fire rendring vengeance to al that know him not And this fire of God is not a materiall but an Angelical fire Those grosse conceits of a materiall fire are chaffe and must themselves be burnt up The fire that Ushers in the holy God and goes before God is like himself Spirituall Heavenly The 〈◊〉 that men dreame of is like unto themselves earthly grosse fleshly but the fire of God is like himself spirituall heavenly Now this testimony doth the Lord send before him abundance of fire this fire of God and indignation of God is kindled and burns hot amongst us wee see there is no earthly thing is able to stand against it and although we see yet but the feet of God wee know hee hath not yet let downe his face into your view yet yee may see as Habakkuk saith Coales of fire kindled at his feet The LORD is walking amongst you trampling with fierie indignation upon all the excellency beauty and strength of this Creation filling all things under his feet with wrath burning up the Order the peace the comfort and joy of the whole creation into ashes And the fire of hell which is Confusion Wrath Death torment horrour breakes forth exceeding thick and fast upon the World and it burns up Nations Kingdomes Cities Governments Religions Ordinances Knowledge Peace Love and every thing here below It s more then bâ—ndled it flames-out and you wil see very suddenly this whole Creation nothing else but one flame burning up that which goes before it These burnings these everlasting burnings speak the presence of the LORD the face of God and tels the World If they will hear and understand the LORD is come they doe eminently publish and proclaim the LORD of glory to those that are awake they that are asleep in security and darknesse they hear it not These are the fires that God allarmes the World with all and burnes up his enemies round about wheresoever there appeares emnity against God there appeares fire that indeed being the greatest part of Hell Wrath against God and Gods wrath against men emnity and hatred against God and God hating wicked men and devils So that indeed there is no emnity but did we understand it we should see plainly that its hel it is fire and the discovery and breaking forth of it will consume and burn up the World Ther 's not a mouth belching out Oaths or blasphemies against God but it is kindled by this fire of hel There 's no man expressing rage envy and cruelty against another but it is from this fire of hel in them His tongue is set one fire of hel passion infirmity weaknesse doe for a while hide cloath and mask hel and wrath but hel is too hot and too big to be kept any longer in such bounds God loosens the bounds of hel and saies to them Now goe forth shew your selves God bring forth his own wrath in his own enemies as well as his love in his friends There is not an enemy of God but the fire of God hath already kindled upon him There 's not a devil in hel nor a wickednes in the minde of man which is hellish but begins to gnaw their tongues and to fret and vex and feel their torments And though people are not fully sensible of it yet those who are quicker sighted then others may see and easily smell the brimstone taste the saltnesse of hel breaking forth in the rage and violence of man And this fire burneth up the wicked into the fire of Gods wrath even as fire burneth up all that 's in it untill it hath made it to be fire And this fire of God that is already kindled upon US will never leave burning till it hath burnt US all up into it self into Heaven into the pure divine Love of God so that there shall remain no drosse at all but all pure gold no rag of infirmity weaknesse or earthinesse shall be left in us And the same God in wrath will so burn up all his enemies that they shall be nothing at all but pure wrath nothing at all but perfect misery nothing at all but utter destruction There shall not remain upon the Saints of God any thing on Earth to molest them All their enemies shall be burnt up sin Satan and flesh shall be cast into the Lake of fire and there shall be nothing to molest or hinder their joy And so much of the wrath of God shall fall upon wicked men that there shall not be The least drop of water to coole their tongues the least refreshment the least mitigation but all they shall have or enjoy shal be in the fire of Gods wrath burnt up Burneth up his enemies round about him This wall of fire is called in Scripture Our defence it compasseth US about on every side The holy pure being of God the Holy Ghost and fire compasseth US round about and burns up all things into it self that whatsoever hath been our enemies or adversaries sin Satan flesh man we see this fire of the Spirit of God feeds upon them is in them and keeps them at a distance from US and they cannot approach and come neer US We living in the LORD our God but this fire of God laies hold on them and destroies them Nay they cannot approach in any malice against US but its clear it is in Gods wrath We doe not hear a word of Anger nor a word of distaste that 's uttered against the appearance of God in US but it 's this fire of Gods wrath this We are sure of and We delight and rejoyce in it We delight to declare it abroad That there shall not be left a heart thinking a hand moving a tongue speaking but it is in the fire of God in the wrath and displeasure of the LORD This fire doth grow and increase and burns up round about and all that are not in God that doe not dwell with this everlasting burnings that live not in and with God shall be consumed and burnt up for this fire of God burns round about him and whosoever is not within Him shall be consumed and burnt up by Him Therefore there is no rest no peace no safety any where else but in this everlasting burnings in this fire of God in the LORD in the presence of the LORD This is a bright and hot testimony of the Reign of God His lightenings enlightned the world the earth saw it and trembled Here 's another testimony manifest to the world the lightenings of the LORD our God there is in the face of God in the day of the LORD a most constant bright shining light But besides this there is a distance from him and in the world lightenings certaine quick flashings sudden motions of the Spirit of God upon the world in the world and upon the mindes of worldly men and as it is said of Christ speaking concerning his coming That it is like the lightening that shineth from the East to the
West so should the comming of the Sonne of man be The first and the remotest and the furthest appearances of God are like lightenings this the Lord hath testified abundantly amongst Us What strange flashings of God have been upon men and upon the spirits of men There are few that have slept so soundly these times but this lightening hath broken in upon them into their beds betwixt their curtains There 's none have shut up themselves so close in the world locked up themselves so close in the earth and in the love of earthly things but I know these lightenings of God have flasht in their consciences and have in small quick blasts and discoveries of God told their hearts it is the day of the Lord. I say if men could see or would see the most worldly men have had some flashings of these lightnings upon them Many sudden quick throws pangs hot meltings breakings soul-terrifyings telling them clearly It is the LORD And though they recover againe out of them and the world heales it selfe again and makes haste to forget them because these lightenings are sudden and quick suddenly opening themselves and suddenly again inclosing themselves for God hath suddenly flasht Himself forth and suddenly extinguished Himself again yet God hath to all men more or lesse given enlightnings into their spirits telling them plainly they must give an account that Hee is come to judge them that He is come to exalt lift up Himself that the end of their world their profits pleasure is come That all their earthly comforts and contents are a dying That there is no rest or peace to be had here below These and such like motions have been in the minds of many men But especially these have bin in the hearts and spirits of Gods own people though they are in the world and though in a worldly state and at a great distance from God yet they have had some glances of the light of God I know your owne spirits are able to lead you to those flashings and lightenings And if yee are not quite drunk with the world and have not lost your reason and memory you must acknowledge that the lightenings of God have shined upon you and enlightened the world And the earth saw it and trembled So visible so manifest are the lightnings of the Lord that poor earthly man exceedingly trembles and quakes poore man Adam earth the poore earthy frame of man hath seen and trembled The earth saw and trembled you have seen the Lord though I know ther 's that in you that saies yee have not you doe not I know you have seen the Lord the earth hath seen God hath set His feete upon the earth all the earth have had a view of God ther 's never a doore at which God hath not knocked every eye shall see Him although when they see him they turn away from him and would forget him for so soon as ever the door is opened and they see the Lord they runne away from him and cannot endure the sight of him Amongst all the things of the world its most dreadfull and and terrible to see the lightnings of God I know yee had rather runne into the hottest fire then into the fire of God and though yee have seen yee say ye have not because yee have no minde to see him but the whole earth hath seen the Lord though they have been suddaine startings and quick motions and flashings yet the earth saw it And that it hath seen here 's the effect it trembles And trembled It s a constant universal effect of the sight of God this quaking this trembling there is no man hath the least view of God but it strikes death to him Oh man earthly man must die This sight kils man Oh now I must seace to bee Now all is going Now all is lost Now every thing is drawing into the sad pit of destruction Now every thing is swallowed up into the horrible pit of nothingnesse I have saith the earthly man seene and known and been but now I shall know and see and bee no more Wee know how dreadfull and fearfull the view and sight of God is and though nothing more joyfull to the spiritual man yet nothing more joyfull to the earthly man What shal we doe wee have seen the Lord said they that saw an Angel The Lord cloathing himselfe with an Angel was very terrible for they said we shal dye The appearance of the Lord is terrible to the flesh of man The mountains leape and fly away the waters roule back the foundations of the deep are discovered The whole Earth shakes A general Earth-quake seizes upon the Nations What ail you yee mountains to bee removed What ail you yee waters to divide asunder What all you yee Son and Moon that your lights are put out What ail you yee Stars great and small that yee drop down from Heaven like untimely Figgs What ail you all yee People and Languages that your Faces gather palenesse and blackness What ail you that yee are afraid and do tremble What 's the reason you so shiver and quake The reason is ye are before the God of the whole Earth The presence of the LORD is present Death to all but Himself when the LORD comes every thing retires and as he comes neare so all things Fly packing before Him The Rod of God is shaking over the hearts of men which makes them exceedingly to tremble and quake and if yee wil not yet bee sensible here 's that which is more visible more sensible hee that hath an eare must Heare and doth Heare what this Rod speakes The Hils melted Suppose there should bee that stoutnesse in the spirits of men that they are become like mountains and hils suppose that there should bee that hardnesse and brauninesse of hell and death upon the spirits of men that they will not see yet the hils do melt The hils melted like waxe If any Creature be upheld and strengthned it is by Satan like Pharaoh's heart that was hardened by the wrath of God that he might bee destroyed I know no man ignorant of this but it is through his suffering the Devil to seduce him but though a man be seduced by Satan hardned by hell and do not see yet the mountains doe see and feels and melt before the LORD Hils Mountains What are these Not materiall mountains or materiall hils the mountains of the Earth are Great-ones Strong-ones Kingdomes Nations Governments these are Great mountains which the men of the Earth yee may call them the beasts of the Earth have continually lived upon fed upon and been nourished by And those Churches that have called themselves the hils and mountains of the LORD mount Sinay and mount Sion these everlasting hils that have stood so long time shall melt That Justice Wisdome Power Strength Order Religion Ordinances Obedience and Love which hath been set up by God and by the Ministers and Angels of
RESURRECTION REVEL 11.13 And the same houre was there a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell and in this earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven WE are unfolding the mystery of the two witnesses which are the witnesses of God in which and by which every word of God is confirmed they are two in their prophesie in sackcloth but their is a third conjoyned with them in their resurrection as they are in Heaven Ascended and Risen There are thee that bear witnes in heaven and by these three is every word establisht The Father the Son and the Spirit each of them having a sufficiency to confirm each other and together to put an end to all controversies You heard in the morning that there were severall degrees of the reviving of the witnesses the first degree is the entering of the Spirit of life from God into them which caused them to stand upon their feet Secondly They heard a great Voyce from Heaven calling them up Come up hither And thirdly There is their Ascention into Heaven They were taken up in a cloud and their enemies beheld them And in the 13 verse there is the effect of al this In the same hour there was a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell These works of God are not yet pure though they are very excellent Though there be a Resurrestion and Ascention into heaven yet it is in a cloud covered with some infirmity and darknesse and yet in this there is the greatest glory And the same hour was an Earthquake Or to speak the language of God elsewhere A rejoycing with trembling In the greatest appearance and manifestation of God so long as there is any Earth it Trembleth and indeed the more glorious the discoveries of God are the greater the Earthquake No Earth can be without moving and trouble that bears the weight of the glory of God upon it In this hour of ascention there is a mixture of some secret rejoycing and some trouble occasioned by the Earthquake or else take the Earth heer as distinct from the witnesses and then their ascending up from the Earth makes the Earth to shake Christ and the Spirit of God those two witnesses are the streneth and stability of the Earth yea the strength of the Pillars of the Earth I uphold the Pillars of the Earth saith the Lord He it is that strengthens the very foundations of the Earth And therefore when these witnesses the strength and Pillars of the Earth ascend and remove from it the Earth must needs quake and tremble The witnesses are the corner stone of the World It was by the word of the Lord that Eternall word that the Worlds were made that the Worlds are supported therefore when this Word of the Lord Ascends out of the World the World must needs shake The whole World hath lived and leaned upon Christ and the Spirit of Christ and now his arising and removall out of the World must needs prove the ruine and downfall of the World All your strength peace and comfort hath been borrowed of Christ and now his leaving the World and carrying the Pillars of the World with him as Sampson the Gates of the City makes all the World fall to confusion A great Earthquake The naturall cause of an Earthquake is the wind pent up in the bowels of the Earth which seeking vent breakes forth and so shakes the Earth So the Spirit or breath or wind of the Lord pent up in the bowels of the Earth shut up amongst earthly men as the Son a Man was three daies and three nights in the heart or bowels of of the Earth when it breaks forth it shakes and rends the World And this is the cause of the Earthquake and commotions that are now abroad in the World The breaking forth or ascending of the Spirit of God out of the World An Earthquake is one of the greatest perplexities and evils that can befall the world the Earth being the Center and stay of man The very bottome and foundation upon which all the camfort and good of the life of man stands When this center this rest or stay this foundation shakes nothing more affrightens and astonishes man These Witnesses ascending out of the world the Bottom and Foundation of peoples strength and comfort trembles and quakes the root of al humane life is cut insunder at once the bottom of al humane joy is taken away The foundation of Ecclesiastical and Civil power is shaken the ground-worke of all earthly stability and comfort of Church and Comon-wealth quakes and trembles I say the world is losing the foundation and ground-work upon which Religion and Civil-government stands and this makes the Earth to shake And the tenth part of the City fell This City is Babylon called the holy City This holy City is trampled under foot as you may read in the second verse of this Chapter This holy City or the outward Court is left to bee possessed by the men of the world by the Gentiles by men uncircumcised in heart and spirit by fleshly and carnal men This is the fate of this City The tenth part The tenth part you know was the Levits part which was holy to the LORD or dedicated to the LORD it was offered up to the Priests under the Law it was the chiefe maintenance of the legal priesthood And here the tenth part of the City the chiefest part the devoted part as you say Gods inheritance the lot and portion of the Priest-hood this part of the City fell in summe the holyest the chiefest the excellentest part of the City fell The waies of worldly Prophessors and Christians are somthing that is holy somthing that is offered up to God but in the hands of the world trampled under foot by the world There is an excellency in this this is that that 's called the tenth part that part wherein men have thought themselves most sacred and holy that which they have offered up to God that which they have seperated from the world and their owne proper use and given to God some of their wisdome some of their estates some of their time some of their strength c. the tenth part This tenth part of the City fell this chiefest and most excellent part This tenth part when they have reserved nine parts to themselves and dedicated the tenth to God That which hath bin mens Religion and that wherein they have placed their confidence and comfort and by which they have thought to be saved this excellent part this tenth part of the City fell in this earth-quake I tel you againe When these two Witnesses ascend and leave the earth then the highest formes of religion the most excellent seperated things of men those holy things wherein they have most devoted themselves to GOD and the Temple of God their hours of Praier their Sabbaths their Fastings their Engagements and Covenants
Some Flashes of LIGHTNINGS OF THE SONNE of MAN Being the substance of eleaven Sermons upon severall Texts Preached in London By WILLIAM SEDGWICK of ELY PSALME 97.4 His Lightnings enlightned the World the Earth saw and trembled LONDON Printed by H. For Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the sign of the black-spread Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1648. A PREPARATORY word touching the Saints union with God a main point spoken of in this Book FIrst a Primun in unoquoque generi eâ— causa reliquorum The first in every kinde being the Cause of all the rest there is no perfect b Causa â—eflendi eâ— causa cognoscendi knowledge of inferiour or subordinate distinction and union without the knowledge of the supream The supream distinction and union is to be seen in God in the blessed Trinity where in the word the Father brings forth himself in all distinction and in the Holy ghost the Father and the word mutually conspire into the closest union The glory of unity is variety and the glory of distinction is union ie The glory of the Father is the word and the perfection of the word is his union with the Father in the Spirit Unity is barren without variety or distinction and distinction is a withered branch without union Secondly Whatsoever things the Father doth the same things doth also the Sonne bringing forth his fullnesse in all variety and distinction and yet retaining the same in perfect Union with himself as doth the Father Onely with this difference that the Object of distinction there viz. The word which is the fulnesse of the Father is intirely the object of union in the Holy ghost though not under the same respect as he is distinct But here the Sonne sends forth one World or the first World as a Lord to his left hand being in union with it only as a Creator and a new World to his right hand slaying the union of the fâ—irst covenant or creation or rather perfecting it in this later and better union of the second covenant or new creation And so that different respect that the Father hath to his owne fulnesse as Hee considers it first in the word and then in the Holy Ghost is manifest to us after a manner more reall and substantiall to us in the Kingdome of the Son being exemplified on different subjects Sheep and Goats For this is the honour the Father hath given to the Sonne that be hath made Him both Lord and Christ as bee is Lord he is the Floure of the whole Creation having all that beauty and strength in himself and being the root and originall of it to every other creature As he is Christ Himself is returned to his Head and Originall and possesseth all in the in-created glory and drawes up the new world thither Thirdly Aud as the first is the Cause of all the rest which being known the rest are known and not perfectly till then So the first is the last as will nessessarily follow from thence If the last be not known without the first then at least the first is in the last But the first is the last For what else should the first seeke to bring forth Vltimately but himselfe And therefore though God do Embroyder his appearances and coming forth with all Variety and fullnesse of distinction Yet his designe is by ALL to declare Himselfe and not to be vailed alwaies His designe is to beget and draw forth his own Form in and upon all this variety to bring forth himself in it and it in himself and yet this Variety and Unity to remain in the highest Consistency each with other in the Union and all these subordinations both to serve Supreamacy and to be Supreame the first to be the last and the last first which is the mutuall glory of them both And so the Scriptures speake 2 Ephe. last verse Yee are the habitation of God through the Spirit And sometimes they speak in the language of the subordinate 3. Eph. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Christ is in God and God is in Christ John 13.8 knowest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me And they that do not so know God and Christ they know Christ after the flesh as a branch of the first creation and not as the root of both creations And they that do not know themselves thus as dwelling in God and God in them are stil under the Law stick in the first Covenant and know not the Regeration but weakly If yee see not the blessed face of Unity drawn throughout all distinction in God in Christ in Saints yee see the Devill and an Antichrist and are in the smoke of the bottomlesse pit though yet ye may be the children of God And therefore none may so securely descend into the vally of distinction as they that have been in the mount of Vnion For they onely will and can carry the Union along with them through all distinction and that glory of the first Unity that hath seated himself and dwels in their Eye will bring forth himself in and upon all things and in what various formes soever they present themselves Vnion is the interest the delight the Food of Saints Distinction is the sawce or savour of Vnion The Saints could not enjoy God if He were not one with them where were the delight and wherein should they be the richer by enjoying him if he were not another from them There could not be such a ravishing Concord and meeting between God and the Creature without the parting and discord first of a created and un-created nature and this discord and distance proceeding and let down through many subordinations as between a Base and Treble in Musick there are middle Notes If we were not so low and God so high neither should we be so transported with this Match nor would the condescension of God be so manifested and then where would be one of the greatest glories of Gods love and one of the quickest grounds of our joy Therefore we cannot confound things for so we should offend against our own interest and who doe this so much as they that call themselves Christians and yet make Christ in Heaven and themselves upon the Earth confounding the things that God hath not only distinguist but seperated even the mystery of Godlinesse which is God manifest in the flesh And the mystery of iniquity which cals Christians and denies the Anointing And as we cannot confound things that God hath distinguist so we cannot seperate the things that himself hath joyned who hath joyned himself and Christ and Christ and VS the highest with the lowest the first with the last the top with the bottome and therefore wee the lowest cannot glory in lesse or lower then the highest of all Wee joy in God saith the Apostle Rom. 5. through our Lord Jesus Christ And God who is Lord descends and gathers up
the very lowest things even our flesh makes the place of his feet glorious wil lose nothing is present with the lowest things as well as with the highest though not after the same manner or in the same manifestation while they abide in their Iownes but he will raise the lowest to the highest and the lowest shall be in the highest and the higest in the lowest the whole creation in Man and Man in Christ and Christ in God The Rule therefore for things is this To retain the distinction in the union and the union in al distictions And the Rule that God leads Saints by is this to lissen to God as he brings forth himself within them to rejoyce in each degree of his light waiting still till be Fashion every formlesse lump into its right shape and bring forth every imperfect Embryon to its full growth and settle the Chaos into its distinction not to out-run the appearances of God and lust or languish impatiently after Meats when God is establishing our hearts with grace I charge ye O ye daughters of Jerusalem that ye stir not up nor awake my love in his present desingnment until he please But not to forget the end of this preface It is in a word to give a brief accompt of the drift of the ensuing Discourses and of the cause of publishing of them As for the discourses you will finde them pregnant with the glory of Union union with God and Christ and Saints This is the Mount into which this Discourser hath been taken and yet ye will finde the subordination and distinction so clearly acknowledged by him as might have satisfied the observing and unprejudiced Reader though I had animadverted nothing upon it To what I have said concerning it I shall adde onely this That Distinction is the Wife and Union the Husband Distinction the weaknesse Vnion the strength Distinction the Law Vnion the Gospel Distinction the first Creation Vnion the second Creation and therefore Distinction as the Woman is barren and un-crown'd unlesse Vnion rest upon it But if the supream Vnity will multiply and bring forth Himself in and upon each distinction in and by Union then indeed is distinction glorious Distinction is as an Instrument of ten strings that in the hand of Union will make most delightfull Melody otherwise it is but a jarring sound I am sure and have found out by experience these two things That while a mans head is fraught with the riches of Distinction leannes may enter into his soul And that if we know a glory higher then that we are in union with we cannot be happy This for the discourses Now for publishing them Ye are to put this Office wholly upon the accompt of the forward affections of some of the Hearers who out of the best notes compared together have drawn forth this Copy with a desire to impart them for a more publicke benefit which invited me to prefix this word If the Author or rather he by whom these discourses be ministred to us doe pardon the adventurers so the Reader may receive good thereby then there is all the reason that ye for whose sakes it is undertaken should pardon the faults escaped For a farewell Remember it is the finger of God onely that writes God in the heart The writings of men are but a witnesse of God in flesh Thus I leave it with you who am Yours all of yee that are the Lords Ioshua Sprigge THE TITLES and Texts of the severall Sermons Sermon I. and II. THe Reign of God on Psalm 97.1 2 3 4 5 6. verses Sermon III. The coming of the King of Zion on Zechariah 9.9 Sermon IIII and V. The coming of the Kingdome of Cod. Luke 17.20 21 22. Sermon VI and VII The excellency of the love of Cod. on Psalm 36.7 8. Sermon VIII God the head of Christ as Christ of his Church on 1 Cor. 9 10 11. Sermon IX X XI The Witnesses death and Resurrection In a short exposition of the eleventh Chap. of the Revelation To the Reader Freind THese Sermons did abruptly presse into the world in the Pulpit and gave us no warning at all they are Abortives borne before their time and therefore you can expect little shape or comliness in them They are suddain and lively actings of the Spirit that disdaines the help of Art and dare professe their incomposednesse to study and chuse a Rude nakednesse of their owne before a cloathing of humane industry They have stolne into the Presse also without my knowledge and in my absence Coming to Towne I finde them where I looked not for them Printed and ready to come out and thought wholy to have disowned them but finding some sweetnesse in them I could not wholly turne my back upon them Being thus thou wilt say I spoke what I understood not I may cofesse that and that the Writer and Printer put forth what they understood not let it be so and then you will not wonder if you read what you understand not there were faults in Speaker Writer Printer and will be in the Reader T is a Thiefe steales out in the night and carries night upon him and if thou finde him plundering thee of thy reason and understanding use him as thou pleasest T is like all the World a ruinous heap light darknesse fighting together Yet they that have love and light to see God in every thing will meet him here in clouds and rejoice in him T is a cry at midnight Behold the Bridgroome cometh Haste and disorder may best suit such an occasion and if thou understand but that in it it will be both profitable and pleasant to thee I am sure to him that loves The appearing of the Lord the tidings of it will be welcome from any man and in any fashion But if thy spirit be not yet awakened to expect the Lord I am perswaded here is so much light in these as to trouble thee and alittle to disturbe thy worldly rest and if I do but disquiet thee at this time it will be a kindnesse to thee In a most rich enjoyment of his gracious presence and certain assurance of his perfect fullnesse doe I rejoyce and in this joy I desire thou mayest enjoy thy selfe and then this and every thing will be sweet unto thee In this farewell WIL. SEDGWICK READOR If thou resolvest to travel through these discourses thou shalt do well to facilitate thy way by removing these rubs with thy 〈◊〉 before hand As for other litteral faâ—â—â— the Printer presumes upon thy pardon of course Page 15. line 10. for no read not p. 39. l. 23. de which p. 101. l. 7. de and. p. 105. l. 12. r. Christs p. 112. l. 24. r. crowned p. 118. l. 18. r. that what p. 132. l5 ad is far better p. 141. l. 9. r. wears away p. 146. l. 14. r. imbody l. 28. ad how p. 147. ad as men p. 148. l. 4. de As. p. 194. l. 1. r. fourty
clouds and darknes you approach the throne Righteousnesse and judgement are there That is it you look for Righteousnesse Shall put an end to sin Dan. 9.24 Righteousnesse and holinesse shall dwell so stabilly with us as it shall blot out all iniquity and make an end of sinne That wretched thing that hath been the reason of all plagues the root of all mischief the ground of vexation in all families he shall make an end of all this of all sinne God will be revenged of it by putting an end to it Ye shall not finde a sinne out of hell nor a sinner out of hell Sin shall be in its own place ye shall see wickednesse no where but in the devil and wicked men and them ye shall see in hell for their sin shall carry hell apparently with it But the Saints shall be free The LORD reigns Not so long as sinne is amongst US and abides with US so long as sin is there is a Traitour to his Kingdome and he hath no quiet reign But the LORD will have a constant habitation of holinesse that sinne shall appear no where but in the devil and hell And where ever you shall see sin you shall be able to say There is hell sinne and its torment together Sin shall carry hell in its bowels The very face of hell and devil in every sin The light of God shall break forth so clearly that it will judge and manifest all the works of darknesse Are the Habitation of his Throne All these waies of God that he is now dispensing come from the throne of God All these Clouds and judgements against King Parliament Cavaleers Army they al flow from the throne and are all dispensed in most exact righteousnesse and judgement there 's no fear of ruine of those that are the Lords All is in judgement and righteousnesse to destroy the wicked but to save his own people and to bring them out of the powers of darkenesse unto the throne of God There is no reason to be offended at that which comes from the throne of God these dispensations are confusions to men to the reason and wisdome of men but they are the wisdome and judgement of God and God doth dispense them with an exact hand with a watchfull eye with a tender care towards his own people not a hair of their head shall fall to the ground Nothing shall suffer in any of you but unrighteousnesse and sinne so farre as you are unrighteous worldly and wicked so farre yea shall suffer and no more God is in every sparke of this Fire in every corner of this Flame in every inch of these clouds in every jot of this darknesse therefore rejoyce and be glad all ye Saints the weakest the poorest the lowest the meanest of Saints Rejoyce for the Lord Reigneth The end of the first Sermon Psalm 97. 1 2 3 4 5 6. verses The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof Clouds and darknesse are round about him righteousnesse and judgement are the habitation of his throne A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw and trembled The hils melted like waxe at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth The heavens declare his righteousnesse and all the people see his glory THe great point wee have in hand is The Reign of God Which is first asserted The Lord doth Reign And then made good In the Second verse Clouds and darknesse are round about him testifying that hee is come and hee doth Reign Wee have a Cloud of witnesses testifying this truth The Lord doth Reign And darknesse it self speaks him That which is farthest from him that declares him and if wee come within him and come nearer to him we shall finde a consent of righteousnesse and judgement as the habitation of his Throne Righteousnes The righteousnesse of God the Father in whom all things are righteous and to whom all things in righteousnesse doth belong all things in righteousnesse are in him all things in righteousnesse are due to him here 's judgment too that is the excellency of Christ Psalm 94.15 Judgement shall returne to righteousnesse the Son returnes to the Father All things are in the Father in righteousnesse all things are in the Son in wisdome in judgement all things are in the Father as in their proper center all things are brought forth in Christ in their right order in Judgement Righteousnesse and judgment are the habitation of his Throne These two are the Foundation of his Throne The Spirit of God or God exalted and lifted up in these two Righteousnesse and Judgement is a Throne or the Righteousness of the Father and the Judgement of the Son exalted and triumphing in the Spirit is the Throne The Righteousness of the Father and the Wisdome of the Son Reignes in the Spirit is in-thron'd in the Spirit is exalted and lifted up and establisht eternally in truth in the Spirit And wee are made saith the Apostle Eph. 2.22 ver through the Spirit the habitation of God the words are In whom yee also are builded an habitation of God through the Spirit The Spirit building up man in its owne holy forme and enlarging of him into himself is this habitation of God Righteousnesse and Judgement In-thron'd in US In man this is the inward and spirituall view and sight of God if you stand without in the world there is darknesse if yee come higher into the clouds there is no cleare view sight and injoyment of him If yee are in any thing that is about him there is nothing but darknesse round about him but come within him into his Throne into his presence and there you will see righteousnesse and judgement set up exalted In-throu'd Righteousnesse in the Reigne of God is In-thron'd Iniquity and transgression is done away in the holinesse of God and he makes us by his own Reign in us holy as he is holy Hee doth wholly blot out Iniquity and makes US the seate and habitation of Righteousnesse and gives us righteous judgements righteous understandings a cleare and sound judgement in all things These two righteousnesse and judgement raised and exalted are the greatest glory and purity of the Kingdome of God in the holy Spirit But here are yet further testimonies that it may bee will bee more effectuall to most Christians most men being without those proofs of the Reigne of God that are without are foonest and easiest accepted fleshly signes much take fleshly Christians A Fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about him The forerunner of God Now is fire not John the Baptist that went before the flesh of Christ and ushered him in but an Elias in a Fierie Chariot The messengers that goe before God now are all fierie he makes his Angels spirits and his ministers flames of fire And therefore it s said hee comes in flames of
there is something of Christ in me he is in my spirit there he is spiritually but I have flesh and a body there hee is not This voice is the same with that in the Text Loe here is Christ and there is Christ and here hee is not and there hee is not To shut Christ out of any place out of any thing this is to say Loe here or loe there these are false Christs This is the wickednes of man to include and exclude Christ to imprison him into one thing to make him to bee one where and not another where but Christ is and there is none besides him hee is weaknes as wel as strength darknesse as well as light evil as well as good Christ in mee Christ in all the LORD in triumph the LORD crucified the LORD exalting the LORD humbling the LORD in life the LORD in death the LORD saving the LORD destroying the the LORD here blessing the LORD there cursing this is Christ if ye cannot see him in one thing as well as another in wicked men as well as good men in this death as well as his resurrection in lengths and depths and breadths and all ye doe not see him at all Here 's the narrownesse of the heart of every man a sensible creature full of observation and his own reason saying Loe here is Christ there is Christ here hee is not there hee is not narrowing of him into their owne observation he is in me when I am so qualified and hee is not in mee when I am not so qualified not knowing or understanding that hee is in some trampled on under the feet of his enemies and yet there in glory in some hee is at the top in some he is at the bottome in some withering them in some bringing forth fruit in some sweetning and moderating their nature in some letting forth wrath and emnity For behold the Kingdome of GOD is within you God will be all or nothing ye shall not thinke him like your selves The kingdom of God is within you in every one of you The kingdome of God is amongst you ye are possessours of it it is not without yee ye have it while yee are led out by your carnall reason to observe it without it is neglected within Behold Behold saith hee the kingdome of God is within you Heavenly blessednesse is within yee and ye doe not see it till ye see it there If yee had eyes to see saith he ye would see your selves in the kingdome and the kingdom in you This is a sweet Behold and a word of speciall grace and favour Those thoughts that leade you out of your selves for God for Christ believe them not hate them abhorre them O lay down all those wicked imaginations those carnal observations those cursed reasonings of the kingdom of God within yee Some men thinke to see the Kingdome of God comming in such and such a person to see the Kingdome of God comming in such and such sights and voices these are delusions Behold the kingdome of Christ the kingdome of God the kingdome of heaven is within you use it as you will deal with it as you please but in you t is t is in you supprest t is covered over with a deale of desperate wickednesse with a thicke vail and none knowes that it is there but it self there t is seen only and enjoy'd only by it self Or give mee leave to say I am within you all that I speak am and doe is within you all the light and glory that I have is within you and yee doe not understand me if ye do not see me within you There is another comes between me you if you hear me without you If ye hear not this LORD speaking within you ye understand nothing and so the words that I speake they are cast into another forme before they reach your ear the evil one takes them from the Spirit which is in you and carries them about to you thorow the ear While I speake and am understood in that sense I am abused and wrong'd That speech that I will bee understood in must be understood in is to speak in the heart within you That life that I live is in you and speakes that that I speak and I doe nothing but interpret and open what your heart speakes Let mee not bee another from you for then yee oppose mee and resist mee and yee will not heare not receive the truth that I declare which is my own heart my life my bosome my self These are the things than are lodg'd and wrapt up in my heart to eternity these are my very soul only I have been asleep and now being awakened I see they are all in mee If yee hear with the inward ear and see with the inward eye you will say This is not a man but the Son of God This is my bosome friend my LORD and husband that begins to awake and rowse me This is a fountain and no streame I doe you injury if I speake of a Kingdome of God without you that is I my selfe without you that is I my self without you for the true spirituall new man is the kingdom of God what I am indistinction from you is an evil to you if your unbelieving spirits say I am a man and another woe be to that distinction but if ye say this is my LORD and my Father happy is that union The kingdom of GOD is within you It is not without you in Ordinances in Scriptures The kingdome of God The whole kingdome all is in you all Truth all Scriptures all Wisdome all Power all Strength all that I AM all that God is all that Christ is all that Heaven is all that God in Reign and Kingdom is is within you I hear I see the kingdome of God comming forth breaking forth in every man and every man alwaies is but now begins to appear to be what God is in him The Kingdome of God either justifying or condemning either punishing or rewarding punishing man flesh with darknes or rewarding Man with light glory and blessednesse He that lives indeed I know hears mee and smiles at this and rejoyces in his soul The true life the true man the true ear rejoyces at this and speaks it selfe That all the Power all the Excellency of God is in mee it s with mee it s not out of mee it declares it self in me all the Majesty of God the Kingdome of God All Every thing it s here it s in this man in this creature in you within you and reignes there its King there though a King crucified though on the Crosse yet hee is King of the Jews Though denied for a while and opposed yet a King and a Kingdome This is the bravery and noblenes of this Kingdome it is not lessened by hatred by death it s as glorious in the grave as it is in exaltation as glorious in rejection and persecution as it is in height and glory
Revelation in general John saith It was The Revelation of Jesus Christ which was given to him of the knowledge of things that should shortly come to passe The state and condition of the Church of God from the Apostles time to the end or the discovery of that wickednesse and apostasie which was to come in upon the Church and we see is come into the Church since the powring forth of the Spirit of God after the Ascension of Jesus Christ with the nature kindes and effects of this Apostasie And saith he there was given me a reed like unto a rod and the Angel said Arise and measure the Temple of God and the Alter and they that worship therein It s that which every one would bee at the measuring of Heavenly things the Temple of God but before ye are able to give the measure of Divine things ye must have a Rule given into your hand Every one presumes to have this faculty to judge all things to try all things and yet have not that Standard or Rule given them where by they should Judge and Trye This Reed or Rod is the standard of the Spirit of GOD It is the Rod of Gods mouth And until ye have this standard this Rule to try and measure things by all ye doe is vaine and yee shall in measuring measure only the outward court and neglect and leave out the inward Temple of God and Alter and they that are the True Worshippers And as we must have a Reed or Rule given us wherwith to measure Divine things so it must be an Angel I say an Angel at least or the Spirit of an Angell that must measure for that is the lowest estate that can bee admitted to measure Divine things And he call's Arise Arise out of flesh Arise out of the world Arise out of your owne reason Arise far above the traditions of men Arise from that you have known from that you have heard of men come up far Higher and far above that dark deceitfull lying world in which ye have lived And what must be measured There are three things to bee measured The Temple the Alter and they that Worship therein The Lord hath afforded his presence in the mid'st of that generall Anti-christian Apostacie that hath befallen the Church The Temple is the presence of God the indwelling of God with his People or such a measure of the Spirit of the Lord in his People as makes them a fit Temple for the Lord to dwell in An Alter is such a presence of God as makes us kill and slay and shed the bloud of those beasts that are in the Church And they that worship therein That is Al that inwardly spiritually do worshid in the Temple and Sacrifice upon the Alter that have an assurance of the presence of God dwelling with them GOD dwelling in flesh and crucifying flesh God dwelling in flesh is the Temple GOD killing slaying and offering up flesh is the Alter and God in these is known and worshipped They in whom GOD dwels in whom God kils and crucifies flesh They are the Temple They are the Alter They are the true Worshippers of GOD. This is that which must be measured the Temple the Alter and they that worship therein But the Court that is without the Temple leave out and measure it not All your outward visible prophessions wisdome arts knowledge gifts Churches ordinances all that is without the Temple of GOD all that is without the Spirit of GOD saith He leave it out measure it not It s that which the Gentils are exercised in It s given to the Gentiles Worldly christians Gentile christians for they will be called christians Gentile Saints for they will be called Saints and wee will give it them Its their businesse to measure the outward court for it 's given to idem Ordinances Scriptures gifts Churches Governments all these things are the outward courtâ— they are given to the world therfore leave them out measure them not They are the outward Court therefore take no pains about it cast it off owne it not acknowledge it not measure it not for it is not worth the measuring There is indeed an inward secret Temple of God and Alter of GOD God in the flesh God offering up flesh These are to be measured but as for all visible outward earthly things have nothing to doe with them they are the Gentils portion the Heathens the Nations portion Those only that are Spiritual that know the in-dwellings of God with them the dwelling of God in flesh and the offering up of the flesh unto God These are the Temple and Alter that are to be measured But The outward Court leave out measure it not Object But these are holy things you will say holy Ordinances holy Scriptures holy Praiers holy Faith These are the holy City of God Ans True and yet all these are given to the Gentiles to be trampled upon and trodden under foot And all that which worldly Saints Gentile Saints worldly professors do with these things is only to tread upon and trample them under their feet this is the use they make of them and of all the holy things of God that are outward holy ordinances Scriptures Churches c. they shall tread them under foot and use them like beasts and swine And how long Fourty and two moneths It 's the time of the Reign of Antichrist the time of slaying the witnesses It 's exprest in the 11. verse by three daies and an halfe and here by Fourty and two moneths which is a season or time that is measured by the Moon and shews that in all these things there is only a Moon light a coole weake light a light borrowed from the Sun not the immediate light of the LORD and ye know the Moon is alwaies changable increasing or decreasing in the wane full or at the change it 's alwaies up and down never at one stay so is the state of the World of the Worldly Church uncertain unconstant and variable And you shall have them in twenty four moneths in severall moones in severall states and called by them severall dispensations one while in Episcopacy another while in Presbytery then in Independency then in Annabaptisme every one have their severall moneths measured out in which are various operations of that moon light but all these Ordinances Scriptures Churches Prayers c. are the Gentiles portion And let them take them and use them all their moneths And I will give unto my two witnesses I will give GOD gives that which the witnesses have It 's said of the holy City It 's given God gives to the witnesses to Prophesie by daies not by moneths but it 's given to the Gentiles to Antichrist to trample under foot the holy City the outward Court by moneths not by daies by a coole weake moon-light not by the light of the Sun not by day light Though the witnesses prophesying in sack-cloth be a sad and dark time yet it
is not without a glorious light a bright shining light It 's by daies But more particularly I will give God Himself will give this inward spirituall glorious light of Himself Hee will give to his two witnesses a more Immediate discovery of Himself a more Divine and Heavenly light then to all the World besides More Spirituall light more life more grace more glory shall appeare when there shall bee an explicateing and unfolding of the secret but sweet Name of the LORD The LORD saith it This I will doe and the LORD doth whatsoever He saith I will give unto my two witnesses MY two witnesses The two witnesses are described to bee two Olive trees and two Candlesticks standing before the GOD of the whole Farth I the LORD will give unto MY witnesses To my TWO witnesses The LORD hath TWO Witnesses that testify concerning Himself which are Christ and the Spirit Two witnesses first the Son then the Spirit first Christ in flesh and then Christ in Spirit These are the two Olive trees Through which the golden Oyle of the God-head and Dietie runnes into the Church into the two golden Candlesticks That Holy anointing which runnes through the flesh and Spirit of Christ into the Saints whereby they come to bee the Holy Anointed ones of GOD and these two testifie that there is a God in the Earth The first Witnesse is Christ in the flesh testifying in weaknesse in lownesse in meannesse and this is the Olive tree on the left hand The other Witnesse is Christ in spirit in more power and glory testifying or bearing Witnesse to GOD in more brightnesse strength and power and this is The Olive tree on the right hand Christ in Majestie Christ exalted And I will give to my two witnesses I I the LORD will give I the Father wil give It 's the proper nature of the Father to give to send forth from Himself And they to whom the Lord gives are first Christ in flesh and secondly Christ in Spirit And these testifie and shew forth what God is And they shall prohesie a thousond two hundred and sixty daies clothed in sackcloth Such is the wisdome of GOD that when he will have the holy City the outward court left to the Gentiles to worldly Professours to be trodden under foot it 's for so many moneths It s for a space of time measured by the Moon But he will give to his two witnesses to prophesie by daies They shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty daies The course of the Moon is by months The course of the Sun is by daies A day is measured by the Sun as a moneth is by the Moon And it is to be observed that though the prophesying of the Witnesses be reckoned by shorter and quicker spaces daies being shorter then moneths yet is for a speciall reason to signify that this time of the prophesying of the witnesses is a day-time it 's a day the day of the Lord. And though the Gentiles time is more in bulk by moneths yet it is no more then the time of the prophesie of the witnesses is by daies It 's a glorious time it 's the time of the appearing of the Sonne of righteousnesse though it be reckoned by daies yet it is the same time and of as long continuance as the other that is reckoned by moneths When the outward Court is trampled under foot by the Gentiles forty two moneths then the two witnesses are prophesying a thousand two hundred and sixty daies I wil give you a particular reason why the time of the witnesses prophesying is reckoned by daies It is to note the infinite variety of dispensations in the prophesying of the witnesses In which time are many sweet bright shining daies many excellent discoveries many glorious mysteries are voutsafed unto the People of God in the time of their prophesying and yet the nature of their prophesie is They are cloathed in sackcloth It is a darke mournfull expression holding forth thus much That they are in a dark low course sad mean and poor estate and but prophesying neither The LORD comes and sets up his two witnesses Christ in flesh and Christ in spirit He gives two witnesses of himself the flesh of Christ and the spirit of Christ the one to be crucified the other to revive the one prophesying and foretelling what shall be in sackcloth in a very dark low mean estate the other prophesying and fore-telling heavenly things to come More high more glorious more divine discoveries are made known by the Spirit of Christ then by the flesh of Christ And these are the two Olive trees and two golden chandlesticks standing at the right hand and left hand of the God of the whole earth To my two witnesses There are many and various interpretations that People doe make of these two Witnesses which though very remote from the inward and spirituall pith and marrow yet they may bear some Analogie or proportion with the minde of the Spirit as they are a dark figure of truth and in their greatest distance may be gathered up into these two Christ in flesh and Christ in Spirit Some interpret them to be the Magistracy and Ministry this is a very darke interpretation and very remote from the Adequate sense and meaning of the place and yet it may hold forth some-thing of truth in it it being a dark figure of the Magistracy and Ministry of Christ Christ a Minister a Servant a Prophet a Priest So he is in the flesh Christ a Lord a King Reigning Governing and so he is the Spirit Some again interpret them to be the two Testaments the old and the new which they call Law and Gospel A remote and dark figure still of Ghrist in flesh and Spirit Christ in flesh having much in it of the nature of the old Testament Christ in Spirit the new man the LORD from heaven having much in it of the nature of the new Covenant or new Testament But it 's generally understood to be the Saints of God and to speake in proper language these are the Saints of God or the holy ones of God Christ in the Spirit Christ in the flesh and Christ in Spirit where these two are bearing witnesse in any they are the Saints of God they are the holy ones of God These are the two Olive trees spoken of and the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth Zech. 4. last verse These are the two holy anointed ones of God If the question be What be these two Olive trees which through the golden pipes empty the golden oyle out of themselves It 's answered They are the two anointed ones of God It 's too much for men meer men to be the Olive trees or the Olive branches arising out of the root of God emptying the golden Oyle out of themselves for men take oyle into themselves but Christ in flesh and spirit gives forth the golden Oyle into the two golden candlesticks The Spirit
in the anointed ones or the anointing of the Spirit in the flesh of the Saints are the two Olive trees and the two golden candlesticks standing by the Lord of the whole Earth Emanuel God with us God with man God in flesh And they have mighty power If any man hurt them fire proceeds out of their mouths to devoure their enemies If any thing within or without riseth up against Christ and the Spirit against these two Olive trees against these two witnesses prophesying fire proceeds out of their mouths and devoureth it If any man hurt them he must in this manner be killed They have great power though but prophesying and in sackcloth Fire proceeds out of their mouths c. Not materiall fire but spirituall fire The fire of God in the Iowest â—state of the two witnesses though but prophesying in sackcloth is very firce and terrible If any man rise up against the Test mony of Christ in Spirit against these two Olive trees they have power to destroy it fire proceeds from the Spirit torments consumes and destroyes it whatsoever riseth up against these two witnesses in this our age this fire it hath it doth constantly destroy and devour it up And I am sure of it the cause of all the devouring plagues that are upon the world in this age at this time the distractions and confusions that are upon all powers ecclesiasticall and civell is for the hurting and opposing the low poor and mean beginnings and appearances of the Lord in his witnesses And this be ye assured of if any man will hurt or oppose them be he never so great be he never so wise be he never so strong and powerfull be he never so rich wealthy be he never so devout and religious if he or they shall oppose the Spirit of the LORD Christ in his People in their prophesying either as they leave out the outward Court and holy City or as they are measuring the inward Temple and Alier as they are worshipping God in the Temple sacrificing and offering up their flesh and fleshlinesse I say whosoever shall make opposition against the Spirit and spirituall actings of the Lord Christ and his People must in this manner be killed Fire puoceedeth out of their mouths c. Fire shall destroy the whole world and all that which is of the world I have found that whatsoever in me hath risen up in opposition against these two witnesses the fire of the LORD hath fallen upon it and destroyed it and I have found that the two witnesses have power to shut heaven that it raine not These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the daies of their Prophesie When these two witnesses testify against any thing any man any creature any way any ordinances any judgement saying This is hethenisme this is gentileisme this is carnall this is fleshly this is the creature this is man and not God or of God presently it is destroyed consumed blasted and brought to nothing And in this they shall shut Heaven through men have formerly been sweetly affected by the power of grace yet when any thing in them hath risen up against these witnesses they have power to shut Heaven against them As they have power to open Heaven upon some so they hove power to shut Heaven upon others that is effectually to exclude all carnal fleshly earthly man from the showers and dewes of the grace of God Though they have made never so great a shew of holines religiousnes and godlines though they have been able to say much and execute what they say yet when the two witnesses have declared that it is not God it is not Christ it is not the holy one of God but it 's man it 's the flesh it 's the outward Court that is excluded not the inward Temple Therefore measure it not leave it out meddle not with it exclude it from having the dewes and showers of Heaven fall upon it let not the sweet distilling strerms of God fall upon it for it is not God nor off God Presently Heaven hath been shut and they have had no rain This we have experience of in their ministration This me have found with a bundance of justnesse When any man or any thing hath risen up against these witnesses these Prophets and so it hath been frequently seen though they have been never so glorious in the Word and under never so glorious professions of Gospel Christ free-grace the light of the knowledge of God Church felowships and such like notions as these yet When ever they have risen up against the Spirit of Christ so soon as the same Spirit hath declared and witnessed what they are presently they have deen blasted withered scattered and broken They have had no more Raine from Heaven and have withered as a plant that God hath not planted as a branch that hath had no showers And have power to turne water into Bloud This we have seen to for we speak nothing else but what wee have seen that whereas professors have formerly had many pleasant streames many sweet waters many refreshing comforts and joyes Immediately upon the Witnesses Prophesying all their sweet waters have been turned into bloud ordinances duties gifts when they are not spirituall and spiritually exercised the Witnesses Prophesying have turned them into-bloud into contention strife debate distraction and confusion And to smite the earth with all Plagues The Earth is Thy creation the subject on which these Plagues are inflicted Whenfoever the Spirit of the Lord appeares either on the right hand or on the left that is as Christ in flesh and Christ in Spirit whensoever these Two witnesses these two Anointed ones that stand by the LORD of the whole Earth shall testify and beare witnesse of flesh to be crucified killed and slain presently their testimony smite the Earth and all earthly things with Plagues These Prophets have the Power of God and all the Power of GOD and can smite the Earth with what Plagues they will I have found them Smiting the Earth with sicknesses spirituall sicknesses weaknesses consumptions leprosies plague-sores running-sores famine death warres feares frightings amazments wild-beasts with all these Plagues The Earth is now full of Plagues sent forth from the mouthes of these two witnesses And when they shall have finished their testimony the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make warre against them and shall oversome them and kill them There is a time to Witnesse and a time to Finish their work and you have it here Prophesied that they must first Finish their Testimony and that they shall bee overcome and killed but not before they have finished their Testimony But How must they be killed The beast that ascends out of the bottomlesse pit shall made warre against them and kill them This Beast which ascends out of the bottomlesse pit is Antichrist Many speake of the slaying of the Witnesses and it is in many peoples mouthes now which
doth certainly foretell though in them very darkly something that is to come But first let me tel you that that which shall kill them must Ascend out of the Bottomlesse pit It shall bee no outward or visible force that shall slay these two Witnesses It shall bee by no visible Power of Kings or Princes Papists or Malignants that these Witnesses shall be killed no we may see to the Bottom of al these That which shall slay these two Witnesses shall Ascend from a pit that hath no Bottom that is There shall such hellish fins such Hideous Monstrous darknesse such filthy Beastlinesse arise in the mindes and spirits of men that shall fight against the very Light of Christ and the Spirit of Christ in His People But these Witnesses are above the rage and reach of all visible Powers They may indeed kill and slay the bodies of men and after that can doe no more for alas that is not that which is here slain But the two Olive Trees Christ in Fesh and Spirit And that which kills them is a Beast a Beastlinesse below the Beastlinesse of man It 's not man it 's by no power of man It 's Beastly darknesse Beastly lusts Hellish wickedness such as ariseth from a Pit that hath no bottom such as you cannot tel whence it is nor what it is such as hath not been visibly manifest amongst the Sons of men Ye shall see yet more abominable hellish hiddious beastly black wickednesse then ever yet appeared Ye cannot yet tel the Father of these wickednesses Ye are able to say such and such wickednesses comes from the Pope such and such from Jesuites and Papists such and such from your owne hearts But yee shall finde such black hellish wickednesse such disorder and confusion such torment such disquietment such ignorance such base ignorance come out of a Pit deeper and darker and filthyer then hath yet been found out amongst the sons of men such as is without length or breadth such as is not to be fathomed or measured such a pit shal be opened and such darknesse come in to the world as never before appeared such as shall be blacker and baser and fouler then hitherto hath been brought forth And these shall make warre against the Witnesses and overcome them First fight then overcome and kill them First oppose the light of the LORD the Spirit of the LORD Christ I say oppose these two witnesses and testimonies of the presence of the LORD of GOD dwelling in flesh killing flesh offering up flesh upon the Alter These shal be opposed Secondly overcome them and kill them There is a continuall opposition of the Death and of the Resurrection of Christ and of Christ Risen in us of GOD dwelling with us and in us And there shal such a darknesse such a black darknesse arise out of this bottomles pit that shal fight with this light overcome it and kill it So that ye shal not bee able to say ye have God in you These Olive trees shall not give forth their Oyle they shall not bee able to speake their own Language in you ye shal not enjoy those sweet inward refreshings that some times yee have had The Witnesses shal be overcome killed and slain such hidious monsterous darknesse shal arise in you that yee shall not know that yee have the Spirit of God that Christ dwels in you ye shal not be able to see or say that yee have the presence of God with you that ye have the presence of these two Olive trees Emptying their Golden Oyle into you Al their opperations shal be quite killed slain and dead And their dead bodies shall lye in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified The place of the dead bodies is the streets of the great City Babylon The world govern'd by Satan the god of the world is Babylon In the Streets of the great City Babylon yee shall have the dead bodies of the Witnesses lye un-buried There yee shall have some formes and figures of what they have said and done but dead without life without power without spirit Yee shal have strange workings of the Devill and Satan in the streets of the great City when the Witnesses are killed to preserve their carcasses formes and figures spiritless and life-less And this is the wickednes of the flesh Heightened There are these two Streets in the great City Sodom and Egypt that will bee found in you though they doe not yet appeare The filthinesse of Sodom pride gluttony fulnesse of bread and abundance of Idlenesse The wickednes of Egypt Idolatry enmity rage and malice against the Israel of GOD. Where also our Lord was Crucified Our Lord was Crucified at Jerusalem litterally or according to the Letter But spiritually it was in Sodom and Egypt It was the filthy wickednesse of Sodom and the cursed enmity of Egypt that Crucified Christ And you wil finde that that spirituall Sodom and Egypt that filthy wickednesse of Sodom and that cursed Idolatry of Egypt is that same wickednesse which shal wil and must kill and slay these two witnesses or thus That wickednesse in the Scribes and Pharisees that crucified Christ formerly I say that wickednesse Heightened and Spirituallized in the worldly fleshly part of the Saints that wickednesse growne more vil'd and more abominable then ever was known before The wickednesse of the Scribes and Pharisees that accused Christ of the High Priest that condemned Christ of Judas that betrayed Christ that grown as Sodom and Egypt as the filthy whordome of Sodom as the cursed emnity of Egypt shal make warre against these two witnesses and kill them Here the Dead bodies of these two Witnesses Lyeth And they of the people and kinreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three daies and an halfe and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves Peoples Kinreds Nations Tongues Gifts Strengths Powers c. Shal see the dead bodies of the two Witnesses the outward forme and figure without spirit and life The outward carcasse that these Heavenly lights that these two witnesses did minister in They shal see them and shal not suffer them to be buried to bee put in graves The earthly carnal worldly part of man cannot endure that these bodies should bee buried And why They live upon them they cannot subsist without them their very life and being is upheld and maintained by the carcass by the body the dead body by the fleshly part that is in man in the Saints The Remembrance and sight of these is their very life therefore they will not suffer them to bee put in graves to bee buried out of their sight They keep up al outward and fleshly formes above ground as long as they can It is their life their peace their comfort their joy they are glad that the Spirit and life is gon that was wont to vex and torment them And they that dwell on
if any man wil hurt them it is death they must in this manner be killed These have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the daies of their Prophesie c. To deny the blessing grace and favour of God to any man any creature or to any thing And they have power over waters to turne them into bloud c. To kill and slay and to mingle strifes contentions debates envie malice and wrath in the minds of men because they are disobeyed And to smite the earth with ALL plagues c. Plagues both inward and outward The Plague of Sword Pestilence Famine Blindness Barrenness Nakedness c. as often as they will And when they have finished their testimony c. Wee have seen their death when their testimony was finished but not before When the Sonne of Man had finished his testimony when his houre was come then must he suffer and not before So when the Witnesses have finished their Testimony they must be killed and not before Then there ascends a beast out of the bottomlesse pit out of the lowest hel the nethermost hell A new and undiscovered wickednesse and uncleannesse of Spirit riseth out of this Bottomlesse pit against the two Witnesses And makes warre against them overcomes them and kills them And then their dead bodies lye in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt This whole World is this great City as it 's governed and ruled by the God of this World and in this great City of the World is the filthines of Sodom and the Idolatry of Egypt Where also our Lord was Crucified It was a spirituall wickedness that Crucified the Lord Jesus and it shal be a more spirituall wickedness that shal kill and slay these two Witnesses And they of the People and Kinreds and Tongues and Nations c. Humane Carnal Fleshly Gentile Christians the Nations of this world shal see these witnesses lie dead and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves When the Spirit is with-drawn kil'd and slain by the Beast or cloud of darknesse that riseth out of the bottomless pit these Gentiles People worldly Christans shall not suffer their dead bodies outward formes to be buried the natural man upholds the body or form without the spirit a bare humane carnall remembrance to keep up the forme and flesh of Christ left spiritless and life-lesse this is the nature of the men of the world or earthly and fleshly men to live upon the dead carcasse of Christ but they cannot indure the spirit and life of Christ they can live no longer then they have the body dead and slain if that revive they dye And they that dwell on the Earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry And shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the Earth An expression of joy and rejoycing and this is the wickednesse of earthly People that dwell in the Earth that dwell in the World they have no peace no joy longer then they get the mastery of the Spirit of God and when they can by the strngth of that wickednes that ariseth out of the bottomlesse pit trample upon the Spirit of God and of Christ then they are well then they can goe rejoycing from one to another blessing themselves and comforting one another telling vain and foolish stories of their victory that they have killed and slain the Lord and denied him to reigne over them In these three verses following is the reviving of the two witnesses After three daies and an half When these two witnesses shall appear in any shall finish their Testimony bee killed and slain they shall ly dead three daies and an halfe or as it is exprest in the next chapter of the Womans being in the wildernesse for a time times and half a time The time of the killing of the witnesses shall be a time of great joy and rejoycing to them that dwell one the Earth eartly Christians carnall Christians Yet there shall be in it a day Jesus Christ makes the grave a day There is a quiet rest and a sweet day in the death of Christ in the killing of the witnesses and though in it self it be very grievious and terrible yet you shal see brightnesse and glory shinings and twinklings forth of light so that ye shall be able to call it a day But there is a day and two daies and half a day or a time times and half a time First a day and season in which there shall be a comfortable expectation of a seasonable and speedy deliverance where-we are able to say These witnesses are now slain but they shall speedily revive and rise again After that comes times or two daies wherein there will be lesse expectation and more trouble multiplied evils time devided and then there shall not be such an expectation of a speedy deliverance as was before The Soul shall be able to say I shall be delivered but I know not when for ought that appears I may lie long in this state but I will waite with patience I will submit to the will of the Lord. Then after this there 's half a day or a season wherein there shall be a sudden reviving an unexpected deliverance A short work will the Lord make on the Earth The Spirit of life from God entred into them They had before but the Spirit of prophesie The Spirit of Prophesie is the testimony of Jesus wherein though they live'd yet their life was but a saying they should live but a fore-telling of a higher and further state of life to come but now they have a Spirit of life The Spirit of life from God entred into them Not the Spirit of prophesie only but the Spirit of life not only to bee able to fore-tel what they should be but what they are That they are righteous holy happy that they live Yea not only to be able to say they live but to be life it self Not only to Prophesie in sack-cloth to be under a vaile but by the re-entry of the Spirit of life into them to see GOD opening and un-vailing his face These Witnesses must and wil Prophesie before they live First wear sack-cloth Prophesie darkly that they shal live then live First be in expectation and Prophesie of live then live first beleive hope and expect then live We never lose any thing but we gain by it If we lose the Spirit of prophesie we gaine the Spirit of life for it we gaine by sufferings we gaine by losing If a spirit of darkneses ascend out of the bottomlesse pit clouding our comfort we receive a better Spirit for it The Spirit of life from God and so are gainers This we may be assured of for the LORD saith it He will not leave my soul in hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption We may be brought to the death we may bee killed and slain wee may be dead carcasses But
where the carcasse is thither will the Eagles bee gathered together Thither this Eagle the Divine Spirit of GOD doth resort to this Carcasse I say to Revive it This heavenly Eagle or Spirit of GOD comes and eats up all the deadliness all the corruption all the Carcass that he in us might live in the Spirit There is no true life but the Spirit of life Then may we say we live when we live in the Spirit of GOD this is called the quickning Spirit The first Man was made a living soul the Second was made a quickning Spirit Man is a living soul a living creature and it is the Spirit of GOD that makes him to live a Spiritual life but when that life is killed and slain then he hath a second life for it a better life The Spirit of life life it selfe true life indeed And we know no life no true life but in the LORD our life When HE who is OVR life shall appear c. While the Witnesses prophesie they cannot say that they live but when they have received the Spirit of life then they can truly say they live Now they can claime that title I was dead but am alive I am the resurrection and the life There is no true life til there be a Resurrection til then it 's but a state of mortallity It is not yet life But when we revive and rise again mortallity is swallowed up of life now we live indeed That 's true life that is not subject to death that is true life that cannot be killed That life that is under the Power of death that is under the Command of death that can be extinguished by death is no true life It s life to be set free from death to be dis-engaged and dis-obliged from the command of this King of fears when we can say O death Where is thy sting O grave Where is thy victory When wee can trample upon death that is life true Life indeed The Spirit of life from God True life consists in a continual flowing forth from God a daily powring out of the Divine life the Divine nature into us enlivening and quickning all our actions and services Those are not living actions living services living performances that flow not from the life of GOD in us We live when every thing we act or speak flows from the life of God in us Then wee live when al we do comes from GOD when God sends it forth God speakes it God doth it then they are living words living actions In thy presence is life The absence of the soul from the body is the shadow and but the shadow of death but the absence of GOD from a thing or person that 's death Spiritual death You cannot say a man lives except you see his soul act move speak c. If yee were Christians indeed ye would not say you live until yee hear the voice of GOD saying to you This is the way of God these are the words and works of God There is life true life indeed The reviving and life of these two witnesses is the resurrection and the life the life of the Sonne of God God comes forth in these two in the Son and in the Spirit the fulnes of God shewing it self in the flesh of Christ and the Spirit of Christ this is life These three are all in union together the Father the Son and Spirit in one conjunction and unity The Father puting forth himself in the Son by the Spirit The Father acting quickning and inlivening the Son by the Spirit these mutually imbracing each other is our life Concerning this resurrection of the witnesses observe that it is graduall The Spirit of life from God first entred into them after that they live there was a kinde of absence before but now a presence of the Spirit of God The holy God suffers a kinde of parting to be between himself and his Son ney betwixt himself and his own Spirit which is himself and after this again there is a reuniting First There must be an entrance The Spirit of God first enters into them then they live The Resurrection though it be quick though it be in a moment in the twinkling of an eye yet it is graduall First There is an entrance of the Spirit The Spirit of life from God entered into them Secondly There is a double effect of this entering of the Spirit 1. They stood upon their feet 2. They heard a great voiyce saying Come up hither First The Spirit of the Lord entered into them while they are dead while their dead bodies were lying in the streets of the great City the breath of life from God entered into them And this is very certain we shall not lose any thing that we have had Though the Lord withdraw himselfe from us a little while yet he will returne to us again and then he wil gather up al that is scattered and enter into all that 's dead And they stood upon their feet This is the second gradation or the second degree of their Resurrection which is two-fold 1. They could own the Lord they could say The Lord is with us our God is with us and in us Life is come to us We are the holy ones of God We are the golden candlesticks upon whom the light of God doth shine This is the Spirit of life from our God And then secondly they are raised from the earth and so raised as that they can stand upon their feet an expression of the dry bones Ezek. 37. into whom when the breath of the Lord came they lived they stood upon their feet an exceeding great Army So the Prophet Ezekel when he was overcome by the glory of God in the great vision he saw chapter 2. it 's said The Spirit of the Lord entred into him and he stood upon his feet And so Daniel was raised chapter 10.10 11. O Daniel a man greatly beloved understand the words that I speak unto thee and stand upright Which is the same with this The Spirit of the Lord intring into us standing up in us manifesting and shewing what wee are making us visibly to appear the anointed ones of God inabling us to stand up and own a heavenly and spiritual life and light to appear to arise to shew our selves that we are the holy ones of God And though whilest wee were slain and dead we could not owne the Lord or acknowledge him we could not confesse the Lord who he was and what he was because we were in death and darknesse yet now having the Spirit of the Lord entred into us we now being raised from the dead we stand up and are able to say Wee are the Lords wee are the holy anointed ones of God There is life and strength and confidence appearing in the witnesses standing upon their feet so that they can say We by this life or in this life of God are able to live amonst men to walk about in the Name