c. They have beene slaine all over the greatest Answ 1 largest and most famous Churches as hath beene declared It is unknowne to me how the Prophets have beene used in those Churches at least in a great part though I know they have beene used badly enough But it will not follow we know it not therefore it hath not beene To which answer I will sticke the Beast was to kill the Witnesses indefinitely set downe Rom. 11.7 that is generally but not universally It is no where said he shall kill all and singular that beare witnesse to the truth the text tels us Exod. 9.6 that all the cattell of Aegypt dyed of the Murraine but yet if we read on to the 20. verse when the plague of the Haile was threatned we shall finde the Aegyptians that feared the word of the Lord driving their cattell into their houses by which it appeares that all and singular of the cattell dâ—ed not of the Murraine but the cattell generally or the cattell of all kindes The Pharisees said the world was gone after our Saviour Ioh. 12.19 when as yet the hundred thousand part of the world did not beleeve on him then but the meaning is the people of the Countries round about flocked after him so here the Prophets were slaine generally on for the most part not universally The Prophets doe yet Prophesie in sackcloath ergo Object this slaughter and triumph is not past Whether this slaughter be past or to come Answ certaine it is by the Text that the Prophets shall prophecy in sack-cloath after it be both come and gone even untill the Beasts dying day for he and they are contemporanyes as hath been mentioned before their prophecying in sack-cloath and his reigne as they began together so they must end together So long as he lives he will push with the horne and spurne with the heele and woe to them that stand neare him By the mercy of God and the means of this Parliament the Prophets here are a little stagger'd up upon their feet but one of the Beasts fillips would throw them downe again Could but he reach them either with one of his armed hornes or hierarchicall heeles which he mainly endeavours they were gone A mistake concerning the two Witnesses may peradventure make us looke for the earth-quake that shall ruine the Beast's Kingdome as a thing a farre off when yet our selves may be in the middest of it The fifth Viall is not powred Object for that is to be upon the seat of the Beast that is Rome whereby his Kingdome becomes full of darkenesse that is Rome is destroyed Rev. 16.10 therefore it is in vaine to think upon the earth-quake that is to ruine the Beast's Kingdome which comes not till the seventh Viall be powred out For answer Answ 1 I acknowledge Rome to be the seat of the Beast and that darknesse is often put for affliction and misery but I deny the darkning of the Beasts Kingdome there spoken of to be the destruction of Rome there be degrees of darknesse and misery inferiour to destruction Is not Rome darkned in her reputation and so the Beasts Kingdome How many thousands yea millions be there that deny her to be the mistresse of the Faith and the mother of all Churches that account her the mother of harlots that contemne her decrees c Is not shee darkned in her revennues when as so many Nations have withdrawne their supplies from her which were formerly swallowed up in her as in a deep gulfe If Rome be destroyed under the fifth Viall this difficulty or absurdity will follow then have ye Babylon the great to destroy under the seventh Viall Rev. 16.19 whereas Babylon the great in all other places of the booke of the Revelations is constantly put for Rome The fixt Viall is not poured upon the river Euphrates Object which must be before the earth-quake come under the seventh Kev 16.12 c. Answ 1 I must here deprecate the offence of many worthy earned men if lassent not to their expositions of that Viall It shall suffice in a few words to give that which is to me more then probable the sense therof The river Euphrates running through the middest of the world between the farthest west and uttermost east hath bâ—en for many ages a kinde of Land-marke to separate the western Nations from the eastern so that they have had little communion one with another Now this impedimentall River hath been dried up ever since these Navigations Voyages have been found out into the Indies and other orientall parts Whereupon the Beast finding himselfe mortally wounded here in the west hath as it followes in the text by the unclean spirits his emissaries by which I understand not onely Jesuits and others that are Papists by profession but all Antichrists Agents though cloaked under the name of Protestants with infinite strange and uncouth wiles and wonders laboured to involve not onely the Kings and Kingdomes of these parts of the world but even of the east also into Hormageddon that is a cursed warre as hath been said before This feat the Frogges have most efficaciously wrought for him in these parts of the world as every observing eye may abundantly see and although the Papists doe frequently lye in their reports of the east yet certaine it is that they have made many Countries and States there one way or other more or lesse obnoxious to the Pope as either to submit and acknowledge him as those of Japan c. are said to doe or to oppugne his enemies as the Persian to assaile the Turke whilst they are accomplishing their designes here in the west or at least by way of Merchandize and traffique to be subservient to their supply so that notwithstanding any thing in these two Vials the earth-quake may be at hand And let us beware that mistakes about them doe not make us put the earth-quake further off then indeed it is to our owne detriment and prejudice The Uses are of two sorts some directing us what to doe in respect of the publique others concerne our owne particulars For the publique every one should assist the Lord in his place in shaking downe the Kingdome of Antichrist and all his supporters Object The Church will be shaken too True Answ but it will not be shaken downe by the earth-quake but better rooted and setled Now that we may assist the Lord in this worke three things are to be done We must shake the Kingdome of the Beast by the Word Vse 2 this is to be done by all the Saints especially by the Ministers of the Churches and by them authoritatively Every true Christian hath the Word of truth dwelling in his heart as for instance the doctrine of Gods free grace in Christ for a mans justification and salvation the foundation upon which the Church is built that God is to be purely worshipped in spirit and truth according to his owne prescriptions and such like by these truths he
can detect and discover many blasphemies of the Beast and foedities of the Whore as justification by workes the propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse c. Yea not onely discover them but in an holy zeale denoâ—unce grievous judgements against the authors and fomenter of them according to the Word These doctrines and denunciations thus breathed out will prove even a sword of the Spirit for so they are being put into mans spirit by the Holy-Ghost to cut and kill slash and slay the Antichristian generation see Revel 2.16 19.21 Yea not onely a sword to kill the enemy that stands neere but an arrow also to kill the enemy that stands a farre off Psal 149.6 7 8 9. an axe to hew downe Hosea 6.5 Mat. 3.10 a wine cup of fury which they shall be forced to drinke and then grow mad spue and fall and rise no more Jer. 25.15 16.27 28. Lastly this Word shall be a fire to burne them up and they shall be as wood to it and it shall devoure them Jer. 5.14 For God will execute upon them the judgements threatned It shall be an hot even to the wicked and proud and they shall be as stubble easily and utterly burnt so it shall leave them neither root nor branch Mal. 4.1 This fiery weapon of the Word is one of those wherewith the poore sackcloath-Prophets have defended themselves against Antichrist and his gentiles all his long reigne and wherewith they have offended them Rev. 11.5 and therefore still proper to be used against him the great wild Beast for fire they say is the best weapon and of most excellent use against wilde Beasts Breathe out therefore this fire of the Word into their faces run with these flaming torches and thrust them into the dry thatch of Antichrists house that will set all on a light fire it hath done it in a great measure already the enemies feele the heat thereof to their great paine Rev. 16.2.9 10 11. They cast on all the cold water that hell can afford them to quench it as cruelties treacheries but every thing proves oyle to encrease the flame this Word at last will prove unto them unquenchable fire utterly to consume them Shake the Beasts Kingdome by prayer Vse 2 David shook Saul and all his enemies downe by this meanes see Psal 18.6.7 8. compared with the title of the Psalme which David composed when the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul In my distresse saith he I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my voyce out of his holy temple and my cry came before him even into his eares Then the earth shooke and trembled the foundations also of the hils moved and were shaken because he was wroth God upon Davids cry laid about him and overthrew all his adversaries for the more the Saints pray the more they accelerate plagues upon their wicked enemies which is often the meanes of the Saints deliverance By this the two Witnesses did shut the heavens against the Antichristian brood Rev. 11.6 And therfore our fight being with their armie 's we are to be instant in prayer against them that is a weapon they have no skill at they can blaspheme and curse c. but not pray Moses and Eliah to whom that text alludes by this weopon and the Word overcame whole Nations alone Moses did but speake to God spreading out his hands and then as a God could tell Pharaoh that a plague would come to morrow shall be such a plague or to morrow shall such a plague be removed Eliah could but pray to the Lord that it might not raine and then confidently tell Ahab that there should be no raine but according to his word 1 King 17.1 Open therefore O you servants of the Lord the heavens by this Key open Gods Armory and get from thence the best dayes for the Church the helpe of God the Father the Mediation of the Sonne the Spirit of strength the assistance of Angels Seas rivers windes c. get from thence wisdome courage stratagems successe shut the heavens against the enemies that they may not get one good looke from thence not so much as one arrow but if they have any plot in hand get the heavens open for wisedome to discover it if any enterprize get from thence power to defeat it make it appeare to the enemies that Gods people have power with God Execute judgement for God Vse 3 every one as farre as his power will stretch First doe judgement upon thine owne selfe for thy sinnes in all wayes of godly revenge as by Fasting c. Sing mercy and judgement to thy Family as David Psa 101. Doe thy best that judgement that hath beene turned into Wormewood and Hemlocke may run downe like a mighty streame in publique and where thy hand cannot reach a blow or cast a stone at an idolater blasphemer persecutor c. let thy heart at least doe it For if a mans consenting to or approving of an act of injustice may inguilt hâ—m as I may say in it as it was with the Jewes whose state was ruined for killing Christ and the Prophets though most part of them had never seene any of them Mat. 23.37 why may not a mans executing judgement with his heart when he can proceed no further be accepted in respect of him for an act of justice by him that is pleased both in good and evill actions to accept the will for the deed This duty is principally incumbent upon the Magistrate who is to execute the judgement of the Lord not arbitrarily as himselfe pleaseth but according to the rule of the Word both for matter and manner For the Matter man hath no warrant either to leave grosse and horrid sinnes unpunished in the committers of them such as are the ring-leaders in idolatry and persecution nor yet to commute or change the nature of the punishment As by the way I question whether a pecuniary mulct especially if it be alone be a proper punishment for a sweater or blasphemer but it rather ought to be personall And here I cannot choose but with griefe take notice of a miserable failing in our first Reformation that the Maise priests were suffered still to continue in their places for he that had said or sung Masse the last Lords day and if he were a Preacher had Preached for Popery if he would but take the new Oath of Supremacy and read the Service-Booke this Lords-day was accounted a sufficieâ—t reformist aâ—d admitted to the Ministry So that of twenty thousand Prelates and Pâ—iests at least in England and Ireland very few were cast out of their places and searce any of them unlesse it were Boner for any thing they had done Oh wofull I confesse I thinke the State did then want due information in that point But this hath been one thing that hath undone the Church viz. those that have all along and do still infest the Church
26. Hate the evill love the good and execute â—udgement in the gaâ—e it may be the Lord will be good to the remnant of Joseph Amâ—s 5.15 This doth as it were make the gap up against Gods wrath Let judgement therefore run downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame Amos 5.24 If you wovld not have God execute judgement upon us all for when men faile to doe it God at last will doe it then doe you execute judgement for the Lord. There be other Uses to be made of this doctrine that concerne nor selves that we may be fitted and prepared for such a storme and earth quake and find mercy in it as God having revealed and threatned it we trust beleeve it 〈…〉 I say beleeve it I say againe cordially beleeve it This I count a point of highest importance the true and diligent use of all other meanes depending thereupon This faith will breed feare for as faith in a promise will breed confidence so faith in a threatning will breed feare and feare will put a man upon the strong use of all meanes of prevention of a plague or of provision against it The true reason why wicked men doe not feare divine comminations and so why they forsake not sinne embrace not Christ nor use other meanes of escaping is because they beleeve them not For were they cordially perswaded of the certainty of the threats of the Word they durst not continue in sinne and affront Heaven as they doe And the reason why they beleeve not the threats of the Word is the Atheisme of their hearts making them deny Gods holinesse justice c. to make a slight matter of sinne and of the Word forbidding and threatning sinne they will beleeve its threatnings when they see them Isa 5.19 as we heard before I had once thought to have passed by this point because that whereas the Prudent man hath long agoe foreseene the plague in sinne deâ—erving in the Word denouncing it and otherwise the Toole now begins to see it But I revoked my selfe and now put it in the â—â—ont of these duties considering that the fools faith comming by sight and sense if there be no more added to it neâ—er doth any good Nâ—ab beleeved upon hearing and feared things of which there was â—o sight to be had as yet and so using meâ—ns eâ—capâ—d Heb. 11.7 whereas the unbeleeving world perished Gen. â— tâ—e like we may see in Lot his sonnes in law and the Sodomites Gen. 19. â—eâ—shazzer was so farre from beleeving the threats of the God of Israel against Babylon and his promises for delivering his people by Cyrus our of the Babylomans hands which promisâ—s he knew had encouraged Cyrus as that he did of purpose make an impâ—oâ—s feast when his City was besieged in contempt of God profaned the Vessels brought from Jerusalem praised the Gods of silver and gold wood and stone above the true God of Israel as Daniel accuseth him as one who could not save his owne Temple and Vessels out of his Grand-father Nebuchadnezzar's hands but whilst he was in the middest of his prophane jollity suddenly appeares the hand-writing upon the wall against him that put him into a desperate feare that night was he slaine his City taken his Empire destroyed and ended Behold here the terrible effects of this Atheisticall unbeliefe and contempt of the denunciations of the Word Beleeve we therefore the threats of the Word To speake the truth this act of faith in beleeving threats goes before and that not onely in nature but in time also the act of beleeving promises Hee that slights sinne will slight Christ he that apprehends not the severity of God against sinne set downe in the prohibitions and commnations of the law will hardly ever or not at all heartily embrace Christ set forth in the promises of the Gospell Be upright in thy generation and walke with God thus did Noah and so escaped the floud Gen. 6.9 7.1 Thou shalt enter into the Arke saith God for thee have I seene righteous before me in this generation When great stormes were comming upon the world and all the foure winds were ready to breake out for the ruine of all the Lord gives speciall charge to the Angels that had the command of the winds that they doe not let one puffe or breath goe out to doe the least hurt till the servants of God were sealed in their fore-heads Rev. 7.1 2 3. c. God remembers them when he makes up his Jewels and will spare them as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him Mal 3.16 17. Though the tribulation be never so great yet thy people shall be delivered saith the Lord to Daniel even every one that is found written in the Booke Dan. 12.1 for God will ever preserve a holy Seede of Saints unto himselfe Isa 6.13 A man must be a mourner in Ston one that laments first his owne sinnes and truly endeavours to forsake them hen the sinnes of others the horrible prophanenesse licenciousnesse blasphemies idolatries heresies of the the times Such an one was Lot who vexed his righteous soule in seeing and hearing of the sinnes of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 and when they perished he was delivered Thus the Lord causeth one with a vvriters Inkehorne by his side to set a marke upon the fore-heads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the middest of Jerusalem when he was about to destroy it Ezek 9.4 Because Josiahs heart melted when he heard of the severe denunciatâ—ons of God's anger against the Land for the sinnes thereof therefore had he a speciall promise made him of being gaâ—hered to his fathers in peace before those judgements should be executed 2 Chron. 34.27 28. Contest and contend for God for his pure Word doctrine of Faith pure worship and wayes against the world He that is for God in a time of publique defection God will be for him in a time of publique destruction Caleb fâ—llowed the Lord fully as it was in his heart and stood against the ten false Spyes that brought up an ill report upon the land â—f promise and against all the people that tooke part with them and therefore when six hundred thousand of these Murmurers fell in the wildernesse he onely with Joshuah escaped that storme and entered into the Lords inheritance Numb 14.24 Josh 14.6 7 8 c. Memorable examples hereof we have in Eliah and Ieremy In Eliahs dayes the people of Israel forsooke Gods Covenant threw downe his Alâ—ars stoned his Proâ—hâ—s by heapes and hundreds now did this make him comply with them and fall into the streame No he was therefore the more zealous for God all full or futy and zeale for God 1 King 19.10 Well what became oâ— this Eliah if we doe but read 2 Kâ—n. 2. we shall finde that when Ahab was slaine and his Army destroyed he was sent for up by a fiery hartot into heaven Ieremy was a man that