surely it may be expected that upon diligent search accompanied with prayer much may be understood of this so dark a Prophecy 'T is again prest chap. 44.5 Mark well and behold with thine eyes and hear all that I say unto thee See and set thine heart as in the former place it is commanded behold with thine eyes the Frame and set thine heart to know the signification of it behold with thine eyes the shadow and set thine heart upon the substance and if the heart be set upon these things it shall be given to know the Mystery of them This Prophecy then should not be lookt on as unprofitable or that which cannot be understood Surely if all Scripture be profitable then this also and if all things were written for our learning then these things likewise how dark soever they may seem to be Luke 2.20 Christ read out of Isaiah the Prophet and then closed the Book and expounded the place to the Hearers saying This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And in this the Ministers of the Gospel should be like Christ they should read and give the meaning of Scripture But as to this Prophecy what do the most when they have read it but close the Book and lay it aside and are like those reproved by Christ Isa 29.11 The vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed which men delivered unto one that is learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I cannot for it is sealed and the book is delivered to one that is not learned saying Read this and he saith I cannot for I am not learned The Preachers excuse is the book is sealed the Peoples we are not learned but God hath not sealed it therefore let not men seal it either to themselves or others God saith Behold with thine eyes and set thine heart to all that I shew thee Let not any then shut their eyes nor turn away their hearts from these so admirable and glorious Discoveries For as God hath not said to the Seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain so he doth not here say See in vain Prop. 2. What is in this Prophecy given forth as a Precept and as shewing what ought to be is to be taken under the notion of a Promise and as declaring what shall be in the glorious state of the Church here set forth as chap. 45.9 O Princes of Israel remove violence Now as Princes at all times ought so then the Princes of Israel shall remove violence according to that promise Isa 60.18 Violence shall be no more heard in the land Chap. 44.24 The Priests shall judge according to my judgments Though 't is their duty yet it hath not been always their practice but in the estate of the Church here foretold it shall be as their duty so their constant practice Plato gave an Idea of a Commonwealth not such as ever was in the world but such as ought to be now here we have an Idea of a Church and Commonwealth not onely which ought to be but also which shall be Prop. 3. In this Prophecy one and the same Church is set forth by these two representations of a Temple and City by the Temple is set forth a pure and glorious Church constituted according to the mind of God wherein he shall be purely worshipped In it shall be the true Worshippers who shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth The Father seeketh such to worship him and here they shall be found By City is meant the same Church as a spiritual and heavenly Commonwealth As the same people of Israel were a Church and Commonwealth so as that all that were of the Church were also of the Commonwealth of Israel and all of the Common-wealth were of the Church so will it be in this time and State here foretold In this Temple Christ is the High Priest and Priest upon a Throne ministring for men in things pertaining to God In this City he is a King in the Temple he is Head of Saints as a Church leading them in and out and being in the midst of them chap. 46.10 giveth counsel life grace strength and acceptance to all As the Heart is in the midst of the body the Fountain of Life as the Sun is in the midst of the Planets giving light to all so is Christ in the Church And in the City he is Head of the same Saints as a Commonwealth Prop. 4. The Church which is here set forth as a Temple and City is that glorious Church which shall be after the calling of the Jews even that Church whose Windows shall be of Agates and Gates of Carbuncles and all her borders of pleasant stones And as this is meant of the Church of the Jews when they shall be called so therefore it is described by a Temple like the Temple at Jerusalem and by Jewish Rites and Figures The Substance is given forth under the names of the Shadows and the Holy Spirit speaking of things which shall concern the Jews speaks to them in the Jews Language That the Church of the Jews when they shall be called is here meant appears because the Names of the Tribes of Israel are mentioned as having Portions in the Land and Gates in the City and the Strangers that is the Fulness of the Gentiles who shall be brought in shall have an Inheritance with them Prop. 5. There is an Outer and an Inner Temple mentioned in this Description the outer Temple with its Courts and Gates and the Chambers of the Courts and Gates are described chap. 40. and 41. and the building of the separate place chap. 41.13 which is there called the Inner House and Inner Temple verse 15. and 17. In this Inner Temple are North and South Chambers even many Mansions Here are Priests which approach to the Lord and eat the most holy things Without in the Outer Temple are Ordinances which are holy things but in the Inner Temple the most holy things are eaten that is Christ himself in a Beatifical Vision of him Here is also a City described with its Gates and without that Portions for the Tribes of Israel each Tribe having a Portion in the Land and a Gate in the City Now what doth this signifie but that there will be a Church 1. In the City New Jerusalem and in the Inner Temple that is the Church Triumphant consisting of Saints come up to the measure of the stature of the Fulness of Christ of Saints I say both raised and coming with Christ and also of those which shall be then changed 2. It shews that there will be Churches also without the City consisting of Saints which shall have Portions in the Land and Churches of the Outer Temple and Saints in the Chambers of the Courts and Gates as well as in the Inner Temple Those in the chambers of the Courts and Gates and Outer Temple shall have the Perfection there required and that measure
Matthew is called the Fathers Kingdom Mark 14.25 and Luke 22.18 is the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of God in the Gospel most usually is taken for Christs Kingdom Luke 11.21 The Kingdom of God is within you or among you which must be understood of Christs Kingdom It is to be observed also that what is called the Fathers Kingdom in Matthew is called Christs Kingdom Luke 22.30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom 2. Christs Kingdom is included in the Fathers in that Petition Thy Kingdom come The Prayer is made to the Father Thy Kingdom c. Now in this Petition the coming of Christs Kingdom is first desired and after the Fathers when Christ shall have finished the work given him to do as Mediator Consid 6. This House with the whole Limit thereof and every thing belonging to it shall be most holy Chap. 43.12 This is the Law of the House upon the top of the Mountain the whole Limit thereof round about shall be most holy And 't is added to shew the certainty of it This is the Law of the House Q. But how a Law A. The Law of this House shall not onely be a Law shewing what ought to be For thus 't is a Law now and at all times that all things in the Church should be holy 1 Cor. 3.17 The Temple of the Lord is holy That is ought to be so But also a Law shewing what shall be There is a Law commanding and a Law causing that to be which is commanded like the Law of the Creation Let there be Light and there was Light So God will say Let this House be holy and it shall be so There is the Law in the Word and the Law in the Heart and in relation to this time especially God promises I will put my Laws in their inward parts and write them in their hearts c. The Law in the Scriptures requires obedience the Law in the Heart inclines to it and makes it natural and pleasant Paul said of Timothy I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state So when the Law is in the Heart it will make Men to care naturally for the things of God I mean with respect to the Divine Nature which Saints partake of Rom. 8.2 Mention is made of the Law of the Spirit Now such will be the Law of this House The Law of the Spirit which is mighty in Christ Jesus shall make the whole Limit of this House holy Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them And here let this farther be taken notice of and it will be a very comfortable consideration Not onely the Temple and Altar and those that worship therein are to be measured but also the Courts both inner and outer and the Gates and Chambers thereof all are to be measured and made according to their Pattern and so most holy Now compare with this Rev. 11.1 2. Where the Temple and Altar and those that worship therein are to be measured But the Court without was not to be measured because it was to be given to the Gentiles c. This sets forth the time of Antichrist's Reign who was to possess the outer Court But when the Gentiles thus tread down the Court which is without there is still a Temple and Altar and there are those that worship therein even a true Church holding Christ the Head and holding forth the truth as it is in Jesus and such who worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth And in this time the holy City must be troden down fourty and two Moneths Jerusalem in the Letter was trodden down of the Romans and Mystical Jerusalem hath been trodden down also As that by the Power of Rome when Heathenish so this by the Power of Rome Antichristian but Heathenish still Papists being but Heathens to the true Israel of God This Court trodden down of the Gentiles is cast out and not measured being cut off and separated from the Temple that is the true Church of God by the Reed of the Word as not belonging to the same Thus in John's Vision the outward Court is not measured but Heathens possess it But Ezekiel in his Vision sees the outward Court also measured with the Gates Thresholds Posts and Chambers thereof and all most holy What may be concluded hence but that 1. The State of the Church as it shall be after the Destruction of Antichrist is here set forth when the fourty and two Moneths shall be ended the Witnesses raised and the Jews called for so long as Antichrist remains he possesses the outward Court and it is not measured But being measured as we see in Ezekiel's Vision the Gentiles will be then cast out and Christ will tread in his anger and trample in his fury those who did tread down the Holy City And this measuring of the outward Court shews that the times of the Gentiles will be then fulfilled and the Jews inwardly and in the Spirit even a true Church shall be in the outward Court 2. Churches at this time will be pure yea most holy even the Churches of the outward Court for all will be measured The Wall on the outside of the House chap. 40.5 the Stairs the Gates the Thresholds and every little Chamber v. 6 7. all agree with their Pattern and so there will not be any Antichristian Church left but all will be holy yea most holy How will this be Churches will be as true so pure and in a degree of purity above what they have been at any time yet in the World The Church of the Jews in the Wilderness was holy the measured Churches which have been in the time of Antichrist's Reign have been holy And the Primitive Church gathered by the Apostles was more holy than any before or since But that Glorious Church which shall be after the Calling of the Jews being compared with the former shall be the most holy of all As Christ said of Iohn Baptist A greater than he hath not risen notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he So there hath not been a more Glorious Church in the World than the Primitive was but the least in the time here meant will be greater than that The least of Churches in the time of the New Heavens and New Earth will be greater and more glorious than the best in the times of the Old Heavens and the Old Earth And why may we not conceive that God is pleased to make use of the Names of the Types and Figures in setting forth this Glorious Church to declare that this Spiritual House will be framed as exactly according to an Heavenly Pattern as the typical House was and that true holiness will be as perfect and exact in this as typical was in that We know that Moses his Work was according to the Pattern
Woman of Samaria did the Samaritans Come see the man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ But they may then teach as Aquila and Priscilla did Apollo who instructed him in the way of God more perfectly This second Calling appears Zach. 13.9 Two parts shall be cut off and dye and I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine and try them I will say it is my People they shall say the Lord is my God And we may conceive that this second Calling will be by means of the personal appearing of Christ Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn Rev. 1.7 Every eye shall see him they also which pierced him Not only Judah which pierced Christ but also the ten Tribes Thus as Paul was converted by seeing Christ so shall the Jews And after this Joseph and Judah shall become one and one King shall be to them all And then every Tribe shall be in its portion in the Land and the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Saints coming with Christ shall stand in their Lot in the City 2. The Restitution of all things We read of a twofold Restitution of all things The first by Elias the second by Christ 1. By Elias Mat. 17.12 Elias shall first come and restore all things but I say Elias is come already The occasion of what was spoken of Elias was Christ's transfiguration which did prefigure his coming in glory And the Disciples from hence seem to conclude that Christ should then reign in glory But this lay in the way the Scribes say that Elias must first come To which Christ gives an answer in which two things are to be considered First Elias shall come and restore all things Here 's a plain assertion Elias shall come Which was spoken after John Baptist was come and gone And then this was a truth Elias shall come Secondly Christ answers Elias is come already So both are true Elias is come and Elias shall come As there is then a twofold coming of Christ so a twofold coming of Elias for an Elias is a forerunner of Christ at both his comings The first coming of Elias was foretold Isa 40.3 The voice of one crying in the Wilderness Mat. 3.1.3 this was fulfilled in John Baptist This is he that was spoken of by Isaias the Prophet And Mat. 17.12 Christ said that John was the Elias which was to precede his first coming The second coming of Elias is foretold Mal. 3.1 Behold I send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple c. Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven v. 5. Behold I send you Elijah the Prophet Though these Prophecies had some degree of accomplishment in John Baptist yet certainly the full accomplishment is yet to come For an Elias shall be 〈◊〉 before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Now this dreadful day must certainly be chiefly meant of the day of his second coming For first all here foretold cannot be said to be fulfilled at his first coming For did this day burn as an Oven so that all the proud and such as did wickedly were burnt up and had not root or branch left them This threat had not its accomplishment at the destruction of Jerusalem for this happened several years after the first coming of Christ 't is promised that at that time those that fear the name of God should go forth that is out of their bondage and afflicted state and should tread down the wicked so as that they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet But no such thing was done then the Saints did not tread down the wicked Jerusalem was trodden down by the Romans This Prediction doth well agree with other Prophecies of the great destruction of Christ's and the Churches Enemies and very much with Peter's Prophecy of the world's perishing by fire The time of Christ's first coming is called The acceptable year of the Lord and of proclaiming liberty to sinners to get forth from their spiritual Captivity So 't is expounded by Christ This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luk. 4.21 Now how can that so sweet a day spoken of by Esaias be the dreadful day spoken of by Malachi In this dreadful day the Sons of Levi shall be purified and the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant as in the days of old This was not fulfilled at Christ's first coming for then the Sons of Levi were the great Enemies of Christ and had the chief hand in crucifying him And then Judah and Jerusalem killed the Prince of Life so far were their Offerings from being pleasant as in the days of old By this it appears that an Elias is yet to come who shall restore all things and that to the Church in general and to the Jews in particular First To the Church in general The Apostles first preached the Gospel and were Witnesses to Christ they laid the Foundation which is Crist and built upon that Foundation Gold Silver and precious Stones Their Doctrine was pure and the Truths they preached very precious They laid no Commands upon the Disciples but what they received from the Lord They planted and watered and God gave an Increase Doctrine was found and saving Discipline was good Ordinances were rightly administred and they were the true Worshippers who worshipped the Father in Spirit and in Truth They had the guidance of an infallible Spirit in what they did as Apostles and Ministers of Christ But false Teachers quickly arose the Evil One sowed Tares the Mystery of Iniquity began to work and there were those who did build Wood Hay and Stubble Damnable Heresies were brought in and at last the Man of Sin was revealed with whom came in Idolatry Superstition and all kind of Abominations But in the time of this departure from the Faith Christ hath his faithful Witnesses bearing a testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus They prophesie when the Beast reigns but in Sackcloth and at last the Beast slays them But after three days and half the Spirit of Life enters into them and they stand upon their Feet and as they were sown in weakness so shall they be raised in power and be the Angel flying in the midst of Heaven with the everlasting Gospel Now these raised Witnesses and this revived Ministry will come in the spirit and power of Elias And by the spirit of Christ's Mouth will the Man of Sin now be consuming And as Elijah did by Fire from Heaven convince the People that the Lord was God and Baal was no God and by this occasioned the destruction of the Priests of Baal Even so shall the Elias which is to come preach the everlasting Gospel and by him Apostolical Doctrine Ordinances and Discipline shall be restored And this Day shall declare Men's Works
these Cherubims are said to have two Faces Chap. 41.18 The Face of a Man and the Face of a Lion Though Saints then shall not have a Heart and a Heart yet they shall have a Face and a Face and these not contrary but well agreeing They shall have Prudence Humanity and Love signified by the Face of a Man and Fortitude signified by the Face of a Lion Saints shall be Lions without fear and Men without ferity Lions in courage and Men without brutish cruelty The Beast mentioned Rev. 13. which is the Antichrist is described as being wholly a Beast a Lion Leopard and Bear but hath neither the Heart nor the Face of a Man there is nothing of Humanity in him towards the faithful Witnesses but like the Devil seeks to devour Secondly there are Palm-trees shewing that Saints shall be upright and grown to an high stature and always flourishing their Leaves shall not fade And Palm-trees signifie Victory and Saints praising God for it Rev. 7.9 I saw a great multitude with palms in their hands saying Salvation to our God Salvation will come from God and that shall the Saints return to him in their praises 5. When this Temple shall be built there will be a pouring out of the Spirit in a plentiful and abundant measure I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Some taste thereof was in the Apostles days but at this time will be the full accomplishment This is set forth in the Vision of the Waters issuing from under the Threshold of the House chap. 47.1 Now as John 7.27 mention being made of living waters the interpretation is given this spake he of the Spirit So the Spirit is here meant the Spirit and Word of truth and the Spirit of Grace These waters have two excellent properties 1. They are healing chap. 47.8 These being brought forth into the Sea the waters are healed The Doctrine of the Gospel shall not onely drop as the Rain and distill as the Dew but shall be as a flowing River which shall heal even the Waters of the Sea By Waters sometimes Multitudes of people are meant Rev. 17.1 The whore sits upon many waters that is Multitudes of people Nations and Tongues verse 15. So then the Spirit by the preaching of the Gospel shall heal that is convert Multitudes of people even Nations and many Nations for by Conversion men are healed Matth. 13.15 Lest they should be converted and I should heal them Hereby the hurt done in the Natures of men by Adams sin is healed This shews that there will be great Conversion-work at this time And the healing will be of all diseased parts they are first to the Ancles so that their Feet and Ancle-bones shall receive strength and they shall walk and leap and praise God the lame man shall leap as an Hart their feet shall be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace and they shall run in the ways of the Lord. Then they are to the Knees so that those that come to these Waters shall bow the Knee to Christ and yield obedience to him Next They are up to the Loins the Lusts of Concupiscence shall be wash'd away And lastly Waters to swim in Sanctification by them will be throughout These will be as the Pool of Bethesda those that shall step into them will be healed of their Infirmities and as the Waters of Jordan to Naaman which cured him of his Leprosie 2. They are Waters giving Life verse 4. Every thing that liveth whithersoever these waters come shall live Those that do live shall live those that did live but a Natural Life by these Waters coming to them shall live a Spiritual Life those that lived the Life of the first Adam shall live the Life of the second Adam those that did live but by a Soul living in them shall live by Christ living in them These will not be as the Waters of Noah none shall perish in them They are the proper Element of the new Creature which can't live out of them There are now Waters of Adversity going over the Saints which issue out of Babylon and from Antichrists Throne there but these shall be all dried up and there shall be no more Sea Rev. 21.1 That Sea which is the gathering of the Waters of Babylon shall be no more So that the Saints shall not sit down and hang up their Harps and weep by those Waters of Babylon but shall stand by these Waters of the Sanctuary having the Harps of God and shall sing the Songs of Sion in their own Land 6. In this Temple Christ is Prince Chap. 44.2 3. No man was to enter by the East Gate because the Lord God of Israel entered by it it is for the Prince This Prince is the Lord God of Israel Christ shall sit in it to eat Bread The Saints are to worship at the Door of this Gate before the Lord chap. 46.3 Ezek. 8.16 There were about five and twenty men with their Faces towards the East and Backs towards the Temple There are some like these that turn their backs upon Christ and faces to Antichrist their backs upon the true Temple and faces to the Synagogue of Satan but the true Worshippers turn their faces to Christ and worship him and these and their Services are as pleasant Bread to Christ He is the Bread of Life to them and they Bread of Delight to him 'T is Christ then who is the Prince he shall command in matters of Worship and be obeyed and shall govern the Saints in their whole Conversation Christ will be all in all in this house Prince Priest Sacrifice and Altar 'T is observed that the Altar was in the midst of the Building which if measured from the East North and South Gate there is the same distance and when 〈◊〉 came in at either Gate the Altar is directly before them and in their view All shall look to Christ and be saved Q. How can it be said that this Prince is Christ seeing the Prince is to prepare for himself and the People of the Land a Bullock for a Sin-offering A. This is the Legal Phrase which is here made use of concerning Christ The Priests under the Law were to offer for their own sins as well as the Peoples but being spoken of Christ it must be taken not in a Legal but Evangelical sense as thus 1. The People of the Land will be look'd on as Christs Body and so himself Eph. 1.22 He is head over all things to the Church which is his body And Eph. 5.30 We are members of his body And it being so when he offers for the People of the Land he offers for himself so then for himself and the People of the Land is in effect thus much for the People of the Land which he reckons to be part of himself even his Body 2. The sins of the People of the Land were Christs by imputation he was a common person and the Iniquities of
suddenly come and Babylon's hopes and Sion's fears shall not come to pass This Flood shall not cannot carry away the Woman but must be swallowed up in the Earth the Woman must have help and we see that rather than want it the Earth that hates shall help the Woman And that God which rides upon the Heaven in his People's help and in his Excellency on the Sky shall ride also upon the Earth for their help And what comfort is this for the threatned Woman that both Heaven and Earth will be against the design of this Flood and shall utterly make it void God hath said it and it must be done For verily till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from this and other Prophecies which the Lord requires his People to give heed to till all be fulfilled 3. The last sign is the Dragon 's making War with the Remnant of the Woman's Seed Rev. 12.17 Which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ For this consider 1. The Woman is the Church of God in this European part of the World where the Beast hath his Seat and where he hath great Authority The Church in the Wilderness persecuted by the Dragon but protected and nourished there 2. The remnant of the Woman's Seed are some who were the Seed of that Church which the Dragon would carry away with the Flood having been begotten in it by the Word of Truth but when the Dragon makes this War with them they are removed from it into some other part of the World which appears by this 't is said the Dragon went to make war with this remnant in the Greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abiit he went away He goes away from the Woman which must be the Protestant Churches which the Serpent would carry away with a Flood to make this War therefore this remnant must be elsewhere So he leaves his Work for afflicting this Woman to his invisible and visible Angels and goes away to afflict this remnant So that after the War against the Witnesses and besides the casting the Flood out of his mouth to carry away the Woman he makes War with this Remnant 3. This Remnant is known by these two Characters 1. They keep the Commandments of God and worship him according to his own Institutions 2. They have the Testimony of Jesus Christ They hold it yea and must maintain it and keep it up notwithstanding the War made against them Now when it shall be seen that the Dragon is gone to make War against such a Remnant of the Womans Seed this will be a great sign of a Day of Redemption from Antichristian Tyranny drawing nigh For the next thing which we read of concerning the followers of the Lamb is that the 144000 of the suffering and sealed Saints get out of the Wilderness and stand with the Lamb on Mount Sion Rev. 14.1 and then it follows v. 6. I saw another Angel flie in the midst of Heaven with the everlasting Gospel to preach it to those that dwell upon the Earth Where observe that as the Earth did help the Woman so for a reward the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to those that dwell upon the Earth And then v. 8. we read Another Angel followed saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication Now as for this Remnant this one thing may be observed That whoever and wheresoever they shall appear to be thus much may with much certainty and comfort be concluded that as the Lord takes such care of the Woman that she shall not be carried away of the Flood so he will have the like care of this Remnant that they shall not be destroyed by this War of the Dragon For this is all that is said he went away to make War with them 'T is not said he shall overcome and destroy them whereas when the War against the Witnesses is foretold 't is said the Beast shall make War against them and overcome them and kill them and we may well suppose that if God had intended the like effect of this War it would have been foretold also but their comfort will be this the Dragon shall make War with them and afflict them for a time which will work for their good he shall not overcome and destroy them But when the Lord shall have chastised and humbled them and done his whole work upon them by the Spirit of Judgment and Burning he will then deliver them and create upon Mount Sion and her Assemblies a Cloud and Smoak by Day and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night for upon all the Glory shall be a defence 6. Some Advantages by the Knowledge of these Truths If any shall ask as Paul in another case What advantage hath the Jew So what advantage hath he that knows these Mysteries What profit is there by speaking or writing of them I may answer much every way For 1. The knowledge of them may have a great Influence upon the Saints to make them better Saints and to promote Holiness and Godliness among them This is the use which Peter makes of this Doctrine 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness v. 14. Seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless What things The New Heavens and the New Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell This World will pass away and a better will come What should you do then but pray that you may be accounted worthy of that World and the Resurrection from the Dead even of a part in the First Resurrection and may stand before the Son of Man God hath left us these Truths amongst his Oracles and the Oracles of God are to be reckoned amongst the chief advantages which now the Saints have Doth the Scripture speak in vain saith James Chap. 4. v. 5. Why but if these truths which the Scripture speaks so abundantly of are not to be read studied and searcht into then it must be said that the Scripture speaks much in vain Surely the Scriptures do not contain any superfluities of truths and if such as preach the Gospel would be able to say as Paul I have not shunned to declare the whole Counsel of God then they should study and preach these things 2. The knowledge of these truths will be Meat to the People inhabiting the Wilderness if mixt with Faith in the heart They are some of the hidden Manna and Honey out of the Rock and a Well in the Valley of Baca. Psa 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living David being once amongst the Idolatrous Philistims was then in the Land of the Dead even among such who were dead in sins
thing of great Use if it could be found out Thus much of the first Number 2300 dayes The second and third have an Epocha which next is to be enquired into This Epocha is the time of taking away the daily Sacrifice and setting up the Abomination that maketh desolate Dan. 12.11 12. Here our enquiry must be to know what is meant by the daily Sacrifice and when it was taken away 1 What is meant by the Daily Sacrifice Now the generality of those that look for Redemption in Israel do take the Jewish Sacrifices and Worship to be here meant which were abrogated by the coming of Christ To these Julian out of his hatred of Christianity gave countenance and he was willing to have them brought into Use again and so they conceive the Daily Sacrifice was taken away c. when Julian gave liberty to the Jews to rebuild the Temple from the doing of which they were miraculously hindred But this puts a strange sense upon the words for here 's taking away and setting up the taking away is to give oportunity for the setting up of somewhat in the room of what is taken away and therefore the taking away is first mentioned and so if we must understand the Jewish daily Sacrifice 't will be as if it had been said the Daily Sacrifice and the Jewish Worship was taken away which was a great Abomination and an Abomination that would make desolate set up and this Abomination which was to be set up was the Temple and Jewish Worship which was indeed the Daily Sacrifice And thus the sense will come to this the Jews Worship was taken away to make way for the setting up of the Jewish worship an Abomination was taken away to set in an Abomination the Daily Sacrifice was taken away to set up the Daily Sacrifice Secondly The Daily Sacrifice must be taken here in a good sense that is for the pure worship of God spiritual evangelical worship set forth under a Legal Name and thus the sense will run clear pure Religion and Worship in the free and publick exercise of it was that which the Enemies of it would prevail to take away and set up an Abomination a false Religion corrupt and impure Worship in the room of it which would bring great desolation upon the true Church and such as would worship in spirit and truth and would be a very great desolating thing to true Religion and by this means the World would come to be filled with abominable Doctrines with abominable Idolatries with abominable Will-worship and Superstition Now for the farther clearing of this that the Daily Sacrifice is to be taken in a good sense and not in an evil sense let 's consider a little a parallel place before mentioned Dan. 8.11 12 13. He magnified himself to the Prince of the Host and by him the Daily Sacrifice was taken away and the place of his Sanctuary was cast down I have proved before that this was to be done in Gospel-times by what was said concerning the little Horn Now most evident it is that in this place the daily Sacrifice is to be taken in a good sense for it is joyned with the Truth an Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice and it cast down the Truth to the ground The Truth and the daily Sacrifice suffer together and then 't is asked How long shall be the Vision concerning the daily Sacrifice to give the Sanctuary and Host to be trodden under foot and he said unto 2300 days then the Sanctuary shall be cleansed and the daily Sacrifice restored Now the daily Sacrifice being taken in a good sense in this place why should it not be so in the other both speak of Gospel-times and both mention it as a great calamity to the Church to have it taken away and doubtless it must be taken in the same sense in both places there is onely this difference that taking away in the Eighth Chapter is meant of the great Calamity which shall come upon the Jews after their First Call and that in the Twelfth Chapter of a desolation to come upon the Churches of the Gentile Saints And thus we are quite beaten off from making that mentioned concerning Julian our Epocha there where we find pure Religion and the true Worship of God to be eminently cast off by the generality of men professing Christianity and in the room of it a false Religion and Worship set up so that true Religion in comparison with its former state becomes a desolate thing maintained and owned but by a few This is to bring us to a right understanding of the daily sacrifice and the Abomination set up that so we may stand upon a sure foundation in our Inquiry And so I come to the next thing which is 2. When the daily Sacrifice was taken away And here I shall consider first what we find foretold in the New Testament concerning this which may be a help to us in this Inquiry and secondly what we find in Ecclesiastical History of the fulfilling of things foretold in the Scripture Now for the former of these let two places of Scripture be considered The first is Rev. 11.2 The court which is without measure it not for it is given to the Gentiles and the holy City shall they Tread under Foot That which I would here take notice of for our present purpose is the Name given to those to whom the outward Court is given which is Gentiles Now these are called Gentiles in opposition to those that are called Jews that is such who were Jews inwardly as Paul saith 'T is observable in the same Book of the Rev. the true Worshippers are called Jews Rev. 29. and 3.9 I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but the synagogue of Satan and doe lye This Intimates that some were Jews and did not blaspheme in calling themselves so others were Heathens who yet would have been called Jews So the Gentiles there spoken of are Jews turn'd Gentiles and Christians turned Heathens yet such as would keep up a Name for being Jews and Christians which argues a great Apostacy Now observe this when such an Apostacy did eminently appear and Men proffessing Christanity did turn Heathens and took up the way of the Heathens in many things in their worship then the daily Sacrifice began to be taken away and the Abomination that made desolate was set up these Gentiles 't is said Tread down the Holy City and that is the head of the 42 Moneths and 1260 dayes But before these Gentiles get into such power and grow so numerous they must have a time to become Gentiles and we may well conceive there may be a considerable space of time betwixt their first becoming Gentiles and there getting into such power as to be able to carry it in the outward Court against the true Worshippers the Jews inwardly and to tread down the Holy City So then the time of the Jews turning
Gentiles of Christians becoming Heathens is the head of the 1290 dayes and the possessing the outward Court and the Treading down of the Holy City is the head of the 42 Moneths and of the 1260 dayes 30 years after the former Thus much for the first place The other place is 1. Tim. 4.1 2 3. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing spirits Doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in hypocrisy forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from meat This place shews how Jews should turn Gentiles and Christians become Heathens and also shews how the daily Sacrifice was taken away and so will be of great Use to help us in our inquiry after the time when this was done for when the Doctrine of Devils was taught and practised when there was a prohibition of Marriage and when there was a command to abstain from meats then the daily Sacrifice began to be taken away and the Abomination was set up which proved so desolating a thing to true Religion and to the People of God Now Mr. Mede's interpretation of the Doctrine of Devils rather Daemons is generally known and embraced coming with such evidence that it is not to be rejected this Doctrine of Daemons he concludes to be that which taught the worshipping of Saints departed wherein Christians turned Heathens for they symbolized with them herein it being the custom of the Heathens to deifie and worship their Heroes when dead who were a middle sort of Powers betwixt their sovereign Gods and Men being mediators betwixt them And like to these were the adored Saints among Christians whose Reliques were trusted-in as Powers defending their Cities as appears by some passages which he quotes out of Basil and Chrysostom and these he takes to be meant by the Mahuzzim or God of Forces Dan. 11.38 This kind of Idolatry began saith he after Julian the Reader may see more in his Apostacy of the latter-times Now God was no longer worshipped in truth when this Abomination came in of worshipping Saints and trusting to their Mediation and Intercession and making them Protectors God says My Glory of religious worship and of Christ's Mediation and Intercession I will not give to another If men do it they certainly in this do cast off the daily sacrifice even the true worship of God and besides there is no Abomination more desolating and destructive to true Religion than for men to usurp a Power to command things contrary to the Commands of God and to forbid what God allows as Marriage and Meats no more desolating Doctrine no more desolating Principle than this That Men may take upon them to make Laws about Worship and Matters of Religion when men think to mend God's Institutions and to make a better Religion then what God hath left us in his word this is the ready way to marr all and so take away the daily sacrifice and to set up that Abomniation which makes all desolate Now this I take to be the true Epocha 1290 viz. the time when Christians thus turned Heathens and the Doctrine of Daemons was taught and practised and then these desolating Abominations were set up In which the Apostle sets forth the Apostacy of the latter days and doubtless the Head of this Apostacy is the true Epocha of these Numbers 1290 and 1335 days Secondly Let us see what we can find in Ecclesiastical History of the fulfilling of these things foretold in the Scripture and when this Apostacy began so as that the true Worshippers had cause to take up the Psalmist's complaint O God the Heathen are come into thine Inheritance thy holy Temple have they defiled They are gotten into the outward Court and we fear they will drive all the Worshippers shortly thence and possess it wholly themselves and at length tread down the holy City also Now here I shall make use of some Collections of a late Author declaring when this Apostacy began which he makes the Epocha of the 1260 days this hath been the great mistake hitherto as I conceive from what hath been before laid down and we have great ground to conclude that what hath been pitcht upon for the Head of the 1260 days is indeed the Head of the 1290 days Now let us take the particulars of the Apostacy in that order in which the Apostle gives them to us 1. He saith in the general Some shall depart from the Faith some Sayings of Augustine are mentioned which shew a great departure from the Faith in his time As we who are called Christians do not believe in Peter but in him in whom Peter believed This doth intimate that some pretending to be Peter's Successors did begin to claim such a power and Right as this And what greater departing from the Faith than to come to this to believe in men And again reprehending the Popes arrogancy who suffered themselves to be called Gods He saith he that would seem to be God when he is man doth not imitate him who when he was God for our sakes was made man is not this a departing from the Faith Again saith he the Catholick Faith believes Heaven to be the first place the second Hell as for a third we are wholly ignorant neither is it found in Scripture this intimates a departing from the Faith in this thing Again good works do not precede Justification but follow the justified this also intimates a departing from the Faith when an opinion of Justification by Works began to be taken up This was about the year 393. that he wrote thus And about 393. began Humane Traditions to grow into request and a Monkish Life which was conceived to be a meritorious thing and that thereby men might be freed from Hell and obtain a true certain and plentiful hope of eternal Life Epiphan Contra haeres saith Among many other things shewing the great Defection A. 396. whence is this Image-worship and the Design of the Devil Men introduce Images to be worshipped having the Mind adulterated from the One and onely God 2. For the second thing The Doctrine of Daemons and of Saint-worship touching this a saying of Epiphanius is mentioned The Body of Mary was truly holy but not God her-self was indeed a Virgin and to be honoured but not given us that we should worship her she her self was worshipping him who was born of her self We may be sure of this that he observed Divine Honour to be given to her which was the occasion of his writing thus A Saying of Augustine also is mentioned to this purpose It is not our Religion to worship dead Men they are honoured for our imitation-sake but are not to be worshipped for the sake of Religion nor are we to Consecrate Temples to them for they will not be so honoured of us Now that of Epiphanius is referred to A. D. 396. as the other to 399. This shews that the Doctrine of Daemons was then taught and had too much