A SERMON Upon Revel. 11.11, &c. SUMMONING The Expectation of the Witnesses Rising AND OF THE Great Concurrent Works Daily shewing forth Themselves, and to be Compleat by 1697. TOGETHER WITH The Surprizing Confirmations of the Line of Time, and the 1260 Days of Years ending 1697. Design'd as an Encouragement of Earnest Prayer, With Assured Faith and Hope of the Blessing of God on the Arms of Protestant Princes; and par­ticularly, of our King, and the Change of the State of the Suffering Witnesses in France.

By T. BEVERLEY.

Isa. 51.9.

Awake, Awake, O Arm of the Lord.

LONDON: Printed for John Salisbury, at the Rising Sun in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange. 1692.

A SERMON UPON THE Rising of the Witnesses; AND THE Great Works, that shall therewith shew forth Themselves, so as to be Compleated by 1697.

Revel. 11.11, &c.

And after three Days and an Half, the Spirit of Life from God entred into them, and they stood upon their Feet, and great Fear fell upon them that saw them; And they heard a great Voice fram Heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended in a Cloud, and their Enemies beheld them. In the same Hour was there a great Earth­quake, and the Tenth part of the City fell; and in the Earthquake were slain seven thousand Names of Men; And the Remnant were affrighted, and gave Glory to the God of Heaven. The second Woe is past, &c.

IT hath pleased God, beyond all my former Thoughts on this Scripture, Providentially to lead me to such a Re­view of it, as thereby to shew me, that the great things of this Context must be Fullfill'd before the End of the 1260 Days; If therefore the Calculation I have given, be Just [Page 2]and Right, and according to Scripture, of which I have before and do now offer my Evidences from it so full, that I cannot but be Assured my self, It is so; And hope every considering Person will be also assured as that the 1260 Days shall End 97. And if so, there are so great Things to be done from this Year to that Time, that we may very well be in a conti­nual Expectation what God will graciously please to do this Year, and every following Year; till all things are made rea­dy for the Proclamation of his Kingdom, as in its Succession, that is immediately to ensue at the Sound of the Seventh Trum­pet; which shall even then begin to sound, when those 1260 Days shall end.

I come therefore to the closest Consideration of this great Portion of Prophecy, I have proposed to Discourse of. And here I find six great Effects that must needs come, according to this Prophecy, before the 1260 Days are ended: Seeing then, there are but five Summers, and the sixth, wherein the Kingdom of Christ is to enter its Succession, and 1260 Days so to End. There is great Reason of Expectation, and of be­ing every Year upon our Watch, to see what God will please to do; seeing there are so great things to be done, and so lit­tle time to do them in, How great then may our Expectati­on be? Indeed we may not Limit the Holy One of Israel to any Time, who made the World in six days; yet according to the General Procedure of Providence, which is not in the (yet) Time of the sixth Trumpet so speedy, as it will be in the Time of the Seventh that comes, and shall move so quickly, and speed all its Events, when the sixth is at an End; Before that, because of the slow Motion of the sixth, the Two Woes are said to come hereafter, Rev. 9.12. that is, by Leisure. So thr sixth Trumpet, though its Motion shall be more swift at the End; Yet it is slower than the seventh, which is said to come quickly; Not because it shall come immediately after the sixth; for so the sixth did after the fifth; but because it shall in a short Time accomplish its Great Effects; Accord­ing therefore to the present Procedure of Providence, I say, there is but so much Time left, as is necessary to bring these [Page 3]great Effects to pass one after another (with which Prophecy hath charged it self) before the 1260 Days end.

Effect 1. The Spirit of Life must enter from God into the Wit­nesses, in so Remarkable a manner, setting Them upon their Feet, that All that see shall behold Them with Terror; They shall say, This is the Finger of God; This is from Heaven; Something of this hath been done in Ireland and Piedmont, but not to such a Degree, as that Their Enemies, and Others, should find so Remarkable a Terror at it.

Feet in Scripture signifie some very Remarkable Tydings and Events: How Beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth Glad Tydings. It speaketh steddiness and assu­rance of Success. It is said of Christ, His Feet shall stand on Mount Olivet. It imports Self support, Zech. 14 Self-subsistence of the Witnesses, and to such a Degree, that All that behold them shall say, Whereunto will this Thing Grow?

Observe it therefore, whenever you see those suffering, op­pressed Protestants in France and Piedmont, like Feet of Brass, now Burning in a Furnace, that they may come out Refined and Purified, and Rest upon themselves in open View; Then Expect, and Look for the Approaching Kingdom of Christ; It will be as a Signal given, as a Beacon fired; It will be as the Fig Tree Blossoming, and sending forth its Buds: Then Lift up your Heads, for Redemption draweth nigh. Then it will be nigh, even at the Doors. And why may not this be this Summer, if God be pleased by this Discourse to stir up our Faith, Hope, Expectation, and Earnest Prayer, our Humiliation, Fasting, Re­pentance, and Reformation?

Effect 2. There must be a mighty Voice from Heaven to Call These Witnesses up into Heaven. And They shall Ascend, Cha­riotted by a Cloud: And this peculiarly Their Enemies shall be­hold; and They shall behold it (as the Former also was beheld) with Gaze, with a Theoric Eye, a Consideration, a Contempla­ting Look. Now Their being Call'd up to Heaven, may sig­nifie Two Things:

  • 1. Their being enfranchis'd into the pure Worship of God, according to the Gospel, which, as it is often Represented by [Page 4]the Kingdom of Heaven in other Scriptures; so hath in this Prophecy a Secondary Sense of the State of the Christian Church on Earth; as a Counter-part or Sample of what is done in Hea­ven: So the Loud Voices in Heaven, just after the Text, v. 15. are so heard in Heaven, that they Resound on Earth: so the War in Heaven, c. 12.7. was Counterparted in that Famous Battel of Theodosius the Great on Earth with Eugenius and Ar­gobastes. So when the Purity of the Witness-Churches is from that time Decreed, Established in Heaven, It is as if the Wit­nesses were call'd up into Heaven, and Ascended in a Cloud, to Enjoy the state of the Ark of Testament in the Temple,
    v. 19. c. 15.5.
    seen and opened in Heaven speedily after; and Answered by a state on Earth; and into that great Consessus or Glorious Assem­bly Representing the Arche-Type or Original Pattern of a tru­ly Glorious Christian Church-state which we have given, Rev. c. 4. c. 5.
  • 2. It signifies the enjoying this pure Church state and Worship, with the Favour Countenance and Encouragement of Supreme Power and Authority, carrying and bearing them out in what they do; For so Heaven in this Prophecy, often signifies even Power and Authority.

Thus Heaven signifies, Rev. 12.4. where the Stars of Hea­ven mean Supreme Princes, that the Roman Dragon or Imperial Power Brushed down with his Tail, or Train of Armies; and there is an Eye of the same sense in the naming Heaven all a­long in that Context.

Now for Those who are Trodden down by Power and Strength, and have either been Affrighted from Worshipping God according to his Word, to the great Wounding of Con­sciences; Harrass'd and Dragoon'd (as they speak) into Ido­latry and Superstition, or Galley'd, Imprison'd, and Tor­tured to Death for Refusing; whenever you shall see these Call'd up by a Loud Voice into Heaven, into such an open a­vowed Worship of God, according to his Word, and ac­cording to their Protestations for Him, and have Power and Authority in, and with and of Themselves so to do; This will be a great Effect of, and according to Prophecy; and because [Page 5]it is to Lead, and Go before the Face of many other great Ef­fects of Prophecy, and All before 97. It therefore requires to be done within a Little Time; and when you see it, Know that it is a Dawn of the Morning-Star, and that one of the Fore­most in the Train of these Great Effects for the Kingdom of Christ is in your Eye; and so that the Rest are coming on, and the very Kingdom it self Coming upon us.

Effect 3. There must, according to the Prophecy, be such an Earthquake, that the Great Cities Tenth shall Fall; where, by Tenth, as I have always declar'd, I understand its Decem Princi­pality, that Complex of Ten Kings, that gives it its Grandeur: For they giving their Power to the Beast, or Pope of Rome, and its (Call'd) Catholick Church; and He bearing up that City and Church, that sits upon His Supremacy, as on a Mountainous Heighth; whenever the Words of God are so fulfill'd in the Beast's having had his Forty Two Moons; that they shall give their Power no longer, but withdraw their Kingdoms from the Beast, that Tenth of the Great City must needs Fall. And it is very Remarkable, that as here it is said, The Tenth of the City Falls first, in c. 17. it is said, first They shall hate the Whore; that is, the Church of Rome. But then it is intimated, that the Reason is, the Words of God are fulfilled concerning their gi­ving their Kingdom, Power and Might to the Beast for such a Time, viz. the 42 Moons. So these Two Things are made Re­ciprocal: For whenever They Hate the Whore, Then will be a withdrawing their Kingdom from the Beast, the Words of God being at the same time Fulfill'd; When they withdraw their Kingdom from the Beast, They presently will hate the Whore, and make her Desolate and Naked; But either, and both ways the Tenth of the Great City Falls: That is, the Greatness, whose Symbol or Figure in Prophecy is Ten or Tenth, because of the Ten Toes, Ten Horns, Ten Kings, made Essential to the An­tichristian State by Prophetick Oracles; and within this Time, Dan. 2. c. 7. even before 97. All these Kings shall thus hate the Whore, shall thus Reverse, Recall and Reprize their Force, Power and King­dom from the Beast, because the words of God will be fulfill'd. Some have done it, at least, in great part. All shall do it then [Page 6]together, and All shall do it to Perfection. And it appears by this Prophecy, they shall bring some Ruine and Desolation by Ravage and Fire on Rome it self, as a prelude and fore running of that Final Desolation and Fire, c. 18.

And what will you say, when you shall see the Empire, Spain, Portugal, Poland, the Catholick, as they are call'd, Cantons, and even France, and that first of the Rest, do this? You will Re­member what I have this Day spoken in your Ears; and you will then believe the Kingdom of God is coming nigh to you; when you compare what I declare to you from the Word of God, and what you see come to pass; and you will easily al­low, That according to the usual Progress of Providence, if This be to be done by 97, there had need be a speedy Begin­ning; For you at this time, I am sure, will be more ready to say, The Time is too short, and strait, even already for it to come so soon to pass. And yet I must confess, either this must be by 97, or the Exposition, and Line of Prophetick Time, I have given, must Fall.

Effect. 4. Seven Thousand Names of Men shall be slain in the Earthquake, this mighty Change and Shake of Things: There is, I make no great Doubt, some Allusion in these Seven Thousand to the Sabbatick Number, of so great Use in All Things that concern the Kingdom of Christ; as it is said, Ezek. 39.9. They shall be Burning the Weapons of Gog Seven Years, and cleansing the Land, of Gog's Remains, Seven Months, v. 12.

But how Admirably also does this set out the Multitude of Names, Offices and Places in the Roman Papacy, Hierarchy and Grandeur: so great a Multitude, that One would be Temp­ted to think the very Letter of 7000 is fulfill'd therein: It re­quires much Learning in those Names of Men, to make a Register of their Quality and Number; Cardinals, Archbi­shops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, &c. are known as Stars of grea­ter Magnitude. But there are those so out of common Ken, and the Sporades, the innumerable Lesser Stars, that he must be more than ordinarily Learned, that can call them All by their Names.

[Page 7] Now if you Live to see all these Slain, as the Witnesses have been, and as yet they lie Slain in France, utterly Dispirited; and with Them, what ever is Deriv'd, not to say, Spawn'd from Them, or bears Allyance or Affinity with Them; even among those who are on the Part of that Synagogue of Satan Venerated under the Hoary Vizor of Antiquity, shall Fall at the very same Time by 97. or very soon after, and They be Bow­ing and Valing at Philadelphias Feet; You will then say, I have truly Expounded the words of the Lord to you; But if you find no such thing, I must lye Down in shame, and confusion of Face, and own to you, I am found a False Witness of God, and think my self, indeed, of all men most Miserable, in saying God hath Declar'd he will do such things, and by such a time, in the sure Word of Prophecy, which he hath not Declared, nor will do.

But I have no Fear, nor Distrust herein, and yet I am very sensible, as Jeremy Speaks, When the word of the Prophet shall come to pass, then it will be known, The Lord hath spoken by him. So I, that pretend to no Impulse, to no Impression, but to Argue upon the very written Word, and Letter of Scrip­ture, in compare with it self, may Humbly say; when these things come to pass, Then you will know that by holding to the True Sense of the Testimony of Jesus by his Prophets, That true sense is the Spirit of Prophecy, and I have aright given it to you.

When you shall hear of, and see a far greater Slaying these Names of Men throughout the Christian Profession than when King Henry the 8th, here in England slew, that i [...], Dis-Autho­rized so many Names of Abbots, Priors, Monks of several Or­ders, and Distinctions of Fryars, and laid them in the Dust; You will then call to mind, what I now make known to you, and Believe, This is indeed according to the Testimony of Jesus, and to the Spirit of Prophecy.

I wait therefore, to see what God will herein do, and when he will begin to Work; For when he will begin, Nothing [Page 8]shall Let Him, His Reward is with Him, and his Work before Him.

Event 5. The Remnant shall be Affrighted, [...] They shall be Magor-Missabibs, Fear round about, all Fear; and so shall give Glory to the God of Heaven; that is, there shall be abun­dance of Conversions to the Power and Purity of Christian Religion; So that every way the Potentacy of Rome, and its Papacy and Hierarchy must Fall; [...] For the Remnant, All Suc­cessions of Men to the Kingdom of Christ shall Hear and Fear: For They shall wisely consider Gods Doing and shall be afraid to Joyn themselves to a False Religion, that God hath so Remon­strated from Heaven against. And this is indeed to give Glo­ry to the God of Heaven.

Event. 6. The Second Woe, viz. That of the Mahomet an Turks, shall be wholly cessated, and pass away: So that the Grecian Churches, however so Dark now, under the very Black Wings of Antichristianism, shall come out of Both Slaveries; They that have lain among the Pots shall be made as the Wings of a Dove, covered with Silver, and her Feathers with Yellow Gold. That Great Name of Power and Tyranny, Grand Sig­nior and Sultan, shall be dismounted from the Hills of Constan­tinople, on which it is seated, as a Nova Roma, as it ought to be; that it may be a Woe on Old Rome, and from that con­fluence of Seas, and their Bosphorus; in Regard of which it claims to be as the Port or Haven of the World. Thus Daniel of Old prophesied of that Turkish King of the North, planting his Palace between the Seas. But then to the Wonder and A­mazement of the World, He shall come to his End, and none shall help him. However he is now holpen by France, All shall be Removed as a Cottage or Shepherd's Tent, and the Seven Asian Churches, whose Candlesticks and Lights have been Co­vered so long under that Night, shall begin again to look Bright. When you see this come to pass, you shall know there hath been a Scripture-Prophecy concerning it. And if This be to be done by 97, how should we cry out, Awake; Oh Arm of the Lord, Awake; put on strength, as in the Days of Old!

[Page 9] I come in the Second place to Argue upon the Time, when This is All to be, according to this very Prophecy. And This is the general Expression of it; After Three Days and a Half. Now this may look, as if the Three Days, and a Half, were to be fully past, and ended; and so nothing would be to be Looked for till 97. were fully come, and past, according to my Calculation of Time; And then these Great Events would find place, and Room for Themselves to come on. But as I have always endeavour'd to make out, These Three Days and a Half, are Equal with the 1260 Days, except only, as a deep part is particularly implied, when that whole and intire space is yet preserv'd, and express'd. And it is therefore given in Three Days, and a Half, by a Little Variation from Three Times and a Half, that it may bear a Resemblance to the Three Days of our Lord in the Grave; viz. the Evening of the First Day, which is our Sixth Day; or which we; not so Agreeably with Scripture Language; because in Gentile Times; call Fri­day; the whole of the Second, which was the Seventh Day, and the Jewish Sabbath; and the Night, till towards Morning of the Third Day, which was the Jews First, and our Lord's Day. And this Rising was in the Night towards Morning, (as the Jews, from the Creation, Account the Night of every Day be­fore the Day) For John 20.1. we are Assur'd, Early in the Morn­ing, while it was yet Dark, Mary Magdalen came to the Sepul­chre, and found Christ Risen; yet, as it were, on purpose to Expound to us the [ After Three Days and a Half here in this Prophecy.] This very Manner of Rising of our Lord (so far as can be perceiv'd by Compare of the Evangelists) as soon as ever the Seventh Day, or Sabbath, was past, and his Third, our Lord's Day, but just entred, he Arose.) This very Manner of Rising, I say again, on the very Entrance of the Third Day, In both, [...]. is call'd, Mark 8.31. After Three Days: even as here, After Three Days, and a Half.

Thus there was Liberty for a Partial Rising of the Witnesses, as soon as ever it was Half Time, which Fell out, in Luther's Ap­pearance 1517. (exactly according to my Account of Time), Then the 180 years of Half Time entred, which shall therefore end 97. according to that Exactness.

[Page 10] And this first Appearance of the Reformation by Luther, was like the Appearance of Christ in his Resurrection: It was some Time he had been Risen; how long we cannot certainly find; e're it was any way known on Earth: He was Risen All that Day; But He was very Retired, Appearing only to some very few of his Disciples, as if still Dead. But in the Evening, even then when the Doors were shut, for Fear of the Jews, Christ miraculously pass'd through the shut Doors, and Appear'd to the whole Eleven, ex­cept Thomas; and gave Them, with the Solemnity of Breathing on Them, the Promise of the Spirit, tho the Spirit it self did not come down till Pentecost was fully come. And thus I doubt not at the Latter part of Half Time, tho All Doors seem now close shut, and there is so great a Fear of False Jews, or Antichri­stian Tyranny, in so many places, that the Witnesses cannot meet Boldly; yet that Christ will make his way through all Bars; And as there was a Partial Rising at the First of Half Time, that hath been hitherto with much Reservedness; yet All will now open in the Evening, and there will be a Spirit of Life, a Breath­ing on all the Witnesses by the Spirit of Christ; tho the full pour­ing of it out will not be till the Kingdom of Christ in its Suc­cession, after 97. in the Days of the Seventh Trumpet, when the 144000 shall appear with the Lamb on Mount Sion.

3. If we consider the more particular precise Time, In the same Hour, it may yield us some further Light. Now, tho I would not be too curious and precise in Minute Points of Time; yet I have Accounted the Hours of the Half Day which are 12, according to the Natural Distribution of Time; and in [...]80 years there are 15 years to an Hour; so that we are some­what past the Last Half Hour. We may then hope, that as there was Half an Hours Silence set for the Churches continuing in the Worship of God, so as not to suffer the Taking away the Daily Sacrifice; and at the Half Hours End the Apostacy en­tred; and as at that Half Hour made an whole Hour, Antichrist himself, Rev. 8.1. c. 17.12. call'd the Beast, entred with his Ten Kings; so within this Last Half Hour, The Apostacy shall cease, and at the End of the Hour, viz. at 97. The Kingdom of Christ shall be in its Succession.

[Page 11] Object. There is one Objection, These Hopes of so soon Ap­pearances of God in the Witnesses may seem to be encountred by, viz. seeing the Witnesses are to be in Sackcloth, during the 1260 Days; and that a Day for a Year is so Precise and Limit­ed a Time; it will allow no such Latitude, as that before the last Year there should be any so Advantageous Change in the Wit­nesses Condition, as this Discourse Represents.

Answ. This Argument is, I confess, so pressing, that it must be acknowledg'd; The Witnesses cannot come out of their Sackcloth, till that very 1697. For all these Effects I have now Nam'd, being in a Concatenation; and then that great­est Effect of the Kingdom of Christ coming into its Successi­on, not being till that very End of the 1260 days; The Wit­nesses are till then willingly, and even desirously in a State of Waiting, and of Prophecy in Sackcloth; Even, tho call'd up into such a State in Heaven, as I have Describ'd; Yet they Humble themselves in Fasting, Sackcloth and Ashes, till that very Time is come, when the Kingdoms of this World shall be Proclaim'd to be the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ; The more the Light and Power of Christ Appears on the Witnesses, the more they Prophecy in Sackcloth; that is, Foretel, Desire, and in Humiliation wait for that Kingdom so to be Proclaim'd, and cannot be satisfied without it.

But that there might be such a Freedom left by God to him­self to make a change of the Witnesses State, so much for the better, as He did in the Beginning, so in the End of Half Times; He cast the Time of the Antichristian Tyranny and of the Witnesses Sufferings into Three Times and an Half, and near­er into Three Days and an Half; That there might be a Con­formity to the Faithful Witness Christ Jesus; of whom it is said, It was impossible he should be holden of Death, but must overcome it in the very first Minute of Time; and so far as could consist with the Wisest allowance for the satisfaction of Divine Justice for mans sins, and Truth of Prophecy. So the Wit­nesses must in and through Him, and in Conformity to Him, have a partial Rising at the very begining of Half Time, and a Full one before the End of Half Time.

[Page 12] There remains only to draw up the Discourse into particu­lar Use, and Application.

Ʋse. 1. Let us upon this Discourse diligently wait, and ob­serve, what God will please to be doing this, and the following years, to 97. It is a Sin at any time, not to Regard the Works of the Lord, and the Operations of his Hand; But it is much more so, when we are Warned and Admonished, and assur'd that the Kingdom of God is come nigh to us, It is then such a sin, that there is great Reason to Fear, God will pull such Down from their Present State, and not Build them up in his New Jerusalem.

If we then shall observe these Things coming to pass; How should It Convince, and Assure us of the Word of God in all its Truth! and certainly if God Answers us now by Terrible things in Righteousness, which we could not have Looked for, had we not been thus Awaked by his Prophetick Oracles; if we shall see the Mountains of the Present State Flow Down at his Pre­sence, and the Mountain of his Kingdom not only Standing Fast, being Girded with Power, but beginning to Fill the Earth, while the Vallies grow to such a Fruitfulness, as to Laugh and also to Sing; How will it Assure us of All Things else we Find in Prophecy?

Ʋse 2. Let us, by earnest Prayer, stand upon our watch Tow­er, and wait to see what God will say to us; And if we seem to be Reproved by contrary Appearances of Providence, what we shall Answer: I have Endeavour'd to write the Vision, and to make it plain upon Tables, that he may Run that Reads it. I have been Bold to Declare the Time, the Vision is Appoint­en for; If any Mans Heart be Lifted up in Scorn and Ʋnbe­lief of it; It is not upright in Him: For the Vision will Speak, and will not Lye; Tho it should seem to Tarry this Year; Yet it will not Tarry. God hath given me herein, I Bless his Holy Name, the Spirit, not of Fear, or Distrust; but of Love, and Desire, These Things may come to pass for the Glory of Christ, and his Kingdom; of Power to Declare them; and of a sound sober Mind, not Phantastry, or Enthusiasm, but of Reliance upon what is Written; and I am waiting at the Foot of God, [Page 13]to see, whether these Matters will hold Good or not. I beseech your Help by Prayers, and Earnest striving therein, All you, who wait for the Consolation of Israel. It will not hinder, but promote your Salvation; since waiting for the Kingdom of Christ, is both so great a Grace, and Duty, pray for the Peace of Jerusalem; They shall prosper that Love it: There are set Thrones of the Judgment of Christ. and his Saints. Psal. 122.6. There is the General Assembly of Brethren, and Companions of Saints. For all these Sakes, Let us not hold our Peace at such a Time as this; Let us give God no Rest, till Jerusalem's Salvation go forth, as a Lamp that Burns, and become a Praise in the Earth. If you say, The Profaneness, Carnality, Wickedness of Prote­stants, and even of Professors of all sorts, is so great, we are Riper for Judgment than Mercy, and can expect that only.

Remember; This Day, that is a coming, whoever are not Reform'd by the Methods of Grace before it; It will flame out upon Them, as an Oven. And why should it be strange, There should be a mighty Grace of the Gospel first, a Ministry in the Spirit, and Power of Elijah, to Turn the Hearts, &c. lest Christ come, and smite the Earth with a Curse. And that for this, God should, as all along, Ezek. 20. work for his Names, his Kingdoms sake, notwithstanding all Provocations.

Ʋse 3. This is the great Hopes we have of good Success up­on the Undertaking of Protestant Princes, and their Arms, and that such a Confederacy as they are in, shall be Bless'd, as a Means to Turn the Hearts of Princes, yet joyned to Rome and its Papacy to Hate it; particularly, of All Blessing on our Princes, and Nation, and Forces by Land and Sea: Yea, it is the Universal Hope and Happiness of all the Servants of Christ, of all his Witnesses, in whatever Suffering Condition They are. They shall all Rise by a Spirit of Life from God, and stand up­on their Feet, under whatever Oppression, whether of the Throne, or of the They on the part of the Synagogue of Satan, or their own private Unhappinesses. They shall All be Ascend­ing into Free Worship of God, and with All Authority, and Amplitude of Condition. Let us therefore earnestly cry out, Awake, Awake, O Arm of the Lord; make thyself Bare, as in the Days of Old, the Years of Ancient Times.

[Page 14] Object. Whereas we may be Ready to say, Why is not this Time then more generally Understood?

Ans. I desire your Consideration Haggai, 1.2. It was much such a Time in Relation to Jerusalem, and the Temple of Old; They were between Cyrus his Decree, and the Complemental Accomplishment of it; as we are between the Beginning, and upon end of the Half Time; There had been about 20 years from the end of the 70 of Captivity, set so often by Je­remy; The Vessels of the Lord's House had been Visited, and Restored by Cyrus; Ezra 1.7. Daniel had Computed and Found the Time of the Desolations at an End so long ago; Yet they said, The Time is not yet come to Build the House of the Lord: What Argument then is this, Men generally know not this Time? But God Derides and Scorns their Hipocrisy, as I make no doubt, He does Theirs, who Live in their Cieled Houses by the Benefit of the Reformation so far Vochsafed to us, and God's Care over our Protestant Nation; And says the Time for the Kingdom of Christ is not yet: Is it for you, Oh ye! pittiful, ungrateful Ones? And is it not Time for me? Is it a Time for your Lordships, Dignities, Grandieur, Palaces, and is it not yet Time for my Glory, for my Kingdom? This Causes All the Blasts, Comings to nothing of our great Ex­pectations, because the House of God lies Wast, The Kingdom of God is not Minded? This Causes all the Misery, Poverty, Complaint of Taxes, Wants, because we do not look to God's Kingdom? When we do, From that Day let us Count God will Bless us. Oh! when will This Spirit be given to Zerubbabel and Joshua? Surely it will come as a Spirit of Life from God very suddenly upon his Witnesses, and stir Them Up; and all shall Work together for the House of our God, and of his Kingdom.

FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.