own invention in stead thereof and would not suffer the practicall directions of Jesus Christ to have a Being on earth but turnes the Scriptures that testifie of Christ up-side down advancing the Mysterie of Iniquity that is the Serpent in the flesh in stead of the mystery of godlinesse God manifest in the flesh and hath drawn a dark veil over the free grace of Gods absolute workings as the witnesses testifie God to be all in all and carries sinners back again to a ceremoniall Jewish and legall way of worship to seek salvation not by faith onely but as it were by the workes of the law As for instance in 8. particulars 1. Jesus Christ said Wee should bee all taught of God and that he would send the Spirit of truth to lead us into all truth But the Beast saith we must be taught by men and calls the teachings of God without mens teachings a delusion 2. Jesus Christ sends forth his servants to preach the Kingdome of God that is to speak of what they have heard and seen of the indwelling and in-working of God in themselves and in the man Jesus Christ But the Beast will suffer none to preach though they be taught of God unlesse they come out of her Schools of learning first and so speak what they have seen and heard from Commentaries Books and ancient Authors 3. Jesus Christ commands his servants to love their enemies and pray for such as doe despitefully use them But the Beast though she pretend love to God by outward profession will not onely oppresse and kill despiteful enemies but such as are peaceable men under the name of factious and men of errors if they cannot conform to her principles and practices 4. Iesus Christ calls his Church out of the world makes them to beleeve in God by his own almighty power but the Beast will have a whole Parish a whole kingdome and so the whole world to be his Church in her time or else she wil suffer him to have no church at all 5. Iesus Christ speakes honourably of the Saints and calls them his sheep his little flocke his peculiar ones But the Beast speakes bitterly of them evill intreats them prisons whips oppresses and murders them and thinks she doth God good service in so doing 6. Jesus Christ commends the Communion of Saints such as worship the Father sincerely in spirit truth The Beast commends the communion of bare professors for Saints whose worship lies in forms and customes onely 7. Jesus Christ declares that his Sabbath or day of rest to a Saint is his indwelling in the soul and the souls indwelling in him which is continuall and not an observation of one seventh day in the week after the Jewish type But the Beast being unacquainted with the substance observes one day in seven after the manner of the typicall worship and condemnes the soules continuall resting in Christ and Christ in it for an error 8. And so for Baptiâ—me breaking of Bread and Saints communion Ministers maintenance as Jesus Christ left direction the Beast by her usurped authority and fleshly inferences quite altered and practices clean contrary things of her own invention and hath deceived the whole earth that all the world wonders after the Beast and judges her wayes more wise more holy more orderly and more decent then the Directory of Jesus Christ And thus we see the Beast hath killed one of Gods Witnesses Jesus Christ both in his humane Body and in his testimony and Christ hath lain like a dead body under the power of the Beast three dayes and upwards of the halfe And then for the Saints in whom the same Anointing dwels who are Gods second Witnes for they hold the testimony of Jesus to acknowledg the Lord their God and him onely will serve First the Beast hath killed the bodies of their flesh by martyrdom in several ages of the world by-past in her three dayes that are by-past And so all along since the Beast hath slain them in their actings and testimony and would not suffer them to receive Christ and his testimony And whereas the Anointing teaches them to worship the Lord their God only acknowledge him all in all in binding and loosing the Conscience The Beast hath usurped this power which she got by craft from the Kings of the earth to appoint directories Ordinances and Ecclesiastical Governments to inforce every one upon pain of prisons and death not to deny these but to own them to submit to them as Gods Directories Ordinances and Government to the binding and loosing of Conscience when the plain truth is they are but the thresholds of the Beast laid equal with Gods thresholds and the Posts of the Beasts house set equal with the Posts of Gods house and brought in on purpose to pollute Gods Sanctuary for which God will consume the Beast and all that worship both him and his Image CHAP. VI The Witnesses were slain long agoe have lien dead in the street of the great City three dayes and almost the half and are now upon their rising NOw consider that this slaying of the two Witnesses is past long agoe and they are lying in the street of the great City like dead bodies three dayes and an half but I believe they have lien dead well nigh their full time if not compleat for I believe they are upon their rising But are the Witnesses then slain for certain I answer by the experience that we have of the fulfilling of Johns Vision and Prophesie it appears clear to me that they are slain And that the troubles of the world at this very day is but the Cloud in which the Witnesses doth ascend up to God after that the spirit of life from God was entered into them This is partly seen by some already but for the time and season when God will make this manifest to the view of the world I am silent God hath the times and seasons in his own power yet I have perswasions in me from experimentall grounds of Gods own working that ere long within few years God will make this visible to the world but they shall be filled with great feare and be offended at it A mans own sight and perswasion will not satisfie others therefore I shall add a few things more that lies in my spirit to confirm this grounded upon Johns Vision for the fulfilling of a Prophesie shews the meaning of a Prophesie In Revel. 8. 13. There are three woes denounced to the Inhabitants of the earth the first woe is past already and I have nothing to speak of it but only this That when the bottomlesse pit or corrupt flesh was opened made manifest and had a liberty to act it self it brought forth woe and sorrow to the Inhabitants of the earth that is to such as lived below God meerly in the use of creatures of this world such as lived seemingly
bloud of a dead man that is to corrupt and dye for ever And every living soul within the Sea dyed That is All the strength glory and being of the beast dyed And the place and power fleshly wisdom and actings against Christ and the Saints was seen no more And this suites with the Oath that the Angel swore in Daniels hearing and in Johns hearing likewise That when the beast had accomplished to scatter the holy people all those things in the vision should be finished and time should be no more For when the seventh Angel had powred out his vial upon the Ayre or the element wherein the beast lived which is a humane magisterial power got from the Kings of the Earth when they and she committed spiritual fornication together after that God had limitted the beast a time to reign in Then there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven that is from Christ saying it is done And in that day saith God I will make a Covenant of peace for Israel and I will break the bow and the sword and the battel out of the Earth and make them lie down safely And there shall none hurt in all Gods holy mountain any more as the Beast hath done hurt But secondly when these waters are applied to Nations Kinreds Tongues and People as they be for saith John The Waters which thou sawest whereon the Whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues Then they point out unto us those people men and women in whom the flesh rules in all her self-actings and inventions against Christ and in either of these senses that is either the multitude of fleshly inventions arising from the spirit of self-love or the multitude of people in whom the flesh works so powerfully or both these joyned into one body make up the City Babylon And all those phrases as Mystery Babylon Beast Whore and Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth are to be applyed hereunto And when the waters are thus turned into bloud by the testimony of Gods two Witnesses that is the wisdom inventions and actings of the flesh are now destroyed and proved evil and the men in whom this wisdom appeared against God are ashamed and confounded then it is manifest That the seed of the woman Christ the anointed hath broken the Serpents head I heard the Angel of the waters say Thou art righteous O Lord which art which wast and shall be because thou hast thus judged For they have shed the bloud of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them bloud to drink for they are worthy And by these phrases thus made manifest it appeares that Jesus Christ in his two-fold appearance in the flesh and in the Spirit as hath been declared are Gods two faithfull Witâ—esses and can be meant of no creature CHAP. IV. What is meant by one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which is the time given to the two witnesses to prophesie in cloathed in sack-cloth AND now I come to the third particular to be minded that is to shew the meaning of the thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which is the time given them of God to prophesie in and when they must be slain and who it is that slayeth them In handling of this I shall observe three things in prophesie First to prophesie is to fore-tell either in plain or dark language what hereafter shall come to passe And this did God the Father when he said The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head And this is both a Promise and a prophesie Secondly to prophesie is to make such things plain and easie to the understanding of others which appeared dark and hidden before And this did Jesus Christ when he made the mysteries of the Kingdome of God plain and easie to the understanding of his◠〈◊〉 which were spoken indark sayings 〈◊〉 ther 's and this is Gospel-ministery by the 〈…〉 of truth Thirdly to prophesie is to give testin◠〈◊〉 or proofe of such things to be true by 〈◊〉 Discoveries which God hath 〈◊〉 or fore-told heretofore should 〈◊〉 passe in the latter dayes And this did Jesus Christ when he by his Death and Resurrection did experimentally prove himselfe to be the seed of the Woman that broke the Serpents head And so the Spirit of Christ in the coÌ„version of sinners to God doth provelikewise by many cleare experiences that those sinners so taken up to God are part of that seed of the woman in whom the Serpents head is broken And they shall prophesie in Sack-cloth saith God and so they doe For first all those abusive slanders mockings oppressions and death which was laid wrongfully upon Jesus Christ for his enemies confesse they found no fault in him and yet they would crucifie him doth not all this shew a cause time and houre of mourning or wearing sack-cloth And this was the condition of Christ whilest he was in the world bearing a visible testimony to his Fathers counsell And this is the same condition of his church for as he was in the world so are â—hey The world knew not him neither doth the world know them The world hated him â—nd it hates them Secondly Sack-cloth implies the absence of â—ome friend plenty honour comfort c. And did not our Lord Christ leave his glory in Heaven and came and took upon him the forme â—f a Servant nay took upon him the curse â—ue to sin which is death that he might â—reak the Serpents head and free sinners from the bondage of that power of darknesse And â—oth not his Church goe on weeping carrying â—heir Sheaves with them like Pilgrims and â—â—rangers looking for a dwelling place in God â—nd waiting upon him till he wipe away all ears c. And thus they prophesie in Sack-â—loth Thirdly Jesus Christ prophesieth in Sack-â—loth while his heel is bruised by the Serpent â—nd his seed for in all their afflictions he is â—fflicted with them Therefore it is a time of â—â—ourning to Christ to see such cruelties and â—ppressions to be inflicted upon his Church â—hom he doth so dearly love And it is a Sack-cloth time to his church â—hen they see the Name the Truth end Testiâ—ony of their Lord Christ Whom they love to 〈◊〉 blasphemed rejected and persecuted in the â—orld And now I shall observe the time that God I â—ath given his witnesses to prophesie in and that is 1260 dayes The number of 1260 dayes is to be understood as I conceive in a two-fold sense yet both pointing out the mystery of God the first more Literall the second more Mysticall As first I conceive that these 1260 dayes are reckoned according to the dayes of a Week that our Saviour Christ Jesus did beare witnesse to his Father from the time of his Baptisme and descending of the Spirit upon him to the day that he was crucified For he began his visible testimony that
who is Truth it selfe came to them they called him a Deceiver and a man of Errors and sought to kill him through that conceit of theirs But Christ told them that of all men though they were the chiefe in humane learning in those dayes they were the deepest in sin and errors and the furthest from truth because you say Wee see saith Christ to them therefore your sin remains Now this good conceit of a mans self is not the wildernesse-condition it is not a safe hiding-place from the Serpent but it is before his face or in his hand Or again when Men suck content from creatures as from mens Learning gifts customs prayers or formes of worship and think they shall never have comfort umlesse they enjoy these outward helps this is to preferre the broken Cisternes before the fountains And this is not the Wildernesse-condition neither for still the poor man is before the face of the Serpent and in his hand for he seekes contentment from creatures and not from God onely by resting upon outward helps But now secondly when a soule is driven or called into the wildernesse where she is fed by Gods speciall and loving care from the face of the Serpent we are to mind two things First it is such a condition wherein a man is dead to all his owne wisdome memory strength learning actings and lookes upon all as priviledges of no gain but of weaknesse and of drosse without the Anointing he cannot meditate nor understand till God come into him he cannot speak till God give utterance he feeles his heart barren of understanding of love of peace he feeles and sees nothing in him but onely a thirsting soul after God whom his secret thoughts tell him is able to satisfie him if he please but to manifest himselfe And secondly as the soul sees a barrennesse and death within it self so likewise is she dead to every thing without she finds no comfort or strength from any man or creature preaching praying and all outward forms are barren actions to this poor soul because she sees the Spirit absent And therefore she cries Saw yee not my beloved him whose enjoyment I â—onâ— after I can take no delight in your company and societies and in your actings unlesse my God whom my soul loves did manifest himself to me there The experiences and writings of Prophets Apostles and Saints are dry shels to me and cannot comfort unlesse God whom my soule breathes after give to me likewise some experience of his love as he gave to them and then I shall have joy yea and my joy then will be fulfilled and not till then And here also the soule sees and feels a barrennesse as if she were in the midst of an unfruitfull and dry wildernesse where she sees nothing within but a hunger-starving soule nor any thing without round about but barren trees as our Saviour sought for Figs from the tree but found none Now this poor man sees nothing in others and nothing in himself to nourish him but onely a secret hope of relief from God Waiting upon him with tears in his eyes till God come longing to see him mourning in his absence for the soule hath no sensible manifestation as yet And this I conceive is the wildernesse into which the woman fled in which the Lamb feeds her and this is a sure hiding-place from the face of the Serpent and a very safe condition in two respects First because God is now ingaged to take care of this soule for by Woman in that place I conceive is pointed out the Church in generall and every particular beleever and what is made good to one soule is true in all Sion she is now dead to all other protectore but alive to God she waits she sighes she breathes after him O. when shall I see my God when shall I be satisfied with the Mannoe Which is from heaven even the sweet enjoyment Of the Anointed Secondly it is a safe condition because the soule is now in a way of nourishment before God from the face of the Serpent God never manifests himselse to a soule till he hath first emptied her of her-selfe and drawn her off from sucking milk from the teats of the creatures For saith God whom shall I give understanding to and to whom shall I teach doctrine but to them that are drawne from the milk and are weaned from the teats of a mans own self-conceit and sucking contentment from mens learning and inventions And so saith the Apostle You are dead to all things below God but your life is hid with GOD in Christ This is a very safe condition for a poor soul though she thinkes not so for she is now in Gods way that leads to true rest And when God is pleased not onely to allure her and bring her into this wildernesse but begins likewise to speake kindly to her and to manifest his love in lively and sweet discoveries then the writings and experiences of Prophets Apostles and Saints do fulfill his joy and he now sees there is no lie of the truth that is of the Anointing But this woman say some cannot point out a partioular Beloever but some thing more generall because it is said That the Earth helped the woman as you may read Rev. 12. 15 16. I conceive there is no scruple in this objection I will answer it briefly First if the Magistrates or common people be this Earth as some think then it followes that if they help the Church in generall they help every particular believer also But I conceive that interpretation is too far below the spiritualnesse of this mystery though there may be a truth in it notwithstanding For God makes use of Magistrates and common people to help his Church and Saints against the Serpents flood of mallcious temptaitons But by Earth I rather conceive is to be understood the humane body of Christ which is made of the same earth that our Bodies are and this helps the Church for by the blood of this Lamb they overcome the Serpent and by this Lamb they are fed as you may read more fully Rev 7. 9. 17. Now in the second place we are to look into the mysticall meaning of this number 1260 dayes And I conceive they point out the length of time that the Church of Christ is to lie under the captivitie of the little Horn or Antichristian power which are called Gentiles for they are not in covenant with God The time of the battell as I shewed was 126â— dayes according to single dayes in a Weeke And the holy City shall be trod under the feet of the Gentiles almost so many yeares according to the yeares in a mans life This conceive is one mystery of God I say almost doe not say altogether so many yeares as the beattell was dayes For Christ will not have them to hold an even proportion of years to those
together be manifest in them call you this likewise what you will I am confident it speaks like the Dragon and is of the Image of the Beast and part of the half day But I will speak one work of comfort to the Saints your captivity under the Antichristian power is come to the half day or half time and the Lamb will nourish and feed you before the Throne or under the eye and protecting care of God in this half time as he hath fed the Church with love and watchfull care in the 3 dayes that are past And the power of this blaspheming horne that will not acknowledge Christs testimony nor suffer others to acknowledg him this day of his is and shall be shortned for the elects sake And I believe ere long we shall heare the Angel say it is done her 3 dayes and half or her time times and half time is now accomplished And the stone which is cut 〈…〉 Mountains without hands even 〈…〉 Christ our righteousnes shall destrâ—â—◠〈…〉 workings and Kingdom of darkne◠〈…〉 in the Saints and likewise 〈…〉 power that Satan exercised over 〈…〉 he trod them under foot the 42. 〈…〉 now Christ will reigne himself for 〈…〉 ever for of his Kingdom there shal1 〈…〉 And then the world shall see by experience that word of Solomon to be made good That when the wicked that is the flesh rules the City mournes but when the righteous that is Jesus Christ rules the City Zion rejoyces and there is great shouting for joy among the Saints when they can speak by experience and say O rejoyce rejoyce for the Lord God Omnipotent reignes And now doth the Sonne of righteousnes rise higher in the bright manifestations of himself upon the soules of his Saints And the day of Christ begins to shine more clear even that one day as Zachariah calls it which did appear in the hearts of Saints formerly for Abraham saw it and David saw it and rejoyced to see it And truly this day of Christ this sweet discovery of the Fathers love to poor sinners began to dawne upon the seventh day in course after the Creation of all things for Adam sinned upon the sixth day towards the close of the day or cool of the evening And then the seventh day in course should have been a day of punishment or destruction to Adam for his disobedience I but the Son of our righteousness rises presently and love appeared in this promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head and so stopped the breakings forth of wrath and made it a day of joy and gladness unto lost sinners And therefore when the Jews told Christ he was a finner because he had broke the Sabbath-day when he had but cured the lame Man upon that day Why saith Christ my Father worketh hitherto and I work that is All the six dayes was my Fathers time of working and making all things but the seventh day is my day and now I work to bruise the Serpents head and to save that which was lost And therefore I say this one day of Christ did dawn upon the seaventh day from the creation and the Sonne of righteousnes hath rose higher and higher in the discoveries of himself or his Church though the thick and cold clouds of flesh and self-love both in our selves and in the world hath darkened the beames of it from us I but now the Winter is near past the Summer is come the flowers appear in the earth that is the glorious workings of the Anointing in the spirit of Saints The time of the singing of birds is come that is all the Saints begin to sing Halelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth within and begins to reign in the world and the voice of the turtle is heard in our Land that is the voice of the Lord Christ our rightousnes is heard and seen to rule in our flesh And now the Beast or wisdom and power of our corrupt flesh or Serpent within us is wounded to death and she shall reign no more And so by the multitude of divine discoveries self-love and confusion shall be destroyed in the flesh of Saints and their very flesh shall be made that land of righteousnes even the branch or the Lords own planting the Inheâ—â—tance of their Father in whom the King of Righteousnes and the King of Peace shall dwell and rule for ever And by the multitude of these Saints whom Christ will raise up like drops in a shoure of raine for number All the oppression injustiee false shewes and formes of Gods Worship shall all be destroyed in the World and judgement shall run down our streets like a stream and righteousnes like a River And though there be a people still on earth in whom the wisdom and power of the flesh dwells as yet there must be yet the power of it shall be kept under and suppressed by the power of Christ the Anoining in the Saints for a certain terme of years appointed by the Father And then he will let Satan loose again who shall stir up those children of disobedience in whom he dwells to joyn together in one mind and spirit of malice and of fleshly wisdom and force which is Gog and Magog 〈◊〉 destroy the holy City the Saints the body of Christ and house of God But then shall the wrath of the Lamb be made manifest to their destruction and then comes the End That the Son shall deliver up the KINGDOM unto the Father CHAP. V. The Witnesses were to be slain when they had finished their Testimony NOw in the next particular we are to mind the time when the Witnesses are to be slain and that is when they have finished their Testimony as John speaks When they shall have finished their testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomles pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them These two Witnesses I conceive may be said to have finished their testimony when by manifest experience they have made it appear that the seed of the Woman hath broken the Serpents head and so have proved the Word of the Father to be true And this they have done for first Jesus Christ in his own person he broke the Serpents head when he trod under his feet all the subâ—â—wit and power of the Serpent and prevailed over all his temptations so that Satan could find nothing in him and so by death overcame him that had the power of death which was the Devil Secondly Jesus Christ breaks the Serpents head in the Saints when he makes them able to speak out of experience I was proud saith the soul now God hath made me humble I was envious now God hath made me love even my enemies I loved and acted injustice now God hath made me to hate injustice and to love truth in my heart and to
act righteousnes chearfully The flesh and the lusts of it ruled strongly in me now holines rules in me so that I can look back and see my strong sins and lusts lie like dead enemies before me and my heart rejoyceth in the Anointing who hath given me the victory And now I see That the love the self-denial the inward rejoycing of my heart to advance God above all things is Christ the Anointing in me the hope of my future established enjoyment of God And this is my life and this my life is hid with God in the Anointed in this glory of Christ thus revealed in me and to my sight feeling that the Serpents head is broken in me in part and shall be quite broken at the resurrection at the day that my body is raised out of the dust In this I rejoyce with joy unspeakable Formerly my life and joy was bound up in creatures in riches in friends in self-satisfaction in my pride covetousnes and contents of the flesh Ah but now my life is the enjoyment of my God His wisdom I glory in His will His love His spirit of truth I glory in Not only to heare of these without by the voice of others but to feel the working dwelling and ruling in me To hear that Christ was raised from death and from the grave is joy But to see and feel Christ the Anointing raised upon me and to feel him who is the spring of life to be opened in me and to send forth sweet manifestations of God to my soul this is much more joyous and full of abundance of inward refreshments But the foul sees and feeles more of this glory within it self then it can relate in words And when once the Saints can speak this in experience then the Serpents head is broke in them the seed of the Woman and they seal to the truth of the Fathers word and now their testimony is finished And this was Pauls case while the Serpents power and head ruled in him he was a blasphemer and a persecuter as himself confessed but when the power of God appeared to break the Serpents head in him then saith he but I have obtained mercy and by the grace of God am made to preach and to acknowledge and practice that faith of God which once I endeavored to destroy But when the Witnesses had thus finished their testimony and proved the word of the Father true in their own experience then the Beast that ascended out of the bottomles pit made War against them and kil'd them Now here mind first what is the bottomles pit I conceive it is the corrupt heart and flesh of man for there is no end of the pride envy ignorant self-conceited subtilty and hurtfull nature of it against Christ the Prince of Princes and being far below God For let a man live ten thousand Million of years and the sinfulnes of his flesh will not lessen but grow worse and worse and rise higher and higher in wickednes against righteousnes and peace if Christ do but let him alone so that the depth of this pit being so far below God may be well said to be bottomles But this is spoke after the manner of men for no man can search the bottom of his heart but God knowes the full depth of it it is not a bottomles pit to him though it be a bottomles pit to men Then secondly mind That the Beast that rises up out of this bottomles pit is the wisdom and power of it branching it self forth into divers forms of Church-Government being contrary to Christ in every thing and so makes war against Gods witnesses in all their actings either inwardly or outwardly And this Beast or blind subtil hypocriticalnes of the flesh will not suffer Christ the Anointing to rule in the flesh but she will rule therein and over Christ too this is the Beast which hath his seat in every Son and Daughter of Adam Now John speaks of a smoak that rises up out of the bottomles pit and this smoak I conceive is either the inward inventions accusations and workings of the flesh within like a cloud hiding the Son of righteousnes from the soul as long as he can Or else it is the outward actings of the wisdom of the flesh in hypocrisie and provocations from men which is like an overflowing wave of powerfull wickednes which drownes the souls of men under ignorance and darknes that they know not what to do or else pufs up their minds with a vain confidence that they worship God according to his word when as it is manifest they have not so much as the letter of the word to warrant their practices and so this smoak becomes a strong delusion to them in whom the Beast reignes with power Then thirdly mind there is a King of this bottomles pit and that is Satan the spirit of darknes that rules in the children of disobedience or the Prince of the Ayre The Ayre I conceive is the element wherein the Beast or whorish spirit lives and that is either the time which God hath given her to reigne in or else the humane compulsive and coersive power exercised by Satan against Christ his Saints compelling the Saints to forsake the spirituall way of Christ and to honour the God of forces and of Silver and Gold which they know not as Daniel speaks for take away this power or let but the Angel powre out his Viall upon this Ayre and the Beast dies her time is done or accomplished So that here is the bottomles pit the corrupt flesh Then the Beast that ascendeth out of this bottomles pit and that is The wisdom of the flesh which is enmity against God And then here is the King of this bottomles pit Even Satan or the universall power of darknes that leads poor sinners captive at his will And yet these three are but one power of darknes in three discoveries fighting and making War against Christ and his testimony But the Anointed will destroy this power of darknes and translate his mysticall body into his own Kingdome of light and liberty And when they had finished their testimony the Beast shall make War against them and shall overcome them and kill them Before I proceed it is needfull to clear one Scripture of Daniel that may raise a scruple In that which I have already writ it appeares that God said the Witnesses should prophesie in sack-cloth 1260. dayes But when one Saint spake to another Saint and asked how long shall be the vision of the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be troden under foot The Angel answered unto 2300. dayes Then shall the Sanctuary be clensed Now this time of Daniels vision was 14. Generations except the 70. years captivity before Christ came therefore I conceive
ready to assent hereunto even to stop the mouth and to kill Truth And this is cruelty the flesh would not have Truth to live but is still heart-burning against it Truth must be kild because it testifies against the flesh that the deeds thereof are evill If thou be vain-glorious and the flesh be proud of Learning gifts preaching praying actings and set a man tell thee never so mildly of thy pride coveteousnesse and oppression or self-worship and blind devotion and though the inward conscience tell thee thou art scuh a one yet thy flesh burnes and swels presently and nothing wil satisfie thy disquiet flesh if it might have its will but the imprisonment and death of him that speakes the truth And is glad to heare of any Glosse or subtill invention or authoritative Law that doth seem to kill Truth and countenance a vain and empty form of Gods worship If God give thee a discerning heart thou wilt acknowledge that thy own flesh within as well as the flesh of other men is very cruel against truth and rejoyces in its death And when the Flesh gets a power into his hand as it hath a power when the Kings of the earth give their authority and power to it then it puts all politick Lawes and Ecclesiasticall Constitutions into execution to kill the appearances of Truth every where The Jewes by the envy and policy of their flesh first made a Canon-Law that whosoever acknowledged Iesus the Anointed should be put out of the Synagogue And within a littie time after did put this Law into execution and did cast the poor man out whom Christ had cured of his blindnesse because he testifies love to Christ and said he was no sinner whom their flesh said was a sinner Likewise they did imprison and beat the Apostles by the same Ecclesiasticall Law because they preached the Name of Iesus And have we not all experience how this selfe-honoring Beast in her three shapes already past hath mightily suppressed martyred and worn out the Saints of the most high God by executing her Canon-Lawes by Inquisitions High Commissions and Classicall Censures upon those innocent Lambs of Christ that could not conform through their love to God unto her fleshly forms of worship and Carnall Customes which he hath with a great confidence declared to be according to the Scriptures which upon examination appears to be her own invention and fancy and not agreeable to the sense of the Scriptures in any kind And here lies the great mystery of all God the Father will have his Son Iesus Christ to be advanced King Priest and Prophet for God in Flesh must rule and this is Gods Kingdome But the corrupt felsh or rather the Serpent in flesh would be God therefore all the wisdome and power of it sets it selfe as God and strives to advance it selfe â—above God and denies and persecutes Gods Anointed ones in whom God delights And this Mystery of iniquity did work in Daniels time by envy and craft against the appearances of God in Daniel And it prevailed in the time of Caiaphas the High Priest to kill the Man Christ Iesus who was Gods faithful and true Witnesse And as the Beast had got a humane corrupted power to put Christ to death yet an illegal law for the Judge confessed he found no fault in Christ yet the Beast had no law to put such to death as acknowledged or beleeved in Christ for the Anointing in Saints was not yet known so manifestly in the world Therefore she began to creep in in Rauls time to spy out the Saints liberty and to bring them into bondage and after some few years she commits fornication with the Kings of the earth and they gave their authority and power to the Beast and then an universall Bishop was set up at Rome and a compulsive power was put into his hands to compell all men and women to conforme to what Divine government or worship he and his Colledge made or else to suffer punishment And now the Beast makes Directories and Church-governments not according to Scripture but by her Conclusions and Inferences from Scripture that agree not with the Mystery of God but with her own Being maintenance And likewise she hath power in her hand to make laws and Canons and Ecclesiastical censures to inforce a conformity hereunto The first of these is to insnare the Saints and to catch them within the limits of a law and in the next place to kill them And thus the Beast hath killed and worn out the Saints and made warre with Christ Gods two Witnesses a long time And the Beast hath killed them by her Ecclesiasticall lawes an ordinance of government which God never made but is a corrupt power cunningly juggled out of the hands of civill Magistrates of the earth which is Gods Ordinance which he appointed for the government of the world And by this Ecclesiasticall Bastardly power which was got in fornication with the Kings of the Earth The Beast hath reigned and lived in pomp like a delicate Whore first killed and then trod the Witnesses under her feet For now she doth what she will she sits like a Queen and knowes no sorrow for she hath a power from the Kings of the earth and this power is permitted and limited by our God to tread them under foot 42 months which beare testimony of her ruine For this is the testimony of the two Witnesses That God will reigne and dwell in Flesh and tread the Beast under his feet And this is Gods Kingdome but this the Beast cannot indure to heare of Therefore she envies Gods two Witnesses and uses all her policy to kill them and tread them under her Whorish feet that she might prove God a liar and reign her selfe as God in Gods Temple It is not any particular man or office that kils Gods witnesses but it is the Serpentine flesh in every man that advances it self in men and offices above God and this must be till God take him away or tread this wicked one under his feet But one thing note that the slayiug of the witnesses is not a slaying of the Bodies of their flesh onely but a slaying of their actions and testimonies by reproaches oppression and Ecclesiasticall laws not suffering them to act ike themselves according to their testimony of the Father in the view of the world so that they ly like dead bodies in the worlds account though they be still living in themselves and will appeare to the world to be alive ere long For first the humane body of Christ was kild by the Jews that was the History but this is not the onely killing for afterwards when the Beast had committed fornication with the Kings of the Earth then he killed the Lawes Ordinances and Commands of Christ by seting up Lawes Ordinances and Commands of his
forms Customs and oppressions for when the Witnesses are raised the limited power of the Beast is ended and he shall reign no longer and so the seaven thousand or the compleat number of such as mannaged the cause of he Beast have no more work to do And these are said to be slain in a twofold respect First when they shall see the cause of the Beast is destroyed and they are like to have no more gain come in for they have no work to do for they cannot work in Christs Vineyard Now their hearts are filled with anger madnes and vexation to see that inferiour people even the fools of the world but the babes and sucklings of Christ are raised up to speak the deep things of God which those Masters of Art understand not And so the seaven thousand seeing their Trade go down they grow very angry and that beastly spirit in them opens his mouth in balsphemy against God and blasphemeth his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven calling light darknes and darknes light and calling every truth an error because it is too high for their understanding and in this sense they are flain and their hearts die within them with discontent and vexation and so they lie in hell or under the dispensation of wrath But secondly these or some of these shall be slain in another sense That is they shall even burn their books forsake their private Chambers and Colledges and deny their Ecclesiastical Trade which their Fathers and friends for worldly living sake have bred them too and shall come in and joyn with the Saints to wait upon God and to give glory to him and some shall by the spirit of burning or bright appearing of God in them be thus slain and happy it will be for those among the seaven thousand that shall be thus slain for they have escaped the woe which the other that are disconted and angry lie under And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven by remnant are meant the common people that have been deceived by the false Prophet or 7000 that mannaged the cause of the Beast for when they shall see that Husbandmen and Tradesmen in every corner are able to speak in experience of things and truths which they have heard and seen from God their learned Clargy begin to be sleighted in their Office and be ashamed in their own visions though their persons be tender in the eyes of Saints c. Why now the ignorant common people are afraid that all Lawes and Governments shall be thrown aside nay the Beast doth buz them in the head with such a conceit to make the appearance of God odious as if men now should live in sin and error as they list without controle this the Beast pretends but inwardly her fear is she shall be destroyed her self because the Lawes forms directories and customs of the flesh are denyed by the Saints and Mordecaie that loves God will not bow to proud selfish Hamon and this is the remnant shall be afraid of But when God is pleased to put it into the hearts of Governours and Kings of the earth to take their Authority out of the hands of the Beast as our Governours in this tenth part of 〈◊〉 City have done in part and when God is 〈◊〉 sed to shake down all injustice in the civil â—â—istracy and restores that to the beauty and â—â—â—â—ty of justice and tendernes as I am confident 〈◊〉 is about that work then we shall have no â—se to fear or be troubled that we shall have 〈◊〉 Laws and Government for we shall then 〈◊〉 Laws and Governments according to truth 〈◊〉 Magistrates that will tender love and delight to be executing justice for the good and â—â—â—â—ry of the Common-wealth But this is the misery of our age men strive to uphold the usurped Ecclesiastical power which God never made only he determined to 〈◊〉 way it should rise and reign too forty two months over his Witnesses And in upholding of this which God is in throwing down because the time is near expired men are so maâ— and ignorant as the Beast hath deceived them that they will throw down the lawfull poweâ— too even Magistracy which is the higher power God hath ordained and commands every man to be obedient too And they count Magistracy no Government unlesse the Beast reign cheek by chaw by it as formerly in the dayes of ignorance but it must not be so for Magistracy in the Common-wealth must stand its Gods Ordinance But this Ecclesiastical beastly stoleâ— power in and over the Saints shall fall for the seven Angels of God are sent to powre out seaven Viols of wrath to blast curse and destroy all the glory of the Beast And when Christ comes in brightnes and consumes the remnant that is when Christ by his bright appearing burns up and consumes allâ— the ignorance envy discontent unbelief and alâ— the drosse of the flesh in all people and teacheâ— them to knowledge of his will Then this remnant shall give glory to God they shall then falâ— down before God and acknowledg him Lord oâ— Lords and King of Kings they shall acknowledge all Gods Ordinances and forsake the Beast and rejoyce and sing songs of praise because the Lord God omnipotent reigns This Ecclesiastical power hath been a great troubler of Magistracy ever since the deceived Magistracy set it up for when tender hearted Magistrates have sat in the seat of Magistracy it hath been a grief and burden to them witnes Queen Maries dayes as in the book of Martyrs To imprison banish fine and sometimes put to death peaceable quiet men that have no offence laid to their Charge but about the matters of their God as Darius bad Councellers troubled Daniel who indeed were a type of this Ecclesiastical troubler For while the Serpent ruled still in particular persons he was every foot put to his shifts to deceive and stir up new enemies against God and his Saints when the old ones returned to dust therefore he wrought very subtilly to deceive the Kings of the earthâ— that by them might be established this Ecclesiastical troubler to be a standing Law for as Daniel speaks this King of a fierce countenance reigns by a power that is none of his own but by the power of Magistracy out of whose hand the Serpent hath got it by his craft And so though persons die that mannage the cause of this troublesome Beast and others come in their roome yet still the Office and trouble remains And it hath been observed that when some Bishops have first been made Bishops they were tender hearted and zealous but after a little time by mannaging this Ecclesiastical Beast which their Office tyed them too they grew hard-hearted and great oppressors of peaceable