AS the whole Booke of the Revela­tion is a prophecie of the e­state of Gods Church, and of the grand enemies therof, from Iohns time, till time should bee no more: So the sounding of the seven Trumpets is a speciall prophecie of things to come to passe in the very last times, on which wee are now falne, and more especially the sixt Trumpet points to these very present times, and the seventh to the now approching time, in the end whereof time shall have an end, and so bee swallowed up of Eter­nitie. And for the greater both observation and [Page 2] confirmation of this last prophecie uttered by the Seven Trumpets, it is tribled in this book: first un­der the Seven Seals, Chap. 5.5. Secondly, here un­der the Seven Trumpets, Chap. 8.7, 8. And thirdly, under the Seven Vials, Chap. 15.16. The Seals are opened, that all may Cap. 6.1.3.5. &c. see: the Trumpets are sounded, that all may heare: and the vials are powred out to the destruction of the enemies of Christ, and to the con­solation of his Church. The whole Prophecie is set out in great State and magnificence: as by Christ the Lambe, and Lion of the Tribe of Juda, and from him by his holy Angels. All which should draw our attention, as to matters and myste­ries of highest excellencie. And we may note how these three Sevens doe [...] (as Mr. Mede. some have well observed) that is, are coincident, and all fall within the same time, or like the wheels in Ezech. 1.16. Eze­chiel, have their motion one within another. As (Chap. 8.1.) no sooner is the seventh Seale opened, whereupon follows silence in heaven for halfe an houre: but John sees the Seven Angels standing before God, to whom were given the Seven Trumpets, Verse 2. So as the issue of the Seven Seals falls upon the Seven Trumpets, as having their accomplishment in them. But before they sound, Another Angell stands at the Altar, the golden Altar before the throne, which is Christ, offering up much incense, with the prayers of all Saints, here below, which prayers, as incense, are accepted of God, Verse 4. and out of the same Censer filled with fire from the Altar, the fire is cast upon the Earth, whereupon the seven Angels with their seven Trumpets prepared to sound. And who so com­pareth their seven severall Soundings, and the seve­rall [Page 3] effects thereof, with the severall pourings forth of the seven Vials, and the effects thereof, hee shall observe such a similitude between them, as will put him out of all doubt, that the seven Trumpets and the seven Vials, are all one and the same Prophecie. Take a brief view hereof. The Chap. 8 7. Chap. 16.2. sounding of the first Trumpet, and the pouring forth of the first Viall smites the Earth: the Chap. 8.8. Chap. 16.3. second Trumpet and Viall, the Sea: the third Trumpet and Viall, the Rivers: the fourth Trumpet and Viall, the Sun: the fifth Trumpet and Viall, the Kingdome of the Beast, the throne whereof is chiefly in Rome; so as under this Trum­pet and Viall, the Beasts Kingdome is exceedingly Chap. 16.10. Chap. 9.1, 2, 3. darkned, as with smoke out of the bottomlesse pit, and the limbes of the Beast, the vass is of his Kingdom of darknesse, even all such, as have Chap 9 4. Chap. 7.3. not the Seale of God in their fore-heads, are tormented by sundry plagues, as Chap. 9. and 16.10, 11. So as this fifth Trumpet and Viall seems to set forth (not excluding the former; for they have all a concurrence in some degree one with another from the very first to the last) more cleerly the State of the Kingdome of the Beast, upon, and since the Councell of Trent, whereby through smokes out of the bottomlesse pit, his whole Kingdome and Throne grew more darke, then for­merly they had been; of that smoke, never such Lo­custs bred, which for multitude, greatnes, and power, far exceed those of Egypt, full of Martiall terrour (as Chap. 9.7, 8, 9, 10, 11.) whose King over them is the Angell of the bottomlesse pit, Abaddon or Apollyon, a most cruell and mercilesse destroyer. And that this is that Great Beast of Rome, with all his crew of Jesuits and Friers, no question is to be made. And [Page 4] here by the way, wee may cleerly see, that by the darkning of the throne of the Beast upon the powring out of the fifth Viall, is not to be understood the destruction of Rome it selfe (as some have ima­gined) but thereby is meant that universall darknes arising from the smoke out of the bottomlesse pit, where­with the Kingdome of the Beast is altogether cove­red, like that palpable Egyptian darknesse, the im­mediate fere-running plague of the destruction of their First-borne, and so of Israels finall and full deliverance, in the destruction of the whole power, and flower of Egypt. That this is so, com­pare but the fifth Viall, with the fifth Trumpet: in nei­ther of which you shall find any touch or footstep of Romes Ruine, but in both a wonderfull darknesse over that whole Throne and Kingdome, so as unto them (by reason of the smoke out of the pit, namely grosse, palpable, and damnable colours and preten­ces, as a blacke veile to cover their Mystery of ini­quitie, most cunningly woven up in the Councell of Trent, but first contrived in the Popes Conclave, the Beasts Den, at Rome) the Sun and aire are altogether darkned, as with the black cloud towards the Egypti­ans, while the bright pillar of the Gospell shines forth cleerly to Gods people. And that this is the sense aforesaid, is manifest, not only by comparing the fifth Viall, with the fifth Trumpet, but also by considering, and comparing the sixth Viall, with the sixth Trumpet. For if it shall appeare, that we are now come within the Sound of the sixth Trumpet, and under the time of the powring out of the sixth Viall: then certainly the fifth Vial, and the fifth Trumpet are alreadie past (saving only that all the Vials are still [Page 5] powring out, and all the Trumpets still a sounding, til they all conclude in and with the last). And if (for the mayn) past, and yet Rome, the seat of the Beast, unruined, then certainly by the darkning of the Seat of the Beast in the fifth Viall, cannot be meant the destruction of the Citie of Rome. And thus having by way of preface premised these things, which also may serve as a key to introduce us now to take a view of our proposed matter, namely the sixth Trum­pet: wee now come, by the same Grace of God, lea­ding and guiding us, to such Observations, as the Text all along presents unto us, and wherin our eyes are infallible witnesses of those things which our eares doe heare from the sound of this Trumpet.

Chap. 9.13. And the sixt Angell sounded, and I heard a voice from the foure hornes of the golden Altar, which is before God, saying to the sixt Angell, which had the Trumpet, loose the foure Angels, which are bound in the great River Euphrates: And the foure Angels were loosed, which were prepared for an houre, and a day, and a moneth, and a year, for to slay the third part of men, &c.

In the former verse, after the sounding of the fifth Angell, it is said, One woe is past, and behold there comes two woes more hereafter. Whereupon it is added, And the sixth Angell sounded, &c. This shews us by the way, that the sounding of these seven Angels brings with it so many woes; even as the seven Vialls are called the seven last plagues. And these woes are denounced and doe fall upon the Beast and his crew: as those seven last plagues al­so do; as yee may see, Chap. 9.4.20. Chap. 16.5.6.10. &c.

Now by the voice from the foure hornes of the golden [Page 6] Altar, which is before God, is cleerely meant Christs own voice, who is that golden Altar, even that only true Altar, whereof that Levitical four-horned golden Altar was a type, and to which the Scripture here alludeth. For as on that Leviticall Altar all Sa­crifices and offerings were presented unto God, o­therwise they were not accepted: So Christ is our only Heb. 13.10.15. & Altar, 1 Pet. 2.5. in whose Name we offer up all our Spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And as offendors under the law fled for refuge to the hornes of the Altar: So we being offendors a­gainst God, by our sins, do fly for Heb. 6 18. 1 Iohn 2.1.2. refuge to Christ, so as the pursuer, man, or devill, may Rom. 8.33, 34 not meddle with us.

Againe, Christs voice here shewes unto us that he is the great King, and Lord, that commands all things in heaven and earth, he it is, that sendeth woes and plagues upon the enemies of his Church. He commandeth his Angels, and they execute his commands.

Loose the foure Angells (saith hee, to his Angell) which are bound in the great river Euphrates. Before we can come to know whats meant by these four An­gells, it behoves us first to enquire whats meant by the great river Euphrates. Of this great river Euphrates mention is made also in the Chap. 16.11. sixth viall, answering to this sixt Trumpet. Now this great river Euphrates is that, Herodotus. which invironing Babylon, made it invincible, untill Cyrus, King of Persia, did by his million of men cause the waters thereof neere about Babylon so to be drayned, into many deepe and vast sluces or by-channels, as the maine river for a time be­comming fordable, his men waded through it, and [Page 7] so Babylon was surprised. And to this alludeth that which is written Chap. 16.12. in the sixt Viall, of the drying up of that great river, that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared. Now the Kingdome of the beast, or his throne, against which the woes of the seven trumpets are sounded, and the last plagues of the seven vialls powred out, is that Great Babylon, the mother of whordoms and abominations, and the great captiver of Gods people, as she is at large, and cleerely set forth, Chap. 17. and. 18. And the Great river Euphrates, is that main strength and pow­er of men, whereby Babylon is defended against in­vasion. This main strength of this Babylon is at this day the King of Spain, or the house of Austria, inclu­ding the Emperour in Germanie, and the rest of that house, yea & all those of that faction and con­federacie, as the Hierarchie, or Prelacie, where ever it is, together with the wicked of the World that are made drunk with the Whores golden cup. It follows then, that those foure Angells bound in the river Euphrates, whom Christ commands to be loo­sed, are those christian Kings, Princes, and States, which for a time, either standing Neuters, or be­ing for Babylon, Christ raiseth and rouseth up to take up armes, for the diminishing and draining of this great River Euphrates by their numerous Ar­mies, and potent preparations, v. 16. 17. &c. Nor is it uncouth, to call Kings and Princes Angels; for they are often called Psal 82 16. Elohim, Gods, as also the ho­ly angells are. And Kings and Princes being Rom. 13.4. Gods Ministers, and being especially sent by him upon a­ny great businesse, as here, they may therefore pro­perly be called Angells, which signifies, such as are [Page 8] sent. This is cleere enough. As Chap. 1.20. The Ministers of the seven Churches are called Angels. And Chap. 12.17. Michael, and his Angels, do fight with the Dragon, and his Angels. And Chap. 17. Those Kings which once warred for the Beast a­gainst Christ, even they shall one day hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked. And the reason is there given (Verse 17.) For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their Kingdome unto the Beast, untill the words of God shall be fulfilled. And then he will call and send them, as his Angels or Messengers, to execute his will against the Whore. Even so here, the loosing of the foure Angels, which were bound in the great River Euphrates, is the raising up of certain Kings and Princes, which shall remove out of the way the maine strength, whereby Babylon is guarded. And although this her strength be very great, and as hard to remove out of the way, as to remove the Great River Euphrates out of her vast Chanell: yet these foure Angels thus loosed, shall so diminish Babylons strong Fortresses, as a way shall be made for her surprisall, and utter desolation.

This then being so cleere and plain, it points us as by the finger, to these very times, wherein God hath stirred up sundry Kings and Princes, with their mighty armies to make war upon the Em­perour, the King of Spaine, and the house of Austria, the maine pillars of the Popedome. As the King of Sweden, whose continued armie still keepes the field against all the Emperours power, also the King of France, and the Princes of Germany, with the States Generall (and I may say Generous) of the Low [Page 9] Countries. These may wel be those four Angels here loosed, which now make war against the strength of Babylon. These were readie at an houre, &c. to obey Christs Command, and wil, (vers. 15.) for to slay the third part of men. Look but upon the desolations of Germany, & look also upon the late admirable victo­ry, which the Lord of Hosts, of Sea, & Land, gave to the States General against the K. of Spains great Na­vy in the narrow Seas, wherein a third part at least of the men perished; And the war is still continued on all sides against Babylons Euphrates, to abate the pride of her swelling streams, wherwith Babylon is guarded.

Again, the Verse 16. number of the Armies of these foure Angels, is said to be, 200000 thousand: such an armie for number, as never was in the World. Cyrus (as is before noted) had 1000 thousand to invade Baby­lon, which was the greatest army that History makes mention of. But loe here an armie, of 200 times so many, even 200000 thousand, to make war against spi­rituall Babylon, & her temporal power. Now by this number so great, numbred by God himselfe in this place, is especially meant such an armie, as shall be invincible against Babylon, such an armie, I say, as ne­ver was in the world. For Gods numbring is his va­luing, or as he esteems, & accounts a thing. As when he was about to destroy that potent & proud King of Babylon, Belshazzar, then Emperour of the World, with his Princes and powers about him, he said un­to him, Dan. 5.26. God hath numbred thy Kingdome, which is expounded by the next words, Thou art weighed in the ballance, and art found wanting. So as on the contrary, here, where God numbers such an host, as here, to be two hundred thousand thousand, the meaning is, that these foure Angells with their armie, shall bee [Page 10] so potent and formidable, and so victorious against Babylon, and all her forces, as if they consisted of such a wonderfull number. For otherwise, God stands not upon numbers, it is 1 Sam. 14.6 all one with him to save by many or by few. And his few shall be, as many thousand thousands, when hee will get the victory by them. The King of Swedens army, which hee first brought into Germany, that got the victory o­ver the Emperours mighty forces at Lipsich, was far short in number of the Emperors thousands.

In the next place is described the manner of the horsemen, and of the horses, vers. 17. to set forth their power, and terrour: Then the manner of their fight: out of their mouthes issued fire, smoke, and brim­stone, wherewith the third part of men were killed. Here we see the manner of weapons and fight of these very times of ours, as by powder and shot, signified by fire, smoke, and brimstone, comming out of their mouthes, as out of the mouth of the Cannon, those murthering weapons. With these are slaine the third part of men. This, desolate Germany can wit­nesse, now turned almost into a Wildernesse. And in that the horses are said to hurt with their mouthes, and with their tayls: thereby is meant, that there is no securitie from being hurt of them every way, both before and behind. And in that their tayls are said to have heads like Serpents, it doth argue, that this army against Babylon is not on­ly potent, but prudent and politicke in managing of the warre.

And where it is said, Verse 20. That the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not wor­ship [Page 11] Devils, and Idols of gold, and silver, and brasse, and stone, and of wood, which neither can sea, nor heare, nor walke: Neither repented they of their mur­thers, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts: hence we note, these particulars: 1 First, that all this warre, all these plagues (as is touched before) are against spirituall Babylon, a­gainst the Kingdome of the Beast, and the head and body of Popery. Secondly, (for confirmation here­of) 2 this Spirituall Babylon, notwithstanding all her smooth evasions, and shifts to put it off (as the Prov. 30.20. whore in the Proverbs, wipes her lips and saith, I have done no wickednesse) is found to be a notorious and egregious Idolatresse, in as much, as all her Images of gold, silver, brasse, stone, wood, are here in plain termes called Idols, as which can neither see, nor heare, nor walke. Yet Papists doe give that worship and honour unto them, as if they did both see, and heare, and walke, yea, as if they had a very Deity in them. And this is that Spirituall fornicati­on of that great Whore, (Chap. 17.3.) with whom the Kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have beene made drunke with the nine of her fornication; as being no lesse mad upon her Images and Idols, and other service devised by men, then Drunkards are upon new Wine. There­fore is this Babylon the Great called the Mother of whordoms, and abominations of the earth, Ver. 5. But yet for al this you must not cal her so, She wil be called no other, but the Holy Catholike Church, the chast Spouse of Christ. Thirdly, I note here, that all her idolatrous 3 Service in her Image-worship is the worship of De­vils: & cōsequently all Papists are the Devils vassals [Page 12] and servants. A hard doome (you will say) but it is as true, as Gods Word here is true. Fourthly, Notwithstanding all this, and that God plagues the Beast and his brood, and wars against Babylon, with his terrible armies, and doth and will prevaile a­gainst her, yet she is altogether incorrigible, incura­ble, though they see the third part of them slain, yet the rest will not repent of their Idolatry, and other Babylonian sins, as murthering of Gods Saints and Martyrs, using Witchcraft and Sorcery, authorizing of publike Stews, and that for money, and robbing and cheating the simple people of their money by their Mountebanke Masses, Dispensations and Par­dons, and a thousand such like trumpery, being those sins that are proper to Babylon, to this Kingdome of 5 the Beast. Fiftly, I note, here, that God rayseth armies against Babylon, & cuts her short, and powres many and grievous plagues upon her, thereby to bring her to repentance, or otherwise to leave her unexcusable. And so much of the ninth Chapter.

Now follows the tenth Chapter, wherein are some things observable, that fall under this Sixt Trumpet. And so what wee find written in this and the next Chapter, till we come to the Seventh, be­longs all to this Trumpet. This tenth Chapter is ve­ry mysticall. For here are voices of seven thunders uttered, but sealed up, and unwritten. Yet because the very sound of thunder leaves some impression behind it, and though mans understanding cannot interpret it, yet the Conscience, being strucke with terrour, will pick some meaning out of it: therefore taking the Scripture still for our guide, we will assay to speak something of this Chap. by the way. In the [Page 13] first Verse an Angel is sent out with great Majesty. This requires attention to what followeth: He hath a Little Book in his hand, Verse 2. Verse 2, 3, 4. Of which more is spoken from the eighth Verse to the end of the Chapter. The next thing of marke is the seven Thunders uttering their voices, but sealed up; and this followeth immediatly upon the Angels setting his right foot upon the Sea, and his left foot on the Earth, crying with a loud voice, as when a Lion roareth. This is very mysticall. But this Angell, by his description, should bee Christ: the same that is described, Chapter. 1.13, 14, 15, 16. His standing with one foot on the Sea, and another on the Land, seemes to allude to Exod. 14.15.16. Moses, standing on the Sea side, and stretching his Rod over the Sea, and crying with a strong voice of Prayer to God. Or it alludeth to the Iosh. 3.14, 15, 16. dip­ping of the Priests feet in the brim of Iordan, so soon as the one foot touched the water, the Streame re­coyled, and gave way. Both these were Types of Christ, and of his Church. And this which is here written, falling under this Sixt Trumpet, is a prophe­cie of the destruction of Babylon, and of the delive­rance of Gods people. Upon this cry follows the voice of the seven thunders, but sealed up. The voice of Thunder is the Psal. 29. voice of God. So the Heathen called their God Iupiter Alti­tonans [...]. Hom. Iupiter, the thundring God. But this voice uttered, is sealed up. But these thunders will speak plain enough in the next Trumpet, as also under the seventh Viall, when they shall take their effect in blasting and consuming the Kingdome of the Beast. For the voice of the Thunders is a Prophecie to be fulfilled in the Next Trumpet. As [Page 14] also (Verse 5, 6, 7.) the Angell speaketh what shall be under the voice of the Seventh Angell. And there is a secret meaning in the voice of the thun­der, which is expressed, not in words, but in the ef­fects. As the Lord saith, Psal 81.7. Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee, I answered thee in the secret of thunder. This is spoken of Israels deliverance from Egypt, where they cried to the Lord; and he plagued the Egyptians by his thunder; and of their passage thorow the Sea, when Moses cried to the Lord, and he answered his cry in giving passage for his people, and in the secret of his thunder in destroying the Egyptians. Even as David saith also in another Psalme, where elegantly describing that miraculous deliverance through the Sea: The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee, they were afraid, the depths al­so were troubled, the clouds powred out water, the Skies sent out a sound, thine arrows also went abroad: he addeth The voice of thy thunder was in the Heaven, the Light­nings lightned the World, the earth trembled and shooke.

This is that thunder, in the secret whereof the Lord heard the cry of his people, in delivering them, and in discomfiting and destroying their ene­mies. And thus here, the voice of these seven thun­ders is sealed up, and reserved to be interpreted by the voice of the seventh Angell, when these thun­ders shall have their effect upon the Beast in his de­struction. For thus also that which followeth (as before is touched) of the Angels Swearing, that time should be no more, is to be fulfilled under the Se­venth Trumpet, when also the Mystery of God shall be finished, when all Prophecies shall be ac­complished, and in the end of the World, all [Page 15] time shall be swallowed up of Eternity, as before. Which by the way noteth unto us, that the Seventh Trumpet shall continue sounding, and the seventh Viall powring forth, untill the end of time.

Shall time then have an end? certainly. Here then a question may bee moved, what shall be­come of the Sun and Moone, and Starrs, whose motion is measured out by time, and which distin­guisheth the Gen. 1.14. times and seasons, days, months and yeeres of this inferiour world? For answere where­unto in brief, because the question is full of curio­sitie, whether those glorious creatures shall cease to be, or their motion shall cease, as whereof there seemes to be no more use, I find not clearly re­vealed: but this I find; There shall be a new 2 Pet. 3.10, 12. heaven, and a new earth, when the heavens being on fire shall bee dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heate, and the earth also, and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up. But how this shall be, or in what parti­cular State or forme, it is not revealed. Only this resolution is the best, which Peter gives: Verse 17. Seeing (saith he) all these things shal be dissolved, what manner of persons ought yee to be in all holy conversation, and godli­nesse, looking for, and hastning unto, the comming of the day of God, &c. Verse 13. Neverthelesse (saith he) we, according to his promise, looke for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse.

It followeth, Verse 8, &c. Here John is com­manded to take the little Book, which was open in the Angels hand, who takes it, and eats it up, which becomes sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his belly: and thereupon he is bid to prophecie before many people, and Nations, and Tongues, and Kings. And this is the [Page 16] summe of the foure last Verses of this Chapter. It is cleer, that this little Book signifieth, or containeth those prophecies, which John, and in him Christs Ministers under this Trumpet (called his witnesses in the eleventh Chapter) were to publish to the World. For upon the receiving of the Book, hee is bid to prophecie. This place alludes to that in E­zechiel, Chap. 2.9, 10. and Chap. 3.1, 2, 3. where the Prophet beholds an hand sent unto him, and a rowle of a book therein, which was spread before him with­in and without, and there was written therein Lamentations, and mourning, and wo: and hee was bid to eate this rowle, and to go and speake unto the house of Israel: which hee eating, found it in his mouth sweet as honey. A just parallell to this little booke here, all circumstances compared toge­ther. So as this little booke containeth for the matter of it, those judgements of God, which Iohn was to denounce in his prophesying to fall upon the Beast, and his Kingdome. The sweetnesse of it in his mouth, argues the Esay 39.8. goodnesse of Gods Word, even when it denounceth judgements for sinne; whereupon if men bee brought to repent, it is sweet as honey in the mouth: but if they heare, and doe not repent, it goes downe into the belly, and the effects thereof prove bitternesse in the end. The Apostle saith that Gods Word is the 2 Cor. 2.15. sweet savour of God in them that are saved, and in them that perish. Againe, this sweetnesse in the mouth of John, and bitternesse in his belly, shewes, that Gods message should be sweete to his Mini­nisters, in receiving it, and delivering it with their mouth, although in the issue it prove bitter unto [Page 17] them, as being the cause and occasion of much trouble and persecution, which they suffer of the World; such as befell the Prophets and Apostles, and Ministers of Christ in all succeding ages; and as we shall see more particularly in the next Chap­ter, to which we now come.

Chap. 11.1. &c. And there was given me a reed like unto a rod, and the Angel stood, Saying, Rise and mea­sure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worship therein: But the Court which is without the Tem­ple, leave out, and measure it not: for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy Citie shall they tread underfoot for­tie and two moneths. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesie a thowsand, two hundred, and threescore days, clothed in Sackcloth, &c.

Still we are to rememb r (as before is noted) that wee are yet within the compasse of the sixt Trum­pet. So as what is here laid downe, untill we come to the Seventh Trumpet, Verse 15. must bee inter­preted, as appertaining to the sixt Trumpet. With­in this Sixt Trumpet then all this is done. John here represents (as I said those faithfull Ministers, or witnesses of Christ, here mentioned, who living under this sixt Trumpet, must rise, and take the reed, and measure the Temple and the Altar, but must not measure the Court without the Temple, but leave it out. First, they m [...]st rise, that is, begin to bestir themselves in their Ministery. And where­in must they exercise themselves? In measuring the Temple, and the Altar, with the reed in the An­gells hand. This alludes to that measuring Reede which Ezechiell saw in a vision, wherewith he mea­sured the Temple &c. as Chapter 40. and 41. &c. [Page 18] Now by the Temple here is meant the true Church of Christ, as is cleer by many places, as 1 Cor. 3.16.17. 2. Cor. 6.16. Eph. 2.21. And in many places of this booke of the Revelation, Temple is taken for the Church of Christ: as Chap. 15.5.6. and in the 19 verse of this Chapter, and else­where. And by the reede in the Angells hand to measure withall, is meant the straight rule of Gods word, by which alone the true Church of Christ being measured, is thereby known and distingui­shed from all false and pretended Churches. And that John, Christs Minister is bid to rise, and thus to measure Gods Temple, his Church, doth plain­ly argue, that in the time of this Trumpet the Mi­nisters of Antichrist shall arise, and make a loud claim to the title of the Temple, as pertaining pro­perly to them, and to none other. Among many other, take one famous instance. What a notorious booke is published of late by the Prelate of Canter­bury? wherein he sweats and labours to prove, that the only true Catholike Church of Christ over the world is made up of the many Prelaticall Chur­ches, as the proper members of the body; so as he makes the Church of England and of Rome to be all one Church; and finally shuts out all reformed Protestant Churches, that have no Prelates, as no true Churches of Christ. And because his single word (which is his best and only argument) may the better passe without controule, hee goes about tooth and naile to cry downe the sufficiencie of the Scriptures, as being an imperfect rule of it selfe to measure the Church by. And this his Booke he hath beene so bold, as to dedicate to the King, [Page 19] and makes it the faith of his Church of England, as professing one Faith and Religion with Rome. Is it not high time then for some John, or other faithful Ministers of Christ, to rise, and take the measuring Reed in his hand, Gods Word, and therewith ex­actly measure the Temple of God, Christs Church, that it may be distinguished and differenced from all false pretended Churches, and in especiall from the Antichristian Hierarchie, the prelaticall Catho­like Church (as the In his last reprinted Conference Epist. Dedic. p. 16. and else­where in his Book. Prelate cals his Church) in which Catholike, his Church of England, and of Rome are both one and the same Church; No doubt of that? They be the Prelats owne words. So as when the Prelate was so Zealous to bring Scotland to a conformitie with England, and when the Scots read in his Book Englands conformi­tie with Rome, as to be one Church, and to pro­fesse one Faith and Religion with Rome: might not this (trow you) startle and move the Scots to expell and repell, to thrust out and keepe out at the Speares point this Conformity? And so might not the Prelates false Hierarchicall Catholike Church, (excluding all Protestant Reformed Chur­ches from being any true Churches of Christ) just­ly incense the Zealous hearts of Scotland, seeing Christ thus to be dishonoured, and thrust out of his Throne, and Antichrists Prelates to be so mounted aloft, to cast out such usurping Lords, that so none but Christ, according to his Word, and the Lords Anointed, according to his just Laws, might rule over them? Thus we see how necessary this mea­suring of the Temple is under this sixt Trumpet, and what a cleere note it is of the time, wherein this sixt Trumpet is sounded. So as we may boldly say, [Page 20] upon such cleere evidence, that now is the time of the sixt Trumpet, when there is such need of mea­suring the Temple with the Reed, thereby to know and vindicate, and separate Christs true Church, from all counterfeit and Antichristian Churches, that at this time doe so boast themselves for the on­ly true Catholike Church of Christ. As (in Chry­sostome) the uncertaine Authour upon Matthew, Chap. 24. hath observed. Let them which are in Iudea, flee to the Mountains: that is, saith hee, let all true Christians flie to the Scriptures: for in the time of Anti­christ, it will bee impossible to know the true Church from the false, but only by the Scriptures. So hee. But the said Prelate of Canterburie rejects the Scripture from being a sufficient and perfect measuring Reed of the Temple: and good reason, because on the one side, the Prelate makes the Hie­rarchie to be of the very essence of the Catholike Church: and on the other side, the Scripture no where approveth of Prelacie, or of Diocesan Lord Bishops, it knows none such: yea, and both Matth. 20. 1 Pet. 5. 3 Iohn 9.10. Christ forbade it to his Apostles, and they after­wards never practised it themselves, but expresly condemned it in all; as in the Reply to the Prelates Relation, the Author hath cleerly proved.

Come wee now to the measuring of the Altar. As the Temple, and Tabernacle under the Law, had their just measures and Dimensions prescribed of God: so also the Leviticall Altar. Now under the Law there was but one Altar, one for burnt offe­rings, and one for incense: both these, as one, were types and figures of Christ, the true and only Altar under the Gospell. For as the Altar under the Law did Sanctifie every guift and offering upon it (as [Page 21] Exod. 29.37. and Mat. 23.19.) so Christ is to us that only Altar, on which wee offering our selves and our Spiritual Sacrifices, both are Sanctified and accepted of God. This is that Altar (Heb. 13.10.) of which the Apostle saith, We have an Altar, where­of they have no right to eate, which serve the Tabernacle. That this Altar is Christ, and only Christ, is cleer, because He being come, who is the true Altar, the typicall altar must altogether cease. Otherwise those who still served the Tabernacle, might have had right to eate of our Altar, could the Type and the Truth have consisted together. And the Apo­stle expresly applyes this Altar, which wee Chri­stians have, to Christ, as Verse 11, 12, 13, 15. where he showes the proper use of this Altar in sanctifying our offerings, concluding and saying, By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God, continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. By him, that is, by Christ, our Altar, in his Name, we must offer up all our Sacrifices, that so they may be Sanctified, and accepted of God. This is so cleere, that no sober Divine, that understands any thing at all, can deny. So as the measuring of the Altar here, is (as the measuring of the Temple, whereof wee have spoken before) the vindicating of Christ to be the true and only Altar of true Chri­stians. And this is a dutie enjoyned all faithfull Mi­nisters, and especially under this Sixt Trumpet, in these our very times, wherein we have seen such fu­rious Romish Zeale in hoysing up of Altars every where, and boldly maintaining both in Doct. Pock in his Altare l. Christianum. Rather Dam [...] ­scenum. Books and Sermons, the necessary use of such their devised Altars of wood and stone, as without which God [Page 22] cannot be served, nor their Sacrifices sanctified: wheras these their Altars, with al their Altar-service & worship of mās devising, are not only derogatory from Christ the only true Altar, but also a flat de­niall of Christ, and a very Masse of all Heathenish impietie, and atheisticall infidelitie, and Antichri­stian apostacie. For that multitude of wooden and stone altars, which our Prelates do erect in all their Churches, are taken rather from the Heathen, as King 2 Kings 16. Ahaz and his Priest framed their Altar according to the pattern of that at Damascus, or from Rome, which took them from the Heathen, or from the Iews, but if they say they take them from the Jewes, (as they doe many other of their Rites) then they very much forget them­selves, and that in two mayne points: first, because the Church of the Iewes had but 2 Chro. 32.12 one altar for Incense, and Sacrifice, and that was at Ie­rusalem, they might not set up Altars in any other place, so as in their seventy yeeres captivitie in Ba­bylon they had no altar there: and at this day, the Temple and Altar at Ierusalem being demolished, they have no Altar, as no Sacrifice, or Incense. So as no Jerusalem, and no Temple there, no Altar now of wood, or stone, or any other matter or mettle is to be set up in the worship of God. But the Romanists, with all their Prelats, and Priests, doe set up in their Temples, not only one, but infinite numbers of Altars; according to that which the Prophet saith, of revolted Israell, Hos. 8.11. Because Israell hath made many Altars to sin, Altars shall be unto him to sin. And According to the multitude of his fruit, he hath increa­sed the Altars. And if they object, and say, Israell [Page 23] built Altars to other Gods: I answere, so they did, & to the true God too, as they pretēded, as at Bethel and Dan. But all these their Altars were alike abo­minable to God, and for which he utterly cast them out. And indeed all false Altars, with their service (what ever men pretend to the contrary) are set up, and done to the 2 Chron. 11.15. Devill, who in Ierobohams calves, and on those Altars was worshiped. And such Altars, such service as men have devised, are not done to God, he utterly abhors them. Such are all Popish Altars, and Altar-Service.

Secondly, as these Altar-worshipers transgresse in the multitude of their Altars: so also in the measure of them, they doe not observe that due proportion prescribed in Gods Law, but some are bigger, some lesser, some longer, some shorter, some higher, some lower, as pleaseth mans fancie. And therefore these their Altars are in no respect con­formable to Gods law, but they are meere heathe­nish Damascen Altars, either of mans, or of the Devills devising, chuse which they will.

Now such Altars, with all their pompous ser­vice, being in these our dayes, so outragiously cry­ed up in all prelaticall Churches, not only in dis­honour, but desperate defiance of Christ, the on­ly true Altar of all true Christians: and whereas under this Sixt Trumpet Christ gives such a charge to his servant John, and so to all his faithfull Mi­nisters of the Gospell, to take the Reed that is in his hand, his holy word, and therewith to take a just measure, as of the Temple, his Church, that all may know and distinguish it from Antichrists false Church; so of the Altar, which is himselfe, [Page 24] that all may know wee Christians have no other Altar, whereon to offer our Spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God, but only Christ, all other altars, being false and counterfeit, heathenish and Idola­trous, and a service done to the Devill, and not to God, as being altogether and directly contrary to his Word, and a flat deniall of Christ the true and only Altar: hence we may safely conclude, that this is the very time of the sixt Trumpet, wherein wee now live. How ought the true Ministers of Christ then in these our dayes to bestir themselves, and fall a measuring the true Temple and Altar, and that with no other Reed, but that in Christs hand, and with no other Rule, but his owne word, that so his people (being truly and thorowly informed which is the true Church of Christ, and which the false and Antichristian Church, which the Prelats place in their Hierarchie; and which is the true and only Altar, whereon to offer all their Sacrifices, that they may be sanctified and accepted of God, namely Jesus Christ, and that therefore all other Altars, and Altar-Service devised by man, are abo­minable in Gods sight) may have no more com­munion with such Altars, and such Altar-Service, then with Antichrist, whose Altars and Service they be? Otherwise, such as communicate with them cannot be called the people of God, but are indeed the members of Antichrist. For, as the Apo­stle saith, 2 Cor 6 14, 15, 16. What fellowship hath righteousnesse with un­righteousnesse? And what communion hath light with darknesse? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath hee that believeth with an infidell? And what agreement hath the Temple of God with I­dols? [Page 25] For yee are the Temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

And so we come to the third thing here to be measured, and that is, Them that worship there­in; that is, those that are true members of Christs true Church, that are 1 Pet. 2.5. Ephes. 2.21, 22. living stones of that living Temple, that are the Ioh. 4.23, 24. true worshipers, which wor­ship God in Spirit and Truth, that worship at no other Altar, but Jesus Christ, praying and praising God in his name. These be they, here, whom, with the Temple, and the Altar, John, and the Ministers of Christ, and more especially under this Sixt Trumpet, are to measure with the same Reede, So as the true people of God may be known and distinguished from those that be false and coun­terfeit professors, false and counterfeit Christians. For under this Trumpet, how many thousands (I speak not of those in the profest Popish Churches, but) even in the Church of England, where the Go­spel hath been a long time imbraced, preached, and professed, do Though now since this Treatise was written, we see (blessed be God) by a late Order from the ho­nourable House of Com­mons, the Al­tars to be dis­mounted. communicate with Altars, and with the Superstitious and Idolatrous worship and ser­vice thereunto appertaining according to humane Ordinances and Inventions: and yet would passe in the ranke of good Christians and Protestants, who if they knew what it were to worship at Al­tars, they would abhorre all such Service? How ought Ministers therefore in these times to take the just measure of those that be true Christians, by teaching the people out of Gods Word what a true Christian is, and wherein hee must differ from all such false Christians, as communicate with Anti­christ [Page 26] in altar-Service and Worship, which is so rife, and ruffleth so pompously in this our time, whereby it appeareth plainly, that now the sixt Trumpet is a sounding? But perhaps Ministers will plead for themselves, that if they shall so doe, they must necessarily undergoe great persecutions, and suffer at least the losse of their Livings, and perhaps of their liberty too, and of their bloud, and members of their bodie, and of all they have, as some others have lately done. If this they stand upon, and so for feare forbeare to doe their dutie: they may then sit them downe, confessing they are no faithfull Ministers of Christ, as Iohn here was for obeying the command of Jesus Christ. Much lesse will such ever prove such witnesses, as by and by are mentioned in this Chapter, who, forbearing testi­mony to the truth, are willing to lay downe their precious lives. But of this in its proper place.

Ʋerse 2.It followeth: But the Court, which is without the Temple, leave out, and measure it not: for it is given un­to the Gentiles, and the holy Citie shall they tread under foot forty and two moneths. This Court without the Temple alludes to that utmost large court, which was without the Temple in Jerusalem, where all the common Jews assembled, as also those of other Na­tions. And this court without the Temple here, by a Metonymie, taking the continent for the thing contained, may signifie the company of those in ge­nerall, that professe to be Christians, but yet are in­deed and in truth no true members of the true Church, they are not of and in the Temple, but they are out of the Temple. And therefore that which is translated in our English, Leave out, is in the [Page 27] Originall [...], Cast out, as also the E [...]jce forat. Latine, and the jette hors. French rightly render it. This is, as the Lord saith to Ieremie, Ier. 15.19. If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth. So here, Iohn ha­ving measured the true people of God, such as wor­ship him according to his Word: is bid here to cast out the refuse, such as do not worship God in purity and verity, such as worship not in his Temple, and at his Altar, to wit, in Christs only Name; who though they beare the common name of Christi­ans, yet they are not within the Temple, but with­out, in the common-outer court, which here is cast out, and not to be reckoned to bee of the Temple. And this court Iohn must not measure: it sufficeth, that having measured the true worshippers, by de­scribing their true properties out of Gods Word: it followeth consequently, that all those, which are fals worshippers, are those of the court without the Temple, & so to be cast out, (as Gen. 21.10. Gal. 4.30. the bond woman and her sonne were cast out of Abrahams house) and not to be measured, nor nūbred with Gods people.

And it is added here, For it is given unto the Gen­tiles: that is, they of this court are to be reckoned among the Gentiles, and to bee accounted as Hea­then, and Infidels. For the purpose: what are all Papists, and all other altar-worshippers, and bring­ers in, and setters up, and Conformists to strange Service invented by men, but Heathen and Infi­dels? For as we said before, the very setting up of an Altar, and Altar-Service, is a flat deniall of Christ the only true Altar, and so is meere Hea­thenisme and Infidelitie. Or else by the Gentiles here is understood the antichristian Kingdome, or [Page 28] the spirituall Babylon, under which the formall Pro­testants and cold professours of this age, under the sixt Trumpet, shall be brought in bondage, as back-sliding Israel of old was given into the hands of the King of Babylon. For these back-sliders and For­malists, are those of the outer court, that is cast out, and the Spirituall Babylon is properly so called, for her Heathenish and Babylonish manners, (as Psal. 59.5.8. David calls Saul and his bloudy persecutors, Heathen: and Esay 1.10. the Prophet calls the de­generate Princes and people of Israel, Princes of Sodome, and people of Gomorrha, as being in man­ners like unto them) especially her manifold Idola­tries, wherein she resembleth old Babylon, as shee is set out, Chap. 17. And how truly is this verified of our cold, or rather luke-warme Laodiceans in Eng­land at this day? Is not all England in generall, and for the greatest part, brought under the Babylonish yoke in her universall conformitie to Popery in set­ting up of Altars and Altar-service, after the man­ner of Rome? Are not all the Ministers and People therein (I say for the most part) made the Prelates vassals, who have of late, more then formerly, set up the Image of the Beast, and his Throne, almost in all the Churches, and over all the Congregations of England? What Minister almost is there at this day, dare stand against the Antichristian Tyranny, now so highly exalted over all mens consciences? Are they not then brought under the Babylonish Captivitie? Are they not given to the Gentiles, into the power of the Spirituall Babylon, a farre worse and more intolerable bondage, then that of the an­cient people of God, either in Egypt, or Babylon? For [Page 29] that was a bondage of the body: but this of the Soule and Conscience. And thus this very phrase, [It is given to the Gentiles] alludes to the like speeches in the Prophets, concerning revolted and degene­rate Jerusalem, whereof it is said very frequently in Ier. 32.24, 25 28. Jeremy, that the Citie is given into the hands of the Caldaeans, or Babylonians. So here the Court without the Temple is cast out, and given to the Gentiles, that is (as is said before) to the Kingdome and power of the Babylonian Beast, which succeeds old Babylon in all her Idolatries, and bestiall cruel­tie, in captiving of Gods people.

And it is added here, And the holie Citie shall they tread under foot two and forty months. This holy Ci­ty here alludes to the old City Hierusalem, as the Gentiles here allude to old Babylon, which did tread under feete that holy City 70. yeeres. But what is meant here by this holy City? This holy City is the true church of God, called the Psal. 46.4. city of God, and the 1 Kin. 11.32. elect City, and the Rev. 20.9. beloved city, and a­gaine ( Revell. 22.19.) the holy city, and the Heb. 12.22. City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. This ho­ly City, this Church of God shal the Gentiles, to wit, the Spirituall Babylon, (called the Beast out of the bottomlesse pit, Verse 7.) tread under foote, that is, shall exceedingly oppresse and afflict, making ha­vock of the Saints of God, the citizens of this ho­ly city, making no more account of them, then of dirt and mire in the Streets; yea they shall defile and destroy the holy assemblies of the Saints, by corrupting the pure worship and service of God, and crying downe all holinesse, both of life and conversation, and Sanctification of the Sabbath or [Page 30] Lords day, in the publike assemblies, and private families, forbidding preaching of the doctrine of Grace, and restraining Sermons on the Lords day in the Afternoone, and persecuting all Godly, pow­erfull, and painfull Ministers, and giving publike dispensation to youth and others for following of profane sports on the Lords holy-day, to wit, his own day, & many such like outrages they do. Thus they trample upon the holy city, as labouring to destroy, and bring into contempt, as it were by set­ting their foule foot upon all holinesse. Like those wicked and false Shepherds in Ezechiel, Ezech. 34.18, 19. that devoure the good pasture, and tread the residue under their feet; that drinke of the deepe waters, and foule the resi­due with their feete, so as the flock of God must eate and drink that, which their filthy feete have trod­den upon, and fouled. Note here good Reader, that the Au­thor writ this before this time of Re­formation hap­pily in part begun and hopefully ex­pected unto a perfection. Now when was ever the holy City, the true Church of God, in all these res­pects, more trodden upon with the feete of false shepherds? when was all holinesse ever more ha­ted & despised, & railed upon & reviled, & persecu­ted, & oppressed, & trampled upon, then now in our time? that we neede not doubt, but that this is the time of the Sixt Trumpet, under which wee now live. How are the godly and painfull Ministers of God in England misused, their mouths stopped, their wives, children, and families dispossessed, and cast out of their habitations, all holy and true professors among the People, vexed, wearied, and even worri­ed by the Pursivants, and courts of Prelates? so as they are forced many of them to forsake their hou­ses, and sweete native country, to go seeke for re­fuge among wild beasts, and wilde Salvages, and [Page 31] wilde deserts, Heb. 11.37, 38. wandring up and down (as the Apostle speakes) in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth, of whome the world is not worthy, &c. Thus is not the holy City trodden under foote of these Gentiles, yea, worse then the old Gentiles, the Ba­bylonian Beast, and his broode, having lost all hu­manity, and all the properties of reasonable men, like Dan. 4. Nabuchadnezzar, when he grazed among the beasts of the field: when nothing will satisfie them, but the utter desolation and extirpation of the Saints of God, and of all holinesse? What neede then have Gods people to cry, and pray with Da­vid, Psal. 83.1, 2, 3, 4. Keepe not thou silence, o God, hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For loe, thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee have lift up the head. They have ta­ken crafty counsell against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, come, let us cut them off from being a Nation, that the name of Israell may bee no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent, they are confederate against Thee. But do thou unto them as unto the Madianites, as to Sisera, &c. as it followeth to the end of the Psalme. Let them be confounded, and troubled for ever: let them be put to shame and perish: that men may know, that thou, whose name alone it Jehovah, art the most high over al the earth.

But Psal. 94.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. how long shall these wicked thus triumph? How long shall they utter, and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquitie boast themselves? How long shall they breake in pieces thy people, O Lord: and affl [...]ct thine heritage? How long shall they slay the Wi­dow and the stranger, and murther the fatherlesse? How long shall these Atheists say, The Lord shal not see, nei­ther shal the God of Jacob regard it? How long shall [Page 32] these Gentiles thus tread under foot the holy Citie of our God? It is said here, Two and forty moneths. Surely, as the words doe sound, no very long time. Two and forty moneths make up three yeers and a halfe, and not much more then those thousand, two hun­dred, and threescore days, in the next Verse. Now whether these forty two moneths be taken literally and strictly, or whether they signifie some longer or shorter time is uncertain to us: this we may certain­ly build upon, that the time of Antichrists afflicting of Gods Church, under this Trumpet, shall not be long. But this number of forty and two moneths being so precisely laid downe, as containing three yeeres and a halfe, we may be the bolder to take it literally for this space of time. Nor is it unusuall in Scripture so to number, according to the strict let­ter thereof; as of Israels affliction in Egypt, from A­brahams calling, just foure hundred and thirtie yeeres: and the Jews Captivitie in Babylon just se­venty yeeres. And in Daniel, Dan. 7.25. A time, times, and halfe, or part of a time, is taken for three yeers, and part of the fourth, wherein that proud King Antio­chus (who was a type of Antichrist) should and did afflict the people of God. A time, or times, being interpreted by Daniel himselfe, to bee so many Dan. 4.16. & 11.13. yeers. The like phrase whereunto wee have Re­vel. 12.14. that the Church should be persecuted of the Dragon a time, times, and halfe a time. Which is to bee interpreted, according to those times in Daniel, three yeers and a halfe. And here­upon it is, that the Jesuits, as Bellarmine, and others, stand so stiffe, that Antichrists Reigne shall con­tinue but three yeeres and a halfe, by which they [Page 33] think to excuse the Pope from being Antichrist. But it will not serve their turn. For we easily grant, that three yeers and a halfe, being the summe of fortie and two moneths, is that space of time, wherein the Beast out of the bottomlesse pit, that Antichrist, shall afflict Gods Church under this sixt Trumpet. And so likewise this space of time doth answer that time, times, and part of time, wherein Antiochus the type of Antichrist, afflicted the ancient people of God, which was a good part of three yeeres and a halfe, as Tremelius well sheweth in his notes upon Daniel. And if we consider the practices of Antio­chus in that time, and compare them with Anti­christs practices in this sixt Trumpet, we shall find a marvellous correspondence between them. Now of Antiochus, Daniel saith, Dan 7.25. He shall speak great words against the most High, and shal weare out the Saints of the most High, and think to change times and Laws: and they shall be given into his hand, untill a time, and times, and the dividing of time. Whereupon Tremellius notes, that this Antiochus was most blasphemous against God, and a most cruell Tyrant over Gods people; in so much as he took upon him, and did arrogate unto himselfe divine authoritie in abolishing the Sabbaths, and other Laws of God, and did insti­tute and impose new Laws and Ceremonies accor­ding to his owne humour and pleasure. Now what doth Antichrist, and his Limbes the Prelates, in these our days? Doe they not most proudly See the Pre­late of Can­terbury his last Book through­out, toge [...]her wi [...]h all his practices. arro­gate to themselves divine authoritie, and impiously blaspheme God and Christ, in saying, Christ thought it fittest to appoint them as his Viceroys in governing his Church? Doe they not hereupon [Page 34] beare themselves as so many gods, sitting in Christs throne, imposing their owne devices, Ceremonies, Canons, upon the consciences of Gods people? Doe they not vilifie the holy Scripture, as an in­sufficient and imperfect Rule of Faith, and preferre the Tradition of their prelaticall Church before it? Doe they not abrogate the moralitie of the fourth Commandement, as not binding us Christians to keep the Lords day for our Sabbath day? Do they not dispense with the profanation of it by most li­centious and lascivious Sports and Pastimes to all youth and others, thereby also dispensing with the fifth Commandement, when Masters may not re­strain their own Servants, nor Parents their Chil­dren from their laudable Sports (as they call them) that day? Doe they not forbid Ministers to preach twice on that day? Doe they not altogether forbid sound preaching of the doctrines of Grace? And do they not Dan. 7.25. weare out (and to use their own Phrase) worme out godly Ministers, and good people, and make havock of all holinesse (as is noted before) and commit all manner of out-rage and crueltie upon the Servants of God? And this their ex­tream out-rage and crueltie hath continued now very neer three yeers and a halfe, or fortie and two moneths, I say the extremitie of it, Heb. 12.4. as when they fall to shed bloud, &c. though they have been play­ing their pranks, and laying their plots a long time, but more covertly and insensibly, till of later days, the flame of their Antichristian outrage hath broke out, ready to set all in a combustion. But I trust to see the expiration of these two and forty moneths to run out very shortly. And were there not such a [Page 35] time here limited, yet such hath beene the fury of these men, like a hideous storme, or impetuous tor­rent, that it cannot be conceived it should last any long time, but quickly run it selfe dry, or out of breath. And God being so desperatly and Giantlike provoked, it cannot stand with his patience, nor with his honour, to suffer long such affronts. And he hath promised to Luke 18.8. avenge the cause of his Elect quickly. And therefore certainly it will not bee long, before he Esay 59.1 [...]. repay fury to his adversaries; and the rather at this time, when the Lord sees things so desperate, that there is no man to stand in the gap, no intercessor; but that truth faileth, and he that departeth from evill, maketh himselfe a prey; and there is no judge­ment (as the Prophet there speaks) therefore his own arme shall bring salvation, when hee shall put on righte­ousnesse as a brest-plate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head, and the garments of vengeance for clothing, and Zeale as a Cloake. Thus Heb. 10.37, 38. he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith.

It followeth, Verse 3. Verse 3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesie a thousand, two hundred, and threescore dayes, clothed in sackcloth. Here it is to be noted, that during all the hardship of Gods people under this sixt Trumpet, wherein the holy Citie, Christs true Church, is trodden under foot by the Spirituall Babylon, or by the Beast out of the bottomlesse pit, yet God will not want his wit­nesses to prophesie, and testifie his truth even a­gainst the most cruell and bloudy persecutors ther­of. And hee will have at the least two witnesses, by whose testimony Math. 18.16. every word shall be established. Nor can it be expected, that in such a terrible time, Amos 5.13. an [Page 36] evill time, wherein the prudent do keep silence, there should be many witnesses to be found. But that there should be some, at the least two, God will raise them up, Christ will give them power. I will give (saith he) power, to my two witnesses. To doe what? To prophecie, that is, to preach the truth, to witnesse it against all opposition, to denounce judgements against the Adversaries, and to comfort Gods peo­ple with his promises. As the Prophet Micah, saith, Mic. 3.8, 9. &c. Truly I am ful of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgement, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sinne. Heare this, I pray you, yee Heads of the house of Jacob, and Princes of the house of Israel, that abhorre judgement, and pervert all equitie. They build up Sion with bloud, and Jerusalem with iniquitie. The Heads thereof judge for reward, and the Priests thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets therof divine for mony: yet wil they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us. Therefore shal Sion for your sake be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shal become heaps, and the Mountaine of the house, as the high places of the forest. Thus the Pro­phet. Now who is hee that would stand up for a witnesse against wicked Prelates, Priests, and Pro­phets, against wicked Princes and Rulers, against wicked Heads and Judges in a forlorne time, as here the Prophet did, except the Lord had first filled him with power, judgement, and might by the Spirit of God? Therefore saith the Lord to Jeremie, when he complained, saying, Ier. 15 10. Woe is mee, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife, and a man of contenti­on to the whole earth, &c. Verse 18. Why is my paine perpetuall, and my wound incurable, &c? Verse 19.20. Therefore, saith the [Page 37] Lord, If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: Let them returne unto thee, but re­turne thou not unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wal, and they shall fight against thee, but they shal not prevaile against thee: for I am with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And I wil deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I wil re­deeme thee out of the hand of the terrible. And Esay saith, The Lord spake thus to me, with a strong hand, and instructed me, that I should not walk in the way of this peo­ple, nor to make a confederacie with them. Thus there. And thus here the Lord gives power to his two wit­nesses to prophesie, and beare testimony against the wicked and terrible enemies of his Church here under the Sixt Trumpet.

In the next place is set down the time how long these two witnesses shall prophesie, and that is, a thousand, two hundred, and threescore days. And this answeres to the forty and two moneths of Anti­christs oppressing of gods people, which is three yeeres and a halfe. For a thousand, two hundred, and threescore dayes, make up (within one weeke) just three yeers and a halfe. So as their prophecy continueth during the great affliction of Gods Peo­ple under this Sixt Trumpet. Whence we may note, here, God never leaves his people in affliction without comfort, nor his truth without testimony, nor his adversaries without conviction, but he sends his witnesses to prophesie evē in most forlorn times.

Then follows here the estate and condition of these two witnesses, expressed by their outward ha­bit, they are cloathed in sackcloth; sutable to Elias, and Iohn Baptist. And sutable to their habit was [Page 38] their prophecying, preaching repentance, and remis­sion of sins to the penitent, and believers, and de­nouncing judgments to the obstinate. And as was their habit, such were their affections, men crucified to the World, forsaking all, and accounting all things to be losse, and betaking themselves to their Sackcloth. It was no time now, as the Lord saith to Ieremie, Jer. 4.5.5. to seeke great things to themselves.

It followeth, Verse 4. Verse 4. These are the two Olive-trees, and the two Candlesticks, standing before the God of the Earth. In these words is couched a great myste­ry, and a great worke signified, which the Lord is about to doe in the time of this Sixt Trumpet. For the finding out whereof, we are to compare these words with that prophecie which we finde written in the fourth Chapter of Zechariah, where (Ver. 1.) the prophet is by the angell awaked as out of sleep. Which noteth a stirring up of the Prophet to great attention to what was now in a vision shewed un­to him, as being a matter of great moment, and di­ligently to bee marked. In the vision the prophet Saw a golden Candelstick with Seven Lamps, and on each side thereof two Olive trees. This vision came in the time when the Temple at Hierusalem was a re­paring by Zerubbabell, and it was by the word of the Lord to signify unto him (as V. 6.) Saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. This was to comfort and incourage Zerubbabel in the work (as also Verse 9.) which the enemies of Gods people did so much deride and mock at, as a worke which could never be finished; as we read, Nehem. 4.2, 3. Where Sanballat spake to [Page 39] his brethren, and the army of Samaria, having great indignation, and mocking the Jews, said, What do these feeble Iews? Wil they fortifie themselves? Wil they sacrifise? Wil they make an end in a day? Wil they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burnt? And Tobiah the Ammonite said, Even that which they build, if a Fox go up, he shal evē break down their stone wal. Now against all this the Lord incourageth Zerubbabel and his people by this Vision of the Candlesticks, and two Olive-trees shewed to the Prophet, whereof the Lord himselfe is the Authour, and not man. There­fore, he saith, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. That like as the Spirit of the Lord shewed this Vision to his Prophet, wherein is shadowed out the indeficient and never fayling Kingdome of Jesus Christ, who is the fountain of grace, and the good Ro. 11.17, 24 Olive-tree, which runneth and floweth forth with Oile continually to supply his Revel. 1. golden Candlesticks, his Ministers and Prophets, by the light of whose Prophecie (as the Temple was founded and finished by the Pro­phecie of haggai and Zechariah the Prophets of the Lord at that time: so) the Church of Christ, in all ages shall be built up, repaired, and in fine fully fi­nished. But in speciall this worke, this great worke of repayring the Temple, and restoring true Reli­gion unto its primitive purity, is to be accomplished under this sixt Trumpet, wherein the Lord hath his two witnesses (answerable to those two Prophets, Haggai, and Zechariah, by whose Prophecie the an­cient Temple, the figure of the Church under the Gospel, was repaired) by the power of whose pro­phecie, through the Grace and Spirit of Christ, [Page 40] his true Church and Religion shall bee repaired, maugre all the malice of Sanballat, and Tobiah, with their Samaritan Army, to withstand the building, and notwithstanding all the scorne and mockerie, power and policie of Antichrist, and his nimble Foxes, that thinke by their treading upon the wall to overthrow it. This work (I say) is to be perfor­med, and is now already begun to be acted under this Sixt Trumpet. And therefore, hath the Spirit of Christ in this place compared his two witnesses, and their prophecie, unto two golden Candlesticks, and two Olive-trees that stand before Zech. 4.14. the Lord of the whole Earth, as it is said in Zechariah: as it were pointing us with the finger to that whole visi­on of the Prophet, setting forth the perfect repara­tion of that Temple; to the end wee might be out of all doubt that the Lord, under this Trumpet, is about the like great work of reparation, and restau­ration of his Church and Religion, which shall prosper and be accomplished not by might, nor by power of men, but by the Spirit of the Lord in the mouth of his two witnesses, and by the word of their prophe­cie, crying (as in Zechariah) Zech. 4 7. Grace, grace unto it. And for our further confirmation in the truth hereof, have wee not a cleere and evident demon­stration of it in that admirable worke of Reforma­tion of the Kirke of Scotland at this day, whereof we are all eye-witnesses? And was this done by might and power of man? No. They indeed (as Neh. 4 17, 18 those Jewish builders and repayrers, as aforesaid) began to build, working with the one hand, & with the other holding a weapon, or having their sword at their side, to defend themselves against the Anti­christian [Page 41] yoke of the Herarchie, as against Sanballets and Tobiahs; and chiefly to vindicate the honour, crown, throne, Scepter, and Kingdome of Jesus Christ over his people from Antichrists proud and impious usurpations, which all Christian Princes and people are bound to doe: as also they had their Prophets, with publike fasting & prayer (such as the Jews also used at the repairing of the Tēple) where­by they so prospered, and God gave them such fa­vour in the eies of their Sovereign, that they altoge­ther laid aside their weapons, and so not by might, nor by power, but by the Grace of God, that great work (not­withstanding all their adversaries plotting and la­bouring against it) was in some good measure ac­complished, to the everlasting honour and prayse of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and to the renowne of that King, the Lords Anointed, whose heart was moved to become the Lords great Instrument in permitting, and assenting unto so glorious a worke; whereby as Christs Kingdome and Temple is now in a faire way restored and established in that Nation, and freed from Antichrists yoake: So the Kings throne also is established in that Kingdome, and shal be un­to the comming of Jesus Christ, by whom alone Prov. 8.15. Kings do reigne, and Princes decree justice. And as the Lord hath thus begun his great & glorious work of repayring his Temple, and restoring Religion, so evidently represented before our eyes, as in a most cleere Vision, in this sixt Trumpet, as hath beene shewed by comparing this Prophecie with that in Zechariah aforesaid: so certainly the Lord will fi­nish his own worke in other Kingdoms also where both Princes and people are deluded, and brought [Page 42] into (at least) Spirituall bondage under the Anti­christian yoake, which though it be curiously pain­ted and guilded over, and as it were faced and lined with Pharisaicall broad Phylacteries, woven with goodly words, As, The Church, most Reverend Fa­thers, holy Hierarchie, Christs Vice roys, and the like pompous and pretended titles, yet these be but golden chains, and silken cords, purple coloured, wherein to lead captive even Kingdoms and States, to make up the traine of Antichrists triumph.

And here, for a close of this excellent Prophecy in this fourth Verse, give mee leave to relate a true story. My selfe having certaine yeers agone publi­shed in print, and that also by Authority, an An­swer (entitled, The Bayting of the Popes Bull) to a Bull of Pope Vrban the eighth, which passed up and down in England, inciting his Roman Catholikes to stand for the Catholike Cause: and having set in the Frontispiece of the Book, a Picture, represent­ing King Charles, with a sword in his hand, the point whereof was directed so, as it put off the Popes tri­ple Crowne in the other picture over against it re­presenting the Pope, with Verses interpreting the same: and having a young daughter then of three or foure yeeres old at most, to whom I (my wife holding the child in her armes) shewed this picture, interpreting the same unto her: the childe presently thereupon replyed, O Father, Our King shall cut off the Popes head: Jt must be so, Jt must be so. And this so redoubled, she spake with such an extraordinary vigor and vivacitie or quicknesse of spirit, and utterance, as both my selfe and wife were struck with great admiration. Now if a man should have said then, when this was [Page 43] uttered, that such a speech, proceeding so strangely from a child was sure some Prophecie inspired into her by Gods Spirit, of what should after come to passe, would have found but a few to give credit thereunto, but rather would have beene laughed to scorn. Although I presently thereupon said to my wife, surely this in time may prove to be a true Prophecie; God is able to bring it to passe, though never so unlikely. But now that wee see the Hie­rarchie utterly raced and rooted out of the Kingdom of Scotland, and that by King Charles his Royall as­sent, ratifying the same in Parliament: tell mee, what think yee? Was not here a cutting off of the Popes head by the King, as touching his Kingdome of Scotland? For is not the Popes headship upheld in chiefe in the Prelates, and Hierarchie? Might not then the childes speech be a Prophecie, being thus far verified in so great and unexpected a work as this? And if so, why may it not reach to be a like verified in cutting off the Popes head also in England, as it is now in Scotland? Is any thing hard to the Pro. 21.1. Lord, who hath the Kings heart in his hand, as the rivers of waters, turning it whithersoever hee will? But for this we must patiently wait, and incessantly pray, that the Lord will bring to passe his owne counsell, and finish his worke thus begun, and that Antichrists Throne and Kingdome being throwne downe and destroyed, Christ alone may reigne in the hearts and consciences of his people, and the Kings Crowne may ever flourish and shine forth in the beauty of abundance of peace and prosperitie, till time shall be no more. Nay, whither the child prophesied, or no: here we have a most sure word [Page 44] of Prophecie, which tels us what Christ is now a working, namely, the great Reformation of his Church, and Restauration of Religion, which as he hath so gloriously begun to doe in Scotland, so I trust hee will shew the like mercie to England, (though a sinfull Nation) in rooting out those wic­ked limbes of the Beast, by whom Religion, and the whole Land is so of late, more than ever before since Queene Elizabeths dayes, defiled. Yea, wee may be as sure hereof, as wee are sure this is Gods Word, that the Lord will, and that very speedily, so finish this worke now begun, within the com­passe of this sixt Trumpet, as not all the power and policie of Antichrist and his Confederates shall be able either to prevent it, or ever to overthrow it. For Christs Word here must needs bee fulfilled, which saith, These are the two Olive-trees, and the two Candlesticks, which stand before the GOD of the earth: As if hee had said, Even as the vision of the golden Candlestick, and of the two Olive-trees on each side thereof, standing before the Lord of the whole earth, was shewed unto the Prophet Zechariah; to be a word of the Lord to incourage Zerubbabel the Prince, and the people of God in repayring and finishing of the Temple in Jerusalem, then in hand, which the ene­mies of Judah resisted and withstood with all their might and malice, but were not able to frustrate the worke: So I have here purposely named my two witnesses the two Olive-trees, and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth, that it may be the like vision (as it were) to my people living under the sixt Trumpet to encourage them not only to begin, but to proceed to the finishing and perfecting of the worke of Reformation of Religion, and restauration [Page 45] of my spirituall Temple, the Church; and though the ad­versaries be potent, and labour tooth and naile to hinder the worke, and my people are weake: yet know, that it is Zechar 4.7. not by might, or by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. For Esay 46 10. my Counsell shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. And as for thine enemies, O my people, feare them not, but say unto them, Esay 8.10. Take counsell together, and it shall come to naught: Speake the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. And I say to thee, O my people, Behold, Esay 54.16, 17. I have created the Smith, that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an Instrument for his worke, and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee, shall prosper, and every tongue that shal rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousnesse is of me, saith the Lord. And thus much of this Verse.

Now follows Verse 5.6. Verse 5.6. And if any man shal hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devou­reth their enemies: and if any man wil hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the dayes of their prophecie: and have power over waters, to turn them into bloud, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they wil.

In these two Verses is set forth the efficacie of that power, which Christ giveth to his two witnesses in their prophecying. And this power is such, as that of Elias, and that of Moses was. For first, here is an allusion to the power and spirit of Elias, in the fifth Verse, wherein this speech is redou­bled: thus, If any man shal hurt them, fire procee­deth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man wil hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. [Page 46] How is that? 2 King. 1. Elias we know, when the first Cap­tain with his 50 men were sent to fetch him by force to King Ahaziah, saying unto him, Thou man of God, the King hath said, come downe: answered, If I be a man of God, then let fire come downe from heaven and consume thee, and thy fifty. And there came down fire from hea­ven, and consumed him, and his fifty. And the like be­fell the second Captain, and his fifty. Thus fire came out of Elias his mouth, and it consumed or devou­red his enemies. And this was done twice. Accord­ingly, here it is twice repeated, If any man hurt them, &c. Now by fire comming out of their mouth, is not meant literally, that fire proceedeth out of their mouth: but that, as Elias by his word brought fire down from Heaven, wherin his Word took effect: so the judgments, which these two witnesses shall de­nounce against their injurious adversaries, the impla­cable & furious enemies of Gods Church, that will not be brought by the word of their prophecie to repentance, shall as certainly come to passe, and fall upon them to their destruction, as that fire did fall from Heaven upon those men, according to Elias his word. I say, if they repent not. For the third Captaine with his fiftie, we see humbled himselfe, and intreated Elias, so as Elias went with him to the King; but being come, what judgement hee denounced against that wicked idolatrous King, fell upon him also, that hee died of his sicknesse. And in this respect Gods Word in the mouth of his Prophets is compared to a fire; so as he that resists this word, is as the foolish fly, that flappeth against the flaming of the Candle, and so is consumed in the flame. And the like manner of speech the Scri­pture [Page 47] useth elswhere. As Revel. 2.16. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth. And Chap. 19.21. And the rem­nant were slaine with the sword of him that sate upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth. Which is all one with that speech, 2 Thess. 2.8. And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall con­sume with the spirit of his mouth. So wee see what is here meant by the fire, whith proceedeth out of the mouth of these two witnesses; And this word, If any man hurt them, in the originall it is, [...], that is. If any man will doe them injury, or offer them violence against all law and equitie: fire pro­ceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: that is, the word of their prophecie shall bring as certaine destruction upon their injurious enemies, as Elias his word brought fire from Heaven upon those that were sent to take him. And therefore the word is here doubled (as before is noted) for the certainty of it, as was Gen. 41. Pharaohs dream.

Againe, it is said here, These have power to shut heaven, that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie. This also alludes to Elias, whose word of prophe­cie did shut up the heavens, that it rained not for the space of three yeers and a halfe, in the time of A­habs Reigne. So as here again is set forth the power of these two witnesses prophecie, in bringing judge­ments upon the Land, where Gods Word is not re­ceived and entertained in that love and respect as it ought to bee, but that the witnesses, even for no other cause, but the words sake, which they prophesie, are injuriously and violently handled against all Law and justice, yea, and all humanity, [Page 48] in all best iall crueltie. And therefore no marvail, if in the time of their prophecie being thus evill in­treated, manifold judgments in sundry kindes doe fall upon a Land, as the Sword, Famine, Pestilence, or the like. Yea, and if God send extraordinary foule weather in an extreame abundance of a long continued raine, and that against harvest, as we have seen lately this very last Summer in England, so as the harvest suffered much damage thereby: it were good, that they should enquire, and consider what is the cause, that hath so of late provoked God to send forth from Heaven so many tokens of his wrath and indignation, threatning even desolation to the whole Land, if they repent not. Are there no witnesses abroad at this time? Or hath not Eng­land defiled it self with the violent and lawlesse cru­elty of shedding the innocent bloud of some at least of Christs witnesses? If it be so, as England can neither wash her hands from the guilt, nor stop the eares of Heaven from the hideous cry of that inno­cent bloud: no marvail, I say, if England be many wayes plagued. For these witnesses have power to shut Heaven, that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie, as Elias did.

Not only so, But they have also power over wa­ters to turne them to bloud, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they wil. These words have an al­lusion to Moses, as we said before; Who in Egypt had power given him of God with his Rod to turn their waters into bloud, and so smite the Land with manifold plagues. And here seemes to be more couched, then so, in this parallell of these two wit­nesses power, to that of Moses and Aaron. For the [Page 49] words here imply thus much, that as those many Plagues, w ^ch Moses brought upon Egypt by his Rod & word of prophecy, were so many forerunners of the utter desolation of hard-hearted Pharaoh, & his ob­stinate Egyptians, who would not suffer Gods people to go sacrifice to the Lord their God: So those many tokens of Gods wrath, w ^ch have bin powred upon England of late days, for their sore afflicting & oppressing of Gods people by the Prelats and their officers, those Egyptian Taskmasters, & not suffering them to enjoy that freedom & liberty of conscience, which Christ hath by his precious bloud purchased for them, but holding their noses to the Grind-stone (as wee say) and enslaving them to the Egyptian tasks in the ob­servation of those many Popish Ceremonies so ty­rannically imposed and pressed upon them; as also for that most impious crying downe of the Sancti­fication of the Sabbath, and stopping Ministers mouthes for preaching the sincere Word of God, throwing them out of their Ministery, and many such like, worse then Egyptian out-rages, and such as were never done in any Christian State since the Apostles times to this present: those tokens (I say) doe plainly shew, that without speedy repentance, and a thorow reformation of these intolerable ini­quities, God will certainly bring the Taskmasters to desolation, and in the same sea of destruction to the Egyptians will make a way for his peoples liber­tie from that Egyptian bondage, wherein they have been so long, so miserably captived. Nor let it seeme strange, that I match Englands Taskmasters with those of Egypt; for by and by wee shall find a spirituall Egypt, wherof that in England will hardly acquit it selfe from being apart, or party at least, if [Page 50] all circumstances be but well weighed. And so we passe to the Verses following.

Verse 7.Verse 7. And when they shall have finished their te­stimonie, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them, &c.

Here begins a battaile, wherein three circumstan­ces are observable: 1 The time when it begins: 2 The parties, or warriers: and 3 the issue of the battaile. First, for the time, it is, when the two wit­nesses have finished their testimony. Then, and not be­fore. Till then, the Beast hath no power to set upon them. Thus it was with the Captain of our salvation, John 7.8. My time, saith he, is not yet come. And, Verse 30. when his enemies sought to take him, no man laid hands on him, because his houre was not yet come. But when his houre was come, that hee must lay down his life (as John 13.1. and 17.1) and when hereupon his enemies came to take him, Christ saith unto them, Luke 22.53. This is your houre and power of darknesse. Till now, they had no power, till his houre was come. And when upon the Crosse hee came to say, It is finished, then, and not before, hee gave up the ghost. Thus he finished his Testimony before his death. It is said of David, that Acts 13 36. after hee had served his owne Generation by the will of GOD, hee fell asleep. And Paul saith of himself, 2 Tim. 4.6, 7 I am now ready to bee offered, and the time of my depar­ture is at hand. And the reason is added in the next Verse. I have fought a good fight, J have finished my course. Thus when these two witnesses have finished their testimony, the Beast sets upon them, and kils them. And here let me give you a most remarkable instance, wherein God is the more glorified. [Page 51] Which at that very time, when it was done, was observed by some neighbour Ministers in London. Only this I deprecate, that none doe imput [...] unto me any vain humour of glorying, as if I made my selfe one of those witnesses here spoken of, such an honour I assume not to my selfe. Only (I say) I crave leave to relate a truth. It is this. I having been See a nota­ble parallel hereof in Ezech. Chap 3.24, 25, 26. shut up in my owne house, by the Prelates Pursuivants daily and hourely watching for mee at my gates, the space of almost two moneths, in which time, notwithstanding their continuall rap­ping and ringing at my gates, I was a compiling my Book of two Sermons, which I had preached in my Church the fifth of November then last past; & fit­ting it for the Press, that so it might be a testimony to all the World of that truth, which I had therein de­livered, and for which I was then questioned and troubled by the Prelates: the which testimony, as al­so my Apologie for my Appeale, being now finished, and fully printed, and some Books for the King and Councell bound up and brought unto me, the same day at night (and not before) came from the Lord of London, then Lord Treasurer, a Serjant at Arms, with a number of Pursuivants and Officers with swords and staves, in the evening, and with great violence assaulted my doors, and brake them open, though very strong, and so came and seized on my body, sitting, with my family, in my gowne, and making no resistance at all. This I thought here not unfit to be noted, as not altogether impertinent to this Prophecie, to which this example may seem to have some correspondence. And so much of the time, when this warre begins; even when these two [Page 52] witnesses have finished their testimony, and not be­fore. The Beast, for all his roaring, yet hath not the power to set his paw upon Christs witnesses, untill they have finished their testimony. And is it not lawfull for me to adde one truth more, that God may be glorified, and the hearts of his people raised up, and filled with rejoycing in him? This it is. Not all the Beasts hundred eyes, not all his quick-sented bloud-hounds, the Pursuivants, for all their vigilant and eagre hunting, could find out, or discover, where this testimony (to wit, For God and the King) was printed, though they left never a Printing house about London unsearched over and over, day by day, the Lord in his provi­dence preserving not only my person, but my te­stimony also, that it should not be prevented, but come forth into the open light.

It followeth: When they had finished their te­stimony, The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit begins to make warre against them, as I have told you before. Here then wee are to consider the second circumstance of this warre, the two adverse parties, the one, the Beast, &c. the other, the two witnesses: the Beast is the Assailant, and the two Wittnesses are the Defendants. For the Beast, hee is here described from the place whence he comes, the bottomlesse pit: and secondly, by the manner of his issuing thence, [...], hee ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit. His rise is groundlesse, bottomlesse, out of the bottom­lesse deep, and his motion is Ascendant, yea [...], ascending (being a participle of the present tense) still aspiring with Esay 4. Lucifer, to place his throne a­bove the stars, yea, above God himselfe. Hee is ever [Page 53] ascending, but still out of the bottomlesse pit, as if hee could never get out of it. This bottomlesse pit is hell, the Den, where this Beast is bred, and whence he is nourished. And who this Beast is, yee may ea­sily know, by his Picture lively pourtrayed, Chap. 13. and 17. compared together. He hath his seven heads and ten horns: Monstrum horrendum, ingens: the like Beast again is not in all the World. And the Dragon, the Devil, gives him power, Chap. 13.2. and Verse 5. Power is given him to make warre with the Saints, and to overcome them. The very same Beast here, which maketh warre with Christs wit­nesses, and overcomes them. This is that Beast of Rome, plainly described, Chap. 17. And as this se­ven-headed, and ten-horned Beast, hath his ascent, rise, and originall out of the bottomlesse pit: so also his brood and off-spring, as those Locusts, Chap. 9.3. who are this Beasts Warriers. Thus wee see who this Beast is, from whence & whither he ascendeth.

Now let us see what he doth. 1 he makes warre against the two witnesses. 2 He overcomes them. 3 he killeth them. First, hee makes warre against them. Alas poore witnesses, for such a great and mon­strous Beast, with his numerous brood, to make warre against them. Such a power to make warre against two? [...]ut by this time Christs witnesses may be increased, and multiplied to a greater number, and that by the example of the two here spoken of, whose more eminent and mighty testimonies can­not so goe alone, but they will draw many others after them, to testifie the same truth. Though it pleased the Holy Ghost to point out but two witnes­ses only, and in such wise to set them forth, as there­by [Page 54] we might come to know the full intent and mea­ning of this Prophecie, as hath been shewed. Now the Beast having mustered his forces together, makes warre against the two witnesses; not only against Them, but against all other whom hee finds endued with the same spirit, namely, such as pro­phesie against the Beast and his Throne, and all those, that by their constant profession of the Truth, and refusing communion with the Beast, doe become thereby the witnesses of Christ. For the Beast wars with the Saints. Chap. 13.7.

But what be those weapons, and what those for­ces, wherewith this Beast warreth against Christs witnesses, and Gods Saints? Surely, hee useth all manner of weapons whereby to execute his beastly cruelty. And these may be reduced to two kindes: The Spirituall Sword: and the Temporall Sword. His Spirituall Sword is the brute Thunderbolt of his execrable Excommunication, direfull Curses, and dreadfull Courts, as his Court of Inquisition, and of High Commission, and other his Prelaticall and Hierarchicall Courts, which are so many Dens, wherin this hideous Beast once inclosing the Saints, doth prey upon them, he and his Cubs. But if this his Sword prove not strong enough as meeting with some mettle too tough for it to [...]rce, then he can command with a wet finger the helpe of the Temporall Sword, which is like Tamberlains black and bloudy Banner, which being displayed by the Beasts power, and inspired with his fiery-mettled spirit, breathes nothing, but either fire and faggot, or Pillory, with shedding of bloud, perpetuall close imprisonment, banishment, and all other evils of [Page 55] this life, more bitter and cruell, by many degrees, than death it selfe. And this is his kinde of warre. But how comes he to do these things by the help of the Temporall Power, when commonly all his proceedings are without either law, or colour of ju­stice, except according to the Beasts owne lawlesse Law? For this, hee wants not his devices: for hee will so contrive the matter, and lay his snares, as either the innocent (being brought into the Tem­porall Court, where also he himself wil sit a Judge, and where his spirit is wondrously predominant) shall be forced to assent to the condemnation of his own cause before the hearing: or else, if hee refuse so to doe, he shall be censured as guiltie of all those hainous crimes laid to his charge, though never so false and maliciously devised; yea, hee can so han­dle the businesse, as the censure shall be agreed upon, and concluded, before ever his day of hearing come, and when it is come, his Legall Defence shal never be heard. This needs no application. And this is the Beasts manner of warring, right; nor should it be properly the Beasts warre, were it not altogether bestiall, void of all Law, or conscience, or honesty, or humanitie. And ever his mayn for­ces and battery are bent against the two witnesses, namely such as doe constantly testifie and maintain the Prerogative of Christs Kingly Government o­ver his Church against the Beasts proud and tyran­nicall usurpations; and the truth of the Gospel and Word of Christ, against all Antichrists lyes: and the authoritie and sufficiencie of the Holy Scrip­ture against the Beasts unwritten Traditions, and Ecclesiasticall Canons, the authoritie whereof hee [Page 56] preferreth above, and opposeth against the Law of God. As for all wicked, prophane, and impious persons, his Holines hath no quarrell against them; for either they are such, as belong to the Beasts Den, or at least, though they be not of it, yet they are not much against it. Thus he warreth.

Secondly, as the Beast warreth against the witnesses, so hee shall overcome them. How shall hee overcome them? Their faith and te­stimony hee shall not overcome, so as to force them to recant, or desert their cause, or be­tray their conscience. For (Chap. 12.11.) those on Christs side overcame the Dragon, by the bloud of the Lamb, and by the word of their Testimonie, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Nor shal the Beast be able to overcome them by force of arguments and rea­soning: for he is a Beast, yea, the Beast of all Beasts; his Arguments are fire and faggot, Pillory and bloud-shed (as before) down-right club-law, or a push with his ten Revel. 17.12. hornes, or a by-back-blow with his paw. So as thus hee comes to get the conquest over their bodies indeed, he can shut them close up, hee can pillory them, hee can mangle and torture them, and a thousand ways subdue Matth. 10.28 their bodies, but can doe no more. Luke 12.4.

Not only so, but (in the third place) hee shall kill them. Famous is the Beast for his infinite bloudy victories over Christs Witnesses in this kinde, by putting them to death. But now there is a two­fold kind of death, which he puts them to. The first is, by a violent separation of their soule from their bodie; as in the flames of Martyrdome. This hath bin the Beasts practice of old. But this subtile [Page 57] Dragon, finding by experience, that his kingdome rather suffered damage this way, then wonne any ground, and that it proved rather an advantage to his Adversaries, and brought much hatred to his barbarous cruelty in so putting them to death: hee hath found out another kinde of death, and that, though not in show, yet indeed farre more cruell than the other; and that is, by a violent and perpe­tuall separation of a living man from all the de­lights, comforts and contentments in the World, from his wife and children, from his meanes and livelihood, friends and acquaintance, from the Communion of Saints, yea, from all societie of men, and in a word, from all the means of comfort in this life, Spirituall, or Temporall. So as a man in this case may be said to be killed, or deprived of life, when he is deprived of all those things, with­out which life cannot well be called a life, but a death rather, or such a life, as that in hell, where not one drop of comfort is allowed to those tor­mented souls. And as dead men neither see, nor heare, nor speake, nor write, nor have any com­merce with the living: So these may neither see their living friends, nor heare from them by let­ters, nor speake, nor write unto them, nor have any commerce with them. Thus far dead they be. And in this sense we have seen some eminent Witnesses of Christ (yet living in their close Prisons in re­mote Lands) thus to bee killed in these our dayes. Which being so, may it not bee one evident signe, that we are now in the sixt Trumpet, wherein wee have seene so many things to be come to passe and [Page 58] fulfilled, so particularly set forth in this Pro­phecie.

It followeth, Verse 8. Verse 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great Citie, which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and Nations, shall see their dead bodies three dayes and a halfe, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves: And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Now these dead bodies (as we said before) may be so called, in respect of a civill death, as dead to the whole World in a civill respect, having no com­munion nor commerce with the World. And the bodies are here named, not the persons, because persecuting Tyrants (as we touched before) have no power over the soule, but only over the body; this they may torment, imprison, Matth. 10.28. kill: but thats all they can doe. Well, what of those dead bodies, take them in any sense? They shall lie in the street of the great Citie, which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. What great City is this? Surely it can be no other, but the Ci­tie of the Beast, together with the Suburbs. And the Suburbs are all those Cities or States, which are either subject to, or confederate with the Head-Citie, which is Rome. We can not have a fitter ex­position hereof, then that which the Prelate of Can­terbury gives us in his reprinted Conference with the Jesuite Fisher. For there he saith; That the Church [Page 59] of Rome and the Church of England (as also all other Prelaticall or Hierarchicall Churches) are all one and the same Church; no doubt of that, as he saith, and as is noted before. This is his Catholike Church. And so this is that great City, which stands in opposition to the Holy Citie, and treads it under feet, as Verse 2. For as Christs Church is called a Holy Citie, though it be dispersed over the World: So Antichrists Sy­nagogue is here called a Great Citie, as comprehen­ding in it all those Cities, and States, which make up one body of the Beast. This great City is spiritu­ally called Sodome and Egypt: Sodome, for the wic­kednesse, voluptuousnesse, prophanenesse, pride, and other sins of Sodome, raigning therein, and where they make open warre against all holinesse, and all good Laws of GOD and Man. And second­ly, it is called Egypt, for its tyranny in oppressing and afflicting of Gods people with their intolerable burthens. And for this, they have their Task-ma­sters, to wit, the Prelates and their multitude of of­ficers, who force Gods people through their whole Egyptian Provinces to fill up their tale and task of bricks, in the strict observation of all their Rites and Ceremonies, Constitutions, and Canons, the Spirituall burthens of their spirituall Egypt, and for default thereof in the lest degree, or kind, the Taskmasters beat and abuse them, & if they Exod. 5.15. com­plaine, 'tis to no purpose, they can have no remedy. Thus not without cause is this Citie called not only Great, but spiritually Sodome and Egypt. So as in what Country soever in the World, this Beast sets his paw, that is, where ever hee hath his Taskma­sters, the Prelates and their Officers (as where al­most [Page 60] are they not? there is the Kingdome of the Beast, there be the Suburbs of this Great Citie. And whatever Countrey or State doth incorporate it self into an union or confederation with this Papall Hierarchie, becomes thereby ipso facto a member of this great Citie, which is spiritually called Sodome and Egypt. And this being so, tell me, ô England, art thou not become a member of this great body, of this Great Citie, of this spirituall Sodome, of this spirituall Egypt? For wherein dost thou differ from Rome it selfe? Doth not thy great Arch-prelate who is as thine Oracle, professe in thy name, and in Print, with an unblushing forehead, that England is of the Conference Reprinted E­pist. Ded. pag. 16. And pag. 376. & 338. &c. same Church, same faith, same Reli­gion with Rome? And doth he not shrowd this his Book under the name of the highest Authoritie in England, as commanded by the King to be publi­shed? And hast thou not set forth Edicts dispensing with the open profanation of the Sabbath by hea­thenish Sports, and others, prohibiting Ministers to preach in the after-noons on Lords Days: as pre­ferring thy prophane Sports before the holy and divine Ordinance of Preaching, and so consecra­ting at least the one halfe of the Lords Day to Bac­chus, or Belial? Art thou not then a part of that great Citie, which is spiritually called Sodome? A­gain, dost thou not permit (if not command) thy Prelates, the Roman Pharoahs Taskmasters to vex, af­flict, and grievously oppresse the people of God, with the intolerable burthens of their and thine endlesse Ceremonies? And not These things were then in force when this Treatise was written. content with the old, thou addest new burthens, as the Egyptians did [Page 61] in denying straw, and those most abominable, as thy Superstitious, yea, Idolatrous Heathenish Al­tars, with all their Idolatrous Altar-Service, where­in thou art utterly falne from being a member of the Holy Citie, which thou treadest under thy feet, and even professest thy selfe to be of that Great Citie, which for its inthralling and oppressing of Gods people, is spiritually called Egypt? O England, Eng­land, Repent hereof, cast out thy cursed and cruell Taskmasters, like as thy Neighbour Scotland hath done, & so suffer thy people, Gods people, to serve their God as he hath commanded, and to enjoy their Christian Libertie which Christ hath deerly purchased for them, and no longer to be under the Antichristian Babylonian yoake, and the Egyptian Taskmasters.

Thus we have seen, as it were in a Map, the large Territories, and bound lesse bounds of this great City here mentioned, spiritually called Sodome and Egypt; in the street whereof lie the dead bodies of Christs two witnesses: and where (as here is added) our Lord was crucified. Which is to be understood, not simply and personally of our Lords crucifying, but mystically. For our Lord in Person was cruci­fied at Jerusalem, and yet not within the Citie, but without the Gate. And yet Christ in his Person was crucified by the first Roman Beast, the Empe­rour, whose Successour both in his Seat, and in the Image of his Power and State, and in all his blou­dy persecutions of the Saints, the Papall Beast now is; as also of the Scribes and Pharisees and High Priests, who put Christ to death, and so hee with them is guilty of his bloud: as Matth. 23.35, 36. & [Page 62] Verse 31. But he is crucified mystically in his my­sticall members, even in the open Streets of this Great Citie. Witnesse all those persecutions and Martyrdomes, which the Beast in all Ages and Countries hath caused, wherein the Lord him­selfe hath been crucified, to wit, in his Saints and Witnesses. And what thinke you of those Witnes­ses, of whose crucifying on the Pillory in the open street, or rather spacious Palace-yard in the Citie of Westminster, we have been all eye-witnesses, and spectators? Was our Lord there, then, in them, on those Pillories, crucified, or not? If he were, and that upon such an eminent Theatre, and in the view of that Court, where they were so censured, the High Priests themselves, with others of high note, beholding and pleasing themselves with such a Tragedie of the Beasts cunning contriving, and cruell execution: was not this, trow you, a part of that Great Citie, where our Lord hath been thus cru­cified? O England, blush, and be abashed, yea, con­founded in thy self, at these things: return at length to a sober minde, repent, and reforme thy selfe, lest thou perish with the Beast and his Kingdom, whose wofull ruine hasteneth on a pace; as Verse 14.

But now what becomes of these thus dead bo­dies? Surely they lie in the Street of the great Ci­tie unburied. How long? Three dayes and an half. How so? The people, kindreds, tongues, and nations seeing them, wil not suffer them to be put in graves. Just so did the barbarous heathen with the Martyrs, not permitting their bodies to be buried, [...], as Euseb. Eccl. H ist. l. 5. c. 1. Eusebius reports. Thus our Antichristian hea­then or Gentiles here, so called, Verse 2. as before. [Page 63] Now for dead bodies to lie in the open street unbu­ried, three dayes and a halfe, is enough to make their smell odious and abominable in the nosthrils of all men. So as this appeares to be the meaning, these Witnesses being slaine, or so, as is before said, they are kept above ground to become an object of abomination to all that behold them; and by their long keeping, they are made so to stink, as men pass by them stopping their Noses, and will not, or doe not, or dare not come neere them. And who doth, or dare visit the dead bodies of those Witnesses aforesaid? But they are not in the Street. True: they are dragged, or drawn out of the Street, they doe so stinke in the nosthrils of the Beast and his kindred, and people. But yet they are above ground, they are not yet buried under the earth, though they lie buried within strong walled vaults, that none can come any more at them, then at the dead bodies of those that lie in their graves. But not lying in the street, and having lyen now above three dayes and a halfe, yea, some of them three yeeres and a halfe, and the least and last is now going upon the last halfe yeere: how come they to bee reckoned here in the account, and numbred with the dead bodies of these two witnesses, lying three dayes and a halfe in the street of the great Citie? For this, we must take the sense, and not the strict Letter. The lying of dead bodies three days and a halfe in the open street, where all passengers are to passe, is to note unto us, that (as is before noted) they lie so long, till none can endure their smell, but of force they must bee removed out of the way. And is it not so done with these? Their smell grew so strong, [Page 64] that they were faine to remove them. Whither? Into their Graves? No, they are above ground still. For it is added here, The people, and kindreds, and nations, and tongues, will not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. Who are these people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations? Surely all those of this great Citie, which is spiritually called Sodome and Egypt, such as are the members of the Beast. For though sometimes, these termes, as people, kindreds, &c. are taken in the good part, for those of Christs King­dome, as Chap. 7.9. & 10.11. yet here they are ta­ken, as Chap. 17.15. for those of Antichrists Kingdome. And for proofe hereof, they will not suffer the dead bodies of the two witnesses to be buried. As wee read of the Pope (as I remember Hildebrand) who after hee had by his Thunderbolt of Excommunication blasted the Emperour, Henrie the Fourth, and driven him out of his Kingdome by his own Son, and he dying in that his exile, his Ho­linesse would not suffer him to be buried, so as his dead body continued unburied for five yeers space. So here, with the same spirit of Charity doe these his people, and kindreds, and tongues, and Nations, the whole body of that Beast, not suffer the dead bodies of these two witnesses to enjoy the ordinary honour of Christian buriall, which even the Law of Nature, and common humanity commands. The summe of it is, they will not allow them any benefit, nor any right, which by the Law of God, and the Law of Nature and Nations is due unto them in that case: So as being banished in a remote Country in a close imprisonment, living indeed, but as dead men (as before) they may there rot above ground, before [Page 65] either Wife, or children, or friend, or acquain­tance shall be suffered to come at them to performe that last duty, which all are bound unto, the buriall of their dead. Thus if any shall deny this also, (concerning these [...], or dead bodies) to be a true [...], a Symptome of this Trumpets sounding, which wee ought not to thinke gives an uncertain sound: he may with as good reason deny the fulfilling of all Prophecies, even then, when their proper effects, being seene of all men, become to every mans reason and understanding, cleere de­monstrations thereof. Except wee are yet to looke for more monstrous beastly cruelties under this Trumpet, which can hardly be imagined by any Creature.

It followeth: And they that dwell upon the earth, shall rejoyce over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. These Earth-dwellers are the same, with those people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, those of the Beasts Kingdome, in the former Verse. These are said to dwell on the earth, because their Kingdome and happinesse is al­together earthly. They minde earthly things, and place their felicitie in them: contrary to Gods chil­dren, who living on earth, yet have their conversati­on in heaven, and their treasure in heaven, and their Country Heaven. So as to be said to dwell on the earth, is opposed to those, who are Heb. 11.13. 1 Pet. 2.11. Gen. 47 9. Exod. 6.4. Psal. 119.54. every where in Scripture called pilgrims and strangers in the earth; and the earth it selfe called, not their habitation, but the land or house of their pilgrimage. Whereas on the contrary, to be said to dwell on the earth, is usually [Page 66] put in Scripture for all the wicked of the earth; as els-where in this Booke, Chap. 8.13. & 13.12, 14. & 17.8. Where we see, that these earth-dwellers are all those people, over whom the Beast reigneth. And so, on these, all the plagues are powred: as Chap. 8.13. & 12.12. & 16.1. Luke 21.35. and in many other places. And in this Verse it is twice re­peated. Thus we see who they be. Now what doe they further? First, These earth-dwellers rejoyce over the dead bodies of the witnesses: Secondly, they make merry: Thirdly, they send gifts one to another, by way of congratulation. And the cause is added, because these two witnesses tormented them that dwelt upon the earth.

First, they rejoice over their dead bodies; as the Philistins did over Sampson, when they had put out his eyes, they made sport with him, as with a Fool in a Play. Hee whom they durst not looke upon, when he had his eyes, and liberty, now they in­sult over him at their pleasure. So these people of Antichrist doe with the dead bodies of the two Witnesses, Sir Phil. Syd­neys Arcadia. as the cowardly Shepherd did in Ar­cadia with the dead body of the Lion, he came and trampled upon him, and beat him with his sheep­hook, and spake big words unto him, and when hee had done, boasted he had overcome the Lion. So these here do with these witnesses: in the seventh Verse the Beast overcomes them: and here his brood triumphs over them, who living were a ter­rour to the beast, and all his crew.

Secondly, they make merry. The Father in the Gospel when he had received his lost Son, is said [...], to make merry; the same word is used [Page 67] here, upon the slaying of these witnesses, as a fat Calfe, to feast withall. And such a kind of mirth is here implyed, as is used at feasting. As in Amos (Chap. 2.8.) They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God; to wit, of those whom them­selves have unjustly condemned. So these. Perhaps they have their Minstrels too, as Fidlers and Pipers, & dance about the May-pole, & that on the Sabbath day, in despight of these Witnesses, who while they lived spake and wrote against these inhabitants of the spirituall Sodome. But let their mirth be what it will: in the third place, they send gifts one to another. They doe not send gifts to the poore, of whom they can receive none again: but one to another, by way of retaliation or congratulation: this is their charitie, as if they would now celebrate the fune­rall of these dead witnesses, would they but suffer their dead bodies to be buried.

But what's the matter they are so jocund and fro­lick? Even this, because these two Prophets had tor­mented them that dwell on the earth. It seemes they were such tormenters of these Earth-dwellers, as the Prophet Kings 22.8. Michaiah was of Ahab; who therefore hated him, and could not indure him, because (saith he) be never prophecieth good to me but evil. So these two Prophets, they tormented all those of the Beasts Kingdome by prophecying of judgements and pu­nishments that should fall upon them from God for all their idolatries, superstitions, humane inventi­ons in the Service they pretend to God, for all their abominable infidelitie in their Altars, and Altar-worship, for their open and avowed prophanation of the Sabbath, for their stopping of the mouthes [Page 68] of Gods painfull Ministers, for oppressing and silen­cing the Doctrines of the Gospel, and of the Grace of God, for overturning all true Reli­gion, for persecuting of all true godlinesse in Ministers and people, for their favouring of drun­kards, adulterers, swearers, Sabbath-breakers, and all manner of prophanesse in their Courts, with other the like things, as tedious to rehearse, as to them to heare. Thus these Prophets tormented them. Now I pray you what torments shall such finde in Hell for their living in all kinde of sin, when they find Gods Word it self to be a tormentor of them, in reproving their sins, and moving them to repen­tance? Is it a marvaile then, that all the woes in this Book fall upon these dwellers on the earth? They doe so dwell on the earth, that they are glued unto it, so as they will not upon any termes, no not to get Heaven, and so escape Hell, part with the love of it, and with the lusts of it. And therefore they hold none their greater enemies, then Gods Prophets, that tell them their own. And of other prophane Worldlings, none hate Gods Prophets more, than the Beast, and his Hierarchie. For their Kingdome being altogether earthly, and sensuall, (I might adde also the Apostles third word, which he applyes to the wisdome that is from beneath, from the bottomlesse pit, and that is, Iam. 3.15. Devillish) they cannot endure Christs Kingdome, which is altoge­ther Spirituall, nor the Heralds thereof, who pro­clame war against the Beast, and his Armies, for his notorious hypocrisie, who under the titles of Holinesse, and Spirituall, and the like, advance their earthly Kingdome both above and against Christs Kingdome.

It followeth: Verse 11. And after three dayes and a halfe, the spirit of life from God entred into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great feare fell upon them which saw them. Wee shewed before what is meant by the three days and a halfe, namely, the time, in which the Beast and his people doe expose these witnesses to derision, denying them even that common humanity, which the very Heathen freely afford to all, as buriall of the dead. And although the time of their suffering may bee much longer then three days and a halfe, yea, three yeeres and a halfe, yet it is reckoned here but three dayes and a halfe, both because the Beasts crueltie is so great, that he takes no more compassion or consideration of the time of their suffering, though long and te­dious, then as if it were but three dayes and a half: and secondly, because such is the patience and ala­critie of these Witnesses in suffering for the Name of Christ, and for the love of the Truth, that the time, though long, and the afflictions they indure, though very grievous, yet it seemes to them but 2 Cor. 4 17. light, and momentany, and as it were but of three dayes and a halfes continuance, in comparison: and Thirdly, it is expressed here by three dayes and a halfe, because the Lord himselfe will shorten the time, and hasten the deliverance in due time, in due time, I say, because it is a certaine time, determined and prefixed of God; as three dayes and a halfe; and because but as three dayes and a halfe, there­fore it is a very short time, as will appeare more ful­ly, when the deliverance commeth. But lastly, by three dayes and a halfe, wee may understand three yeeres and a half, as in Daniel 7.25. by a time, times, [Page 70] and part or halfe a time, three yeeres and part of another. As Revel. 12.14. And why should I here conceale that speech which I used to some Mini­sters at Coventry in my passage to Lancaster Castle, who being sad at my departure, I said unto them, Come, be not sad, for three yeers and a half hence wee shall meet again, and be merry. And truly (ab­sit invidia verbo) reckoning from the fourteenth of June 1637, whereon we were censured in the Star-Chamber to perpetuall imprisonment, it was just three yeeres and a halfe when wee returned from exile, even in the last moneth of the three yeers and a halfe, my selfe being sent for the very first day of that moneth.

Well, when this time, appointed of God, is ex­pired, what then? Then, after three dayes and a half, the spirit of life from God shall enter into them: and they shall stand upon their feet, and great feare shall fall upon the beholders. All this sheweth unto us thus much, that God shall miraculously restore and deliver his witnesses, even as the restoring of the dead to life again, to the astonishment and terrour of all their enemies, who shall behold them. But now a little more, particularly to cleere the words: we shewed before how the Lord's witnesses may be slain two wayes, either corporally, in separating their souls from their bodies, or mystically, and in a similitude or parable, in a separation of their life from the world, that is from all cōmerce & cōmunion with the world, so as their life is made no better, but ra­ther worse then death. Now for them that are slain after the first manner, we are not to expect, that God wil according to the Letter rayse them up from the [Page 71] dead, as here, after three days and a halfe. And for them that are slain after the second manner here specified, though God should not deliver and re­store them from that their civill death, (though he be able to do it, and will doe it, if he have so deter­mined) unto their libertie, and communion with humane societie, as formerly: Yet this we are sure of, as Gods Word here must needs be true, that of the very dust and ashes of his dead witnesses under this Trumpet (in what manner so ever dead) hee will raise up again to life, and that in the time of this Trumpet, either those very witnesses in their own persons, or else in the Spirit of these hee will raise up other witnesses, and such, as if they were those very witnesses formerly slain. Thus wee read of Elias, Mal. 4.5, 6. Behold (saith the Lord) I will send you Elias the Prophet, before the comming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord, and he shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the children, &c. Now this Elias was meant of John the Baptist, that morning Star, that ushered in the Mal. 4.2. Sun of Righteousnesse, that was to prepare the way before him. Luke 1.17. He (saith the Angell to Za­chariah) shall goe before him in the Spirit and power of Elias, to turn the heart of the Fathers to the Children, &c. Whence it is plaine and cleere, that John the Baptist was that Elias there prophecied of; and he is called Elias, because hee came in the spirit and power of Elias. And therefore Christ faith to his Disciples, when they objected, that Elias must first come: Math. 17.11 I tell you (saith he) that Elias is come already, &c. where­upon they understood, that hee spake unto them of John the Baptist. And Matth. 11.14. Speaking of John Baptist, he saith, This is Elias, which was to come. [Page 72] Thus wee see, how the Prophet Elias, being dead and buried many hundred yeers before, yet was as it were raised up from the dead, to be Christs har­binger. But how? Not in his person, but in his spirit and power. So as John Baptist, comming in the spirit and power of Elias, is called Elias, and in him the Prophecie is fulfilled, that Elias should come, and now in Iohn he was already come. Now according to this sense, wee may safely interpret this Prophe­cie also in this place: After three dayes and a halfe, the spirit of life from God, shall enter into them (to wit, in­to the two slain witnesses) and they shall stand upon their feet, &c: that is, after a short, but set time with God, the spirit of life from God shall rayse up his former witnesses, that were slain, though not in their owne persons, yet in other witnesses that shall succeed them, who shall be indued with the same spirit and power, which they had beene indued with all. And this is that spirit of life from God, which entring into his servants, raiseth them up to be lively witnesses of his truth, full of vigour, strength, courage, zeale, constancie, Revel. 12.11. not loving their lives unto the death, but as it is said of Paul and Barnabas, such as had Acts 15.26. [...], abandoned, or given up for lost their lives for the Name of Christ. So that, as the same spirit of life from God entring into Iohn the Baptist, made him to be called that Elias, who had been in­dued with the same spirit, and was foretold to come againe, which was fulfilled in the Baptist: So here, the same spirit of life from God (nor is it said to bee their own spirit) which the slain witnesses had, now entring into other witnesses succeeding them, they by the same reason may be called those very wit­nesses [Page 73] as being now by the Almighty power of GOD raised from the dead, as Iohn the Baptist was called that Elias, because hee came in the spirit and power of Elias. And in this respect, seeing the raising and restoring of these two witnesses, is perhaps not personall, but spiritual, it is not necessary, that we tie or restrain the succee­ding witnesses strictly to the number of two only. For as it was said of old, Sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae, The bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church: and as one seed or grain sowne, and dying, brings forth much fruit (as Iohn 12.24. Christ saith) so as one corne brings forth the increase of a hun­dred, and some of a thousand, as in some Coun­tries, as of Virginia: So these two witnesses may in the multiplication of their spirit and power, and of that spirit of life from God, bring forth an a­bundant harvest, even great plenty of more wit­nesses, that sh [...]ll stand up for that Truth, for the which these two were slaine. What shall wee say of those many witnesses, whom the Lord lately raised up in Scotland, standing up upon their feet to mayntain their Christian Liberty against Antichri­stian bondage, and to vindicate Christs Scepter and Government over his Church there out of the tyrannicall hands of that proud usurping Beast out of the bottomlesse pit, who by his Egyptian Taskma­sters the Prelates so oppressed Gods people, as they were made weary of their lives? And when were these witnesses raised up? Surely, not much after three dayes and a halfe, that the two witnesses were slaine, those (I meane) who suffered worse then [Page 74] death, for bearing witnesse against the Tyranny of the Romish Beast, and his cruell Taskmasters. And what other spirit, but that spirit of life from God, could raise up so many witnesses, so unanimously, and with such a wonderfull wisdome, discretion, judgement, zeal, and courage, to stand up in defence of Christs Kingdome against Antichrists Tyranny? Yea, and what other spirit and power, but that of God, could move the heart of his anointed Vicegerent, to assent to his peoples just and religious plea, to have Christ alone to raigne over his peoples soules and consci­ences, which is his peculiar and incommunicable Prerogative. Nor could the King either have ad­vanced higher his own Royall honour, or more surely have established his owne Throne in the uni­ting and fastening of his Subjects hearts and affe­ctions in all love and loyalty unto him, then by gi­ving Christ his due honour, who hath said, 1 Sam. 2.30. Those that honour me, I will honour: and they that despise mee, shall be lightly esteemed. Now blessed bee our God for evermore for this his great and glorious worke: and hee ever blesse his King, that as hee hath made him a mighty instrument thereof; so hee would strengthen him to the finishing of that work, which yet remaynes to be done in the purgation and refor­mation of his other Kingdomes, that so hee may prove the most glorious Prince that ever raigned in the Christian World.

And it is said here, And great feare fell upon them which saw them. That is, when they on the Beasts side saw those witnesses (whom the Beast had cru­elly slaine, and whose dead bodies they had barba­rously used, not suffering them to have common [Page 75] buriall, but insulted, and triumphed over them) now to be as it were revived and raised from the dead againe, when they behold such a wonderfull increase to come of their bloud so cruelly shed, such a spirit of life from God so to possesse many other witnesses, as those slain seem

now to live againe in them: they are struck with terrour, they are surprized with feare. For whereas they fondly imagined, that the slaying, or cruell handling of two or three prime witnesses, making them sure, as dead men, would so have queld all the rest, that not one durst ever after peepe: contrary to their expectation they see a genera­tion of witnesses to rise up after them, and so to affright their ene­mies, as if they saw an apparition of the Ghosts of the former witnesses returned from the dead. And if a man did now but feele the pulse of those Prelates in England, who have seene their brethren Prelates, late of Scotland, to b [...] cast out of Church and Countrey, and utterly cashiered, without all hope of restitution: should he not (trow you) find the spirit of trepidation leap­ing and panting as it were for life, as if their owne turne should be next? But it followeth:

Verse 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them.

They (that is, the two witnesses thus raised and restored to life, as before) heard a great voice from [Page 76] heaven. Here Christ, either by an extraordinary voice inwardly calling, or by the ordinary voice of his word outwardly, cals his servants to take San­ctuary, as in heaven. Now heaven, here may bee taken for the Church of God hereupon earth. So it [...] often taken in this Booke. As in this Chapter, Verse 19. So Chap. 12.1. the woman there in hea­ven is the Church Militant here on earth, as appea­reth plainly in the whole Chapter, as Verse 3. & 7. & 8. & Chap. 13.6. and in other places. Now the Church of God here on earth is compared unto, and called Heaven, as in many other respects, so specially in this, because it is holy and pure, being purged, both for Doctrine, and Discipline, from all damnable Heresies and errours in faith, and from the vain Inventions and Traditions of men in the worship of God, Revel. 14.4. following the Lambe whither­soever he goeth, that is, in all things obeying Christ, and observing his Ordinances, and subjecting their souls and consciences to none other King, but only Christ.

They from this Heaven, heare a great voice: this is Christs voice in his word, calling his witnesses from having any more to doe with the Beast, and his brood, having sealed this their testimony with their bloud, which the Beast hath sucked and drunk up. So as hee now being found to be incorrigible, and incurable, so as hee grows worse and worse, is to be utterly abandoned. As the Lord saith in Jere­my, Ier. 51.6.45 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soule: be not cut off in her iniquitie: for this is the time of the Lords vengeance, he will render unto her a recompence. And the reason of Gods peoples thus [Page 77] abandoning of Babylon, is rendred, Verse 9. Verse 9. We would have healed Babylon, but shee is not healed: forsake her, and let us goe every one into his owne Countrey: for her judgement reacheth up to heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. And the like warning God gives to his people ( Revel. 18.4.) concerning the spirituall Baby­lon, where Iohn saith, I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembred her iniquities. So here, the witnesses heare a great voice from heaven, saying, Come up hither; as much to say, as, Have no more to doe with Babylon, nor with the Beast and his members, who will heare no reason, but have now filled up the measure of their cruelty, not only to you, but to all my witnesses that went before you, so as now there is no more hope of them, 2 Kings 17. See also 2 Chron 36.16. no remedie for them, being like those incorrigible and obstinate revolted Tribes of Israel, or like the Jews, that persecuted my Apostles, and Acts 13.46. drove them away to the Gentiles: therefore come out from among them, admonish them no more, but come up hither, keepe you close to my Church, which I have altogether purged and purified from the dregs of Babylon, and there only hold your communion. Come up hither.

And (as it followeth) they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them. Wee read, that Elias was carried up to heaven in a fiery Chariot. And Christ ascended up to Heaven in a cloud. Here these witnesses ascend up to heaven in a cloud. But to Heaven (as before is shewed) namely, from their e­nemies to take Sanctuary as in the Church of God here on earth; it being compared to a high and ho­ly Mountain, to which we must ascend. So as this [Page 78] ascending in a cloud, and that in the enemies view, sets forth the admirable providence of God, who will miraculously make his Church a sure and safe Sanctuary (as Heaven) to his persecuted ones under this Trumpet, from the power and fury of their ene­mies; who may behold them afarre off, but are not able any more to touch them, for they are now out of their reach, as being in Heaven. For in this Trum­pet, God is preparing a way to the seventh, and last Trumpet, wherein hee will take full vengeance upon Babylon. And therefore before the storme come, God hath a hiding place, to secure his. As hee saith in Esay, Esay 4.5, 6. The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion, and upon her assemblies, a Cloud and Smoake by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storme, and from rain. Exod. 12. Thus the Lord did, when he was about to destroy the first-born of Egypt; he shut up his people in their houses, sprinkling them with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe, Exod. 13. & 14. that the A­venger should not touch them. And when the E­gyptian host pursued them as farre as the Red Sea, the Lord separated them by the pillar of a Cloud by day, and of fire by night, untill hee had over­whelmed the Hoast in the Sea. And when he was about to destroy Sodome, he first separates Lot from among them. So before hee destroy Babylon, hee Revel. 18.4. &c. cals his people out of her, and then quickly after in the same Chapter follows her ruine, and desola­tion. So here, the Lord calling his witnesses away, and they ascending up to their Sanctuary in a cloud [Page 79] in the fight of their enemies, it is a sure and certain signe, and immediate forerunner of the destruction of this Babylon, that great Citie, which is spiritually called Sodome and Egypt. And it is very remarka­ble, that before the destruction of all these three, Sodome, Egypt, and Babylon, the Lord doth imme­diatly before separate his people, and provide a San­ctuary for them. Yea, not long before the utter and finall Iosephus, Of the wars of the Iews. destruction of Ierusalem, (which was once Gods true Church, but now was become the Sy­nagogue of Murtherers, and Persecutors of Christ, and his Saints) there was a voice heard in the Tem­ple, as from Heaven, Migremus hinc, Let us depart hence: whereby Gods small remnant yet there, be­ing warned, presently fled to Pella, a Coast-Citie in Iudea, and not long after followed the sacking and burning of the Citie and Temple, with the in­habitants therein. Thus by these many famous ex­amples we may cleerly see what God is now about in this Trumpet to doe, when he cals away his Ser­vants out of Babylon, and Egypt, and Sodome, and the Synagogue of Antichrist, and puts them in a safe Sanctuary, even because he will speedily bring de­struction upon those his enemies.

It followeth, Verse 13. Verse 13. And the same houre was there a great Earthquake, and the tenth part of the Citie fell, and in the Earthquake were slaine of men seven thou­sand, and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven. See here, no sooner have the wit­nesses taken Sanctuary, but by and by, even the same houre, there is a great Earthquake. Now though there have been in the World (and still fall out) sundry great Earthquakes in diverse Coun­tries, [Page 80] as in Asia, and other places: yet in this place, under this Trumpet, this great Earthquake here is not to be taken literally, no more then heaven in the for­mer Verse, for the place of the highest heaven. But the great Earthquake here is to be understood of the great and terrible shaking of the Kingdomes of the earth under the sound of this Trumpet, as namely by great Commotions, Wars, and the like, especi­ally in Christendome, throughout the Kingdome of the Beast. And when was Christendome ever more embroyled in wars, then at this day? But here it is said, that the tenth part of the Citie fell. This is joy­ned to the former, as an effect of this great Earth­quake. First, what is meant by the Citie here? Sure­ly that great City, mentioned, V. 8. Which we have before described; even the Kingdom of the Beast. And still all the plagues and woes, which both the Trumpets sound forth, and the seven Vialls powre out, fall upon the Beast, and his Kingdome. So as there is no questi [...]n, but this Citie here is that great Citie, Antichrists large Kingdome. And what is meant by the tenth part of the Ci­tie? For resolution hereof, wee read, that the Chap. 17.7. Beast with seven heads hath ten hornes. And these Verse 12. ten hornes are said to be ten Kings. These ten Kings are said to be the ten hornes, because they are the strength of the Beast. And the ten Kings have their ten Kingdomes, which make up the Beasts Kingdome, or his great Citie. Now what Kingdoms are those, which are said to be of this great body of this great Citie? Surely those, which doe admit, and maintaine the Papall power. The Papall power is maintained by Civill States or Kingdomes two [Page 81] ways. Either when they directly and professedly subject their Thrones and Crowns to the Pope, as to the Head of the Church, by vertue of which title he arrogates to himselfe a Supreame power o­ver Kings and Princes (which is to 2 Thess. 2.4. exalt himselfe above all that is called God) to depose, and dispose at his pleasure: or when they doe it only implicitly, or by some privy compact or league, or otherwise, by admitting in their Kingdomes the Popes Hie­rarchie (for the Hierarchie is meerly Papall, where ever it be erected) which Hierarchie consisting in the Prelates, as it is in it selfe a proper and princi­pall member and prop of his Kingdome: So it is a mighty and maine instrument of bringing into Sub­jection to the Pope those Kingdomes and people, wherein, and over whom they are exalted in their Episcopall Thrones, as they call them. And al­though in a Civill Kingdome or State, where the Gospel is professed, & the Popes Supremacy dis [...]la­med, and the jurisdiction of Prelates by Law limi­ted, as being of humane institution meerly, and not by divine authoritie, Prelats, when they are pinch­ed, and held close to it, may perhaps pull in their hornes, and arrogate no more unto themselves, then the Laws of the Land, or pleasure of the Prince do allow unto them: yet when their inbred pride and ambition (an inseparable accident, or rather essen­tiall qualitie of a Prelate) findes opportunitie, meeting with a debonaire and benigne Prince, into whose gentle brest they can easily insinuate them­selves, and by their dexteritie in the art of flattery, and nimblenesse of tongue and wit, perswade and [Page 82] work upon his sweet nature so, as to draw it to con­ceive a reverend opinion of their counterfeit sancti­tie, which they set out in a goodly garbe of their superstitious guises in their wil-worship, and by this means to a credulitie in believing all to be Go­spel, which they say: as for the purpose, that they are the true Church; that they have a power to or­dain Ceremonies in the Church: that Christ or­dained them to be his Reprinted Conference, p. 200. 210. 211 Vice-roys: that they are the only Judges in controversies of faith: that Princes must leave all government of the Church to them, as the sole Fathers thereof: and such like Prelaticall Principles, which are not to be found in rerum natura, as they beg: when once they have ob­tained credit to these things, how doe they then be­stir themselves, especially where a pragmaticall pate, and the Metropolitan Chaire meet together? Then, what Laws of the Kingdom shal bind them? Who shall dare to controule them? If Parliaments (whose Laws they break as straws) offer to meddle with them, presently they must be dissolved, and with their good will there shall never be Parlia­ment more. And in fine, they grow to that heighth of insolencie, that their meere lust must be a Law, as all their practices proclame. Reprinted Conference, p. 338. 376. &c. Nor doe their practices only overthrow all true religion, but they come to make open profession, that the religion and faith of Prelaticall Protestant Churches, and by name of that of England, is one and the same with that of Rome, and the Church of England one and the same with that of Rome, with many such like bold assertions, all which tend to make a recon­ciliation [Page 83] and a re-union with Rome, to whom al Pre­laticall Churches in the World (and they allow no other Churches for true, but only the Prelaticall) doe make up one intire Catholike Church. Now all these being summed up together, what doe they amount unto, but this, that all Prelaticall Churches hold with Rome, as members of the same Catholike body, and the Pope being the Head of this body, at least Pag. 183. 184. ordine primus, which the Prelate saith is ne­cessary: Ergo, all Prelaticall Churches are mem­bers of that Church, whereof the Pope is the Head, or at least ordine primus, and consequently all Civill Kingdomes and States, where the Prelacie or Hie­rarchie hath got any footing, and much more where it hath gotten head, must bee a member thereof. Now this being so (as so it is) the way is now made plaine, to come to know what is meant by the fall of the tenth part of the Citie. What is it, but the fall of one of the ten Kingdomes from the Pope, which are the ten horns of his Hierarchie, in the time of this sixt Trumpet? But where shall we find such a Kingdome, as was one of the ten horns of the Beast, and now broken off and falne from that great head? Where? What say you to the Church of Scotland? Had not the Prelates there throwne down to the ground Christs throne, and consequently with it, the Kings Throne, his Vice­gerent, and in stead thereof mounted aloft the Throne and Kingdome of the Beast, with their Ty­rannicall and lawlesse Government? But now we see the Beasts Throne in that Kingdome dismoun­ted. For now the Prelats with their Hierarchie are there cashiered. And thus the tenth part of the Citie [Page 84] is falne. But what was the occasion of this great fall? Surely, Pride will have a fall. The Prelats intolerable insolencie and unsufferable Tyran­nie did cause it. Which makes mee remem­ber a notable saying, or I may call it rather a prophecie, of a Mr. Throg­morton. godly Minister late of London. As (said he) nothing cures the biting of the Scorpion, but the oile of the Scorpion: So nothing will cure Popery, but Po­pery. And this was here verified. What cured the Popery, which the Prelacie had brought and set up in Scotland, but their extream haste, and mad zeale to finish the building up of Rome in one day? To this purpose I remember an other usuall saying of another Minister also late of London, who when any spake of a bad, or mad Prelate, hee would still say, The worse, the better, and the better the worse. His meaning was, that the worse the Bishops grew, and the more insolent, and tyrannicall, the more they did hasten the fall of their proud Hierarchie. As Christ said to the Pharisees, Fill yee up the measure of your Fathers. As the people of God could not come to their promised inheritance, till the Gen. 15 16. sins of the A­monites were growne to their full. And the Revel. 14.18, 19. Angell thrust not his sickle into the earth, to gather the Vine thereof, to cast it into the great Winepresse of the wrath of God, till the clusters were ripe. And now in Scotland the clu­sters of the Deut. 32. Vine of Sodome were growne ripe, and so they are cut down. And thus the tenth part of the Citie is falne, thus the Beast hath lost one of his ten horns. And to conclude this, The immediate in­strumentall cause of this fall, was the Earthquake. And an Earthquake (wee know) is the immediate worke of God alone. So as this sheweth unto us, [Page 85] that it was Gods owne hand and work principally, that did overthrow this tenth part of the Citie, and Kingdome of the Beast. For it was a building too deep-founded in the earth, for mans either power to overturn it, or policie to undermine it. And there­fore let all the glory be given to God alone.

It followeth: And in the Earthquake were slain of men seven thousand. We shewed before, that an Earthquake may be taken tropically for some civil Commotion in a State, as of late in the state of Scotland, when all stood up as one intire body to vindicate their li­berty from the Beasts Tyranny, which the Prelates did exercise upon the people; so as the issue here­of proved to be the fall of the tenth part of the Citie, or Kingdome of the Beast, in Scotlands falling quite off from the Papall Hierarchie. Now these words [And in the Earthquake were slaine of men seven thou­sand] have reference to the same Earthquake Objection.. But no men were slaine in that Scotland Earthquake: and here seven thousand men are said to be slaine. 'Tis true. But as the Earthquake is taken tropically, so also the slaying here; as we spake before of a slay­ing of the two witnesses, in a civill respect, or in a fi­gure: So here, by slaying, we understand a ceasing of a thing to be that, which it was before. As a man is said to be Rom. 6.2. dead to sin, because hee no longer lives the life of sin. Now for the seven thousand here slain in the Earthquake, seven, we know, is a perfect num­ber, and often comprehends a whole society, or all of such a Profession, or qualitie, in the same place, or Countrey. As the Chap. 1. & 2. seven Churches, the seven Stars, the seven Candlesticks, comprehending all the Churches and Ministers in Asia the lesse. So [Page 86] 1 King. 19.18. seven thousand men were reserved of God in Is­rael, even all those who did not bow to Baal. And so here seven thousand may comprehend all those, who in the said Earthquake in Scotland were slaine, that is, were cast out of their places, and so ceased to bee that, which they were before, and those were the Prelates, with all their Officers, and train, even the whole Hierarchie. And the word [...] in the text, is not altogether to be slighted; for it signifieth not only names, but men of fame and Gen. 6 4. renowne, such as were the Giants and Tyrants of old, and those Gen. 11.4. Babel-builders, who would get them a Name by building that Towre. And such are those men we speak of, these Giants, Tyrants, Babel-builders, they are [...], or, [...], men of Renown, terrible men, yea, not only the Lord-prelates themselves, but their whole retinue, for not a Pursuivant and Apparitor, and the least Boy in their Kitchin, but he is a mickle man. Well, all these [...], even seven thousand, the whole generation of them in Scotland is slaine in that Earthquake, that is, utterly cast out as dead men. For still (I say) these plagues fall only on them that have the Beasts marke, or the number of his Name, as the Prelats, and their followers. And if any here stand strictly upon the just Number of seven thousand, I answer, whether there were more of them, or whether fewer, the Number of seven thousand being a perfect and compleat number, is sufficient to comprehend all of that ranke in that Countrey. This number here being like that, Chap. 9.16. an Army of Horsmen of two hundred thousand thousand. Which number comprehends [Page 87] all those in the Armies, though they were by many degrees short of that huge number, as before. And so here.

It followeth hereupon: That the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven. The remnant, whether the whole people in that tenth part (as aforesaid) or whether those that were a kind of Retainers, or favourers, or parties siding with the Prelates faction, or altogether, they were struck with feare, as beholding the Almightie power of God in the effecting of that great and admirable work, and thereupon gave glory to the God of Heaven. I will conclude this with that of David: Psal. 64.7, 8, 9, 10. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow, suddainly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them, shall flee away. And all men shall feare, and shall declare the work of God: for they shall [...]isely consider of his doing. The righteous shal be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him: and all the upright in heart shall glory. Even so, Amen.

Now a word of the next Trumpet, the seventh, or last. But by the way we find these words; Verse 14. The second woe is past: and behold the third woe commeth quickly. Chap. 18.13. Wee finde three woes, woe, woe, woe. The first woe belongeth to the fift Trumpet: as Chapter 9.12. the second woe to the sixt: and the third woe to the seventh. So as the sixt Trumpet being ended, it is said here, The second [...]oe is past: and the seventh Trumpet now following, is it added; And behold the third woe commeth quickly. That is, the seventh Trumpet commeth quickly, bringing its woe with it to the Beast and his King­dome.

The seventh and last Trumpet.

Verse 15. And the seventh Angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reigne for ever and ever, &c.

This seventh Trumpet, as it bringeth woe, even the last woe, that is utter ruine and destruction to the Beast and his Kingdome, to Antichrist, the Whore of Babylon, that great Ver. 8. & Chap. 17.18. Citie, and to the whole Hierarchie, where ever it be in any part, or Kingdome of the World: so it brings great joy and triumph to all the people of God under the Sun. This is that great voice from Heaven, yea great voi­ces, that is, generall acclamations of the whole Church of Christ in all places (which is here cal­led Heaven, as Verse 12. before) Saying, The King­domes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord, even of God the Father, and of his Christ, and he shal reigne for ever and ever. That is, when this Trumpet shall sound (which shall be quickly, as V. 14.) all the Kingdoms of the World shall consent to the rooting out of Antichrist and his kingdome, they shall cast downe his Throne which is exalted in and by the Hierarchie, and his whole Hierar­chie shall they cast out, and shall set up Christs throne over them; & shall subject the Kingdoms to Christs Government, in submitting and conform­ing to his Doctrine, & Discipline, according to his Word. For till they doe this, so long as they up­hold and take part with the Beast, in admitting and mayntaining his Hierarchie in their Dominions, they Chap. 17.13. give their strength and power unto the Beast, and subject their Kingdomes unto him, making warre [Page 89] against the Lambe Jesus Christ, and so their King­domes the while, are not Christs Kingdomes, but Antichrists rather. A thing well to be considered of Christian Kings and Princes, and States. But when this seventh Trumpet shall sound (which will bee shortly, if not rather already begunne) then is that time fulfilled, which was forelimited of GOD, when they, even the ten Kings, to wit, all Christian Kings and States, which before took part with the Beast, against the Lambe, even Chap. 17.16, 17. these shall hate the Whore, and shal make her desolate and naked, and shal eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his wil, and to agree, and give their King­dome unto the Beast, until the words of God shal be ful­filled. And although this may seem strange and al­most incredible to mans reason and apprehension: yet God shall as certainly bring it to passe, as his Word hath said it. And that we might not be dif­fident herein, God hath given us a famous and re­markable instance, and as it were a sensible taste hereof, in that late glorious worke of his in the Kingdome of Scotland (which we noted before) in throwing down that proud Antichristian throne of the Beast, which the Prelates thought impossible to be done, and which seemed at first but as a Psal. 126.1. dreame, even to Gods people, when the Lord brought againe the captivity of his Sion in that Land in so good a mea­sure begun: whereas now that out-cast Hierarchie hath as little hope ever to be restored, as in their prosperitie they had feare or doubt ever to bee so cast out. Yet wee see it with our eyes, that God hath brought to passe this great thing. And shall we [Page 90] doubt of the rest, when he hath given us such a sure earnest of his never fayling word, and of his in­vincible power? Hee that hath puld off one of the the Beasts hornes, shall shortly breake off all his hornes; as the Lord saith, Psal. 75.10. All the hornes of the wicked also will I cut off: but the hornes of the righ­teous shall be exalted. And then, then (I say) when the Kingdome of the Beast, that Whore (which yet desperatly triumpheth in the confidence of her stately Babylon, Chap. 18.7. sitting in her throne, and saying in her heart, I sit a Queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow) shall bee destroyed Verse 8. whose plagues shal come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, when she shal be utterly burnt with fire; for strong is the Lord who judgeth her: and so, when all the King­domes aforesaid shall resume their power and strength from the Beast, Esop and Ho­race. and leave him naked, (as the Birds did the Crow, when each bird tooke his owne feather, wherewith the Crow had pranked him­selfe, exalting himself above his fellows;) and when they shall submit their Scepters unto Jesus Christ, by receiving his government over them, as afore­said: then their Kingdomes become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shal reigne for ever and ever.

But we finde, Chap. 18.9. how the Kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived deli­ciously with the Whore of Babylon, seeing her ruine, shall bewaile her, and lament for her, &c. and yet Chap. 17. that the ten hornes, the ten Kings, that gave their power and Kingdomes to the Beast, shal hate the Whore, and make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. These two places seeme to con­tradict [Page 91] one another. But being rightly understood, there is no contradiction. For first, most sure it is, that the ten Kings aforesaid shal hate the Whore, and be the instruments of her desolation. God will surely bring his word to passe. But yet some of those Kings may at first bee brought to it against their wils, or with an ill will, having beene formerly so much enamoured on the gay painted Whore, and made drunke with the wine of her fornication. We see, those two milch-kine of the Philistins by a strange instinct carried Gods Arke to his place, yet lowed all the way after their Calves (1 Sam. 6.) So the Lord will have his work done upon the whore, though some of the chiefe instruments may have still a yearning of affection after the Whore, for old acquaintance sake. Yet, though some, for their own persons may doe this for a time, and be­cause the Whore fals with her goodly Babylon not­withstanding, because the Kings alone shall not make Babylon desolate, but their Kingdomes, to wit, their people taken altogether: therefore the parti­cular pitie of some for a time shall not hinder the generall hatred of the Whore, and so the Kingdomes of this World mainly and universally shal become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ. And this ma­king desolate of the Whore by the Kings and their people, shall be with such violence of passion, and zeale, which God shall kindle in their hearts and brests, as when it is done, they shal stand amazed to behold the smoke of her burning, and spend some human compassion and pitie upon those terrible and suddaine desolations. Even as Titus, that noble Roman Generall, when through the obdurate obsti­nacie [Page 92] of the Jews in their extreame misery, his souldiers were so enraged, that not only the Citie Jerusalem, but the most beautifull Tem­ple it selfe were set on fire, hee beholding it, wept over it, to see such a goodly and glo­rious building so miserably destroyed: the like compassion may even those Kings have, in wee­ping over Babylon, when they shall behold the ruines thereof, wherein themselves notwithstand­ing, with their people, were the chief Actors. Thus the same Kings, whom the Lord shall employ in the making desolate of Babylon, may bee moved with humane compassion, when they behold even those ruines, which themselves by divine instigation have made. And as the same Titus, though hee cryed to his Souldiers to save that glorious Monument, the Temple, and not to burn it, and seeing it notwith­standing all on a flame, cryed out the more vehe­mently to quench it, but could not prevail to rescue it: So the Kings of the earth, when they shall see the smoke of Babylons burning, and shall thereupon be moved to lament her, saying, Alas, Alas, that great Citiy Babylon, that mighty Citie: yet such is the Lords fury kindled against her, that they shall not be able with all their power, though they would never so fain, to rescue her out of the flames. For the Lord will have it so; and therefore as he hath put in their minds to fulfil his wil in giving their strength and Kingdome to the Beast, until the words of God be fulfilled: So, when the words of God shal be fulfilled, he wil also put in their minds, to fulfil his wil, in the utter destruction of Babylon. And from this time Christ shal reigne for evermore over his people, when the usurping Beast, [Page 93] with all his power shall be put downe, and so when all Kings, Princes and States shal submit their Sce­pters to Christs authority, as before is shewed.

Then shall be great joy, and thanksgiving in the Church, as Verse 16.17: and in the end of this last Trumpet (which how long it shall sound, and the sounding thereof last, he only knows, Acts 1.7. Matth. 24 36. who hath re­served it in his owne brest) shall come the generall judgement of quick and dead, wherein God shall powre wrath upon his wrathfull enemies, and shall reward all his faithful servants, as Verse 18. Now there be sundry other things very mysticall and darke, which seeme to come under the time of this last Trumpet, as (besides the remainder of this Chapter, Verse 19. which gives some light of the generall conversion of the Jewes) the whole twen­tieth Chapter of this Booke: but because they be very obscure, and will require longer time and stronger Prayers for assisting and illuminating grace in the opening of them: therefore I will here put an end for the present, till it shall please God to give a further opportunitie. In the mean time, Chap. 11.17. We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and wast, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. Even so, AMEN.