strangers to it such as were a far off as such as were enemies to the Temple and would have the Temple ruined and laid wast But note though the difference between Jewes and Gentiles since the daies of the Gospel be taken away and the Gentiles as well as the Jewes may now be of the Church of God if they be built upon the Lord Jesus yet the word Gentiles is heer used to expresse those that were not of the Church nor of the Temple but would have the Temple ruined And as the Babylonians of old had the Temple for a while given unto them So now Jesus Christ gives his spirituall Temple into the hands of these Gentiles the mysticall Babylonians for a while And the holy City This title the holy City we finde in Scripture is first given unto the City of Jerusalem the City wherein the materiall Temple was scituate as appears Matth. 37. 3. where it is said at the death of our Saviour That the graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Which City it is evident was the City of Jerusalem And indeed Jerusalem was then accounted a City more holy then others because it was the place wherein men ought in a more especiall manner to worship God And therefore saies the woman of Samaria Ye say in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship And our Saviour doth not contradict this for indeed it is out of all contradiction that Jerusalem had been the place where men ought to worship for God had placed his name there and there he would be worshiped because the Temple was there wherein was his speciall presence So that in this respect Jerusalem was once a more holy City then others But when the cause was taken away the effect ceased when Jerusalem ceased to be the place where men were enjoined to worship God and God had removed his special presence from the Temple then Jerusalem was no more holy then another place And because that Jerusalem was to cease to be the place of worship and the holy place therefore it is that our Saviour Iohn 4. 21 23. saith The hour commeth when ye shall neither in the mountain of Samaria nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him As if he had said Jerusalem shall not be the place of worship men shall not worship God there for if men doe perform Jerusalem worship that is worship with that worship that hath respect to an outward place it shal be accounted as no worship no men shall not worship in Jerusalem but such as worship the Father must worship him with an inward Spiritual worship and in truth that is in the Son in the Spirit and in the Son and such the Father seeks to worship him such he is now a seeking out both of Jews and Gentiles and such worship is most pleasing unto him So that Jerusalem had once the title of the holy City It was once the place wherein God was worshipped but it is now ceased to be so But secondly This title The holy City is given in Scripture unto that City of which that Jerusalem of old was a figure and that is the Saints and people of God who are all citizens of the holy City And therefore Paul writing to the Saints at Ephesus saith he Ephes 2. 19. Ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And that Jerusalem of old was a figure of this Holy City appears Hebr. 12. 22. and Gal. 4. 26. where the Saints are called by the name of Jerusalem only they are differenced from the material Jerusalem in that they are called The heavenly Jerusalem and Jerusalem which is above Now that this Heavenly Jerusalem which is compacted of Saints and Sanctified ones and therefore must needs be a Holy City I say that this Spirituall Jerusalem hath this title The holy City given to it doth appear Revel 21. 2. And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem comming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband Who is the spouse the bride that is adorned for her husband Jesus Christ but his Saints They then are the new and heavenly Jerusalem they are the holy City And the holy City shall they that is the Gentiles fore-spoken of tread under foot To be trouden under foot by an enemy is the highest kinde of insultation of an enemy over a people that possibly can be for what greater contempt and scorn and envy can an enemy expresse then by treading a person or a people under feet And yet this is the condition the Church was put into which is spoken of in the prophesie of Isaiah Chap. 51. 23. where it was said that those enemies that afflicted the Saints Said to their Souls bow down that we may goe over and their bodies was laid as the ground and as the streets to them that went over And this is the condition which the holy City the Temple of God his precious Saints are here also appointed unto even to be trod under foot to be depressed and greatly persecuted to be bowed down under the feet of their enemies to be made as the ground and as the street to them to goe over Querie But now before I proceed any further the Querie will be What those Gentiles are in particular to whom the Temple and the holy City was to be given and by whom they were to be trodden under foot For as Jerusalem and the Temple of old were given to the Babylonians in particular so the question is now Who the particular enemies are to whom the Temple and the holy City now are delivered For though the holy City hath many enemies yet she is not given to them all Answ I Answer Though in this Chapter there be no other description of them but only this the Gentiles yet we have a large description of them in three severall Chapters of this prophesie which descriptions as they lie I shall here incert The first is Rev. 12. 3. 4. And there appeared another wonder in Heaven and behold a great red Dragon having seaven heads and ten horns and seven Crowns upon his heads and his tail drew a third part of the Stars of Heaven and did cast them to the earth The second place in which the enemies of the Saints to whom they are given for a while are described is Rev. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. verses which is as followes And I stood upon the sand of the Sea and saw a Beast rise up out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten Crowns and upon his head the name of blasphemy And the Beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard and his
the Revelation is called the word of God But I still acknowledge That Jesus Christ is more eminently the word of God he being the originall of it for as God doth all things else by Jesus Christ so he gives out his Word by him and Jesus Christ gives testimony to it which is the next instruction arising from the point and comes now to be spoken of Thirdly Is it so That this Book of the Revelation is the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ Then this may informe us that as this so all the Scriptures doe as truly come from Jesus Christ as from God the Father for he gives testimony to what the Father saies What the Father declares he witnesses and testifieth the same and therefore he is said to be The faithfull witnesse Rev. 1. 5. And it is said of him 1 Cor. 1. 20. For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen So much of the first particular the subject matter of this Book I come now to the second which is The reason of the divulgation of this Book and that is contained in these words Which God gave unto Jesus Christ to shew unto his servants From whence arises this Observation Observ 2. That it is the pleasure of God to have his servants acquainted with his secrets and to know what is his minde concerning things to come This we see was the reason of the divulgation of this Book because it was the minde of God to have his servants acquainted with it a sutable place to this is that John 15. 15. Henceforth saith Jesus Christ I call you not servants for the servant knoweth no what his Lord doth but I call you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you and Psalm 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them of his covenant So that it is a clear truth That it is the pleasure of God to have his servants acquainted with his secrets and to know his minde concerning things to come It being so in the first place it teaches Saints to admire and magnifie the love of the Father that doth expresse himself so graciously to them as to afford them that honour to be as his friends in râ—vealing his secrets to them It is a remarkable passage Amos 3. 7. Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his Servants the Prophets Oh what a high savour is this that the Lord should engage himself that he will doe nothing but he will reveal it unto his servants As a tender Husband unbosomes himself and discovers his secrets to his beloved Wife and cannot with-hold them from her So the Lord God doth expresse his tender love unto his servants in revealing his secrets to them and he will doe nothing but he will discover it unto them What cause have Saints now to admire and extoll that rich Grace of God that is extended to them herein Secondly Doth the Lord reveal his secrets unto his servants Then ought they to be dilligent observers of what he reveals unto them Revealed things are said to belong unto us and if they belong unto us then it behoves Saints to observe them and to improve them to those ends for which they are discovered to us and if we should come short of it we should demean our selves very unworthily When a man reveals his secret unto his dear friend if his friend should slight him in it and take no notice of what he discovers to him he were a very unkinde and a very unworthy friend But how much more may we be said to carry our selves unkindly and unworthily if we should slight the love of our God in revealing his secrets to us by not being diligent in observing of them Since it pleases the Lord to reveal to his servents things to come it well becomes them to observe them exactly And so much of the second particular The reason of the divulgation of this Book I come now to the third which is the instruments of the divulgation of this Book which is contained in these words Who sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John So that the Angel and John were employed as instruments in that work From whence the Observation is this Observ 3. That though Jesus Christ could reveal immediately to al his servants all these things revealed in this Book yet it pleased him to chuse rather to doe it by instruments If it had pleased him he might have revealed these things to all his people in all ages since John immediately by his own Spirit but he chuses rather to doe it by the writings of John which he preserves and keeps up in a high esteem in the hearts of all his Saints as his own infallible and unquestionable truth and testimony or else he might have sent a John or some Prophet of his to have revealed these things by mouth unto his people in every age age after age but he chuses rather to doe it by revealing it to John so many hundreds of years agoe and his writings must be the instruments of revealing these things unto his people and he might have revealed those things unto John immediately himself without any other instrument but he chuses to signifie it by his Angel to his servant John So he might teach and edifie and build up his people immediately but he chuses rather to doe it by instruments by Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists and Pastors and Teachers which he hath appointed For the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfectman c. Ephes 4. 11 12 13. So he might likewise have revealed himself immediately to all his people of old but generally it pleased him to make use either of Angels or of his servants the Prophets to be the instruments of revealing his minde unto his people then Now the reasons why it pleaseth God usually to make use of instruments to effect his designs by may be these The first is that which is the reason of all his doings his own will He makes use of instruments because it is his will to make use of instruments for his will is the reason and the rule of all his actions Secondly But a subordinate reason to this may be to shew his soveraignty over al his people therefore he sends them about his work they being all at his royall command As a Prince hath power over all that are in his dominion saying to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he commeth and to another doe this and he doth it So the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords maketh it to appear that he hath all his servants at his beck by sending of them about severall employments Thirdly Another reason why he maketh use of
instruments in revealing and discovering his minde to his people and building up of his Saints may be to maintain a communion among Saints for if God should reveal himself to all alike then would not his people have such communion one with another as they have to the end they may partake one of anothers gifts and therefore doth it please the Lord to make use of instruments whereas if it pleased him he could have effected all things immediately without means or instruments and since it is so then First It reprehends those that have a low esteem of instruments and sleight and undervalue means upon this ground that God can worke without instruments and without means But let such know that it is the will of God to make use of instruments and in sleighting instruments they contradict his will and as they that sleight the Kings Officers doe sleight the King So they in sleighting the instruments and means that God hath appointed to work by do sleight God himself and they do as much as in them lies endeavor to break the Communion of Saints And surely what ever the pretences of such persons are that doe neglect means and sleight instruments this cometh not from the Spirit of God in them for the Spirit teacheth not to undervalue any means which God hath appointed to be used Though it is true The Spirit teaches us not to idolize means nor to tie God to worke only by means but to acknowledge that God can and sometimes doth worke without means and instruments Though he doth usually work by means and instruments and therefore it is as great an evil on the one side to reject the instruments or means that God uses to work by because he hath not absolutely tied himself to them as on the other side to idolize means or instruments because God doth usually work by them Therefore in the second place Saints are here exhorted to have a high esteem of instruments as being of Gods appointment by whom he will reveal himself to his people and quicken and comfort and build them up upon the true foundation Since the Lord will make use of instruments O Saints doe not you sleight them least you sleight God himself but esteem them very highly in love for their works sake It is the rule of the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 12 13. saies the Apostle there We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake The Apostle knew very well that God could if he had pleased have built up his people without employing some to labour among them in the Word and Doctrine and without the admonitions of men but these being instruments and means of Gods appointment He therefore presses the Saints to esteem very highly of those instruments for that works sake that God had appointed them unto for though Paul and Apollo and Cephas can doe nothing of themselves yet they are to be highly esteemed as being instruments in Gods hand by which God will work And so all the means which God hath appointed for his people to make use of in which he will be found of them and in which he will have Communion with them let them prize and embrace and make use of waiting upon God in the use of them who will be found of them at last and will make it appear that they have not sought him in the use of means in vain Though for a time he seem to be silent towards them yet at last he that shall come will come an I will not tarry It is unquestionably the policy of Satan to take off Saints from using means that they may be deprived of that comfort and benefit which otherwise they might obtain in the use of means Therefore let all Saints beware of such delusions whereby they are drawn to dishonour God in sleighting the instruments and means which he hath appointed and let them be exhorted to embrace means and make diligent use of them for they are blessed that so doe as will appear in the handling of the fifth particular But so much for this third particular The instruments of the divulgation of this Book The fourth particular Is the faithfulnes of those instruments in the divulgation of this book it is exprest in these words Who bare record of the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus and of all things that he saw We see that as the Angel signified it to John so John did not fail in recording any thing of it but he bare record of all things that he saw Whence the Observation is this Observ 4. That when God setteth instruments about a worke which he will have done they must and they shall effect it Jesus Christ will have his secrets declared to his servants and he imploieth John about this work and John doth it punctually he bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus and what of some things Nay of all things which he saw And this truth is further confirmed by two pertinent Scriptures which we have to this effect One is Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared Who will not fear The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie The other is Acts 4. 20. For we cannot but speak the things which wee have seen and heard In both these places it appears that it is not possible for instruments to be silent nor to sit still when God hath spoken to them and given them commission to doe his work First Is it so that when God setteth instruments about a work which he will have done that they must and shall effect it Then this informes us of the reason why Saints fear not persecution nor imprisonment nor death but choose rather to suffer them all then to conceal the truth that is discovered to them or to disert the work they are called to for God having stirred up their spirits and set them about this work they cannot be silent and sit still but shall go on in despite of all opposition to accomplish the worke which God hath appointed them to do Thus did Luther and thus have many other Saints done and many shall doe For if the Lord have spoken they cannot but prophesie speak the things they have seen and heard for their light is not given them to hide it under a bushell but their love to Christ constraines them to hold it forth and the strength of Christ carries them forth Secondly Since it is so it serves to encourage Saints considering that the work that God hath to doe shall surely be accomplished no opposition shall hinder it for though instruments seem to be never so weak yet they must and shall accomplish Gods designs Therefore fear not the day shall break forth and the shaddowes shall fly away and none of the powers of darknesse shall be able to hinder it But I shall say more to this point
wicked one the Pope and his adherents the mysticall Babylonians the meaning of that fourty two moneths is A thousand two hundred and threescore years And it must of necessity be acknowledged to be so for the Beast hath troden the holy City under foot for above twelve hundred years already Verse 3. And I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore daies cloathed in sackcloth That this word My two Witnesses cannot be confined onely to two men that should be the Witnesses of Christ Jesus is most apparent because they are said to continue so long as the holy City was to be troden under foot of the Beast which is a thousand two hundred and threescore years Now twelve hundred years is a terme of time which no man ever lived when men lived longest much lesse since the flood therefore since the two Witnesses are said to continue twelve hundred and sixty years they cannot be confined onely unto two men but do include all the Saints that have been Witnesses of the truths of Jesus Christ ever since the Beast began to persecute the Church for Jesus Christ during all that time did never leave himself without witnesses though for the most part of that time the number of them were very small in comparison of the false prophets of the Beast which may be the reason why they are here exprest by the smallest of numbers the number two But I say Jesus Christ hath never left himself without Witnesses but hath had some at all times that have been witnesses of his truths in opposition to the Beast And those are they that are here in the text said to prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty daies Now as this text holds forth That Jesus Christ hath had Witnesses during all the raign of the Beast and the persecuted condition of the Church so other passages in this prophesie confirm it as Chap. 8. 9. I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held These were some that had witnessed and testified the truths of Christ against the Beast and sealed their testimony with their bloud for they were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held And to shew that these were not all that witnessed the truths of Christ but that Jesus Christ had continually some that were his Witnesses which the beast should continually be slaying it is said in the 11. verse of that Chap. That they should rest yet for a little season untill their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled So that Christ had a further number of Witnesses which were also to honour him by laying down their lives for his truth And Chap. 12. 11. The Witnesses of Christ are again mentioned for it is said That the Dragon did make war with them which kept the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ And verse 12. they are said To overcome the devil by the bloud of the Lamb by which all Saints do overcome him and by the word of their testimony for they loved not their lives unto the death Here it appears that the Saints did so witnesse the truths of Christ as they counted not their lives dear unto them but laid them down to seale the truth which they held which was a means of convincing many of the truth and thereby they were overcomers of the Beast And chap. 18. 24. when Babylon came to be throwne downe it is said That in her was found the bloud of Prophets and of all that were slain upon the earth whereby it appears That during all the raign of the Beast he hath been slaying the Prophets Witnesses and Saints of Jesus Christ Thus by these severall passages it is evident That Christ hath had his Witnesses during all the raign of the Beast and it is apparent that this word My two Witnesses includes all those Witnesses of Christ that have been during all the raign of the Beast for they have been said to prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore years Object But how could all the Witnesses of Christ be said to prophesie I answer Every Saint in a sence may be said to be a Prophet For they are Prophets to whom God discovers his secrets and there is no true Saints but the secrets of God are discovered to them Psal 15. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant The truth is it is the discoveries of God and of Jesus Christ and of hidden truths that maketh Saints If the Lord did not reveal his secrets unto poor souls it would not be possible for them to be Saints Now then as soon as the soul is made a Saint it is made a Prophet for when the Lord hath revealed himself unto the soul and discovered his secrets to it made it to see the wonderfull things of his law and caused it to rejoyce in the sweet discoveries of his grace the soul cannot choose but declare them to others Yea the word is as a fire in its bosome and it cannot hold it in according to that rule When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren This is ever the sweet temper of a real Saint he cannot but give vent to the bublings of Christ upon his heart and that in opposing gain-saiers contending earnestly for the faith and in the edifying exhorting and comforting of other Saints Now that this is prophecying is most evident in these Scriptures 1 Cor. 14. 3. He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort Now this all Saints in some measure or other can do and sometimes doth though some Saints can doe it farre more excellently then others yet he that speaketh to edification exhortation and consolation though with much weaknesse doth as truly prophesie as he that hath greatest abilities Another Scripture is Act. 15. 32. And Judas and Silas being prophets also themselves exhorted the brethren with many words and confirmed them Here it is evident That to speak the word of exhortation and information to the confirming of Saints in the truth is to prophesie for Judas and Silas are said to exhort and confirm the Saints as they were Prophets Another passage to this purpose is Revel 19. 10. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie This passage gives a most clear answer to the question What is it to prophesie The Angel had said Chap. 18. 24. That in Babylon was found the bloud of Prophets and of Saints Now here he makes it to appear what the Prophets were that Rome had slain namely they were they that had the testimony of Jesus for saith he The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie So that all Saints that have the testimony of Jesus have the spirit of prophesie and so all that were slain for the
and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies These that are here exprest by those titles of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations are some that are distinct from the Witnesses for they are said to see their dead bodies so that they are another sort of people that is they are not Saints are not of the holy City but of the people and kindreds and nations of the World Shall see their dead bodies three daies and a half Those daies as these mentioned in the 3. verse are propheticall daies so that by these three daies and a half is meant three years and a half And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three daies and a half and shall not suffer them to be put in graves These people and kindred and nations and tongues though they be not of the Witnesses and Saints yet they are not for the Beast but doe help the Saints against the Beast for they are said to keep the dead bodies of the Saints from being put in graves when the Beast had overcome the Saints so as they seemed to be quite lost they seemed to be dead then they would not suffer them to be interred though they were brought low yet they would not suffer them to be brought so low but kept them from being totally removed out of sight from being put into a condition wherein they should not be in such a capacity of rising as when they were unburied Sutable to this is that passage Rev. 12. 16. where it is said when the Dragon poured out waters as a floud after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the floud that then the earth helped the Woman and opened her mouth and swallowed up the floud Here it is evident that the Church being followed by the Beast with a floud of persecution that the people of the earth doe keep off the fury of the Beast from destroying the Church utterly so that the people of the earth are made instruments of helping the Saints against the persecution of the Beast And so it was in the late warre in England the Lord made some such as were but carnall and prophane to be instruments of helping the Saints from being totally overcome of the Beast for those of the Saints that were in the Parliaments Army that fought against the Beast were but a small number compared with the others in that Army that were not Saints And indeed it is very wonderfull to consider how by an over-ruling providence the hearts of carnall men were commanded to stand up in the defence of the Witnesses against the Beast for there were many thousands that did engage themselves with the Parliament in their defensive warre that were not the Witnesses Thus God made them of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations to be instruments of keeping the bodies of the Witnesses from being put in graves from being put totally under the earth under the Beast although they were brought so low as they were as dead in their own and the account of the Beast Vers 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another They that were the adherents of the Beast are here expressed by this character They that dwell upon the earth For this is a character most proper to them and is most usually used to expresse the Beast and his faction in the prophesie of this Book as Chap. 16. 1. where the seven Angels are bid to pour out their viols upon the earth which was upon the Beast and his adherents as appears throughout the Chapter and so again in the 6 verse of this 11. Chap. it is said The Witnesses had power to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will Which is peculiarly spoken of the members of the Beast for it is they that the Witnesses doe more especiall plague and so it is they I say that are here thus expressed They that dwell upon the earth They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another The Witnesses being overcome and lying for dead they that are of the Beast do therin rejoyce and expresse a great deal of delight that they have in it and make themselves as merry with it as possibly they may and a mad mirth it is And thus they did here in England for that three years and a half that the Witnesses seemed to be dead For in Oxford and other places where they that were for the Beast were resident they had feasting drinking healths and ringing bels and making bonfires and roaring and carousing and swearing and cursing and banning and damning and all the hellish mirth they could invent And why Because the Puritans and Round-heads and Anabaptists Brownists and Tub-preachers as they termed the Witnesses were overcome They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth The Witnesses Prophets Saints of Jesus Christ doe kill plague and torment those that dwell upon the earth that is those that were members of the Beast and how they doe so hath been shewed in the opening of the 5 and 6. verses and because they doe so is the reason why they are so hated of them and why they doe so much rejoyce in the casting down of them for they cannot endure those torments that the Prophets of Jesus doe inflict upon them when they hold forth the truth of Christ so as to overthrow their devilish doctrines and turn their waters into bloud when they doe so hold forth the truth as to throw down the pomp and pride of their Clergy they cannot endure this and when they doe declare against the sottishnesse and blindnesse and prophanenesse of the people which they nourish up and admit to partake of sealing Ordinances this proves a torment to them as doth also the holding forth of other truths of Christ which doe oppose them in their lusts and in their crooked waies and because the Saints doe so torment the Beasts crew therefore doe they rejoyce so much when they have any hope of rooting them out Vers 11. And after three daies and a half the Spirit of life from God entred into them As the late war made by the Beast against the Witnesses doth fully agree with all the circumstances of it laid down in the former verses so it agrees exactly with what is laid down in this verse also for after the Witnesses had been in so low a condition as they were as Paul was when he was stoned supposed to be dead for three years and a half they did not lie as dead a day longer but at the very day when the three years and a half were expired then the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they began to stand upon their feet
Bishops to watch over the souls of the flock which are committed to them for they must give account of them to God and this the Elders or Bishops of the Church of Ephesus are enjoined unto Acts 20. 28. Take heed saith the Apostle unto your selves and unto the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you over-seers for I know saies he that after my departure there shall grievous wolves enter in among you So that the Elders of the Church ought to look to the flock to keep them from the pernicious Doctrines of wolvish men and Heb. 13. 17. saith the Apostle Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may doe it with joy So that it is evident that it is the duty of the Elders of the Church to watch over the souls of the people But this is not their duty only but the duty of all believers to watch over one another Thus the Scripture declaring that Bishops are ordained by the laying on of hands declares what things are to be done by Bishops as Bishops and not by other Saints and what things are to be done by them which is to be done by others also Now the Scripture speaks but of one Office more to which persons are ordained by the laying on of hands and that is of Deacons Now the Office of a Deacon the Scripture expresses distinctly also namely that they are to receive the collections for the poor and to distribute it to the poor to widows and to such as are in want and to all according to their necessities And this appears Act. 6. 1. 2 3. and 4. verses compared together this was the work which Deacons were ordained to doe and which is to be done by them only and not by others in the Church But we finde that Stephen and Philip being Deacons were such as did feed the flock preach the Word opposed gainsaiers were Teachers and did the work of Apostles and Evangelists and wrought miracles and wonders among the people as appears in the sixth seventh and eighth Chapter of the Acts but these are the duty of Deacons but not their duties only but the duties of all the brethren in which they are to act according to the measure of grace received And now since the Scripture speaks but only of Bishops and Deacons that were ordained by the laying on of hands and declares it is the duty of the rest of the brethren in the Church to prophesie as 1 Cor. 14. 31. Ye may all prophesie one by one and that it is the duty of others in the Church to doe the work of Evangelists Pastors and Teachers It is hereby clear that they may be Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastours and Teachers that were never ordained by the laying on of hands And so much for answer to that query And since it is made so evident that Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastours and Teachers have continued all the while the Beast hath continued I hope hereby they that thorow darknesse have been of the contrary minde will be hereby convinced of their errour herein And now be ye exhorted to frequent the Assemblies of Saints and come to those meeting places where such as are precious Saints doe hold forth the word of truth and by the Spirit of Prophesie doe sprak unto men to edification exhortation and comfort O come you and partake of those gifts of the Spirit whereby some are inabled to hold forth the glad tidings of the Gospel to publish peace and grace and mercy thorow Jesus Christ and to doe the worke of an Evangelist and partake you of those gifts whereby others are inabled to unfold the mysteries of the Gospel and to teach and instruct the simple and to doe the work of a Teacher In a word Come and partake of Apostolicall Propheticall and Pastorall gifts of all the particular operations and manifestations of the Spirit of Christ in his Saints which are given to profit withall Consider that Jesus Christ saith I will give unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie It is the gift of Jesus Christ unto his people which he gives not only for the good of the persons in whom it is but for the good of others also Saints have an interest in one anothers gifts and therefore Paul speaking of such as were Prophets as himself and Peter and Apollo saith he to the Saints 1 Cor. 3. 21 22. all are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas c. Thus the gifts that are given to others are given to them for me and the gifts that are given to me how weak soever are not altogether for my self but for others also for Jesus Christ hath so disposed of it to give several gifts to several Saints to this end to maintain Communion among Saints O therefore you that are Saints have Communion one with another that you may receive benefit from one another as Christ hath appointed For he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers What to do For the perfecting of Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Now doe you desire to be edified Doe you desire to presse forward toward perfection that you may not be as children carried about with every winde of doctrine Then frequent the Assemblies of the Saints that you may partake of their gifts Jesus Christ hath given them to effect these things in you and all his people and for the keeping a spirit of love among Saints that they receiving benefit one from another may not say one to another I have no need of you as those seem to doe that forsake the Assemblies of Saints but that all being joyned and knit together may encrease with the encrease of God And so much shall suffice to be spoken to this Deduction 6. Sixthly The next instruction that I shall come to though it be not the next in order yet I shall place it here because of the affinity it hath with this is this That since the Witnesses the Saints of Jesus Christ have had a spirit of praier all the while the Beast hath continued whereby their enemies have been devoured as by a spirituall fire then hereby they may be convinced of their errour that say they are in Babylon and therefore doe not joyn with any in pouring out their fouls to God in praier nor yet doe it themselves Now let such consider that in the darkest mid-night of Popery Saints have had a spirit of praier and indeed it is not possible to be a Saint and not to have a spirit of praier It is the very nature and constitution of the spirit of a Saint to ascend upward to God in praier at all times and upon all occasions The truth is that though the Saints may be without other Ordinances as baptism and breaking of bread though I know no rule they have willingly to neglect
21 22. And again This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of him 1 John 5. 14 15. And by these passages it appears That Saints in the Primitive times before the great falling away and the rising of the Beast when they praied had assurance that they should have the Petitions they desired But when I pray I have no such confidence in many things and many times it is a long time before my Petitions are answered and in some Petitions I have a plain denial and therefore I question whether it be not sinfull for me so to continue praying until I am fully come out of Babylon and then I conceive that I shall have such a spirit of praier as the Saints had in the Primitive times and have confidence that whatsoever I ask of God I shall receive of him Answ First That the Saints while they have been under the bondage of Babylon have had a spirit of praier and have had their petitions heard is evident For their praiers have brought judgements upon their enemies being presented upon the golden Altar And if it have been no sin for these to continue praying though they were in Babylon then doubtlesse it would be no sin for thee to pray though thou shouldest be in Babylon But Secondly Whereas thou saist That in some things thou hast no confidence that thou shalt be heard and sometimes it is long before some Petitions are granted and other Petitions are plainly denied Let me tell thee That if in those things in which thou hast no confidence thou doe pray for them with the submission of thy will unto the will of the Father it may be no sin for thee so to pray for the things that thy soul desires though thou hast no confidence of them if they be such things as be not sinfull in themselves as such as these are not viz. to be delivered from bodily distempers to be kept from dangers in travelling whether by sea or land to be delivered from the tyranny of unreasonable men that seek to doe thee hurt or to have parents or children or wife or husband or brethren or sisters or any other friend delivered from bodily distempers or dangers in travelling c. or to have them brought to the knowledge of the truth from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God or to have them kept from errours and seducing spirits I say these and such like things which are not sinfull in themselves if thy soul desire them it will be no sinne for thee to pray for them though thou hast no confidence that they shall be granted so thou pray for these with the submitting of thy will to the will of the Father And this is clear in that the Lord Jesus himself in whom was no sinne did pray so with submission to the Fathers will for deliverance from that bitter cup which he was to drink of though he had no confidence that 〈◊〉 Petition should be granted So that Saints may pray for those things which thâ—y doe not infallibly know to be according to the minde of God and yet it may be no sinne so to pray if they doe pray with submission to the Fathers will And in so praying they may be acceptable to the Father who many times doth grant some of those Petitions as soon as they are put up and at other times after he hath made his people to wait long and to pray importunately for them And if some of them be denied yet their persons and praiers may be accepted and may be and sometimes are granted another way God giving them in that which is better then the thing desired But Thirdly All Saints may have and doubtlesse many Saints have as much confidence now in praier as the Saints had in the Primitive times for what was the confidence that Saints then had Saith John This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us This was the primitive Saints confidence and what Saint hath not this confidence now that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Saints are now confident That the things they pray for which God wils and intends to give unto them shall be granted only they have not an infallible spirit so as to know in all things what it is the will of God to bestow upon them But many things they doe know and others they have strong perswasions of when God in a more then ordinary manner moves their spirits to pray for them Thus Saints have a holy boldnes and confidence in approaching to the throne of Grace by the mediation of Jesus Christ coming to God in the spirit of Adoption being confident of having every good thing that a gracious and loving Father sees good for them all their Petitions are heard They are confident that if they ask any thing according to his will he heareth them And no Saints in the Primitive times had other confidence So that Saints it is no sinne for you to continue praying making known your requests to God but it is your duty so to do But Fourthly Though flesh doe break out and in some things Saints doe not pray aright yet they are not therefore wholly to neglect praying knowing that God still delights in the breathings of his owne Spirit in them although they have many weaknesses and infirmities in them And Fifthly If they finde their faith is not so high nor their confidence so strong as some Primitive Saints were then ought they to pray for the increase of faith If they be weak in faith let them have recourse to him who is the authour and finisher of faith for the strengthening of it who will give liberally and will not upbraid his people though they be weak Though a man that is altogether faithlesse hath no promise sure to him yet the man weak in faith hath as many promises made to him as he that is strong in faith So that though it be weak yet if it be a true faith in him that praies for the increase of faith he shall finde accesse to the throne of grace And so much for the clearing of this Deduction 7. Seventhly The next Deduction is to discover the excellency and preciousnes of Saints from the 4 5 verses they are discovered to be excellent in that they are said to be Olive trees they are not as the dry tree who is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned He. 6. 8. But blessed and happy is the condition of Saints For they have an unction from the holy Ones they stand in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth They are precious in the eies of God and profitable to men for they empty the golden oil they have received from the
where it is said That upon the raising of the Witnesses and their having a Spirit of life from God put into them and their standing upon their feet A tenth part of the City fell And it also appears That England being that tenth part of the City is fallen from mysticall Babylon and is no longer a part of it but is overcome by the Lord Jesus hee is now King of it who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will keep it for himselfe and will not suffer it to be subjected to the Beast any more The Saints in England are brought out of the bondage of mysticall Babylon and shall return no more to it and therefore they may be confident That none of the Romish power of any of the other nine Kingdomes neither those that are more remote or those that are nearer neighbours to it shall ever be able to prevail over England Thirdly The third ground of my affirming that the Parliament Armie and Witnesses in England shall hence-forth overcome all the enemies that shall rise up against them is evident also in Scripture for it appears also in the Explicatory part of this Discourse That the one thousand two hundred and threescore daies in which it is said in this Scripture That the holy Citie should be troden under foot and that the Witnesses should be in sack-cloth by reason of the Gentiles the spirituall Babylonians tyrannizing over them is one thousand two hundred and threescore yeares and did expire Anno Domini 1645. as appeares by computing the time of the Beast's continuance as it ought to bee computed by the Scripture account And also this one thousand two hundred and threescore yeares of the Beast's continuance appeares to be then expired because it is said That when the Witnesses had finished their prophesie in sack-cloth that then the Beast should make warre with them and overcome them Now the Beast having made warre against them and overcome them and they being raised again and set upon their feet to the feare of their enehemies in the yeare one thousand six hundred fourty and five It is by this evident that that year the one thousand two hundred and threescore yeares wherein the holy City the Saints should be troden under feet by the Beast did expire And now you Witnesses in the Parliament and Parliamentary Armie and Kingdome of England may be confident that all the combined power both of men and devils which shall conspire against you shall never be able to prevail against you for you shall be troden under foot no more the Beast shall prevail over you no more for the time of his prevailing over you is expired and he must hence-forth be troden under foot himselfe and you must henceforth prevail over him and you must reward great Babylon as she hath rewarded you the Cup which shee hath filled you must goe on to fill to her double Now in these considerations and from these grounds held forth in the Word of Truth the Scripture and that part of it in this booke of the Revelation which Revelation God gave unto his Sonne Jesus Christ to shew unto his servants Let all the Saints in England be strong and of a good courage and feare not what man can doe unto them Let not the heart of any one Saint be troubled fearing that either Poperie Prelacie or Presbytery shall recover any power in England to Lord it over Gods heritage to tyrannize over the Witnesses of Jesus Christ or to restrain them from walking in that way which appears to them to be according to the minde of God But Saints be you assured it shall never be since you have a Spirit of life from God put upon you and since England is fallen from Babylon and since the time of the Beast's tyrannical power over you is expired therefore cast off all unbeleeving thoughts and all distrustfull feares of these things and be confident That Jesus Christ will by you goe on conquering and to conquer And what though a great Armie should be a preparing to overcome you as there was in July one thousand six hundred and fourty seven Yet as then they were soon blasted so they shall be for the future For you have a Spirit of life and courage from God put into you therefore men shall not prevaile over you And you are no more a part of Babylon therefore you cannot be kept in bondage and the time of your being troden under foot is expired and therefore though all the Malignants in this Kingdome and in Scotland and all those forraign Forces that those factours of Rome that are gone from England into France or else-where can possibly procure were conjoyned together in one body and marching against you yet should not your hearts be troubled nor be affraid but be assured they should be overcome by you And what though you seem to be small in number You know that God hath formerly commanded others to stand for you and can doe so still if it be consonant to his wisdome now also but if it were not so it were an evil in you to distrust his power to whom it is all one to save by few or by many For victory commeth not from the strength of horses or the legs of men but from the Lord of hosts And therefore upon these grounds let all the Witnesses of England be confident of overcomming all that shall rise up against them by the strength of the Lord of hoasts their God And having experience that God hath done thus for them ever hitherto since one thousand six hundred and fourty five let them not be of such unworthy spirits as to be distrustfull for the future Deduction 18. The last particular that I shall hence observe is To stirre up the hearts of Saints to joyfulnesse and praises O Saints considering what God hath done for you seeing hee hath put a Spirit of life upon you and hath made you that lay dead to stand upon your feet And seeing that England is fallen from mysticall Babylon and that now your enemy the Beast shall have no more power over you he that hath troden you under feet a thousand two hundred and threescore yeares shall tread you under foot no more and that now your time of prophesying in sack-cloth is expired Put you now on in stead of your sack-cloth the garments of joy and praise and walk no longer sadly being delivered out of the bondage of spiritual Aegypt and from the oppression of your enemies let your hearts be affected herewith and your souls rejoyce in the apprehension of it For suppose that when you were under that bondage so that you were driven into corners and your enemies hunted after you to make a prey of you and having taken some of you did imprison some and fine others and banish others and pillory others if one should then have come into your meetings and told you as an infallible truth That within one moneth your enemies should be brought down
and tyrannize no longer over you but you should be set at liberty to worship the Lord Jesus in that way which he should discover to you to be most agreeable to his owne minde How would your spirits at the apprehension hereof have been filled with joy Your joy would have been such as would have been beyond expression O let your joy be now no lesse since this is actually done and especially having assurance that you shall be brought under bondage no more but let your hearts leap and sing for joy And in your joy let the high praises of God be in your mouths and let him be exalted in your spirits O be frequent in offering up the Sacrifices of praises in the secrets of your spirits unto your God that hath done such things for you I will extoll thee O Lord saith David for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me This is now the case of all the Saints in England The Lord hath lifted them up and doth not suffer their foes to rejoyce over them O that with that sweet singer of Israel they might extoll the Lord their God in it and for it for Praise is comely saith that holy man For the upright Psal 33. 1. And it is a good thing saith he to give thankes unto the Lord and to sing praises unto the name of the most High and to shew forth his loving kindenesse in the morning and his faithfulnesse in the nights Psal 92. 1 2. Let Saints therefore be much in this comely good and pleasant worke of praise and improve all opportunities to exercise themselves in this worke Let them sing praises unto the most High in the morning and shew forth his loving kindenesse and faithfulnesse in the nights Though others forget God and he is not in all their thoughts and they doe not remember the great things he doth for his people yet let him be much in the thoughts of his Saints yea much in their thoughts to praise him for his benefits And let them say within themselves Blesse the LORD ô my soul and forget not all his benefits O let them not forget to praise him for what he did for them in the year 1645. but let them register in their hearts the particular acts of the great things he then did for them and let them not forget what hee did doe for them in July 1647. Let them not suffer these things to slip out of their minde but let them call to minde how frequent and importunate they were with God in praier for to obtain these mercies for themselves and for the Kingdom and having now attained them let them be as frequent and as ready to praise him Call upon me saith God in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50. 15. O now you that called upon God in the day of trouble and were heard be you much in that heavenly and angelical work of glorifying God! Let all that love the Lord in England remember that it is the duty as well as the priviledge of those that have got the victory over the Beast to sing a song of praises unto him that fits upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Revel 15. 3. And since they are the persons that have now got the victory over the Beast Let them with enlarged hearts sing that new song of praise and let not doubtfull nor distrustfull thoughts of the power and faithfulnes of God for the future in the least measure sad their spirits or keep back their praises but let the voice of joy and praise be heard in the tabernacles of the righteous in England for the right hand of the Lord is exalted the right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly for them and they shall not die but live and declare the works of the LORD Psal 118. 15 16 17. The Postscript IT being so that since my finishing of this Discourse there are some further mutations in these Kingdomes which may seem to give to some some ground to question that which I have here asserted viz. That the Witnesses are slain by the Beast and that according to this Prophesie after they had lain dead three years and an half they are risen and doe stand upon their feet If this be so may some one say then how cometh it to passe that there is such a probability that the enemies of the Saints shall again get ground of them and bring them again into a low condition For Inchiquin in Ireland and Poyer in Wales and a great party in Scotland doe seem to act afresh for the Beast and doe expresly declare against the Witnesses under the titles of Independents and Sectaries c. but if the Witnesses were indeed slain and raised then undoubtedly they should indeed go on conquering and overcoming the Beast and the Beast should no more recover power over them to put them into a distressed condition for then the daies of their prophesying in sack-cloth in sad and sable garments is expired But how can it be said to be so since the Beast seems in a probable way of recovering power over them again Now that this seeming ground of fear may be removed I shall lay down these three considerations First That though the Beast shall no more prevail over the Witnesses to bring them down yet he may and must endeavour to oppose the Witnesses and again to make war against them that they may bring him downe for now that the time of his prevalencie over the Saints is expired he must not long continue in his present station but as he shall not goe higher so he shall go lower yea he shall come down wonderfully and how shall that be but by his opposing the Saints who shall be as a burden some stone and all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in peeces And therefore the more we see that that the accomplices of the Beast do endeavour to oppose the Saints the nearer we may conclude that hee and they are to their ruine and therefore their risings and stirrings should be rather encouragements then discouragements unto the Saints But Secondly That the Witnesses are indeed slain and risen and do stand upon their feet is altogether unquestionable because as appeares by the fore-going Discourse this prophesie of the slaying of the Witnesses and of their rising c. is in every particular iota and tittle of it most exactly accomplished I will not here recapitulate any of the particulars but refer the Reader to the fore-going Discourse but shall here only desire the Reader to consider of this one in a more especiall manner viz. That the holy Ghost expresly declares that the falling of a tenth part of the City should immediately follow the Witnesses standing upon their feet and be in the same hour with it as an effect of it Now that a tenth part of the City particularly the Kingdom of England is fallen