is in a man he is a man that breaths toward God in praier continually and when he is grown up a little he is able to speak to edification exhortation and comfort though some are more fluent in speaking and have better utterance then others yet all in whom there is true spiritual life in some sort or other doe so speak as to edifie exhort and comfort one another Let such therefore as are in this errour beware how they entertain principles so contrary to the very life of Christianity And O do you not stop your breath what though you be in Babylon yet you must breathe there otherwise you are stifled Beware therefore of being stifled breathe freely toward thy God whereever thou art Thou maist have Communion with him in any place Though thou art with Daniel in Babylon and in a Lions den yet the breathings and the pantings of thy soul after God are acceptable to him Object But perhaps some may say When I goe about to pray I finde much deadnesse fleshlinesse carnality and coldnesse in my self both when I am to pray publikely with other Saints and when I am privately retired and I look upon this as an effect of Babylonish darknesse I question therefore whether I may pray until it be wholly done away Answ The Apostle when he bids us In all things to make known our requests to God and to pray without ceasing and to continue in praier and to pray continually Phil. 4. 6. 1 Thess 5. 17. Col. 4. 2. did very well know That Saints did carry flesh about them which would be opposing the Spiritâ— and therefore he himself saith When I would doe good evil is present with me and The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot doe the things that ye would Gal. 5. 17. I say the Apostle knew this That the flesh would oppose but he would not have Saints upon that ground to neglect spirituall duties for that were to suffer the flesh to get the victory but rather to be the more frequent in spirituall duties and to be the more incessant in holy performances especially in praier that so they might overcome the flesh that so opposeth Again secondly When the Apostle presses Saints to spirituall duties he speaks to them as knowing that though they carry flesh still about them yet that they have a spirit in them in which they are to act toward God and that though flesh be acting in them yet at the same time that spirit may act in them And therefore when Saints come to pray though the flesh doe endeavour to put out the life of the Spirit yet the Spirit strives to mortifie the flesh and though both act at the same time yet God is able to distinguish between what cometh from his own Spirit which is alwaies in his Saints and what comes from flesh in them And though the flesh doe act its part yet Jesus Christ having by one offering done away all the corruptions of the flesh in his people God can notwithstanding the flesh in them smell a sweet savour in those performances in which there is much weaknesse and flesh and but little of the Spirit appearing there being an attonement already made for the sins of their holy things So that Saints you having Spirit in you as well as flesh you are not to neglect to performe spirituall duties because you doe not see flesh wholly subdued for that was never yet done in any Saint while he remained in this tabernacle but in that spirit to act especially in praier even when you finde flesh also acting for if you have but a spiritual desire to have that flesh subdued that desire cometh from the Spirit and that spark being neglected may seem to die but if according to the rule of Paul to Timothy we stirre up that gift of the Spirit we have received how weak soever it may seem to be that spark may grow up into a flame and get strength in a great measure to burn up that corruption that so troubles and burthens us Therefore the Apostle gives this rule To continue in praier Saints doe you desire to have flesh subdued then continue so desiring and be continually lifting up your spirits to your God in praier against it and that you may doe so take all opportunities to retire your self from other imploiments that you may lift up your souls unto God in praier and doe not content your selves with barely having these desires and so be continually plunging your selves in worldly imploiments in conversing with sublunary things but improve all opportunities to retire your selves from conversing with these things for the enlivening and enflaming of your spirits and doe not perswade your selves that while you are discoursing of your bargains and tradings and lands and livings and cloathing and I know not what that you pray as well as when you retire your self into a private place to lift up your souls in secret to God in praier For our Saviour gives you this direction When you pray enter into your closets and shut your doors and pray to your Father which is in secret c. Matth. 6. 6. And our Saviour himself observed the same rule for it is often said of him That he went apart into a mountain to pray and continued whole nights in praier unto God the night being the time in which he was free from other imploiments And so Act. 10. 9. it is said That Peter went upon the house to pray And truly if Saints did improve more opportunities and take more advantages thus to retire themselves to converse with God so much coldnesse and lukewarmnesse worldlinesse covetousnesse pride and contention would not appear in them But it hath been the designe of the common enemy to take off Saints from these warrantable profitable and advantagious retirements wherein they might enjoy Communion with God to the end they may continue in a more loose and carnal frame to the sading of their spirits and to the scandal of their most holy profession But another may say I finde that our Saviour saith unto his Disciples Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I doe Joh. 14. 13. And John saith We have confidence toward God and whatsoever we ask we receive of him 1 Joh. 3.
that had a spirit of life from God put upon you in the year 1645. whereby life was put into all the Witnesses and whereby you were inabled to act like living men men that had a life from God in the overcoming the Beast and his adherents in this Kingdom and seeing you have been instruments of defending that cause ever since I say seeing God hath honoured you so as to make you such eminent instruments of this great worke and the hearts of all the Saints in England are generally knit unto you and the eyes of all the Saints in England are upon you most Noble General and Worthy Commanders here is I say special encouragement for you to goe on still to improve the power that God hath given you for the same end for which it was given you viz. The suppressing of the Beast and defending all the Saints and servants of Jesus Christ in this Kingdome and to goe on having the honour of Jesus Christ and not your own and publike good more then private ends in your eye and in your heart to endeavour to cause justice and righteousnesse to abound in this Kingdome and this is your encouragement that in so doing as you have alwaies been since 1645. So you shall ever be conquerours in all the battles you fight and overcomers of all the enemies with whom you encounter no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper nor no enemy shall be able to stand before you yea though all the people of the Earth should be gathered together against you yet you should be but as a burthensome stone unto them and all that burden themselves with you should be broken in pieces And thirdly Here is speciall encouragement for all the Saints in England in generall to be of good courage not to fear the menaces or threatnings of any enemy for no enemy shall ever any more prevail over them Now what I say for the encouragement of the Parliament and of the Generall and chief Commanders of the Army in particular and of all the Saints in England in generall is clearly grounded in the Scripture and therefore is it unquestionable and to be received and observed of the Parliament Army and Saints in England Indeed if I should declare any thing to you and tell you that I had it by vision or revelation and it were not apparent in Scripture I know no warrant you had to receive it or to have any confidence of it For as Paul speaking of the day of Christ saith to the Thessalonians Now we beseech you by the comming of the Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering unto him that you be not soon shaken in minde nor be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first c. So may I say you have reason to beware that you be not soon shaken in minde or troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter from any concerning any thing for which they doe not bring a word from the Scripture and let no man deceive you for you may be deluded and deceived if you receive any thing from any which is not according to what is revealed in the Scripture as the young Prophet was deluded by the old Prophet when he received that Doctrine which was contrary to the Word of the Lord which before he had received So may you if you should so doe Therefore if a Prophet or an Apostle or an Angel from heaven should bring any message which is not consonant unto the Word which you have already received in the Scripture you are not to be shaken in minde nor to be troubled by it nor to imbrace it But now the Scripture grounds upon which I doe for their encouragement declare and affirme That the Parliament and the Army in prosecuting the righteous cause of the Saints and that all the Saints of England in generall shall all overcome their enemies and go on victoriously hence forward are these First Because the Witnesses are raised from the dead The Spirit of life from God is entered into them and they do stand upon their feet Secondly Because England is fallen from Rome and is no more a tenth part of that great mystical Babylon Thirdly Because the one thousand two hundred and threescore years in which the Beast was to tread the holy City under foot did expire in 1645. Now the first of these grounds is evidently drawn from Scripture as appears in the explicatory part of this Discourse where it is evident That that great and considerable number of Saints in England and all reall Saints of Jesus Christ of whom it is said That the Beast should make warre against them and overcome them and that they should lie dead three years and an half the Spirit of life from God should enter into them and they should stand upon their feet to the fear of their enemies and to the glory of their God And it is evident that this which this Scriptrre hath said of them is punctually come to passe The Beast did make warre against all Saints in making warre against that great number of the Saints in England in the late warre the Beast did overcome them and kill them and they were mystically dead for three years and an halfe and as soon as the three yeares and an halfe were compleatly expired the Spirit of life from God entered into them a Spirit of life vigour and courage was put upon them and they did no longer lie as dead men but like living men they stood upon their feet to the fear and amazement of their enemies and to the glory of their God who had put such a Spirit of vigour and courage upon them And now upon this ground may all the Saints in England and those Worthies in the Parliament of England and their Army who have been instruments of bringing down the power of the Beast in England be encouraged to continue opposing the Beast and acting justly and righteously toward all and be assured God having put a Spirit of life upon them and made them to stand upon their feet they shall overcome every enemy that shall rise up against them and the enemie in no battle shall be able to stand before them nor give them one defeat but shall fall before them and bee cut downe as mowne grasse and the men of warre shall not finde their hands but turne their backs and flee before them for they shall now finde them living men such as have a Spirit of life from God put upon them The second ground upon which I affirme That no enemy shall be ever able to prevail over them is clear in Scripture For it is also evident in the Explicatory part of this Discourse That England is that tenth part of the Citie which the holy Ghost in this Scripture speaks of
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
21 22. And again This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of him 1 John 5. 14 15. And by these passages it appears That Saints in the Primitive times before the great falling away and the rising of the Beast when they praied had assurance that they should have the Petitions they desired But when I pray I have no such confidence in many things and many times it is a long time before my Petitions are answered and in some Petitions I have a plain denial and therefore I question whether it be not sinfull for me so to continue praying until I am fully come out of Babylon and then I conceive that I shall have such a spirit of praier as the Saints had in the Primitive times and have confidence that whatsoever I ask of God I shall receive of him Answ First That the Saints while they have been under the bondage of Babylon have had a spirit of praier and have had their petitions heard is evident For their praiers have brought judgements upon their enemies being presented upon the golden Altar And if it have been no sin for these to continue praying though they were in Babylon then doubtlesse it would be no sin for thee to pray though thou shouldest be in Babylon But Secondly Whereas thou saist That in some things thou hast no confidence that thou shalt be heard and sometimes it is long before some Petitions are granted and other Petitions are plainly denied Let me tell thee That if in those things in which thou hast no confidence thou doe pray for them with the submission of thy will unto the will of the Father it may be no sin for thee so to pray for the things that thy soul desires though thou hast no confidence of them if they be such things as be not sinfull in themselves as such as these are not viz. to be delivered from bodily distempers to be kept from dangers in travelling whether by sea or land to be delivered from the tyranny of unreasonable men that seek to doe thee hurt or to have parents or children or wife or husband or brethren or sisters or any other friend delivered from bodily distempers or dangers in travelling c. or to have them brought to the knowledge of the truth from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God or to have them kept from errours and seducing spirits I say these and such like things which are not sinfull in themselves if thy soul desire them it will be no sinne for thee to pray for them though thou hast no confidence that they shall be granted so thou pray for these with the submitting of thy will to the will of the Father And this is clear in that the Lord Jesus himself in whom was no sinne did pray so with submission to the Fathers will for deliverance from that bitter cup which he was to drink of though he had no confidence that 〈◊〉 Petition should be granted So that Saints may pray for those things which thâ—y doe not infallibly know to be according to the minde of God and yet it may be no sinne so to pray if they doe pray with submission to the Fathers will And in so praying they may be acceptable to the Father who many times doth grant some of those Petitions as soon as they are put up and at other times after he hath made his people to wait long and to pray importunately for them And if some of them be denied yet their persons and praiers may be accepted and may be and sometimes are granted another way God giving them in that which is better then the thing desired But Thirdly All Saints may have and doubtlesse many Saints have as much confidence now in praier as the Saints had in the Primitive times for what was the confidence that Saints then had Saith John This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us This was the primitive Saints confidence and what Saint hath not this confidence now that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Saints are now confident That the things they pray for which God wils and intends to give unto them shall be granted only they have not an infallible spirit so as to know in all things what it is the will of God to bestow upon them But many things they doe know and others they have strong perswasions of when God in a more then ordinary manner moves their spirits to pray for them Thus Saints have a holy boldnes and confidence in approaching to the throne of Grace by the mediation of Jesus Christ coming to God in the spirit of Adoption being confident of having every good thing that a gracious and loving Father sees good for them all their Petitions are heard They are confident that if they ask any thing according to his will he heareth them And no Saints in the Primitive times had other confidence So that Saints it is no sinne for you to continue praying making known your requests to God but it is your duty so to do But Fourthly Though flesh doe break out and in some things Saints doe not pray aright yet they are not therefore wholly to neglect praying knowing that God still delights in the breathings of his owne Spirit in them although they have many weaknesses and infirmities in them And Fifthly If they finde their faith is not so high nor their confidence so strong as some Primitive Saints were then ought they to pray for the increase of faith If they be weak in faith let them have recourse to him who is the authour and finisher of faith for the strengthening of it who will give liberally and will not upbraid his people though they be weak Though a man that is altogether faithlesse hath no promise sure to him yet the man weak in faith hath as many promises made to him as he that is strong in faith So that though it be weak yet if it be a true faith in him that praies for the increase of faith he shall finde accesse to the throne of grace And so much for the clearing of this Deduction 7. Seventhly The next Deduction is to discover the excellency and preciousnes of Saints from the 4 5 verses they are discovered to be excellent in that they are said to be Olive trees they are not as the dry tree who is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned He. 6. 8. But blessed and happy is the condition of Saints For they have an unction from the holy Ones they stand in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth They are precious in the eies of God and profitable to men for they empty the golden oil they have received from the
holy one into others the Spirit as it floweth from them sometimes penitrates into those that are strangers aliens to Jesus Christ whereby they are brought home to the imbraces of Jesus Christ and then Saints are excellent in their eyes also And so David cals them Psal 16. 2 3. My goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight And excellent they are Secondly Because they are not only as Olive-trees but as Candle-sticks For as it is said of Jesus Christ so it is said of them They are the light of the world Mat. 5. 14. They are as light shining in a dark place Now how precious is light to them that are continually in a sensible darknesse Light is one of the most precious things in the world it puts a beauty upon other things it chears and comforts the heart it causes men to see the dangers that are in their way that so they may avoid them and many others are the excellent properties of this naturall light but many more are the precious effects of spirituall light And this is that that Saints have though others are in the darknesse of hell yet they enjoy the light of heaven The Lord God almighty and the Lamb are a light unto them Rev. 21. 23. And in this respect also Saints are excellent and precious ones But I would be brief in this particular and therefore shall not further enlarge it Deduction 8. Eighthly The next Deduction in which I shall be brief also is to discover from the fifth verse the dangerous condition of those wicked men that are enemies to Saints Though Saints seem to be poor weak despicable creatures and their enemies in outward appearance seem to be strong and potent and to be overcomers of them yet these seeming weak Saints are strong and mighty for they can but send up a message to heaven and bring secret and invisible arrows from thence which shall destroy their enemies The breath of their mouth kindles coals of fire that destroies their enemies And if any man will hurt them he must with this fire be killed Little doe wicked men think that when they deal cruelly with Saints they bring coals of fire upon their owne heads yet so they doe if they continue irreconcilable enemies unto them There is a notable place to shew the danger men run upon when they offer to wrong the Saints of God it is Zech 12. 3. In that day saith the Lord will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth shall be gathered together against it Though the spirituall Jerusalem the Saints of God had all the people of the earth gathered together against them yet so potent and strong are they through the Lord of host their God as they should overcome them all they should be as a burdensome stone and should crush in pieces all that burden themselves with them Therefore it would be wisdome in men to beware how they offer any violence to any one of the Saints of God either to their lives or liberties how colourable so ever the pretences be upon which they doe it seeing it is such a dangerous thing to abuse Saints as that in wronging them men be devoured or destroied by them And so I have done with this particular also Deduction 9. Ninthly In the next place from the sixth verse might be discovered the reason why there hath been such a hardnesse of heart and impenitency upon the Beast and the Babylonish crew namely because that as a judgement upon them for persecuting the Saints of God the heavens have been so shut up against them as that none of the waters of the spirit have descended upon them But I passe this by with some other particulars that might be observed in that verse Deduction 10. The tenth Deduction is from the seventh verse where it is said The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make warre c. It doth enform us that this title The Beast is the most proper title of the Pope as is evident in the comparing of the several passages in this prophesie where the Beast is mentioned together which is done in the explicatory part of this Discourse where it appears evidently that by the Beast is meant the Pope Now in all the other passages of the prophesie of this book where the Pope is mentioned and in this seventh verse he being called the Beast it is evident that this is his most proper title Though it is true the Pope is Antichristian yet we doe no where in the prophesie of this book nor in any other Scripture where he is expressely spoken of finde the title of Antichrist given to him But generally in the prophesie of this book and in the prophesie of Daniel where there are some things spoken of him he is called the Beast And for the 2 Thess 2. where he is also expresly spoken of and plainly described he is not called there Antichrist neither but is there called That man of sin the son of perdition and that wicked Now it is said there are many Antichrists 1 John 2. 19. But it is no where said There are many Beasts and therefore he is called The Beast and that man of sinne the sonne of perdition and that wicked As we use to say The King of such a Kingdome and The Governour of such a place and The Maior of such a City or Town importing there is but one So the Pope is called The Beast For though there be many Antichrists yet there is but one Beast but one Pope who is The Beast I doe the rather observe this first to discover the exceeding greatnesse of the wickednesse and the abominablenesse of the Pope who for his opposition to God and his enmity to the Saints is exprest by a peculiar title that is proper only to that wicked one to shew that he is above al others hateful and cursed And secondly I doe the rather speak of this because some doe confusedly speak of the Beast and Antichrist confounding the Beast with Antichrist whereas there be many that are and may be called Antichrists especially some that are risen up lately That deny that Jesus is the Christ making themselves equal with the Lord Jesus Christ and who do also deny That Jesus Christ is come in the flesh or at least have a light esteem of Christs coming in the flesh by looking upon that flesh which was so united unto the God-head as when the life of it was laid down it was said to be the life of God 1 John 3. 16. as no more to be esteemed then the flesh of a common man I say these and such as these are Antichrists as is clear 1 John 2. 22. and 1 Joh. 4. 3. But though there be many Antichrists yet there is but one that may be called the
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
where it is said That upon the raising of the Witnesses and their having a Spirit of life from God put into them and their standing upon their feet A tenth part of the City fell And it also appears That England being that tenth part of the City is fallen from mysticall Babylon and is no longer a part of it but is overcome by the Lord Jesus hee is now King of it who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will keep it for himselfe and will not suffer it to be subjected to the Beast any more The Saints in England are brought out of the bondage of mysticall Babylon and shall return no more to it and therefore they may be confident That none of the Romish power of any of the other nine Kingdomes neither those that are more remote or those that are nearer neighbours to it shall ever be able to prevail over England Thirdly The third ground of my affirming that the Parliament Armie and Witnesses in England shall hence-forth overcome all the enemies that shall rise up against them is evident also in Scripture for it appears also in the Explicatory part of this Discourse That the one thousand two hundred and threescore daies in which it is said in this Scripture That the holy Citie should be troden under foot and that the Witnesses should be in sack-cloth by reason of the Gentiles the spirituall Babylonians tyrannizing over them is one thousand two hundred and threescore yeares and did expire Anno Domini 1645. as appeares by computing the time of the Beast's continuance as it ought to bee computed by the Scripture account And also this one thousand two hundred and threescore yeares of the Beast's continuance appeares to be then expired because it is said That when the Witnesses had finished their prophesie in sack-cloth that then the Beast should make warre with them and overcome them Now the Beast having made warre against them and overcome them and they being raised again and set upon their feet to the feare of their enehemies in the yeare one thousand six hundred fourty and five It is by this evident that that year the one thousand two hundred and threescore yeares wherein the holy City the Saints should be troden under feet by the Beast did expire And now you Witnesses in the Parliament and Parliamentary Armie and Kingdome of England may be confident that all the combined power both of men and devils which shall conspire against you shall never be able to prevail against you for you shall be troden under foot no more the Beast shall prevail over you no more for the time of his prevailing over you is expired and he must hence-forth be troden under foot himselfe and you must henceforth prevail over him and you must reward great Babylon as she hath rewarded you the Cup which shee hath filled you must goe on to fill to her double Now in these considerations and from these grounds held forth in the Word of Truth the Scripture and that part of it in this booke of the Revelation which Revelation God gave unto his Sonne Jesus Christ to shew unto his servants Let all the Saints in England be strong and of a good courage and feare not what man can doe unto them Let not the heart of any one Saint be troubled fearing that either Poperie Prelacie or Presbytery shall recover any power in England to Lord it over Gods heritage to tyrannize over the Witnesses of Jesus Christ or to restrain them from walking in that way which appears to them to be according to the minde of God But Saints be you assured it shall never be since you have a Spirit of life from God put upon you and since England is fallen from Babylon and since the time of the Beast's tyrannical power over you is expired therefore cast off all unbeleeving thoughts and all distrustfull feares of these things and be confident That Jesus Christ will by you goe on conquering and to conquer And what though a great Armie should be a preparing to overcome you as there was in July one thousand six hundred and fourty seven Yet as then they were soon blasted so they shall be for the future For you have a Spirit of life and courage from God put into you therefore men shall not prevaile over you And you are no more a part of Babylon therefore you cannot be kept in bondage and the time of your being troden under foot is expired and therefore though all the Malignants in this Kingdome and in Scotland and all those forraign Forces that those factours of Rome that are gone from England into France or else-where can possibly procure were conjoyned together in one body and marching against you yet should not your hearts be troubled nor be affraid but be assured they should be overcome by you And what though you seem to be small in number You know that God hath formerly commanded others to stand for you and can doe so still if it be consonant to his wisdome now also but if it were not so it were an evil in you to distrust his power to whom it is all one to save by few or by many For victory commeth not from the strength of horses or the legs of men but from the Lord of hosts And therefore upon these grounds let all the Witnesses of England be confident of overcomming all that shall rise up against them by the strength of the Lord of hoasts their God And having experience that God hath done thus for them ever hitherto since one thousand six hundred and fourty five let them not be of such unworthy spirits as to be distrustfull for the future Deduction 18. The last particular that I shall hence observe is To stirre up the hearts of Saints to joyfulnesse and praises O Saints considering what God hath done for you seeing hee hath put a Spirit of life upon you and hath made you that lay dead to stand upon your feet And seeing that England is fallen from mysticall Babylon and that now your enemy the Beast shall have no more power over you he that hath troden you under feet a thousand two hundred and threescore yeares shall tread you under foot no more and that now your time of prophesying in sack-cloth is expired Put you now on in stead of your sack-cloth the garments of joy and praise and walk no longer sadly being delivered out of the bondage of spiritual Aegypt and from the oppression of your enemies let your hearts be affected herewith and your souls rejoyce in the apprehension of it For suppose that when you were under that bondage so that you were driven into corners and your enemies hunted after you to make a prey of you and having taken some of you did imprison some and fine others and banish others and pillory others if one should then have come into your meetings and told you as an infallible truth That within one moneth your enemies should be brought down