other the West and East Indies both should be enlightned with the Gospell which never heard it before verifying that Mal. 1.11 For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure offering for my Name shall be great among the heathen saith the Lord of Hosts 3 As for the uniting of Saints that differ although here with grief we must confess the breach is yet too wide yet with joy and comfort we may also truly say it is not so wide as lately it was many closing and loving one another in most parts of the Nation who five nay two years ago could not do it and if so little time have made such a blessed beginning what may we expect from more 4 And as for the pulling down of high and lofty things if our age bear not witness of this it doth of nothing for doth not the whole world ring again with the noyse that hath been made through the late fall of Regal and Episcoral powers in England 5 For the establishment of Justice and righteousness tho we want in respect of what we would have yet all unprejudiced persons must nakedly confess a good foundation to be already laid in order to the same and as some hopeful beginnings thereupon so our selves to be in a fairer way by far for more than we were sixteen or twenty years ago which a little time we hope will ripen to perfection 6 And for the powring out of the Spirit though it ought to be our grief wee have so little of it yet cannot Gods people in this age without great ingratitude to the Father of mercies but acknowledge that he hath herein also been more bountiful unto them than unto others of his dear Children and their fellow-servants in the foregoing age thought these then with that little they had better and more obedient to their Father than we now and as we have ground for hope so is it our duty to beleeve for yet more 7 And as for increase of light without transgressing the rules of modesty or exalting our selves in this present age in testification of our thankfulness to him from whom our light is we may truly and humbly say that this present age hath brought forth some truths especially those which concern Christs Kingdom which till now have not with that clearness been revealed in any since the Apostles times 8 And lastly For the exaltation of Christ as King when ever was there a time since the Apostles that could shew half so many Churches as at this day are to be seen in England and elsewhere yea when since the beginning was Christ ever in so fair a way to be King over the world and when so much worldly power in the hands of godly men as at this day So that in Gods dispensations to this age we may already begin to read those very things he hath foretold shall be in that age in which the Jews shall be converted which as hath been before proved is this age wee live in And the more is this to be considered because dispensation being that which giveth call to the work of the Generation it is enough supposing we had no other proof in case we behold present dispensations pointing to such and such things to know there lyes the work of this age Yet in regard light burdens no man and the lovers of truth are never offended with truth for its clearness therefore this Rule which alone gives so much light into the work as that it will be as hath been before cleared sin in that man who wilfully shutting his eyes to the same neglects the work is here brought in hand in hand with others of no less evidence and demonstration than it self 4 Our fourth Rule formerly laid down is to observe what work that is which is most raged against by the Devil and wicked men for ordinarily there as was then proved doth lye the work of the Generation Now here consider what are those things the Devil rageth against and the World would fain hinder in this age To omit the first because the work not appearing as yet though we hope God is making a way thereto the Devil doth not as yet appear openly in this age more than formerly for to oppose the same But to come to the next Is not the Conversion of Sinners one thing raged against witness the many obstructions in the way of propagating the Gospel The opposition to the Doctrine of glad tydings to Sinners therein revealed and also to godly men because Mechanicks whom God in many places with happy success is pleased in this day to make use of for declaring of them Is not the prevention of union among Saints another by fomenting divisions through Jesuitical practices and thereby drawing them into parties and then setting one party against the other And is not this another the pulling down of high and lofty ones doth not the world generally storm to see Kings and Bishops plucked from their seats As one of their party saith Had he had a hand in the pulling down of Regal or Episcopal Power he should think himselfe to have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost And who knows not the opposition that the establishment of Justice and Righteousness meets with at this day in the world Yea farther is not the Spirit a thing mocked at you have the Spirit these are men of the Spirit c. And the very term of new Light is not onely distasteful but reproachful To conclude What ways have been of late years to prevent and root out if possible Christs Kingly Government in his Churches and are at this day to obstruct the same which is hoped to be now rising over the world is apparent to all men Thus we see that the very things Satan rageth against are the same that the Prophecies of old have foretold and the dispensations of God call for in this age 5 We have but one Rule of discovery more prayer excepted which is Closet-work and that is to observe what spiritual inlightned Saints have upon their hearts as the work of their Generation And although here I cannot enter into mens hearts yet this I may say so far as my own acquaintance leads me I have ever observed the pulses of the most spiritual enlightned Saints beating this way And the publique desires of many for things of this nature shews how others stand inclined towards the doing of them Thus you may easily perceive whitherto all these Rules tend each of which standing upon firm ground as hath been before declared The conclusion then putting all together is this That the work of the present Generation which Saints are bound to attend unto and to be active in lies principally in these things The conversion of the Jews propagation of the Gospel in order to a greater Harvest of Gentiles Joynting Saints Christ
flee p. 105 The signification of the one thousand six hundred furlongs ib. The Conclusion of all Generation-work OR ANEXPOSITION Of the Prophecies of the Two Witnesses From the 11 12 and 14 Chapters of the Revelations Shewing yet farther what the designs of God abroad in the world may in all likelihood be at this present day and in the dayes near approaching To which is added A Key to unlock the Mystical Numbers of Daniel and the Revelations tending to resolve this Great Question How long shall it be to the end of Wonders The Third and last Part. By John Tillinghast Minister of the Gospel Isa 26.20 Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past 21. For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain LONDON Printed for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popeâ—-head-Alley 1655. To his Highness the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland MY LORD IT is an Apocryphal saying but yet a true one Truth is greatest of all those who have others in Subjection unto them are themselves to become Subject to it We yeeld up our outward man to men and they can command no more but Truth commands our inwards This glorious Truth dwels not in the wisdom of the wise nor in the godliness of the godly nor in any creature-impulsions though ever so forcâ—ble which have no rule but their own but in the blessed word alone where truth hath pitched its Tabernacle and the way to be acquainted with it is through the help of the Spirit of Truth unsealing the Book opening our understandings to understand the Scriptures The knowledge of this Truth The great Revealer of secrets hath thought good to impart to his people not all at once but by degrees and so the several ages of the Church have had their several manifestations of truth a peece of truth coming forth in one age a peece more in the age following a peece more in the age following that God thus by degrees enlightning his people as they are able to bear it who should the Sun rise upon them all at once would be dazled not enlightned As the workings of the mystery of iniquity on the one hand or Gods dispensations of providence on the other have risen higher in any age so have also Gods dispensations of truth to the end his in every age might from principles of truth be led up to renounce the one and own and imbrace the other Hence those things which later ages look upon as low and poor things not worth contending for were great things in former ages because the Truths of that age And contrariwise those things which former ages could not have born with had they been revealed may be the necessary discoveries of ages since because the Truths of these times Hence likewise it is a marifest with holding the truth in unrighteousness and a declaration to the world of a compliance with Antichrist to confine either by penal Laws threats or practices the people of God in this age to the Truth or Truths of the former age Yea those that love the Truth ought not to suffer themselves fâ—r love or fear of men in this case to be confined Had the people of God in the age before us contented themselves to have preached the precious truths of Christs Priestly Office and out of obedience to the Wills and Commands of the then Ruling Powers surceased any farther enquiry how had the blessed Truths of Christ as King in his Churches been discovered If Christ hath yet farther and higher Truths to make known and the dispensers of truth shall suffer Bonds to be laid upon them how shall the will of God at this day in the revelation of truth be performed The wisdom of a Christian man who would serve God in his Generation is to enquire into the particular Truth of the age he lives in for it is a thing much more acceptable to a Friend when he haâ—h some great design in hand to serve him in that than to serve him in another thing but he that neither knows his friends mind nor his design cannot serve him in it The Truth of the age although the matter of it is to be looked for in the Word and no new thing contrary thereunto to be admitted the word without any additions being compleat in all knowledge able to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished unto all good works and if there appear to us to be a defect in this thing or that the defect is in our understandings not in the word yet in regard the word hath no where told us that the revelation of this truth belongs to this age the revelation of that to that We are therefore by some other Rules to make up a judgement which amongst the manifold truths of the word is the Truth of the age we live in Now among many I could name those which I judge the safest are 1 An observation of the time and a comparing therewith the Prophecies relating to that time 2 The dispensations of the age Gods truth and his workings going together 3 The general opposition that is made by men of the world carnal Professors yea Saints themselves so far as they have espoused a sinful or worldly interest against this or that truth for it is a thing of universal observation that the most opposed truth in any age hath ever been the truth of that age Neglect of looking into this Truth of the Generation is that fatal Rock upon which many worthy Instruments in all ages have split themselves and should search be made after instances of this kind the names of not a few might be produced who did run well at first and were lights and helps to others yet after all have concluded like the bright Sun setting in a cloud That the great truth of Christs Kingdom over the world judging the Beast c. is the truth of this Generation is so manifestly clear the former Rules with others of a like nature being seriously considered as that it would be but an adding light to the Sun here to give demonstration of it It being so I shall take the boldness craving leave a while not to know your power or greatness nor any private or personal engagements which yet I remember with thankfulness having begged it of the Lord and it is still my request that neither fear nor favor might make me unfaithful in the dispensation of truth according to my talent to be plain with your Highness not in mine own behalf nor in the behalf of any party at this day in England whom to gratifie in a case of this nature is a thing my soul desires to abhor for he that pleaseth men cannot be the servant of Christ but in the
but from the time he began to Reign in Persia do give to Cyrus 30 years whereas we are to give him but three onely because the Scripture account is from his taking of Babylon after which but three years are to be allowed to him as is excellently observed by the worthy Doctor Lightfoot in his Harmony of the Old Testament upon Ezra 4. pag. 190. this consideration allowing to Cyrus but three years onely makes the number of years as they are laid down by the Greeks neither more nor less than 147 as will appear to him that shall count them up Anâ— by this also all that seeming difference that is between Chronologers is taken away the ground of it lying here some give to Cyrus more years after his taking of Babylon some less THESIS XLIX That so many years as 147 did pass betwixt Cyrus first and Artaxerxes twentyeth there seems to be conjâ—ctural ground for it in Scripture because from the time of Jeâ—hua who was High Priest and contemporary with Zerubâ—abel both coming out of Babylon in that very year the Scripture calls Cyrus first Ezra 2.2 Chap. 3.2 until the â—â—me of Nehemiah are reckoned three Generations for in Nehemiahs time Eliashib was High Priest Nâ—hem 31. vers 20 21. Now Eliashib was Grandchild to Jeshua as appears Nehem. 12.10 And Jeshua begat Jojakim Jejakim also begat Eliashib And further consider that Joshua the Grandfather did live to a very great age for he lived till the work of the second Temple was set on foot the second time by Darius Ezra 5.1 2. and in all likelihood till it was finished which as is easie to be made appear was many years after the coming out of Babylon and also Eliashib the Grandchild at the time of Ezraes coming up to Jerusalem which was in the seventh of Artaxerxes Ezra 7.7 and so thirteen years before Nehemiahs was so aged as that he had a Son a Priest Ezra 10.6 which according to the Law none might be till they were thirty years of age so that here was the fourth Generation come to maturity The whole laid together it will appear no absurd conclusion to say that as many years as 147 did pass betwixt Cyrus first and Artaxerxes twentieth THESIS L. The Grounds of some late Writers who have cut this time much shorter the strength of all which lies in these Texts Ezra 7.1 2. c. Ezra 2.2 compared with Neh. 13.6 and Zecharies seventy years chap. 1.12 chap. 7.5 will no way annoy our opinion but be indeed found themselves too weak and to have manifest flaws in their foundations and that upon a Scripture and rational account when they shall be throughly weighed but the doing hereof requiring more room than here is fit to allow it I must transmit this also to my more full discourse THESIS LI. If yet it should be a Question Whether Artaxerxes Mnemon were that Artaxerxes in the 20 of whose reign Nehemiah had commission to build Jerusalem it is answered that considering the long time Nehemiah's Artaxerxes reigned two and thirty years of his reign being mentioned Nehem. 13.6 and also considering that this Artaxerxes lived near the expiration of the Persian Monarchy for Nehemiah in his book makes mention of Jaddua who wa High Priest as Josephus testifies when Alexander the Great came to Jerusalem and also of Darius the last from whom Alexander did take the Persian Monarchy Nehem. 12.22 it will appear that the story of Nehemiah is not appliable to any of the Persian Monarchs but Artaxerxes Mnemon THESIS LII Our second part or period runs upon Daniels seventy weeks which are a divine Chronology from the time of Nehemiah where the Old Testament leaves us until the time of Christs passion THESIS LIII It is a strange and wonderful forcing of the Text and a palpable misapplication of this Prophecy to apply it as do some to the times of the New Testament which opinion leaves us destitute of any ground save onely the reports of humane Historians to build upon as touching the years of the world for upwards of four hundred years together and that too in a time wherein the voyce of Historians is least to be regarded viz. through all the Grecian Monarchy which I may call the age of the worlds confusion it being in a manner torn to peeces by Alexanders Captains after his death so that it was most hard to know whilst every one was catching the Crown who Reigned or how long And therefore as it is no breach of charity to question the truth of Historians reports as to this time so is it to be esteemed a special token of Gods love to his Church and care of his people in all Ages that he should leave his a divine Chronology to lead them through that dark and shady Wilderness where most Travellers have lost their way untill they come again into the open field i.e. to the light of Scripture and more certain Chronology THESIS LIV. These seventy weeks reduced into days and these days into years make up the sum of four hundred and ninety years THESIS LV. We are not to extend these seventy weeks beyond the passion of Christ that opinion being contrary to the express characters of the 24 verse which characters are therefore laid down to give us light how far the 70 weeks are to be extended THESIS LVI Those expressions of the people of the Prince that shall come destroying the City and Sanctuary vers 26. and the making desolate until the consummation ver 27. are not to be comprehended within the 70 weeks though they are comprehended within those four verses which lay us down the Prophecy of the 70 weeks THESIS LVII Four years of the 490 are in our account to be deducted the reason is because Christs death or the cutting off of the Messiah was not at the end but in the midst of the 70 or last week for in the beginning of the 70 week Christ is anointed therefore this is one Character of the 70 week vers 24. Seventy weeks are determined to anoint the most holy Christ being anointed goes forth preaching and submitting to the Law about half of the week and then is cut off and therefore it is said vers 27. He shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week i e. of that one week which is the 70 and last he shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease that is Christ the Messiah being baptized at the very beginning of the 70 week went about preaching and performing active obedience to the Law part of that week and then about the midst of that week which words I take it are therefore added lest otherwise we should think his Death to be not till the very end of the 70 or last week he is put to death by which death of his he causeth the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease that is puts an end to the Jewish worship which lay in Sacrifices and Oblations and hence
act according to that will Not to grasp together all that lies in these words my aim being only at this viz. Doct. That it is an especial duty lying upon the Saints to attend unto and be active in the work or works of their Generation Gods famous Worthies who have gone before us whereof David here is instance have done thus whose examples though not in every thing yet in these things are rules to us and therefore we should do it yea it s the will of God this David here grounds his obedience upon which Will makes it as well our duty as his and therefore we ought to do it In the carrying on of this I shall shew 1 What Generation-work is and how the same differs from other works 2 That Saints in the several Generations they have lived in have ever had the proper and peculiar works of their Generations 3 That it is a thing of very great concernment for a Saint to attend to and be industrious in the work of his Generation 4 Wherin doth the work of the present Generation lye 5 How each one in particular may find out that part or parcel of it that is properly his work in his Generation 6 And lastly How Generation-work may be carried on so as that God may be served in the Generation First What Generation-work is and how different from other works Ans Generation-work is that work or those works which the way or manner of Gods dispensations in the age a Saint lives in calls him unto When either the condition of the Church or people of God or the transactions of God in the Age we live in or the light of that Age calls us to some special imployment we may look upon that Work to be the Work of the Generation So that in the Work of our Generation although the matter of the work be no other then what the word hath laid down and is commanded in the general yet the call to the Work takes its principal rise from the way or manner of Gods dispensations in or unto that Age. Hence the Work of the Generation differs from that Work which lyes upon a Saint to perform as he is a Saint for those Works are not limited to any one Generation but are common to all what I stand bound to do as I am a Saint I am alike obliged to do in that respect in whatsoever Age or Generation I live but now the work of my Generation I stand bound to that by vertue of Gods dispensations towards the Age I live in in such manner as that thing which now is my work living in this Age did I live in another Age wherein the dispensations of God were after another manner would not be my work but another thing would be my work Hence likewise the work out Generation is different from the works of our Callings Staetion relation or present condition for every of these bring their several works but these properly as they are such i.e. Works or Duties flowing from my Calling Station in the world Relation or present condition are not the work of my Generation Though here I grant it that the work of a Saints Generation may fall in with the works forementioned either those which lye upon him as a Saint or those which are the proper works of his Calling Station Relation or present condition i.e. the work of a Saints Generation and these may be one and the same in Substance though two in diverse respects as I shall make out to you 1 For common Duties which lye upon a Saint as a Saint A Saint may have some duties lying upon him as he is such a one binding all Saints in all Ages all the world over which yet in some times may be the very work of the Generation As for example Beleeving is a work which lyes upon a Saint as a Saint A man as he is a Saint is alwayes in whatsoever Age or Generation he lives in bound to beleeve and have confidence in the promise and power of God but it may so fall out that the dispensations of God towards his people may be such as that beleeving which is an especial duty lying upon Saints in all Generations may be the great work God calls unto in that Age or Generation a Saint lives in So it was in the time of Moses and therefore as I conceive did God so severely punish the unbeleef of that Age because this their fin was not only a neglect of a great and common duty but a neglecting the very work of their Generation Again Prayer is a duty which lyes upon a Saint as a Saint no praying man no Saint for Saints have their denomination from calling upon the Name of the Lord 1 Cor. 1.2 But now Prayer a duty so general and common to all Generations may be as the case may fall out one special work of that Age or Generation a Saint lives in And so I take it it was in Daniels time when Israels feturn from Babylon was approaching and therefore Daniel is so stirred up to pray and his Prayer made so well-pleasing unto God because he did not the thing only as a common duty but as the work of his Generation And on the contrary upon the same ground wee are now speaking of God doth as I conceive forbid Jeremy to pray for the people of that time because Prayer though as a common duty it remained yet did it then cease as any part of the work of the Generation 2 A Saint may have some duty lying upon him by vertue of his Calling which may also be the very work of his Generation As for example Suppose a godly man be constituted a General or an Vnder-Officer in an Army raised against some great and professed enemies of Jesus Christ at such a time as by Gods appointment the ruine of these his enemies draws neer for him to fight for and under those in their defence who have given this power and command to him is the very work of his Calling that which his place injoyns him unto but now considering the cause he is ingaged in which is the pulling down of some potent enemies of Jesus Christ which God in or about that Age be lives in hath determined to ruine So his fighting is not only the work of his Calling but the very work of his Generation also Again put case a man is a Minister the making known the truths of God to others is the work of his Calling in doing whereof he doth no more then what his Calling requires of him but now as such a one studies and concrives making it his design scope and aim not only to speak truths which another man by being conscientious in his Calling may do but to speak truths and truths in such a manner as is most suitable unto and may through the blessing of God most conduce to the good and benefit of souls in those times and places he lives in so he doth the work of
until seventy years should be accomplished God did not give any such positive commands unto other Generations After this in Ezra's Nehemiah's and Daniels time these Worthies and the Saints of that age had the proper work of their Generation which was to go forth of Babylon and rebuild the Temple of God at Jerusalem which Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Thus all along in the times of the Old Testament Gods Church and people in their several Generations have had their several works Let us look to the New Testament which dawned in John the Baptist had not John the proper work of his Generation which was to be the Fore-runner and Harbinger of the Messiah to declare to the Nation of the Jews that the Messiah whom they expected and waited for was now approaching and that the glorious Kingdom of God in the pure administration of the Gospel was at hand and that therefore it did behove every one now to have their eyes and hearts turned from Moses towards him and his administration which was now approaching After him the Apostles in their time had the proper work of their Generation which was to go forth and publish the glad tydings of salvation which before were cooped up within the narrow compass of Judea to all the world beginning at Jerusalem to gather Saints together so fast as they were converted into Churches and to appoint over these Pastors and Teachers and also to give Rules and Directions for the right ordering and governing of the Churches unto the end of the world Let us come to the Saints of following Generations had not they likewise their proper works which was in some to bear witness before the wicked world and the Heathen Tyrants and Infidels of those ages wherein they lived to the truth of that Doctrine they had received from the Apostles before them by sealing the same with their blood and willingly giving themselves up as sheep to the slaughter to the cruelties tortures massacres of the Paganish world in bearing testimony to the truth of Jesus Afterwards the work of the next Generation was to bear witness by writing preaching and all sound Doctrine against the damnable Heresies of Arrius and his complices and others which through that little tranquility which the Church injoyed under Constantine crept in and overspread the Christian world In after ages for some hundreds of years together the work of Saints in their Generation was to bear witness by speaking and suffering unto the truth and worship of Jesus against the pernicious errors and false worship of Antichrist and the boundless and swelling pride and pomp of that man of sin In Generations since the work hath been to recover the truth and worship of Christ which was well nigh buried under Antichrists reign to its ancient purity lustre and beauty And so Luther and the Saints and Worthies of his Generation as their principal work did recover out of the jaws of the Beast the precious truths of Christs Priestly Office the glorious Doctrine of our justification by Christ alone which was well nigh swallowed up by the Antichristian innovations of Masses Crosses Pardons Pennance Purgatory Vowes Pilgrimages solitary and single life with other inventions of humane wisdom for the procuring a righteousness of our own And since him the great work of Saints in their Generations hath been to recover the Kingly Office of Christ which the Lordly pomp and tyranny of the man of sin and his followers had cast a mist upon to set up Christ as sole King and Governor in his Churches as well as the onely and alone High Priest of his Saints Thus Saints all along from the beginning of the world in their several Generations have had their several works proper and peculiar to the Generations they have lived in so as that what hath been the work of one Generation hath not been the work of another and what hath been the work of that other hath not been the work of that unless at such time as it fell out in the Generations of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and also the several Generations of the Saints under the Roman and Antichristian persecutions wherein the dispensations of God towards his people hath continued the same and for substance alike for divers Generations together there the work hath been the same for no substantial change in dispensation there is none in the work of out Generation it being variation of dispensation that causeth the work of our Generation for to vary Third General Head That it is a thing of very great concernment for a Saint to attend unto and be active in the work of his Generation Generation-work is the most neglected work of all others with the generality of Professors who either consider not that such a work there is or if they do yet they think that it belongs to others not to them to mind it but in case they be industrious in those common duties which lye upon them as Saints and those special duties which attend their Callings Stations Relations or present condition it is enough for them and matters not whether they be active in the business of their Generation yea or no. Yea many that are imployed therein do not sufficiently weigh the greatness of the work they have in hand I shall therefore here endeavour to shew of how great concernment it is for a Saint to attend unto and be active in this work which I shall lay before you in some particulars 1 God by his dispensations calls aloud for it The dispensations of God have a voyce and God oft by these bespeaks a duty or duties of his people Mic. 6.9 The Lords voyce cryeth unto the City What voyce is this why meerly the voyce of a dispensation Gods dispensations being commands Hear the Rod and who hath appointed it To disobey then the visible call of a dispensation is to disobey a command of God The hazarding our lives is a weighty matter and if done carelesly a great sin yet Hester upon the visible call of a dispensation viz. Gods cause and people of God lying at the stake ready to suffer runs this sore hazard to which though she was stirred up by Mordecai as one Christian friend now may stir up another in such a capacity as Hester was to befriend Gods cause were it now dying as then it was yet were not Mordecayes words her warrant he being not indued with a Prophetical Spirit norspeaking as such as his doubtful speech she weth Who knows whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time as this but the call of the dispensation Meroz was called by Gods dispensations to help the Lord against the mighty We read not of any particular command Merez had to do it only the call of a dispensation Gods people were under oppressors and God was up to deliver them which call Meroz neglecting Meroz is doubly and bitterly cursed by the Angel of the Lord for it Judg. 5.23 Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the
people have their liâ—erty and in that respect as to their particulars are well yet if they see the work of the time at a stand let it not be grievous or be imputed to discontent in case they mourn as did Daniel look sad as did Nehemiah groan and complain they are sick And sometimes I have thought that when Daniel did mourn and afflict himself before God the second time three full weeks Chap. 10.2 upon the account that the work of God in that age was put to a stand by the power as is by good men judged of Cambyses Cyrus Son reigning while his Father was abroad in the wars that had Cambyses been a good man or a man likely to have been prevailed with Daniel undoubtedty would as did the Prophets before him frequently to the good Kings of Israel have made other applications in that case and accounted the doing thereof his duty than barely to the Lord alone Nay it is a mercy to Governours themselves to have applications in things of this nature made unto them for Woe be to those Governors to whom Gods people fearing or being without hopes in making address when they soâ—esee sufferings coming upon his cause retire themselves and spread the affliction of their souls before the Lord alone Yet let me also say it is a thing most certain and that which is a prejudice to the very cause in the hearts of many and ought to be matter of grief to all that Saints in most places at this day whilst they are crying that their Fathers work might go on do act too much like men and shew too much of their own spirits yea are very consused as to the making out the things themselves would have and moreover have many falling into their party that injure the very cause they stand up in But I earnestly wish it might be considered that although the child when it cries cannot alwayes give a rational account of the cause of its so doing yea possibly may oftentimes discover much peevishness and passion in crying yet doth it not ever cry without a cause and the wisdome of the Father is not so intent upon the weaknesses of the child in crying as to find out the cause why it cries And farther should not many and great weaknesses appear in those who stand up for Christs Kingdome how should his Kingdome come without observation no greater observation than of holiness if so be the appearance of that in them were to be eminently visible John came with much outward Holinesse and hee came with great observation Yea whether when the strife rose first betwixt the Brethren of the Presbyterian and Congregational way in England did not many who yet had truth and Christ did afterwards own before the world strive in many things like foolish peevish Children and whether in the times of the Apostles throughout the Primitive ages and almost ever since have not the croud of errors alwayes run into that side where truth hath been the reason is because the grand enemies design is to sow his tares in his enemies filed his own where as yet his title is not questioned nor shaken he will not meddle with These things therefore with others of a like nature are not to be made definitive Conclusions as to a cause which oftentimes God permits for the trial of Rulers patience his peoples faith and the carrying on of his own cause in a cloud which is the way he goes in in most of his works of wonder Governors because of these miscarriages may inflict civil penalties if they will yet let it bee considered that the great King is now coming to his Throne and there is not a Ruler in the world but hath his standing only protempore to whom as all must give an account so must they shortly surrender their Crowns or they shall be taken from them and if any of the subjects of this mighty King whilst they see their King upon his march and are followed with hourly intelligence that he is neer and such and such things must be done in order to his entertainment by speaking some words for their King that things may be in a readiness and by giving abroad what intelligence they have to that end shall offend and suffer any thing for it let it be remembred that when the righteous King is sate upon his Throne these things will not be husht up but it shall then be known whether such as shall so do exceeded their Commission or not did their own or the Lord Christs will My Lord That through multitude of words I may neither tire your patience nor incur the censure of being one that loves to hear himself speak I shall wave some things which otherwise I would yet have added and draw to a Conclusion only leaving with your Highness three or four plain sober and in my opinion necessary words 1 Let your Highness oft remember and set before you the example of that good man Asa who though he were a man of much zeal for God and his Worship destroying the Altars of the strange gods and the High places breaking down the Images cutting down the Groves c. a man of a tender conscience therefore removed his Mother from being Queen because she made an Idol in a Grove a man of much faith in the field by which faith of his he vanquished the huge host of Zerah the Ethiopian yet having made one eminent turn from God as one turn from God makes way for another he is afterwards in a rage at reproof and casts the Prophet into prison that reproved him and at the very same time oppresseth the people of the LAND and after all what will Sin bring even a good man to When Gods hand is upon him for this he seems as a man stubborn and seeks not to the Lord but to the Physicians which that it may never be your Highness case is my prayer 2 Let your hand be no way lifted up against any of the Saints in this Nation It was a good Position laid down by Dr. Goodwin in a Sermon preached upon Psal 105 14 15. before the Parliament that was at the time when the Brethren of the Presbyterian way had the turning of the Wheel and as well proved viz. That the dealing well or ill with the Saints is and hath ever been the great interest of States and Kingdoms that on which their welfare or ruine depends All Sodome made not the hands of those four Kings Abraham routed Gen. 14. so weak as their fingring one Lot 3 Pursue not too hotly every righteous principle It is an Observation of Dr. Owens worthy never to be forgotten preached when time was in a Sermon of his upon Ezek. 17.24 to the aforesaid powers concerning principles that men take up his words are these page 21.22 The most tremendous judgement of God in this world is the hardning the hearts of men Now saith he first Look on Pharaoh of whom it is most signally spoken that God
from Heaven which bids the witnesses come up hither ver 12. Now the reasons why this voyce from Heaven is brought in after their standing upon their feet and not before may be these 1 Because the immediate hand of God in putting life and courage into the witnesses to answer their Call shall be a thing as I have said much more remarkable and visible than the Call and therefore is that named first and the whole of their resurrection seemingly attributed therunto Or 2 Because which I rather judge it is very likely that the call given them shall be a continued call not a call to rise onely but a call to some higher work which work is here set forth by the phrase of ascending up to Heaven which notes thus much to me that the instruments who shall give the Witnesses this call being themselves a more refined people in which respect their voyce is called a voyce from Heaven they shall not onely call upon the Witnesses to arise but when they are up follow them still with their call to come up higher into that state they themselves are in therefore they say Come up higher i.e. shake off all Antichristian defilements worldly interests as you have seen us do and now let us be no longer two but joyn as one to ruin the Where and carry on the work of Christ in the world Now because this Call shall be a continued Call therefore mention is made of it onely in the last and more glorious act which indeed follows the witnesses standing upon their feet and the first is omitted If you ask me Who these Instruments shall be I answer The same with the Angel of the fourth Vial for what I have said in opening that Vial. And farther they shall be that Remnant of the Womans Seed that the Holy Ghost hath characterized chap. 12.17 Of whom I shall discourse more fully in the two following Chapters CHAP. II. Setting forth yet further the state of the Two Witnesses within their Prophecying time and the time of their being Killed from Rev. 12. SECT I. HAving in the fore-going Chapter treated briefly of the Two Witnesses by way of opening part of the 11 Chap. of the Revelations it will not be impertinent in this for the farther clearing up of this great truth to add my own thoughts concerning the 12. Chapter likewise This 12. Chapter is on all hands interpreted to be a Prophecy of the state of the Church within the time of the Dragons rule or the time before the rise of the Beast and accordingly the things here fore-told are judged to have their compleat accomplishment within the first 400 years after Christ I must confess when I consider how handsomely following this opinion we have the whole Prophecy of the Revelations from the time John wrote even unto the time of Christs second coming consisting of three distinct periods comprized within three Chapters viz. 1 The state of the Church within the first period under the Dragons rule Chap. 12. 2 The state of the Church within the second period under the Government of the Beast Chap. 13. 3 The state of the Church under the witnesses risen from the end of the Beasts reign untill the time of Christs Second coming where begins a fourth Period viz. of the 1000 years Chap. 14. I am by this single consideration more inclined to be of the common opinion as to this 12 Chapter then by any thing that hitherto I have found laid down for the same by the Authors and Assertors of it who urge not this as an Argument not indeed can they because as I shall hereafter shew they make application of the 14 Chapter not to the third Period but another time and as for what is commonly urged there is nothing in it that I can observe that has the force of an Argument but what is founded upon begged principles Yet must I also acknowledge that although this consideration I have now hinted could I make it out to my self would sway very much with me yet hath it the less weight by how much I cannot satisfie my self that such a Tripartite dovision of this Prophecy should be here intended And my reason is because I find something in this 12 Chapter which is the Prophecy of the Dragon running down even into the time of the Beast for the time of the Beast doth yea must begin with the beginning of the 1260 dayes as hath been before proved Cha. 1. Sect. 2. Now supposing the time times and a half to be equivalent to the 1260 dayes yet it is clear from the Prophecie it self that some attempts are made by the Dragon after the time times and a half are begun As 1 The casting water out of his mouth as a flood after the Woman vers 15. 2 The attempting a war after this upon the remnant of her seed vers 17. Both these things I say are done after the Beast was come into the world and therefore may not be applied to the time of the Dragons rule which ceased upon the Beasts coming in he then resigning his power seat and great Authority to the Beast Chap. 13.2 If therefore we may extend this Prophecy a little time downwards into the Beasts Kingdom after the Dragon had surrendred to him I see no reason why we may not as well extend it quite through the Beasts Kingdome for the former order yea and the common method too is as much broken by the one as by the other Nor indeed can I see unless we come downwards to the expiring time of the Beasts Kingdom where a people after the 1260 dayes were begun will be found that had rightly interpreted these two Characters upon them that the remnant of the Womans seed which the Dragon makes war upon are described by And as these Considerations have gravelled me as to that opinion which makes application of the things here foretold to the time of the Dragons rule So by other Considerations I am induced to think that the Prophecy of this Chapter doth bring us down to the very end of the Beasts Kingdom the expiring time of the 42 months and that indeed the last verse of this Chapter being joyned to the first of the fourteeenth and so descending we have in these two Chapters alone the thirteenth being cut off all the aforesaid three Periods 1 That of the Dragon and the state of the Church within that Period set forth in the five first verses of this 12 Chap. 2 That of the Beasts 42 months or 1260 dayes and the state of the Church within that time from vers 6. to the end 3 That of the Witnesses risen or the state of the Gentile Churches from about the time of the Witnesses rise until Christs second coming Chap. 14. And according to this method as this 12 Chapter and the 14 linked together do run parallel with the whole of the 11 which treats of the Witnesses so this 12 Chapter alone runs parallel with so much of the
Scripture in case it bee not in those Numbers THESIS VI. That interpretation of these Numbers is doubtless to be sought for and when found followed that brings them to an Harmony within themselves for truth is never found but in a Harmony No Prophecie is of a private interpretation Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established THESIS VII The best way to attain this Harmony is to consult with the naked testimony of Scripture History and Chronology THESIS VIII The voyce of Scripture is to be attended in the first place History and Chronology in the second The reason is because the reports of Historians being various and perplexed oftentimes as to actions themselves oftentimes as to the time of them they will but confound the Enquirer if in dubitable principles and conclusions from Scripture be not first laid as a foundation THESIS IX If it may be supposed which must or otherwise no certain determination of the time is attainable and so this and every enquiry is but a running in vain and labouring in vain that indubitable principles which may serve us as a basis for such an undertaking are left us in the word and also if it be a thing supposable that amongst the variety of Historians any one of them in recording such Acts which are to be as Heads to this or that Mystical Number hath neither given false reports of the Acts themselves nor missed the time it is a thing then not impossible by vertue of the light first received from the most certain principles of holy Scripture to pass a definitive Sentence upon the reports of Historians And to conclude this in this or that particular report to be in the truth these in the error THESIS X. If among many any one or more Historians be found in the truth as touching such and such acts and their time then also by the indubitable principles of Scripture and their reports laid together a certain determination of the time may be made THESIS XI The Numbers themselves which point us to the end of the Churches Captivity and sufferings in New testament-Testament-times are 2300 dayes Dan. 8.14 1290 and 1335 dayes Chap. 12.11 12. 1260 dayes Rev. 11.3 Chap. 12.6 and 42. months Rev. 11.2 Chap. 13.5 both which last I have before proved Chap. 1. Sect. 2. to be one and the same THESIS XII A day put for a yeer is a Scriptural and a Prophetical way of speaking Num. 14.33 34. And your children shall wander in the Wilderness forty years after the number of the dayes in which ye searched the Land even forty dayes each day for a year Ezek 4 4 5 6 Thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty dayes I have appointed thee each day for a year Thus we are to interpret dayes in the fore-going Numbers of otherwise the Numbers will be of no use at all as to measure out the time of the Captivity and sufferings of Gods people under the New Testament for how little time should we understand these dayes of natural dayes doth the greatest of these Numbers contain THESIS XIII As Daniel wrote in Old Testament-times when the Jews were the only people of God and John in New Testament times when the Jews were a people rejected and the Gentiles Gods chosen people so are we to look upon the thing principally pointed at in the fore-going Numbers of Daniel to be the time of the Jews delivery from their long Captivity the thing chiefly intended in Johns to be the utmost period of the Gentile Churches Bondage and Captivity under Antichrist THESIS XIV Now because the Gentile-Churches deliverance from Antichristian Bondage which began with the beginning of the Vials shall be compleat at the end of the 1260 days or the two and forty Months i.e. Antichrist this time expired shall never so far prevail against them more as to bring them into bondage to him again therefore the utmost period of the Churches sufferings that we have in John is the end of the 1260 days the forty two months nofarther number beyond this being assigned But now because the delivery of the Jews is to be begun at the time of their coming up to their Land and not compleated till forty five years after therefore have we in Daniel Chap. 12. two numbers laid down the one 1290 days the other 1335. which carry us forty five years farther than the other THESIS XV. All the aforesaid Prophetical and Apocalyptical numbers may be divided into two Ranks those of the first Rank point us to the time of the Jews first stirring the rise of the Christian Witnesses the end of the Beasts reign and treading under foot the Holy City Those of the second to the time of Christs second coming the final destruction of the Beast the full deliverance of the Jews Here it is a thing most necessary that we mind and diligently observe this distinction for the not distinguishing betwixt the ending time of Antichrists reign and Tyranny and his final destruction which is in the destruction of the Fourth Monarchy the beginning time of the Jews delivery and their compleat deliverance the standing up of Christ in his Witnesses i.e. by a more glorious manifestation of his power and presence with and among his people and his standing up in person is a fundamental mistake in an enquiry of this nature yea confounds and darkens the whole truth in a manner of Daniel and the Revelations and indeed is the very reason why some contend for a Spiritual appearance of Christ onely viz. an appearance with his in a way of power and others contrariwise for a Personal whereas in both there is a glorious truth and a set and an appointed time for both onely the first falls so many years sooner and so is nearer to us the second so many later and so is farther off and possibly this may be one reason why good people at this day harp so much upon the first because it is nearest to them and so most upon their hearts Now by observing this distinction and carrying it with us through the Prophets either and the time of either will be clear Numbers of the first Rank THESIS XVI The Numbers that belong to the first Rank are the 1290 days the 1260. and the forty two Months the same with the 1260. THESIS XVII The 1290 days and the 1260 alias forty two months are both to end at one and the same point that is the Jews delivery from their long Captivity which is the thing set forth by the 1290 days is to begin at that point where the Gentile Churches delivery from the tyranny of Antichrist set forth by the forty two month the 1260 days is to end and so consequently either number concenter in their end and terminate at the same point which is clear 1 Because the time times and a half Dan. 12.7 Rev. 12.14 which ends at the same point with the 1260. ends also at the same point with the
they did sometimes blind Conscience convinced them was wrought by the finger of God is that very sin which Christ himself calls the Sin against the Spirit that hath neither forgiveness in this world nor that which is to come Matth. 12.24 compared with vers 31 32. Let all hence tremble to oppose or reproach the apparent works of God in their Generation lest Now to conclude Whose ears hearing these things would not tingle Whose hearts considering these things would not quake to be found guilty of the sin and exposed to the dangers that attend neglect of Generation-work Thus much concerning our third general Head I now come unto our fourth which is 4 Wherein doth the work of this present Generation lye Answ As the question is very weighty and of great concernment being the Butt aimed at in my whole discourse so that in the discussion hereof I may in the fear of God walk evenly and without winding or turning to any interest save that of truth pitch if possible upon that which is the proper and direct work of the generation we live in It will be necessary in order thereunto to â—ay down some few general Rules as way-marks to guide â—he Reader to the discovery of that which is the proper work of his generation whatsoever generation he may be supposed to live in which when particularly applied to the present generation will give us light into what is or may be the proper work or works thereof as 1 Be inquisitive to find out according to Scripture account the particular age or generation it self that it is fallen to thy lot to live in which though it be hard to do yet in regard the wisdom of God in Scripture hath set some distinct and notifying mark upon every age the same by industry and waiting upon the Father of lights for light may be attained 2 The former being done add thereunto a narrow and impartial search for discovery of those glorious and remarkable things the accomplishment of which God in his word hath promised and foretold in and about this age In this way the holy man Daniel came to understand the work of his Generation First he considered the time he lived in to be about the end of the 70 years captivity foretold by Jeremy 2 He observes that there was a special promise of deliverance from this captivity made to those times Chap. 9.2 whereupon having discovered the work he addresseth himself to God by prayer for the doing of it vers 3 4. 3 Observe Gods visible dispensations towards that age and the various transactions of things therein how they correspond with the things foretold and promised for as hath been already observed in Generation-work it is dispensation gives the Call 4 Observe what work that is which is most opposed and raged against by Satan and wicked men in the generation For it is most certain that the work of the generation Gods cause and glory which above all things Satan hates being there imbarqued hath ever been the most opposed work by the Devil and his Instruments Was it not so in Moses his time Nehemiah's time John Baptists time the Apostles time and since that in Luthers time I spare to say and in our times too 5 Observe what not men of worldly wisdom and principles but the most spiritual enlightned Saints have upon their hearts as the work of their generation For from the beginning it hath been Gods way to make choyce of such for the discovery of Generation-work unto before all others The Old world had its wise men and men of rare inventions Gen. 4.20 21 22. Yet not these but righteous Noah saw the work of the generation Egypt in the time of Moses was famous for its wise men as also Babylon in Nehemiah's yet neither the one nor the other saw the work of those generations but onely a poor handful of despised people that God had in either Judea in Christs time was plentifully stored with learned Scribes Doctors and Rabbies yet not these but a company of poor disregarded Fishermen had the work of that generation revealed to them This though alone it be not sufficient to conclude the work yet when joyned with the rest credit undoubtedly ought to be given to it 6 And lastly Be much in prayer to God for light herein The great work of the Apostles generation viz. The bringing in of the Gentites was revealed to Peter and Paul both even whilst they were in prayer as Act. 10.9 10. with chap. 22.17 21. Having thus by this general light paved out a way to walk in My next work is to see what particular light by applying these things unto the present age may from hence be gained unto the work thereof And here according unto the method before prescribed our first inquiry must be after the age it self What age is that most likely to be that we are fallen into In answer to which my Assertion is that it is most probable that we are fallen into that very age in which the Jews are to be converted Now although here I must nakedly acknowledge that I could heartily wish for their sakes whose this little Book is yet clearer and more unquestionable grounds for the proof of this my Assertion than those that this opinion commonly stands upon Yet in regard I know no clearer principle to demonstrate for bare conjectures are no proofs the work of the Generation from then this taken for granted that we are fallen into that age in which the Jews shall be converted and also in regard it is received for a truth and so in case of mistake I shall not be the first by many late Christian Writers of worthy memory yea with much confidence asserted by the Jews themselves though under another notion than what we truely call it of conversion to Christ as Manasseth Ben. Israel in his Book entituled The hope of Israel Sect. 29 32 35 36. is proof I shall therefore endeavor to give you with as much clearness and brevity as I may the substance of that light which by the labors of godly judicious men as Brightman Archer hath been let into that Scripture which is the main bottom to this opinion leaving the Reader to judge and a little time to manifest the verity or falsity of what is written the which we have Dan. 12.1 compared with 11 12. where Daniel hath a promise made to him of his peoples deliverance and that at a certain time when Michael should stand up at that time shall thy people be delivered which words as I conceive comprehend both the beginning and consummation of their deliverance to which two distinct times are assigned as afterwards Now because this thing was a great secret and Daniels affection to Gods glory and the good of his own people transported him with desire to know the particular time he therefore moves the Question When shall this be How long shall it be to the end of these wonders v. 6. Answer hereto is
made so darkly that Daniel hears but understands not n therfore although in words far different yet as by the following answer appears aiming still at the same thing he puts the Question again What shall be the end of these things Answer then is made v. 11 12. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be tak n away and the abomination that maketh desolate be set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety daies Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred five and thirty days The meaning whereof seems to be this that the beginning of the delivery of Daniels people viz. the Jews should fall out a thousand three hundred and ninety days i.e. so many years a day for a year being the Scripture account as Numb 14.34 Ezek. 4.4 5 6. after the taking away of the daily sacrifice and the setting up the abomination that maketh desolate and forty five years after that for so many days hath the second number more than the first that the great trouble which the Scripture not onely here but elsewhere plentifully reveals as Ezek 37.38 39. Joel 3.1 2. Zach. 12. 14.1 2. will attend that people in their beginning to seek the Lord and David their King shall they be delivered from by the standing of Michael their Prince as vers 1. Which because till that day their deliverance though began before shall not be compleated therefore is the blessing annexed not to the first but to the latter time Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days The great knot here is for the untying of which more light would be welcome When the taking away of the daily sacrifice and the setting up the abomination that maketh desolate which is to be the head of our account had its accomplishment and here the variety of mens judgements hath brought forth various conjectures which not in this place to scan I shall pitch on that which seems to carry greatest probability of truth with it which is the opinion of those that bring it down to Julians time fixing upon as the mark they begin their account at that particular act of his of endeavoring by setting the Jews thereabouts the re-edifying the Temple at Jerusalem and so thereby in malice and opposition to Christ and Christian-Worship to restore Judaism and Jewish Worship at which time a fearful Earth-quake in the night did overturn all they had built in the day yea threw the very foundation stones of the Temple out of their places which before had never been removed Now the reasons why a fixation here is rather to be chosen than any where else are 1 Because if we make any other act since Christ before this the Head of our account the time is already expired and yet the Jews not delivered 2 Because No act whatsoever could more patly agree to the words themselves than this of Julians which was an abomination of the highest to endeaver the setting up of the Jewish worship when God had thrown it down and that out of a design to throw down Christian worship which God had set up and such an abomination as brought a desolation and an utter removal of the daily sacrifice the Temple-ground the only place of sacrifice being at this time lost For although the daily sacrifice did cease before from Titus time by whom the Temple was ruined as it also did all the time that Israel was in Babylon whilst the first Temple lay waste yet properly could it not either then or now nor no more now than then be said to be taken away because the Temple-ground to which as the onely holy place the Jewish worship was tyed whereon a new Temple might be built was still remaining But at this time not onely the foundation stones being thrown up but the very Temple-ground being lost in the Earthquake it is not improper to say the daily sacrifice was taken away 3 This likewise seems best to agree to the words of Christ himself concerning the destruction of the Temple Mat. 24.2 There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down For although the Temple was demolished by Titus yet the foundation stones did still lie one upon the other but now this act of Julians brought such a desolation that as the building was ruined formerly so the very foundation now had not a stone left upon a stone which punctually agrees to Christs own words And it is observable that Christ himself makes this setting up of the abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel the immediate fore runner hereof ver 3. compared with 15. which according to what hath been said was both immediate fore-runner and cause also Now for the precise time of this Hellish exploit there are among Historians four how many more I know not different accounts of the particular year in which the same was acted though all I have hitherto seen or heard of conclude it to be within the year of our Lord 360. or 367. yet whether or no through some mistake of Chronology the difference may not be somewhat wider I cannot determine though judge it very unlikely that it can or should be much Accounting therefore that we may draw to a head from the year 366. and the rather because the very year Daniels first number of days will from thence fall in with is already made famous by general expectations of some remarkable thing to be done therein and the beginning of the Jews delivery is likely to be either in the year it self or thereabouts of our Lord 1656. for adding 366. the supposed year of Christ wherein Julian did this to Daniels 1290. and there is made up the full sum neither over nor under of 1656. which if when that time shall come we see accomplished we need not then make it a question whether forty five years after their deliverance shall be compleated or not Daniel having foretold that in his last number of 1335. which he that shall take but ten from the 300 and add the same to the 35. will find that made up 45. and the foregoing number of 1290. to remain And because this reckoning is but of latter times it is not therefore to be rejected but rather to be received because Daniel himself tells us that the truth of this Prophesie was to be sealed up till the time of the end as vers 4.9 which is also a manifest argument that this cannot relate unless in a typical way to the times and story of Antiochus Epiphanes as some godly and learned men would carry it If any by calling in doubt the thing it self viz. Whether ever such a thing as the Jews conversion shall be question the whole My answer to such is That could I with that clearness demonstrate the time of it as through the Lords assistance it is easie to do the thing it self were this the place for the doing thereof I should have suspected my self to have injured
Gadarens send Christ away because they were loth to lose their swine Private interest of gain was the root of that great opposition made against the Gospel in Thratira Act 16.19 20. and after that at Ephesus Act. 19.23 24 25 c. And private interest of honor and preeminence set Diotrephes on work to oppose John and the work of Christ in his Churches Epist 3. vers 9.10 Private interest is an enemy to the work of the Generation and every work of God about it 5 Favour and own the Saints of the Generation and here by Saints I do not mean this or that party of men but such men of whatsoever party they may be as have the image of God upon them Christ and the Spirit of Christ in them To disown any such one though men call it disowning a Presbyter disowning an Independant disowning an Anabaptist c. yet Christ accounts it disowning his little ones In Zech. 12.5 We have a glorious Prophecy relating unto the last ages of the-world but more particularly to that age in which the Jews shall be converted and it chiefly concerns great ones States-men the Governors of Judah who in this day looking upon and beholding Gods wonderful appearances in behalf of his Saints under their Government owning of them shattering all that do but lifâ— up a hand against them to peeces bringing all Plots and Counsels against them to nothing they shall from hence be so powerfully convinced that they shall say in their hearts The Inhabitants of Jerusalem my strength or is our strength in the Lord of Hosts their God And observe it no sooner do they say thus Surely these are Gods people here lies our strength wee 'l stick to these but presently the work in their hands go on in despight of the most powerful opposition God making of them the terror of all the Nations round about them yea of the whole world which shall be but as stubble to the fire before them as vers 6. In that day viz. the day in which the Governours of Judah shall thus speak will I make the Governors of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood and like a torch of fire in a sheaf and they shall devoure all the people round about on the right hand and on the left A sad example of the contrary we have in David who though he were a man after Gods own heart and one that had faithfully served God for many years in his Generation yet by one injury offered to godly Uriah his hands were so weakned that as I have formerly said comparing after acts with what he did before we hardly find any remarkable thing performed by him in his Generation afterwards As nothing doth more strengthen a mans hand in Generation-work then countenancing the Saints so contrariwise nothing doth more enfeeble them than to injure these 6 Keep Justice alive against wilful offenders in the work Achan put a stop to the work of the Generation in his time but Justice having free passage upon Achan presently the work of the Generation goes on 7 Commit the managing of publique Affairs into the hands of faithful and holy men It is observable and but that I spare to run over again the list of Generations I could for proof thereof produce many instances that Generation-work hath never thriven but have bin always done by halves or peece-meal when it hath bin in the hands of such men who not being faithful to God have more pursued their own particular interests of honor profit and the advancement of relations and alliances than the good and welfare of the cause and the furtherance of the work of the Generation But that which is enough for our present purpose is how that in the last days particularly in that age in which Christ will pitch a field with those Kings of the Earth which stand in the way of his Kingdom he will pick and cull out as the only instruments that under him shall carry on this work such as are called and chosen and faithful as Rev. 17.14 These shall make waâ— with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them For he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful And also in that fatal blow which suddenly after shall be given to the Romish power and the powers of the world conjoyned his followers shall not be such as either rowle in the pollutions of the world or have stained their garments with the Idolatries and Superstitions of Antichrist but onely such as shall be cloathed in fine linnen clean and white as Rev. 19.8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen clean and white For the fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints And vers 14. The Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses cloathed in fine linnen white and clean Though men may imploy others yet Christ will by degrees lay them by in the doing of this work before the same shall be perfected 8 Take heed of divers things which if not prudently foreseen and shunned may any one of them slugg even a good man in the work of his Generation as 1 Take heed of being offended Christs Countreymen could not receive him for the Messiah because they were offended at his meanness and poverty Matth. 13.57 Many a man stumbles at the work of his Generation by an aptness to be offended at this and the other thing as First At the nâ—w light of the Generation As in the times before Christs coming and immediately after so long as God was opening his will to his people by a written word every generation almost did beam forth new light in regard of being Abrahams Generation producing somewhat that was not revealed in Adams nor to the old World Mosesses somewhat which was not revealed in Abrahams Davids somewhat which was not revealed in Mosesses Isaiahs somewhat which was not revealed in Davids Daniels somewhat which was not revealed in Isays John Baptists somewhat which was not revealed in in Daniels and Peter and Pauls somewhat which was not revealed in John Baptists time So in the Generations since God hath closed up his word truth having brought forth its last in regard of being and especially since the man of Sin who creeping in in the first ages corrupted and darkned the light of those times for many Generations together hath been going off the Stage every Generation almost hath afforded its new light in regard of discovery of that light which in the word had being before but obscured by the fogs of Antichristianism So Wickleff and John Hus in their ages made discovery of some light Luther in his Generation of more Calvin in his of more in respect of some things wherein Luther was in the dark and the ages since of more in respect of some things wherein all the foregoing Worthies were in the dark And this to say is no disparagement to them who did worthily in their
glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come Chap. 12.12 Therefore rejoyce ye heavens and ye that dwel in them Wo to the Inhabiters of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Chap. 11.18 And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints c. LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1655. The Epistle Dedicatory To all those who love and patiently wait for the Appearing and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ Grace and Peace be multiplied Dearly beloved in our Lord IT is reported of the Primitive Saints that these words the KINGDOM OF CHRIST the KINGDOM OF CHRIST were so frequent in their mouths that their malicious Adversaries willing to mistake the simplicity of their meaning and intention did make the words matter of Fact charging them hereupon with Treason as if they had driven on some design to get for themselves the Kingdom Whether the simplicity of the Saints in the age we live in who being come to the very dawning of the day and beholding the Lord going up to his Kingdom cannot hold their peace but must cry out HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST may through the subtlety of the old Serpent have any such abuse put upon it or no I wave at present But this I am sure of the first ages had not the Kingdom of Christ so much in their mouths but after ages had it as little their hearts were not so warm to it but the generations since have been as cold And indeed it was necessary it should so be for the Beast Antichrist being to rise in the world who after his rise must continue to reign two and forty months Rev. 13.5 it was needful therefore to the end he might be revealed that there should be as the Apostle tels us 2 Thes 2.3 a falling away which falling away above all things was necessary that it should be in the Truths of Christs Kingdom no Truths being so diametrically opposite to Antichrist as these others shake off his leaves these pluck him up by the roots If therefore the policy of the Dragon had not found out a way to brand these Truths and by making them odious to hold them down his Kingdom must have fallen many ages since for he should have had no Beast to resign his Power Seat and great Authority to It stood him greatly in hand therefore by some means to cloud these which by continuing to shine would have nipped Antichrist in the bud and this the wisdom of God permitting to accomplish thereby in the end a more glorious design which he effectually did Hence within the fourth Century at the end of which the Beast arose the Truths of Christs Kingdom before generally received began to be condemned and to go under the odious name of Heresie Hence also we finde not in the Revelations any mention made of Christs Kingdom nor any noyse of such a thing in the world all the time of the Beasts reign but the great cry of the dwellers on the Earth is The Beast the Beast who is like unto the Beast yea the whole world wondereth after the Beast Rev. 13.3 4. But now in the latter days as the Beast begins to go down so do the precious Truths of Christs Kingdom again begin to revive and have a resurrection Hence we finde that as the world by degrees gets rid of the Beast so is the cry in it still louder and louder of Christs Kingdom First Amongst the Saints in the world who no sooner have got so much footing as to stand and face the Beast which before trod them down and trampled upon them but presently they make the world ring again with the noise of Christs Kingdom Rev. 15.2 3 4. And I saw them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name stand on the Sea of glass having the Harps of God And they sing the Song of Moses the servant of the Lord and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest Secondly After this the Beast having received a more fatal blow the cry of Christs Kingdom that was before among some Saints onely is now more general and runs among the multitudes yea the great ones too of whom till this day we hear little as Rev. 19.6 And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty Thunderings saying Allelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth Thirdly and lastly Yet after this upon the sounding of the seventh Angel when Christ comes to take his Kingdom it is then openly proclaimed with a great voyce Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are beâ—ome the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and â—e shall reign for ever And as an echo to this voyce â—he hearts of Gods faithful ones reply v. 17. We give thee â—hanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wert and â—rt to come because thou hast taken to thee this great â—ower and hast reigned Thus the noyse and cry in the world towards the latter end of Antichrists reign is very different to that which was in the time of his reign then the cry was The Beast The Beast now the old cry is up again The Kingdom of Christ The Kingdom of Christ Yet notwithstanding the cry of Christs Kingdom shall at this day be so loud shall not the ears of all no not of the Saints themselves be open to hear it but some of them as well as others shall be so deeply wedded to the sweetness of Antichristian wordly interests that to maintain these they shall rather choose to sit by the waters of Babylon than with the loss of them to stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion else what need would there be of any such Proclamation to be made as we read is immediately before Romes ruin Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sins and that yee receive not of her plagues And these who thus shall do are not to be reckoned among those who in this great business followed not the Lamb at all but among those who followed the Lamb some part of the way towards Mount Sion but upon some turn or falling in with some worldly pleasing interest by the way did quit his company before they came thither For this cause the hundred forty and four thousand which
to forsake any man so far as he appears to me to go with that And in this resolution as to the present work I am confirmed by considering that the knowledge of those Prophecies which relate to the last times is to be attained not so much by settling upon old received Principles as by running to and fro to seek new Light and further Discoveries If any inquire of me as touching the reasons why I have forborn to mention the names of such Authors as I have had occasion in this Discourse to deal with my answer is because I would not appear as an opposer of men though for the love of truth I am an opposer of false Principles which may be in the best man and also because I would not give just cause by bringing the names of good men upon the stage to any who yet are living or the friends or lovers of such as are deceased to be offended I might adde another reason with wishes it were otherwise because many Professors in our dayes are grown so wanten that the very naming a good man and shewing him to be in a mistake is enough to make his name of little esteem if not odious with some of them And yet although I have suppressed names have I alwayes laid the weight of their Reasons in the ballance not willingly concealing nor extenuating by my laying it down the strength of any one Argument that whilst I was composing this Discourse I could meet with making against me which for any to do I have alwayes judged a manifest sign of one who rather seeks to make others think him a Victor than to finde the truth Having given thee Christian Reader this brief account of the rise of this enterprise and my progress in it I have only two or three things to adde First In case thou art one who art a young beginner whose face is but newly set towards Truth to seek it let me commend to thee this one rule amongst many which those who wait for the Spirit shall learn it being that which the Author being such a one as thy self finding himself wearied and quite tired out in seeking after truth whilst he hath addicted himself to follow now the opinion of this man now of that being able all this while to settle upon nothing hath in the end been forced as in other things so in this to have recourse unto which is to take the naked Scripture and read it over and by some distinguishing mark made in the Bible to sever those Scriptures which in the Prophets and elsewhere treat of the last times from other Scriptures whose subjects are different which done thou shalt then be able by the help of thy mark to turn thy Bible over and in a few hours to consider all that from one end of the Scripture to another hath special relation to the last times or by making a different mark to any subject into which thou desirest light whence having first by comparing the whole together founded thy self upon such Principles as are contradictory to no part thou shalt then be able to pass a right judgement upon the different minds and sayings of Writers knowing when and where to chuse and refuse as they agree with or differ from the substance of that truth which in Scripture hath special relation either to such a Time or such a Subject and as where this is carefully and understandingly done there will be little need of the multitude of Authors so where it is omitted there will be little else save confusion to him that shall turn them over And this let me say further in doing of it thou mayest promise thy self through the help of the good Spirit more full sat is faction then I will promise thee from what I have written or from any Book extant that ever I met with besides the Bible and willingly I would have been here at the pains to have pointed out to thee those Scriptures whose subject is the last times but that I judge that to read over thy Bible diligently thy self and mark them out will do thee much more good Secondly In case thou art one whose delight and study runs this way to pry into the mysteries of the last times if he might teach who indeed hath more need to learn I would say make stops sometimes and look round about thee lest while thou art running on supposing thou seest thy way before thee thou dost unawares out run thy Leader which if thou dost thou wilt streightway be woodded and wildred and go to work with thy reason only which will never make good work to hew the way thou shouldst go in And further never fear to make a turn out of the common road though standers by cry you are out of the way if so be thou perceivest truth to have taken that path before thee Thirdly If thou art one who art offended at the visible dispensations of this age and upon that account no friend to studies of this nature I only say perhaps thy readiness to be offended at what is done and doing at this day in the world ariseth hence from a not observing the signs of the times study therefore these things a little and more take a wise mans counsel Act. 5.36 Refrain from censuring and opposing for if the work now doing in the world be of men it will assuredly come to nought but if of God happily whilst ye oppose ye shall be found to fight against God Fourthly and lastly Whatsoever thou art receive not what is written without triall nor throw it away upon a loose triall with a Tush the one is an enemy to thy comfort for he that swallows meat whole tastes not the sweetness of it the other may be to thy light for he that 's resolved to open his eyes but half way must expect to see men like trees And as things are not written with a spirit of infallibility so as that all must be received so neither I hope is any thing put in with so much levity as deserves to be cast out with a Tush but rather lay Scriptures together wâ—igh things well and then judge Thus the Bereans did and are called noble for so doing whereas those who take things upon meer trust and those who throw them away without any triall are neither of them noble Only in case of trial do not for one single Scripture which may seem to thee to contradict any part reject the whole but rather lay Scripture to Scripture till the whole of Scriptures is brought to some harmony by which time possibly thou mayest see reason to be of my mind if not a better harmony being found I shall I so hope at least with thanks for light willingly relinquish my own and come to thine And further In case some things upon diligent fearch do evidently appear to be mistakes do not therefore because of some weeds throw away all the corn he that will eat no corn but what grew up without weeds
the most gross part Air is of a subtle nature Water of a more gross Earth the grossest of all as being the dregs and settlements of the whole By Earth then we are not here to understand Earth as opposed to Heaven i.e. the true Church as vers 1. but the Popish Earth viz. the grosser part of Popery or the Lees and Dregs of that Religion opposed to the finer parts of it Now these Lees and Dregs are no other but that damnable Doctrine of the Papists by which Christs Mediation and Priestly Office and so consequently the very foundation of Faith and Salvation is destroyed which maintains Justification by works upon which poysonous deadly root do grow the filthy abominations of their Mass their Crosses Indulgences Invocation of Saints Purgatory Penance Pilgrimages Monkish-life c. which in respect of their Discipline though that be impure may yet well be called the Dregs as being far more impure Upon these filthy Dregs of Romish Doctrine began the first Vial to be poured forth by Luther and other Worthies of those times who by the light of truth made such a discovery of the unsoundness yea perniciousness thereof as that now the same began to be odious in the eies of all And that here and no where else either sooner or later we are to begin the Vials is clear because no time doth so exactly agree to what wee have said concerning the time in our first Proposition as this doth That discovery of the filthiness of these things which was more ancient in the times of Wickliff Hus the Waldeneses and Albigenses could not be any part of this Vial for the grounds of our first Proposition and also because that discovery served onely to deliver the faithful ones of those times from the poyson of these abominable Errors not having any such effect as to destroy them in others for they remained still in credit with the generality 2. The EFFECT A noysom and grievous Sore And there fell a noysom and greievous Sore upon the men which had the Mark of the Beast and upon them which worshipped his Image Our Expositors do generally understand this Sore to be that inward vexation envy wrath fury madness which as an inward Sore torments those in whom it is that befell the Priests Monks Canonists with all that Rabble who had the Mark of the Beast and worshipped his Image upon the pouring out of this first Vial. But according to this Interpretation the Effect of the Vial should be no other but a tormenting of the men who were the upholders of the evil and not a destruction of the evill it self whereas indeed the proper and natural Effect of every Vial is a destruction of the thing it falls upon It is not amiss therefore to seek yet some other interpretation of these words And what if we say thus That look as it is with a man or men that have noysom grievous Sores upon them others loath them withdraw from them cannot bear their presence or company So did it now befall the men who were the Authors and Assertors of these abominable Idolatries The generality of the people who before adored them as Gods not once calling their principles or practices into question did now by the pouring forth of this Vial come so palpably to discern the gross and horrible Idolatry of these their Forgeries as that they began to loath and abhor not only the things themselves but the very Assertors of them and to withdraw from them as infectious persons full of grievous and noysome Sores so that now they can no longer delude the people and draw them to a loving and liking of these things as formerly they had done no but themselves with their principles and invention are become odious and a filthy stinking Sore in the eyes and nostrils of the Commonalty Which Effect how evidently it did shew it self in Germany and here with us in England and also in other Nations about this time upon the preaching and writing of the forenamed Worthies with others their fellow-helpers is by many sufficiently recorded Thus much as touching the first VIAL VIAL II. 1 The SVBJECT The SEA Vers 3. AND the second Angel poured out his Vial upon the Sea By Sea here we may not as some understand Nations because they are a part of the Subject of the next Vial. Nor yet as others the corrupt Doctrines of Antichrist concluded upon in the Council of Trent which say they the learned Chemnitius poured out this Vial upon in his Book called Examen Concilii Tridentini because as hath been said the former Vial fell on these to which the Subject being still the same it is more proper to refer the labours of those godly men who after Luther still continued to lay open these things in their colours than to account the same the pouring forth of another Vial. Nor yet as a later Writer the Political state of the Roman Empire which did suffer detriment by the late German War 1 Because the Effect of that War fell as heavy upon Gods people there as his enemies whereas the Vials are upon enemies only as our fourth Proposition proves 2 Because notwithstanding those shakings the Empire is yet standing whereas the shaking of the Vials is such a shaking as destroyes and removes the thing shaken 3 Because the German Empire is as in its place shall appear the Subject of another Vial. But by Sea we are to understand the Discipline of Rome as under the former their Doctrine or to speak better the Romish Hierarchy in whose hands the power of Discipline lyes made up of a Pope Cardinals Archbishops Bishops together with the inferior Clergy who receive their power and standing from these which is by themselves called and to us known by the name of the Sea of Rome the Popes Sea the Cardinals Sea the Bishops Sea c. And truly this monstrous Beast though his Rise is out of the Earth Rev. 13.11 yet doth he exercise all the power of the first Beast vers 12. whose Rise was from the Sea vers 1. and therefore is not amiss called in this second Vial where the downfall of his power is spoken of by the name of the Sea whence his power is primarily derived And indeed look what neer affinity there is betwixt the Sea and the Earth they bordering one upon another the same is betwixt Discipline and Doctrine And as the Sea girts in the Earth on every side so that which is as it were the Girdle holding together all the gross earthly superstitions and inventions of Antichrist is an absolute tyrannical power of Discipline imposing principles wayes and forms upon the consciences of men wheresover the same is set up If you ask me When was this Vial poured forth I answer In the yeer of our Lord 1641. it had its beginning though the Effects of it are not wholly over as yet when the Parliament of England did vote down Arch-bishops Bishops with all that crew root
two so is of Witnesses the righteousness of Gods wonderful works might be made manifest confessing Gods hand herein and the same to be most righteous in the doing of them 2 The persons bearing this testimony are 1 The Angel of the waters that is the instruments themselves that God will use to do these great things by who shall in their consciences be abundantly satisfied and bear publick testimony that the things are righteous 2 Another out of the Altar i. e. Saints in a suffering condition from some more remote place who hearing these things shall also cry Lord thou art righteous Why do these two bear witness only and no other The Reason may be this To teach us that the effects of this Vial shall be such that hardly any but those who are either deeply ingaged in pouring of it out their hands hearts or prayers going with the work or such who are under great persecutions for Christ and thereby dis-ingaged from all worldly interests shall be able to say concerning the things done Lord thou art righteous in the doing of them Object If it be said That there are Saints in Scotland and Holland who in the time this Vial is pouring forth do suffer much why do not they with these other come â—n and cry Lord. True and righteous are thy judgements I Answer 1 Because though they suffer yet are not they upon the Altar under suffering for the cause of Christ but rather upon the Stage of this world suffering for love to a worldly interest which fain they would uphold when God is throwing it down 2 Because they are mixed in the crowd with those men and have shaken hands with that interest upon which this Vial falls and therefore it is no wonder that the righteousness and justice of it should be hidden from their eyes Quest If any now shall ask me What Nations I judge those are that are more immediately subject to the Vial I answer England with its Territories the Low Countries and France And my reason is because where the bâ—ood of Saints hath been in a more eminent manner poured out there in all likelihood is this vial to fall this being the reason of pouring it forth they have shed the blood of thy Saints vers 6. but setting Germany and Italy aside which come under the two next Vials and therefore not to be brought in here it is in England the Low Countrâ—es and France that the blood of Saints hath been most eminentlâ— shed Witness the blood of Saints spilt in England in the dayes of King Henry 8. Queen Mary I need not say King Chartes his â—eâ—gn too In the Low Countries in the dayes of Duke dâ— Alva who made it his boast that he had there put to death 36000 Protestaâ—ts besides many that suffered there likewise under other Princes In France the cruel barbarous slaughter which continued for many yeers of the Waldenses Albingenses the late horrid massacre at Paris and in many other parts of that Kingdome therefore though possibly the droppings of this Vial may afflict some other Nations so far as the blood of Saints hath been spilt in them and by them yet more immediately and directly in such manner as to break their whole frame and alter their Civil constitution this Vial falls upon England with its present Territories the Low Countries and France whereof the first hath already felt it the second now feels it and he who is coming to render recompences for the blood of Saints shed in the other stands at the door Object If it be said But since the time that blood hath been shed in these lands there have been especially in England and the Low Countries very great Alterations the ruling powers who then were Papists being now Protestants yea the generation of persecutors is now extinct and in their graves How then can it be just with God to pour out the Vials of his wrath upon these Nations and their present Heads for what was done formerly seeing these powers cannot help what their forefathers did yea are reformed and do disclaim whatsoever in this way was done by them To that I answer out of the words of Christ to the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23. who out of respect to the Prophets and righteous men that suffered by their forefathers did build the Tombs and garnish the Sepulchres of the Martyrs vers 29. saying If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets vers 30. And not only so but also they were a mighty reformed generation in respect of those Idolatrous wayes their Forefathers walked in yet because they did still retain that hatred to Christ and true holiness in their hearts which was in their Forefathers and the reformation they gloried in was only outward and hypocritical therefore saith Christ vers 35 36. upon them and that generation should come all the righteous bloodshed upon the earth So may I say though England of late yeers reformed to what it was in Queen Maries dayes and Holland at present is to what it was in times of Popery Yet because the late Head and Heads of England had and the present Rulers in Holland have the same malice and hatred in their hearts against the Truths and People of Christ that was in the hearts of their Forefathers and the Reformation that was in the one and is in the other only outward and hypocritical therefore it is just exceeding just with God to recompence the blood of the Saints shed in the times of their Forefathers or former Rulers upon the Heads of the Rulers and People of this Generation Yea God will the rather do it because itâ—s his way as our instance proves to punish the sins of a prophane and Idolatrous Generation upon a formal and lukewarm Generation who have a shew of holiness but are enemies to the power Thus much as touching the third VIAL Hitherto the Vials foretel things past and events answerable to the things foretold we have seen save only that part of the third Vial which doth more especially relate to the Low Countries France which is yet behind The events whereof begin already to shew themselves but will in due time more fully appear As for England it having drunk of this cup in the first place and that so deeply as that its old constitution is thereby destroyed and withall the same being passed from us it gives me some ground to â—ope though not for our worthiness that the day of Gods wâ—ath upon England is over though yet for ought I know some refining fire being as the after-drops to purge out the remaining dross if otherwise it bee not done may notwithstanding be kindled amongst us The following Vials speak of things yet to come and the events of them are Prophetical and therefore as we have great reason to be very jealous lest through any contrived mould of Gods workings beforehand sutable to somewhat
them and also to the Great Turk to encourage and heart him on to engage with them in a quarrel that is his as well as theirs together with all others of whom they have either hope that they will or may be drawn to joyn with them that by one general Randezvouze of all their force together they may venture the whole sink or swim upon the event of one battel Which battel is here called for the remarkableness of it both in regard of the multitude of enemies and the glorious appearance of Christ with his Saints who will fight this battel for them in such a way as never before the battel of that great day of God Almighty which is I conceive the same battel with what is spoken Psal 110. Isa 63.1 to 7 chap. 6.15 to the end Ezek. 38.39 Dan. 12.1 Joel 3. Zech. 14.1 2 3 4 5. Mal. 4.1 2 3. Of which terrible yet glorious day to mention all that in the foregoing Texts and elsewhere is recorded of it would call for a Treatise of it self and therefore I think it meet rather to leave the same to the sober and pious meditations of the Reader than here to add any thing further upon so large a Subject Concerning the Agents and Ambassadors of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet who are said to be three though possibly they may be multitudes because a threefold number denotes perfection and said to come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet not as if one came out of the mouth of the one another out of the mouth of the other and another out of the mouth of the third but because their sending is by the common consent of the aforesaid three parties who or what they shall be I look upon it as a part of curiosity to enquire any further into then what is here by the Holy Ghost determined of them 1 That they shall be Spirits viz. for their subtilty nimbleness and activity 2 Unclean Spirits for the filthiness and impurity of their principles and conversation 3 Like Frogs for their bold impudency and continual croaking in the ears of those they are sent to giving them no rest till they have drawn them forth to battel withall creeping into every hole and corner of the world to carry on their design 4 Spirits of Devils for their dissembling lying and cunning craft in deceiving above all that ever were imployed before them 5 Working Miracles and that as it were in way of imitation of the great and wonderful things God either hath done or is then doing for his people by this not onely to gain credit to their Ambassage making the Kings of the Earth the more ready to receive it but also to blind the eyes of those they are sent unto and harden their hearts against the apparent works of God at this day when they shall see things somewhat like to what God is doing in the world done by these as the Magicians of Egypt did blind Pharoah's eyes harden his heart by doing like things before him by Diabolical art as Moses did by the finger of God And here I cannot but in the way take notice of that which is the spiritual Engine of the old Serpent and one of his most politick Stratagems and Devises to blind others to the truths and dispensations of God in the world making them very odious and to be loathed of many which is when he perceiveth that God hath any great Truth to make known or any great Design to drive on in the World which he cannot hinder he will now become an Angel of light and be of the foremost by setting his own instruments about it either in discovering this truth or putting forward this design that so from a just cause of suspition being laid a prejudice being begotten in peoples hearts against these things the things though discovered ever so clearly might find no acceptation but rather a general dislike from those that should receive them as at the time of Christs coming he raised up false Christs as a blind that the true might not be received At the first preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles he vaised up false Apostles that the true might not be beleeved which is a thing hath been worthily observed by a godly man of late and I here mention it onely by way of remembrance that none of us may be taken in this crafty and hidden snare Thus much of the first thing preparative to the pouring forth of the seventh VIAL 2 The Personal coming and appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ Verse 15. BEhold I come as a Theef That Christ shall personally appear before the last and General Judgement is a thing that seems to me to have much footing both throughout the Old and New-Testament without granting of which I my self cannot as yet possibly others may reconcile one Scripture with another And truly to take notice of this Opinion here I am necessarily put upon it unless I should either wholly pass over these words or be false to my own perswasions and that which as yet I cannot think otherwise is the main thing intended by the Holy Ghost in them Though yet as the Argument it self in this place doth more concern the time of his coming viz. that his coming shall be betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials than the coming it selfe So that I may keep to the Argument I must here let go several Reasons I might make use of to prove this personal coming and confine my self to such onely as will clear up this viz. That the time of his personal coming is here spoken of to be between the sixt and seventh Vials Now that Christs Personal coming and not a coming by his Power and Spirit onely is the thing here intended which will fall out in this Interval or space of time betwixt these two Vials though yet at the end of it so as that it may indifferently be referred either to the conclusion of this time or the beginning of the seventh Vial is clear to me for these Reasons 1 ARGUMENT Christ shall personally appear at the time in which the remarkable battel of Armageddon shall be fought But that shall be about this time That the battel of Armageddon shall be about this time is clear in the words That Christ shall then appear I prove Isa 66.16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many That this is the same with the battel of Armageddon hinted in the Text and more fully described Rev. 19. vers 17. to the end of the Chapter appears 1 Because the battel of Armageddon shall bee about the time of the Jews coming in This our Discourse at large under the sixth Vial proves So shall this For vers 7.8 we have their conversion spoken of Before shee travelled shee brought forth before her pain came shee was
seen heard touched by John 3 He is cloathed with a Vesture dipped in blood v. 13. he treads the Wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God ver 15. the same with that Isa 63.2 3. of which anon By these the other expressions of fitting upon a white horse judging and making War vers 11. having eyes as a flame of fire many Crowns on his head ver 12. answering to that chap. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord the Armies of Heaven following him ver 14. â—uling the Nations with a rod of iron answering to Psal 2.9 the sharp sword going out of his mouth vers 15. the name on his Vesture and Thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords ver 16. Which of themselves look this way will more clearly appear to be spoken of Christ as personally coming yet because Christs personal coming at this time would hardly be received for a truth it is as I conceive therefore added ver 9 These are the true sayings of God The conclusion then of all is this Christ shall personally appear at the battel of Armageddon That battel for time exactly agrees with the Text therefore the coming here spoken of Behold I come as a Theef is a personal coming 2 ARGUMENT Christ shall personally appear at the time of the Kingdoms restoring to Israel But that shall be about this time The minor Proposition I have proved before in shewing that the coming in of the Jews must of necessity be betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials The major That Christ at this time shall appear I prove 1 From that of Paul Rom. 11.26 27. where the Apostle speaking of the Jews conversion mentions a coming of Christ The deliverer shalcome out of Sion Which words are to be taken in a litteral and spiritual sence both as are many Scriptures else as appears from Isa 59.20 whence they are quoted where to evidence the spiritual sence of them the Prophet saith expresly in the next verse My Spirit that is upon thee shall not depart out of thy mouth nor but of the mouth of thy seed c. noting that as their sins shall be pardoned so also more of the Spirit shall be given forth upon the Jews conversion than ever formerly which more fully we have Joel 2.28 29. Zech. 12.10 and this is the coming of the Deliverer to them in the spiritual sence Yet that besides this there is a litteral coming in these words appears if you compare the foregoing verses 16 17 18. upon which these have a dependance with the very same expressions almost only a little more full chap. 63.1 2 3 4 5 6. where also as here mention is made of a coming Ver. 1. Who is this that cometh from Edom which cannot be a spiritual coming i.e. a destroying of his Enemies by a glorious manifestation of himself and his power with and amongst his people because then the doing of the work should be by instruments whereas Christs arm alone without any instrument doth this work as verse 3. I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me Vers 5. I looked and there was none to help and I wondered that there was none to uphold therefore my own Arm brought salvation to me and my fury it upheld me Neither could the litteral meaning of the words have their fulfilling in his first coming in which he was not glorious in his apparrel but without form and comeliness Chap. 53.2 neither was that a day of vengeance to tread down the people in anger as this is Vers 4 6. This comming therefore must be some other and is indeed that we spake of but now Rev. 19. where we have Christ coming forth upon a white horse as will appear by comparing Vers 3. I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my Garments and I will stain all my raiment and that with Rev. 19.13 He was cloathed with a vesture dipped in blood Vers 15. And he treadeth the Wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God And this coming I proved but now by the circumstances of the Text is and must be the same with that I am opening Behold I come as a Theef 2 This appears Ezek. 37.24 25. where speaking of the Jews restauration and the Kingdom they shall have thereupon and this too with a principal relation to the last daies for the Chapter speaks of that time in which the sticks of Judah and Ephraim shall be one stick Vers 19. i.e. The two Tribes and ten Tribes one people shall have one King and that too in their own Land upon the Mountains of Israel which never yet hath been since the rent in the daies of Rehoboam it is said Vers 24. My servant David shall be King over them Now David was not a Type of Christ as King in a spiritual sense so much as in a visible way sitting upon an outward and visible Throne if therefore a spiritual reign onely were here intended the Antitype should not answer the Type Vers 27. My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people which is expounded Rev. 21.3 Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God shewing that these words have a special relation to the time of the New Jerusalem when Christ as he hath already his Prophetical and Priestly Offices shall visibly and Personally execute his Kingly Office 3 This appears farther Act. 1.6 from the Question propounded to Christ by his Disciples Wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel In which Question three things are taken for granted by the Querists As 1. That the Nation of the Jews should one day be restored and have a Kingdom 2 That this Restauration should be wrought by Christ Wilt thou 3 That it should be wrought by him in an outward visible way for such a way is by them supposed as Christ did at that time appear to them in which was an outward way with his bodily presence These three things by them beleeved are ground for a fourth which is the thing they question namely the time when this should be Wilt thou at this time Now observe it the grounds of this question which includes the substance of what is pleaded for viz. That the Kingdom should be restored to Israel and that by Christs personal appearance are neither of them denied by Christ who undoubtedly had their question been grounded upon a mistake would yea it had behoved him to have shewn them their error only their greediness of a Kingdom at present whilst he had other work for them to do first is the thing reproved Nay let me say Christ doth in a
this spirit shall be mediate or immediate p. 34 Ans Partly mediate partly immediate The mediate cause of this work shall be a loud Call given to the dead Witnesses from Saints out of another place p. 35 This noted in the voyce from Heaven Come up hither Two Reasons given why this voyce is mentioned after their standing upon their feet not before p ib. Who shall give them this Call p. 36 CHAP. II. VVHerein is farther set forth the state of the two Witnesses within their Prophesying time and the time of their being killed from Rev. 12. Divided into seven Sections SECT 1. Examining the common Opinion which makes application of the things foretold Chap. 12. to the first Period or the time of the Dragons Rule before yet the Beast arose which upon examination is found too light Here the general method of the 11 12 13 14 Chapters of the Revelations is laid down page 37 to 43 SECT 2. Confirming the truth of the former by proving that the time times and a half cannot signifie 1260 years but three yeers and a half only p. 43 to 45 SECT 3. An Objection answered viz. That the War made by the Dragon Chap. 12. is different from that made by the Beast Chap. 11.7 p. 45 Here inquiry is made into the War of Michael and the Dragon and it s proved to be the late German War p. 46 to 49 Object It may be the English War answered and the Reasons given of the contrary p. ib. Here also is shewed that a two-fold visible Dragon is spoken of in this 12. Chap. 1 The Old Dragon viz. the ancient Roman Empire 2 The New Dragon viz. the present German Empire p. ib. Two Reasons given why the Dragon who governs the whole Papal Kingdome doth at this day choose Germany as his seat p. 50 A Reason also given why the Holy Ghost Chap. 12. glides so quick over all the 1260 dayes descending presently to the latter end of them p. ib. What of the Prophesie of this 12 Chap. is yet to be fulfilled p. ib. SECT 4. Another Objection That our opinion necessarily supposeth the Woman to be come out of the Wilderness and yet afterwards to go in again answered p. 52 SECT 5 A third Objection That this opinion is repugnant to Daniels time times and a half answered p 53 to 55. Here Daniels time times and a half are opened at large and proved from the Texts themselves in Daniel Chap. 7.25 Chap. 12.7 to signifie only three years and a half SECT 6. What useful truths arise from this method and what a harmony of truth following it we have in the 11 and 12 Chapters p. 62 SECT 7. Making inquiry after that remnant of the Womans Seed that the Dragon within the time times and a half the term of the Witnesses lying dead makes War upon Quest 1. What people are meant by this Remnant Answer is given in opening two notable Characters of them lying in the words p. 63 Quest 2. What War that is which is or shall be raised against them Five things propounded in order to an Answer p. 64 65 Ans A two-fold War 1 A War raised against them by the invisible Dragon How that shall be and why such a War must be p. 66 2 A War raised against them by the visible Dragon How and why such a War shall be p. ib. Yet notwithstanding this two-fold War the remnant of the Womans Seed shall not suffer much p. 67 CHAP. III. VVHerein is shewed the state of the Witnesses about and in the time of their Rise from Rev. 14. opened Divided into six Sections SECT 1. The common Opinion which applies the Prophesie of the 144000 to the time of the Beasts reign disproved and the time stated where this Prophesie takes beginning p. 68 to 73 SECT 2. Proving two things 1 That the Head of this Prophesie is to be placed lower than the Head of the Vials p. 73 to 76 Here is shewed why the Head of the Vials is placed somewhat upwards in the Beasts Kingdome and the Head of this Chapter about the end of it 2 That this 144000 differ from the sealed 144000 Chap. 7. p. ib. The scaled company scaled before any of the Trumpets sounded ib. To say because the one are scaled in their foreheads the other bear the Fathers name in the forehead therefore they are one can be no Argument p. 78 Two Reasons given why these are set frth by the same number with the Scaled ones ib. No Mystery in the number it self ib. SECT 3. Proving This 144000 to be the Gentile Saints p. 79 to 83 SECT 4. Handling three things 1 The Cause of this glorious Rendezvouz p. 83 2 The manner of it p. 84 3 The state and condition they shall be in hereupon set forth in two things 1 They shall be owned by some eminent Head raised up by Christ p. ib. 2 They shall set forth with praises p. 85 Here is also shewed where the beginning of this blessed company will be p. 86 Occasionally also here is discoursed of Daniels stone and it is shewed 1 What time we are to pitch upon for the first Rise of that stone 2 What shall befal the stone suddenly after it begins to smite ib. 87 SECT 5. The Characters of this 144000. Eight choice Characters of this blessed company observed from the text p. 89 to 92 SECT 6. How the work shall go from the time of their standing up until the beginning of the thousand years What Prophesies those are in the Revelations that afford us light to this Question p. 92 For answer 1 More generally the work shall go on with a more swift and irresistible hand than ever formerly p. ib. 2 More particularly 1 The Everlasting Gospel is preached p. 93 Five things very observable concerning the preaching of the Gospel at this day p. 93 94 95 2 Romes ruin comes unavoidably upon her p. ib. 3 A serious warning to the Papals Why are they warned at this day p. ib. 96 Here the Angel standing in the Sun Rev. 19.17 18. is interpreted p. 139 140 4 A sweet word from Christ of Heavenly Consolation to his people the day of their Redemption being now come p. 97 5 Christs Personal coming this the thing noted v. 14. proved by four Reasons p. 98 99 100 The Resurrection of the dead intimated in those words Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord vers 13. p 99 Why the Resurrection of the dead is mentioned before Christs coming p. ib. Not Martyrs only but all Saints shall come with Christ p. 102 What the Harvest and Vintage signifie p. ib. Christ himself the Angel of the Vintage p. 103 A Conjecture as touching the two Angels that cry with a loud voyce to have the work of the Harvest and Vintage performed p 104 Why one of these two is said to come out of the Temple the other from the Altar p. ib. VVhy the Angel coming from the Altar is said to have power over
King with acclamations which is all that such poor creatures as we are can do for him Nay if it be a duty to expect from God returns of our prayers then it is also a duty to have inspection even into publick affairs so far as the managing of these may have a tendency to the furtherance or hinderance of those good things which we hope we have been graciously holpen by the Lord and also had some favorable smiles of his acceptance in seeking his face for Nay if it be a duty to observe and follow God in the way of his visible dispensations or on the contrary a sin to be of a sluggish temper not regarding the works of the Lord nor considering the operation of his hands then of necessity must there be a reflection upon the publick actings of instruments either in a way of owning or disowning without which no observation can be made of Gods dispensations or our duty in this respect Nay lastly If it be a duty to mourn for the sins of Rulers to mourn when Christs cause lies bleeding then certainly it cannot be evill to have inspection into the one and the other And notwithstanding it is a more precious thing in a Christian to be found watching in his own heart and ways than to be prying into the waies and actings of others for which cause so far as this is neglected the common accusation laid to the charge of those who contend for the Kingdom of Christ without as if they did neglect the Kingdom of Christ within is a thing most just Yet let it withall be considered that the doing of the one layes no necessity upon a man of a neglect of the other for if there be but any thing of truth in that opinion it will be hard to say God hath laid a necessity upon us to neglect our hearts whilst which yet is a thing he wills us to do we are seeking after his truth And if through that corruption that is within any man should so do doth not this evill attend him as well in other studies as this by consequence therefore from this principle no truth must be inquired into But I have observed in this day a close design of the Devil driven on under this vizard and no wonder for Satan himself is now transformed into an Angel of light and I can the better speak it having felt when time was this temptation and thereby learned these who Lessons 1 To discern somewhat of the depths of Satan viz. That he perceiving the work that God is about to do in the world and knowing full well how acceptable a thing iâ— is to God as well as advantagious to the work it self to have his Children following him in his great designs and how provoking the thing will be if by any sleight he can but make them like Peter cross the Lord in his way and thwart God in his work God as a man in like case would do resenting one error of this nature worse than forty of another kind and knowing also that to say to them in plain language neglect this or oppose that without some very specious and glorious pretence would be no boot he therefore now comes forth as the most glorious Saint that ever came into the world and tels them that they must look to their own hearts for this is a blessed thing and therefore they must beware of such and such things for if they once meddle with them then farewel their hearts and to set a better face upon the business whilst he disswades these he sets on work some that are marked in their fore-heads for his children giddily and furiously to broach and set on foot those very things and designs he disswades the other from and then saith he now see whether this generation of men go and where you had been had you followed them 2 I have learned likewise to discern somewhat of the depths of the heart which would exercise the highest pride under a pretext of great holiness and humility for it being indeed a most blessed thing to attend to inward purity and mortification wherein lies the glory of a Christian now saith the heart how strangely do such and such contend for this outward thing and the other well I will follow none of them but I will attend to the mortification of the inward man I am sure in that I shall be right Now with this conceit the man goeth on secretly blessing and lifting up himself and he turns him and looks him round and loe all are out of the way but he Pride as it quickly grows upon such a root so is it more abominable to God by how much it is more spiritual then that which may yee discover it self more outwardly Yet let me say thus doth the Devil and mans heart at this day marvellously deceive many precious Saints in this thing who are apt to think that they cannot mind these things and as they should study and look to their hearts too Whereas indeed it argues a Childish temper in a man to think that he cannot learn the things of his heart or keep the same up for God any longer then it is exercised in those truths which more immediately concern the heart and life and have their foundation in Christian experience as if those truths which lie out of the reach of my experience as a Christian and more imediately concern Gods Cause and Glory without had not in them as natural a tendency to give a soul a sight of God and as great an efficacy to cause the heart to cleave to God and walk humbly with him as truths that lye within the râ—ach of my experience Nay I will here be bold to say that that soul who faithfully followeth God in those things wherein his glory is more immediately concerned shall learn more of his heart as it were by the by and have the same better ordered then shall that man who neglecting this makes that his continual study for it is not by our poring that we come to know our hearts nor by our struggling to mend them so much as indeed by laying them in that path where Christ in this or that day more commonly goes and waiting there to receive life and strength from him And farther My Lord as for contenting themselves with their own liberty which is the great thing objected to us our injoyment whereof as yet is indeed a mercy beyond what the people of God far more deserving in former ages have had the people of God could at this day do it were it not but that the sufferings of Christs cause their prayers having been long going forth and their hopes raised are now more unto them than any sufferings of their own And as Daniel first and Nehemiah afterwards though they for their own particulars were well in the Court of the King of Persia yet could not be well because it went not well with Gods cause at that day so notwithstanding Gods
hardned his heart How did the Lord accomplish this Pharaoh settles himself upon as righteous principles as ever any of the Sons of men could do One is that it belongs to the chief Ruler of a Nation to see to the profit and glory of that Nation What more righteous principle is there in the world Hence he concludes that if iâ— be incumbent on him to see that the Realm receive no detriment he must not let the people go by whom they received so many great advantages God confirms his heart in these principles which are good in themselves but saith the Doctor abominable when taken up against the mind and providence of God Hence he and his perished in their principles acting against the appearance of God Secondly It is also said of Sihon the King of the Amorites that his heart was hardned that he would not let the people go through his Land How I pray even by adhering to that wise principle That it is not meet to let a potent Enemy into the bowels of a people and this made way for his ruine Thus saith he it is with many they fix on principles good in general and in their season Old bounds must not be broken up Order must not be disturbed Let God appear never so eminently so mightily they will keep to their principle what is this but judicial hardness And this is one reason why the actings of God in such a day as this are so unsuited to the expectations of men they square his works to the interests and principles which it will not answer Hitherto Dr. Owen 4 Take heed of that ungodly principle sprung up of late the contrary to which some call a State-Herene though I am sure the principle is a Scripture-Herefie viz. That godliness in a Magistrate or Civil Officer is but a secondary qualification natural accomplishments and endowments being the primary for which therefore a man is to be intrusted with this power rather than the other I cannot but wonder how any who profess the Name of Christ much more who profess themselves to have been faithful to his cause should together therewith profess such an unchrist an yea Machiavilian principle which First Lies point-blank against the promises made to the last dayes which assure 1 That God will restore his peoples Judges as at the first Isa 1.26 But were Judges at the first Moses Joshua c. such 2 That their Governors should be of themselves Jer. 30.21 But may we call such of themselves Secondly Leaves out as of little worth comparatively the main qualifications of that divine pattern by which the first Rulers that ever were so made by men amongsh Gods own people were made Exod. 18.21 Thirdly Makes null that Divine Maxime 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God for how can such rule in the fear of God who have no fear of God before their eyes which is one character of every natural man Rom. 3.18 Fourthly Layes an unavoidable necessity of a continued judgement upon a people For if it be a judgement to have Rulers that know not God because such make the people to erre Isa 3.12 chap. 9.16 then if such for their natural endowments are to be chosen of necessity must a judgement lye upon that people over or amongst whom they are set Fifthly Opens a door to all persecution by putting the Civil Sword into the hands of the Seed of the Serpent for better cannot be said of a meer moral man which from the beginning hath had a natural enmity to the Seed of the Woman My Lord Bear with the boldness of it if I say That in case your Highness be found steering your course and laying out your power by this crooked rule know assuredly that Christ will suddenly take though how I know not your power from you and give it to one that shall lay it out otherwise I shall not multiply many more words save to add that in case any expression either in this or the following Discourse savour of the spirit of man which my self allows not have kept a watch against yet may be guilty of I do in that humbly crave your Highness pardon but as for the matter and substance of those things I have written I ask none my Conscience bearing me witness that I have afferted nothing but what according to my present perswasions not grounded upon this or that particular Text which is a deceiving way but by comparing the whole of Prophecies together is the truth of Christ yea the truth of the time though yet through mercy I have drunk in no such conceit of my own knowledge as though it were more than in part not do I impose upon your Highness conscience or the consciences of any a belief of my principles any farther then Scripture and right reason doth approve them yet would have none on the other side condemn them as this age is apt to do upon the account of this or that single Text till he hath compared the whole of Prophecies together in doing which he may perhaps see my reason of stating things as I have done which upon every occasion I could not bring forth and therewith a full answer to his own doubt And farther I have not in this work knowingly stretched any one Text beyond what I have judged its due bounds or forced an interpretation to reach any Party a blow Nor have I on the other side with-held any peece of the truth so judged by me lying in any Text nor minced any Interpretation to spare any party a blow As I would be loath to strike any my self for my blows can do me no good and them little hurt so would I not have a hand in keeping off that blow that truth will strike whosoever it fall upon And although a Discourse of this nature would better have become a graver Pen than mine and possibly from such a one been sooner hearkned to pride rashness and headiness having been the coutinual accusation laid against young men and not alwayes groundless yet seeing the Aged silent and perceiving through the light the Lord of his grace hath larely given me to see by a cleer opening sundry Prophecies which not long since were mysteries to me the cause of Christ in sore travel either through an ignorance of what Gods Designs are at this day or somewhat worse in those that should manage it I conceived my self though others might better do it yet at this time called to speak and to speak plainly Elihu though a young man went and that with success over the head of such a temptation in a less case That a like success and blessing from above may accompany this is his Prayer who is Your Highness humble Servant Mournful for You hold with You for Sions sake JOHN TILLINGHAST To the several Churches of Christ within this Commonwealth Together with all those that have fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ The Church
of Christ at Northwalsham in Norfolk walking in fellowship with the Churches of Christ in this Country sendeth Greeting Dearly beloved in the Lord AS the Lord the mighty God hath done great things and unsearchable marvelous things without number for his great Name and peoples sake within the space of a few years so certainly there shall not be an end of Wonders until his peoples full Redemption be accomplished And although the wicked of the earth regard not the works of the Lord neither consider what he hath already done or shall do hereafter yet they are observed and diligently sought out of the Saints that have pleasure therein And they shall speak of the might of his terrible Acts and shall declare his greatness they shall abundantly utter the memory of his goodness and sing of his righteousness they shall speak of the glory of his Kingdom and talk of his Power and make known to the sons of men his mighty Acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom When we consider what a company of poor weak and unprofitable creatures we are having such dead dark and unsuitable hearts and spirits to the extraordinary appearances and dispensations of God towards us we might think it most meet that we above all others should sit down in silence and shame at such a time as this but while we are musing of the former wayes and dealings of God with his people and of those glorious things which must shortly come to pass our hearts do burn within us and having this opportunity we cannot but speak and declare a few things which are upon our spirits As touching our dear and worthy Brother the Author it may be expected something by us should be spoken but his desire as concerning himself hath laid silence upon us Yet this we shall say As we conceive him to be one who hath received much light from the Lord and esteems it a choice and special mercy to be taught of God the things of Christs Kingdom so we are his witnesses how holily and justly and unblameably he hath and doth behave himself amongst us and many others that beleeve As for the Treatise it self it needs not mans commendation because Truth commends it self Yet this we say It hath been a great refreshment to our spirits and we hope will be to the spirits of Gods people elswhere It is the Authors desire that things may not be received on your parts without trial yet in case any who fear the Lord be in this matter otherwise minded it is our desire they would not rashly condemn that which was neither rashly undertaken nor published But to come to what we have further to say It is an undeniable truth confirmed by long experience that the Devil hath ever had a great design against the Kingdom of Christ that holy City and hath so far prevailed as by his instruments to tread it underfoot for a long time though not able to destroy it So that those that have appeared and witnessed for Christ have been forced to do it in sackcleath in a very mean and low condition yet however they do it they will do it though in sackcloath And this hath been such a trouble and torment to the Beast and the dwellers on the earth that like men or rather Devils full of rage and fury against them they make War against them overcome them pull off even their sackcloath strip them kill them And whether this hath been already done or is yet to do is the great Question which this Treatise will give some light into and a little time will more fully determine And that those that dwell upon the earth Christs enemies should rejoyce and make merry when they see Christs Witnesses who tormented them by witnessing lye dead is not to be thought strange But that the Lord should be so tender and mindful of those that appear and witness for him as after a little while to give life unto them and not only to set them upon their feet but to raise them up to an high and glorious condition and that in the sight of their enemies greatly fearing and trembling to behold it is very affecting and comfortable to our hearts to consider And Dear Brethren having had some serious thoughts both of the spirits and wayes of Gods professing people at this time we cannot apprehend that the LORD hath yet performed his whole work upon Mount Sion but that he hath yet much to do yea though the Lord hath been a long time purging his people and hath cut off two parts and left onely a third yet there is so much filth and dross in that that surely he will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as Silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tried And what condition the Lord hath yet to bring his people into to take away their dross in is best known to himself And may not the people of the Lord even after he hath done much for them in them yet polluted with several abominations expect some hour of temptation to be tried and purged in which may also be at hand And seeing we are speaking and speaking to Brethren that know how to bear with our weaknesses though we be poor stammering creatures we shall take liberty and boldness to speak a few things to you as plainly as we can it being now high time to deal faithfully and plainly with one another and to tell you more particularly what we fear And indeed Brethren we are afraid from a sad experience of the coldness and remisness of our own hearts that the charge of Christ against Ephesus will not fall upon us onely but upon other of the Churches and Saints of Christ that they have left their first Love We are afraid because we are so earthly minded our selves that some of you may be tempted also to seek other things before the Kingdom of God and to take too much thought what you shall eat and what you shall put on what profits preferments and incouragements you shall have in the world which are the things the men of the world seek after for the obtaining of which you may be prone to seek to please and serve men rather than Christ We are afraid because we have so little our selves that a spirit of self-denial should be wanting among you and that you should not have hearts to rejoyce when Christ doth increase if you should decrease and so lie open to that great and common evill of neglecting at least Christs interest to uphold and maintain your own We are afraid because of the drowsiness of our own bearts lest a spirit of slumber should fall upon you and you become mindless and regardless in comparison of what you formerly were and now ought to be of the voyce and works and coming of Christ We are afraid because we our selves are not Virgins chast and faithful to the person and interest of the Lord Christ lest your hearts should
the substance hereof there is more in it than barely my private conjecture And although this buiâ—ding may have in it much Wood Hay and Stubble which shall be burnt up yet is there also in it some Mines of Gold and precious Stones not hitherto found out which will abide the fire and the day is not far off which will make experiment of both And if in that day it shall appear that to a pound of dross but a grain of truth which before lay hid and buryed is here dug up and brought to light I shall judge Truth is of so great worth the Lord in this Dispensation to have been gracious to me and my labour notwithstanding many mis-apprehensions to be well bestowed Gold at first digging never comes forth without its dross And truly since I composed the same and saw that a very little time waiting would either prove the things asserted to be false Or if true bring them forth with a more general acceptation and conviction of the Truth thereof than I either now do or can expect it should meet with I judged it a point of prudence to forbear a while this enterprize But two considerations at present are upon me which over-ballance my resolutions the contrary way First A perswasion some part of my grounds for which are offered in the Discourse it self that a very cloudy day is to befall the Church of Christ under the Vial we at this day stand under some shadowings of which cloud though not the dismal storm it sends forth will even reach us here in England either in one way or another to which perswasion I have likewise and that from some ground this consideration added That God hath a special design to the end the faith of his people might not wholly fail them in this day upon the brink or beginning of it to let out such a light as to the great things he is doing in the world as shall wonderfully support the hearts of a remnant of his people and that quite through it Secondly That the very thing which shall set on foot that glorious work of Christ against Antichrist which is the principal part or the subject of this discourse shall be a letting out of light into the world a little before the time comes that the work is to be set on foot Hence Revel 18.1 immediately before the ruin of Rome as the principal leading cause thereto the Earth which before was covered with darkness as to the glorious designs of God as touching his work in the world is upon the sudden enlightned and what is the issue hereof why a speedy and irresistable judgement upon Babylon as the whole Chapter shews us These Considerations have made me think that as the people of God cannot in any way perform a more acceptable peece of service to the Lord Jesus in this day than by giving forth that light the Lord either doth or shall give them so likewise can they not in any work they shall put their hand unto do Antichrist a greater mischief next to his destruction it self than they may in this The Author acknowledgeth himself altogether unworthy of the first unfit and unable every way in himself to the second yet willingly would to the measure of his Talent be found in both He confesseth that neither in this nor any thing else that he doth hath he or can he attain thereto to have his heart and aimes so pure and spiritual aâ— it is fit they should and as he would they were yet resolveth that through grace assisting him neither the Devil no noâ— his sin shall make him throw aside that work in which he may do Christs cause or people any service Antichrist any mischief Which that it may be the fruit of this little peece is and shall be his prayer CHAP. I. Wherein is set forth the state or condition of the Two Witnesses within their Prophecying time and the time of their being killed and that from Rev. 11. ver 3. to 13. SECT 1. HAving in the fore-going Preface delivered so much as I judged meet by way of Preamble unto this our Discourse I shall here without spinning out the time or tiring the Readers patience whilst I detain him upon the way about things of lesser concernment enter strait way upon the thing it self That the Two Witnesses are the Magistracy and the Ministry appears to me a thing without dispute the allusion is so clear to Zerubbabel and Joshua compare Rev. 11 4. with Zech. 4 11 14. of which two one was chief Magistrate the other chief Priest and both these Prince and Priest were Sons of Oyl i.e. anointed in times of old therefore by Zechary and John both called two Olive trees Onely there is as Mr. Woodcock in his Treatise of the Two Witnesses hath observed this twofold difference betwixt the Type and the Antitipe 1 Zeâ—hary sees two Olive Trees but no Temple But John sees first a Temple ver 1. and then two Olive trees The reason is they in Zecharies time had as yet no Temple built but were to begin the world anew But now the work of Johns two Witnesses is not to build a Temple anew so much as to preserve and keep that they had 2 Zechary seeth two Olive trees and but one Candlestick John two Olive Trees and two Candlesticks the reason is this Zechary wrote in the time of the Law whilst the Church was National and so the two did belong to one Church John in Gospel-times when Churches were Congregational and so the two might be of several Churches Now the thing which doth yet further perswade me to hold to this Exposition is That excellent Analogie it carries with it to that of the two Beasts Chap. 13. which two Beasts as I have made appear upon the Vials p. 101 to 108. are no other but Antichrist in his Civil and Ecclesiastical State or the Magistracy and Ministry of Antichrist Now observe it as Antichrist by a twofold power a power Magisterial and Ministerial doth all the time of the Two and forty moneths oppress the Woman drive her into the Wilderness tread under foot the Holy City i.e. the People Truths and Worship of Christ so doth Christ all this time by the very same twofold power comfort and nourish the woman bear witness unto and maintain his own truth and worship alive in the world So that in short Christ raiseth up his Two Witnesses in opposition to Antichrists two Beasts Antichrist for Forty two moneths or One thousand two hundred and sixty days stands up with two Beasts to blaspheme God persecute the Saints tread under foot the Holy City Christ against him stands up with Two Witnesses to maintain his name and honor cherish his people uphold his cause and worship in the world And as Antichrists two Beasts are no other but the false Magistracy and Ministry so contrariwise Christs two Witnesses are his true Magistracy and Ministry SECT II. THey are called Witnesses their name being
given them from their work because their work is to bear witness for Christ against the Beast and that each in his place all the Forty two months that the Beast doth Tyrannize and the Holy City is trodden underfoot The Magistrate as a Magistrate bearing publick witness against the unjust oppressions of the Beast and his lawless Tyranny over the Estates and bodies of men yea and consciences too The Minister as a Minister against the cursed institutions of Antichrist either in Doctrine or Discipline Here its necessary we distinguish betwixt that general witness-bearing that is common to all ages and that special witness-bearing which is peculiar to these Witnesses and to this time viz. of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days There is a general Testimony which the people of God in all ages give for Christ against the World Sin Satan Oppression Error c. But that testimony barely doth not bring him who bears it within the number of these two Witnesses A Magistrate in his place may oppose Tyranny Oppression c. a Minister in his error and false Doctrine and yet neither of them Christs two Witnesses if there be not in both an opposing themselves to that special evill whether it be in things Civill or Ecclesiastical that was at first brought in or being brought in is upheld by the Beast for the peculiar work of these witnesses and the thing wherein lies the specifical difference betwixt these witnesses and others is That these bear witness for Christ against the Beast Which is most evident 1 Because Christ hath paired his Witnesses in the same manner as the Beast hath his The Beast as but now I observed stands up with two witnesses viz an Antichristian Magistracy and Ministry to maintain his cause On the contrary Christ stands up with two witnesse or a pair of Witnesses viz. a true Magistracy and Ministry to oppose the Beast and maintain his cause 2 Because It s for this Reason Christ entitles them my Witnesses because in Christs behalf they shall stand up against Antichrist as those are said to be such a mans witnesses that bear witness for him against his Adversary All that time the Beast stands up and would perswade the world that he is in the truth and his cause the right these two Witnesses on the contrary stand up and profess before the world that he is the Beast and his cause the cause of Antichrist and not of Christ 3 Which is the principal Reason because the time that these Witnesses bear their witness is the very time of the Beasts reign The time of the Beasts reign and treading under foot the Holy City is Forty two months Rev. 13.5 Chap. 11.2 The time of these two Witnesses is One thousand two hundred and sixty days Vers 3. And I will give power to my two Witnesses and they shall Prophecy one thousand two hundred and sixty days Now that the Forty two months and the One thousand two hundred and sixty days are one and the same I prove not onely from the general consent of Expositors who acknowledge the thing giving this reason for it Because say they forty two mouths reduced into days and reckoning thirty days to each month which is the Grecian account which John writing to the Church of GOD then resident among the Greeks did observe make up the full sum of One thousand two hundred and sixty days not a day over or under But I prove it hence that indeed this thing must needs be so for let it be considered what is the very cause that these two Witnesses wear sackcloth this long term of one thousand two hundred and sixty years the cause is not the sufferings of the Saints thoughout this time for had that been the cause then should these Witnesses have put on their sackeloth more early viz. with the time of the ten first Persecutions which was a day of as sore sufferings as ever any hath been since but then these two Witnesses here mentioned were not in their sackcloth but contrariwise the Woman all that time was cloathed with the Sun Chap. 12.1 the two Witnesses in Sackcloth therefore were not then up But the cause yea the very cause why the Witnesses wear mourning attire is because they hear the continual Blasphemies of the Beast against God his name and Tabernacle and them that dwel in Heaven They see the Holy City the Truths and Worship of Christ trodden under foot by the Beast and they not able to rescue them out of his hands this makes them put on sackcloth and mourn before the Lord. Now consider the term of time that is given to the Beast to continue to do these things is forty two months this being so it will follow that in case this forty two months were a time either longer or shorter than the one thousand two hundred and sixty days then must also the witnesses wearing sackcloth be by so much longer or shorter then 1260 days for continue the cause and we continue the effect also and contrariwise take away the cause and the effect ceaseth Upon this Principle it being a thing manifestly clear that the 42 months the 1260 days make up but one and the same number of years which also must of necessity begin and end together Hence it is evident that that very act which I may call the constitutive act i. e. the act which makes these Witnesses to be such is bearing witness against the Beast take this away though they may stand up against all the evill that is in the world besides yet are they not Christs Witnesses if they do not in particular appear against the evil of the Beast for if this be not the meaning what reason is or can be given why their witness-Bearing should be thus restrained onely to the time of the Beast seeing in the other sense it s a duty in all ages to bear witness and those Instruments the Lord hath raised up in all ages have done it 1 Hence a man may be a godly man and in a more general way bear witness for Christ and yet none of Christs Two Witnesses 2 Hence it s of more concernment than many are aware of to be inquiring into and publickly appearing against whatsoever is of the Beast though the thing be never so small A man in publick place may cease to be a witness of Christ if publickly he do not bear witness against these things 3 Hence such Laws Principles and Practices as tend to suppress this witness-bearing against the Beast are themselves expressely Antichristian and of the Beast SECT III. THese Witnesses are called two because of the fewness of them say some Because two is a number sufficient to bear a witness and without two a witness is invalid say others I no way disapprove these conjectures but I must confess I judge it most agreeable to the Text to say they are therefore called two because they consist of two sorts or two ranks of men viz. Christs
the first Vial is the Popish Earth the effect an infectious sore accordingly the Witnesses are said to smite the Earth and that with plagues or infectious sores as often as they will 2 The subject of the second Vial is the Popish Sea i.e. the Romish Ecclesiastical or Church-State The effect of it a discovery of the same to be corrupt and mortal accordingly the witnesses have a power to shut Heaven that it rain not that is they shall make it appear that the Antichristian Heaven or Church-State so much boasted of as being the only Church is a dry barren Heaven affording no rain to give life or nourishment to those that live under it 3 The subject of the third Vial is the Rivers and fountains of waters the effect they become blood accordingly the witnesses have a power to turn waters into blood Now these acts performed by the witnesses immediately before their killing agreeing so fully to the three first Vials in their subjects and effects both undoubtedly we are not to look upon this admirable Harmony to be a thing falling by accident especially considering too that by these acts the witnesses are said to torment the Papals ver 10. which to do by Saints and Witnesses is the proper work of the Vials but rather to have its rise in the all-wise Counsel of God who hereby would give his to understand that the three first Vials are to be poured out before the fourth then the death of the Witnesses to be expected This Observation confirms me in two things 1 That in stating our selves in my discourse on the Vials to be at this persent time under the third Vial I was led to state the thing aright 2 That the judgement there made of the subjects and effects of the three first Vials is truth by reason of the answerableness of the Vials according to that interpretation to the acts of the witnesses immediately preceding the time of their slaughter 3 Reason Because the slaughter of the witnesses is to fall in the interval betwixt the War of the Lamb with the Kings of the Earth Rev. 17.14 and the ruin of Rome This war of the Lamb is a Civil war a war made by a Civil sword because it is a war made with the Beasts civil Power namely his horns And secondly It is a Civil Power namely some of the ten Kings that are vanquished by this war He shall overcome them that is such of the ten horns or Kings as shall war against him the whole or all the ten horns being here put for a part and for this reason I conceive doth the Lamb at this day go under that Title King of Kings and Lord of Lords because in this war he shall vanquish and tread under foot Kings Lords c. Now this war must by all circumstances be a war within the Vials 1 Because Its the Angel of one of the Vials that shews it unto John ver 1. 2 Because Christ hath so many chosen ones accompanying him in this war which is an Argument that Christ had many in the world at this day who had got the victory over the Beast and could stand and face him in a warlike way which was not till the work of the Vials was begun 3 Because Its the immediate forerunner of Romes ruin the story of which therefore comes in in the next Chapter It being so this war can belong to no other but the Third Vial the subject of which I have shewed upon the Vials is some particular States and Kingdoms subjected to the Beast i.e. some of the ten horns whose Heads Rulers c fall by the pouring forth of that Vial. Nay it must be so because as I have said before this is the first thing revealed to John as touching the judgement of the Beast whose judgement in the explication of the Vials begins with the Third Vial. Now observe in the interval betwixt this war and Romes destruction we have the proud Whore brought in glorying Chap. 18.7 I sit as a Queen c. and what 's the cause hereof but onely the Victory obtained now in the concluding time of her Kingdom over the witnesses as we have already noted I therefore conclude the slaughter of the witnesses must fall in this interval If in this interval then must it be in the latter end of the Third Vial for upon the pouring out of the Fourth they rise yea the Fourth Vial being to fall upon Germany as in opening the Vials I have shewed and Germany being as shall appear the place in which the witnesses lie dead it cannot be thought that the death of the witnesses should or can come under the fourth Vial for how improper yea absurd would it be to say Christs witnesses by the power of the Beast lye dead in Germany even whilst Christ by his people is pouring out a Vial of wrath upon it It must therefore of necessity be seeing we are to place their killing betwivt the war of the Lamb with the Kings of the Earth and Romes ruin that we should place it towards the end of the third Vial. Obj. But it may be said That the Vials are all to come under the seventh Trumpet for upon the sounding of the seventh Trumpet it is said Thy wrath is come Rev. 11.18 and what wrath should this be but the Vials of wrath if so then must the killing of the Witnesses which appertains to the woe of the sixth Trumpet be past and over and that before any one of the Vials are poured forth Ans 1. For the matter of the Objection it cannot be that all the Vâ—als should come under the seventh Trumpet 1 Because Its expesly said of the seventh Trumpet that in the days when the seventh Angel should begin to sound time should be no longer Chap. 10.7 But if after his sounding all the Vials were to be poured forth which already in pouring forth have taken up above 100 years time even after his sounding should be a great while 2 Because It s also said in the same verse That when the seventh Angel should begin to sound the mystery of God should be finished but if all the Vialls which comprehend within them the whole mystery of judging the Beast conversion of the Jews c. were to be poured out afterwards then could not the time of the seventh Angels sounding be the finishing time of mysteries but rather the beginning time It cannot therefore be that the seventh Trumpet should comprehend within it all the Vials it is therefore better to say that the seventh Trumpet is contemporary with the seventh and last Vial only and indeed they very patly answer the one to the other for 1 Upon the seventh Trumpets sounding it s said The mystery of God is finished So upon the seventh Angels pouring out his Vial It is done What is that but the same with the other it is finished 2 Upon the seventh Angels sounding the Kingdome of this world are all subject to Christ Rev.
to that people more especially as never was upon earth Chap. 1â— 1 At that time that is when this raging King of the North spoken of in the close of the former Chapter shall have so distressed the Jews shall Michael stand up and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation by which trouble they shall be scattered and in a manner broken to peeces as appears by Zacharies description of this day Zach. 14.1 2 3. In a word therefore as the time times and a half which sets forth the most black day of the Gentiles is ordered by God so to fall out as that it is here laid down in the more dark answer as a mark of the first viz. 1290 dayes which notes the beginning time so the scattering the power of the holy people or the Jews black day is laid down as a mark of the second viz. the 1335 dayes or the compleating time of Wonders when as saith the Text all these things shall be fulfilled Now besides that reason that the thing it self carries with it as I have opened it that what hath been said viz. That the intent of the Holy Ghost in the first answer is not to lay down any way or rule for us to calculate the times by but rather to give us evident marks and signs of either time appears to me for these Reasons 1 Because as to the first branch of the Answer namely the time times and a half we have no head of account laid down where to begin them if we begin them with the beginning of Johns 1260 they fall as we have said thirty years too short if from the time Daniel saw the Vision above a thousand years too short where therefore shall we begin them or how shall we account if we cannot find a Head to begin our account upon The Holy Ghost wheresoever he intends an account of times should be made up by us doth either lay down some express Head for us to begin upon as in the following verses And also Dan. 9.24 25. or else leaves us to begin from the time of the Vision but here we have not the one nor may we do the other 2 Because the second branch viz. the scattering of the power of the holy people is no number and therefore can be no other thing but a mark ergo must the first likewise 3 Because if the intent of the first answer be to give us any account of the time how long then considering that this is the main drift of the second answer it will follow that either we have two diverse accounts laid down in the two several answers or but one if two diverse how then are the answers the same which we have before proved if one and the same then is there Tautologie in the Text. 4 And lastly This seems to me to be the very reason why the answer was so dark to Daniel that he heard but understood not because the force of the answer lay in signs which being not as then things visible or in being Daniel is confounded within himself and knows not what to make of the answer This being so that the time times and a half are here laid down only by way of mark it will much better agree to our sense to take the time times and a half for three years and a half than to the other which interprets them 1260 years for that which is laid down purely as a mark must not be drawn out at length for then it ceaseth to be a mark and becomes a rule to measure by but must ever be held and accounted for some noted point some remarkable action by observing which we may learn something else This Text being opened there needs not much to be said to that other Chap. 7.25 save only that as the time times and a half are here laid down by way of mark so likewise are the time times and dividing of time there The thing they point at is not the duration of the little Horns Kingdom how long it should continue from the time of its first rise but rather to shew which who observes it shall find to be the very scope of the place when this blasphemous raging little Horn who for a long time together had worn out the Saints changed times and Laws should have a period put to his boundless rage and tyranny which I say is set forth not by measuring the time of his Kingdom but by hinting as a mark a most remarkable action which should be in the very concluding time of it and indeed prove the break-neck of his Kingdom and that is the black day of the witnesses killing the end of which day should put a period to his Kingdom the time of his rage and tyranny which thing though a great mystery in Daniel therefore when Daniel heard this the second time Chap. 12. he confesseth that he understood it not yet it is a thing cleerly revealed in John as we have formerly noted viz. that the end of Antichrists Kingdom and the end of the three dayes and a half the limited time of the Witnesses lying dead shall fall at one and the same point and therefore well may the time time and dividing of time he laid down as a mark to shew when a Period should be put to the Kingdom of the little Horn. Thus we see that Daniels time times and a half is so far from being repugnant to that Exposition I have given of Johns time times and a half that indeed rightly opened we have hence a strong confirmation of it yea of our whole methâ—d for as I said at first if Johns time times and a half be not to be understood of 1260 years but of three years and a half only then of necessity must the method of this 12 Chapter be as I have stated it If notwithstanding all any should yet say That surely it cannot be without something of the mind of God that a time times and a half that is three years and a half reduced into dayes and these dayes into years again should make the very sum of 1260 dayes or years Ans Yes I am verily perswaded that there is much of the mind and wisdome of God in it but if I may nakedly speak what I think is the mind of God herein I take it to be this That men when they will be curious which is a thing the best are prone unto and as soon taken with as any one snare I know shall even in the word it self find something to feed their curiosity whereby the simplicity of truth shall be hidden to them And indeed whether to go from a certain Prophetical stile a time for a year to a new stile no where clearly found in all the Word namely a time or year put for a year of years only upon this account because a time times and a half i. e. three years and a half will by this reduction amount to 1260 years I
say whether it seem not to savour more of curiosity than truth and might not possibly be by the wonderful wisdome of God so left in the Word on purpose that truth till the discovering time should come might be the more veiled I leave to the Spiritual and understanding Reader to judge The result of the whole is that the Prophecie of the twefth Chapter is not to be limited to the first period but brings us down even to the end of the second period namely of the 1260 years and consequently the time times and a half mentioned vers 14. is the same with the three dayes and a half Chap. 11.9 SECT VI. FRom what hath been said many useful truths arise which confirm us in the things before asserted upon Chap. 11. and also are a good confirmation by reason of that sweet harmony of truth it carries with it of the method laid down in this Chapter as 1 That the three days and a half Chap. 11.9 are not the sâ—me with the one thousand two hundred and sixty days because we have a manifest difference here made betwixt the time times and a half which answers to the three days and a half and the 1260 days 2 That the killing of the Witnesses shall not be a general act an act in all places at once because within the time times and a half which is the term of the Witnesses lying dead there is elsewhere a remnant of the Womans Seed standing up for Christ vers 17. 3 That the particular place in which the Witnesses are to lye dead is Germany because the War leading to their killing is in that Land 4 That the Witnesses in their killing time shall be deprived if not totally yet in a great measure of such outward Means and Ordinances as they enjoyed though in a mournful and suffering condition all the time of their Prophecy yet notwithstanding shall have a principle of life kept alive in them by the way of Christs more secret working therefore it is said of the Woman the 1260 days they fed her v. 6. but in the time times and a half she is non-rished vers 14. 5 That the People and Kindreds and Nations and Tongues Chap. 11.9 are such persons who drive on a worldly and earthly interest for they are here called the earth vers 16. And the earth helped the woman 6 And last That the people of God elsewhere within the time that the Witnesses lie dead shall have a cloud upon them and be brought into some straits for a War is attempted within the time times and a half by the Dragon upon the remnant of the Womans seed vers 17. SECT VII I Shall conclude this Chapter with a word or two of enquiry as touching this remnant of the Womans seed Two things concerning them are worthy a search after 1 What people are here meant by this remnant of the Womans seed that the Dragon within the three days and a half makes war upon 2 How or in what fense we are to conceive of this War made upon this remnant of the Womans seed by the Dragon Concerning the first I shall not presume to determine any thing of this people any further than the Holy Ghost hath who describes them by two notable distinguishing Characters as willing thereby to mark them out from all the people that within the time of the three days and a half should be found in the world besides First They are such who keep the Commandements of God By Commandements we are to understand those Gospel-Institutions Christ gave to his people in command upon his Resurrection so called Act. 1.2 After that he through the Holy Ghost had given Commandements unto the Apostles whom he had chosen Secondly They shall be such who have the restimony of Christ What is that Answ A Spirit of Prophecy amongst them Revel 19.10 the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy i.e. they shall be a people much looking into the Propheâ—ies of the last times having a great in-sight into what God is about to do in the world and abundance of faith in behalf of the cause of Christ so as not to fear it though the same be opposed by all the world yea and all the Devils in Hell Such a People who shall be eminent above all others for these Characters shall be found in the world at the time the Witnesses lye dead these shall be as an eye-sore to the Dragon who shall dread some mischief to arise to his Kingdom from them and therefore he shall wonderously dâ—sire and lay about him if it may be to rid these out of the way as fearing he shall not be secure in his seat whilst they are in the world and therefore having killed the Witnesses his next attempt is upon these But now as to the second How doth he attempt them or what manner of wat is it that he makes upon them In order to my answer I premise 1 That that Dragon which is the grand Persecutor of the Woman throughout this Chapter from whom all her sufferings originally arise is according to the Holy Ghosts interpretation vers 9. that old Serpent the Devil and Satan He stands ready to devoure the Childe as soon as born vers 4. He wars with Michael vers 7. He drives the Woman into the Wilderness vers 13 14. He casts a floud after her to drown her vers 15. He makes war after this with the remnant of her seed vers 17. 2 That this Dragon Satan being a spiritual and an invisible enemy and all the sufferings of the Woman until this day having been ever caused by some outward and visible means Wee may not therefore conclude that it is by any immediate hand or act of the Dragon that the Woman suffers but by some mediate hand that is some thing or power acted by this Dragon and made an instrument to serve his design against the Woman therefore is the Dragon said in his fighting to make use of Angels or Instruments vers 7. and also in his fal hath Angels or Instruments falling with him vers 9. 3 This thing or power acted by the Dragon to afflict the Woman is sometimes one thing sometimes another sometimes one thing onely sometimes more than one accordingly as he hath permission to act this or that thing and finds that by the acting of one thing or of diverse he may best effect his own design of distressing and if it might be destroying the Woman therefore before the Beast comes in he acts the power of the Pagan Empire after the Beast is come in the power of the Beast more in general but more particularly the power of the German Empire 4 That thing or power which is most commonly or properly governed by him is in a distinct consideration from all other things or Powers called by the name of the Dragon So of all the Powers in the world the Roman Power in the Primitive Ages goes under the name of the Dragon vers 3. of
all the Powers subjected to the Beast the Power of the German Empire is called the Dragon vers 7.13 5 Hence it follows That those attempts made against the Woman or any of her seed by that power which the Dragon properly governs and rules and which in the phrase of the Holy Ghost used in this Chapter takes denomination from him are to be called the attempt or war of the visible Dragon against the Woman but those attempts which through the subtilty of the old Serpent secretly creeping into and acting other powers than those which he properly and commonly rules and governs and which do not take denomination from him are made against the Woman or any of her seed it is more proper to call them the War of the invisible Dragon This ground gained from the manifest truth of the Text I come now to give in my answer which is That I conceive That as the Dragon throughout his Chapter goes under a two-fold Notion or connderaâ—â—on 1 The invisible Dragon Satan which is the Dragon governing 2 The visible Dragon in ancient times the Roman Empire in latter times the German which is the Dragon governed so shall there be a double War raised against this remnant of the Womans seed First The invisible Dragon who acts the visible and therefore is before him shall in the first place attempt a War upon this remnant Quest But how shall he do it Answ Look how the invisible Dragon acts in killing of the Witnesses so shall he act in this The invisible Dragon kills the Witnesses by acting the power of the visible Dragon or the German Empire to do it accordingly the invisible Dragon shall attempt a War upon this remnant of the Womans seed by acting in an invisible way those powers under whom this remnant of the Womans seed shall be Now that such a War within this time shall be made upon this remnant by the invisible Dragon is clear because as I have formerly said it is a thing both rational and of great use That the whole mystical body should come under some measure of sufferings in that time wherein the Witnesses lye dead Now because this remnant shall not come into the mouth of the visible Dragon for therefore as I conceive are they called a remnant because kept and reserved by God from the mouth of the visible Dragon at the time their Fellow-Brethren are in it it is therefore necessary to the end there might bee in this remnant a sympathie with their Brethren in their afflictions that they should within this time have some attempt made upon them by the invisible Dragon Secondly The visible Dragon shall also towards the end of this time make an attempt upon this remnant which is clear because that Dragen that kills the Witnesses doth afterwards make an attempt upon this remnant but the Dragon killing the Witnesses was not the invisible only but the visible also therefore the visible Dragon as well as the invisible shall attempt a War upon this remnant Quest But how shall he do it Answ By drawing together the whole or a principal part of the Papal power whereof the visible Dragon or German Empire shall bee chief to ingage in an open War against this remnant if it may bee to cut them off but what the issue of this attempt shall be we shall see presently in opening the fourteenth Chapter which as I have said follows as the next thing in order after this I onely say here That this remnant of the Womans Seed shall not suffer greatly either by the attempt of the invisible Dragon or the visible for observe it is not said He made War but went to make War 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. endeavoured the thing but ere the invisible Dragon or the visible can do this remnant much hurt Christ steps in and prevents Thus much concerning the twelfth Chapter CHAP. III. Wherein is shewed the state of the Witnesses about and in the time of their rise from Rev. 14. opened SECT I. THE stream of Expositors as they make application of the things Prophesied of in the 12 Chapter to the first period or the time before the Beast arose so also do they of this Prophecy that concerns the 144000 to the second period or the 42 months of the Beast judging these 144000 to be those Saints that should in several places within this time bear witness against the Beast and accordingly they look upon the fulfilling of this Prophecy to be a thing past For my own part as I saw my self constrained not out of any desire of singularity but for truths sake to baulk the common road and seek a new way upon the 12 Chapter So have I the same constraint lying upon me here to dissent from the common opinion and seek another My Reasons are 1 Reason because this 144000 have their station upon Mount Sion which noteth a fixed state Psal 125.1 Those which trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever But the abode of the Church all the 1260 dayes is in the Wilderness noting a moveable uncertain condition which at that 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 the Church and people of God in time of old to whose state doubtless we have here an Allusion could not be said to be footed upon Mount Sion whilst they were wandring in the Wilderness no more is it proper to say that these 144000 in the Churches Wilderness-state should yet stand upon Mount Sion yea it seems to me that this Character is given the 144000 and that in opposition to the Womans former state which was and for a long time together had been in the Wilderness In a word it notes thus much to me that this 144000 are a People whose condition after once they are gotten upon their legs shall be fixed and stable and not subject to such motions and mutations as was the Womans former state in the time of her Wilderness-condition 2 Reason because all the time of the 42 months the waters were subjected to the Whore who sits upon them Rev. 17.1 Come hither I will shew thee the judgement of the great Whore that sitteth upon many waters but at this time there is a voyce of many waters crying against her vers 2. And I heard a voyce from Heaven as the voyce of many waters 3 Because the condition of the Church all the 42 months the 1260 dayes is a sad mournful condition they wear Sackcloth they are under the power of Babylon and therefore hang up their harps as did Israel of old whilst in Babylon Psal 137.1 2. But the condition of the Church at this time is wonderously joyful they play with their Harps Sing a new Song vers 2 3. 4 Because all the time of the 42 months Christ hath no Throne visible in the world but the Beast hath the Throne But at this day Christ hath a Throne vers 3. They sung as it were a new Song before the Throne vers 5. They are
shall be in the land of Canaan near Jerusalem Hence that opinion falls to the ground which would have this 1600 Furlongs to be a designation of Peters Patrimony which saith the Author of it in the longest extent thereof from the wals of Rome to the River Po is exactly 1600 Furlongs whence saith he its probable that the Popes own Territories may prove the Cock-pit of this execution whither Christ as into a Wine-press will from all parts gather the bloody grapes when he means to tread them Another opinion I find hereof which applies 1600 Furlongs to the greatness of the punishment which shall befall the enemys of Christ at this day and that in respect both of the multitude of those who shall be punished and the length of their torment Blood flowing so great a depth as to the Horse Bridles and this for 1600 Furlongs is an Argument both of abundance of blood and a long time of pressing This conjecture also agrees well to the Prophets who speaking of this day make mention of multitudes that shall be destroyed Ioel 3.14 Ezek. 38. 39. Rev. 16.14 16. 19.19 20 21. and also of length of torment Isa 66.24 Now seeing that either of these opinions will and do agree to the mind of the Holy Ghost in other places where mention is made of this day I judge it most safe not to restrain the interpretation of so great a mystery to any one but as the wisdom of God in Scriptures more plain much more in places so mystical is manifold so to conceive that either viz. the time place and greatness of the punishment also may be here intended Thus once more we are come unto the day of Christs appearing which though looked for but by a few yet doubtless hastens upon us By how much this blessed time is nearer by so much the more doth it call upon us to have our eyes fixed thereupon to awake arise put on our beautiful garments and shake our selves of our dust gather up our courage our zeal our life our love to Christ his cause and people resolving within our selves for Sions sake not to hold our peace and for Jerusalems sake to give him no rest till the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth till she who now is termed forsaken and her land called desolate shall become a Crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diadem in the hand of our God and be no more called Hephzibab nor her land Beulah but the Lords delight marryed unto him the praise of the whole earth an eternal excellency a joy of many Generations a City of solemnities a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the stakes be for ever removed where the glorious Lord will be unto his a place of broad Rivers and Streams to water the City of our God to replenish and make fat the Mountain of his Holiness Which things as he hath foretold them in his Word and will surely fulfill them in their season So let me say THIS GENERATION SHAL NOT PASS TIL ALL THESE THINGS BE FULFILLED for the time is at hand He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness Verily a short work will the Lord make upon the earth Warch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape those things that shall come upon the world and to stand before the Son of Man For he that doth these things saith Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according at his worke shall be I come as a Theesâ— Blâ—ssed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Gâ—rments lest be walk â—â—ked and they see his shame Even so Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Amen Isa 14.32 What shall oâ—â— now duswer the Messongers of the Nation That the Lord bath founded Sion and the poor of his people shall trust in it From my Sâ—â—dy in Trunch the 23. day of the first Month in the year of our Lord 1654. FINIS A MOTIVE TO Generation-work OR A Key to unlock the Mysticall Numbers of Daniel and the Revelations tending to resolve the great Question of the Age we live in viz. How long shall it be unto the end of Wonders By J.T. A waiter for the Redemption of Sion Dan. 8.13 Then I heard one Saint speaking and another Saint said unto that certain Saint which spake How long shall be the Vision concerning the daily Sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be trodden under foot Vers 14. And he said unto me Vnto two thousand and three hundred dayes then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed Exod. 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years even the self same day all the Hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt LONDON Printed for Livewell Chapman 1655. The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader IT hath been oftentimes in my thoughts that there is hardly any controversie in this age which is fruitful in little else but there are in that thing wherein the controversie lyes some more general principles of truth which as in their own nature they do carry a light round about them so could they be found our would in a few words inlighten a man more than all those tedious Volumes which about things controverted are daily sent forth into the world which ordinarily do but beat about the Bush never coming at the place where these principles lye The care of that man who would make discovery of Truth should be in the first place and above all to search these out and having found them to place them rightly for these being to be his foundation if but a stone in this foundation be either not of the true metal or displaced it necessarily follows that so much of the building as hath it for its Basis must be weak or carried awry The best outward means to attain these principles is to give attendance to the reading of the word and diligently to compare one place with another but yet this may be done and a man no whit the neerer if with this endeavour there do not concur the inward supply and assistance of the Spirit And truly I have many times thought with my self that as the great thing our faith is to have in its eye when it goes to the Promise for teaching is That the Lord would lead us to these so the principal thing in the Spirits teaching when it teacheth any soul is by its inward hints to point it unto these The most certain Character to know these principles by when they are attained and when not is an universal harmony of Truth for these principles are as the Center in which all the lines of Truth which are separated in the Circumserence do weet together and become one point But now as the wider any Circumference is the farther will a man be
1290 as I have proved at large in my fore-going Discourse Chap. 2. Sect. 5. 2 Because our Saviour Luk. 21.24 fore-telling the time how long the Jews Captivity should continue and Jerusalem should be trodden under foot of the Gentiles tels us that the same should be untill the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled And they shall fall by the edge of the Sword and shall be led away captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles untill the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled the meaning whereof is not that the Jewish Captivity should continue untill such time as the Gentiles should cease to be Gods people any longer for the stream of the Prophets run against such a conjecture they every where fore-telling of a wonderful access of Gentiles to the Lord about the time of the Jews coming in from which day the Gentiles are not to be rejected but Jew and Gentile together to be the people of God But the meaning I conceive to be this until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled that is untill the time of the Gentiles Captivity and sufferings under Antichrist is at an end so long shall the Jews Captivity remain but with the end of the one shall the other also have end Now the Gentiles Captivity ending at the end of the forty two months the 1260 days which is the term of the Beasts Tyranny and the Womans being in the Wilderness therefore must the Jews also and so consequently the 1260 days and the 1290. end together 3 Because Daniel chap. 9.26 telling us how long desolations are determined upon the Jewish Nation makes their desolations to end with the end of the War Unto the end of the War desolations are determined Quest What War is this Answ Doubtless the War he had spoken of before chap. 7.21 viz. the War of the little Horn against the Saints I beheld and the same Horn made War with the Saints and prevailed against them the continuance of which War is but untill the end of the time times and a half where the time of the little Horns reign and Tyranny expires vers 25. He shall wear out the Saints of the most High and think to change times and Laws and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time Now observe with the end of this War the Jewish desolations end and their restauration begins now this War ending with the end of the time times and a half and the end of the time times and a half and the 1260 days being one and the same it necessarily follows that the 1260 days and the 1290 should end together THESIS XVIII The point of time where either ends is in the year of our Lord 1656. THESIS XIX The true beginnings of either number do necessarily infer this to be the end THESIS XX. The 1290 days are to be begun Anno Dom. 366 with that noted act of Julian of setting the Jews about reedifying the Temple and furnishing them out of the publick Treasury with all necessaries for this work when by a terrible Earth quake all they built was thrown up yea the very foundation-stones of the Temple which never till that day were moved thrown out of their places and by terrible Thunder and Lightning and Fire falling from Heaven all their tools and instruments were burnt up So that as Socrates in his third Book cap. 20. according to the Greek the 17. according to the Translation saith That there a man might have beheld Hammers Graving-Irons Saws Axes Hatchets c. consumed with fire which fire saith he ceased not to burn the space of a whole day and the Jews themselves being amazed hereat confessed Christ to be the omnipotent God Yea farther saith the aforesaid Author Cyril then Bishop of Jerusalem when they began the work remembred this Prophecy of Daniel and urging Christs words with it Matth. 24.2 did prophecy unto many that now the time was come that our Saviours words should be fulfilled which he spake of the Temple that not one stone should be left upon another Thus much out of the very words of Socrates who wrote above 1200 years ago The truth of this act is also testified by many other ancient Writers as Ammianus Marcellinus who lived in the very time of Julian and was a Souldier under him lib. 23. Theodoret who wrote his Ecclesiastical History Anno Dom. 430. Lib. 3. cap. 17. Sozomene who was contemporary with Socrates lib. 5. cap. 21 yea by most Chronologers and Historians both Ancient and Modern that have written any thing of this time Yea which is also a thing very observable and noted by Socrates and most of the aforesaid Authors viz. That as wicked Julian did set the Jews upon re-edifying the Temple so did he also about the same time send his Legates to offer Sacrifice in the chief Heathen Temple of the Gentiles in Delphos and there to consult with the Oracle of Apollo and as God by Earth-quake Thunder and Lightning did over-turn the one so did he also in the same manner and about that very time the other thereby overwhelming at once both the cheif Temples the one of the Jews he other of the Gentiles putting an end to the Jewish daily Sacrifice and the Gentile Superstitions at one and the same time and therefore no time may so fitly be called a time of Desolation and that because of abomination as this Now the Reasons why we are to fix the Head of our Account upon this act rather than any other before it or since it are 1 Because if we begin with any act before it the time is expired and the Jews not yet delivered experience therefore proves such beginnings false 2 Because we may not begin lower for these Reasons First Because if we begin lower the 1290 days cannot be made concurrent in their end with Johns 1260. which for the fore-going grounds must be Secondly Because Daniel being a Prophet of the Jews and the things he fore-told having a more especial respect to that Nation there cannot in any History of any time since Christ be found an act so famous and that with a relation to that Nation as was this act of Julians with which therefore we must begin or none Thirdly Because no beginning lower that will agree to Daniels words either can be found or is stated by any that ever yet I have met with and it is a thing that I have much observed how that all those who because the time is near and so little likelihood of any such thing appears as yet have not faith enough to beleeve this beginning have also not light enough to make out another but are silent laying down no Head to begin this account upon which yet the Holy Ghost hath marked out by as eminent and noted Characters to shew us where we are to begin it as any account in all the Scripture vers 11. From the time that the daily
cause of his people against him shall the power of this fourth Monarchy stand up and by him without the help of any Creature shall it be destroyed therefore said in the following words to be broken without hand i.e. without mans hand by Christ alone agreeing to other places which speak of the same time Isa 63.3 I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me Chap. 66.16 The slain of the Lord shall be many Rev. 19.21 the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat on the Horse with many others The final destruction also of that proud King spoken of chap. 11. viz. the fourth Monarchy is by the personal appearance of Christ as compare chap. 11. ult He shall come to his end and none shall help him with chap. 12.1 And at that time shall Michael or Christ stand up So that the utmost point of either Prophecy or the concluding act of that long Tragedy which we have First Rehearsed in brief chap. 8. Secondly More fully declared in that last and great Prophecy chapters 10 11 12. is the standing up of Michael therefore the 2300 days which bring us to the end of the first and the 1335 which bring us to the end of the second must both expire at one and the same point viz. with Christs personal appearance THESIS XXXV The point of time at which either ends is A.D. 1701. THESIS XXXVI The true beginnings of either number do necessarily infer this year to be the end THESIS XXXVII The 1335 days are to be begun at the same Head with the 1290 therefore but one Head of account is laid down to both which is the taking away of the daily Sacrifice and setting up that abomination that maketh desolate vers 11. Onely it is to be extended so many years farther as there are more days in the 1335. then we have in the 1290 which is 45 years now 45 years being added to the year 1656 where as hath been proved endeth the 1290 the 1335 wil expire with the aforesaid year 1701. THESIS XXXVIII The 2300 days are to be begun with the beginning of the Persian Monarchy namely with the first year of Cyrus The reason is because the eighth Chapter of Daniel is as I have said a Prophecy of the three last Monarchies onely viz. Medes and Persians Grecians Romans therefore may we not go upward into the Babylonish Monarchy for a beginning because in so doing we exceed the bounds and limits of the Prophecy but we are to begin with the first year of Cyrus with which year begins the Prophecy it self THESIS XXXIX That the Heads of either number which yet both end at one and the same point are so stated as that the greater begins with the beginning of the Persian Monarchy and so with the Head of the Vision it self running down quite through it the lesser not till near a 1000 years after about the midst of the Vision a little before the coming forth of the Beast is no less than the most glorious result of the wonderful wisdom of the All-wise disposer of all things who for divers reasons hath thought good so to order it 1 That hereby the Mysteries of these two Prophecies yea all Daniels Prophecies might be the greater for observe there being not above three years betwixt either Vision Daniel having the first of these two in the third of Belshazzar chap. 8.1 which year was the last of the Babylonian Monarchy his second in the third of Cyrus chap. 10.1 the third year of the Persian had both been to be begun from the time of the Visions then would the number of dayes in either have been equal to about three dayes which little time too the Text hath clearly determined to pass betwixt Vision and Vision and if so this one thing alone would have been so great a Standard of light into both these Prophecies yea all the Prophecies of Daniel his 70 weeks excepted all the rest having dependance on these as could no way stand with the design of the Holy Ghost which was to have the Book sealed up until the time of the end for hence it would have been obvious and evident to every eye 1 That either Prophecy were the same and had one and the same beginning and ending 2 That the thing spoken of the little horn chap. 8. and of the vile person chap. 11. were not to be applied to the time of Antiochus rage which very opinion hath been a cloud upon the Prophecies of Daniel for a long time for as Mr. Parker in his Daniels Prophecies expounded pag. 37. hath well proved the 2300 days are no way appliable to the time of Antiochus persecutions 3 That all Daniels Visions and Prophecies viz. That of the great Image chap. 2. That of the four Beasts and the little Horn chap. 7. together with these chap. 8 and chap. 10 11 12. do terminate at one and the same point and this point to be no other but the end of the 2300 the 1335 days for if these two be the same and terminate at one point then by a parallel of reason the other two also viz. that of the great Image and that of the four Beasts for either of those conclude with work of a like nature and glory of a like kind with these And if so then is that other clouding opinion which darkens all Daniels Prophecies at this day viz. That the little Horn chap. 7. is to be understood either of the whole Norman Race here in England from William the Conqueror the first of that Race as some conceive or of the late King Charles onely the last of that Race as others shaken off for that Race hath been extirpated root and branch these five years already whereas to the end of the 2300 days the 1335 it is near 50 years yet to come and therefore we must of necessity unless we deny that which from the scope of each Prophecy is so clear as that it is undeniable viz that Daniels Prophecies have but one and the same end conclude that either the little Horn Chap. 7. is no such thing as many now adays suppose or affirm that the final destruction of this little Horn is come upon him upwards of fifty years before the determined time Now this one beam of light followed being such as that it discovers most of those by-wayes that men have gone in and thereby darkned the truth of Daniel it could not I say stand with Gods design of sealing this Book to make Revelation of so great and clear light as would have come in had the heads of each number been placed with the time of each Vision 2 Reason Because hereby the latter Prophecy which is the clearer and intended by the Lord as a farther and more particular light into those things that in the general had been revealed before should have been as dark as the other in regard of making up any account of time had the same began as
likewise it is said vers 26. after 62 weeks that is 62 added to the other seven spoken of vers 25. which make 69 shall the Messiah be cut off and not after 70 weeks shall the Messiah be cut off because indeed Christs sufferings came before the 70 week was fully and compleatly expired These four deducted there remains to be accounted upon only 486 years which passed from the 20 of Artaxerxes Mnemon until Christs Passion THESIS LVIII Our third part or period comprehends the number of years from the year of Christs Passion until the end of the year 1655 or which is all one the beginning of that noted year 1656. THESIS LIX Within this Period we are to account upon 1622 years thus Christ was thirty years old when he began to preach Luke 3.23 from the time he began to preach until his Passion the common opinion holds three years and a half but we are to account three years only as is clear from Christs own words Luke 13.32 Go ye and tell that Fox Behold I cast out Devils and I do cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected vers 33. Nevertheless I must walk to day and to morrow and the day following Shewing us that Christ in preaching spent three full years and yet but three for as he is baptised at the very beginning of the seventieth week i.e. at the beginning of the first day or year of that week so he is perfected at the end of the third day of that week or the third year from the time he began to preach Christ then at the day of his Passion was three and thirty years old which three and thirty years because our common account begins from the year of Christs Nativity we are to deduct these deducted of 1655 there remains only 1622 which we are to account upon THESIS LX. Let us now reckon up the three last periods that wee have gone through and see what number of years of the 2300 we have already gained those yet behind will fall in of themselves The first period from the first of Cyrus to the twentieth of Artaxerxes Mnemon contains 147 years The second from thence to Christs Passion 486 years Both together makes up 633 The third period from Christs Passion to the year 1656 contains 1622 The total Sum is 2255 It follows then that with the beginning of the year 1656 there are 2255 of Daniels 2300 years expired the remaining years are only 45 which will expire A.D. 1701 the very year in which Daniels 1335 dayes doth also expire THESIS LXI The 2300 dayes of Daniel are the best and surest Chronologie of the Number of the worlds years that have passed since the first of Cyrus or the beginning of the Persian Monarchy until this present day THESIS LXII The 2300 years ending according to our former Computation at the same point with the 1335 is a good Argument to prove that our course by a good hand of Providence hath been steered aright both as to the beginning of either number and also the carrying on of this great number for should we seek after any other beginning of the 1335 dayes then what we have before stated the 1335 dayes could never be brought to end with the 2300. Or in case the head of the 2300 dayes were to be placed either higher or lower or the Computation to be made otherwise than what hath been laid down then would not the 2300 dayes concur in their end with the 1335. And such a Computation it is necessary should bee made as may bring both these to end together THESIS LXIII The Harmony that is betwixt all those Mystical Numbers we have passed through is a thing very glorious and admirable to behold for there is not any one of them but affords a beam of light to the other The 1290 dayes affords a great beam of light to the 1260 and contrariwise the 1260 to that again The 1335 dayes affords a glorious beam of light to the 2300 and contrariwise the 2300 to that again Finally as the beginning of the 1260 proves our beginning of the 1335 to be true so our beginning of the 1335 proves the beginning of the 2300 to be true And contrariwise as the beginning of the 2300 proves the beginning of the 1335 to be true so the beginning of the 1335 the beginning of the 1260 to be true So that which is glorious to consider the Mystical Numbers of Daniel and the Revelations though diverse and having diverse beginnings yet have within themselves such an universal Harmony that each one serves to inlighten the other and the other him again THESIS LXIV The final Conclusion is That the rise of the Witnesses the end of the Beasts reign and treading underfoot the Holy City and the first stirring of the Jews will in greatest likelihood be in the year 1656 with which year ends the 1290 dayes the 1260 the 42 months The Personal coming of Christ the final destruction of the four Beasts or Monarchy and the compleat deliverance of the Jews in the year 1701 with which year ends Daniels 2300 dayes and his 1335. Matth. 24.48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming 49. And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the Drunken 50. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of 51. And shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth A Concluding Word WHen Daniel understood by Books the number of the years whereof the Lord had said He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem he set himself to seek the Lord by fasting weeping and mourning When Moses understood the time of the delivery of Gods people out of Egypt to be at hand he not only strengthned his Brethren but took courage and went in unto Pharaoh Though it is far from entring into my thoughts to compare my self with these yet is it my duty and desire to imitate them in their grace As to the first my hearts desire and prayer to the Father of mercies is That a Daniels praying Spirit might abound in my self and all the people of God at this day As for the second my intents and purposes were to have closed up this discovery with a solemn Exhortation First To the Higher Powers of this Commonwealth Secondly To all those who have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ within it But considering how poor and vain a thing the words of the Creature are and how little where much is spoken reacheth the heart if the Holy Spirit apply it not in my after thoughts I judged it better to leave it to the Spirit of God to set home these truths than to undertake to do it my self and therefore resting in these thoughts I shall only in a word or two deliver a Message and I hope not my own First To the Higher Powers the Message is this THIS PEOPLE SAY THE TIME IS NOT COME the time that the Lords work should be carried on Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your cieled houses and this work of Christ lye waste Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider your wayes Yea thus saith the Lord Consider your wayes For if at this time you lay aside that work wherein the cause and glory of our dear and blessed Redeemer is so neerly and immediately concerned and attend to work of another nature which comparatively he calls you not to he will assuredly in sore displeasure with shame and contempt lay you aside ruine shall come to Babylon salvation and deliverance unto Mount Sion another way Secondly To the people of God in this Common-wealth the Message is this That although you are verily as unworthy a generation of Saints considering how formal the profession of some is how loose the Principles of others how unlike Saints of old yea Saints but of yesterday we are all of this so great Grace now ready to be revealed as ever the earth bore Yet that the whole world may see and know the exceeding riches of his grace and that by the sheddings abroad of his love which is a way more suitable to Gospel administrations your over-grown corruptions may be rooted out and the breaches of Sion made up and you made to remember your own evill wayes and doings that were not good and to loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and abominations his grace shall with a notwithstanding triumph over all this your unworthiness and he will yet redeem his cause from the Grave carry on his work among you before you and by you as Instruments gloriously and speedily yea with a high hand for his Name sake Thirdly in particular to the Imprisoned Saints together with all those who in this day suffer the reproaches of men the scorn and censures of Brethren for the testimony of Jesus and upon the account of his Kingdom my Message is Your Brethren that hated you and cast you out for Christs name sake said LET THE LORD BE GLORIFIED but he shall appear unto your joy and they shall be ashamed Lastly To all Sions Children wheresoever they may be that take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof let me say Lift up your heads with joy for your redemption draweth nigh For yet a little while and behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their Iniquity when as he hath purposed he will stain the pride of all glory and bring into contempt the honorable of the earth For it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompences for the controversie of Sion And though the scarlet Whore begins now to say in her heart I sit as a Queen am no Widow and shall see no sorrow yet shall her plagues come upon her in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord our God that judgeth her FINIS
having once at a pinch deserted Christs Cause he was not a man likely afterwards to thrive with in carrying it on and therefore wife wary Paul if there be no other way to clear his hands of him for the works sake rather than he will run the hazzard he will bid farewell even to his old beloved preaching suffering Companion Barnabas himself And now as for you dearly Beloved to whom I dedicate these Lines I onely say The Book it self is yours and whatsoever of the mind of Christ is discovered in it is yours I shall therefore close up this my Epistle with the words of the Holy Ghost Isa 2.12 13 c. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan And upon all the high Mountains and upon all the Hills that are lifted up And upon every high Tower and upon every fenced Wall And upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all pleasant Pictures And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the herghtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day And the Idols he shall utterly abolish Ezek. 17.24 Then all the Trees of the field shall know that it is the Lord that hath brought down the high Tree and hath exalted the low Tree hath dried up the green Tree and made the drie Tree to flourish Isa 9.3 The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this So beleeves he who is A poor unprofitable Servant in his Masters Work JOHN TILLINGHAST The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader IT was not in my thoughts when I put forth my former peece which I was moved to do partly for the encouragement of some who had ventured far in the work of their Generation and partly for the provocation of others that I should have appeared again upon the publick Stage whence few that climb up come down any better than losers if not from men yet through that corruption that lodgeth in their own hearts But being by more than one or two upon the coming forth thereof desired to speak my thoughts more clearly and particularly as touching the Design or Designs of God in the Age we live in And to that end some proposing this Prophecy of the Vials as a subject most suitable for such a discovery which opened they conceived would further unfold the Werk of this Generation and being added as an Appendix to the other might be of use Although considering how great the Task was how mystical that Prophecy in particular upon which the thoughts of good men were so various and how unskilful I my self was in the general knowledge of the Prophets which was a thing most necessary to such an undertaking I did for a while lay aside wholly the thoughts of satisfying their desires yet finding desires renewed after I had given them over I knew not but that it might be some call unto me seeing nothing but my own discouragements lying in the way to hinder Whereupon I resolved to make a trial and as the Lord should come in with light so to proceed or give over being incouraged hereto from that of Daniel Chap. 12.4 That the Book was to be sealed up but to the time of the end when by the running too and fro of many which implies a kind of duty knowledge shall be increased And also considering that a special blessing surely to quicken our dull hearts to this Work is annexed to the Book of the Revelations both at the beginning and ending whereas no Book besides it in Scripture hath the like Chap. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein Chap. 22.7 Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the Prophecy of this Book These things were at first some encouragement to me and are still refreshment to my spirit as touching what I have done for though I will not say I have in all things found the truth which yet I perswade my self is through Grace in some things here done yet do I judge a liberty left for me as well as others to croud into the number of that many who run too and fro to finde it and also do beleeve it is a thing may be done without prejudice to a mans grace comfort or communion with God yea as a help to all these seeing that a special blessing from Heaven is pronounced to such as read hear and keep these things And as to the Treatise it self I may give this account of it That when I began my thoughts were not upon a second Part but onely to have added this as a brief Appendix to my first But after I had taken a serious view of the Prophets and the Revelations comparing one with the other I saw so many precious ears of Corn lye scattered every where that an eager desire of gleaning made me forget my first resolutions and this little Peece which I had in my thoughts laid out but for two or three sheets at most upon the sudden to swell into a second Part more large than the former And truly in doing of it I have been so far from moulding things according to any pre-conceived opinion which I find a thing most apt to deceive as that setting aside some general perswasions which I had before as touching Christs coming I have upon deliberate consideration seen real cause to forsake some things formerly taken up by me and to alter those general conceptions which before I had of the Vials almost in every thing And notwithstanding I had some thoughts at first positively to lay down my own opinion in things referring to the Vials without mentioning the opinion of others yet did I afterwards judge it convenient for the satisfaction of such who delight to turn over Expositors not only to lay down my own but also briefly to insert those reasons which pondered in my thoughts made me see a necessity to forsake the old beaten paths and seek a new wherein I can speak it truly I have not desired to besingular though oft necessitated so to be nor forsaken any man so far as by right reason I have been able in my most serious thoughts to bring his opinion and the truth together and where I could not though I highly reverence the men as inestimable of more worth for grace and abilities both then a hundred such as my self yet have I not durst to follow them because I have taken it up as my resolution in this day which through the grace of God assisting I shall hold unto not to follow any man or men living though I honor their holiness and love their parts any farther then I can see the truth and them to follow that nor for any respect whatsoever