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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71105	Generation-work, or, A brief and seasonable word offered to the view and consideration of the saints and people of God in this generation, relating to the work of the present age, or generation we live in wherein is shewed, I. What generation-work is, and how it differs from other works, II. That saints in the several generations they have lived in, have had the proper and peculiar works of their generations, III. That it is a thing of very great concernment for a saint to attend to and be industrious in, the work of his generation, IV. Wherein doth the work of the present generation lye, V. How each one in particular may find out that part or parcel of it, that is properly his work in his generation, VI. How generation-work may be so carried on, as that God may be served in the generation / by John Tillinghast ...	Tillinghast, John, 1604-1655.	1655 (1655)	Wing T1175; Wing T1177; Wing T1178; ESTC R17254	317,518	510

they come out of Aegypt but they are instantly at deaths door being surrounded as it were with destruction a Sea before them Ro●ks impassable of either side an host of armed men behind them coming purposely to destroy them No sooner is this danger over but wanting bread the whole Congregation is ready to famish with hunger and this no sooner past but they want water and are all at the point of perishing for thirst and by that time this was over Amalek a warlike Nation engageth them who had never seen War in the open wilderness God had great mercy mercy upon mercy for Israel and here were great sentences of death sentence of death upon sentence of death attending them as they were in the way to it Now that which was the misery and indeed the very undoing of this people was that instead of beleeving when a sentence of death was over them they were discouraged thereby and streight way began to murmure which murmuring of theirs in the end cost them dear as the story will tell us But the principal thing in my aim is this which is worth our observation viz. That it was a mear discouragement occasioned by a sentence of death put upon the work of the Generation through the evil report brought home by those spies sent to view the land of Canaan which was the fatal Rock whereupon the whole Nation of six hundred thousand men and upwards Caleb and Joshuah excepted did suffer shipwrack as will appear by comparing Num. 13.32 with Chap. 14.1 2 28 29 30. A lesson for those to think of who giving way to their discouragements when a sentence of death is upon Christs cause do flinch from the work of Christ in these dayes 3 Take heed of envy against such whom God imploys in the work of the Generation Envy against instruments imployed by God in Generation-work was a part of Israels sin for which they fell in the wilderness as Psal 106.16 They envied Moses in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of God Meer envy against Christ drew the Priests and people in Christs time to reject him and sin against the work of the Generation Matth. 27.18 Mark 15.10 Envie of persons imployed in the work hath oft-times raised opposition to the work it self of the Generation That work which if done by some should have found approbation is therefore displeasing because done by others As said a Popish Cardinal in Luthers time A reformation indeed is needful and to the wished but that Luther a rascal Frier should be the man should do it this is intollerable 4 Take heed of procrastinating that work which is the business of the present Generation under a pretence that the time of doing of it is not yet come neither are things ripe for it This was the fault of those in Haggai's time for which they are sharply reproved for it who did put off the work of the building of Gods house under pretence the time was not come Hag. 1.2 This people say the time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built 5 Take heed of limiting God to Ordinaries My meaning is in case ordinary means for the carrying on of the work be wanting and cannot be had take heed you do not so bind up God to these as thereupon to desert the work In Generation-work God in all ages hath allowed himself a latitude in working not tying himself to Ordinaries Now when God walks in a way of Extraordinaries it is not only lawful but a duty in case Ordinaries fail to beleeve for Extraordinaries It was an extraordinary thing to beleeve that the bare striking of a Rock should fetch out water thence enough to supply a million of people ready to dye for thirst Yet because Moses and Aaron in an age wherein God walked in a way of Extraordinaries did not beleeve for this their unbeleef is severely punished Num. 20.10 11 12. 6 Take heed of neglecting the nick of opportunity that God puts into thy hands to do the work of thy Generation in There is a day and a nick of opportunity which God lets some persons have to serve their Generations in which if let slip they are gone as to Gods using of them any more and that past recovery Ester had a nick of opportunity which had she slipped though deliverance should have arisen to Gods people another way yet she and her Fathers house had been destroyed There was a nick of opportunity that Israel had to enter Canaan upon the return of the Spies which had they imbraced the door stood open for them but they neglecting it though it were in a hasty fit and a thing which presently too they recanted wishing they had never done it the door is shut and now it is too late to repent it for their carkases must fall in the wilderness Take heed of loosing the nick of opportunity wherein thou mayst act for God lest afterwards when perhaps act thou wouldst God will not own thee in his work 7 Take heed of forecasting events but do thy work and leave events to God Jonas by forecasting events that God was gracious and would therefore spare Nineveh and then he should be esteemed a false Prophet runs from the work of his Generation Jon. 4.2 8 Take heed of setling thy self upon seeming godly and righteous principles when these clash with the work of the Generation Many men look no farther then this in case they have a principle which seems just and pious they think that will bear them out what ever they do But had not Caiapha● so when he was Lord chief Justice in counselling and contriving the most notorious bloody design that ever saw light What more righteous and seemingly godly principle then this that one man should dy● to save the lives of a whole Nation yet this principl● so just so pious to an eye of reason was the Foster-father of that most cursed nefarious act I mean as acted by them of putting Christ to death And here to add an instance or two more borrowed of a worthy servant of Christ in these our dayes Mr. Owens Sermon preached before the Parliament Octob. 24. 1651. being the Publick Thanksgiving for our Worcester Deliverance because fitly applicable to the thing in hand What more righteous principle than this that it belongs to the chief Ruler of a Nation to see to the profit and glory of that Nation Yet Pharaoh setling himself upon this righteous principle only evil as it did cross the work of that Generation to the end his Realm might receive no detriment by letting Israel go whose continuance in that bondage was so much for their advantage he and his perish in their principles being led by these to act against the work of their Generation So what more prudent and just principle than this that it is not meet to let a Potent Enemy into the bowels of a Nation yet Sihon King of the Amorites upon this principle opposing Israel at the

Magistates and Ministers that he hath raised up to maintain his cause against Antichrists Magistrates and Ministers They are said to be clothed in sackcloth to note thus much That all the time of the 1260 days their condition shall be outwardly low they being trampled upon and tr●den under foot by the Beast But more especially to fignifie how that these Two Witnesses should all this time be inwardly law wearing sackcloth the mourning attite in times of old mourning before God because as I have said they hear his glorious Name blasphemed behold the Holy City trodden under foot and the whole world deceived by the Beast They are said by fire to destroy their Enemies ver 5. To shut Heaven that it rain not in the days of their Prophecy ver 6. both which things are taken out of the History of Elijah 1 King 1.10 1 King 17.1 Farther they are said to have power over waters to turn them into blood and to smite the earth with plagues as often as they will ver 6. which is taken out of the Story of Moses and Aaron in Aegypt The whole as I conceive sets forth this the great damage that the Antichristian party shall sustain all the time of the 1260 days by means of these two Witnesses who shall have such power with God as oftentimes to bring down his heavy wrath upon the persons of their persecutors which is the thing noted ver 5. by their devouring and killing their enemies by fire and also upon their principal interests which I take to be the thing specially intended ver 7. by their shutting Heaven turning waters into blood smiting the earth with plagues i.e. The Popish Heaven waters earth shall all suffer by means of these two Witnesses in the time of their prophecy By the whole description of the two Witnesses as saith our German Author in his Cl. p. 66 67. God doth declare that what mercies in times of old he hath shewed unto his people the Children of Israel the same he will also shew in the New Testament unto them that beleeve He will give them Joshuahs and Zerubbabels saithful Teachers and religious Rulers and Governors who shall fit and edifie them unto the Temple of God and as Candlesticks give light unto them with their pure doctrine and as Olive trees assist them with powerful consolation He will give them zealous Elija's and Elisha's who shall fight against the whore Jezabel the Priests of Baal and other persecutors He will also at length send them his Moses's and Aarons who shall deliver them and bring them forth out of Antichristian bondage SECT IV. THe Witnesses their testimony finished are to be killed v. 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless p●t shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them In this state they are to continue three days and a half ver 9 11. Though our discourse of the three days and a half according to the strictness of order should come in afterwards yet in regard the opening hereof will afford us light into some things that follow I have chosen to place it before That these three days and a half cannot be as is the opinion of many worthy men who look upon the death of the Witnesses to be a corporal death a time equivalent to the 1260 is evident 1 Bec. then there should be no distinction at all betwixt the time of their Prophecying and their being killed if through all the 1 260 daies which is the time of their Prophecy we should suppose them to be killed Now the Text hath made a manifest distinction betwixt these two times 2 Becanse it s improper to say that Christs witnesses against Antichrist should prophecy all the 1260 days and yet be killed too For put case the Beast all this time did put some to death yet so long as Christ at the same time and in the same place had always others in their room his witnesses were not killed A man is not without witness though some witnesses are taken away in case others stand up and appear in their room Nay those witnesses which all the 1260 dayes were put to death by the Beast did most ominently in dying bear witness for Christ for to dis for the truth is a living standing testimony to it That killing therefore could not be a killing as witnesses he who for truths sake loves not his life to the death is even in dying a most glorious witness of the truth 3 It s said ver 10. that when the two witnesses lie dead the dwellers on the earth rejoyce for this reason because they are dead who tormented them Now did the dwellers on the earth thus rejoyce all the ●260 days when were they then tormented Will the Text bear it to say they were tormented all this time and yet rejoyced too This the Authors or upholders of this opinion must necessarily assert Nay why do they rejoyce at their death why because being dead they fear no hurt from them which whilst they prophecyed they did for they felt of them as ver 5 6. therefore their prophecying and killing must be as two distinct things and so at two distinct times 4 Because How could they be witnesses all this time if dead Doth a man when he hath a cause to be tried go to dead men that they would stand witnesses for him or to living Or how did they Prophecy if dead Can dead men prophecy or are prophecying men dead 5 Why are they said to be killed onely in the street or one street of the great City ver 8. and not in the whole City seeing in this sense they have been within the 1260 days more or less killed all over the great City i.e. throughout the whole Papal Jurisdiction 6 What difference will there be according to this opinion betwixt their being killed and put into graves if we take both for a bodily death which this opinion doth 7 And lastly How according to this opinion are they all the three days and a half kept unburied or how at the end of these three days and a half shall those Witnesses which were killed rise again for shall we think thus that the bodies of Saints martyred by divers means and in sundry places for the space of 1260 years together shall all that time lie unburied be kept out of graves And then 2. This time expired life enters into these bodies and they rise again The Text according to this interpretation doth strongly inforce both for if we conceive their killing to be corporal by the same reason must their burial and their resurrection also We are necessitated therefore from the clear Text and reason it self to reject this opinion and seek another That therefore which is more consonant to the words and doth not wrap us up in such a labyrinth of Intricacies is to interpret the three dayes and a half which is the time of their being killed of

will discern and first condemn Jerusalem of old expected and waited for the coming of their Messia● or Christ their King yet no sooner news abroad of his being born into the world but upon the account of a meer worldly interest viz. fear of tumults and commotions which might hereupon arise betwixt Herod the usurper and this King to the imbroiling of them in wars who now were in quiet enjoying their wealth in peace they are troubled at it Matth. 2.3 I wish a worldly interest may have no such effect now as to beget trouble in the spirits of any at the coming forth of that mercy which time was they both prayed and waited for Surely as it savors of great ingratitude towards our most gracious Father to call mercies given in as an answer of former prayers by the name of Judgements so also of no less sloath and negligence when the glorious arm of God hath been made bare in working wonders for his people for them to sit still doing little or nothing for him That nothing done of late years comes as an answer of these prayers put up whilst we were in the house of bondage none of you will or can deny If any thing else be wrought which then we prayed not for it is either a superabounding of mercy beyond what then we were able to aske or think or a trial of our faith If a superabounding of mercy shall we quarrel with God and one another for that and if a trial of our faith shall we think that strange which hath been the ordinary way of Gods dispensations towards his in all ages when he gives forth mercy then to try their faith and like a company of sullen Children shall we wrangle with our Father and in a humersom fit throw away our bread because the crust is on it O let it not be told in Neighbor Nations that the God of England hath been so kind to his people and Saints in England so unkind to their Father and one unto another Why O ye Saints should you not all in this day go hand in hand about your Fathers work What hinders unless the corruption of your hearts your being as active for the Lord and as holy as you will Why should the great work of the Generation wherein the cause and honor of your Father and Redeemer is so deeply engaged be at a stand whilst each of you are driving on particular designs parties and interests It is from you alone that God expects this service it is work the world cannot do nor will God own them in the doing of it he calls for this from the hands of you his houshold Servants neglect it and he can raise up others even out of holes and corners which shall do the work when you shall be thrown by When the Jews once the visible people of God neglected Generation-work God threw them by and brought in the Gentiles if Gentile-Churches now grafted in prove fruitless in this work God may cut them off and graft in the Jews again If those that are visibly the children of Abraham put off Gods work God can of stones great and hard hearted sinners ra●se up children to Abraham which shall do the same When the learned and righteous Scriles and Pharisees will not own Christ he can raise up poor illiterate Fishermen yea Publicans the worst of sinners sitting at the receipt of custom for to do the thing If Jerusalem the chief City will not furnish Christ with instruments to carry his work on by he can find men for the same where they were least expected in the dark waste car●ers of Galilee and the little hole of Bethsaida Joh. 1.44 Christ is never at a loss for instruments when he hath work to do That any of you are imployed it is more his free grace towards you than from any need that he hath of you he is not beholding to you for doing his work but t is you are beholding to him that he will honor you in it O therefore Saints awake awake put on your beautiful Garments shake your selves from your dust the Sun of right●ousness is rising upon you the whole earth begins to be enlightned with his glory it is now high time to rouze up your spirits awake out of sleep to be up and doing Christ your Captain General is abroad in the field upon his march in the way to his Kingdom he will make no halts if you sleep loyter straggle or sit still you will be left behind and lose the sight of your Leader he will bear no delaies if you will not now come and kiss him subject your selves to him he will make a riddance of you and throw you by as he goes up to his Kingdom The times of former neglect God winked at but now he cals upon all that make mention of his Name not to sit still not to keep silence nor give him rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth That you may do this work and the same in your hands may prosper I shall as an additional word unto the last general Head in the following Discourse leave with you these few particulars 1 Endeavor union with your selves Divisions will obstruct the work Union will further it The great work in the Apostles time never went on so gloriously and successfully as when the number of those that beleeved were of one heart and of one soul 2 Strive after purity The seven Angels that go out of the Temple with the seven Vials their cloathing is pure and white linnen Rev. 15.6 3 Desire God to lay you in with principles suitable to his work neither below it nor above it As a mans principles are so will his actions be principle being the rule of action Some mens principles are above generation-work these vilifie and trample it as a low and carnal thing and instead of laying themselves out therein they slumber and sleep doing nothing at all Others principles are below the work and instead of acting in it they are offended at it He whose principles are above the work will not do it for the thing is low and base in his eies and he whose principles are below the work in case they continue so to be shall not do it for this is an evident sign that God will lay him by it being the way of God when he will use a man in a work to give him principles as high as that work and when he will laie a man by to blind him first to that work in which he will laie him by 4 Carry a meek spirit along with you in the work When Christ rode as King into Jerusalem he rode meek meek those that would accompany Christ to his Kingdom must be of that spirit their King is of Moses never failed but once in the work of his Generation and it was then when he lost his meek spirit Num. 20.10 Eapounded Psa 106.32 They angered him at the waters of st●ife so

that it went ill with Moses for their sakes But for what reason see v. 33. because they provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips God is oft times in the small and still voyce when neither in the Whirl-wind nor the Earthquake nor the fire 1 King 19.11 13. 5 And lastly Be much in praises Praises in the last times shall have the same efficaey and effect that prayer in former times hath had In Rev 15. Whilst the Saints who have gotten the victory over the Beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name are sta●ding on the Sea of glass with the Harps of God and singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb v. 2 3 4. The seven Angels with the seven Vials full of the wrath of God to be poured out upon the heads of the enemies of the Church issue out of the Temple v. 5 6 7. And in Rev. 19.1 3. it is observable the final ruin of Babylon comes in as an effect of the frequent praises of Saints in v. 1. They sing Hallelujahs I heard a voyce of much people in heaven saying Hallelujah and v. 3. Again they said Allelujah and what followed her smoak rose up for ever and ever These few perticulars coming to my mind whilst this Epistle was drawing up I thought good in this place to insert I shall no longer detain thee Spiritual Friend and Reader from the thing it self which trears of that great work which the cies and hearts of not a few of Gods people at this day are sixed upon and taken up with in reading of which if thou shalt receive any light or reap any spiritual benefit give all the praise to the Lord and pray for him who is A Companion in the tribulation and Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ J. T. A brief and Seasonable Word humbly offered to the View and Consideration of the Saints and People of God in this Generation Especially to those in whose hands for the present the Work lyes relating to the Work of the present Age or Generation we live in Act. 13.36 For David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep THis Chapter for the greatest part contains a rehearsal of that divine and heavenly Sermon preached by Paul at Antioch The Subject-matter of his Discourse is Jesus Christ the particulars insisted on are his Death and Resurrection the two main Pillars of Christian Religion the two chief Heads or Common-places to which Paul reduceth his whole Gospel 1 Cor. 15.3 4. His scope in treating of these being to convince the Jews who were in expectation of the Messiah or Christ That the Messiah was already come dead and risen again and that this Jesus whom he preached unto them was he and also to perswade all sorts of men whether Jews or Gentiles who expected Salvation to look for it no where else but only from this Jesus who was dead for sins and raised again for the justification of sinners And it seems this was the A●●stles ordinary way and method of preaching not only ●●e but every where else especially when he met with any Jews as appears Act. 17.2 3. The words read are brought in ●nder the last of these viz. The Doctrine of the Resurrection as the Apostle was proving and clearing that for having evidenced Christs Resurrection from the testimony of many who were Eye-witnesses of the same who had both seen him and conversed with him after he was risen vers 31. Hee for the further confirmation thereof makes use of that notable testimony of the Prophet David Psal 16.10 who seeing beforehand the Resurrection of Christ spake thereof on this wise Thou shalt not suffer thine holy One to see corruption Which words saith the Apostle could not be understood of David for they do no way agree to him who fell on sleep was laid unto his Fathers and saw corruption but they do most fitly agree to this Jesus who was dead and by the power of God in three dayes raised again and so saw no corruption and therefore must needs be understood of him and by them his Resurrection was Prophetically pointed out many hundreds of years before the time And it seems that this Argument drawn from the words of David to prove the Resurrection of Christ was of no little force For not only Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles but Peter also the great Apostle of the Circumcision makes use of it to the same end and purpose that Paul do●h here Act. 2.25 26 27 c. The words themselves that I have pitched upon are not any part of the Apostles Argument or proof but somewhat worthy observation David brought in by the way as it were in a Parenthe is whilst the A postle was following up of his main Argument which was how that David fell on sleep was laid to his Fathers and saw corruption and that therefore this Prophecie of not seeing corruption could not be meant of David himself but must relate to Christ plainly importing his Resurrection But now there was something Antecedent to Davids falling asleep very admirable and remarkable in him which the Apostle will by no means let slip but sets it before all as a thing worthy their imitation which is how that David before hee fell on sleep served his own Generation by the will of God For David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep I shall first Paraphrase upon the words and then come to my Observations from them Served his Generation i.e. did the work of his Generation What was the work of his Generation David applied himself unto he was not an Idler a Sluggard in his Generation Timothy served with Paul in the Gospel Phil. 2.22 i.e. did the work of the Gospel together with Paul His own Generation not another Generation every Generation as I shall shew anon hath its proper and peculiar Work Now David made it his business to find out and attend unto that Work which did properly belong to his Generation By the will of God These words take in the ground or rise of Davids obedience the matter and manner of it The ground or rise was Gods will God willed David to do the work of his Generation and because God willed him he did it he served the will of God in serving his Generation and therefore served his Generation because it was the will of God The mattor of Davids obedience was not humane inventions or mens traditions but such things only as God did will and call him to do in his Generation The manner of Davids obedience was not in what way he listed or in humane prudence judged best but in such a way as was most consonant to Gods will revealed to him as he did not of his own head frame the matter so did hee not determine of the way or manner but in both did set before him the will of God and