THE BREAKING . OF THE D A Y OF GOD. Wherein, Four things are manifeftecl. I. That the tWo Witnejf ’S are not in kiting: but in rifing from death. II. The three dayet and half : or 42 . months of the Saints Captivity under the Beall, very near expired. III. Christ hath begun to reign in his Saints, and to tread their corrupt ftejb under his feet. 1111. Christs dominion over the Nations of the World, near the approach. Gerrard V Vinftanley. London, Printed by I. C. for Giles Calvert, at the Blacl^ fpreaa-Eagle, zt. the Weft end of Pauls, 1 6 4 y. TO jThe defpifed Sons and Daughters I of Zion, fcattered up and down the King- | dom of England. jj Bar friends, and fellow brethren in the Kingdom and patience of J efus Chrili :ym Have been, and are the ok jell of the Worlds ha- " . ; tred and reproach; not fimply as . . ; >■ 'you are men andwomen, but be- , casif. the light & beautj of our Father fhines forth' •_ . / of you, which they cannot behold: therefore they \ frandy on for wicked ones, andyour principles to be -. " r : errour. And under that name of deceivers & trou- ■ ,, ;biers (though indeed they themfelves are the only 1 King, 'deceivers & troitblers) they threaten your ruine r ^‘ .ir death: you are the ft ones and wonders of the Kingdom ; you aretheobfell of e'vcry anes laugh- .■ ■ l '■ l er and reproach \you are themenyhdt they Would lunder-you are the men, that are fentencedtobe _ tit to death in thefeuproar rifmgs,under themme Pfah S3.' bfRound-heads, T hat the name sflfrael may be no 4. more known in the. Land • but they Jball never pre- itaile , your Father hath bleffedyouyea ahdyou Num. id (ball be blejfed : you are the men they would chain 11, by 'an Eccleftaflicall compulftve of coerftve Dan.8.' i: A 2 power; power,-you are the men that they Would give no li¬ berty to ; to praSHfte. WhatGod teaches yon-yon are the men preached again ft, writ againft, & petitio * ^\in. 11 ned againfi to the higher Power,to bring you under their foot-fleps : you are the men that are counted the troublers of Kingdoms and Parijhe'swhere you dwellthough.the,tr\sth is , you are the only peace¬ able men in the ’Kingdont i who love the Kingdoms peace , the Magiftrates peace , and the Peoples peace-.who love the 'health and peace of all their . m;-,,-; . ■: ■' ■&&-,. . , .But W hat’s the reafon, the wortyl ftoth fo ftorm John againft,you ; ■but becaufte you are ikjiffjfe world, 15 • 1 P ■ nor can dot walkjn the darlyivayes hfuie World-,they I Joiia* hatedyour Lord and 'Mafter, Jeftti thrift , and 3.1. ihey hati'you- they knew not himftndlkey know not youy.fcr-if.theyhad,known him, they.would not 1 Pet. have-cyttcifiedhim andiftbey iidtruly know the 43..' power of that God , that dv;els'inyou j .they Would - uotfo'defpifeyou. ' '- ' . But well s the r e things rnufh be 5 -it is your Fa- I.uke there- WlUJtjball befo , the Worldmuft lie under . 21.1 2. darkniefs for-a time ', that is Gods diflsen fatten to them’and you that areChildrix of light , muft lie under.-reproach and oppreffwns of the world ; that isi . ? - Gods dijpetifation to you. But itJhaS be, but for. a : . little timel What I have here to (ay , ps to bring you glad tydingsthat your redemption, dr awes ; - , -ncer -youare come to the half city of.t.keBeafts • - reigngWhich 'may be very hot , yet it. willbe.ftmn, -■ C for tly Son ofrightccufhefs and peace is rifin ; and , be is'be ginning to.difperfe tbofe cold, rainy. Cloud* • of mens luftr and inventions ; arid to make the- earth, (mankind) to become Uke-tbe fummerfea fon,fulloflight, heat ,fruitfulnefs and comfort.-■ .- : -CL There are two things which the Lord our righte-- Jcr»? J,:c oufnefs is in doing. ■ Firfi, He is burning up allthedroffe of oiirfltfh,- Thof. " ‘ ] and treading it under his-feet y by his. bright'rap~: 2,8.' ■ fearing in our hearts - and by tfe: lively and frce.Luke . : j difeoveries of himfelf, and doth cu(l out theaccu-'J- 7.21/-V . fer, (The Serpent) and takespeffefpon and dwtlsRkb. s . in you himfelf ,-and takesyouuptodwell in time 4- 3. this is Gods Kingdom, andthismany of you have.t John experience of 1 and thisflrength of your G id withs ^•'.4. - mingprovocationsofthe world without• fir.onger'. ", ’ is he that is in you , then he that is in the worlds ' £f a _ j , j . Secondly, the fame Godof truth,he is burnihgiip . the drojfe arid Jhalfng and cafting down all cor-. i , ; t rtipiionsfehichthe'tyifeflefh(or father\\]icked$er- '. •’* ' pent ) bath built up in Common-Veealcbssandi ' Churches-,and is beginning to fpread the fnowledtr' : of himfelf over the earth, as the waters cover the . 1 Seas-,But for the prefent,men are angry Ordifejui- tfa.-T-i-. - eted at it, they would not know God, nor be faved, ■ • $■ ! at frfl mufi work againfl their wills, and '. Intake their fwellingfpirit to become willing, and.: {obedient, before they can be healed. And viTW/ : ^ ev> j 2 jthc rt-afon ? if by truly the Serpent that deceived o. I the Whole earth,doth.fill fir up the whole world ho wonder after, the Beaft-, and to maintain.,that. ’ I -A^' • " ’ •; corrupt poWer as long as he can j for when once the Anointing takes the Kingdom and reigns : The Beafi , orjiejbly wifdom in States X)an. 7. and Churches, flatt never reigne more : this the 35.27. Serpent'knoWs , becaufe Gad and the Lamb Rev. 11. jfo r/;f Tkrone, judging the Beafi and Ser- ij- pent ; Z&e [moke of their torment afcends up- Rev. 1 5 . Wards day and night,blafpkemj again ft God, 17. £zV/sr language and ill ufages of his Saints-, . Rev. 14. fjSwt live above,in the liberty and life ofGod,which II. # rf condition above the bondage and death of the Serpent j well it mufi be thus for a time, but do you wait patiently uponyour God, andyeu Jhallfee Efa 60. conclufton, he will bring in your enemies to fall •j . ‘ ’ down at Chrifisfeet, and acknowledge love, and live in the fame God With you, .and then your joy flailbe more and more fulfilled. This thing God ere long Will do-, for he is judging the Serpent. And if England, Scotland, andltt- Rev. 11. j an( j. three-fold Kingdom , united under one I 5 * head or State Government, be the tenth part of the City Babylon, that mufi fad of from the Beafi firfi, as I have no doubtings but daily confirma- 2 Cor. t i SHS ifj m e,that it flail be, Tou flail thenfee,.T hat 5 • 4 - all this envy and bittemejs.efjpirif in thefe Nati- ons ,Jhalldie, andjball be fwalloWsdup, in the fli¬ nt of love-, you flailfee thefe great nationall divi- fions , to be [wallowed up into brotherly oneTtiefs ; J you flail fee eppreftnginjufiice, to be fw allowed up into righteoufnefs and peace , and the fire of Efa. 4,4. Gods flirit x to burn up the fire of mens lufis and T ~: invtn- inventions : ft that Magiflrates fall love the people, and be nurfmg Fathers to them for that M prophejie comes weW to be fulfilled ; ani the people Jball love ahd chearfully obey the Commands of Era. V Magiflrates i Allflriving who full honour GW49- 22 * • pjofi, in their fever allplaces and callings ^ this God can doand this he will do: for be isCommcin¬ der in chief inand of the fpiriis’ofmen. ; • There are three Songs, which God hath taught us,and will, have us to ftng in experience continual¬ ly.The frf.is, fear (or rather love) God, Smdgive Rev. 14. glory to him. The fecond is, Babylon is fain, is !'•%. fdn, that great City Babylon is fain. And the chapp y, third is Hdleluja : for the Lord God omnipotent \ 9 l 6. ' reigns. ' v . r; Now brethren,you Ifpeakjo, in whom the Ser- i -Pet., pent u fubdued ; you fee and feel, that Godts your 4- 1 3* ' teacher,yokr comfort,your life,your fir ength,y our liberty,you are fetfree by him,and it is ajweet fa- tisfying freedom: Now fpea\ plainly , do not your hearts love God, and glory in him, do you not ac. knowledge’'God dll ib all, in pardoning, healing, teaching, faving, and manifefting love and life to you ; and that yourfelves ,men and creatures can do nothing herein , but mufl let that alone to God for ever, itew you give glory to him , and you love him, and I beleeve that Scripture that is interpre¬ ted, Fear God, foul J rather be. Love God, for the frame offpirit thusfetat liberty, in whom Ba - bylon is fain, ani in Whom the Lord God emnips- . ■, tidtireigns; is rather full of the embracings and .A 4 brei'. ' Ireathiitgs- of lev e and dflight to give God all the I John glory, rather then fear ; which is part of bondage, 4. 1 8. whichperfeft hve'cdfiscut. Well, all that I -have to fay is this, rejoycein. the midfi of this cloud of nationall troubles, for your Redemption dr air is pear; God is working out, an inwafd, and an outwardpeace , andfliberty for • yen all. What I have Writ in this following dif- , courfe , I could net but Write,I was carried by a ' firong hand (I believe of God) in writing of it through much bodily weaknefs , andyet with abun¬ dance of delight’, that gave firength tomyfpirit j Rev. 22. 1 leave it with you. But the Crown of Glory l ■ I c hearfully Jet upon his head that (its upon the Rev. j. Throne, and upon the Lamb for evermore. • May 20. 1648. Your Brother, and Companion in the Kingdom and patience ofjefus Chrifl. (jerrard JVinflanky* THE iht Particulars infixed upon in the fol- ; loifhg pifcwfe. , . CHAPTER , T. ' T He great Myftery of God is this : He will 1 caft the Serpent out of man; and fubdue that corrupt flelh under his feet, & dwelt in man himfelf. : .. pag.i. The Promises and Types of the, old Tffta-i ment. point out .God manifefted in theflelh., which is Gods Kingdom. \ : \ . r ; God by his Prophets fore-told the captivity of Gentile Saints, under the little horn,; The Bead.. ;y/ The. Prophets faw not in the depth ofthofp Prophefies, God gave them to write:,, _ i God manifefted in the flefh, makes iknowp his own myftery to men. Seven particular heads to be minded about Gods two Witneftes. / . r .. chap. ii. .,' What the teftimony of the two \yitneffes is. ' ■ p- 9 - Jefus Chrift and his Saints make on? perfedl man. ... . _ The Anointing that dwelt in Jeius, : ajn 4 m his Saints, is that only power, that brui^the Serpents head. . . ’The yrorld ever hated the appearance ofG'ed. in the flelh. - ' CHAK: cmip.tu. •Who thefe two Witnefles arc thatGod fpeaks of; to whom he will give power to prophefie in fack- cloth, i atfo.dayes. p. 15. What is meant by three that bear witnels inHeaveH , and by three that bear witnefs on earth. The excellency of Chrifts fpirit in his fufter- uigs. Chrifi Was not compelled by humane autho¬ rity^ bear teftimony of his Fathers Gouncell; but he didit willingly..The Saints art not com¬ pelled, they bear teftimony of the Father wil¬ lingly: by the power of the. fame Anointing. Gentile Saints are-Gods Witnefles, that pro¬ phefie in fackcloth 42. months. . What is meant by. two Candlefticks. And by one golden Candleftick, and two Olive-Trees of each fide of it. And bf two Olive-bran¬ ches. Jefus Chrift was the firft that Went un¬ fertile Captivity of isyftety Babjltn , and the firft that came out. Chfift laid the foundati¬ on of Sion; and his hand fhall finifh the buil¬ ding. The two witnefles kill enemies by fire that proceeds out of their mouth : and how. What it is to hurt the two witneffes. What Amicknfi is. What is meant by Heaven. The witnefles have power to fhut Heaven, that it rain not .- and how. What is meant by rain. The witnefles have power over waters, to turn them into blood: and how. CHAP. CHAP. W. What is meant by 1260. dayes, which is the time given to the 2. witnefles toprophefie in, cloathed in fack-cloth. f,^2, What is mean t by prophefie: and to prophe- fie in fack-cloth.And by 1260.dayes in a literal! fence. And by filence in heaven for thefpace of half an hour. And by wildernefs into which the woman fled. The wildernels is a lafe hiding place (in Gods hand) from the face of the Ser¬ pent. The earth helped the woman. What is meant by 1260. dayes in a myftical fenfe. And by 3, dayes and half, by 42.month$,or by" time, times, and dividing of time, that the Saints' are to lie under the captivity of tnyftery Baby- j Ion. What is meant by Dragon, by Leopard , 1 by the Beaft with 2 horns like a Lamb, And by . the Image of the Beaft. The proud Beaft, or . whorifh fpirit, will not fuffer Chrift to reign King,Prieft,and Prophet jbut^he will reignin his WhatitistofpeakliketheDragon.TheSaiats rejoyce when Chrift reigns-. Whac the feavenchj ^# day or Sabbath is. The Saints greatly rejoyce,;' ^ when they feel and fee the Serpent call out-of them: and the Anointing appears to rule and, dwell in them. CHAP. V. The Witnefles were to be flain when they had finifhed their Teftimony. p. 63. The witneffes finifh their teftimony, and . prove the word of the Bather true: That the feed feed of the womanfhouid hruife the Serpents head, by their ownexperience, notbyhear- fay. What the bottomles pit is.What the Beaft is that rofeoutof the bottomlefspic. What •the fmoakisthat afeended out of the bottom- lefs pit.What the King or this bottomlefs pit is. What isthe ayre wherein the Beaft lives. S. fohn fpeaks that the two witnefles'mult prophefie in lack-cloth, but i ado. dayes: And Daniel faith,that the Sanctuary and Hoaft fhall be trod underfoot. 2300.dayes, how thefe are reconciled. The Beaft kills the two Witnef- leSj-and how. Three difpofitions in the Beaft, whereby be kils Gods two witnefles. The Ec- clefiaftical Lawes of the Beaft, kill Gods 2 wit¬ nefles , but give libercy to Gods enemies. The Whote kils the two witnefles, by that Auchori - ty which Ihe got from the Kings of the earth, when the and they committed fornication to¬ gether. What the myftery of iniquity is.What the Kingdom or myftery of God. is. The killing of the two Witnefles,is not a kil- lj|| 3 ring of the bodies o‘f their flefh only; buc a "billing of their teftimony, and how. The Beaft and whorifh fpirit, fnubsand thwarts fefm Christ in S. particulars. CHAP. VI. The Witnefles were flain long agoe, have lain dead in the ftreet of the great City three dayes and almoft the half, and are now upon their riling. p.fcy. We We in thefe dayes are under the found of the fixth AngeljOr feconid woe.Four Angels are loofed, that were bound up.in the great River Euphrates- and what they do. What the great River Euphrates fignifies. . , What is meant by King* of the Baft, whofe way is prepared when Euphrates: is dried up. Thofe four Angels are eviil ones, and what they are by name. . How .thefe four 'evil Angels kill , the . third part of men. . ; Thefe .four eyil Angels raife Armies of Horfe-men.and what they are. What is rrieant by fire,fmoak 5 and'brimftone, that proceed out' of the- hoifes mouths p • by which thethird part' of men are. killed.The reft pf the men that were hot killed,yet repented not ; and who they be. Why thefe our dayes are catod.the.half day* ofthe Beaft : or the dividing Wtime. . 7 - They of the nation^.'kiridreds/tphgues and people ? (hall fee thei dead bodies of the wit-, neffes lie dead in the ft'reet of.the great City j dayes arid half; aridwKb they are. .’..p; ^ They will .not fuffer the two witneffes To be put in graves; whatis the meaning.-yyhat the ’ great Cwy Babylon is. Wlrat tlie ftreef.' of the great City is. The Beaft doth not dohisOwn will, when he killed the witness,'but,Gods will: A fcruple anfwered.' The power called Ecclefiaftical,hath and doth deny theScriptures. Men of the. eart h rejoyced w hen the witneffes were were (lain. The appearance of God in Saints, calling down the formes and Cuftome's of the Beaft, is that which torments the world. Qod calls his witneffes to come up to heaven to him :what is meant. . What the Cloud is, in which the witneffes afcend up to heaven. What is meant by Earth¬ quake. Ia the Earth-quake the tenth part of the City fell, what is that. Seaven thoufand men were flain i.n the Earth¬ quake, who are they. How thofe 7000. men are flain. The remnant were affrighted, what is that. The reformation, andprefervationofMagi- ftracy in Common-wealths: is that which every man is to mind with tender care; it being Gods Ordinance. ^ •The downfall of humane Ecclefiaftical power, will be tlfe reformation and prefervation of Magiffracy, and peace of Comhion-wealths. That which men call Ecclefiaftical 1 power, was railed up by the craft of the Serpent, on purpofe to make war withChrift and His Saints, God only fuffering it for a limited time. Ecclefiafticalltroubler,relies upon the arme of flefh to fupport it,not upon the arme of God. Ecclefiafticall power hath alwayes made men hypocrites. Ecclefiaftical power hath through its policy, ever made Magiftrates to aft backwards. A Conclufion. - PROPHESIES PROPHESIES FVLFILLEV: AS By particular and generall experience is proved.. Ch a p.I. '•. > • The great Myftery of God is this': HeeSvitlcaft the Serpent out of man ; and fttbdue that ter- ruptflejh under his feet, and dwelt inrumhint- , ! m . : ' S N every age of the world God, : t hath manifefted his love to fin- ners,ruore dear than ©ther,ihat he will deliver them from the power, ©f darkneffejby.no other . '-■> jaame or power; but by his Son Jefus Chrift. Ac ,0t ‘ j From Adam to Mofit, God revealed his Son, }*‘ ■„ Sunder the name of a feed, Thefeedofthe Vtoman ‘ jailbrttife theferpents head ; and then , | ham' - 2j Prophejtes fulfilled . - r , kant promiling a blelfednes to all Nations tho- ! T?* T0W ^ IS ,'Sonne. Ia thj feedjhall all the,Nat i- Ga/ l ° oasof the earth he hlejfed. > y*;' 3 * This was Gods lowing time, and all our mer- s? 6 ’ cies, graces, pardon, life, falvacion, are in that feed of his love, Jefus Chrift, whom the Father , hath lent andeaft into the world : even as the ■ .fraitfull crop of corn,Iies in the finall feed,which the husbandman throws into the earth, I Then from Mefes till the fulnefle of tiroe,or the Gal.7. period, of Gods determinate counfell; That 24. Chrift Ihonld come in the flelh. God :Heh.io.) did make known his Sonne, under types', fi- gures,(hadows and ceremonies of the Law: And God took no delight in thofe legall performan¬ ces, no further ■ then they' by his appointment, held forth his Son. And fo the Law was a teach¬ ing (. not a-whipping,) Schoole-mafter till Chrift catae in the flelh. (f -When God made known the Law of works |; - tothe people upon Mount Sinai in Hereby he \; • taugh t the people therein to' beg a Media tour; l : fSr.God:appearedfo terrible to them *Hat they i " rt> ' faid; to Mefes: Do thou-fpeake to us, and we will bear; but let not Gedfpeakwithus, left we Tents'again, and eOme thou, faid God to Mq/f.i-, * ' -and ftand Ky me, and I Will fpeak unto thee, and • ' : thou lhalt be a Mediator' betweene me and the:;- • . People. cBut Mefes was made onely a Type of Chrift, 3 I . Prdphefiet fulfilled. | Chrift, who is the' Mediator of a better Cove- ;• xant,ttytn this; HekS;fc !; FQr as foou as God had granted them Mofes., ri { j he promifed them his Son Jeflis Chrift in Mo- ’’i| 1 fes : for when the People had debited Mofes to Beat, i S' .] fpeak to them from God, They have Well fpoken , 1 t. \ .1 faith die Lord, in What they have fpoken. Fori v wili raife them lip a Prophet from among their I bret'.ren-like unco thee;and I wiliput my words f into his moutlyand he lhall /peak unto them,all i chat I will command him : And the Apoftle | {hews plainly, that this Prophet, whom God promifed, is Jefus Chrift the Sonne ofGod, or 2I - 22- ' • God mamfeftintheflefh. And fo the Law of \ Types and Ceremonies, whereof Mofes was the v * Mediator, was but a teaching School-rnafter to lead us to ChriftjFor it was added till t! e time. . ' f of Reformation, or till the feed came: For.it Heb.io'. : \ was impoifiible. chat the blood of Buis and 4. aridI Goats fhould take away finnei; thei efore when 10. ' ■ 4 Chrift 01 the anointing Came into the world; he r faith,Sacrifice and Offerings thou wculdeft notj butabody haft thou prepared for me.-in burnt-' - Offerings and Sacrifices chou haft no pleafure; Then faid I,Lo I come to do thy will O God/He takesaway the firft Covenant, whereof Mofes 4 °« was Mediator thafhe might eftab’lifh che fe- G cond, whereof he himfelf is Me'diacor. And ■ - -' j therefore Stephen cold the Jewes, That though. 1 they had received the Law by the hand of An-. I gels, yet they had not kept itand why ? Be.-. • -i I . B ' ” caufe ' • . ; 4 Prephefi es fulfilled. caufe faith he. There was-not a Prophet that AB. 7. God fentto fore-tell the coming of Chrift, the 5 -• juft One • but your Fathers did flay them; and L. 'of whom now, your felves are the murtherers of the juft one. They (hould have obferved Mofes Covenant of Types , till Chrift came, ; who was the body and fubftance of all, and cleaved to him, and then rejected the Types. , J 7 ‘ ah but they rejefted Chrift, and kept to the Types ftill; and therefore faith Stephen , you have not kept the Law. ’ As it was the fin of the f.ewes to keep to the letter of Afufes, when Chrift was come in the Rev. 11. Belli: So I believe it will be the fin of many * 12: profefilng Gentiles, to keep to the bare letter 2 Cor. 5. of the Apofties,oniy looking upon Chrift in the 1 6. fleft, when the promife of the Father is come, chat he wilL take up his Saints into a fpiritnall ; Cm. 2. enjoyment of himfelf; and that they (hall ? 10.11. die to formes, and know Chrift no more after theflefh. I hope I (hall declare a truth in this ; before I have done. • In the dayes of Daniel, Ezdfiel , and Zecha~ riah ,who did prophefie towards- the latter end of the ’jevljh figurative worlhip; which was j. a-little before the dawning ofthe new Tefta- • , ment,orofGods being manifeft in flefh, in the 2 ^‘ 2 4 - man Chrift Jelus.For Daniel did prophefie in the firft year of which was the full end - of feventy years of Ifraels captivity in Baby L ton,- - ' .. f. * •• Now Prof defiesfulfilled. \ 5 ’ Now from the carrying away into Babjlea tlll'Chrift came,was.fourtee'n generations, but ! 7c. years of thofe fourteen Generations, were now expired ; fo that the dawning of the new 13$ or better Teftament, was ijeaf at hand in the . ■ time of thofe Prophets. - And now upon the delivering of Ifrael af- ter theflelh from that Babylonifh captivitjy^^-j 1 " God reveals to Daniel in a Villon, his Ounce!' ./• X- * and purpofe, to fend his fpirituall Ifrael^ which ^chap. are the believing Gentiles, into a longer capti- g- vity, under the power of myfticall Babylon. For * I Daniels Villon reports thr,ee things. * _* Firft, the nature and power of this'myfti- ; call Enemy. * Secondly, How that the houfe-hold of Faith,: . ^ in the latter dayes {hall lie under that Anti~ ; -« cbrijlian powerfor a certain time. Thirdly, Ic points out the Saints deliver- ; ance from this Captivity ; and the mine of that tyrannical! Beaft. • .? And all the time of this myfticall Captivity,- it is called.by the jpirit of God, "the -hour of Rev. 5; 1 temptation that (hall come upon all theWorldj - iev e© try them that dwell upon the Earth. Now to DanielGoA revealed the Villon more * >. dark and hiddenjfor Daniel himfelf did not ury^ $*** 1 derftand the myftery>of the Villon;; for faith ■%$'• x 3 : " Darnel, I hear 3 but I underftarid not: then faidjt,' ■»«, O my Lord, what fhaH be the end of tbefc \ things ? And he faid, go thou thy way Daniel >. v : ' B a _ for j John [ 4 - 4 * [S.ev.^.2. Prophefies fulfilled. for the words are clofed and fealed up till ti e time of the end; for thou ftiafc reft, and flsalt ftand in the lot, at the end of the dayes. But when Jcf -a Cbril 7 , the Lamb of God was come; and had ftied hisblood, and was gone to the Father again , and was found wor¬ thy and able to open the book of the myftery ofgodlinefs, and of the myftery of iniquities, and to loofe the feven Seales thereof that is,To make known to finners that by his bloud, a fweet harmony and confent was made a- mong the feven attributes of the God- head j f "and fo fully declaring their reconciliation to | . God, according to his eternall councell in | »him. ■ t ■ Then did God give the full Revelation of I. all things to this Son, that he might reveal i them again to his Servants. For God doth not k ’'JRev i i fp ea k cous one of his Son, but in his Son, and :- ,, by his Son.- And it {ball cometo pafle,that,that 't Soul, that will not hear the voice of this great f ; 1 n Prophet which God hath fent into the world, jr •' that we might live throughjfrim ; {hall be cut | - off from among the people. ■ And now Refits Christ being , in this laft ! age of the World, fully revealed to be the - feed ofthe woman;the Afe^jthe holy and juft ? one; and by his bloud hath worthily deferv- i ed to be King of Saints , and King of the { P/k/.y?. World; he doth now dearly (hew by his fpirit, L " 2 . the right, underftaoding of all thofe Books, L • dirk 7 : * _ Prophcfies fulfilled. • dark fayings of old, andVilions that were feal- ed up to the Prophets. Many truths he hath made known alreadyjyet I beleeve there are many more truths, which are not yet made known to the Sons of men; r hn 1<5 y for indeed our weaknefs is not able to bear all I2, truths at once: But at the found of the feventh 4 * Angels Trumpet, when the myftery of.God G* is finfthed, andTemple of God is opened in Kev ■ 1 r - Heaven.- that is, when Chrift in fpirit is made iy ' : known to Saints : and I believe, that the time for this Angell to found* growes very near, if not begun already: Then'the Saints ^ ^ {hall fee clearly igto the myftery ofGod,which f hu ' ? • they have^fo long time earneftly defired to at- f 1 r *; tain unto. • . : Now among many other truths which God . . hath promifed by his fpirit to lead his Saints John 1 6 d into, which mull; be made known in the time' 13.V of the end. There is-one myftery of God : . concerning Gods two witneffes, fpokenofby V St.^fo^nd whaf the meaning is (as they con¬ ceived) many dear fervants of God have writ - very largely, whic-h I {hall neithercontradidl I g m . nor condemnbtat only adde what Ijmder- : ftand.and fo caft in.rny mite Into this treafure of Godaccording to the meafure of the gifr of ' - Chrift which>X have received. B 3* Sev,d~- Propbcf.es fulfilled. Revelations \ j. 3. I Will give power to tnj tVro IFirnejfes , and they Jball prephefe a thousand tVea hundred and ■ tbrttfcore dajes, cloathedin facecloth. Some by thefe two Witnefles, do under-! ftand, die Law and Gofpel, and others con- ! ceive theta to be Chriftian Magiftrates and Mi- nifters-. Some underhand them to be faith- ! full Men and Women that have been martyred \ - for the teftimony of jefus : And others con- ! ceive them to be only theMinifters of the Go- ipel, as the margent notes in the bibleftxew: and others do lay they be two particular emi¬ nent Saints, whom God will raife 1$ towards the end. But the Scriptures of truth, will not give tbejr harmoniall confent to any of thefe fo laid down, neither will they own any of the like terravid and fading fubjeSs abfolutely to* be thpfe two Witnefles, which the fpirit in that place fpeaks of; . Therefore according to the proportion of faith received , in declaring of my perfwafion therein * I ftiall endeavour to Ihew: " Firft, What the teftimony is which thefe two Witnefles do bear witnefs unto. Secondly, to Ihew you who theTe two Wit- pefl'es are. ' ' Thirdly, to Ihew you what the meaning i? (as I conceive ) of {he x z6o. dayes,which is the Prophefiesfulfilled. time appointed them of God to prophefie in, and when they muft be (lain. . Fourthly, to fhew how the two Witnef- fes are (lain, how long they have been dead, and how long they are to fie dead, be¬ fore the fpirit of life from God enter into them, and fet them upon their feet. Fiftly, to ftiew what falles out in the World upon the flaying of thefe two Witneffes; and • why they of the Nations, People, Tongues and | Kinreds, will not fuffer their dead bodies to | be put in graves, and buried. I Sixtly, What ihall follow upon the refur- redtion of the two Witneffes from the dead. And feventhly , I (hall endeavour to (hew what I haye given me to underftand by thofe dark words, phrafes, and tenues of time which are exprelfed in that eleventh Chapter of the Revelations , under which this, myftery | of God'concerning his two faithfull Wit'nel- f fes doth lie folded up. But I dp declare what ] X concqive of the words and plirafes all along | this difeourfe,' as they neceflarily fall in the j way. 'CHAP. II. ; What the Teflimony of the t\Vo witnejf ?s is. N .Ow for the firft of thefe , to (hew what the Teftimony of the two Witneffes is. .. I conceive it is to bear witnefs of the et email " " .. \ B 4 . . Will . IO Psophfts fulfilled, h will and Councel of God. That the feed of the Ge». 3. woman ihould bru fethe Serpents head; and L 1T - • that this feed is J t !us Chiift his Son: a perfedl ■Mar. 1. m , n arcer theflefh, as he was called the Child " 5 or the Son of man. 4 * Or lecondlv, A perfect: man in the unity of t 1 ? • faith with all his Saints: he being the head, and jCor.i 2 ail the City of Z'urn^ or number of Saints the 551 4 ‘ Members,knit into onefpiriaiall body, by the :: fpirit oftbs father. And this is called the Branch and the Vine. ;. Now a Branch or Vine, doth notconfiftof r. one forig or rod, but of divers: and fo the feed ■ 2 .erl ■>. °f [ f e Woman , the Anointing, or the Son of 3 g_ God; doth m t confift of one man only after \&oha 1 5! > t0 W1C 5 man Ct-rift jefiis ; but 1 ' ' / alfo thofe whom the Father hath chofen and 'John 6. f lven t0 f exs clie an «!nted, and writ their frmes in him, t'.eLambs Book, makes up but Jlev. 1:. one ^ on ct God,^being 2II partakers ofone *r g Spirit. - ‘ And likewife they make up but onpfeed of the Woman, they beng all partakers Ofone , fWh, to wit, the ftelh of Chrft; che Saints be- ' ing bone ofC.hnfts bone, ardfiefhofhisflefh. ; And'this is the land of righte-'-ufnds, which all the Children of ZlonftizW inner tith.ey fhall not dwell in Adam corrupt flefb: but in Chrifts pure fiefh. ■ And becaiffe Chrifts myfticall body fprings from I Froiphefies fulfilled. 11 from the firft Adam , which is from the earth, V a - earthly and corrupt. 2I * ; Therefore the Lord takes away the filthy gar- merits from them ■. And purges the iniquity of Zecb. 3. thac Land in one day • that is, in the flay of 4 - 9 - Chrifts power, and to makes them conformable Rom. S. to the fcconi Adam, which is the Lord from . 29, Heaven. Now this feed of the woman fhall break the P/d. Serpents head: for God the father hath enga-110.1. ged himfeff, to fubdue the Serpents power un- Col. j. der the feet of Saints , as well as under the feet 24. of Chrift, he and they leing but one body, one Ar.50. man, one branch, one Vine, one Son of God; 20. being but one in refpeft of the unity offpiric. 1 Cor. and one in refpeft ofthe unity of flefh : after 12.11. their iniquity is purged as it muft be, God be- in g Chrifts Goffand their God;Chrifts father, and their father. Only here lies the difference," Ghrift hath the full meafure ofthe fpirit; b t ut God gives to. the ' Saints feverally'as he will, according to the meafure of the fulnefs of Chrift, Jefus Chrift he Epbef./, breaks the Serpents head, by the .ftrength of ■ his father which dwelleth in him , And the 7^.27,5 Saints break the Serpents head by Chrifts . ■ ftrength in them, even the fame Anointing: and x j g j jf} 2 hence it is thac Chrift the head,prayed,Thac his ' • Di ciples,orbodymyfticall, might be one with ~ x ' him, as he and his father were one: aqdwhep 21 ' the Saints.are taken up into this fpipitnal enjoy- ’ ' ' ment. T 2 Fropheftes fulfilled. ■ __ ment,and feeies, fees, and findes by experience, 2Co,.$. t jj ac Gods ftrength which is the anointing, dwells in them, and is become the Lord their righteoufnefs: they henceforth know Chrift af¬ ter the flefti no more. And this fpeaks great comfort to’Saints, to the pooreft members that live alone among x Pet, i. the fcoffing fons of bondage, as well as to the 5. whole City in general!: they fhall never fall i from grace; their eternall life is as fure as the ] eternall life of feftit Chrift their head, in whom their life is hid, God himfelf being that life and \ ftrength : and thefe being part of that feed, ■ which the Father hath faid fhall break the Ser- ■ F.cv. 2C. pents head 5 fo that the Serpent fhall only } x r, bruife the heel,by his temptings;but he fhal ne- { ver blot out one name that is writ in the Lambs Book of life; for this compleat man, or feed of the woman, fliall break the Serpents head. _ T , The head of this myfticali body hath con- . f. quered already, andjsfat downjn glory, wait- ■ , ing tili his body be glorified with him, and fo j 3 Cj ' ali enemies be forever made his foot-ftool. j- x ‘ 10 ‘ And this is the Counfel of God , .which* the * two witnefles give teftimony of, that theSer- ■ del. 4. pents head fhall be bruifed, and finners recon- j 1 a- til’d to God, by no other name or power,but j 2 Cor. 5. only by feftes Chrift , the anointed Son of God. j 1 9. This anointing being God himfelfin man. God \ i was in Chrift reconciling the world to hinafelf, j 13 Prophefics fulfilled. Chrifi feftu he is the chief, and the power of the Father appeared firft in him,and after that, through him in the .Saints, to break the Ser- GskA. I > pents head,, according to the word oftheFa¬ ther. And this is the tcftimony which thefe two faithfull witneffis, beare witnefs to, for the gloryof the Father, who is engaged. In this \hhn^. was roanifefted the love of God towards u$,Be- t caufe God fent his only begotten Son into the j world, that we might live through him; And | we have feen, and do teftifie, that the Father | fent the Son to be the Saviour of theVorld. j Whofoever fhall confefs thac fefm is the Son . ] of God ; That is acknowledge, that fefns is I that power whereby God will break the Ser- I pents head, God dwells in him, and he in God. j And fo again % who is he that overcometh the j j 0 ; m . j world, but he that believeth that fefiu the A- ’' / j nointed is the Son of God. '. :] And this eternal! councelgnd purpgfe ofthe r i Father, That the feed ofthe WomanIhould Rev ^ !j break the Serpents head; was declared as foon * ~ I as the devil, or red Dragon had deceived the whole world in Adam. And this Couricel of God is held forth to the world in all the pro- ; mifes; in all the Mofayecali types, and in all the j propheflesofold. ? For minde it-, the Scriptures point out , i nothing elfe to us but this, That Jefus Chrift is ctf. x. [the onely begotten Son and ftr.eng.th .of God, ^ 1 "*' ' ■' . ~ where- ' ‘ 14 Prophefies fulfilled. . whereby he will fubdue the power of darknes, and tranfiate finners into his owne Kingdome and glory : and he is the very righteoufnefle of'God; whereunto the felfeconceited Jewes and Gentiles will notfubmit. And therefore God had need of faithfull ' - _ ^ wicneffes to bear teftimony hereof to the 2 world; fuch witneQes as men may fayf after the IG ‘ vail is taken off their hearts) that without doubt their teftimony of the Fathers Councell ■ is true: Such witnefles as can and will prove r- their teftimony, not from the writings and words of others: bur from their ownexperi- f . enced knowledge, of what they have, feen and [ heard and been made acquainted with from [ God. - ; The world is fo far from believing this ■ : report.- That the Anointed is the power of M " 1 1 God: That when Chrift appeared as a man in ^ 2 S’. the flefti; they reproached him,’" under the. ' name ofaMeeaniyck tradesman, a Carpenter ; and never refted till they had killed ’him and ' cafthimout. * And nowin thefe Latter dayes, when Chrift comes in Spirit , ruling and working in the Ter 23. Saints, according to the promife of the Father, truly the ignorant deceived world denies him Ipkij. ftil!, will not own his fpirit, but jeeres him, 12. . calling h : m the Spirit of the Dived, and. a fpi¬ rit oferrour: even as the Jewes told Chrift af- . ter the flsfh, that he was a deceiver ofthe . people.-. * " And 15 f Prophefies; fulfilled. j And this deceived world, or corrupt flefh of [man, endeavours to make lawes and eftablifli. them with all poffible policy-and power, to bring the Anointed into bondage , and -will not allow him a liberty to worke where and jj 4f! g upon whom he pleafeth; but would reftrain ,, *. ’ him to their fcanty meafure, the principles of the flefli: and lo though the world allow Chrift the name of King, Prieft, and Prophet, ' ^ .yet they will aft rhefe Offices themfelves, both over him and over his body the Church. Ey, but Gods two faithfull witneffes (hall not only prove that Chrift is King, Prieft, and ifa. 26. Prophet in name tnly •. but that he is thofe in u. rule, in operarionand poWre, proving k in their own experience; which in'time the world fhall fee , and be afhamed ; though for the prelent. they will nor fee, nor be afhamed, for Zac.%. S, their, envy co Chrift and -his fellowes: And then fhall the glory of the Father be advanced, and the fong of the Saints, fhall fet the Crown of glory upon the head of him that fits upon the Throne , and upon the Lamb for ever- . j more. For then all Nations fhall fee the word J. I * and counceloftheFather,fulfilled; that the ^• Serpents head is bruifed by the feed of the' " ' woman. This is‘their teftimony, which I lay down general!, but the witnefles prove their Teftimony by particular experiences; as here- after I fhall relate fome’, i CHAP, ' 1(5 Prophefiet fulfilled, • Chap. III. JF&e theft me Witnejfesare that Godfpeakj of, to whom he will give potter to Prophefie infaclg cloth a thoufand mo hundred andfixtj daies. JO Ow the fecond thing is, to fbew who thefe ^ two Wicneffes are which God fneaks of. I will give power to my two wicneffes. And ' cheleare, the word of-God, arid the Spirit of God, or Chrift in flefh, and Chrift in Spirit, or the Anointing in the perfon of Chrift after the flefh; or the Anointing in the flefh of Saints: And thefeare butone'in refpetftof na¬ ture, one Spirit, and one flefh, one body, as I have fhewed: But they are two in refpedl of their appearance or manifeftation in or to the World. The man Chrift Jefus, who was borne of the Virgin, and dyed by the bands.of the 'Jewes at Jerufidemi he is the one Witneffe. And the body of Saints in whom the Spirit of Jefus Chrift dwells, who are perfccuced for the fame teftimbny that Chrift held: they arc the other witneffe. And my underftanding here' ' in is built upas followes. There are three that bear- witneffe in Heaven. The Father, the Word and the ilohn j. Spirit, and thefe three are one. But one 7.8. 9. Witnes, though three names or denominations. By Heaven, I underftand the Church, or the City Prophefics fulfilled. . yj City Zion, in whom the Anointiug dwels,and in - ^ them and to them, the witneffes of thofe three j in one, is fatisfaftion enough ; and the Saints life is bound up in that divine manifeftation,and • i Sthey live in that life, and fee light in that light. jj The fonofrighteoufnes,theLamb, the Anoint- Eev. ei^j ing, is the light pf that City, which makes-it 23. ' r j Heaven. ' . •' { The Teftiraony of men to the Saints is no- ‘ i tiling, they have no peace nor joy in their 1 hearts, till God himfelf do witnefle to them by ■; a lovely manifeftation of himfelf, taking them ' up into his own reft. And this is God in three" s difeoveries, which make up but one witnelfe, both in and to Zion the Church: nor to the World firft .-but to them firft, and afterward'to • the World. ^ Then there are three that bear witnes in earth. The water, bloud, and Spirit, and thefe three Zech. are one: but one witnefle though 3 denomina- 4. / f tions,making one perfect man. 'Now by Earth; -J I I underftand either the Saints before they have< ; [ a cleare manifeftation, before their filthy gar- u ) ments be quite taken off them: For then they i I look upon Chrift after the fiefli; andfeekfor „ . Z teftimonies oftheFatherslove and promife ina ■ ■*'< litterall wayjand God condefcends to the weak- nes of their fiefh; for in the fuliics of timejGod ^fent his' Sonn made ofa Woman, made under / ; *the Law, to redeem them that were under the- 1 ' Law, that we might receive the adoption'or- . " Sons J iS Prophefies fulfilled. Sons,accosding co the promise. Ge;u 3.1J. Or Secondly,byEarth,I vnderftand mankind- all (efts and Nations, as they are confidered one fiefti, or one earth; of which all of us are made even one created humanity. I ( And unto this earth, God fends water,b!oud &-fpirit, in two appearences, to witnefle this his faichfulnefle, thatwhac he fpake fhall come to paflq That the feed of the woman rtiall bruife the Serpents head. God cals thefe his twowit- . . nefles, becaufe. they are two difcoveries of his owinvifdom arid power. /1 • For firft, By water, bloud and fpirit, I under- u ftand to be'our Lord Jefus, the feed of the wo- p man, aff!brfect eian according to the flefh; who [Col.\. isthe firft faithful! and true witnes, the humane 1 * 9 . body of Chrift,and the eternall fpirit that dwelt ichap.2.9 therin:or that power whichGod gave-.I wil give * Mat - P ower t°,my two witneffqs,&:c. And God gave £ ' this power, when the holy Spirit defended like | 4 ’ a Dove upon Chrift Jefus, when he was baptiz- | ed, and came ftraighr-way out of the water, jf. This power God gives to both his wit- nefles: but to his humane body firft. [• If you look into the Evangelift John, you fhall Wshn 19, find that one of the Souldiers with a fpear pierc - p 5 - ed.Chriftsfide, and forthwith there came out ( water and blood: now the water andblood de¬ clared Jefus Chrift co be a true and realfman, the feed of the Woman, according to the word I and Councell of God $' and fo the Word was made. t: * ' - 6 Propheftes fulfilled. t made flefti, and dwelt among us andwefaw the glory thereof, as the glory of the onely begotten Son of God , full of grace and truth. Now Phyfitians fay, and it is a truth., that ^. the hearc of man hath adjoyning to it a blad- der qr skin of water; which cools the heat of the bloud; which they call the Pericardium. And the Spear piercing Chrift to the heart did * break that skin of water, and fo there came . out that wacer and blood that was. in his; • ..-v heart; this fhews he was a man, the feed of the ; Woman. ...‘ ‘ •> , And then for the fpiric or power thafwas in Jefus Chrift declares him to be one faith- full witnelle; for though hisfufterings were x fo great that he fWeat drops of blood,. yet a , ’ r ‘ there was no fin ,• of mttrmerings again!!: God found in him; but he was ftill full.of thelpi- rit of humility and patience, of love, and of faithfulneifeto God his Father, who had aP figned him that cup to drink. And like wife was ftill full of the fpiritof love to poor loft finners,that ftood in need of this his death, or elfe they could not have.bin reconciled to God 1 .and this unb'f ameable fpiric of his, gives > teftimony to Heaven and Earth that Chrift is the great,power of God, and fo jears a faithfull witnefie before Pilate, and all , he world, to the councel of his Father: For ndeed no fon oF ra an befides hkn, could be " " g ' . fountf '-rS' Prephefies fulfilled. . found to fufter the'like intolerable burden of wrath, and yet beareit,with fuch a patient un- Ifa .5 J. demanding, loving, faithful, and pittiful fpirit 5 , 6 . towards others, as Chrift did. Now this humane body of Chrift , is an aftive and loving witnefs, bearing record of the Father with courage: and he did not re¬ ceive his teftimony from any creature; but * from the Father. For the Son can do nothing of himfelf, but what he feeth the Father do; hhn ? and whatfoever he doth, the Son doth like- ip. wife. Jefus Chrift was not compelled to bear wit- nefs to the Father, as a malefactor is compelled to bear the fentence of j'ufltice, but he under¬ took to bruife the Serpents head voluntarily : he fuffered freely, and dyed freely, feeing it' was the will of his Father: he took up death (which was thedefertofourfins) willingly and voluntarily; as foone as the Father had declared his councel concerning him, Behold! ^sfc io. (faith Chrift) I come to do thy will O God: 17.18. And no man takes away my life; for llay it jjyk down of my felf .• I have power to lay it down, and I liar e power to take it up again. Now if the blood of Buis and Goats, and the afhes of an Heifer, fprinckling the unclean, fanftifyeth to the purifying of the flefli, how much more Beb. 9. jfhall the bloud of Chrift, who through his e- 13.14- ternail fpirit, offered himfelf without fpotto * .God,purge our Confidences from dead works : : "• (<>P. • ;• ■ • • .. . Frophefies fulfilled. ' "Hif (of humane formes and fleftily aftings ) tor - ferve the living God, in fpirit and truth, ■ The Scriptures are plentiful! to prove this,' . In the Evangelifi, we fee Chrift beares witnes n^ n ^ , ofhimfelf, That he is the Son of God: and told j, x f thefe^es, that.rnleffe thej believed that he toss ’ jgj He, they jhould die in their fins: The P bar fees “ ° told him, his record ft as not true, hecaufe he bare record of himfelf : but faith he. My record it true; and I am one that bear record of my felfand my Father thatfent me beareth witnefs of me.' I . % have many things to fay and judge of you: but he. n^ n &= T- that fent me is true ,. and Ifpeakjtnto the world ^ 2 g ■ thofe things which I have heard of him :: \ And when 7 e have lifted up the Son of man, then ye > jhall knew that I am he, and that I do nothing of my fe If, but as my Father hath taught me, fo l- - j ‘ " ; And Sc. fohn writes. Grace and Peace to the. ; [even Churches, that is, (to the compleat rium- Rev-iff ber and body of Saints ) from fefus Chrifi who cha.%,v$ ■■ is the faith full and true Witneff ?. And again tin-. : ' to the Angel of the Church of Labdicea i Vorite witnefs, the beginning ofthe'creation of God. And by this we fee that fefus Chrifi, he was Gods firfi witnefs. ; ' jr . , Then fecortdly, The Saints or City Zion, oe the.myfticaHjody of Chrift ;This is Gods other , . Witnels; And thefe doe not receive their •• C 2 eeftimony L ' it-- Rev. 6 .9. Rev.i.i. 1 Tim. 6 . *3- Rev. 19. JO. 'Prophefies fulfilled. . . teftimony from men, but from JefusChrift. And their teftimony is ftiU the fame , that Chrift bare witnefs to ; and therefore they are [aid to fnferfor the'Teftimony ofjefus. Now this Tecond witnefs, is not to be re- ftrainedto Magiftrates, Minifters, particular men or women- but to all the body, confifting of learned, unlearned, poor and rich, men and women, in whom the fpirit of the Son dwells, and from whom they receive their teftimony: neither are they compelled to bear witnefs,but through the fame anointing,they profeffeGod willingly; and they finde i t is pleafing to them to acknowledg the Father, as to take their meat and drink: therefore certainly thofe that have neither will nor skill to bear witnefs to the Father, unleffe they have a directory from men,and thofe that never worfhip God with¬ out a humane power to encourage them. Yea, lather, they that would fain have a humane power eftabhfht, to fuppreffe Gods Witneffes, itisamanifeft fign that they themfelves are none of his Witneffes. Now I conceive that water, bloud and fpi¬ rit f as i mentioned before ) points out the Saints, which are the feed of the woman like- wife , and as our Lord Jefus our head gave teftimony in his appointed time (prophefying infackcloth) fo the Saints his body in whom the fpirit rules, giving t^ftimony in their ap¬ pointed Propheficsfftlfilied. ap¬ pointed time. And the underftanding peopje in all Nations, Kinreds, Tongues., and People, Rev. 1 1 do fee their teftimony; and how they have bin 9 - {lain in the ftreets of the great Gty Babylon, Mat.ir. three dayes and an half, as Ifhall declare how 27. I conceive it, if God pleafeNow thefe faints are not only learned Schollers in humane wif- dome, but fuch as the world counts fools,nei- ther are they Gods witneflfes that are compel¬ led by humane Lawes to worlhip God; For thefe witnelfes declare their teftimony wil- i Cor.i: lingly againft the wifdome of thefle(h,nei- 27. ther is there here and there one Saint that are called Gods witnelfes,but all the Saints in one Pfal.no body, three in one water, bloud andfpirit, 3» make up one witnefs. Now this fpirit, or this anointing that is in- Saints, which indeed is Chrift the Lord their righteoufnefs, is a faithful! witnefs likewife: This is he that came by water and bloud, and i not by water only, but by water and bloud; fer.i}. and this Chrift came not only in himfelf, but 5 .( 5 . f in his Saints, whom he fanftifies and walheth 1 John 5. ; in his bloud; and it is the fpirit thatbeares 6 . | witnefs, becaufe though the bodies be weak, : x John 2. yet the fpirit in them is truth, it being the a- ae. i nointing which they have received from the holy one. ' And when Chrift had not only freely fixed ! the water about his heart,but the bloud in his heart alfo, asaprice laid down for fin tiers yhe-j that faw it, faith the text, meaning God, and 20 . Cj jhe _ 22 - folm 19. 35 - x Cor. 12 12 . Dm. 7. 35 * _ prephefies fulfilled. the fpirit of God that was in Ghrift, and in thofe few Saints then prefent, bore record, and, bit record is true, and he kno'iVetJj that be faith truth, thatje might believe. All the whole body of Saints ^ both Jewes and Gentiles, are Gods Witneffesjfor one fpi¬ rit unites them into one body. But I believe, that thofe that live in the time of the new Te- ftament, while the little horn-beaft and who- rifh fpirit, had a ruling power allowed him of God ("though I mention three names, yet they are all one enemy to Chrift ) I conceive (I fay) thatthefe are they to whom God hath given power to.prophefie infack-eloth, one thoufand two hundred and fixty dayes. ' And thefe are they that are {lain in the ftreets of the great City Babylon, that is,by the , power of the Beaft: Yet the Saints of old, are to take part ofthis honour,& ftand in this lot, becaufe they & thefe have all one fpirit; and if (Ted had appointed them this fackcloth honor, they would have been faithful lj'witneffes ot God,as well as thefe : Nay, in their time,they bore witnefs to God, againft the fame fpirit of the beaft; though he had not the fame power as he hath now -.Mordccai,Hefter,&. the Jews, gave a faithfull teftimony to God, againft proud, hypocritical,and bloudy Bamtn : And likewife Daniel & the three Children did bear witnefs t© God faithfully,againft the hypocri¬ tical! and bloudy practices of Daiim councel- Prophefies fulfilled. jj | lers r which fufferings of them then ^ did ; but type out the fackcloth-profefiion of Saints -vj in the dayesofthe little home, the Beaft and 1 whorifh fpirit, or a? I may fay, fudas fpirit of felf-love and hypocrifie, that muft reign in the 1 world for a time. -• . .J Thus we lee it is Jefus Chrift after thtflefij, I and his fpirit ruling in the flelh of Saints,which * are Gods two Witnefies : The fpirit of Chrift i fent down into Saints, or rather the Saints ta- ] ken up into fellowfhip with that fpirit, accor- ] ding to the Fathers promife , and love to his 1 Sons and Daughters in the latter dayes,which ; muft prophefie in fack-cloth, one thoufand 1 two hundred and fixty dayes; and it can be no other but thefe in whom the power of God i dwels and rules. .< And there are divers difcoveries of this^ truth laid down by God himfelf, as a teftimo-JC ny from him that thefe two are his Witneffes, y: C, in the four, five, and fix verfes of that feventh ' r - chapter of th e Revelations. In the fourth verfe, Thefe two witneffes are faid to be the two Olive Trees, and the two Candle-fticks, ftanding before the God of the . whole Earth. Now I conceive that thefe two Olive-trees, and two Candlefticks, can be ap- plyed to no other, but to the two appearances of the Anointing. Firft, In tjie body or flelh of Chrift. . r Secondly,Inthe flefh ofSaints,thatis to fay,: thrift and h'is fpirit. _ , C4 . .And %6 frtpbeftes fulfilleL And marvel not that I fay, Chrift and his fpirit Rev. i. are the two Candle-fticks, becaufe the Scrip- 20. tures in other places , call Chrift and his fpirit the lights of God, as indeed they are, and by Candlefticks,are properly meant theChurches, or particular focieties ofSaints,asSt-.^o6# writes, A&s 4 Butin this place, the light that is held forth, I3> • is this eternal councel of God,That JefusChrift ; is his Son,by whom he will bruife the Serpents fiead, and reconcile finners to himfelf, and by no other name or power whatsoever. So that when Chiift was*vifibly feenupon the earth,in the day and hour of his fufterings, or time of his fack-doth prophefying; brand his fpirit in one perfon were the Candle-flick, in whom this rayftery of God,and truth of his councel did burn and fhine forth to the world; . arid therein they were a certain witnes of the -Leather. But fet that day and houreafide, and % • . then properly the Churches'are called Candle- fticks,in whom Chrift and his Spirit burnes bright, 2nd fhines glorioufly. * ■ Men or Women,Magiftrates orMinifters, or churches, cannot be called thefe two Candle- ' flicks: becaufe the c hutches are taken up and moved by Chrift, and fuch as were un-wil- Iing are made willing to Scare the teftimony of God, by the almighty working of Chrift in them that beieeve. But now chrift and his fpirit, was never un¬ willing to bear witnels to this purpofe ot the ^ Praphefles fulfilled. '$7 the Father ; for as Toon as ever the Father had declared his will; Loe, 1 come , faith Ghrift, to pfl a . doe thy will, 0 God. And therefore the. Father 5. glories in Chrift, and makes proclamation to all the World, That he will have all men ho- && hour the Son,as they honour the Father. 7,9, Then again,they are called two Olive-Trees ; andthefecannotbeMenand Women, Magi- ftrates or Minifters: but onely Chrift and his Spirit. If you looke into the fourth chapter ^erA of Zechariah, there is mention of one Gtldentffar Candleflick which I conceive is the generall Church of Chrift, or the great Congregation ,as David fpeaks,the myfticall body of Chrift, the Saints, or City Sion. ' And then there is mention of two Olive Trees by the Candleflick, ofte upon the right fide of the Bowie, and the other upon the left fide thereof. Now tliefe two Olive-Trees are Iefus Chrift and his Spirit, the one being' under, the other over the Church .• which are the two Armes of God, unbracing the Church in love. For firft, God fent the humane Body of Chrift, to teftifie his love to the Church,arid to comfort her in all her afflictions : Becaufe he __ wasafflifted for them,and with them, and"”* therefore,' in that he himfelf hath fuffered be-*®' ing tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted’: and this is the Olive-Tree upon the left fide of the Candleflick Then 2 5 • Tropheftes fulfilled. h ; Tien fecondly, God fent his SpTrit the com* I f forter, to teftifie his unchangeable love to the p’ Church,and to lead her into all truth ; becaufe he js the Spirit of truth.- And fo in the bodily ' fvfa fA abfence.ofChrift, the Spirit, which is the Lord * 19.2$?‘ 0Hr LighteoHpiejfe , ruling as a King in love in them, doth counfell, comfort, fan&ifie, and remained with the Church‘for ever; and fo doth eftablifo the covenant of Grace to them >- r-Mj to be an everlafting Covenant. And this is ‘ the Olive . Tree upon the right fide of the ' Candleftick. 7 And further, Zechariah goeth on , making . 2 6. mention of tWo Olive B ranchcspn hich through Zech.q. the two golden pipes empty the golden Oyle out 12. of thernfelves. And the Angel laid to Zecha- riah, KnoVoefi thotf not what thefe be ? And he* faid,.No,my Lord. Then be. [aid, Theje are two Anointed ones , that /land before the Lord, of the fphole earth. Now thefe two Olive Trees, and thefe two Branches,, that thus empty themfelves-with conftanc running, and fo feed the Church with life and light, which is that golden, Oyle that they empty out of themfelves, and which the Angel likewife called the two Anointed ones , - they cannot be meant of any other but Icfus Chrift in his’Own particular perfosi in the flefli; and he fpiritually in bis Saints. For there is none that hath the feven pipes, the leven Lamps, and the feven eyes,which are the Prophefies fulfilled. ' - ' the feven fpiritual powers of God in his hand, but onely Iefus Chrift, for the Sprit defcend- ^ ed,andrefted upon him: And in him dwelleth * ’ ’ thefulncjfe of the God-head bodily. : And then fecondiy, becaufe none ftands by . ,. the Lord of the whole earth,as the Angel told ^ cr 2 * Zechariah, but onely Jefus Chrift and his eter- nall Spirit, who is b oth the out ward and the . inward Lo'rd and King of Saints. And-this is cleared by Gods own word to Daniel , when Dan. lot God (hewed to him, what was written in the a i. . Scriptures of truth, There is none, faith God j . holdeth or flandeth With me in thefe things, but, Michaeljw iV/ace, that is, Iefus Chrift, in his two-fold difcoveries; in the flefti of the Man Iefus, and in the fle(h of Saints by the fame Spirit: and the great promife of the Gofpel,for the exalting of Iefus Chrift, the Anointed,and the Anointing is this, Sit thou, faith God, on my pfa.no^ right hand, (or ftand by me) untill J make thine j. enemies thy foot-fiool. Now brethren you know, that the Church and »Sainrs doe not receive light, life & grace, from any other but from Chrift -,Ofhis fulnejfe we receive grace for grace: Therefore thefe two ’i , Olive-trees, thefe two Candlefiickes which fohnll . John fpeakes of, and thefe two Witnejfes which 16.' " God glories in, and calleth His- tritnejfesRev. iu muft needs be meant Chrift,and his Spirit, or 3,^. the tivo appearances of God in Iefus,and in his Saints. ... . There o~a — 3 ^ Zech.$. M- . i Pet.i. * 3 - Pev. 11, 4 - Gen. 3. 15 , Pfal. 49 d. ■—w - v-. _:w •' Prophefies fulfilled, f There is one phrafe more in that fourth Verfe, which is this. Thefe two Olive-trees, and the two Candlefiickes, fiand before the Gel. of the whole earth , faith John. And thefe two fiand by the Lord of the whole earth, faith Zeehariah.. I conceive the meaning is two-fold, as thcphra- fes are different. They fiand by the Lord of the Whole erthl aith Zeehariah, that is, they hold with him, as two friends maintaining one and the fame caufe, in giving teftimony, and in convincing the world by experimental! difeoveries of this truch, and counfell of God, that - the feed of the Woman fhall breaks the Serpents head : and none holds with me in thefe things , faith God to Danielfut Michael your Prince. zsfnd they fiand before the God of the whole 'earth, faith John, that is, as they two faithfull witnefles, the Anointed and the Anointing, Chrift and his Spirit, hold with God in de- fenceofhis Word, Truth, and Honour; fo thefe two Witnefles they Hand before God: that is, they are alwayes in his eye, in his heart, are his delight,and his. right hand; and he will honour them as they honour him: And fo cer¬ tainly will fubdue all enemies under Chrifts ' feet; as under the feet of his humane Body, fo under the feet of his Body the Church, which are the heele of Chrift, and fo part of his feet, according to the word of the Father.- there¬ fore the Apoftle fpeaking of Chrift, This man, -V. '■ faith s Prdphefies fulfilled. Japr- ^ faith he, after he had. offered up one faerifice for Heb. ioj aft, fate down at the right hand, of God, expelling ia. till his enemies be made hisfiso t-ftool. And Zechariah makes it yet more plain, 1 That Iefus Chrift, a perfect man in the fenfea- forefaid,is Gods two witneffes,that both ftand by and before the God of the whole earth. As Zech. 4.7. Who art thou, 0 great Mountain; be¬ fore Zerubbabel ? thou Jhalt become apldn: And lb for war^to the end of the ninth verfe. * _ , Zerubbabel types out Iefus Chrift, who is Pfat.2.6a the King, or chiefe Governour in Sion , Gods holy Hill. For Zerubbabel was the chief of the Fathers of Ifirael, that was carried into the captivity of earthly Babjlon : And he' was reckoned the firft that came out of that literall Captivity. All other Priefts and Elders were counted inferior to him, as appeares Ezra 2. 2. N ehem.j.j. And this types out Iefus Chrift, that is the Head and chiefe of Saints, that was carried, or rather fent captive into myfticall Babjlon, that is, to prophefie in Sack-cloth under the wifdome and powers of the fiefh, or Serpent, which ruled in the feVses and Gentiles, and un¬ der which he was (lain. And he was the firft that returned with joy from that Captivity ; for he rofe by the power of God, the third day, and afcended to his Father. And all the •reft of the Saints in their appointed time, when their teftimony is finifhed, they flwft; .... ‘come j 0 - Frophejies fulfilled. tr cOme along with Chrift out or from under the fame captivity, as inferior Priefts and Elders. For Chrift the fir ft fruits, then, afterwar As they that are Chrifrs^ as it fliall be in that other ^^•refurreftion, where thefe words are ufed, ?6 ‘ lCor.15. Then again, Zerubbabel was the chiefe that did build the Temple and Walls of the Citie - ^ erttjalem which was thrown .down, all the . reft of the Fathers and Elders were- jpferior to him,as appeares, Ezra, 4.2. Nehem.i 2. i. And this types out Jefus Chrift, who is the chiefe in Zion, and whofe hands did lay the foundation of that fpirituallHoufeof God, both in refpeft of one private Saint, and in re- fpeft of the whole body, as is myfterioufly de¬ clared \rjZechary,z\s.vp 4.9. For where it isfaid, that the hands of Zerub¬ babel have lat A the foundation of this Houfe , and his bands jhallfinifb it ■ it points out cleare to me, that by the phva.{e,ThiSHonfe, hath refe¬ rence to the golden Candleftick in the fccond verfe, whidris the Church Zion, or Houfe of God, for there is no other Houfe fpokeof Zeeh.i. but this; as is Iikewife myftically held forth in 7.8. the chapter before, which is the voyce of the Father unto Chrift the Anointed, under the name of Jujhna the high Prieft : If thou wilt walkjn my wayes, and keep my charge, thenfhalt ■ thou alfo judge my Houfe , and I Vti/lgive thee' \ ' places to wajkjn anting thefe thatfiand by,Heare TrSphcfies fulfilled. ■ 3,; noft, cifyoJhUit the high Priefl (that is Chriftthe Anoint ed) thou and thy fatones that fit before thee ; for they are men wondred at ; that is, the Saints, or Houfe of God in whom the Anoint- • ingdwels , the foundation of this Houfe, the hands of Jefus Chrifi hath laid, and his hands fhall finilh this Temple and City building. 1 Therefore God the Father makes a boafting ' exultation over all enemies of Chrift, that rife ! up to hinder him in building Gods fpitituall Hou£e, the Saints ; as Sankzltet and Tobia, rife’ . up to hinder the building of literall fernfialeMy Who art thou, O grat Alountdin before Zertib- babel? thou jhalt become plain • that is, who art thou, O great wifdome and powers of the flelh, and darknefle before Chrift iny' Sonne ? ye fhall all be trod under his feet; nay, hisve- ry heels fhall ftamp you down: For behold,! Zed. 3. will bring forth my fervant the Branch, and^v . he fhall break the Serpents head. • , „ • Then God goes op to hold forth to oar- view his two faithfull witneffes, which he calls • the two anointed ones, which (land by the Lord of Ffay 60, , the whole earth, which are - the Branch , that is, 22. firft the Man Chrift Jefus,the anointed. For iti - him the Godheaddwels bodily, and he is pointed 2 » out by the name fojhua the high Prreft — and by the name Zerubbabel, as being the firft and chiefe witneffe. * Then fecondly, his myftical body the Saints, 1 John zV which b^'ng united to him,and he to them by 27* ’ '• " " the 34 Prbphefies fulfilled. the fame Anointing, makes up Gods Branch, And thefe are pointed out to be fojhuds myfti- call body, that was doathed with filthy gar¬ ments in the dayes of corrupt flelh, before „ , God caufed their iniquity to pajfe away,and clea- 1 ec thea him with change of garments, that is, with the beauty of the anointing. Now mind this, that though the Saints be many particular perfons, yet as they ftand in : relation to Chrift, they arc but onebody, knit together by that on§ Spirit the Anointing and Jefus Chrift, as he is called the Anointed of the Father,c annot properly be called a perfeftman, if hefhould be feparated,or ftand at a diftance from the Saints, his body and fpirituall houfe; therefore the Apoftle joynes Head arid Mem¬ bers together, and fo make up one compleat Chrift, or Anointed, in.Eph. 4.13. and x Cor. ■ 12.12. as you may read. And thefe Iconceive to be Gods two faith- full witneffes, the Man, or Child Jefus, who is the head and chiefe wftneflfe; and the Citie t £w#,.whoareanointed with the fame Spirit, every one with that meafure as God is plea- led to divide to every one his portion as he, will, accordingto the meafure of the gift of Chrift. And thefe two wiinsHisfiand by the God of the whole earth, in proving in their o wn expe¬ rience, this to be a truth, that the feed of th'e Woman JhaH breakjht Serpents bead • and there •. . .. are Pbphefes fulfilled. ' 3ere taken ( as other places fay, Godtakes’thc wife m their craftinejfe ) and they were cafi alive into the lake of fre burning with brimf one 1 that is, they were plunged in- to a deep vexation of fpirit,fo that they gnaw¬ ed their tongues with anger; which is as ter- . rible to that proud fpirit, as a fire of brimftone to tender flefh. cAr.d the remnant were flainc with the /word that proceeded out of the mouth of him thatfate upon the Horfe. ■ 'Rev. 13. ■ By remnant I conceive, is meant the com- ■T' "mon people thac were deceived by the learned wifdome of the Beaft: but when (he was de- ftroyed, firft, that was the main upholder of deceit; then the people were undeceived and convinced by the word of truth in the mouth of the Anointed. And vyhereas they hundred Rev. i a j ter t y Bea(l, now they admire at the- wif- *■6- dome and power of Ghrift ; for the Word of his t ‘ mouth Profhefies fulfilled. ■ ■ ’ f 37 mouth, is a {harp two edged Sword; and when chat appeares, no policy or ftrength of flefti, can ftand before it* which would make void the councel of God, by her directories, and bleffed reformation as theflefh called it. Therefore if any will hurt Gods two' faith- full witneffesj that is, if any will deny them or their teftimony,- and turning them and their witnefs into a lie, as all ungodly men do • tur¬ ning the grace of God.into wantonnefs; and fude $1' o making void Gods etermll councel in heir thoughts, words, and practifes, fo far as’ lies in them; after this manner they (hall b a deftroyed : that is, not by prifons, whips, or lunifhments of men; nor by any Cumuli wea¬ pons, but by the fpirit of truth, that proceed- - :th out of their mouth. Every fpirit that confefleth not that Jefus Chrift is come in theflefh, is not of God. and- . his is that fpirit of Antichrift, whereof you i fohn 5> lave heard, that it fhould come,and even now ■$.' tlready it is in the world. ‘ ... •« He that deaies the Anointing'to be mani- eCt in the flefh of the perfon, Ghrift Jefus, is\ Vntichrift: but this none denies, ifany.do, hey be very few ; for all fores of profeffors, , cknowledge Jefus Chrift to be bornofthe /irgin, and to be a man, and fo come in the iefh.. ; • ; , . ' ; '*• r But there are but few that, confeffe,,.. that he Awintingjis manifeft in theflefh of Saints; .* - * D 2 , ■“ •“ M • 3§ Prophefes fulfilled or that Chrift who is the Lord our righteouf- nes,- doth rule in beleevers, from one (ingle perfon to the whole City, which are his body, . fcatcered up and down the world. And if they do confefle this,yet when Chrift i doth manifeftly appear to dwel and rule in the | -p , r flefh of his Saints,chey will not freely acknow- ■tphej. i e dg e i c -. b u c prefencly (land off - and call it a 4 * 7 * ^ delufton, or blafpheray for any to affirm, that iCsr.12. jbe f am e anointing for kind,as was in the flefh l2 ' . of lefus Chrift, doth rule-and dwell inthe flefti, accordingto the meafure of the gift of Chrift: and in this fenfe there are many Anti- I chrifts, that deny Chrift to be come in the flefh. And what do thefe Antichrifts do, but hurt Rev. n. Gods Witriefles, or deny that'power the A- 3 - nointing, which God hath given to his Wit- neflesor if they acknowledg the one wit- nes, to wit, Iefns Chrift after thefl'efh, yet ’ , they deny the fecond Witnes,thc Saints,which 1 - ; is ChriftSmyftical body; or Chrift in his fpiric, manifefting this teftimony in their flefh, as he * : didin their own perfon, That the feed of the Woman fhould bruife the Serpents head. But he that believeth on the Son of God, hath the Witnefsin himfelf: That is, he that believeth in whole Chrift,Head and Members, a perfe.fi man; -confiding of divers members, i f9.^25. hath the Witnes in himfelf,the truth is in him, ao ?TI - as it Was in Iefns : But he that believeth not ‘ ’ .. •- - GOd Prophefes fulfilled. , . .39 . God, hath made him a Iyer,; becaufe he Be- lieveth not the record that God gave of his Son. ; . • • , .j..c . Then farther,; God proves Chrift in histwo- fold appearance,that is, in his own perfohj.arid inflefh, or perfons of his Saints, tobe ; -his,two witnefles • for faith he in the 6 . verfe of the e- feventh chapter of the Revelations-. Thefe have R ev> power to Jb»t Heaven , that it raitre not in the \ dayes of their Prophejie $and have power.over wa¬ ters to turn them . into blond ; Mnd to finite the Earth With all plagues as oft at they will. By Heaven , I conceive rn'ay be underftood cither God himfelf or his Qwth; If weun- derftand God to be that Heaven,that.the.wit- nefles have power to ftiut that it raiff .not in the dayes of their Prophefies; then I conceive tbe meaning is two-fold, thus, firft, they have powertoftay the hand of God , from raining - ~ and powring down deftru&ion upon,the Beaft • v : all the dayes of their prophefie, becaufe, God hach faid,they {hall prophefie in Sackcloth one thoufand two hundred andlixty dayes.So chat God hath given the power of deftroying the - - - Beaft out of his hand; or hath tyedup§ris - power till that time be accomplilhedjfor itjs their time of prophefying in fackdoth .• if is not Gods time of raining down wrath as yet>: becaufe God by his word hath limitted himfelf tofuchatime. . . ..i And truly here our God points out fuch a D 3 fpring '^3 Prephejtes fttiflled. faring as raayrefrefh iiis people in.aljthei fiifferings. To confider the fufferings oftiii Saints, and the enemies cruelty; is not ado according to the will of the enemy, butene mies and Saints, and troubles; are all in Godi hand, and enemies fliall dye, the Saints lhal be comforted, and all teares wiped from theii eyes, when Gods appointed time isaccom pliihed, and not till then; furely this give much'ftrength of peaceand patience, to poo children of God, in their fufferings. But fecondly. They have power to fliui Heaven, or to ftay Gods hand from rainint down judgement upon the Beall:, all the dayc of their prophefies; as fometimes God rainei down a deluge of water to drown the rebelli bus World: and fometimes he rained a delug of fire , as a plague to deftroy thofe wickei people in Sedome and Gomorah. And this'pow Rev. i. er is in the hand of the Anointed Iefus Chrift £8, for he hath the power of hell and death. . -And the reafon is this, Iefus Chrift hatl bought out this power by, his bloud, out o the hands of offended juftice: For now a i Cor. q 0£ j flj ewes no merC y out; 0 f Chrift, fo he ex 6.2°. genres no ad of wrath or juftice, but by thi hand of Chriftfor the Father hath commit ted all judgment rb the Son; and Chrift is all ?.nd in all. Chrift hath' the Key of life ani "death, he can either bind or loofe; deftroy o fxve : Therefore it is faid, That the Witneffe P rgphefies fulfilled.' 41 hive power to ftmt Heaven, or the hand of offended /uftice.that it rain not down plagues.- And they have power to open Heaven, and to fmite the earth,with plague* as oft as they will. Orfecondly, If by Heaven we underhand the Church , which I rather adhere, t-o : then I conceive the meaning is this.. The Witneffes Rev. if. have power from God to prophefie in fack- <5. cloth one thoufand two hundred and fixty dayesjand there lhall not be ftiowers of divine difcoveries, whereby the Beaft lhall be utterly confumed all that- time, onely.fhe fhall~.be plagued now and then, by thofe divine difco-; veries, like drops of raine, fo often as the fpirit . :■ oftruth,the Anointing whichrules in the wit¬ neffes, pleafeth. And by thefe few difcoveries of,divine truths from God, to, and. in the Church; the car-: \- nail inventions of the Beaft ftiall be difcovered: . !L_ to be evil,andmade void therebyjand the Beaft f or fubtile flefh, lhall be put to her ihifts ; to in¬ vent new deceits every age againft. Chi&jRev. 16. which doth plague this carnah earth migh- 8. tily. .. But the witneffes have power to (hut ffea- , ven that it rain not.That you may fee into the myfteryhereof. By Rain, Iunderftand two - things’, by which the Beaft is deftoyed quite. Firft, When. difcoveries of God , and mani- feftations of the brightnefs of the Anointed D 4 Iefus ; jz Prof heps fulfilled. IefusChrift .appears in every Member of die Church/like a fhowre ofraine, that fweepes Ifa 11 g ' away die refuge of lies, ojr fleftily inventions " " 'before them, as Ifaih faith. The Earth (or 'Saints ) Jhall be fiSed.W-ith the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea; for now the. :darknes-of men-, rennet ftand before the light zThef. ofjGod, nor the wifdom of the corrupt flefti, 2.S. cannot ttand before the wifdom of God’, and this is that {word that is in the mouth of ( 76 d/?,.whereby he defrroyes his enemies ,and this dhalf be made good when the Church (hall not need to-be taught 4 by any man, but- {hall be all taught by- God, and by that lame 'i fohn 2. Anointingfhall knowall things. But Heaven/ 26. 27- or the Church, is {but up from thefe plenti- ' full difeoveries, till the time of che end, that the WitrielTes fackclo:h-prpphefying-is ac- fer. 3 i. ccmpiiflied; but when that time- is finiftied, 34 - then this rain {hall appear, whereby the Beaft' \vithall herfleflily-deceits fhallbe deftroyed. Secondly, By Raine, I underftand the num¬ ber.OfSaints that {hall increafe and fpread like .. 'the multitude ofdrops in a fhowre of raine, ot* Tip fands upon the Sea Jhoar , fo that their mm - Ho r HO berfhaS over-lop the number of Baby tons Citi- • J ’ “ ' z.exs: And To the Church being full of the ' righteoufnes of God , and difeoveries of Chrift, {hall fweep away the City Bat) Ion ^ I with all her beaftly practices, and flefhly in- * ' : ■ ventions:. Prophefies fulfilled £5' yentions: And hereby the Beaft ffrall be dcr ftroyed. , . . ■ For whereas all fhedayes ofthe Wicneffes fack-clothnprophefying,and death. The earth (that is. the flefli of men, and conVerfation ©f men ) was full of drineffe and unfruitfulnefle before.God,in every thought,wordc.& work, by reafon of the Beaft,or wifdom of the flefli that ruled in. them,and promoted Self. • • Now by this Rain, the earth orft'efhof man, is filled with fruits of righteoufnefs-and truth. I mean, by the plentifull difeoveries of truth, or brighrnels ofChrift j and by the plentifull’ increafe of the Sajnts, the : deftrii the Beafi hath done hurt, ■ But fecondly, when theft waters are ap- ! plied to Nations, Kinrecft, Tongues, and ' ' i People j as they be, for faith John, TheVea- - | ters which thoufawejl , whereon the Pfhore fit- ^ ev • I - 7 * teth, are peoples^ and multitudes, andnations,arrd 1 5 ' tomues, • • ~ . > Propheftes fulfilled. r Then they point outunto.us thofe people, r-. 'men an d wtomen, in whom the flefti rules, in all her felf-actings and inventions ,'againft 'iChrift, and in either ofthefefenfes,that is,ei- ther the multitude offlelhly inventions arifing fromthefpirit of felf-love; or, the multitude l: - ■ of people.ln whom the flelh works fo power- r 'fully; or both thefe joyned into one body, ~Ephef.n. make up the City Babylon. And all . thofe 2.. ph rales, as Mjftery Babylon, Bcafljvkore, and ' \MotherofHarlots,and abominations of the earth, are to be appfyed hereunto. And when the waters are thus turned into pioud by the teftimony of Gods two Witnef- fes; thatis, the wifdom,inventions,and ablings - v .of the flefh are now deftroyed, and proved e- : r jbT, and the men in whom this wifdom ap¬ peared againftGod, are afliamed and con¬ founded ; then it is manifeft, That the feed of _ the woman, Chrift the anointed, hath broken ' : the Serpents head. .. Iheardtbe Angel of the waters fay. Thou Rev. itf.art righteous,Oford, which art, which waft, j $ ' and fhall be, becaufe thou haft thus, judged; ' ‘ . For they have (bed the bloud .of Saints, and Prophets, and thou haft giventhem bloud to drink, for they are worthy. And Propkefes fulfilled. 47 t And by thefe phrafes thus made, ipanifeft, it appeares,thac Jefus Chriftin his two-fold ap-.' pearance, in the flefh, and Sn the Spirit, as hath been declared, are Gods two faithfqll Wit- ! neffe# ,and can be meant of no creature. J Chap. IY. What is meant by one thoufandtWQ hundred and :. jixty dajes: Which is the time given to the two ’. mtneffes toprophefie in,cloathed infacecloth. ’ ■ \ AND now I come to the third particular! ** to be minded: that is,to {hew the meaning: of the thoufand two hundred and fixty dayes, : ! " i which is the time given them of God to pro-;.. phefie in; and when they rauftbe Gain, and , who it is that flayeth them. In handling of this fhall obferve three -y.;; things in prophefie. > Firft, to prophefie is to fore-tell, either in - ' plain or dark language ; what hereafter fhall ; come to palfe And this did God the Father,,! . when he faid, The feed of the woman fhall breakjfen ^. the Serpents head : And this is both a Promife , "I’y and a prophefie. Secondly , to prophefie is to. make fuch things plain arid eafie to the,undemanding of others, which appeared dark and hidden be- ., fore ; And this did Jefus Chrift when he made Mft. i U themyftieriespftheKingdome.ofGod plain v ; ; v ' ' c .aqd Prophefies fulfilled. and eafietothe underftanding of his Difci- ples, which were fpoken in dark fayings to o- thers: and this is Gofpel-miniftery by the Spi¬ rit of truth. Thirdly, to prophefie is to give teftimbny or proofe of fuch things to be true by experi¬ mental! Difcoveries, which God hath promi- fedor.fore-told heretofore fhould come to pafle in the latter dayes : And this did Jefus Chrift, when he by his Death and Refurrefti- iPet. 4. 0n > did experimentally prove himfelfetobe t ,_ * ’ the feed of the Woman that broke the Ser¬ pents head. And fo the Spirit of Chrift in the coverfion of firiners to God, doth provelike- wife by many cleare experiences,that thofc fin- ners fo taken up to God, are part of that feed of the woman, in whom the Serpents head is r broken. \S.ev. II. ' An'dthey (hallpropbefie in Sackcloth' (faith [3- GodJ and fo they doe. I For firft, all thofe abutive (landers,, Block¬ ings, opprellions and death, which was laid wrongfully upon Jefus Chrift (for his ene- fefa. 5 j; mies confeffe they found no fault in him, and 7. y« they would crueifie him )' doth not all this ; (hew a caufe, time and houre of mourning, or | weiring fack-cloth? And this was the condi- 1 tion of Chrift whileft he was in the world, j bearing a vifible teftimohy to his Fathers I ' counted. And this is the fame condition of r 3-his church-for as hfe was in the world, foare they. Propheftesfulfilled. they. The world knew not him, neither doth the world know them: The world hated him, and it hates them. Secondly, Sack- cloth implies the abfence of fame friend, plenty,honour, comfort,&c. And I did not our Lord Chrift leave his glory in - Heaven, and came and tookjtpon him the forme ^ ' of a Servant ■; nay, took upon him the curie J due to fin, which is death, that he might break the Serpents head,and free linners from the bondage of that power of darkneffe? And doth not his Church goe on weeping, carrying their Sheaves with them, like Pilgrims and ftrangers,looking for a dwelling place in God; and waiting upon him till he 'fcipe dtoay all Rsv.y.- tearsjSrc. And thus they prophefie in Sack- j -j % cloth.i Thirdly, Jefus Chrift prophefieth in Sack¬ cloth, while his heel is bruifed by the Serpent, and his feed- for in all their afflictions he is afflidted with them. Thereforeicisa time of mourning to Chrift, to fee fuch cruelties and opprefsions to be inflifted upon his Church', whom he doth fo dearly love'. And it is a Sack-cloth time f o his church, f when they fee the Name,the Truth.tnd Tefti- ;; ■ mony of their Lord Chrift whom they love,to Gen.^. i? be blafphemed, reje&ed and perfecuted in the Pfal. 85. World. 2. And flow Ifliall obferve the time that God hath given his wicneffes to prophefie in, and : ’ . that. hinting,mA accufes their confidences day and flight before God, prefenting God to be an angry God to them,’ whin as indeed he is loving, yea, j and loye it fclfe to poore .fin'ners/1 fay,for them to know, that it is conquered, and the life and power, fer. 13. of it is takeu aWay by Cl hrift the Anoints 4 ft is 5. comfort: - ■■ : •... - 7/:; .• And when thrift; who is the Lord inr, Hgh- 1 .■ teotifnejfe,is pleafcd tO' call the Serpent outof l7% *' your fleftqand to take pofleflion, and}dwell . , . in yoti iiirrifelfe *then you fhall be freed from ' artl thoft accufations, and from the malice- of Cel. 4 J: r the accufer, and be made able to ling by expe - 1 7-> rienefc, ' ! - ■' , • ■> v>V- .. v. >' Now is come falvatibn tindfirmgth jitndthe K ingdome df our Gods, and the joVeer of 'his (fhrift,to rtijftmle yfor ttie Prince of Dhrknejfe y ... and power* ifmy fiejb : that fought in me againfi _... . the Anointing;of Spifii 'ofti-uth,isfti)Vecaftout: ' Tor G.od hath pardoned At my difobediences^ and. taken nte inti hr-s mn rtsl-: Thereforehonoarand - ' ' '- f " ' Mi ghrj 54 Trophefies fulfilled. : dory be to him that fits upon theThr one,and to the Lamb for evermore. And now the Dragon being vexed, and full of wrath, becaufe he is conquered; and call« E < , 2 out of heaven, (even every particular mem- ™'" 2 ' berof Zion) he rules ftrongly hill in the chil¬ dren of difobcdience, or in the Serpents feed in whom he dwels j and raifes'all-cruell perfe- • cutions againft the church, out of whom he is caft, and in whom the. Anointing rules. And of whom according to the flefh, the Lamb fe- fiu Cbrift via.s born. And as Paul fp: 1 - of Ifaac and IJhmadf.l\2X. Gd.6f.l9 y e tlmVfju born Aj ar the \fejbperfecnted him ■ - that bora after, the Spirit .-^even, fo it is . now, he ortheyidLwhom the Serpent rules, perfecutes him or them out of whom the Ser- peritis.caft, and in whom the Anointing rules, who.is the Lord ourPighteojifnejfe. R I2 : Batfi&V.f'fohn) unto the womatr(oT church) e y~ ■ s>4i t gtmcnf&b wings of a great Eagle, that fix J T? :*■ - rnight p^imo the wildernejfe. into her prepared • • • places where fie is. nonrifiedfor a time, times , and haife a time, from the face of the Serpent. I conceive, that the foule, by the wifdome and love of God, is.earriedinto a condition of ■pr , fenfible barrennefle, both in it felfe and in 0- 3 2 - t { iers . j n w {,ieh condition the foule is, under Vr t0 %' Gods proteftion from the face of the Serpent, that this tvildemeffe fpoke of, tea. very (afe 9 ’ & * conditioner hiding-place from" the Serpent, wherein Frophefiesfulfilled. 5 j wherein the foul is fed and nouriftied by jGpdj and not by any creature,^ a time, times., arid halfe a time ; that is, the Church, and^eyery particular memher, is fed and protected by God all the feverall degrees of die dayes. pf . , the Beaft, as hath been (hewed. ; ' M e , 12 And here I fliall mind two things, 3 2 ‘ Firft, what this Wildernefle is not. . . . Secondly, what it is. Firh, when men are in a good concetf cf their own Wifdome, Learning, and Strength, as the Jewes were, that thought they had all knowledge to difeerne Truth from Errour ; j I and therefore when Chrifl, who is Truth it ! felfe, came to them, they called him a Decei- }obn 7. ver, and a man of Errors, and fought to kill him,through that conceit of theirs. But Chrifl toldthem,thatofallmen, though they were the chiefe in humane learning in thofe dayes, they were the deepefl: in fin and errors, and the .furtheft from truth, becaufe you fay, wee 5 0 fj n „ fee (faich Chrifl: to them) thereforejeurfin re- i x mains. Now this good conceit of a mans felfis ^ ’ not the wildcrnefie-condition, it is not a fafe hiding-place from the Serpent, but it is before his face,or in Ifis hand. Or again,whenMen fuck content from crea¬ tures, as from mens Learning, gifts, cuftoms, * prayers, or formes of worftup, and think; theyihall never have comfort unlefle they en¬ joy thefe outward helps; this is to preferre the E 3 broken . ' f6 Trofhefies fulfilled. broken Cifternes before the fountaines. And this i^not the Wilderneffe-condition neither, for ftill the poor min is before the face of the Serpent, and ip his hand; for he feekes con- tehtment from creatures, and not from God onely,by retting upon outward helps. : ' Rut now fecond!y,when a foule.is driven or called into the wildernefle, where, the is fed by Godsfpeciall and loving care,from the face of the Serpent, we are to mind two things. Firft,it is fuch a condition, wherein a man £faj 3 2. is dead to all his owne wifdome, memory, l2 . ^rc. ftrength, learning, actings, andlookes upon : all aspriviledges of no gain, but of weaknefle and of droffe; without the Anointing , he can¬ not meditate, nor underftand ; till God come intojiim;he cannot fpeak, till God give ut¬ terance;' he feeles his heart barren of under- ftandiflgjOf love, or peace, he feeles and fees nothing in himjbut oriely a thirfting foiil after God,whom his fecret thoughts tell him, is a- . 6 fe.tpf 5 U:isfiehim, ifhepleafe but to manifeft himfelfe. ‘ And fetondly, as the foul fees a barrennefle and deathrwithin it felf, fo likewife is (he dead to every thing without, fhe finds no comfort or ftrength from anymanor creature;preach¬ ing,praying,and all outward forms,are barren aftions to this poor foul, becaufe Are fees the Cm. 3.3 Spirit abfent.'And therefore.flie cries, Satvjce mt ?njbeloveJ., him whofe enjoyment I long • " " ' • after; 57 Profhefies fulfilled, afrerj -5 can take no delight in your company and focieties, and in your agings, unleife my God whom my foul loves,did manifeft himfelf to me there. The experiences and writings of Prophets,Apoftles,and Saints, are dry ftiels to x help his Church and Saints againft the Ser¬ pents flood of malicious temptations. . /•’. But by Earth I rather conceive is to be un- - derftood the humane body of Chrifl, which is Rev. 12. made of the fame earth that our Bodies are, and this helps the Church j for by the blooct of this Lamb,they overcome the Serpent, and by this Lauih they are fed, as you may read more fully,fa'y.7.9. 17 - .Now in the feeond place we are to look in- to the myfticall meaning of this number 1260 dayes. . - And I conceive, they point out the length , of l 1. i$o . Prepheftes fulfilled. of time that the Church of Chrift is to lie un¬ der the captivitie of the little Horn, or Anti- chriftian power, which are called Gentiles * fcr they are not in covenant with God. The time of the battell, as I Ihewcd, was 1260 dayes, according to fingle dayes in a Weeke. And the holy City lhall be trod under the feet of the Gentiles almoft fo many yeares,ac- cordirig to the yeares in a mans life: This I conceive is one rayftery ofGod,I fay, almoft, I doe not lay. altogether fo many yeares as the battel! was dayes. For Chrift will nett have them to held an e- ' ven proportion ofyears to thofe 1260 dayes; 22, but bath lhortned the dayes of their captivity for the eiefts fake. And therefore, faith God, Kev.il. the witnelfes lhall prophefie 1260 dayes, and 2,3, the Gentiles lhall tread under foot the holy City 42 moncths. Ksv. 11. Now thefe 42 moneths being juft 3 fingle 9. • yeares and halfe, beare a proportion of time with the 3 dayes and halfe, that the witnelfes muft lie dead.- but I pray mark, we are not to .reckon the fourty two moneths,nor the three dayes and halfe, to point out no longer time then barely three fingle years and halvas fom e think. 2 Wn. But I conceive, that God by thefe 3 <5. • tearmes of time, points at a higher myftery ; That is, points out to us 3 ages and a halfe, or 3 degrees of time and a halfe, that he hath deter- Troche fits fulfilled.' <6r determined for the Bead to tread the holy Ci¬ ty wnder: foot. Therefofc when the quediort was asked by one Angelin D : f ; . . She* changes her felf into Herhalf day, orl- mage, which is more clofely hipocriricall,then Rev. 13} the former, fhe being now hedged into a nar- 11.14. row compaffe by Chrift, and ailherfhifts are almeft .difcovered,To that every young mah of ^beji . Chrift,eajn point the finger at her, andfay that 2> j is fhe,that will not fuffer Chrift to reign King, . Prieft,andProphet in his ownhoufe; but will givehitja the name, but reign her felf in thofe 4 Qlfices. •, ‘ ' • ,. This iC4 Prdpbefies fulfilled: ^oha 15. This is (he that-wilf not fuffer Chrift' 19. choofe his own Church, out of the world- biit (he will chufe for him, and Chriftmuft either be content with a whole Parifh \ and d whole Kingdom, and fo the whole world to bee his Church, or elfe’ this beaftly whorifti fpirit, -will allow him no Church at all. Luke .. TIlis i s that will not fuller Chrift to call, {o, 1 1. to gift, and to fend forth, his own Minifters and Servants, to work in his Vineyardjbut flie will choofe,& call, and gift them for him * and he muft either be content^ with fuch Minifters as (he ordaines, and counts able Scholars, and Orthodox Oivines, or elfe he (hall have none atall: Shepherds and Fiftiermen, orTradef- memthat are unlearned is mens writings, (he will riot allow to preach the Gofpel, though a give-them anointing^and bid them.fpeak sc 2?- ’ the'tilings-; which 1 they, have feen and heard More might be faid here,- but every mans experience can adfome'thing j but I will ipeak two words: more’, tothemthat pretend-love •j.T.i■ toChriftu L - * -it':?--ti-.. . there be any that by Humanewifdoifl an< * P°hcy endeavour to fet up the: worship ^ ■_ ’ ofiGodij-or that by ahumane Law, or com- Rtv. 15. P«lfive pbwer,will inforce others to give tefti- Efe.19. mon y to :the Fatherthat Jefus Chrift .is his >3. Almightypower.- Call.-you thefe'people,; or this Government what you will, I ara confc dent Prophejiesfulfilled . ^ deflt it fpeaks like thfc Dragon and it is the X- : mage of the Beaft. Andfecondiy, if there be any that pretend ' love to Chrift, and yet in their judgements and practices are part for Chrift, and part for the . .. V flefti. And though they do not' defi’re a hu¬ mane Law to enforce others to walk'in their.' wayl yet they will not own as Brethren, nor- - - • : with the tender embracings of love will not- ■ ; receive’any; but fuch as are of their own way Rev. 13: > and judgment, though the Anointing which 17. • j knits Chrifts mifticall body together be marii.- fell: in them: call you this likewife what you • will, I am.confident it fpeaks like the Dragp% •■ and is of the Image of the Beaftand part of ' the halfday. . But I will fpeak one word of comfort to the Saints, your captivity under the Antichriftian power, is come to. the halfday or half time, and the Lamb will nourifh and. feed you be- Rev. 7, fore theThrone, Or under the cae andpro-i 17. tefting care of God, in this halftime;, as hath fed the Church with love and watchfulh 11. care, in the 3. dayes that are paft; And the.- power of this blafpheming home,that will not acknowledge Chrifts teftimony, hor fuffer.o-, thers to acknowledg him.- this day of his is _ . <, and ftiall be fborened for thr elefts fake.. : • Arid I believe ere long we (hall heare the. Rev. Angel fay, it is done,her 3 dayes and half, of 17.-- I her time, times, and half time is now accom- pliftied. i fonceiye it is the corrupt heart and flelh of mah • for (here is no end ofthe pride, en- yy,ign6iranc felf-conceited fubtiltyj and hurt- full nature of if againftChrift, the Prince of Princes, and being far below God, For let a man live ten thoufand Million of years, and the finfulnes of hisflefiiw/illnot Gen. 6.$. but grow worf? and worfe , 4 and rife ! - 'higher and higher, in wickednes, againft righ- teoufnes and peace, if Chrifl do but let him a- Ione: fo that the depth of this pit being fo far below.God, may be well faid to be bot¬ tomles. 1 lif itg But this is fpoke after the manner of men, $.. for no man can iearch the bottom ofhis heart; but God knowes thefull depth ofic: it is not a bottomles pit to him,though it he a bottotn- -tespittomen. ' ' ' ' j Then, Prophefiesfulfilled. 73 Then fecondly, mind, That the Beaft that ■- rifes up out of this bottomles pit, is the wif- ^ a7! - 7 * dom and power of it, branching it felf forth 2I - 2 J* into divers forms of Church-Government,be- Sevel. ing contrary to Chrift in every thing, andfo 1 3 • 6 . 7 - makes war againft Gods witnefles, in all their aftings,either inwardly or outwardly.And this Beaft, or blind, fubtil, hypocritical nes of the flefh will not fufter Chrift the Anointing to rulein the flefh, but (he will rule therein, and . 1 over Chrift too; this is the Beaft which hath his feat in every Son and Daughter of Adam. ■ Now fohn lpeaks of a fmoak, that rifes up Rev.g.i. out of the bottomles pit,and this fmoak Icon- 2 The/d. ceive, is either the inward invem ions, accufaci* 1 1. ons, and workings of the flefh within, like a Rev. 1 cloud hiding the Son of righteoufnes from the 10. foul as long as he can. i Or elfe it is the outward adtings of the wif- 2 Sam. dom of the flefh, in hypocrifie and provocati-j 2.5. ; ons from men, which is like an overflowing waveofpowerfullwickednes, which drownes the fouls of men under ignorance and dauknes that they know not what to do,or elfe pufs up their minds with a vain confidence , that they worfhip God according to his word, when as it is manifeft „ they have not fo much as the letter of the word to warrant their practices ; and fo this fmoak becomes a ftrong delufion, to them in whom the Beaft reignes. with, power. Then: ' 74 Frophefies fulfilled. Then thirdly, mind, there is a King of this Rev. 9. bottomles pit, and that is, Satan the fpirit of 1 r • darknes that rales in the children of difobedi- Rcv. 10. ence . or the Pi ince of the Ayre: TheAyre, I ' conceive is the element wherein the Beaft or whorifh fpirit lives,and that is, either the time which God hath given her to reigne in,orelfe the humane, compulfive, and cocrfive power, eu£rcifed by"Satan,againft Ghrift & his Saints: 11. compelling the Saints to forfake the fpirituall 38,43- ' wa Y of Chrift , and to honour the God of for¬ ce?, and of Silver and Gold, which they know jior,asD*zff/f/ :peaks ; for take away this power, F ,r j t 6 or let but the Angel powre out his Viall upon Al ' ~ ’ this Ayre, and the Beaft dies, her time is done oraccompliflied. .... . , So chat here is the bottomles pit, the cor- rupt fiefh: Then the Beaft that afcendeth -Tln-z ° Ut bottomles pit, and that i$; The ' f ‘ ’ wifdom of the flefb, which is enmity againft •T * God. And then here is the King of.this bot¬ tomles pit.- Even Satan or the univerfall pow¬ er of darknes, that leads poor finners captive I Thef at his wi'j. 2 - 12 - And yet thefe three are but one power of £ a l T darknes in t hree c-ihoveries, fighting and ma- l2 * king War againft Chrift, and his teftimony; But the Anointed will deftroy this power of darknes , and tranOate his mvfticall body vSrjr.ii .into bis own Kingdome of light and li- 7. berty. [Profhefies fulfilled. jjj And when they had finiflied their teftisno- ny, the Beaft lhall make W ar againft them,and. (hall overcome them, and kill them. Before I proceed, it is needfnll to clear one Scripture of Daniel, that may raife a fcruple: * In that which I have already writ, it appeare* that God faid, the Witnelfes ftiould prophe- fie in fack-doth 1 260. dayes. But Vthen one Saint jfake to another Saint r and ashed , boro longjhall be the vifion of the daily Dan.%. facrifice , and the tranfgreffion of deflation , to 13.14, give both the SanUuary and the Hofi to be troden under foot ? The Angel anfwered, unto 2300. dayes; Then Jhad the SanUuary be clenfed. Now this time of Daniels vifion was 14. Ge¬ nerations, (except the 70. years captivity ) be¬ fore Chrift came: therefore I conceive, that this 2300. dayes, doth point out fo many full years, that the Church partly of the J ews,and partly of the Gentiles, lhall lie under the capr tivity of the blafpherainghorne,in hisfeverall (hapes. And fo points out the oppreffions of the Church of the Jews , the deftruftioa of the City Jerufalem, and the deftroying pf the Temple, and all thofe waftings.of the Church (both before Chrift came) among the Jews, (and fince Chrift came ) among the Gentiles, and fo comprehends the Tyranny both of the . Dragon (corrupt MagiftracyJ And the. Ty- * ranny 76 ’ Prophefies fulfilled. Dan. 8. ranny of the Beaft (the Antichriftian fiiapes ) jj. over the holy City, from the end of the 70. 19.20. years captivity in Babylon, to the time of the &c. end, that the Beaft fhall reigne no longer. And I believe that this 2300. dayesarea full number of years, that the Church of the Dan. x 2. Jews and Gentiles, have fuftered and muft fuf- 9. fer under the Serpents power, till the appoin¬ ted time be finished from the end of the 70. years captivity; for when Daniel asked the Angel,what fhould be the end of thcle things, he faid,cro thy 1 \'ay Daniel , far the words are de¬ fied up and fettled, till the time of the end , . poin¬ ting out to us that the Jews were yet tc fuffer many things before the Gentiles be call¬ ed. But when God fpeaks, that his Witneffes fhall prophefie 1260. dayes, and that the holy City or the Hoft, fhall be trod under foot, 42, ! months, which are one and the fame tearm of time as hath been (heaved ; I believe he points Rev ->2 out t ^ ie ver y diredf time ofcapti'.ity that the I0 ‘ " ‘Church of the Gentiles fhall undergo under myftery Babylon , or the blafpheming horn. And therefore when the Angei was (hewing the vifion of thefe things to John. Saith he, feale not the fayings of this Pro phefie, for the time is at hand: or the time of the 1 ;6o.dayes, are upon the beginning, and the time of the j er.-iflj Church is come to a period. • And as God was plpafed to flxew unto ■' • V hn Prophefies fulfilled. 77 ' John the beginning of thofe 1260. dayes capti¬ vity , fo I believfe, God is pleafed to fhew his Servants now, that thefe 1260. dayes, are ve- Rev. ill ry near an end. oAnd that the Kingdoms of this 15. worldShall become the Kingdoms of Chrifi , and he Shall take to him his o^n power , and reign for ever and ever. Even fo come Lord Iefus. I fhall now proceed; hither to we fee who it is that kills Gods two Witnefles, Even the wifdom and envious power and policy of cor¬ rupt flefh .• that would be as God, and fit in Gods Temple, and rule over all that is called God. The corrupt wifdom, blind zeal, and meri¬ torious aftings, is forcibly preffed upon the Saints,by the flefh; before the believing in the free grace and love, and gift of God, yea, the flefh honours it felf and difhonours God, and % ev - 1 3« all that worfhip God, or that live in him,yea, 5-6. the flefh rules and ftrives mightily, and hath a t great prevailing power to enforce men to at¬ tend upon her preparative ufe of means, which fhe calls means,and felf-aftings; to get know-' ledge, comfort, life, and will not fuffer men, nay,nor the Saints fome-times to honour God- . t .... by waiting upon him, and wherefoever you fee the flefh adtive, if God be pleafed to teach..... you fhall fee the flefh both in your felf and inf.' ; others, to flight, defpife, and undervalue God, . thjough to your prefent apprehenfion, you Pf*k think you honour God; but truly we difho- 106.2.9, .- " ' ‘ nour • ■jt Frephefies fulfilled. nour God when we would worlhip him in the lv : Way of the flefh; and will not waic upon him ‘ " in his own way. It renames now to (hew how the Beaft (or flefti) doth kill the two Witneffes. Rev. ii. And this phrafe killing, is hut a fuller de- 2.3, 9. claration of that compleat captivity under the blafpheming horn in his feverall fhapes, for thefpace0^42.months, or three dayes and half, or 12 60. dayes, which are all one; and then that God that gave his witneffes into the hands of the Beaft to be killed, raifes them up to life again: and as Solomon faid, the righ¬ teous is delivered, andthe wicked falls into his Rev. 11 -place; for upon their rifing, the Beaft is kil- IDanq. anc j he dies for ever; but the killing of the ? 7* witneffes is not everlafting, neither is their death eternall; for God will raife them up from death, and of the life and Kingdom of the two witneffes, there (hall be no end. But how are the Witneffes {lain ? why tru¬ ly when the wifdom and powers of the Beaft rules in full ftrength, then the Father hath ft? determined, 'that the witneffes fhall be trod underfoot and killed, but this killing is but in the eye of the world, not in the eye of God and Saints; for becaufe I live (faith Chrift ) therefore you live, and the world fees me no more, but you fee me. And there are three difpofitions of the Beaft, to be considered in killing Gods witneffes. ~ Firft, Prophefos fulfilled. 79 Firft, eonfider the fpirit of envy and heart¬ burning that is in the fleftr againft Gods Wit- nefles. As firft,the flefli of every man within 4 in the fecretofhisown heart, doth rife and fret a- f c hni 61 gainft any truth which doth principally ad- \ 2t vance God, and deny felfwe cannot bear the truths of God at firft hearing, nor ever, till . God make us able: I fpeak in experience* my own ftefh declared its rebellion againft God in this particular. Tell a man that he hath no knoVcledg,&c no fanh in GW, and his heart fwels . prefently, and thinks you wrong himj tell him 1 *> him his own humane learning and workings are abomination to the Lord,and that he muft lay afidc his beloved aftings, and wait onely upon Policy, and all the wickedneffe of the flelh " . - "" ' acting ■ Prdphefiesfulfilled. " 8$ afting againft God, fhall be deftroyed. And i fohn 2. the Anointing , which is the Lori our Righteonf- 27. nefft,Jhall dwel andr'ule in thee for thee for ever, .which is thy redemption. And fecondiy, this fpirit of hjpocriticall craft againfi truth ;-appeares in others hkewife, to the view one of another j by flighting the te~ ftimony of God by a two-fold policy : firft,by deviling carmil enfiomes, and fatfe formes of \x>orJhip ,which are pleafing to the flefc, not ac¬ cording to the command and example. of Scriptures, which the flesh pretends to follow, and yet doth hot. Here is truth killed by the fubtill inventions oPthe flefh, which are cried up for found ldarning. Secondly, the Flefh kils Truth, by working ... fubtilly with the higher powers of the earth, * 3 * the Magiftracy,which God hath fet in the*• world, by which he preferves peace, and out- ^ tv - x 7 ’ wardly puniflies them that do.e evil. I fay, the 2, . flefh works fubtilly |to> deceive this, and gets . an Authority here-from to make Lams Canons,Direclories,&: Ecclefiaflictil Ot Clafficdl 1x j 2 4 * Confutations,to compel all men to an uniforme conformity, to all her inventions,cuftoms and formes of worfliip agreed upon: And this is the fubtilty of the little Horn, or the Kipg of a fierce countenance , which TJanieis viliori fpeaks ' y of,wj bofe'fower Jhad be mighty,but not bj his o’tcn Dan. 8. $ power. For truly this Ecclefiaflica/lpower is no ' 4$%# power whiehpod did ordain or make j but is $4 Frophefies fulfilled - , Da-.-.S. a power whiph the crafty Flejh hath got from -3, 24, the Kings of the earth, whereby the Flejh c 5. doth- deftroy wonderfully,the mighty and the holy people. And likewife throu gh his policy, (God ftill fuffering it, and having appointed a time for the Flejh to ad its part in,againft God) mind p . that, tie canfes craft teprojper in bis hand , and C f a he Jhall magnifie himfelfe in his heart ; and by Dan r I ( or % pretending of peace) fhati defiroy . ' ' many ; he Jhall a/Jo fiand up againfi the Prince of * ' Princes: ("here istheup-fhotof the Flejbes malice and policy) But he Jhall be broken with¬ out hand. « iThelf ^ ow mar k All this crafty hjpocriticaH po- - 4 ' bay of the Beaft, is not to move Gods witnef- tien 3 ^ es 1:0 be faithfull, to give God all the glory, but to intangle them in and by the ufurped > ' power and unjuft Lawes and Confticutions of the Flejh ; becaufe the Witneffes beare teftimo- ny that the Flejh would reigne as God, and would fit in the Temple of God, that is, in crea¬ ted man: but their teftimony is, that.God will deftroy this Serpent and will reigne him- felfe in his own Houfe, even Man. And this we have experience of, that the Canons and Lowes that have been made and jj An - confirmed by humane Authority, to maintain 0 ^ \ 'J DireUories , and EcclefiafticaUfornts of mrjbif, s-> "dij not fupprefle wickednelfc: for ungodly menj that rtendred after the Beafi , anil hono- ‘ r ed Propheftes fulfilled. 8> red the Flejb, ftill have their liberty infinfull practices. But they haveinfnared and. fupprei'- fed the Saints,that worfhip the Lamb, that is, God in Man; or the holy breathing in mans fiejb» And this is the fecond on-fet the Beaft makes to kill mtneffe. As Darius, his crafty ccun- - ■' iellors got the King to figne a-Decree, which - . they pretended would be for. his honour and welfare, but the fubtill intent jvas to entrap . : ‘ *• and kill Daniel, who. was God&-friend. . : - ■ . A third difpofition in the Beaft, is thzfpinTLn^e.zx of cruelty^hieh puts all thofe Loftes .and Ca-'zi'.i '« tons in execution,^ kiS Godsjvitneffes. And the , flejb in every man is very ready to aflent here-; unto, even to ftopthe mouth, and to kill Truth. And this-is cruelty; the flejb would not ; : have Truth to live, but is ftill heart-burning a-. „ . - ' gainft it,7" ruth muft be kild, becaufe it teftifies t abr! ' 7* 7 j againft th e flejb, that the deeds thereof are evilL £ . If thou be vain-glorious; and the Flejb be. proud of Learning , gifts, preaching , praying , aElings ; and let aman.tell .thee never fo mild- / , ,. ly of thy pride, coveteoufneffe, and opprefli- on, or felf-worftiip, and blind devotion .; and 8. though the inward confcience tell .thee, thou art fuch a one, yet thy flefli, b,urnes and fwels prefently, and nothing wilfatisfie thy difquiet . • flefli, ifit might have its will, but the iraprir fonment and death of Kim that fpsakes* the ?. truth. And is glad to heareef any Gloffe, or Aft,’),-, f.ibtlli invention, or authoritative Law, tha,t 3 2. .- ( Q 3 " doth 86 > Fropheftes fulfilled ■ dothfeemto kill Truth , and countenance z vain and empty form of GaVa xvorfhip. If God give thee a difeerning heart, thou wilt ac¬ knowledge,that thy own flefh within, as well as the flefh of other men, is very cruel againft truth,and rejoyces in its death. Rev. 13 . And when the Flefh gets a power into his 2. hand, as it hath a power when the Kings of Rev. 17. the earth give their authority and power to 2. itjthenit puts all poIitick-Z^Jw and Eccle- Rev. t8. faflicaH Conflitutions into execution, to kill the 2, 3, appearances of Truth every where. John 9. The Jewes by .the envy and policy of their flefh, firffi, made a Canon-LaVe,that whofoever acknowledged Iefus the Anointed, fbould he put out of the Synagogue. And within a little time after, did put this Law into execution, and did caft the poor man out, whom Clirift had cu¬ red ofhisblindnefle, becaufe he teftifies love to Chrift, and faid ,he was nofnner^whom their flefli'faid, -.vat afinner. Acts 16 . kike wife they did imprifon and beat the A- vj " poftlesby the fame EcclefiaflicallLaw,becaufe they preached the Name of Iefus. And h ave we r - > not all experience,, how this felfe-honoring 1 Be aft,in her three fhapes already paft, hath mightily fuppreffed, martyred, and worn out th ^Saints of themofi high God, by executing her Cetnon-Lcifres, by Inquifitions, Nigh Com- rniffioni, and Clafficall Cenfures, upon "thofe rn- noeent Lmhs ofChrifi t that.could not confirm ' ‘ ' (through 1 Profitftesfulfilled. ■ 87 ■ {through their love to God) unto her flefhly If an. 111 forms of worlhip,and Carnall CuJtomsjfiliteh. 43, (he hath with a great.confidence declared to be according to the Scripturcs,which uponex- amination appears to he her own invention and fancy, and not agreeable to the fenfeof the Scriptures in any kind. ? And here lies the great myftery 1 of all, God p f ^ V the' Father mil have his Son Ieftts Chrifi to he advanced,King, Priefi,and Prophet.$ for God in 1 7 ’ Flejh muft rule,and this is Gods Kingdome. 21 * But the corrupt j?r/S, (or rather the Serpent . in flejh) would be.God; therefore all the 2Z "^' jvifdome and power of it, fets it felfe as God, ^ ’ and drives to advance it felfe tabove God, and Van ‘ iemes mi petfecntes Gods Anointed ones, in whom God delights. And this My fiery ef iniquity did work in Di:ade,or elfe to fuffer punifliment.. And now the Beaft makes Dircttories , and Chnrch-poverm;cKts\ not according to Scrip- rare', but by her Conciufions and Inferences from!Scripture that agree( not with r the My- ftery of God)h at with her own Being & main- , j )t ,. TI tenance. Andlikewife fhe hath power'in her - 5 ,-'c hand to make laW's and Canons , and Ecclefiafli - 7 talcenfurespo inforce a conformity hereunto. The firft of thefe is to infnare the Saints, and to catch them within the limits of a law; and 7).;/.-.c.p,.- n th e next place to kill them. And thus the "'• Beaft hath killed and worn out the Saints, and made warre with Chrift,Gods two Witneffes.z long time. And theBeaft hath killed them hy her Ecdefiafticall lawes (an ordinance of go- I vernment which God never made,) but is a ' lorn, r 5, Corrupt power cunningly juggled out Of the a,2, cfc. hands ofcivillMagiftratesofthe earth, which . is Gods Ordinance,which he appointed for the JRev. iS. government ofthe world. - 3 ,7. And by this Ecdefiafticall Baftardly power i which Prophefes fulfilled. ' 89 which was got in fornication with the Kings of the Earth-, TheBeaft hath reigned and lived " in pomp like a delicate Whore, firft killed, and then trod the JVitneff?s under her feet : For now Ihe doth what ftie will, (he fits like a Queen, - ; and knowes no fo’rrowi; for (he hath a power from the Kings of the earch, and this power ^ e ' v tl -, is permitted and limited by our God, to tread', ‘' them under foot 41 months which beare te^ ftimony ofherruine. For this is the teftimony of the tWo Witrief- Gen. - fes. That God Will reigne and dwell in Flcfh, and 1 5. tread the Beafi under his feet. And this is Gods fir. 23 .6 Kingdom ; but this the Beaft cannot induce to- Dan. 11. heareof. 41,43-j. Therefore Ihe envies Gods two Witneffes, / : r . and ufes all her policy to kill them, and tread them under her Whorifh feet, that Ihe might prove God a liar,and reign her felfe as God, in, f Gods Temple. It is not any particular man or office, that kils Gods Witneffes, but it is the-Ser- pentine fleflh in every man that advances it felf in men and offices above God, and this muff be till God take him away, or tread this Wicked one under his feet. But one thing note, that ,the flayiug of the Witneffes,is not a flaying of the Bodies of their flefti onely, but a flaying of their actions and tefimonies,by reproaches, oppreflion, ani Ecclefiafticall laws, not fuffering them to aft' ike themfeiyes, according to their teftimony ■;.' " G 4 of jo "Trephefies fulfilled. . of the Father in t he view of the world, fo that they ly like dead bodies in the worlds account, though they be-ftill lining in themfelves: and will appeare to the wolid to be alive ere long.' Forfirft, the humane body of Chrift was kildby the Jews,that was the Hiftory.-but this •is not the onely killing ;for afterwards when the Beaft had committed,'fornication With the ■f- Kiugsof the Earth, then he killed the Lawes, 3 Theff. Ordinances,and Commands of Chrift; by fet- ing up Lawes, Ordinances, and Commands of his own invention, in ftead chefeofand would not fuffer the pradKcall; diredions of Jefus Chrift to have a Being on earth; but turnes the Scriptures that teftifie of Chrift, up-fide Jdat.i 5. down, advancing the Myfterie of Iniquity, <5. that is, the Serpent in the flefti, in ftead of the myftery of godlinefle, God manifefi in theflejb, and hath drawn a dark veil over the free grace of Gods abfolute workings, (as the witneffes teftifie God to be all in all ) and carries {inner? back again to a ccremoniall, Jewiih, and legall Way of worfhip, to feek falvation not by faith onely, but (as it were) bythe .workes of'the law. As for inftance in 8. particulars. 1. 'Jefus Chrift faid, Wee florid bee nil taught of God, and that he ivculd fend the Sprit of truth to lead m into all truth. But the Beaft faith, we muft be taught by men, and calls the teachings of God, without mens teachings, a delufion. 2 Je- Prppbeftes fulfilled. ' 3 2. Jefus Chrift fends forth his fernnts to 'i preach the Kingdome of God, that is,to (peak of what they have heard and feen of the in- (. dwelling and in-working of God in them- felves, and b the man Jefus Chrift. But the Beaft will fuftersone to preach, though they be taught of God, unleffe they come out of her Schoolsof learningfiift,andfofpeakwhat they have feen and heard from Comment^- ^ ries, Books, and ancient Authors. 3. Jefus Chrift commands his fervants t6 love their enemies , and preferfiteh as doe de- fpitefullj ufe them. But the Beaft, though (he pretend love to God by outward profefiion, will not onely opprefle and kill defpiteful ene¬ mies, but fuph as are peaceable nsen, under the name of factious, and men of errors, if they cannot conform to her principles and ■. practices. , ^ 4. Iefus Chrift calls his Church out of the Epk f. world,& makesthem to beleeve inGod by his» 9 . own almighty power j but the Beaft will have feha ij. a whole Parifti, a whole kingdome,and fo the 1 9 *. whole world to be his Church in her time, or elfe fhewil fuffer him to have no church at all. 5. IefusChriftfpeakes honourably of the fohn^ u Saints,and calls them, his fieep, his little fiocfe, 23. his peculiar ones. But the Beaft fpeakes bitterly ofthem,evill intreats them,prifons,whips,opr prdfes and murders them,and thinks fhe doth ' God good fervice in fo doing 6 Iefus f 92 Frepheftes fulfilled. 6 . Tefus-Chrift commends the Ceram union of ■SaintsSank as worfhip the Father fincerely in fpirit & truth.- The Beaft commends the com¬ munion of bare profefTors, for Saints, whofe worfhip lies in forms and cuftomes onely. 7. Jefus Chrift declares that his Sabbath, or day of reft to a Saint, is his-indwelling in the Foal, and the fouls indwelling in him, which is ; ; continual!, and not an obfervation of one fe- venth day in the week,-after the Jewifh type. But the Beaft bei^g unacquainted with the fubftance,obferves one day in feven, after the manner of the typieall worfhip; and con- demnes the foulescontinuall refting in Chrift, ; • and Chrift in it, for an error, s ’ 8. And fo for Baptifme, breaking of Bread, T 2. and Saints coramunion,Minifters maintenance, b. as Jefus Chrift left direction, the Berft by her Sea. 13. ufurped authority,andflefhly inferences,quite altered, and pradices dean contrary,things of . her own inyention, and hath deceived the whole earth, that all the world Wonders after the Beaft, and judges her wayes more wife, • more holy, more orderly, and more decent, then the Direclorj of Jefus Chrift. And thus • we feethe Beaft hath'killed one of Gods Wit- neffes , fefiu Chrift , both in his humane Body, and in his teftimony; arid Chrift hath lain like a dead body under the power of the Beaft, three dayes,and upwards of the halfe. And then for the Saints, in whom the fame' ■Anointing Propheftes fulfilled. | Anointing dwels, who are Gods fecond Wit- x John 2? nes; for they hold the teftiraony of Jefus,to 20.27. acknowledg the Lord their God,and him one- ly will ferve. Firft, the Beaft hath killed the bodies of their flelh, by martyrdom in fevetal; ages of the world by-paft, in her three dayes / that are by-paft. And fo all along fince, the Beaft hath, (lain - them in their actings andteftimony,and would net fuffer them to receive Chrift and his tefti- . ( - mony. And whereas the Anointing teaches .them to worfhip the Lord theirGod only, & - i acknowledge him all in all, in binding and 25, loofing the Confcience, The Beaft hath ufurp- ed this power,which (he got by craft from the ■} Kings of the earth, to. appoint directories. Or- | dinances, and Ecclefiaftieal Governments, to ^ inforce every one upon, pain of prifons and | death not to deny thefe, but to own them, &’ iA to fubmit to them, as Gods Directories, Ordi- nances,, and Government, to the binding and ) loofing of Confcience, when the plain truth is, ^ ev - 1 j; they are but the threfholds of the Beaft, laid equal with Gods threfholds, and the Polls of ■] the Beafts houfe fet equal with the Polls of Ezs. 45 Gods houfe; and brought in on purpofe to f pollute Gods Sanctuary; for which God will j confume the Beaft, and all that worftiip both • 1 him and his Image. J CHAP* Prdphefies fulfilled. The JPitxejfes tiwv /lain long agoe^ have lien dead in the fireet of the great Citj three dajes and almfi the hdlf\ and are neVe tfp- a it their rijing, N O w confider that this flaying of the two Witneffes is paft long agoe, and they are !• lying ia the ftreet ofthe great City like dead, bodies'threedayesand an half, hut I believe ‘ they have lien dead, weilnigh their full time, ifnotcompleat; for I'believe they are upon their riling. Bat are the Witneffes ithenflain for certain? I anfwer, by the experience that we have of the fulfilling of^w/Vifion and Prophefie, it. appears clear to me, that they are flain: And that the troubles of the world at this very day is but the Cloud in which the Witneffes doth ajfcend up to God / after that the fpirit of life from God was entered into them. This is •' partly feen by fome already; but for the time and feafon when God will make this manifeft to the view of the world, I am filent; God hath the s times and feafons in his own power, yet.IhaVeperfwafionsin me fromexp?rimen- tall grounds of Gods own working, that ere Jong within few 'years, God will make this vi- Trophefes fulfilled. ' fj 1 fible to the world, but they (hall be filled with great feare, and be offended at it. A mans own fight and perfwafion will not fatisfie others •, therefore I (hall add a few things more that lies in my fpiric to confirm ^ this, grounded upon f ohns "V ifion, for the fill- ^ filling of a Prophefie, (hews the meaning of a ' Prophefie. . ' In Revel. 8.13. There are three woes de- * f nounced to the inhabitants of the earth: the • ; v! firft w.oe is paft already, and I have nothing to . • ' ^ fpeak of it but only this: Tfoat -when the botr tomleffe pit or corrupt fiejh was opened, made m«.» ' ; nifefi, attd bad alibertp to a£l itfilf t tt brought ' > ■ forth XVoe and forro-W to the Inhabitants efthe '.jj earth ; that is , to fuch as lived below God,- raeerly in the ufe of creatures of this world; . • 1 fuch as lived feemingly a little higher, and yet Efaj 3] below God too, inthenfeofGodsOrdinan- || ces; but in an outward profeflion to the fleffi, . living by fenfe, (through a nrieer form and cu- ^ ftome, and humane;) Thefe meet with woe & 3 forrow, for a literall profeflion expofed them j to the la(h, but to worfhip God in fpirit, car- i ties away the fmart, when the flefh is let loofe 1 it prepares mifery to it felf and to all that live -1 ‘after the fleih. j The third woe is yet to come, and I have . j nothing to fay of it, only I greatly rejoyce in , | expeftation of that univerfall glory which -j God will reveal to his Saints, and intt which 1 t: -— — ?hcy j $6 "■ Profhefies fulfilled. they {hal be taken up when thole dayes come* Rev.9.12 But the middle woe, or the fecond in eourfe, is now in being ; And there are great troubles to be acted in the world, but yet for the com¬ fort ofthe Saints,- two things are to be noted; Sto*. 12. Firft, that under the found of the fixth An- ~ • 7. gel, that pronounces the woe,The death of the %ev: 13. Beaft isdeclared,and that his determinate.time 5 - 7. is quite finilhed, and though he ftrive raighti- %e-v. ip. ly,like a dying hog for life at the laft gafpe,yet ii 7.' he Ihall never reign again in Majefty, efta? Llilhed by an ufurped Law,over Chrift and his . .Saints, as he hath done; for his time, times, }cvi. 7. ,and dividing of a time, his 4 2, months, and his £.27. .three dayes and half, are upon the point of ex- tev’. 1 Spiring! And the Lord Chrift is beginning, nay :y J i 7. .hath begun to take theKingdom,and to reign; - ' • of whofe Kingdom there Ihall be no end. ; ^ ' Secondly, note that under the found ofthe r . fixth Angel,the Witnefies are to be killed, but to arife from death, and afeend up to God, in : the C loud; And their riling is the Inhabitant t ofthe earths woe, even to fuch as have no hope, but irf this life, it will.be, and it begins , to be a time of woe to them; for all creature comforts, helps and communion,(hall be taken away and dead to them. And I believe we are under that found; oppreflion, and in/uftice, | doth fo mightily abound in the Kingdpms and' Magiftracy .ofthe world,for when the feventh | : Angel founds, then Chrift, or the Anoincing, I " ' ■ . " ivVirn Prdphefies fulfilled. ' 91 who is King of righteoufnes, and King of Peace, lhall reign in the Kingdqms and Magi- ftracy of the world , for a certain fpace; or a Rev. 20. t houlahd years, as the Scripture fpeaks.- which 6 . yet generally doth not appeap, though this Kingdom of Chrift doth begin to appear,in & among the Saints that are fcattered abroad.' The Beaft is giving up his laft-breath,?.nd his •. r- violent kicking and fprawlingtroubles the . whole world fora little time; for rhj.fpirit of the Beaft is the life of the Inhabitants of the . Earth: therefore I believe the Witnefles' are- not in killing, but in riling from death, and that the world muft fee ere long; which will ^7, be a third woe to them, when they Ihall fee • poor delpifed Saints whom nd man regards,to Sev.zu'g' ‘ partake ofthe glory ofthe City of God, and . C 1 they themfelves put by. * There is one: paffage of Villon; while' this fixth Angel founds , which gives light Rev. hereunto: the words are thefe. Loofe the four 14ft 5.^ nAngels that are bound in the great Hfiver fcu- &c. ' ' phrates: Arid the four Angels tyereloefAj&cc. - / \i Thefe are four evill Angels as I conceive, • which ftir up the.four quarters ofthe Earth to enmity againft every appearance of God, fd that there fhall be rifings up of much bittemes in the Eafifyeft, Nerth, and South, among the Sons of men againft God, though they think notfo, for they think their cruelty is godlines, , and they think theirmalice is zeal, andthey . ' ' ' think 98 , . Prophefies fulfilled. think their oppreifingjmprifoning & murder¬ ing the Saints, under the name of erroneous Round-heads, doth God good fervice. And it appears they are four evill Angels* | \j V ' « becaufe they were bound up like prifoners, in je ' " fo bad a place, as in the River Euphrates : ahd • * they were prepared for this time, that is, For an hotsre * a day^ a moneth, and ajear , toflay the A • thirdpart of men. It appears they are four evill Angels, if we eonfider, firft, what the great River Euphrates is: I believe this Euphrates is the fpirit of the Beaft, or the very Serpent himfelf, which like •Re®. 16. a great River overflowes every Son and ,12. Diughter of the firft syfdam. And this River Euphrates is to be dried up, When the fixth Angel fstores out his Yioll , Jo that the way of .the Kings ' of the Earth might be prepared. The meaning to me is this: That when this ' Dtn.’]. Spirit of the Beaft, is dried up, deftroyed and vj. fubdued, then the Kings of the Eafi, or fircb, frr.23.6 In a °d n fon whom the Son of righteoufnes rifes firft ; which are the Eledt or City Sion, they come and take the Kingdom, and the A- nointing in them, who is the Lord our righte- oufnes, reigns in the earth* that is 3 in mankind* forever and ever. Gen. 2. The fpiric of the Beaft: or Serpent is called 14. Euphrates, becaufe as the River Euphrates in the Hiftory, overflowed a great part of the Earth. So this fpiric qf darknes overflowes Prcphefies fulfilled. j ?9 . man- kirid,arid drownes them in ignorance,pride, covetoufnes,malice,difobedienee,difcontent, & deceived zeale- but when this is' dryed up 3 as ic muft be When the feaventh Angel founds, then the Nations appeare for God. And the Saints are called Kings of the Eafi 3 ^ for their knowledg, and for their faithfuines to MA ,’**. God, for as the wife men or Kings of the Eafi; . found out where Jefils Chrift lay, when he was ' born, but would not tell Herod who laid wale to kill him, but went another way; ., . . J So thefe fpiritual Kings of the Eafi, c* asf Dak. 12? Daniel calls them, the wife or undemanding i°-. people; They knowwhere'the Anointingap- pears j and they know that the Kingdom of * 4 - Chrift is fpiritual 1 : for the Anointing teaches I them all things, and they have experience of the 2 7* love,(incerity,humility,peace,and the-like,which' are the Laws and walls of that Kingdom. And likewife they know that the fpiritual powers of darknes, as ignorance, prrde, envy, difeontent, hypocrifie. felf-love, and the like, is . the Serpent, that would deftroy Chrift or the A-' nointing: for if pride ruled which is the Sefpenc in the Children of difobedience, then humility .... which isChrift in the Saints, muft be deftroyed: : And if malice reign, then love which is Chrift iri the Saints, muft die. And fo of all the reft. And the Saints knowes this: therefore in thefe- eoridplace they are called Kings of the Eafi,be-, cau'fc they do not betray Chrift into the hands ■"< of 4 1 Vco Prcphefies fulfilled. i John j. of Herod the Serpent ;• but they holdforth the 4. power of Chrift,*in faith and patience, till God Rev. 14. finifh his work, & thereby deftrpys t^e enemies. Now when pride,covetoufHes,injuftice,envy, felf-love, and the like, is dried up like a River that-cannot run. Then the way is prepared for Heh.7 2. t ^ e f e Kings ofthe Eafi , to take the Kingdom, and to reign in with Ckrift and righteoufnes for ever j and theie four Angels were bound up .in this River Euphrates, and were not fuffered 10 aft in their foil ftrength, or appear out of that curfed v. - • / fountain of darkneffes till Gqdpleafed to lec them loofe, therefore they were evill, becaufe bound tip or imprifoned in fuch an evill . (linking River. : i v ’ ; Secondly, Thefe four Angels were evil, in re- 1 fpeft of their nature, -for I believe they are four fpirrtual powers of wickednes. Asfirft', wicked craft and fubtilty in the ftrength of it. 2. Hypo* : crifie in the ftrength of it: 3. Envy in the ftrength of it: And A murdering cruelty in the ftrength of it. Now thefe four Angels or powers of darknes were bound up within the very body ofthe Serpent, and not fuffered to Rev. 14. aft in that violent universal ftrength as they do, IT> ’ tillthis fixth Angel founded. And now being let loole,thcy ftir up every one in the four, quar¬ ters of the earth, and vex, and tormentyou 1 day and flight; for men in whom thefe powers j rule, they have no reft. And men are ftirred up in Armies to kill and flay. But whom do they Prophefi 'es fulfilled. iof flay? Not the witnefles,though they think^>.£*.38^ ' in their heart: as it is fpoke of Gog and Magogs 1 o. 11. •' but thole men only who have not the Sealof &c. God in their forehead, or as it is faid before^the Kev. 4.4 Inhabitants of the Earth. And truly theftrong fubtil craft, unparalleld hypocrifie, extrearh envy, and inbred cruelty, that is expreffed in the four quarters of the land . of the world too, againft the Saints, that are branded SeBuries, Schifmaticks , * voice, of the fixthgood Angel, that time to the £• Beaft (hall be no more, his dayesare near done. R ev - *6* And i'econdly, after that t he fpirit of life from 17- God hath raifed up the two Witneffes, there were feventhoufand flain in the Earth-quake, ^ ev ' I r * which are thefe very mafter-builders and uphol- 1 3 • ders of the Beaft, as I {hall (hew anon. Well, here is a greatCloud of trouble arifes; nay, it is rifetf,And thefe four evil Angels/ubtik ty,hypocri{ie,malice, and cruelty, are very bitter Rev. 14. in the fpirits of mgn, whom they torment day n. and night,and kill. And they have condemned to death all the Saints of God in the Kingdoiu,un- der the name of Round-heads; and they are bold¬ ly confident, they {hall compaffe their murther- ' intent, but they {hall never do it. For the day jg.; of the Beaft is ended, his reign is done,.and the ' a "-j Saints {hall fing that Song in experience, Babylon *' is fain, is fain. For the fpirit of life appears in , fome already, and will appear in more ere long, (when the fhowre of hayl falls,) And God takes if- uphis Saints to himfelf, for theWitnefies are x 9 - } not in killifig, but in rifing from death, and a- verf. 1 2-.-}, fcending up to God in this Cloud : the Cloud of woe {hall not now fall upon them, bnt upon the Inhabitants of the carth,wh© have no other hope or comfort, but in this life. -> There are a few words more mentioned in j fohns Vifion, in that eleaventh of the Revelati- g. ^ 1 log Propheftet fulfilled, tms, which being fulfilled declare, that the Veit* nejfes are not in kitting, bat in rijingfrom death : It is faid,7^jrt they oftheNations-,Kinred,Tongues, and People, Jhallfee their dead bodies , lie in the firect of the great City three dayes and an half, &C. . Thefe two appearances of God in flefh,which teftifie of God: that is. The appearance ofGod in the man Jefus; and the appearance of God ip the Saints, are faid to be dead bodies j when they do not aft and operate like,themfelves, in - the view of them, whofe. names are not written in the Lambs book of life ; . fo long as the Beaft hath a time to fit in the Temple of God, andto (hew himfelf as God ,'no more then the dead bodies of men, can do the aftions of living, men. P.fal -» 3 God the Father hath made Cbrift his Anoin- ’ ‘ ring the King,Prieft,,and Prophet,to bring fin- ners to God; but thefe Offices of Chrift have been trampled upon by the Lawes, Canons, and Ordinances of the Beaft,, and have not vifibly appeared to the worldjbut the anointing of the Father in Jefus and the Saints, have been lijke dead bodies, in refpeft of fuch operations, and have not afted publikely like themfelvesj but have lain all the time of the Beaft, dead in the eye of the unbelieving world, who have re¬ jected them and ftumbled at them, till the fpirit of life from God, rayfes them up, and fets them upon their feet; that is,-till God fubdue Pwphefies fulfilled. i®7 1 all enemies under Chrifts feet (the Anointing) ?er.23$4 and give all rule and all authority to him. But though the Beaft have allowed Chrift the a The/. , name of King, Prieft and Prophet, yet he hath 2. 5. ■ denied Chrift both the operation and honour of — thefe three Offices, and hath fet the Crown of ihefejipon his own head. For whiles the Beaft declares himfelf to be fo fohtt 9.": quick-fighted, that he can prefently difcerne, 24. J what is truth and what is errouij and take upon Ge». 3.6.“ him, by his ufurped power, to punifti errours, with plundering, prifohs, and death. Does he not thereby declare himfelf to be as God in knowledg,knowing good and evil. And as God likewife in Majefty, by punching every one that oppofes his beaftly being: afid fo he declares himfelf to be an ablblute' infallible prophet to j teach men,AKingto ruleand punifti men,and - a Prieft to lave men from death by his skil and operation.. And thus the Beaft hath a long timeafted 1 John 7 , thefe three Offices of Chrift, as himfelf pleafedj ao. 27. arid the Anointing in Jefus, and the fame in the Saints, have lain like two dead bodies,killed un- “ der the hand of the Beaft. ; Arid thefe two dead bodies were to lie dead, Rrzui.?.’ three day es and an half: that is,the whole reign of the Beaft, in his three ages* and an half. As firft, the time and age of the Dragon,which was Majeftracy out of joynt, thatperfecutcd Rev. x i\ Chrift and his faints, by open violence, before 27. 1 '■ " “ . ' J xoS Prophefies fulfilled. j0.ev.i2. the univerfal Bifhop was lifted up by the Dra- i j, go a j and this is the firft fhape or time or age, in . which the Serpent appeared to kill the Wit-? ... nefl’es. Rev. 13. Secondly, The time and age of the leopard, 1.2. which is that we call groffe Popery, when the- Rev. 17. umverfallBilhop bare rule by the authority of 17. the DragOn, before there was any Church re¬ formation; And this was not fo down-right vio¬ lent, but kils the Witnefl'es by a pretended Law, under the names of error, for indeed the ap¬ pearance of God in flefh, is far different from the appearance of the Serpent in flelh. And the Serpent having a time, to aft himfelf, and to maintain his being, labours to deftroy the being ■ John 7. of God, and calls the appearance of God an er- 12. rour or deceiver. Thirdly,. The time and age of the Beaft with : t, two horns like a Lamb, but fpake like a Dragon; | ev. 13. ^ nc j j s t f, at we call reformed £pifcop2ty, f. 11 ' ' - which was of the fame nature,and had the fame l _ . authoritive. power from the deceived Kings of I the earth,to make war with Chrift & his Saints, ! as the former had, though a little more hypo- i critical; for it came in fheeps cloathing, but it ’Pau.ft. fpake like a Dragon ; for it devoured the 113.24. fheep by his common Lawes , Ecclefiafticall t power,' and high Commiffion Courts. And | thefe two fhapes of Popery and Epifcopa- L: cy are called times , becaufe they are two I . ‘ ages or dayes of the. Beaft , maintaining T Propheftes fulfilled. ' iop ^ pne and the fame nature and compulfive and co- ^ erfive power, the one being more grofly abomi¬ nable, the other more hypocritically abominar Revel. ; ble: fo that here is time, the Dragon ; and times, 17,5. Popery and Epifcopacy , fain in the world : or three dayes,which are vilibly paft and gone al¬ ready, in this on e tenth part of the Citie, Eng- land,&c. , Here remains in being, the dividing of time, Rev ^ orhalfeday, which is called ,< the Image of the \ ’* Beaft, becaufe it hath not the Authority of the 5^ 5 ‘ ! Beaft, though luhave the Mature and Spirit of ^ * theBeaftinit. . • , :i And this halfe day, or this dividing of time,is 1 the age of the Beaft,under which England^Scot- • land, and Ireland doe now groan; arid it may be a very hot time for the length of it 3 but it j will be butfhort. And I have forrie hopes that _ , A God will make this three-fold kingdome, being under one Magiftracy,the tenth part of the City A Babylon that ihall fall oPe firft from the Beaft.. And this is called the dividing of time , becaufe • the witneffes are neither under an abfolute bon¬ dage by EcclefiafticallLawes, as formerly; riei- ^ H ks 21. the r in abfolute freedome, becaufe the boyllngs *7- of the foure evill Angels mentioned before in • i mens fpirits, both in Magiftrates, common peo¬ ple,and fuch as they call Minifters, are fo oppo¬ site againft them. ■Andlbeleeve that Gods two fyitnejfes do yet ' li§ dead publickly under, the heart-burning 1 „ . power tip Prophefies fulfilled. "power ofdifcontent,both ofout-fide'profefling ^ . ?resbyters,and ont-fide pro fefiing Independents; I A>’" : tut this will net laft long: forthefincere-hear- • * ted, that v>crfiip God in jpirit and truth, are re- j f>roached thereby, and are not much vifible in I the eye of the world. . Apd'tfien again ic is called the half e-day, in re¬ gard of the. fhortnelfe of it; and when it {hall t end our God onelyknowes: but there are two . thirigs that give me great per-fwafion that this | halfe-daj is neer an end. Firft, becaufe oiy Lordjefcs the Anointed, Mat. 24. told us by his own mouth, that thefe days JhtulcL 22. be Jkmnedfartbe eleUsfake. \ Secondly, the rejoyeing in hope which God hath put into my heart, grounded upon experience | of his love which I fee in my felf, and in others of his fervants; and of his power in fhaking Kingdomes,and things in the world, agreeable j Ezak 28 co c ^ e P r °phefy of£^>/,which was fore T told | to be in thelatter dayes, gives me great perfwa- ? " fxon,that this halfe-day is neer an end. I Now it is clear to me, that the time, times,ot "the three dayes, which are but one and the fame , thing,are already paft, and therefore I beleeve, that the mtnejfes are not in killing, but areup- f. on their rifing. • . . ; ' "Then further itis[aid,That they of the nations, 'fiev. 1 1, hinreds, tongues and people fallfee their dead bo- -dies lie inthefireet of the great (fity, three dayes i dnd a half Saints, or Eleft, that lived l :1 " • • ' in Projihef.es fulfilled. iff, in all the three ages and dayes of the Beaft, (hall fee the appearance of God in the Man Jefus, and the appearance of God in the Saints, to be - : • . 7 fupprefled, reproached, killed, and not fuffered ‘ 1 to ad like themfelves by the Ecdefiafticall Laws and Canons of the Beaft. And thefe three dayes and a halfe cannot be three fingle dayes, not three fingle yeares and half^ according to men? account of dayes and yeares, as fome think; for ’■ then the Saints that were fcattered in all nati¬ ons , kinreds, tongues & people^ could not have feen them lie dead in regard of the ihortneffe of > time,and the great difficulty of travel! to fee ex-,- . perience. But in the three ages arid halfe of the: Beaft,all thd Saints of God through the whole dominions of the Beaft, have fuffered more or: leffe by the Beaft, and have feen, doe fee, and: (hall fee the captivity end. The teftimony dfi God in thofe two-fold appearances.to be iup-r; prefled, and not fuffered to aft vifibly in the Vi world,but to lie like a patient long- fufferer, till -.. 1 Chrift come and deftroy his enemies by the word 2 Theff.j of his mouth, and by the brightneffe of his coming.-2* 81 ;. Another thing mind,that though Ehefe of the. : . , : - j nations, kinreds, tongues and people,do fee the!. , V dead bodies of the two Witneffes fo lie in . the M iVreet, yet they will not fuffer them to be put,in graves: that is, though the City Babylon look upori themanifeftationof God in the flefh of ■ . Jefus,and in the fiefli of the Saints, as two dead i Pet.i.f bodies, yet the Saints fee them to be living, and look j f IX? Prophefees fulfilled. looks upon them wich precious thoughts. And though the City Babylon would have thefe two foh.6.4’\ v ‘ t>3< ff es P ut in graves, that is,quite buried, for- * gotten, and put out of memory, by their (harp Lawes,to advance the learning of the flelh, and to fupprefle the teachings of God, yet the City of God, the Saints, will not forget Chrift, nor put him out of memory. lohri zo. For though they cannot acknowledge Chrift I p. and his teftimony publickly, for fear, orbyre- ftraint of thofe lawes, as the Difciples durft not meet publickly for feare of the Iewes, yet they . will acknowledge and remember Chrift among themfelves, and fpeak of him, and rejoce in him: and fo will not fuffer thefe two Witneffes to be put in graves, or to be forgotten. From hence likewise it appeares, that the Witneffes were lolled long agoe, and in thefe troublefome daies . are upon their rifing; for they mull: rife in a cloud. 'av, ti. And by the great City which is called fpiritml t. " Sodom,8c Egypt, is meant that wicked Babylon, or that Serpent (which hath over-fpread man- {.ev.zo. kind,and keeps it in bondage) which God wilt 0.14., ..deftroy and caft into the JLake. ban. 7. ‘ And by theftreet of the great City , it is clear to 15. me, to be the limited time,, wherein God hath \ev. 13 determined the Beaft to reign,& wou’ d not call % g. him to account, but let him doe what he will to : advance himfelfe: and in all this determinate • Kev.i8.7 time,che Beaft walkes up and downe at jliberty Propheftes fulfilled, 113 ; s fas a man walkes up and down in a ftreet of a Citie whete there is no ftopj and knowes no forirow. And here is both a time limited to : the Beaft, and the wicked power of the Beaft limited in p^.g.igi this time: For the Beaft does not doe his own 2 2,&c. will, but Gods will, and that is comfort for the: gfa IOj Saints. Well, all this limited time, or the full <5 7 lengt'h of this ftreet, or the length of the chain ’ * j in which the Beaft is. tied. God hath fiiffered- • • the l^eaft to walk at liberty up and down. Thin n long thou Jhult reign over my Saints^and no longer'^ I *-' faith God. And all this limited time the twd 7 * WitnelTes are firft killed, and then lie dead, uri^ derthe Lawes, Cations, and baftardly - Ecclefia- Dan. 8. ] fticali power; for God never made it jjthough 24. he fuffer ir) tor ids the power which'the; Beaft- Baa. makes ufe of all his limited time) and by this power the Beaft keeps the Witnefles unde r, and wil not fuffer them to atft like living bodies puK- lickly. But there is one claufe may raife a fcruple; ft is faid,tkj lie in the ftreet ofthe great City^ where cre' - Rievj.1. jiaiff^thej that dwelt upon the earth rejojeed over \ l0 " ihem, and made mcrej, and fent gifts one to ano¬ ther, becatsfe thefe two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. . I {hall not fpeak much of this; for they that are acquainted with hiftories, orhave any expe- : rience, can tell,what rejoycings there have been in all ages of the Beaft, when the appearance' of Godin humaae flefti, by martyrdom or piinifti- i ■ ' ' ment, Prophefies fulfilled. ny 'j raent, hath been fuppreft; and the wifdome and learning of the Beaft, (which the whole world Rev. 13] wonders after) is advanced. 3. And if men of the earth, fuch as have their hope and comfort in this world only, could de- ftroy the appearance of God in fuch as they call Round-heads (among whom there are pretious Saints ) they would rejoyce mightily; but fome that are fo called,are meerly tarnall,and are but as the Chaffe among the Wheat, or Weeds a-* mong good Corn.For it is the bright appearing of God in the Saints, calling down all formes * .; and cuftomes of the Beaft, which doth torment 3 ; the world at this very day,- as the bright Ihining 1 of the Sun doth mightily offend a weak-fighted 37» 3^f' eye. And indeed, if this worlhiping of God in ; ( Spirit, were or could be beaten down, and pro¬ ve dan error : and if every man were or could ' be forced to maintain and pra&ice one outward. ^ lazie,formal!, cuftomary, and tyth-oppreflihg way of pretended Divine wcrlhip, which plea- Rev. ij}, fes the flelh : for it nurles up pride, cove- . ; teoufneffe, ignorance,oppreflion, and is the mo- ' ’ ther, or harlot rather ef all abominations: and if men might be freely taught, that £ they lhall goc to heaven though they feek it. not by faith one- ly, but as it were by the wofkes of the Law; that is, by bidding them doe what they are a- ble, and Chrift will doe the reft; and. fo joyne Chrifts merits and mens workes together, 0 then, cry fome, it would .be a merry world, and XI 8 ' Prophefes^fulfilled. We fliOuld have good times again. Rev. 16. Ah! But the dayes of phe Beaft are done,' 17. and God is putting a flop in the ftrSet of Baby- i Cor.iz. h>n, an'd taking away that limited power, and ii. is beginning to raife up his witneffes that is, Fph.y.n God is beginning to manifeft himfelfe more a- 13. bundantly then formerly in the flefh of his Co!.2. 9. Saints, the feed of the woman, and more plenti- Sph.i. 23 folly dividing to every one his portion feverally as God will, according to the meafure of the gife of the Ar.ointing, even as hee did manifeft himfelfe to dwell' bodily in the Anointed Je- fus, who is the fulnejfe of him thatfilleth all in all. - * And God doth this, that his Saints may wor- ^ . (hip him, not in bare formes of godlineffe, and 2 1 imp,. cu g; omc ^ of Religion , in a felf-fceking wav of . • pride and coveteoufnefle, exprefllng bitternefle : %h.y. 23 °f fphft co others thar differ - but that they may ; ’ i in his ftrength, worfhip him in love,-fincerity, f.. humility, and in jpirit and truth, inwardly re- ; pjtdng and glorying continually in God onely. At this the Nations of the World will bee mightily angry, when it appeares more plenti- full; and I beleeve ic willappeare ere"long: For (faith the Angel in the vifion) after thee dayes and halfe the jpirit of life from God entred into them, and they flood upon their feet,- and great fear fell upon them whichfaVo them. Now I conceive, yea it is cleare to--hie,' that thefe thee dayes and halfe are.upon the very period and fipilhcd pointy three dayes axe cora- .. ' pleat ly Prophtfies fulfilled. 11) ifetly paft,and the halfe day is (now in [being * , and this halfe day muft be fliortned too for the Alarkj{. Elefts fake: fo that the time will not bee long, 22, f before the glory of God that is made known iq . fecret, be preached on the houfe top. . 1 And they heard a great voyce from Heaven, R eVl u2 faying , Come up hither , And they aftended up\ 2 , to Heaven in a Cloud, and their enemies beheld them. The two Witness heard God fpeake. out of Heaven; it was a lively voyce: it was; not the dead voyce of a man fpeaking out of a Book. • ■ * And what is this Heaven ? Why truly, as the Firmament is called Heaven in the hiftory, be- * caufe the created Sun, Moon, and Star?;, th’ofe' . 'y glorious lights, arefeated there; fowherefoe- ver God dwels,who is the light of lights^that isi called Heaven : in the myftery. r And this leads us to the fanfHfied Humane Coi.i.fi. Nature,fefut Chrifijn whom God dwelt bodily: . f And I bcleeve this i? the Heaven here fpoken j of: So that God the Father fpeakes oat of his ■*'.?- beloved Sonne Jefiis Chrift, and calls his Wit- o neffes, that have been trampled upon under the feet of them that were not in covenant with \ ^ ^ God, fourty two months, that is, the three . dayes and halfe of the Beafts reigne, and bids them come up hither, into the fame condition of _ Mature,Life,Liberty,Peace, Vidtory, Kingdome s Thef and Glory of his beloved Son Jefus Chrift. And 2 * 12, this Pajtl having forae experience of, gives God . I 3 _ thanks \ Prophefies fulfilled. thanks that bud called him into his Kingdme And gUry. _ ' ■ Vau.’j, For feeing the men of the World will have gy, nocommnnionwiththefelights of God, his Witneffes, hut mightily opprefTe them, and weare chem out, therefore God takes them up into fellowship with himfelfe: and fo the A- jimting in the man Iefus, and the ^Anointing in -the Saints, are made one with the Father,' and the Father entred into Iefus and the Saints; •fo they Iikewife enter into the Father, and par- take of his reft and peace. And this is Gods Kingdome, even God thus manifefted in flefh. And fo humane flefh is changed into the image Phil. 5.' of God, and the vile bodies of the Saints are i*i. made glorious by the in-dwelling of the holy breathings of Almighty God. Dan.S. Come up hither,faith God, into the fame jlp. height of glory,you fbal lie no longer under the 'Dan. 12. feet of the Gentiles, for the appointed timeis ’ accomplifhed. And they afeended up to heaven in ■' a Cloud. Now this Cloud is the combuftions, delufi- ons, opprefiions, and troubles, which the foure Eev’p.13 evill Angels before fpoken of, raife up. For mind^nd you fhall fee, that when the fixth An¬ gel began to blow the Trumpet, the foure evill Angels were loofed out of the great River Eu¬ phrates jmd they went forth killing and doing hurt. And thus they continued untill the Witneffes sfeeuded up to heaven,and then this fecond woe. ' • ' ' ' v ceafed. Prephefes fulfilled, ' “ ^afed. And the third woe to the inhabitants of Rev ..1 x . the earth, cometh prefently after, as you may 13,14. ; read. So the loofiag of the four eviil Angels and the troubles that they ftir up, and the afeending up of the Witneffes into heaven, were all to .be . adted under the found ofthe fixth Angel,which is the fecond woe. ’ , By Cloud note four things.- Firft, what the Cloud is. Secondly,it darkens the Smne from dm . fight. Thirdly, it/■ ing ofmen,then the former Cuftoms, Laws, and * cr ' pire&ories were,all walking in love sfiid juftice, 1 as Members of one body,Chrift, knit together by the fame Anointing, that the very enemies « ftiall give glory to God and fay, his wayes and aftings arc more righteous then mens; And then multitudes ftiall come in and enquire after fer.^oS with their faces thither-wards, the beauty _ of Sion ftutt be fo glorious. ’* • By tenth part of the City, that fell in the Earth-quake, I believe it is a tenth part of the Nations of the world, that have been deceived Rev. 17. by the Beaft, and that have a&ed for the Beaft, 2.16,17. againft Chrift, and wondered after the Beaft;for when the ten horns, or ten Kingdoms that for* merly had given their power to the Beaft, begin 12, to hate the whore, and to take back their pow- 7.; £ Prspheres fulfilled. er^ out of the hand'of that Ecclefiaftical who? rifli fpirit; the forty two months being now ended, and the words of God fulfillcd,Then the whole ten Kingdoms (hall j'oyn together to ad¬ vance God in Chrift, and (hall make the beaftly whore defolate and naked,and (hall eat her fle(h and burn her-with fire. And there is fome good hopes,that thefe three Kingdoms, En£land,Scotla»d,Sc Ireland, though three,yet united under one State-Government, is the tenth part of that great City, that (hall firft fall off from the Beaffand fubmit to Chrift, T . _ and then we (hall lee the witneffes are in riling, ' which Ibelieve with rejoycing, that God ^rai¬ ling of them, and that this violent ftormingof the Beaft in this tenth part of the City Babylon, (hall ere long droop and hang the head, like a * dead man that hath no ftrength to drive any longer; the difcoveries and manifeftations of God in his Saints,(hall come in fo plentifully like . a (howre of Hayl,that (hall fweepe away all the '• refuge of lies before it. But if this threefold Kingdom, be not the tenth part, nor the Land which God will ho¬ nour, the firft of Nations, in railing up his Wit- neffes in, and in calling off their Sack-cloth here; The Saints muft wait but a liccle.longer with patience upon their God, for I am mightily per- fwaded, and filled with afweet foy in the ex¬ pectation of it. That there is a tench part of the City Babylon , falling off from the Beaft; and, ftt&Stg Prophefiet fulfilled. ' ' y ftHving to fet the Crown with {homing upon the head of Jefus Chrift. And in this tenth part' the two witness muft firft throw off their Rev. lu mourning Garment, and Sack-cloth; butwhe- 3 i ther it fhall be thefe three united Kingdoms or ho, 1^ leave that to our Father and fubnait to him-wifliing in my heart that England,Scotland, and Ireland , might live before God in this glo¬ ry; I rejoyce inwardly that this {hall be the tenth part. I have no doubting in my heart a- ' . bout it, I have ftrong perfwafions in my fpirit, ' that it fhall be ; I greatly defire in my foul, that ‘ this Land may be the tenth part. Yet not my will, but the will of my Father be done. And as there fell in the Earth-quake, the tenth Rev. if. part of the City: fo in the fame Earth-quake 11 1 Wereflain of men, feaven thoufand. By feaven thoufand, I conceive are pointed • ■. out, the compleat number of thofe falfe Wit- . neffes ffor feaven, implies a perfeftnumber) ^ whereby theBeafl: hath deceived the people; fo ’ . that all falfe Prophets, falfe Minifters, either of Juftice or Divinity,which have reigned with the R tv. 19I Beaft, {hall be deftroyed with the Reaft, in this 19. &c. ] Earth-quake; or as f«b» fpeaks in Revelations 19. in that great battel of God-Almighty;the beaft Was taken and with him the falfe Prophet, that wrought mifades before him: with which he ^ ’ deceived them that had the marke of the Beaft,"', and them 1 that jmlhipped his Image;- Thefe ■ both ' lm . Prophefies fulfilled. f both were cafbalive into a lake of fire, burning ' with brimftone. That which he called the feaven thoufand, in the eleventh Chapter, he calls the falfe Prophet And thefe are faid to be flain in'a twofold re- 1 . fpeft. \ .a Firft,when they (hall fee the caufe of the Beaft is deftroyed, and- they are like to have no & * more gain come in,for they have no work to do, K£v ‘ I l i for they cannot workin Chrifts Vineyard: Now „ their hearts are filled with anger, madries and - • v : 1 ve-xatiori,to fee that inferiour people, even the i1 fools of the world, but the babes and fucklirigs ofChrift, are raifed up to fpeak the deep things 2 '* Of God, which t hole Mafters of Art underftand .^ riot : And fo the feaven thoufand feeing theii# e ®* l 3 * Tirade go down, they grow very angry,arid that?* beaftlyfpiritinthem, opens his mouth in blaf- f°™ 7 '\ phemy agairdl <^0’dj and blafphemerh his Name* , j and his Tabernacle^ and them that dwell iri Bfca- 1 ■ Vcn: calling light darknes, and darknes light,’ 25 * 3 7 ^) I > 3 ® Prcphefies fulfilled. I arid calling every truth an error, becaufe it i$ too high for their underftandi'ng, and in this fenfe they are flain, and their hearts die within them with difcontent,and vexation; and fo they lie in hell; of under the difpenfation of wrath. [ But fecondly, thefe, or fome of thefe fliall be F 26 ; flain in another fenfe: That is, they (hall even I burn their books, forfake their private Cham- [ bers and Colledges, and deny their Ecclefiafti- r. - cal Trade, which their Fathers and friends for \ Mica. W orIdly living fake have bred them too, and [• 5 ’ fhall come in and joyn with the Saints to wait t uponGod, and to give glory to him; and fome f fliall by the fpirit of burning, or bright appear- ■Sev. 1 9 . »ng of God in them, be thus flain , and happy it 2i. will be for thofe among the feaven thoufand iThef.z. that fliall be thus flain, for they haveefcaped g. the woe, which the other that aredifconted and angry lie under. And the remnant were affrighted, and gave Rev. n. glory to the God of Heaven; by remnant are 13. • meant the common people, that have been de¬ ceived by the falfe Prophet, or 7000. that man- naged the caufe of the Beaft;for when they fliall fee that Husbandmen, and Tradefmen in every corner, are able to fpeak in experience of things I and truths which they have heard and feen from ; f God;& their learned CJargy begin to be fleigh- (' ted iu their Office, and be afhamed in their own l vifions, though their perfons be tender in the I eyes of Saints, &c. Why now the ignorant \ common. Proplieftes fttlfilfed. i 31 common people are afraid, that all Lawes and Zach.iy Governments fhall be thrown afide, nay, the 4* Beaft doth buz them in the head with Inch a conceit, to make the appearance of God odious^ as if men now fliould live in fin and error } as they lift without controle, this the Beaft pre¬ tends, but inwardly her fear is, fhe fhall be de- ftroyed her felf j becailfe the Lawes, forms, di¬ rectories and cuftoms of theflefh,are,denyed by the Saints, and Mordectiie that loves God ,■ will Heft. 3 .i not bow to proud felfifh Ham'ov, and this is the remnant fhall be afraid of. . But when God is pleafed to put it into the Sev.ij. hearts of Governours and Kings: of the earth,-to take their Authority out of the hands of the Be 4 ft, as our Governours in this tenth part of the City have done in part; and when God is pleafed to fhake down all injuftice in the civil Magiftracy, and reftores that to the beauty and ; purity of juftice and cendernes, as I am confident God is about that work} then we fhall have no eaufe to' fear or be troubled that We fhall have • no Laws and Government { for we fhall theft Efa. jsfi: haveLaws and Governments accordingro truth, 22. and Magiftrates that will ccnderdOve, and de¬ light to be executing juftice, for the: good and j fafety of the Common-wealth. ■ t' But this is the mifery.of our age, men ftrivt* ZW. 7- to uphold the ufurped Ecclefiaftital power,-: 21. which God never made, only he determined to Dan,2,. 9 . giveway it fhould rile and reign too, forty two ■' K months Rev. n.2', 1 132 Prtphefies fulfilled. Dan. ii. months over his Witnefles: And in upholding -36- of this, which God is in throwing down, be- Dan. 12. caufe the time is near expired, men are fo mad 7. and ignorant (as the Beaft hath deceived them) Rev. 12. that they will throw down thelawfull power 9. too, even Magiftracy, which is the higher pow¬ wow. 13. crGod hath ordained,and commands every man 1.2. to be obedient too. And they count Magiftra- Acl 17. cy no Government;unlelfe the Beaft reign cheek 30. by chaw by it as formerly in the dayes of igno- Rev.n.6 ranee; but ic muft not be fo,for Magiftracy in the Rev. i( 5 . Common-wealth muft ftand, its Gods Ordi- 2.17. nance. But this Ecclefiaftical beaftly ftolen power in and over the Saints ftiall fall; for the feven Angels of God are fent to powre out fea- ven Viols of wrath, to blaft, curfe, and deftroy all the glory of the Beaft. And when.Chriftcomes inbrightnes, and Rev. 19. confumes the remnant: that is, when Chrift by 2I his bright appearing, burns up and confumes all •E/d. 54. the ignorance,envy, difcontent-,unbelief,and all j-, the droflie ofeheflefti in all people, and teaches Rev. 19. them to knowledge of his will. Then this rem- ^ nant ftiall give glory to God,they fhall then fall down before God.and acknowledg him Lord of Lords, andXing of Kings; they ftiall acknow¬ ledge all God^ Ordinances, and forfake the Beaft, and rejdyce and fing fongs of praife, becaufe tjieLord God omnipotent reigns. Trtphefiet fulfilled. ■ This Ecdefiaftical power hath been a great Dan.j. 2 : troubler of Magiftracy, ever fince the deceived Rr^. \y. Magiftracy fet it up ; for when tender hearted 2. Magiftrates, have fat in the feat of Magiftracy,it hath been a griefand burden to them: witnes QneenMaries dayes,as in the book of Martjrs, To imprifon,banifti, fine, and fonietimes put to Dan.6. 5. death,peaceable quiet men,that have no offence hid to their Charge, but about the matters of their God; as Darius bad Counfellers troubled * Daniel, who indeed were a type of this Ecclefi- aftical troubler. For while the Serpent ruled ftill in particular perfons, he was every foot put to his fhifrs to deceive and ftir up new enemies again!! God and his Saints, when the old ones returned to ® an - 8 duft .■ therefore he wrought very fubtilly to - 4 - deceive the Kings of the earth, that by them might be eftablifted this Ecdefiaftical troubler, to be a ftanding Law; for as Daniel fpcaks, this King of a fierce countenance,reigns by a power, that is none of his own, but by the power of Magiftracy, out ofwhofe hand the Serpent hath | got it by his craft. And fo, though perfons die that mannage the caufe of this troublcfome Beaft,and others come in their roome, yet ftill the Office and trouble remains • And it hath been obferved, that when fome Bilhops have firft been made Bi(hops,they were, tender hearted and zealous, but after a K a . little 134 Prophefies fulfilled. . little time by mannaging this Ecdefiaftical Beaft, which their Office tyed them too, they' grew hard-hearted, and great oppreffors of peaceable men, that were guided by God to walk fincere- lyaccording to What they knew and underftood, Rora. 14. anc [ eftroynot one another: lyi.83.2. .. God will avenge him that’s oppreft, fae. . byGhrift our elder brother. ®».2. 24. His turn is next,the Realm to take, 9ter.7'.2 6,»_... and rule the fons of men, *7* And Beaft and Devil^ Pope and Sin, 8rp.l6.17. Shall never rife again. t^tt.24.42. But yet mens hearts difquiet are,’ jZXar.2? c' " j and bitter as we fee; 8w».iShl 3^Hot times have been,hot times yet are, but hotter yet maybe. Kev. 13.1 For . nw the Image of the Beaft • &c. " appeares to aft his part; Vah.%. 25. : But he’s a falling,and Saints (hall fing Ztv.19.6. Haleluja with joy of heart. > ‘ ’ FINIS. . : f .