CHAP. I. The Ʋnion and Onenesse of those five grand enemies of the Church, Daniels foure Beasts and little Horne, set forth by one Image and one Beast.

THese foure Beasts and little Horn that carried the Church of God captive at the first into Ba­bylon, some 600. yeers before Christ, and hath kept them in bondage 1600. yeers, and up­wards, Isa. 28.15. all these were confederate together to break, devour, and trample under their feet with great fury, rage, Dan. 7.7. and malice all the time of their reigne, Isa. 21.15. are therefore said to make a Covenant with Hell and Death for the same purpose. First, Dan. 2.31. the enemies are set forth by one Image, the King of Babylon being the head of it, who carried the Church of God first captive, ver. 38. is the first Beast, chap. 7.4. The King of Persia, which is the Breast and Armes of this Image, who took the Kingdome from the King [Page 2]of Babylon, Dan. 5.31. was Daniels second Beast, Dan. 7.5. The Belly and Thighs of this Image was the King of Graecia, who took the Kingdom from the King of Persia, Dan. 8.6, 7. & 20, 21. which was Daniels third Beast, Dan. 7.6. The Legges and feet was the King of the Romans, who took the Kingdome from the Grecians, Dan. 11.20. set forth by this Character, a raiser of Taxes, as indeed he was, as we may see plainly, Luk. 2.1, 2: he was Daniels fourth Beast, Dan. 7.7. and was more terrible in his persecuting the people of God then any of the three Kings or Monarchs were that went before him, set forth in these words, Verse 7. Dreadfull, terrible, and strong exceedingly, and had great iron teeth, who devoured and broke in pieces, and stomped the residue under his feet. Dan. 2.41. And in this Kings dayes, this great Kingdome and Monarchy was divided into ten Provinces or Kingdomes, set forth by ten hornes, Dan. 7.7. and by ten toes, Dan. 2.41. which were on his feet, but yet all under his power and jurisdiction, and therefore he is said to have ten horns, ten Kings that had ten powers under him; and these ten Kings are not absolute Kings, Rev. 17.12. therefore are said to have received no Kingdome, but reigne as petty Kings under him, and so receive power as Kings one houre with the Beast, not distant from him, Dan. 7.8. Rev. 13.11. but one with him. Now this little horne which Daniel saw come up amongst those ten hornes, which is that second Beast which John saw come out of the earth from amongst the common men of the earth, as indeed he did, was Antichrist, (for he did not come or issue from any royall race or blood) therefore called by the Spirit of God, Dan. 11.21. verse 24. a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the Kingdome, but he shall come in peaceably and obtaine the Kingdome by flatteries, as you may read, ver. 24. So that the Roman Monarch, who is set forth by a raiser of Taxes, was destroyed neither in anger nor in battell, ver. 20. but this little horne through his policy, cau­sed craft to prosper in his hand; Dan. 8.25. he is noted to be very deep and subtill, understanding darke sentences, ver. 23. shewing signes, and wonders, Marke 13.22. Rev. 13.13, 14. and miracles, making fire to come downe from Heaven, by which signs he deceives the whole world, & would have seduced the Elect, if it had been possible; and by his policy and craft he be­gan to work himself into favour with Constantin, 320. who gave him the power of the civill sword in Rome, and the other places adjacent in his time, Rev. 13.2. & afterward obtained the whole Kingdom or Monarch by flattery from the Dragon the Roman Emperour, and therefore he [Page 3]is said to give him his power, seat, & great authority: Rev. 13.2. Dan. 11.23. for after he had made a league with the Roman Emperour about 365. he works de­ceitfully & became strong with a small people; therfore saith the Spi­rit of God, his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power, no, Dan. 8.14. for he got the power from the Roman Emperour by flattery and deceit, and not by strength of Armes; neither did the Romans give him the honour of the Kingdome at the first, but he by his policy and craft, like a Serpent, wound himselfe into the Roman Beast, and so became one with him; and so this Antichristian Whore made the Roman Emperour her stalking-horse to carry her to the Kings of the earth, that shee might commit spirituall fornication with them, Rev. 17.3, 7. Rev. 18.3. and make all the Inhabiters of the earth drunk with the wine of her spirituall fornication, v. 3. And this is noted in the Scripture of truth, that the Roman Beast, and all those ten Kings under him had all one mind to enslave themselves to this Antichristian Whore, Rev. 17.13. and gave their power and strength to her: yea, saith the Text, God hath put it into their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree and give their Kingdome unto the Beast nutill the word of God be fulfilled, ver. 17. So yee see he became one with those four great Beasts or Monarchs of the whole world, all folded and united into one, set forth by an Image, Dan. 2.31.

Secondly, these enemies of the Church of God are set forth by one Beast; The Beast which thou sawest, was, and is not, Rev. 17.8. and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names are not written in the booke of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is: ☜ Here is a great mystery in the onenesse of these five great Monarchs, the Babylonian, the Persian, the Grecian, the Roman, and last of all the Pope or pa­pall Monarch, all make up but one Beast, who was, and is, and is not. For to understand this aright, we must find out the time of this vision, when John did see this Beast, in which of these Kings reigne it was: It is plaine and evident both by Scripture and Ec­clesiasticall Histories, that John saw this vision when the Roman Mo­narchy was extant, and therefore this Beast (is) was, and is not. The Babylonian, the Persian, and Grecian Monarchs was; they all had their time who were considerable with the other two grand enemies of the Church which followed after them, Isa. 28.15. and had made a Covenant with hell and death to set themselves against God and [Page 4]his Church. These three great Beasts were once in being, but at this time, Dan. 7.8. Rev. 13.11 when John saw this vision, were gone and dead. That se­cond Beast which John saw come out of the earth, is not, or is not yet come, ver. 10. is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit, and this is Antichrist; he was not come at this time, for he could not come till he that did let or hinder his comming was taken out of the way, 2 Thes. 2.7. saith the Text, which was the Roman Emperour: And being one with those former Beasts that went before him, by co­venant and confederacy with them, he is said to be this Beast as well as they; but being not come the Spirit of God saith, he is not, or is not yet come, Rev. 17.10.

Thirdly, (yet is) the three former Beasts was not, they were gone, the little horne Antichrist he is not yet come, but the Roman Mo­narch he was then extant, when John saw this vision, and is still in being; and that he was extant in Johns time, it's plaine and evi­dent was the Roman Emperour, Rev. 13.1. for he is said to have seven heads and ten hornes; now none of the other three Monarchs had their Kingdome divided into ten Provinces or Kingdomes, over which there was ten Kings. Dan. 2.41, 42 But this Kingdome in his time, the Scriptures note, was divided into feet and toes, into ten Kingdome which had ten Kings, ten heads over them, reigning one houre with the Beast a short time: Rev. 17.12. And this Roman Beast had seven heads, he was not onely mighty strong (having ten horns) but also full of subtil­ty and craft, set forth by seven heads; seven is a number of per­fection; to note that he was perfect and compleat in pollcy, to doe hurt and mischiefe to the Church of Christ: These seven heads are set forth by mountaines, Rev. 17.9. to note their great power which the Roman Emperour had to destroy the Saints of God, not in re­gard of his ten hornes only, but also his seven heads, full of subtilty & craft, which were as so many mountaines of strength, and there­fore saith the Spirit of God, Rev. 17.9. here is the mind that hath wisdome: A wise man knowes that wisdome and policy is seated in the head, which is the proper seat of wisdome, and not any naturall power of flesh, which is set forth usually by the Arme: Neither are these se­ven heads seven mountaines, on which Rome is built (as some have supposed) but seven mountaines of wisdome and policy: All these ten hornes and seven heads or hils of policy, Dan. 11.21. Rev. 17.8. did the Roman Em­perour resigne to the vile person, Antichrist, who is said to come up [Page 5]out of the bottomlesse pit, because he was so deep in his subtity and craft: The Roman Beast and his ten hornes and Kings had one mind, and gave their power and Kingdome to this Antichristian Beast, and likewise these seven heads, Rev. 17.11. and therefore he is said to be of the seven: so the Roman Beast furnisheth him with power and policy to doe as much hurt and villany to the people of God: as himselfe did: And yet Antichrist is said to bring another head of policy and craft with him beside these seven which the Roman Beast resigned up to him: The Beast which was and is not (even he is the eighth, verse 11. Dan. 8.23. he bringing another head of policy with him) and therefore he is said to understand dark sentences, and to have poli­cy and craft, ver. 25. and to shew such signes and wonders as to de­ceive the Elect, if it were possible, and doth great wonders, Mark 3.22. so that he makes, as it were, Rev. 13.13. Rev. 17.11. fire to come downe from Heaven in the sight of men; this eighth head of policy, the Roman Beast had not, but Antichrist brings this along with him, the Beast that was, and is not, he is the eighth. Thus were these five great Beasts made up into one Beast, making over their power and policy successively one to another, to persecute and destroy the Church of Christ, and the Saints of the most High, Isa. 28.15. by League and Covenant made with death and hell for many yeares.

CHAP. II. This Chapter treats of these two witnesses, or opens those severall titles which the Spirit of God is pleased to set forth his people by in the time of their exile, suitable to the state and condition wherein they were at the same time.

THe people of the most High are set forth by the Spirit of God, by severall titles, while they were in their great exile and cap­tivity under these five devouring beasts; very suitable to that con­dition wherein they were at the same time. But he sets forth the state of the Church in what condition it was in Antichrists time, especially by those titles he put upon them.

1 First, he cals them his two Witnesses. First witnesses; because they did beare witnesse against that grand lye of Antichrist, who [Page 6]denied the Church power to be in the hands of the Spouse of Christ, and that Christ had not left that Ecclesiasticall power of the Church with them, but with him, & that he was Christs Vicegerent; sitting in the Temple of God, 2 Thes. 2.4. lording it over all that is called God. To this great truth of Christs Kingly power in his Church do they give testimony and beare witnesse, denying that he or any in the world hath power to lord it over the Church and Spouse of Christ in Ecclesiasticall matters, Rev. 11.3. for this belongs onely to God and Christ, and so they are called Christs Witnesses, I will give power to my two Witnesses: Rev. 1.1. It was Christ that spake here, this book being called the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, they who give testimony to any truth, though it hath been held forth by any other going before, such a one is called his witnesse; thus God is called Christs witnesse, in saying that he was his Sonne, Joh. 5.32. John is likewise called Christs witnesse, ver. 33. the Apostles are cal­led Christs witnesse, Acts 1.38.3.15. 2 Pet. 1.16. Christ is called the true and faithfull witnesse, Rev. 1.5. & chap. 3.14. So the peo­ple of God and Churches of the Saints are said to be Christs wit­nesses in the day and yeer that Antichrist entred into the Tem­ple and denied the Kingly office of Christ, Anno 375.

Secondly, Title 2. Rev. 11.4. they are called two Candlesticks, and two Olive trees: they are set forth by two Candlesticks and two Olive trees, to shew to us that at this time they were in a true Church-state, as the peo­ple of the Jewes formerly were, Zach. 4.2. Rev. 1.20. who are set forth by one Candle­stick, and the seven Churches of Asia by seven Candlesticks, and the Officers of the Churches are set forth by two Olive trees, that stand before God, Zach. 4.12. and are on both sides of the Candlestick, to empty the golden Oyle of divine truth out of themselves into the bowle of the Candlestick into the bosome of the Church; so it is clear they were at this time in a true Church state, Why the people of God are cal­led two Can­dlesticks. Dan. 18.32. being compleat with their Officers two Olive trees, & they are called but two Candesticks, not only to note to us that the people of God were worshiping him aright in a Church way; but at this time when Antichrist entred into the Temple & denied Christs Kingly office, were few in number, even two, the least of all numbers; for many professors at this time did do wickedly against the Covenant, even broke that Church Co­venant which was amongst them.

Thirdly, Title 3. they are set forth by this title, The Saints of the most high, [Page 7]or high Saints; Dan. 7.21. Rev. 13.7. 2 Thes. 2.4. Cant. 5.7. Rev. 12.6.14. Antichrist having entred into the Temple and dis­throned the Lord Christ, and pluckt the Crowne from his head, stripped the Spouse of Christ of her vaile, & persecuted the Church into the Wildernesse of that Antichristian world, and taken away all their Church power which the Lord Jesus gave them in the day of their espousall: Dan. 12.7. And therefore he is said to scatter the power of the holy people, having so broken them to pieces by his hot persecution in the yeere 375. that they could not, neither might be suffered to hold forth the true worship of God in a Church way, therefore are called Saints of God, Dan. 7.18.21. 25, 26. Rev. 3.7. and high Saints, they being scattered some into one place some into another.

The fourth title by which the people of God are set forth by, Title 4. is a woman cloathed with the Sun, and travelling, Rev. 12.1, 1, 5. and pained to be delivered of a man childe that was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron; the Saints of God being broken to peeces by a wicked and unjust Magistrate, and scattered up and downe in the wildernesse, some here and some there, not being suffered to congregate into a true visible Church by that man of sinne, for the space of 1260. yeares; they having been persecuted by him that full space of time, and afterwards slaine and laid dead for three propheticall daies and a halfe. And some of their brethren and fellow-witnesses being raised up to the high place of Judica­ture and Magistracy, as was evident in the foregoing chapter, Rev. 11.12. The rest of the godly were now with child with this great truth of Christ in point of Civill Government, by which the Lord Jesus in and by his Saints, was to rule all nations with a rod of Iron. Therefore cryed they earnestly to God by zealous and fervent Prayer, (and to his witnesses, their fellow-servants that sate in Heaven, by humble request and petition) that they might have a godly Magistracie set up in the world, and that Antichrist that wicked oppressour, who had made the world as a wildernesse, Isa. 14.17. and destroyed the Cities thereof, and that wicked murderer which had devoured the people of God for many ages, and slaine his wit­nesses, Rev. 11.7, 8. and laide their dead bodies in the streets, might be cast now out of heaven; the place of Judicature; and the people of God, and those that would raigne for that man childe Jesus, might be left in Heaven, to sit as Kings in the Civill Throne. This birth and travell of the people of God was in the yeare 1641. and 1641. And thus the Church and people of God travelled for, and tooke great pains to [Page 8]have it come to passe, and was much pained and travelled in their minds untill they had accomplished their desires, and was deliver­ed of this man child, the year of Christ 1641. as shall be shewed more fully when we come to speake of those effects and conse­quences which followed upon the witnesses ascending up to Hea­ven. Thus you see the Spirit of God set forth the state and condi­tion, in which his Church and people were to be in the time of their exile & captivity, under those five grand enemies of his Saints, especially that little horne Antichrist; by these severall titles which he gave them, very fitting and agreeable with the present conditi­on which they were in at the same time; not at any time mention­ing some of his people, and leaving out others; but intending all of them: For Antichrist could not deceive any of Gods Elect, it was not possible he should. Mar. 13.22. From the yeare of Christ 375. to 1635. Therefore all of them, as one man, did witnesse to that truth of Christ in point of power, that he was to sit Lord and King in his Temple, and not Antichrist; and to be Lord over the consciences of his Saints and Spouse, and not man: So they were all scattered into the Wildernesse, and there did pro­phecy and speak one to another for their mutuall edification, and so are called Saints of the most High; and all of them were with childe, and travelled for a godly Magistracy, 1641. Therefore set forth by a woman in travell. So by two witnesses yee see is meant all the people of God, and not two distinct men, or distinct offices, the Magistracy and the Ministery, as some of our learned have sup­sed, nor the two Testaments.

CHAP. III This Chapter shewes the time of those five Monarchs raigning and tyran­nizing it over the Church, (especially of the little borne Antichrist) when he began and when he ended his raigne, at the same time the witnesses began to prophecy and ended.

THose five cruell and malicious Enemies of the Church of Christ, Dan. 8.26. were to continue for many daies. From the very first beginning to the last period and time of their end when they shall be quite destroyed, and the Church set free from all her enemies, [Page 9]and set downe in peace and tranquility upon the throne with Christ here on Earth, to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron. The Spirit of God holds forth in Daniel, Dan. 8.14. to be two thousand and three hundred Propheticall daies, or naturall yeares. Six hundred years from the first time that the people of God, and Church of the Jewes. was carried captive by the Babylonians to Christs time. And from Christs time, to the enemies last period or totall ruine, and the Churches finall deliverance, 1700. yeares. Isa. 14.19. And then the Beast and Antichrist shall be quite cast out of the World, as an abominable branch. And this the Spirit of God notes, Dau. 8.26. that the time of this vision is not only true, but is the vision of the evening and morning. The evening beginning at the first time that the people of God went into captivity, and entred upon the night of their exile and banishment by the Caldeans. And the morning beginning not before all the darknesse of that antichristian night be gone, & the Church freed from all her enemies, Mal. 4.2. Rev. 2.27. Isa. 24.23. and risen with that Sun of righteous­nesse to the thrones of his glory, to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron; And to raigne upon Mount Zion and in his new Jerusalem, before his Antients gloriously. From the evening to the morning shall be 2300. propheticall daies, and not naturall daies, for that cannot be meant, providence hath declared the contrary very evidently.

This is the full time of all the enemies raigne in generall, and of the people of Gods captivity and bondage from the evening to the morning; (but Antichrist, that little horne or power which Dani­el saw come up amongst the other ten hornes; ☜ Dan. 7.8. the Spirit of God spake more distinctly and exactly of the time of his raigne, and of the time of his ruine, then of any of the other foure Monarchs, Dan. 2.7. and 11.12. he being the last & more cruell in his persecution against the Saints, then any of the other; though the Roman Monarch came very neer to him: the time of his raigne is set down to be a Time, Times, and halfe a Time by Daniel, and 42. Moneths by John, ☜ Dan. 12.7. Rev. 13.5.) Power was given to him to continue forty and two moneths. And the Saints captivity under him the same time, who are set forth by the worke which they did, and the state they were in the same time Antichrist is said to begin his raigne; their worke was to give testimony, and to beare witnesse of that great truth of Christs Kingly power in his Church and Temple, and to protest against Antichrist his lye, (who said, he had the power given to him) and against his act, sitting in [Page 10]the Temple of God. And they were to continue witnessing and pro­phesying the same time which Antichrist is to raigne, Rev. 11.3. Rev. 12.6. set forth by 1260. daies, and to be in their exile and banishment in the wilder­nesse of that antichristian world, nourished and fed by Gods pro­viding and overshadowing hand of providence, Rev. 12.14. for a Time, Times, and half a Time, the same with Antichrist. A time may be taken for 1000. yeares, times for 200. yeares, halfe a time for halfe a hun­dred years: Or thus, a time to be one year, times to be two years, halfe a time halfe a yeare; there being 1260. daies in three yeares and a half. And so the Holy Ghost reckons a day for a yeare, us he doth in Daniel in the vision of the evening and morning, Dan. 8.14, 26. 2300. daies for so many yeares; Rev. 11.3.12, 6. and this agrees with the other times that the witnesses should prophesie, and that the woman was to be fed in the wildernesse, which was 1260. daies, a daie for a yeare, be­ing so many propheticall daies or naturall yeares. Rev. 13.5. Antichrist con­tinuing forty and two moneths, being the same with the former, every moneth containing 30. daies, which according to the Grecian account amounts to the same number 1260. daies, a day for a year. So the time of Antichrists raigne, and the people of Gods bon­dage and slavery under him, is 1260. propheticall daies or naturall yeares. Now we are to finde out when he began his raigne, and when he is said to end. About the yeare 320. Constantine stood up, the Church and people of God having been exceedingly broken to peeces, devoured & trampled under foot, for some 320. years by Daniels fourth Beast, Dan. 7.7. Constuntine standing up for the Christians, and favouring their way, Syluster Bi­shop of Rome. Dan. 11.23. thereupon resigne the civill power of Rome and other places adjacent to the Bishops of Rome; and so he began to take the power of the Emperour and the civill sword, be­ing noted by Daniel, that he began by a small people, and is cal­led a little horne; as indeed they were but very few Christians to the whole body of that Roman Empire, neither had he any great power at this present time: But at this time he did not begin his raigne, (some say) 315. or 316. but that cannot be. But most agree upon 365. and that the whole power of the Empire was resigned up to him by the Roman Emperour at this time, which is very like­ly, that he by his policy and craft gained the power of the Empire, at or about this time, Dau. 11.21.23. or the most part of it; for he crept in by lit­tle and little into the hearts of the Roman Emperours, and so into [Page 11]the hearts of his Kingdome even by flattery, and began with a small people; Dan. 11.25. and through his subtilty and policie caused craft to prosper in his hand, and by peace destroyed many, pretending to the Christian Emperours that he was for the good and welfare both of their souls and bodies, Church and Empire, and if the power of the Empire might be resigned up to him he would im­ploy it for the good of both. Whereupon the Roman Emperour resigned up the whole power, or most of it, to the Bishop of Rome 365. or thereabout. And this is noted in the Scripture of truth. That he took away the Jewa sacrifice the same yeer, called, Dan. 9, 11. The daily Sacrifice; therefore it is said that an host was given him against the daily sacrifice, Dan. 6.12. The Spirit of God chara­ctariseth him by a little horne, which none of the other Monarchs were ever set forth by; and because he is said to wax great to the host of Heaven, which none of the other did, Vers. 12. And by him (saith the Text) was the daily sacrifice taken away, and an host was given him by the Roman Emperour against the daily sacrifice; Dan. 11.31. and armes shall stand on his side, and they shall pollute the Sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily seerifice, and they shall set up the abomination that maketh desolate. Antichrist the Bishop of Rome could not be against the Jews way of worship, 1 Thes. 1.7. so as to destroy it and take it out of the way, nor pollute Gods House and Sanctuary and set up his abo­mination, untill the Roman Emperour was taken out of the way; that is, untill he had resigned the civill power of the Empire to him, or most of it. And therefore it is said, that an host was gi­ven him against the daily sacrifice, and armies shall stand on his part. So it's cleare, the daily sacrifice was taken away by Anti­christ, and those armies and hosts were given him by the Roman Emperour; and this he did by an host and by the power of aims (which was the civill power of the Empire:) and he tooke the daily sacrifice away about 365. as Carion affirms. Carian Chron. lib. 3.

But the Spirit of God doth not begin his time when Antichrist took the power of the Empire into his hand, nor when he tooke away the Jews daily sacrifice; for if he had not entred into the Christians Churches and true Temple of God, and dis-throned Christ, and stripped his Spouse of her vale, and scattered the power of the holy people by the civill sword of the Empire, but ruled for God and Christ and the welfare of his people, the Spirit [Page 12]of God would not have looked upon him as Antichrist. And therefore the Lord begins Antichrists time when he first entred into his Temple, 2 Thess. 24. and sat as God himselfe, lording it over the consciences of men in matters divine, which only belong to God and to Christ. From this time doth the Spirit of God begin An­tichrists reigne and the Churches slavery and bondage under him, which he did not doe so soon as he entred upon any of the power of the Empire, either 320. or 365. for this is noted of him, He came in (saith John) like a Lambe, Rev. 13.11. seeming to all the Churches of the Saints (and to the people of the whole Empire, to be an inno­cent Lamb) one that would doe no harme, which he did not from 320. when he had the civill power of Rome and other places ad­jacent resigned up to him, untill he had through his policy and craft made a League with the Roman Emperour Anno 365. or thereabouts. Ban. 11.23. Then after this the Spirit of God notes that he shall worke deceitfully; as indeed he did now at the comming in of Con­stantine, that great persecution for 320. yeers against the Churches ceased, and the Saints had through Constantines becomming a Christian respite and reviving, for now the Roman Beast had such a wound given him at this time, as if that he would die presently and not live again. But after some few yeers this wound was cu­red, and Antichrist starts up in the former Beasts stead, Rev. 13.11. Dan. 7.8, 20. and speaks (like a Dragon) very great things against the people of God, and wrought deceitfully against the Saints, pretending at the first to be all for them, but now having got the civill power in his hand, is quite against them; and by this civill horne or power enters into the Temple where the people of God was congregated according to the order of the Gospell and takes away their power, and so is said to be a Lambe that had two horns, two powers, the Civill and Ecclesiasticall; Eev. 13.11. which was done about the yeere of Christ 375. some ten yeers after the daily sacrifice was taken away. From this time doth the Lord reckon, Antichrist begins his reigne. and thus Antichrist is said to begin his reigne 375. and reigns 1260. yeers, and the two witnesses to be in sackcloth, and to prophesie the full space of time 1260. yeeres. Then they are to end in the yeere 1635. for 375. and 1260. makes 1635. untill this time is Antichrist to reigne and the witnesses to prophesie. That he began Anno 375. will appeare more fully when we come to speak of the witnesses arising and ascending up to Hea­ven, [Page 13]and Antichrist his fall; God having promised, Hab. 2.3. That at the end the vis [...]on shall speake and not lie: Now it must speake by those great acts of Gods providence by which God is pleased to open visions and mysteries. For this time of Antichrists reigning over the Saints was hid from all men both in Heaven and Earth, he not beginning when he tooke the Civill power, as all our former wri­ters have supposed, none looking to the time when he entred into the Temple, and made war with the Saints which were in a Church way, and this he tooke but by parcels. And in that he is said not to begin untill he enter into the Temple, and when he entred is not recorded in Ecclesiasticall History, truly (as I conceive) the reason may be, That it might be hid.

CHAP. IV. The tyranny and cruelty of Antichrist against the people of God all his time he was to continue, and the Saints to prophesie; and likewise when they had ended their testimony with the worke and imployment of the Saints and witnesses while they were in sackcloth.

THe tyranny of Antichrist is set forth by this, that he exercised all the power of the former Beast, Rev. 13.2. Rev. 17.3, 7. the former Beast having given him his seat, power, and great authority: This Antichristian Whore now rides upon the Roman Emperour, and makes him her stalk­ing beast, Vers. 2. not onely to commit spirituall fornication with the Kings of the earth, and make all the Inhabiters of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication, but likewise to devour, breake in pieces, and stamp the residue under his feet, even the poore Saints and Churches of Christ for 1260. yeeres; and he is said to exercise all the power of the former Beast, the Roman Emperour Daniels fourth Beast, Rev. 13.14, 15 First steps of Antichrist, cruelty a­gainst the Saints. Dan. 11.38. Dan. 11.30. Dan. 11.32. Dan. 11.28. who did the same to the Saints as ye may see, Dan. 7.7. And fitly called the Image of the Roman Beast, both in his malice, cruelty, and strength. First, he breaks the Saints or Churches of Christ in pieces the day he entred into the Temple 375. and broke that League and Church-covenant which were amongst them, and so he and many more that were of them in the same League and Covenant, are said to doe wickedly a­gainst the Covenant, and his heart is said to be against the holy Covenant; [Page 14]meaning that Church Covenant that was amongst the people of God, for he knew very well, that so long as the people of God kept close to that Church Covenant, that they would retaine that Ec­clesiasticall and Church power amongst themselves, and so have kept him from mixing his cup and his inventions with the pure doctrine of the Church, therefore his heart was said to be against this h [...] ­ly Covenant, Rev. 12.13, 14. Dan. 12.7. and he brake it all to pieces, persecuting the Saints into the Wildernesse, scattering their power up and downe into the world; here one Saint, there another, and thereupon he takes all the Church power into his hand: Thus the Church and Church Co­venant was broken all to pieces by him, 2 Thes. 2.3, 8. and so he scattered the Ecclesiasticall Church power; for which act of his, he is called That man of sinne, and That wicked one: and saith the Spirit of God, He is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Sonne. 1 Joh. 2.22. Antichrist he sits in the Temple of God, shewing himselfe to be God, in that wicked act of his, in exalting or lording himselfe over the consci­ences of all those that are Gods, and so deny Christ to have any power in his Temple, in that he denied the Saints of it, to whom Christ had given it, saying, that he was Christ, that he hath power over mens consciences in matters of worship, therefore saith our Saviour, Luke 21.8. False Christs shall come in my name, in my power, saying, that the power belongeth to him, and so he denies the Sonne; 1 Joh. 2.23. now saith the Scripture, He that denies the Sonne, denies the Father, for he denies that God or Christ hath now the power in their hands, but hath delivered over to him all concerning wor­ship in his Church, verse 22. and so he indeed is Antichrist.

This sinne of his is called The Mystery of Iniquity: 2 Thes. 2.7. It is such a deep and covered sinne as that it is called a Mystery, having such faire pretences and glosses going along with it; yea, and it may be he did really intend to rule for God and the good of his Church, as out of doubt it was thus with the Bishop of Rome at this time, 375. Therefore men might think, surely God and Christ had given him power so to order things both in the State and Church, that there might be a uniformity in Religion, that men might be all of one mind in the worship and service of God, and so both the Church and the whole Empire might live and be in much peace and quietnesse. Who would think this to be an evill or sinne? If a sinne, yet not such a sinne as the Scriptures [Page 15]make it to be, no, indeed a man would not think it to be so at the first view; therefore the Spirit of God saith, 2 Thes. 2.10. Rev. 11.7.17.8. Dan. 8.25. That he ascended out of the bo [...]omlesse pit, digged deep for this his subtilty and craft, and that his working is after the manner of Satan, with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse, transforming himselfe into an Angell of light through his craft and policy: pretending it is for their good and welfare, as the Serpent did to Eve, thereby deceiving the whole world, Gen. 3.5. Marke 13.22. John 10.6.8. and would have done the like to the Elect of God and witnesses of Christ if it had been possible. But the Sheep would not heare him, for they know not the voyce of a stranger, but they know the voyce of Christ and will follow him, ver. 4. But Antichrist that was a stranger they would not follow, for they know not his voyce (to come from God.) Whereupon he brake them all to pieces, and their Church Covenant, and cast the Spouse of Christ out of Gods House and Temple, sitting as God himselfe over mens con­sciences, directing and teaching them how to worship God after his owne precepts: for which God cals him proud Lucifer, Isa. 29.13.14.13. who said in his heart, I will ascend up to Heaven, I will exalt my Throne above the Starres of God, I will be like the most High, verse 14. (Oh proud Lucifer, sonne of the morning:) Therefore the Lord cals him, that man of sinne, and that wicked one and his sinne, 2 Thes. 2.3.8. a Mystery. We doe not meet with the like expressions in the Scrip­so high and sublime, to note and set forth to us the heinousnesse of this sinne: a sinne next to the sinne against the holy Ghost, and the depth of his sinne a Mystery. For to take the Crown from the Kings head, and to take him off from his princely Throne, and throw him out of his Palace against law and justice, is a horrible thing yea further, to force his Queen, & to make her to prostrate her selfe to a stranger, yea, to a vile person, this is a sin unparaleld; but to doe so to the Prince of Princes, and of the Kings of the earth, Rev. 1.5. and to his Spouse the Church of Christ, and Saints of the most High, this is a sinne brought out of the bottomlesse pit by Lucifer sonne of the morning, even that sonne of perdition, (the Lord of his free grace and mercy kept his Witnesses from this sinne, who now are ascended up to Heaven to execute judgement upon Antichrist for this sinne.) Yea, he hath secretly hinted to us in holy writ, that he will keep them from this sinne, yea, they shall be so farre from this sinne, that they shall give some liberty to weak consci­ences [Page 16]for the present, Rev. 6.11. while they are pouring forth the fifth and sixth Viall.

2 Secondly, Antichrist did not onely breake the Church and people of God, and that Church Covenant into pieces, but devou­red many of the Saints all the time of his reigne, witnesse all those holy and godly Martyrs that suffered Martyrdome before and in Queen Maries dayes.

3 Thirdly, the rest that were left of the Saints he stamped under his feet, that is, he kept them in slavery and bondage all his reigne, by those ten hornes or Kings who gave their power and strength up to him, who are set forth by those ten toes that are on his feet.

Thus Antichrist exercised all the power of the former Roman Beast, Rev. 3.12. and exercised as much malice and cruelty against the Saints in breaking them to pieces, devouring and trampling those that were left, Dan. 7.7. as the Roman Emperour did.

Object. But it will be objected; how comes it to passe that that sinne of Antichrist in breaking the Churches and Church Covenant to pieces to be so great in him, and not in the Roman Emperour, when he did the same thing, Dan. 7.7.

Answ. The Roman Emperour did it ignorantly, Antichrist knowingly, against the light of his owne understanding, he did it as an open professed enemy; Antichrist as a secret enemy and open professed friend, like Judas; yea, he and the rest with him who dealt wickedly against the Covenant, professed themselves to be the Spouse and Witnesse of Christ: And for them to deale treche­rously, and break this holy Covenant and Oath of wedlock, and play the harlot, and commit spirituall fornications with the Kings of the earth; and not so onely, but to break this Covenant be­twixt Christ and his deare Spouse, and take the Crowne from his head, and his Spouse out of his bosome, and cast him and them out of his House and Temple, and sit as Lord and King, as though he was God or Christ himselfe; surely this is a greater sinne then that of the Roman Emperour, for he never did sit in the Temple shewing himselfe to be God.

The worke and imployment of the Saints of God, and witnes­ses of Christ, all the time of Antichrists tyranny, and their being in sack-cloth, Rev. 11.3, 7. was to prophesie and give testimony. To prophesie [Page 17]is to speake and preach to the mutuall edification and comfort of another; this they had liberty to do all, 1 Car. 14.31. all the time of their bon­dage, 1260. years, I will give power to my two witnesses and they shall pro­phesie. Rev. 11.3. When God gives liberty and power, neither Devils nor the Roman Beast, or his Image the Pope can hinder them.

Secondly, they are to give testimony, or beare witnesse to all the truths of Christ, especially that truth which Antichrist was to deny in point of power; that Christ was Lord and King over his Church; which they did from the first rising of Antichrist. 375. to his end, 1635. for they are said, Rev. 11.7. not to finish their testimony untill that time, and to his Priestly office; that we are freely justified by his grace, and not by our owne merits.

CHAP. V. The witnesses are slaine by Autichrist, and lye dead three daies and a halfe, are raised upon their feet, and ascend up to Heaven.

THe witnesses were to prophesie and give testimony 1260. years, from 375. to 1635. and had power given them of Christ so to do: when they have finished their testimony and done their work, Rev. 11.7. then Antichrist, that Beast that ascended out of the bottomlesse pit, was to make war against them and slay them.

There is a naturall, civill and spirituall slaying, we cannot sup­pose it to be meant of a naturall slaying: for by those two witnes­ses, is meant all the Saints and people of God; and Christ will not suffer the Devill and wicked men to slay all his people at one time, or in one age, no not in the hottest persecution of the Ro­man Emperour, in those 300. yeares, though many hundred have been slaine at a time. And if we should understand by these wit­nesses the godly ones of the Magistracy and Ministery, and to be naturally slaine, so they have been in former ages, in the daies of their prophesie, as other of the Saints have been, (as is set forth by the word devoure,) and so the Spirit of God hath said no new thing, but what he had formerly spoken; therefore it cannot be meant a naturall slaying.

Secondly, there is a spirituall slaying, and this cannot be meant; [Page 18]neither men nor Devils can spiritually slay the Saints and witnes­ses of Christ, none is able to pluck them out of Christs hand.

There is a civill slaying, and that must needs be meant in this place. Now by civill slaying is meant nothing else but a taking a­way all their civill power which they had, as they were free born subjects in the State or Kingdom wherein they live, that they might not give testimony to the truths of Christ, and prophesie to the mutuall edification and comfort one of another, as they had for­merly done for 1260. yeares. But if any Magistrate or Minister, or private man, did protest against that grand lye of Antichrist, saying that they had no Power, Pope, Cardinall, or Prelate, to sit in Christs Temple, and to Lord it over the consciences of his people, present­ly they were cast out of office, their mouthes were stopped, and their bodies imprisoned or they banished out of their own native Country. And this was very apparent here in our Island, when most of the witnesses were so dealt withall, who did openly oppose Antichrist, between the yeare 1635. and 1638. and a halfe: Those three ever honoured worthies of Christ, Master Burton, Doctor Bastwick, Ma­ster Pryn, (who were a lively embleme of the rest, witnessing against the power of the Prelates,) and others, who were forced to [...]lye their owne Country.

Thus were they civilly slaine by Antichrist, Rev. 11.8. and 11. and their dead bo­dies lay in the streets of that spirituall Sodome, three daies and a halfe, the power being taken out of their hands that they might neither give testimony nor prophesie; in the Scripture sense they are said to be not only slaine, but to lye as dead bodies; that is, men made as uselesse in the world: And [they would not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.] That is, they would not suf­fer humane courtesies to be shewed to them, not to buy nor sell, no not not to have commerce or converse with any; Rev 13.17. so bitter and cru­el were the Pope and Prelates between 1635. and 1638. and a half. We in England found it by wofull and sad experience, and our neighbour Nation of Scotland, in both which most of Christs wit­nesses were slaine. Rev. 15.2. Indēed there were other witnesses which the Lord Christ had in other places, but those had got victory over the Beast, Rev. 7.14, 15. and his Image, and marke, and number of his name, who came out of the great tribulations, had indured great conflicts with Antichrist, but at last came out of them, and so made their [Page 19]garments white with the blood of the Lambe, and now worship God and Christ in his house and Temple day and night, Rev. 7.4. who are the sealed ones of God; sealed, when the sixth Viall was to be poured upon the great River Euphrates, Rev. 16.12. when those foure Angels were loosed that were bound in that River. These were not slaine by Antichrist, but are said to be upon Mount Sion with the Lambe, Rev. 9.14. upon the hill of his Church, singing a new Song, Rev. 14.1. which none can singe but the 144000. who have not defiled themselves with that Antichristian Whore, or any of her spirituall fornications, Vers. 3. these are redeemed from amongst men, from being slaine by Antichrist, Vers. 4. that they might be the first fruits to God and to the Lambe in a Church way.

When Antichrist had thus slaine the witnesses, and laid them dead three daies and a halfe, not suffering their dead bodies to be put in graves; then at the end of time, which was 1638. and a halfe, just at that instant of time did the Spirit of God enter into the hearts and spirits of the godly part, Rev. 11.11. Ezra 1.1. both in England and in Scotland, as he did into Cyrus. And they stood upon their feet] that is, they tooke courage, and put liberty, life, goods, and all to their hands, and tooke to them all that power and strength they had to free themselves from that dead and slavish condition where­in Antichrist had brought them. Thus the Spirit of life from God entred into them, and they stood upon their feet; and saith the Text, Feare fell upon them that saw them. And indeed so there did fall a great fear upon all that saw them of the antichristian party, Rev. 11.11. both in Scotland and England, yea, at Rome it self, witnesse the Popes Ma­sterpeece. All that knew of the godly party rising, feare and hor­rour seized upon them, and when they stood thus upon their feet, Vers. 12. ready to do any service that God should put them upon, Presently they heard a voyce from Heaven saying, Come up hither. This voice was not from the materiall Heavens, or the third or high Heavens, where God and his Angels are, for then they should have ascended up thither: neither is this voice from the Church or Temple, for then they should at the same time have ascended up into a true Church-State; and if they had done so, Antichrist would quickly have brought them down, & broken them all to peeces again, as he had formerly done by the power of the civill sword, which was still in his hand. Therefore by Heaven is meant in this place, the place [Page 20]of Judicature, the mount of the Congregation, ssa 14.13. the place of ju­stice, the voice came from this Heaven. That wise and godly men would now ascend to this place to do justice upon Antichrist, who had slaine the Saints of the most High, and witnesses of Christ, and by his oppression and cruelty. This voice was heard first from the whole Commons in Scotland, in whom all the power which is in Heaven did originally reside, and afterwards in England, both from the whole Common-weale, and likewise from the King him­selfe, who sate in Heaven, Rev. 11.12. And they ascended up to Heaven, that is, they ascended to the high place of Judicature, the same time 1639. in Scotland, and afterward here in England. They ascended up in a cloud; Ma [...]. 4.16. that is, in a time of great darknesse and ignorance, the whole world being overwhelmed with darknesse and ignorance; Likewise by a cloud and darknesse is set forth, Joel 2.2. a state of misery and distresse. And what misery and distresse was the people of God in, and all the whole world at this very time, and therefore is truly said, that they ascended up in a cloud in a time of great ignorance and misery.

CHAP. VI. Christ is said to come at this time in the clouds of Heaven, or in his Saints, to execute juddgement upon Antichrist, with those signes of his comming; very few of his Saints that have faith to beleeve this, only some few, who are counted wise.

THe witnesses being in Heaven, Mat. 14.30. the Lord Jesus is to come in the clouds of Heaven to execute judgement upon that man of fin. By clouds is mystically meant the witnesses of Christ, in whom he is by his Spirit, as is noted in the Scripture of truth: When he is said to come in the clouds of Heaven, he is said at the same time to come with his Saints, Dan. 7.13. Daniel saith, He [...] like the Sonne of [...] come in the clouds of Heaven, when the thrones of those Beasts or Kings were cast down, Zach. 14.3. And Zechariah saith, when the Lord shall goe forth to fight against those Kings that carried Jerusalem captive [...] meaning the Church of God, whether J [...]es or Gentil [...], and by those Kings he meanes those foure Beasts, and the little horne An­tichrist; [Page 21]then saith he, The Lord my God shall come; verse 5. and all his Saints with him; and when the Lord Christ speaks of his comming to judge the enemies of the Church, and to deliver his people, he saith, That he shall come in the clouds of Heaven; and againe saith John, Matth. 24.30. Be­hold he commeth with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him, meaning the Jewes, Rev. 1.7. who shall be brought to Christ in this age; and Enoch, the seventh from Adam, saith, Behold, the Lord commeth with 10000. of his Saints to execute judgement upon all for their ungodly deeds which they have committed, &c. ☜ The Saints of God and witnesses of Christ that are now in Heaven are very fitly resembled to clouds, in a two-fold respect: They serving for the same end and use in a mysticall and spirituall way, as clouds doe in a litterall and naturall way.

First, clouds are to keep us from the scorching and burning hear of the Sunne; so doe the clouds of our mysticall Heaven, the Saints of the most High, and Witnesses of Christ keep the people of Christ from those scorching and burning beames of that Antichristian Sunne, which hath burned many of the deare Saints of Christ to a [...]es, and would doe the like to us at this time (being so much en­raged with malice and fury as they are) if it were not for these my­sticall clouds that are fixed fast in our Heaven.

Secondly, clouds serve to carry water and moysture to water and fatten the dry and barren earth, to make in fat and fruitfull: To the same end, in a mysticall and spirituall way, serve the clouds of our Heaven, not only to the Saints of God, but also to all other who have been dryed and parched by the heat of that Antichristian Sunne, even by his oppression, tyranny and cruelty; and the clouds of our Heaven are to carry water that may refresh the people of God and the whole land, I meane just and righteous lawes and ordinances, which may free us from those great taxations and op­pressions which wee meet with from Antichrist, which hath been done in part, and were those evill spirits which were raised by those three unclean spirits like frogs which came out of the mouth of the false prophet, Rev. 16.13. out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, destroyed out of our land, we should see such great floods of waters flow from our clouds, as though the windowes of Heaven, and flood gates of the great Ocean were set open, foretold, and prophesied of by the servants of God, and therefore it is said, The Lord will send downe [Page 22]blessings like raine upon the mowen grasse, Psal. 72.6. and as showres that water the earth, the Valleys shall bring forth abundantly, and the hils shall drop down fatnesse, verse 3. the mountaines shall bring peace to the people, and the little hils by righteousnesse. Thus we see the Saints and Witnesses fitly resem­bled to clouds, in whom the Lord Jesus by his Spirit is come, and sits upon the Throne to judge Antichrist: we shall see it more plainly if we look into, and open those foure signes which the Lord Christ gives us of his comming to judge Antichrist. One signe is before his comming, another just at his comming, two after he is come. The signes before his comming is, First signe of Christs com­ming to judge Antichrist. the Sunne shall be darkned, and the Moon shall not give her light; we are not to understand this litteral­ly: at Christs first comming to judgement to judge Antichrist, but at his last comming to judge quick and dead then it may be litterall, but not now; of those two luminaries, but mystically. Antichrist is said to have a world, Isa. 14.13. to ascend up to Heaven: In this Heaven here is the Sunne, and Moon, and Starres, himselfe being the Sunne, Oh Lucifer Sonne of the morning, Isa. 14.12. and his Cardinals that receive their light from him are the Moon, and the Prelats the Stars of this Hea­ven, for they are in this Heaven, in the House and Temple of God, where the Stars or Saints of God were, and they lorded it over all that was called Gods, as though they themselves had been God, and they likewise sit in the high place of judicature. ☞ Now these two great lights of this Antichristian Heaven were darkned a little before Christ came in the clouds of Heaven; they began to grow darke in Luthers time, and in King Edward the fixths time, and likewise. Queene Elizabeths time, by the rising and shining of that glorious Sunne of righteousnesse in the preaching of the Gospels truth: Matth. 4.2. and the more this Sunne shined, the more those Antichristian lights grew paler and darker, untill the very time that he came in the clouds of Heaven; this signe before Christs comming was and is plainly fulfilled and accomplished before our eyes.

2 Secondly, the signe at, and in the very instant time of his com­ming, and this signe is in Heaven; Matth. 24.30. we are to keep the metaphor, not litterally to be understood for those naturall Heavens, as many have supposed, and so have dreamed of a glorious light which was to shine or break forth from those Heavens immediately before Christ came, which may be true at his last comming: But by those Heavens or Heaven, is meant the Heaven or high place, [Page 23]where Antichrist had his seat and throne: First, he had his high place, where he sate about Ecclesiasticall affaires and Church mat­ters, this is not the Heaven here meant. Secondly, he had his high place and throne, where he sate to determine matters of the State and Common-weale, Isa. 14.13. Ʋpon the Mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North, where the Judges of the civill law were wont to sit in ancient time; this is the Heaven or high place where the signe of the Son of man is to appeare, immediately at his comming in the clouds of Heaven: and this signe was nothing else but that sudden alteration that was in this Heaven, the day or yeer the Witnesses as­cended up to this Heaven, in the yeere before 1638. Pope and Prelate sate as sole Judges in this Heaven, over the Saints and people of God; but 1639. the Witnesses are raised up to this Heaven in Scotland, and sit as Lord and Judges of them, who by a solemn Oath made with the most high God, cast out Pope and Prelate out of Heaven: never to have to do or to meddle with Church or State af­faire, but to be cast from Heaven, as the Spirit of God foretold; Isa. 14.2. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer sonne of the morning, and how art thou cut downe to the ground, which didst weaken the Nations: Rev. 12.9. and againe; The great Dragon was cast out into the earth, and his Angels with him. This is the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven, which appeares plainly by this which our Saviour notes to be at the same time: Then (saith he) shall all the Tribes of the earth mourne, when they see the Sonne of man come in the clouds of Heaven. Mat. 24.30. Rev. 1.7. Was not this very evident? did not all the Tribes of that Antichristian earth mourn when they see the godly party not onely to stand upon their feet, which had lien dead three yeers and a halfe? but now seeing them ascend to the high place of Judicature, they were filled with feare and sorrow, supposing some dreadfull thing would follow: The Popes Master-piece witnesseth at large, what feare and sorrow was not onely here amongst the Antichristian party, but at Rome it selfe.

3 Thirdly, the third signe was, that the Starres should fall from Hea­ven. By Starres, Matth. 24.29. we shewed was meant those lesser lights of that Antichristian Heaven, which was popish Lords and Prelats, which were as fixed Starres of this Heaven; they fell downe to the earth (not to have any more power in the Church or State) in Scotland, the yeer 1639. and in England 1641. and shall fall from Heaven [Page 24]in all the other eight Kingdomes of the Beast very shortly.

The fourth and last signe of Christs comming in the clouds of Heaven to judge Antichrist, The fourth signe. Luke 21.25. is the roaring of the Sea; The Sea and the waves thereof shall roare, we are to keep to the metaphor: Anti­christ had a world, in that world he had his Heavens and lights therein, and he hath an earth and sea: by sea in a natu­rall way is meant, Rev. 17.15. Psal. 2.1, 3. Psal. 149.8. Psal. 2.6. nothing else but many waters gathered toge­ther metaphorically, and mystically many people, multitudes, and nations, and tongues; and these are said to rage and roare when Jesus Christ in his Saints are about to bind the wicked with cords, their Kings in chaines, and Nobles in fetters of iron, and when God is about to set his King upon his holy hill of Sion. And have not we seene the Heathen and the Antichristian party rage and fume even like the waves of the Sea, as though they would overwhelme and beare downe all before them? but yet this their rage is nothing, or but very little to what will be in all the other eight Kingdoms: Oh how will they rage and lift up their waves to Heaven when Christ and his witnesse shall come to poure forth the fifth Viall upon the seat and throne of the Beast, and the sixt Viall upon the River Eu­phrates amongst them there, which will be as soone as they have poured them forth here. Matth. 24.30. Thus have we seene these foure great signes of Christ comming to judge Antichrist in the clouds of Hea­ven in part fulfilled before our eyes, And be is said to come in power and great glory. This glory is not an outward luster, or glory as some have suposed to be in the firmament, Matth. 16.27. Exod. 34.6. Exod. 33.19. which may be true at his last comming, but a mysticall and spirituall glory at this time, even the glory of God his Father. The same glory which God shewed unto Moses, when he defired to see his glory, which was called all his goodnesse or excellency, which indeed is the glory of all his Attibutes; and in this glory Christ is said to come at this time, when he came in mysticall clouds.

First, Rev. 11.12. he is said to come in power: What great power did Christ manifest in raising up his Saints and Witnesses from such a low state, a state of death, and to set them upon their feet by his Spi­rit, that entred into them the yeere 1639. and raised them up to Heaven and cast their enemies out. Here was the glory of his great power seene, Rach. 4, 6. as the holy Ghost saith, not by power of an Ar­my, or by the might of a fleshly arme was they raised up to Heaven, but by the Spirit of God.

Secondly, Rev. 11.8. the glory of Gods mercy did shine forth in delivering his Saints and people, which were in a such miserable condition, who were slain, and lay as dead men in the streets of that spirituall Sodom, & their dead bodies not suffered to be put into graves; for the Lord Jesus to send his spirit of life into them, & to set them upon their feet, and to raise them up to Heaven, whereby they were freed from the rage of their enemies, and made Lords and Judges over them, to re­ward their enemies as they rewarded them, yea, to returne them double: Rev. 18.6. Oh the glory of the mercy of Jesus Christ towards his poor servants.

Thirdly, the glory of Gods wisdome was much seen in this great work, to doe it at such a time when his people could not see how or by which way they should be delivered; & Antichrist thinking himself to be now securer, and safely seated in peace & tranquility, Rev. 18.7. Rev. 11.10. rejoycing and sending gifts one to another, because those two Prophets were slain which tormented them. The wisdome of God now stept in at the very nick and point of time, and by his wisdome makes this to be the onely and chiefe time of the beginning of the enemies downfall, and the Churches deliverance. Oh the admirable and unspeakable glory of Christs wisdome! his wisdome is infinite, and there is no searching of his understanding!

Fourthly, the glory of Gods free grace and love were wonderful­ly manifested; there was no worth nor desert in his servants to move him to have pitty or compassion on them in such a low con­dition: All that they did in the days of their prophesie and giving testimony was but their duty, and in all they were but unprofitable servants: and therefore what the Lord did to them and for them at this time was of his free grace and love; Zach. 4.7. therefore well may we with shouting cry Grace, grace, unto this great worke. Luke 18.7. Rev. 18.8.

Fiftly, the glory of his truth and faithfulnesse appeares in making good his Word and promises unto his Church and people, which he hath made often in the Scripture of truth, and in performing his Word and threatnings against the enemies of his Church.

The glory of his justice and holinesse shineth forth with much glory and brightnesse, verse 6. in executing justice upon such an ancient enemy of the Church, which with his predecessors hath been an enemy this 2300 yeers almost; and so cruell and malicious an ene­my, who hath magnified himselfe to the Hoast of Heaven, yea, Dan. 8.10, 11. to the Prince of the Hoast, and cast him from his Throne, taken his Crown [Page 26]from his head, cast him and his Spouse out of his House and Tem­ple, strip [...] her of her robes, and would have forced her to commit spirituall fornication, and broken the Church all to pieces, de­voured many of them, and trampled the rest under his feet; and last of all, slaine the Witnesses of Christ, and laid their dead bo­dies in the streets, not suffering them to be put into graves; all this villany hath he done to the Saints; and for the people of the Antichristian earth, Ya. 4.16, 17. whom he hath reigned over so long; he hath made the very earth to tremble, and did shake Kingdomes, the world he made as a Wildernesse, and destroyed the Cities thereof by his tyranny and oppression, and loosed not the house of his prisoners. Doth not the glory of Christs justice and severity appeare wonderfully in the ruine and utter destruction of such a grand, notorious, cruell, malicious, and insolent an enemy as this? and the glory of his holinesse in destroying such a filthy Whore and Strumpet as Antichrist is, Rev. 17.2. who hath committed spirituall fornication with all the Kings of the earth, and the Inhabiters of the earth have been made drunke with the wine of her fornication; Rev. 15.4. therefore saith the Scripture, who shall not feare thee, and glorifie thy name, for thou onely art holy, and all Nations shall worship before thee, for thy judgements are made manifest, and againe, True and righteous are his judgements, for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornications, Rev. 19.2. and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hands. In the glory of these great Attributes is the Lord Jesus come, and they have shined forth in some measure to the joy, and comfort, and salvation of his people, and to the sorrow and destruction of his enemies: But when the Lord Christ shall come to the end of this great work of his in the utter ruine of his enemies, and perfect deliverance of his Church; then will the glory of these Attributes shine forth with such glory and splendor as shall darken the eye of the clearest un­derstanding, and affect the most flinty heart, putting them to ad­miration and astonishment. But this the Spirit of God notes in the Scripture, ☞ Luke 18.8. that when Christ shall come to avenge his Elect, mean­ing this very time, which is the time of the enemies utter ruine, and the Churches small deliverance, he shall hardly find faith upon the earth; he meanes, he shall hardly find faith in his Saints concerning the enemies ruine and their deliverance, and not justi­fying faith; intimating to us, that the Church shall be brought so [Page 27]low, as they shall not have faith enough to raise them so high, as to look to God for their deliverance through so many difficulties. Dan. 12.9. This time & mystery was hid from all former ages, and the words closed up and sealed untill the time of the end, & written in a little book, and sealed with seven seals, none being able to open it neither in Heaven or earth, Rev. 5.1. Rev. 5.4. Rev. 5.5. Rev. 10.7. or under the earth, but Christ only, & it is called, The great Mystery of God, not opened till the seventh Trumpet begins to sound; and we doe not read he began to sound untill the Witnesses were in Heaven, and the tenth part of the City fell, which was the yeere of Christ 1639 [...] at which time God promiseth it shall speake and not lye, Hab. 2.3. as indeed it did speak if we could have heard it and understood it.

But saith the Lord, None of the wicked shall understand, Dan. 12.10. but the wise shall understand; none of the wicked shall understand, Isa. 29.10, 11, 12. Priests nor Prophets, Rulers nor Seers, all hid & covered, & the vision is become to them all as a sealed book, if one desire them to read, they cannot, it is sealed but the Lord gives many reasons why these wise & lear­ned Doctors & Rabbies could not understand the vision of the time of the end when it is to speak, and to be made plain upon Tables. Hab. 2.2, 3. Isa. 29, 9.

First, because they are drunke, but not with Wine; they stagger, but not with strong drinke. This drunkennesse is not a drunkennesse with naturall wine, but it is a spirituall drunkennesse with the wine of that spirituall fornication, Rev. 17.2. with which that Antichristian Whore hath filled her cup, and made them drunke with it, therefore they erre in vision and stumble in judgement. Isa. 28.7.

Secondly, Isa. 28.10. they having drunk of this wine of spirituall fornication now a deep sleep of security and spirituall stupidity hath seazed on them, and so cannot make use of their understanding nor learning in such a spirituall way, as to come to understand a vision or my­stery of God: It is true, there is darknesse as well as light, Zach. 4.6, 7. but if it were not for this spirituall slumber, they might see as well as others though the light be not cleare.

Thirdly, Because they draw nigh to God with their lips, verse 13. but their hearts is farre from him. Teaching men to feare God by their owne pre­cepts and commands; Therefore the Lord will proceed to do a marvel­ious worke amongst this people, even a marvellous worke and a wonder, for the wisdome of the wise man shall perish, and the understanding of the pru­dent shall be hid; yea, such a marvellous worke shall be done in their daies, that they will not beleeve it though it be told them. Hab. 1.5.

Fourthly, Vers. 15. Because they seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord, and their works are in the darke, and they say, Who seeth? or who knoweth? They by their owne policy & craft did take counsell together to mingle their owne water with the Saints wine, and their drosse with the people of Gods silver, Vers. 15. their owne traditions with Gods instituti­ons; and for this they digged deep, wrought in the darke, and hid their craft from Gods people, and said in their hearts, Who seeth us? Vers. 16 or who knoweth? & by this means they are said to turn the worship of God up side downe, even quite overthrow the whole worship of God, and to make his Law of none effect. But saith the Lord, It shall be counted as Potters clay, at the end all broken to pee­ces and never set together againe. Thus none of the wicked shall understand, nor but few of the Saints, (only the wise.) The wise, they shall understand; Dan. 12.10. we are to finde out who are said to be wise in this sense, which the Spirit of God speakes of in this place: This is not that wisdome which makes a man wise un­to salvation, (for with that all the people of God are invested,) but it is that wisdome which the wise man speakes of, Prov. 1.6. To understand a Proverbe, and the interpretation thereof, the words of the wise, and their darke saying. Which is to be done two waies.

First, Dan. 9.2. by searching and seriously pondering the bookes and the roles of the Proverbs and Vision, as Daniel did, which speakes of the vision and mystery which God hath shewed to his Prophets, and they that do so are blessed of God, and wise.

Secondly, and they that secretly eye God in those secret and hidden acts of his providence, by which he usually makes a vision to speak, Psal. 107.43. and makes it plaine upon tables, Who so is wise and consi­dereth these things, saith the Text, what things? why? they were the acts of Gods providence all the Psalme over, Even they shall un­derstand the loving kindnesse of God to his Church and people. And who are those? you have seen they are none of the great Rabbies and Doctors of our age, but such that are weaned from the milke, and drawn from the breasts; Isa. 28.9. those young babes of Christ that have not drunke of that filthy abominable cup of that Antichristian Whore: Them will the Lord teach knowledge, and instruct in the way of under­standing.

Thirdly, they that have not dranke or sipped of that Antichri­stian cup, but hath overcome that beast and Whore with all their [Page 29]abominable errors and heresies, to them hath Christ promised to give the morning Starre, Rev. 2.28.

By Starre cannot be meant Christ, as some have supposed, for there is none able to overcome Antichrist, his marke or number of his traditions, brought in by his power, which is called his name; but he must first be made one with Christ by faith, and draw and de­rive power and strength from him to enable him thereunto; there­fore by morning Starre is meant some thing else. Rev. 13.14. The morning Star doth rise before the day come an houre or two, to give notice the day is not far off, but nigh at hand. So the Lord Christ by his Spiritin those secret waies of his providence, will give to those his servants that overcome Antichrist, the bright morning Star: That is, will discover such a light to them, as shall be as the morning Star, to give them notice that the glorious day of Jesus Christ shall shortly appeare, wherein he and his Saints shall raigne in peace and tranquility for 1000. yeares. Thus those that are wise shall under­stand, and they that overcome shall see the first dawning of that glorious day of Christ.

God doth so loath that abominable cup of spirituall fornicati­on, that whosoever drinks or sips thereof; shall not lye so neare Christs heart, as to have the vision or mystery made knowne to him; no, they that are the young men, they shall see visions, even the young babes of Christ, Act. 2.17. Mat. 21.16. that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings he may perfect praise: This vision is both meant of Christs comming in the flesh, and of his comming to judge An­tichrist; and none of those great Doctors and Rabbies did under­stand when Christ should come in the flesh; but the young men and poore men, they understood and beleeved. And so it is with this present age; who will beleeve of all our great men, and learned Prelates, that Jesus Christ is come in the clouds of Heaven, and is set downe upon the throne of Judicature in his Saints and witnes­ses, to judge that man of sin?

CHAP. VII. The seventh Chapter openeth the seven Seales, Trumpets, and Ʋials; shewing that they are all about one and the same thing.

THat great mistery of God, concerning the ruine of all those enemies of the Church, Rev. 5.1. is written within a little books, Rev. 5.1. and this booke is in the hand of Christ, who sits upon the throne, and it hath seven plagnes written within it, (seven is a number of perfecti­on,) a perfect number of plagues to be poured upon the enemies of Gods Church, Rev. 5.3.45. to their utter ruine. These seven plagues are as it were written in seven sheets of parchment, and rolled up together, and sealed with seven seales, as the manner and custome of the Jewes was, in all businesses of great consequence: The seven Seales could not be opened by any, Vers. 8, 9.10. neither in Heaven, or Earth, or under the Earth, but Christ only, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah; and he is counted worthy to open this booke, by the foure Beast, & the foure and twenty Elders, and to loose the seven seales thereof: Whereupon they sing a new song to God and the Lambe, giving him glory, because he had been slaine, and had not onely redeemed them from wrath, hell, and eternall death, but also from the slavery and bondage of wicked and ungodly men; yea, out of all Nations, tongues and peo­ple, and made them unto God Kings and Priests, and they shall raigne with Christ upon the Earth in peace a thousand yeares: this is that new Song that they sung, and it is sung againe by those sealed ones of God, in Rev. 7.4. by the 144000. Which are upon Mount Sion with the Lambe, Rev. 14.1. Hence note the quick eye of the Saints faith, as soon as Christ takes this booke in his hand, they looke upon the worke as done, as though their enemies had been quite ruinated and themselves delivered; they looke from the begin­ning to the end of the worke; Christ is to open this book, and to breake open these seven seales, and no other. But there are seven Angels with seven Trumpets to sound, Rev. 8.2. who were to pre­pare themselves to sound, ver. 6, when the seales were to be open­ed by Christ, to declare and make knowne what was written with­in the Roll, even what the viall was which was to be poured up­on that Antichristian state.

And here is likewise seven Angels appointed to poure forth those seven vials upon Antichrist, Rev. 15.6, 7. which were full of the wrath of God.

When Christ opened the first Seale, then the first Angel sounded his Trumpet, and the first Angel poured out the first Viall, and so the second, and third, to the seventh; the Seales, Trumpets, Vials, all about one and the same thing.

First, the seven Seales served only to keep those things secret which were written within the rolls. The Trumpet or Trumpets, to sound and to declare what the Vials were, that were written within the roll, or rolls: The Angel or Angels to poure forth the Viall or Vials upon that Anthristian state.

That you may see this more plainly, we will open and explaine the Seales, Trumpets, and Vials, and compare them one with ano­ther, and see how they agree.

At the opening the first Seale by the Lamb, First Seale is opened. Rev. 6.1, 2. John heard the noise of thunder. When the Lord Christ goes out first to make war against those grand enemies of his Church, he thunders & is very tertible; he had a bow given him, which notes war against that antichristian Earth, as yee shall see by the Trumpet and Viall; and he is upon a white horse, and he hath a Crown given him, which notes both his innocency and victory, therefore he is said to go forth conquering to conquer.

This Seale agrees with the first trumpet, First Trum­pet soundeth. Rev. 8.7. that when it sounded Then came haile and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon that Antichristian Earth, even the men of the Earth, that seemed to be living trees and green grasse, but were burned up by the preaching of the Gospel. In this we are to note, that the sounding of the trum­pets is nothing else but the preaching of the Gospel.

This Seale and Trumpet agrees with the first Viall which was poured upon that antichristian Earth, Rev. 16.2. First Viall is poured forth. Rev. 16.2. And there fell upon the men of that Earth, which had received the marke of the Beast, and that worshipped his Image even a noysome sore. By the preaching of the Gospell by the Angels, or Ministers of the Churches, these men appeared very loath some and vile unto all godly and sober minded men, even they who had received the marke of the beast, or wor­shipped his Image, and thus Christ goes out with a how in his hand, conquering to conquer, beginning first with that antichristian Earth.

When the second Seal was opened, Second Seale is opened. Rev. 6.3. there appeared a red horse, which betokens blood, and it was given to him to take peace from the men of this Antichristian earth, and that they should kill one another, as indeed they did, by their impure and cursed doctrine, as we shall see anon, and a great sword was given unto him, which was the sword of the Gospell as we shall see noted by the second Trumpet.

And when the second Trumpet sounded there appeared a great mountaine burning with fire, Second Trumpet soundeth. Rev. 8.8. which was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea became blood, and the third part of the creatures that were in the sea, that had life, died, and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

When the second Angel preached the Gospell, then a great mountaine burned with fire: By mountaine is meant power, great power was given to the Ministers in sounding this second Trum­pet, and this power burned upon that Antichrists sea like fire; by sea is meant the doctrine of the Church of Rome, and they by the preaching the Gospell against that sea or doctrine of the Church of Rome, the third part of it became as blood. Bloody doctrine, so that they that seeme to live in this sea before, now dyed, yea, now it appeares that they spiritually destroyed one another by this im­pure and poysonous doctrine; and the third part of the ships that traded upon this sea, or traded with this doctrine are de­stroyed.

This Seale and Trumpet agrees with the second Viall fully, Second Viall poured forth. which was poured upon the sea, and it became as the blood of a dead man, and every living soule first and last, that dranke of this cursedand poysenous doctrine of the sea of Rome, spiritually dyed.

And when Christ had opened the third Seale, Rev. 16.3. Third Seale opened. Rev. 6.5, 6. loe a black horse: which betokened death, as we shall see anon; and he that sate upon him had a paire of balances in his hand, and a voyce cryes in the midst of the foure Officers of the Church, and sayes, A measure of Wheat for a penny, and three measures of Barly for a penny, and see thou hurt not the Oyle and Wine, Christ here hath a pair of balances in his hand, as a righteous and just Judge, to weigh all those wrongs and injuries which those Priests and Jesuits had done against his Saints and servants, and he will repay them accordingly, therefore saith the voyce, A mea­sure of Wheat for a penny, and three measures of Barly, but no hurt must come to the Saints, that are the Oyle and Wine of the earth.

And this we shall see agree with the third Trumpet and Viall, Third Trum­pet sounds. Rev. 1.10, 11. the Trumpet when it sounds, Then there fell a great Starre from Heaven, burning as it were a lampe, and it fell upon the third part of the Rivers and Fountaines of water, and the name of the Starre is called Wormwood, and the third part of the waters became Wormwood, and many men dyed of the waters, because they were made bitter.

By Starre, is meant an Angell or Minister of the Church, see Rev. 1.20. by Heaven is meant the Church, by Rivers or Foun­taines of waters is meant, those Jesuits and Priests that are set forth by Rivers and Fountaines of waters, who naturally draw and derive water from the Sea to water the Earth; so doe they mystically as Rivers draw and derive their poysonous doctrine from that Antichristian Sea of Rome, and so water the whole Anti­christian earth. The Ministers of the Churches by the preach­ing of the Gospell shined as a Lamp; and these Rivers be­come blood, noted by the the third Viall, Rev. 16.4. and likewise made their doctrine to be bitter and loathsome, shewing that they by their poysonous doctrine did seduce the people, and spiritually slayed men; yea further, by their doctrine had stirred up the Beast and his Image to slay the Saints and Prophets of Christ, as is noted by the third Angell that poured forth his Viall upon them, Rev. 16.5, 6. therefore they themselves became blood; that is, their blood is shed, and they are put to death in Queene Elizabeths time, and since, and as Master Cotton well observes; thus Christ weighs the wrongs done to his Saints by these Priests and Jesuits, who are those Antichristian Rivers and Fountaines of wa­ter, and so repayes them accordingly.

This Seale and Trumpet agrees fully with the third Viall, The third Viall is pou­red forth. Rev. 16.4. which was poured upon the Rivers and Fountaines of waters, so that they became blood, not onely appeared by the sounding of the Trumpet to be bloody men, such as thirsted after the blood of Gods Saints, but their owne blood was shed, for they were worthy, as the Angell of the waters well notes, because they had caused the blood of the Saints to be shed, therefore God was just and righteous because he had so judged, Rev. 16.5, 6.

When the Lambe opens the fourth Seale, behold a pale horse, Fourth Seale opened. Rev. 8.7. which notes darknesse and misery, and he that [...] upon it was Death. Now Christ threatens death unto that whole Antichristian state, [Page 34]the lights of their Heaven grow pale and darke, as is noted by the Angel that sounded the Trumpet, and that poured forth the fourth Viall, and Death and Hell followed with him; and afterward power was given to him over the fourth part of the Earth, to kill with the sword, with hunger and death, and the Beasts of the Earth.

This horse was a pale horse, Fourth An­gell sounds. Rev. 8.12. betokening blacknesse and dark­nesse, as is noted by the fourth Angel that sounded, that when he sounds, the the third part of the Sunne, Moon, and Starres of that Antichristian Heaven, Pope, Cardinals and Prelats, glorious lights of that Heaven, when this fourth Angel preacheth the Gospell, the late Ministers of our foregoing Age, these lights lost the third part of their glory, and shined not so bright as they did before by the third part.

The fourth Angel which poured forth the fourth Viall agrees with this Seale and Trumpet, The fourth Viall poured forth. Rev. 16.8. who poured his Viall upon that Anti­christian Sunne, and so notes to us, that all the other lights of that Heaven were darkned with it, because they drew their lights from it in a mysticall way, as the Moone and Starres doe in a naturall way from the naturall Sunne.

The Ministers of Christ by preaching the Gospell, darkned these glorious lights of that Antichristian Heaven; and by so doing scorched and burned them with fire; that is, put them to as much paine and torment as though they had scorched them with naturall fire, whereupon they blasphemed the name of God; that is, spoke more evilly of the wayes and Saints of God, and pro­ceeded more harshly and bitterly against them, even to their civill slaying, and lay their dead bodies in the streets.

That death and hell followed upon the fourth Seal, Trumpet and Viall, is noted by an Angel, Rev. 8.13. which flies through the midst of Heaven, crying, Woe, woe, woe: Three woes, because of those three Angels which were to sound, and three Vials which were to be poured forth upon that Antichristian state to its utter ruine.

When Christ had opened the fifth Seale, The fifth Seal is opened. Rev. 6.9. the soules under the Al­tar come to see what was written within the Roll, and there they see Christ and his Witnesses ascend up to Heaven, the high place of Judicature, to take the Kingdomes and powers from Antichrist presently, Rev. 1.1 [...]. they cry for vengeance upon them that had shed their blood.

These souls are the Saints of God in our age which see themselves slaine, for the word of God, and the testimony which they held: By word of God is meant Christ, 1 John 1. and 14. and their testimony is their bearing witnesse unto those truths of Christ which Anti­christ denied, their slaying was civill, all power taken from them, that they could not prophesie nor give testimony to the truths of Christ, as they had formerly done; they are said to be under the Altar, by Altar is meant Christ, Heb. 13.10.

They were under his spirituall power and jurisdiction, though civilly slain by Antichrist, and laid dead for three dayes and a half; these soules that see themselves slaine, had white robes given them by Christ and his witnesse in that space of time that the fifth Viall was pouring forth.

By white robes cannot be meant the righteousnesse of Christ, inherent or imputed for that they had before, which made them to undergoe that flory try all, and suffer civill marty dome; which righteousnesse is set forth by gold tryed in the fire, Rev. 3.18. Rev. 3.18. but these white robes is that outward government and discipline that is to be set up in all the Churches of the Saints, set forth by white rayment: Fine gold make the Saints spirituall, rich, and enable them to endure the fiery tryall; eye-salve cleares the eyes of their understandings, that they thereby come to see the way of Christ in his house and Temple, in what way he will be worshipped; white rayment is the government and discipline of the Church, which is to cover the shame of the Churches nakednesse, that it doth not appeare unto the world; every member of the Church, and the Church her selfe walking according to the rule and order of the Gospel. Matth. 18.15, 16, 17.

We shall see this Seale agree with the fifth Trumpet and fifth Viall in the sense of it.

The fifth Angel sounding, a Star fals from Heaven unto the Earth, The fifth Trumpet sounds. Rev. 9.1. Isa. 19.15. Rev. 13.1 [...]. & unto him was given the Key of the bottomles pit. By Star is meant a Minister or Ministers of Christ; by Heaven is meant the Church; by Key is meant power, by bottomlesse pit is meant the depth of the craft and subtilty of that nian of sin in his cursed doctrine & traditions.

So the Ministers of the Churches were invested with power from Christ in the preaching of the Gospel, to open the depth of Satan and Antichrist in his cursed doctrine ferched out of that bottom­lesse [Page 36]pit, especially concerning the usurpation of his power.

Whereupon commeth a great smoak, noting thereby darknesse, and therefore it is said, That the Sunne and Aire was filled with dark­nesse, and in Rev. 16.10. when the fifth Viall was poured out, it said, His Kingdome was full of darknesse.

This smoake notes misery likewise, therefore Locusts are said to come out of the smoake, unto whom was given power, as the Scorpions of the earth have power, and they were to torment the men of that Antichristian world five moneths; a certaine time set downe for an uncertaine; and their torment is very sore, as when a Scorpion striketh a man, that they shall seek death and shall not find it.

This is noted further, that these Locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battell, when Christ and his Saints take the power of Churches and States from Antichrist, it is to be pre-supposed that Antichrist will presently raise a very great Army to make warre with them, as ye shall see anon fall out to be so, by the sounding of the next Trumpet.

But these men that was counted as Locusts unto Antichrist, they have Crownes of gold, to note their victory; if Antichrist should make warre with them, and they have faces like men, to note their Majesty and authority, and haire as the haire of women, to note their terriblenesse and fearcenesse, and teeth of Lyons, to note their greedinesse, to prey upon these Antichristian men, to eat their flesh, Rev. 19.17. and to burne them with fire.

And brest-plats of iron to note their strength to encounter with him, the sound of their wings being as the sound of Chariots, of many horses running to battaile, and their tailes like unto Scorpions to torment them, Rev. 6.12. and to put them unto grievous paine, and he that is King over them is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit, even the Lord Christ, see Rev. 20.1, 2. that will ere long cast the Beast and that false Prophet into it, Rev. 19.20. Rev. 20.10. yea, and the Devil himselfe, and shut him up and set a seale upon it, binding him for a thousand yeers, verse. 1, 2. Thus the first woe is past, and behold there commeth two woes more herereafter.

The fifth Angell poured forth the fifth Viall, The fifth Vial. poured forth. Rev. 16.10. Rev. 16.10. upon the seate of the Beast, and then they gnawed their tongues for paine.

And all this torment was when the fifth Angel poured forth his [Page 37]Viall upon the seat and throne of the Beast, Rev. 11.12. Dan. 7.26. even when the Lord Christ and his witnesses ascended up into Heaven, 1639. and when the judgement sate, and tooke his Kingdome and Dominions from him. For wicked and ungodly men to be taken from their high places of honour, it is as great a torment to them, as when a Scor­pion striketh a man; when Pope, Cardinall, and Prelates, are cast from the high place of Judicature, they that do it are as Locusts un­to them, and their torment is insufferable, they gnaw their tongues for paine, and they desire to die, and death flees from them.

When the sixth Seale was opened, Behold a great earth-quake, Sixth Seale opened. Rev. 6.12. and the Sun became black as haire-cloath, and the Moon as blood, and the stars fall from Heaven unto the Earth, and the Heaven departed as a scroll, when it is rolled together, and every mountaine and Island were moved out of their places, and the Kings and great men and mighty men of the Earth hide themselves in dens and in the rocks of the mountaines, that they might be hid from the face of Christ that sits upon the throne, because the great day of his wrath is come, and they will never be able to abide it.

Christ and his witnesses being upon the throne, takes away Anti­christs Kingdome and Dominions from him, Rev. 12.7. whereupon there fals out to be war between Christ and Antichrist, foretold by the fifth Trumpet: In this war there followes a great earth-quake, a great slaughter amongst the men of that Antichristian Earth, and the Pope, the sun of this heaven, becomes black as haire-cloath, Isa. 14.13. and his Cardinals set forth by the Moon, become as blood; and Popish Lords and Prelates, set forth by Stars, fals from Heaven, those high places where they had their seate and throne, even above the stars of Gods, in Gods House and Temple, and in the civill throne, upon the Mount of the Congregation. After they are fallen from Heaven; their Heaven fel with them, and is rolled together as a scroll, and all their Mountaines and power of States and Islands is moved out of their place, and set in their right place. And in this battell and earthquake Kings & the great men of the world crie to the Moun­taines to fall upon them, and to hide them from the face of the Lambe the Lord Christ, because now the great day of his wrath is come, in which he will take geance upon all these five grand ene­mies of his Church, and upon that Antichristian world.

But this is noted in Rev. 7.1, 2, 3, 4. that at this time in the midst of all this wrath and fury of Christ against this wicked antichristi­an [Page 38]crue; he takes care of his Elect & chosen people, (especially those that are in a true Church-state) as the children of Israel was, (there­fore set forth by them) & who are said to be upon Mount Sion with the Lambe, Rev. 14.1. singing a new Song; these must be all seal­ed and have the marke of God set in their foreheads; Rev. 7.1, 2 3, 4. therefore those foure Angels that stands upon the foure corners of the Earth, to hold the foure windes of Gods wrath in their hands, ready to blow upon that antichristian World, must not let those windes blow, untill an Angel hath sealed the servants of Christ, and there was sealed 144000. the same number that are upon Mount Sion, in a true Church-state, with the Lambe the Lord Christ, their Lord and King, Rev. 14.1.

This sixth Trumpet appeares to be one and the same with the sixth Seale; Sixth Trum­pet sounds. Rev. 9, 14. when this Trumpet sounds Those foure Angels which were bound in that great river Euphrates is loosed for an houre, day, moneth, and yeare, to slay the third part of those antichristian men, a cer­taine time for an uncertaine, as is supposed about the space of 14. yeares, beginning in 1641. and ends 1655.

By foure Angels is meant a certaine company of men, instru­ments of Gods wrath to destroy Antichrist and his great Army; the number of these men are set downe in the next Verse, to be two hundred thousand thousand: Rev. 17.15. By river Euphrates, is meant mystically, a great company of People, Nations, and Tongues, on which that antichristian Whore did sit; and amongst those was these instruments of Gods wrath bound, by that civill power which Antichrist had in his hand, Rev. 12.16. before the witnesse ascended up into Heaven, but after they were ascended, and Christ had cut a little stone out of that great monntaine, even a little ci­vill power out of Antichrists great power; by vertue of this did Christ and his witnesses loose those foure Angels out of this great river Euphrates, and being loosed, they presently stand up with Christ and his Saints, Rev. 12.16. and open their mouthes and swallow up that flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth after the woman; yea, and they shall take part with Christ and his Army, and hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate. At this time is noted in Rev. 10.2. and 8. that this little book was open in the hand of the Angel, which had been formerly shut and sealed up; yea, this An­gel sweares by him that liveth for evermore, that there should be [Page 39]time no longer; that is, this mystery of God should now be fini­shed and made plaine, that men may now see and understand what was contained within this little booke.

This Seale and Trumpet agrees with the sixth Viall, The sixth Viall pou­red forth. Rev. 16.12. and so ap­peares to be one and the same, Which was poured upon that great river Euphrates, whereupon three spirits, like froggs, goe out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophets, even the Devill and the Roman Emperour and the Pope, and these are the spirit of Devils working miracles, Priests and Jesuites, &c. who go forth to the Kings of the Earth, to gather together many waters or people unto the battell of the great God Almighty, now upon this great river Euphrates; or many people doth Christ and his Saints, with the men of the Earth that help them poure forth the sixth Viall, and so drieup this great ri­ver, that way may be made for the Kings of the East; yea, that Christian Kings and Princes may raigne upon the Earth. The se­cond woe is past, and behold the third woe commeth quickly, Rev. 11.14.

The seventh Seale being opened, silence is in Heaven, The seventh Seal is open­ed. Rev. 8.1. the high place of Judicature, for the space of halfe an houre; see chap. 9. at this time is the Prayers of all Saints offered up to God upon the golden Altar which was before the throne in the Temple; that is, then shall the Churches of the Saints in and upon that golden Altar, Christ of­fers up praises and thanksgiving unto God, for executing venge­ance upon his Enemies, and for the delivering of his Churches from bondage and misery, which hath been the prayers of all Saints from the evening to the morning, 2300. yeares almost, and now will be fully answered at this time.

This agrees with the voice of the seventh Trumpet, for when it sounded, there was great voices heard in Heaven in the Church, The seventh Trumpet sounds. Rev. 11.15. saying, the Kingdomes of this world are now become the Lords, and his Christs, and now Antichrist is destroyed, and the powers of States is in the hands of Christ and his witnesses, and there­fore he and they shall raigne for ever and ever. Whereupon the Church, with her officers which sit upon the Seates of their glory in Christs House and Temple, fell upon their faces, noting thereby their owne humility and their high esteeme of Christ, worship­ping him, and giving thanks to God Almighty, which was, is, and [Page 40]is to come, because he hath now taken to him his great power, and doth raigne.

Which Seale and Trumpet argues with the seventh Viall which was poured upon that Antichristian aire, The seventh Viall poured forth. Rev. 16.17, 18. by the peaching of the Gospel, which is to be done when the fifth and sixth Viall is pou­red upon the seate of the Beast, and that great River Euphrates; Even then came voices out of the Temple, which causeth a great spiri­tuall earth-quake amongst those antichristian men; that there shall be such infinite store of men converted to the faith, and brought home to Christ, as never was since men was upon the face of the Earth; and then shall an infinite company, as it were, be before the throne, singing Alleluiah, saying, Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, be unto the Lord our God, for executing justice and judgement upon that great Whore. Rev. 19.1, 2. and 6. Yea, the voice of a great multitude, and the voice of many waters of many people, and of mighty thunder­ings, saying, Alleluiah, and the foure Beasts and the twenty foure Elders fell downe and worshipped God that sate on the throne, saying, Vers. 6. Amen, Alleluiah, vers. 4. Thus the third woe is come upon that antichristian state to her utter ruine and destruction.

Thus we have seen the seven Seales, and the seven Trumpets, and seven Vials, to be all about one and the same thing.

First, sealing up Gods judgements for a time; afterwards the Seales broke open, the Ministers of the Churches by the preaching of the Gospel declares what these judgements are, and then the Angels poured forth their Vials upon that Antichristian world.

The next thing we are to doe in the following Chapters, is to shew what the fifth and sixth and seventh Vials are more fully, and whom those Angels be which are to poure them forth.

CHAP. VIII. The first worke of the witnesses after they are in Heaven, is chiefly the pouring forth of the fifth Ʋiall, and the meanes whereby they doe it, with those effects which follow upon it.

THe witnesses being ascended up to Heaven, and Christ come in them, and sate downe upon the throne to execute judgment upon Antichrist; Isa. 28.6. Rev. 16.10 Isa. 14.13. the first thing we reade shall bee done is the pou­ring forth the fifth Viall, which is poured forth upon the throne and seate of the Beast. He is said to have his throne above the Stars of God, above his Saints in his Temple, and likewise upon the Mount of the Congregation, the high place of Judicature; It hath appeared to all the world that hee hath taken all power into his hand, both Ecclesiasticall and Civill; upon these powers must the witnesses poure forth the fifth Viall; that is, they are to take all power from Antichrist both in Church and State; Dan. 2.26.9. there­fore saith Daniel, the judgement shall sit, and they shall take away his do­minions: Againe, saith he, I beheld till the thrones were cast downe. And when Jesus Christ sate upon his throne, Rev. 6.16. then every mountaine was moved out of his place, meaning the powers which Antichrist had in the world. Now the meanes by which Christ and his witnesses shall take these powers and dominions from An­tichrist, and so slay him as he did them, is by the power of the ci­vill sword, as the Lord saith, He that leads into captivity, Rev. 13.10. shall go into captivity, be that kils with the Sword, shall be killed with the Sword.

Antichrist by the power of the civill sword, which he received from the Roman Emperour, Rev. 13.2. did carry the people of God captive in­to the wildernesse, for the space of 1260. yeares, where they pro­phesied in sack-cloath and afterwards civilly killed them, and laid them dead for three daies and a halfe. The like must the witnesses do to Antichrist, carry him captive, and civilly kill or slay him: this was that which the Saints of God beleeved long since, and with patience have they waited for it; therefore saith the Lord, This is the faith and patience of the Saints, the Saints beleeved it, and patiently did waite for it: By this power shall Christ and his wit­nesses [Page 42] take the Kingdomes and Dominions from Antichrist, Dan. 7.26. Dan. 2.45. and con­sume him to the end, which is set forth to be a little stone, cut out of the Mountaine without hands.

By Mountaine is not meant the Church, and by little stone Christ, Isa. 2.2.14.13. Psal. 48.1. Mich. 4.1. as some have supposed; but by mountaine is meant that great civill power which the foure great Beasts, and little horne Anrichrist had in the world, set forth by those ten hornes. For by Mountaine or Mountaines, is meant power or powers; either the civill power of States and Kingdomes, of the Ecclesiasticall power of Churches, usually and frequently set forth by Moun­taines. That great civill power which these great Beasts had, is set forth by a Mountaine; Dan. 2.34, 35. and there must be a little stone or little pow­er cut out of this great power, that must smite this great Image of those five Beasts upon its feet, and break it all to peeces, and it shall become like the chaffe of the summer threshing-floore, that no place shall be found for it And this little stone [...] shall become a very great Mountaine, and fill the whole Earth; a little stone shall be cut out of this great moun­taine without hands; that is, a little civill power shall be cut out of that great civill power which Antichrist had in all his ten Kingdomes, and this must be done without power of hands; not the power of an Hoast or Armes, but another way. And this wee see fulfilled before our eyes, in the yeare of Christ 1639. when the witnesses ascended up to Heaven, and the Lord Jesus not only rai­sed them from that dead state and condition, and set them upon their feet, but tooke them up to the high place of Judicature, and by his Spirit hewed or cut a little power out of that great civill power which the Roman Beast and the little Horne had in all these ten Kingdomes: By which little power or stone the witnesses in Scotland, and they here in England, have begun to break this Image and will go on in this and the other eight Kingdomes, till they have broken it all to peeces; and this little stone in their hands shall become a very great Mountaine, and fill the world very shortly.

So yee see the meanes by which the Lord Christ and his wit­nesses, shall take the Kingdomes and Dominions from Antichrist, and consume and destroy him to the end, even by the power of the civill sword, so far as he hath seated and rooted himselfe in the world; but as he hath [...]ooted himselfe in the hearts and mindes of [Page 43]men, by his cursed errors and heresies, 2 Thes. 2.8. Eev. 19.21. ☜ So the Lord will consume him by the breath of his mouth, and brightnesse of his comming; even by that spirituall sword of the Gospel, which sword proceeds out of his mouth.

The fifth Viall must be the first worke which Christ and his wit­nesses shall do after they are ascended up to Heaven, and sate upon their throne; and this they must do by that little stone cut out of the Mountaine, by that little civill power, put into their hands; which we see done the same time in which they ascended to Hea­ven in Scotland. Did not the godly party, by a solemn Oath taken before the most high God, cast off Pope and Prelate, and all that whole Antichristian rabble out of Heaven, for having any more power, either in Church or State, but to be cast out to the Earth? And this was done by vertue of that little civill power which they had as they sate in the place of Judicature. This was evident before our eyes, 1639. done by the godly party in Scotland; and it was foretold to be so by the Spirit of prophesie: Rev. 11.13. The same houre was there a great earthquake, a great shaking and feare amongst the antichristian party, when the tenth part of the City fell.

By City is not meant the City of Rome, but all those ten King­domes that are under the government of the Beast and his Image; and the tenth part is one of these ten Kingdomes, which was Scot­land, and this fell the same houre; and in this earthquake, when the tenth part fell, there was foure great effects or consequences which followed upon it.

First, there was slaine of men seven thousand, Foure effects which follow upon the fall of the tenth part of that Antichristian City. a certaine num­ber set down for an uncertaine; this slaying is not naturall but a civill slaying, a taking away all that power which they had in Church and State affaires; so it came to passe in Scotland at the same time when they cast off the power of Antichrist; there was civilly slaine a great number of Popish Lords and Prelates.

Secondly, the second effect is the sounding of the seventh Trumpet, vers. 5. which was the preaching of the Gospel, Effect 2. the wit­nesses being in Heaven, gave leave to have the Gospel preached, which was denyed by Antichrist: at the sounding of which Trumpet the Lord foretold, Rev. 10.8. that then the mystery of God which was revealed to his Prophets, and written in a little booke, Rev. 5.1. Dan. 11.9. Hab. 2.2, 3. sealed with seven Seales, fast closed up till the end, is now finished, and is [Page 44]to speake and to be made plaine upon tables, The seventh Trumpet is said to sound presently up­on the Wit­nesses ascend­ing up into Heaven, be­cause they gave liberty to have the Gospel prea­ched, which is indeed the pouring forth of the seventh Viall. that he that runs may reade it.

Upon the seventh Trumpet sounding and declaring what was now done in Heaven the high place of Judicature, presently there was great voices of confidence and affiance in Heaven, the Church, that now the Kingdomes of this world should be taken out of that wicked antichristian Beasts hands, and given into the hands of Christ and his Saints. The people of God seeing Jesus Christ and his witnesses taking but the tenth part of the Kingdoms from Anti­christ, they looke from the beginning of the work to the end, and were confident that the time of the enemies ruine was now come, and the Churches sinall deliverance, and the civill power of all the Kingdomes in the world should be put into the hands of Christ and his Saints, and they shall raigne for ever and ever.

The same thing was shewed to Daniel almost 2300. yeares since, when he saw the ancient of daies sit, and the thrones of the Beast cast downe: Dan. 7.9.13.14. Then one like the Son of man came to the ancient of daies, and there was given him dominions and glory, and a Kingdome, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; and not him only, but the Saints of the most High; and the Kingdomes and Dominions and the greatnesse of the Kingdomes under the whole Heavens shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high, and they shall possesse the Kingdome even for ever, ever and ever.

Three terms and sections of times shall the Saints possesse the Kingdoms of the world after Antichrist hath his powers taken out of his hands, as we shall shew anon: The Churches of Christ do not only expresse their confidence and affiance they had in God for the accomplishment of this great worke that was now begun, Vers. 16. but they with all humility and reverence fall upon their faces before God, and worship him in giving him thanks and praise, which is, and was, and is to come, who hath taken to him his great power, and hath raigned.

And they further declare, that the Nations of the antichristian world were angry, Vers. 18. as indeed they were, at his great worke now be­gun; and that the time of his wrath against the wicked is now come, and the time of the dead that they should now be judged, that is, that now judgment shall be given to the poore Saints of God, and witnesses of Christ that were slaine, and lay dead for [Page 45]three daies and a halfe, and that he should give a reward unto his servants the Prophets, and to the Saints, and to them that fear his Name, both small and great; and should destroy them that have destroyed the Earth, which the Lord will accomplish in this present age.

The third effect is the opening of the Temple by Christ and his witnesses which sate in Heaven, Effect. 3. Vers. 19. and the Temple of God was opvned in Heaven.

By Temple is meant the Church the people of God: By Hea­ven is meant the high place of Judicature, so by the Temple of God; being opened in Heaven, is nothing else but Christ and his Witnesses giving leave and liberty to the people of God thus con­gregated to worship Christ in his Temple.

And this they did, first, by their connivence and forbearing to trouble them and to molest them, as Antichrist and his faction did, and afterwards they shall give them some liberty, Rev. 6.12. being tender over the consciences of men in matters of worship. Rev. 21.6. But at the end of the ruine of Antichrist, Then the Temple shall be set wide open, that whosoever will shall enter in, if they be not such as defile or work abomination. This we have seen fulfilled before our eyes, that those that were Christs Witnesses, Rev. 10. they countenanced and spared to molest the people of God, that had joyned themselves in League and Covenant to come out of Babylon, Rev. 27. and not to meddle at all with that Antichristian cup of spirituall fornications, and to worship their Lord and Husband Christ, accor­ding to divine institution; but those that were of Antichrists side, though pretended otherwise, they would be stirring up the com­mon people against them, untill they were cast out of Heaven to the earth, even all those popish affected ones.

When the Temple of God was thus opened, there was seene in his Temple the Arke of his Testament, that is, verse 19. then the Lord Christ who is the Arke of Gods Testement, was seen to be in his Temple, in the midst of those people that before was looked up­on as factious and seditious men, but the Temple being open they prove otherwise. And when the Antichristian party saw that Christ and his Witnesses tooke part with these men, then there were Voyces and Thunderings, and Lightnings, and an Earthquake, and a great Haile, that is, then there was great stirs, combustions, [Page 46]hurliburlies, quakings, and feares amongst the Antichristian party. And last of all, these grew to a great haile, or great storme and war (as weshall see anon) between the servants and Witnesses of Christ, and those that were for the Dragon and Antichrist in Heaven.

The fourth effect was A great wonder which appeared in Heaven, Effect 4. a Woman cloathed with the Sunne. By Woman is meant the Church of God, who is cloathed with the Sunne of righteousnesse, and which have her Officers in the midst of her, officiating and emptying the golden Oyle out of themselves into the bosome of the Church, [...] 4.12. [...] 1.6.20. and are as a Crowne of gold unto her head, set forth by 12 Stars, after the Tribes of the children of Israel; and the Moon is under her feet; that is, under her feet are all sublunary conentment and delight, shee contemning them with holy scorn & derision, and being great with child, cryed travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered; that is, the people of God seeing Christ and some of his Saints and Witnesses in Heaven, and many that were with them were against Christ, and for the Dragon: The Church hereupon is with child, as it were, and travailes in paine to have a godly Magistra­cy set up in the world, that those which were in Heaven, the high place of Judicature, that was against Christ and his Government, might be cast out, that so the Lord Christ that man-childe might in and by his Saints rule the nations with a rod of iron, and this they cryed and travailed in paine to God by humble and fervent prayers, and to his Witnesses that sate in Heaven by humble peti­tions from the yeer of Christ 1639. to 1641.

☞ Whereupon another Wonder appeares in Heaven, a great red Dragon, having ten Hornes and seven Crownes upon his heads, he stood ready to devoure this man-child so soone as it was borne. The devil and satan in the Roman Beast, and his Image the Pope, and they in and by those popish Lords and Prelats stood ready to hinder this great designe and birth of the Church by all the power and strength they could make, which were cleare and evident to all our sights, 1641. when the people of God bestirred themselves both to God by prayer, and to the godly party in the Parliament, that those popish Lords and Prelats might be cast out: Rev. 12.5. Whereupon those Petitions and prayers were heard of Christ and his Witnesses, and so the Church did not onely bring forth the man-child or government, but it was likewise received up [Page 47]to God and his Throne, into the high place of Judicature, and the Dragon and the Beast in those popish Lords and Prelats were cast out to the earth by a wonderfull and miraculous hand of di­vine providence.

These foure Effects have beene very evidently fulfilled and brought to passe before the eyes of all, from the time the Witnesses first ascended up to Heaven, 1639. in Scotland, to the yeere 1641. when the Popish Prelats were cast out of Heaven here in England. Some say that the Church travailed in birth 320. with Constantine, who was that man-child, and so he was taken up to Heaven, and then the Church fled into the Wildernesse. But that cannot be the meaning of the Text; for the Churches worke at that time, as the Spirit of God hath declared, was to beare wit­nesse, and to give testimony to that great truth of Christs kingly power in his Churches, and so to all other truth which. Rev. 11.3. Antichrist would afterward deny, all the time of their prophesie 1260. yeers: And as for Constantine, he was not to rule all nations with a rod of iron, this onely belonged to Jesus Christ, and to his Saints, Rev. 2.21. who were to reigne with him; therefore this cannot be meant of Con­stantine, nor of that time, but of this very time, which we may plainly see by those things which have been done in our sight; and for that 6. verse chap. 12. of the woman fleeing into the Wil­dernesse, is brought in as a seale to the prophesie, with the 15. verse. For from the 7. verse of chap. 11. to the end of the 12. chap. the Spi­rit of God sets downe nothing but what was to come to passe in our time here amongst us, from the day and yeer, 1635. when the Witnesses were slaine, to the yeer 1641. when the warre fell out to be in. Heaven, between the Dragon and his Angels, and Christ and his Angels; onely those two verses 6. and 14. of the 12. chapter, of the Church fleeing into the Wildernesse, 375. And when this man-child was received up to Heaven, and the Dragon and his Angels cast out of Heaven to the earth, here in England by Christ and his Witnesses, was a second degree of the pouring forth of the fifth Viall upon the Throne of the Beast; for this casting him out of Heaven to the Earth, is a taking away all his power from him both Civill and Ecclesiasticall in Church and State.

Thus that proud Lucifer, Sonne of the morning, Isa. 14.10.12. is said to be fal­len from Heaven, and to be cut downe to the ground, and to be­come [Page 48]weake, like the common people of the earth, both in Scotland and here in England.

CHAP. IX. The sixt Viall poured upon Antichrist, with the way or meanes by which it is done, and the Instrument by whom it is poured forth, the Beast and the false prophet taken and cast into a Lake of fire, with the silence in Heaven about the space of halfe an houre.

THe Churches of the Saints declaring to all the world, that the way to have all oppression and tyranny removed, and to bring in all peace and tranquility was to have all those that did formerly tyrannize over them cast out of office and place of government, and let the Civill power be put into the hands of Christ and his Wit­nesses, shee bringing forth this man-child into the world, is present­ly received up to Heaven by Christ and his Witnesses: the devil and his angels who ruled the world before is now cast out of Heaven to the Earth. ☞ Upon this followes warre between the Dragon and his angels, and Michael and his angels, Rev. 12.7. The Dragon at the same time, by his taile drawes the third part of the Starres of Heaven after him, verse 4. the devil will not fall from Heaven alone but he will draw some of the Starres with him.

By Heaven is meant the place of judicature: by Starres is meant those men that sits in Parliament. And was not this evi­dent? did not the third part of the Parliament fall off at the same time, and was drawne after the Dragon, even with his taile the popish Lords and Prelats, who are his taile, to make warre with Christ and his Church. Rev. 16.13, 14 There g [...]es at the same time three uncleane spi­rits like Frogges out of the mouth of the Dragon the devil, and out of the mouth of the Roman Beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet the Pope, which are the spirits of devils working miracles. That is, those Jesuiticall spirits, which work with as much policy and craft, as though they did work miracles, and so deceive and delude men. These goe forth to the Kings of the whole world, to gather them to the battell of the great God Almighty: Rev. 11.15. so the devil is said to cast a flood out of his mouth after the woman the Church, which brought forth this [Page 49]man-child, a flood of wicked and ungodly men, which he had gathered by those three spirits, This hath bin partly fulfilled before our eyes: Did not those Jesuiticall spirits go [...] up and downe to the Kings of the earth, France, Spaine, &c. to gather them together in battell against the Witnesses and the Church of God? when they saw that popish Lords and Prelats were cast out of the Parlia­ment 1641. who are still at worke with the Kings of the earth, and will be untill the worke be done. Christ and his Witnesses seeing this, presently they prepare and make ready for to wage warre against Antichrist: Therefore he is said, in righteousnesse to judge and make warre, and shall breake them in pieces like a Potters Vessell, Rev. 19.11. Dan. 7.26. Psal. 2.9. Rev. 18.6. Rev. 2.27. Sixth Viall poured our. Rev. 12.7, 8. so the Dragon fought and his angels, and Michael and his Angels; but saith the holy Ghost, they prevailed not, neither was their place any more found in Heaven. Antichrist shall not prevaile, though the warre be long and bloody; neither shall he get the power of Church or State any more into his hands, after it is once taken out.

This warre which is in Heaven between the Dragon and his Angels; and the Lord Jesus and his Witnesses that sit in Parliament; Rev. 17.15. is the pouring forth of the sixth Viall, upon that great River Eu­phrates, which must be dryed up before that mysticall Babylon can be taken, as that old river Euphrates was before; literall Babylon could be taken by the King of Persia, as the Lord foretold by his Pro­phet Jeremy, as yee shall see in Ieremy 50.38. so see 38. compared with Jer. 51.32. where you shall see the Lord threatning destructi­on unto literall Babylon, with the drying up of that great river Eu­phrates, by stopping up the passages, and by burning up the reedes thereof with fire, which were done by Darius, who tooke this City from the King of Babylon, Dan. 5.30, 31. so shall this mysticall river Euphrates be dryed up in a mysticall sense.

By this river is meant those great multitudes of people that shall be gathered together into Armies, to destroy Christ and his Witnesses, and to keep the Dragon, Beast, and false prophet in Hea­ven, in their seate and throne. And they are said to be gathered toge­ther into a place called Armageddon, by the Devil, the Beast, Rev. 16.16. Rev. 17.13, 14. and the false prophet, and with them those ten Kings which gave their power and strength to the Beast; these shall all make war with the Lambe, Rev. 17.4. and he shall make war with them, and will raise a great Army against them, who are said to be called, and chosen, and faithfull. Rev. 12.6.

The called ones are the men of the earth, who are said to help Christ and his Church; Rev. 17.16. and the ten hornes which were upon the Beasts head, are to hate the Where, and make her desolate and naked, and shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire.

By these hornes is meant the Commons of all those ten King­domes, which were under the government of the Beast, in whom the power of States originally lies; and these shall be with the Lambe, and take part with him against the Beast, as we see Scotland and England hath done already, and so will the commons of all the other eight Kingdomes doe, for the Word of God must be ful­filled. But those ten Kings that were heads of those ten States they shall take part with the Dragon, and make warre with Christ.

Secondly, by chosen are meant the Saints of the most High, who are said to overcome Antichrist.

• Firstly,
  Rev. 10.11.
  By the blood of the Lambe.
• Secondly, By the word of their testimony.
• And last of all, They loved not their lives unto death.

☞ They willingly ingaged themselves in this great quarrell be­tween Christ and the Beast. Chosen ones will be faithfull, (but not the called,) chosen and faithfull.

The Lord Christ notes this of them that are chosen, that they shall be faithfull to him in this war, but yet he secretly hints to us, that the men of the earth will be trecherous: This great Army of Christ shall be raised by that little stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands, by that civill power which Christ and his witnesses hath in their hands now they sit in Heaven; therefore Heaven is said to be opened; Rev. 19.11. that is, now there is liberty given by them that sit in Heaven. That now men shall take up armes against Antichrist: The Lord Christ is upon a white Horse in Heaven, as the Cap­taine of the Lords Army; Josh. 5.14. and the Armies which followes him, is said to be in Heaven, being raised by that civill power which the witnesses have in their hand in Heaven; and Christ and his Army is said to be upon white Horses, which note the innocency of the cause, and victory over them in this quarrell; it being the custome of the Romans to ride in triumph after victory, upon white horses, or else their Horses and Chariots covered with white.

Againe, Zach. 14.4. the Lord Christ is said to stand upon his feet upon the [Page 51]Mount of Olives, in the day he goes out to fight against those Kings that carried the Church and people of God captive; which is meant of this very time.

By Mount is meant power, and there be but two powers in the world, the Church power and the State power: It is not meant the Church power, for then this mount should have been called Mount Sion, by which the Church power is alwaies set forth; and this Mount should have been in Jerusalem in the Church, and not before the Church. But this Mount is that civill power of States set forth by that Mount Olives which is before Jerusalem; so this civill power is before the Church of God, and chiefly for the good of the Church. And upon this Mount or power doth Christ stand with his feet. By feet he meanes his Saints, so the Lord Christ by his Spirit in his Saints and witnesses, stands this day upon this Mount Olives. And this mount (saith the Text,) shall cleave in the midst, towards the East, and towards the West, towards the North, and to­wards the South. This is fulfilled at this day; Is not this power or Mount cloven in the middle? part of it is in the hands of Christ and his Witnesses, as they sit in Heaven, and part of it in the hands of Christ and his Army, which is in Heaven upon white Horses. And this power shall extend it selfe from West to East, from North to South, to take away the power from Antichrist in all his ten Kingdomes, and to dry up that great river Euphrates from one end of the world to another; and this power or Mount is to be divided one part in the high place of Judicature, and the other part in the Armies, as is at this day, untill they have poured forth the fifth and sixth Viall, and then it shall close and become one, in the yeare of Christ 1655. So by that little stone, even that little civill power which is in the hands of the Witnesses, shall the fifth and sixth Vi­all be poured upon the Beast and that great River Euphrates.

This sixth Viall of Gods wrath and indignation, Isa. 34.2. is said to be poured upon. Euphrates, upon all Nations, and his fury upon all their Ar­mies, upon all the ten Nations of Antichrist, and upon all their Ar­mies that shall be raised; be will utterly destroy them, Vers. 5. and give them up to the slaughter. The sword of the Lord shall be bathed in Heaven, upon the high one [...] which are on high, Isa. 24.21. upon the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth; it shall be filled with blood, Isa. 28.18. that the Mountains shall be melted with their blood. This is called the overflowing scourge, which was to [Page 52]passe over the whole earth; and the houre of temptation that should come upon all the world to try them; Rev. 3.10. Chap. 19.17, 18. and the slaine shall be so many, that it is called the supper of the great God, and all the fowles of Heaven are to eate the flesh of Kings, of Captaines, of mighty men, of the flesh of horses, and them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, Rev. 9.18. small and great, bond and free; Even the third part of men that are upon the Earth shall be slaine in this warre, to dry up this great river Euphrates; Isa. 13.12. that a man of that Antichristian and mysticall Babylon; shall be more precious then fine gold, even a man, then the golden wedge of Ophir. Dan. 7.11. For by fire, and by sword, will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slaine of the Lord shall be many, Isa. 66.16. In this war the Roman Beast shall be taken and slaine, and his body given to the burning flames, and with him the false prophet that wrought mira­cles before him, Rev. 19.20. with which he deceived them that had received the marke of the Beast. These both are cast alive into a lake, burning with fire and brimstone, this is the purpose which is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is, and shall be stretched out upon all Nations, for the Lord of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall disanull it, and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turne it back, Isa. 14.26, 27.

Thus we see the fifth and sixth Viall poured upon the seat of the Beast, and upon that great river Euphrates; all his powers and strength taken from him in heaven, himself cast down to the earth, yea to hell, and his armies utterly destroyed and given to the beasts of the field and to the fowles of Heaven.

Yet there is another Viall to be poured out, namely, upon the aire, wherein Antichrist breathed; but when the Witnesses, Christs civill Magistrates that sit in Heaven, have done that worke which is proper for them, as they are civill Magistrates; they shall sit still and keep silence in Heaven about the space of halfe an houre, which is the full time that the seventh Viall shall be pouring forth, though the Beasts have their Dominions taken from them. Yea, both the Beast and false prophet are cast into a lake burning with fire and brimstone; Dan. 7.12. yet these are said to live still in the hearts of those men, in whom those errors and heresies do still abide, which they brought into the world by their Antichristian aire; and this remnant of men are not to be destroyed by the power of the civill Sword; Rev. 19.21. but to be destroyed by a mysticall and spirituall sword, which proceeded out of the mouth of him that sits upon the white [Page 53]Horse, and by spirituall men sent out of the Temple, Rev. 16.17. therefore the civill Magistrate shall keepe silence all the same time, even about the space of halfe an houre, and sit and rest themselves, ha­ving done the best worke that ever was done before them, or that shall be done after them.

We cannot suppose this silence to be in Heaven strictly for half an houre; no, nor half a day, moneth, or yeare; for the seventh Viall must be poured forth upon that Antichristian aire, all the ten Kingdomes over; in this space of time that this silence is to be in Heaven, which cannot be in so short a time, neither can it be meant of any longe time, Luk. 21.32. because Antichrist must be destroyed in one age and generation of men, Christ speaking of the ruine of Antichrist mystically, as well as of Jerusalem literally: therefore we are to take this silence for the space of half an houre, for the space of 45. yeares, in which time the seventh Viall is pouring forth, as shall appeare more fully when we come to speake of the time or times of the ending of these Vials.

It is said, that this silence was in Heaven when the seventh Seale was opened; this we are to note, that it was the custome of the Jewes, to write those things that were of greater consequence in sheets of parchment, and so to roll them up, and seale them if they were things secret. The Spirit of God alluding to this their custome, sets forth to us, that every Viall was written in a roll of parch­ment, and every roll was sealed, seven Vials were written in seven rolls, and every roll had a seale; and when the first Viall was to be poured forth, then the first seal was broken open, and the first trum­pet sounded.

The Seale was broken open, that men might see what was writ­ten in the roll: and the trumpet, which was the Gospel in the mouth of the Ministers of the Churches, was to declare to that Antichristian world, what the Judgement or the Viall was, which God was then pouring forth upon them; and the Viall or Judge­ment that they were to feel with paine and anguish, when the Lord poured it forth.

☜ So when the first Viall was poured forth, the first Seal was open­ed, and the first Trumpet sounded, and so in order the second and third, unto the seventh.

And when the seventh Seale was opened, the seventh Viall was poured forth, and then this silence was in Heaven.

Before we leave speaking of the sixth Viall, we are to take notice of this; that although the Lord be come in the clouds of our Hea­ven, even in his Witnesses standing upon the Mount Olives, and the judgement seat, and the Thrones are casting downe, yea, and the Lord is gone out to fight and make warre with those Kings that carried the Church of God captive, and himselfe upon the white horse, and much of the worke is done; yet at this time, the holy Ghost saith, Zach. 14.6. Rev. 2.28. That the light shall not be cleare no [...] darke, the morning Star is but newly risen, and a very little light doth yet appeare.

There is so much darknesse, as very few of the Saints themselves doe not see nor know what the Lord Christ is doing, either for Churches or States; great feares amongst most of the Saints, that sorrow and misery will come to both: They cannot as yet see how or when the Church of Christ shall be delivered, nor the pure way of Christs worship in his House and Temple set up; onely a few choyce ones that be wise, Dan. 12.3. and they shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firma­ment: That is, those godly ones whom the Lord hath made wise to understand the Mystery of pure Ordinances of worship, and the way and Government of Christ in his House and Temple, at this time wherein the worship of God is so exceedingly corrupted and pollu­ted by the abominations of that Babylonish Whore, they shall shine in this Antichristian world as the brightnesse of the Firmament, for the present; And they that turne many to righteousnesse as the Stars for ever and ever.

When they shall not onely see and be able to discerne between gold and drosse, water and pure wine; Christs owne institutions and mens inventions, and the false government of Antichrist, and the true government of Christ in and over his Church and people; but also turne many unto those righteous and pure Ordinances of worship, even they (saith the Lord) shall shine as Starres, not in this age and time onely, but for ever and ever, their names shall be fa­mous, unto all the Churches of the Saints. For the first ever or terme of time which Christ and his Saints shall reigne, in peace even a 1000. yerres. And for ever to the second terme or end of time; after the 1000. yeares are ended from the destruction of Gog and Magog unto the end of the world, because they were so wise to see, and diligent and faithfull to turne many unto the right way of di­vine worship.

But there is some light, though it be not cleard, so that those which are said to be wise, can see and understand in part, that now the day-starre is risen, and the great work concerning the enemies ruine, and the Saints finall deliverance is begun, and the Sunne of righteousnesse, the Lord Christ, will ere long arise with healing in his Wings. Maal. 4.2.

But at this time it is not light nor darke, Zach. 14.6, 7. a day as it were knowne to the Lord, onely, none else knowing or understanding what God is doing for his people, onely a few whom he hath made wise to understand a vision, the words of the wise God concerning this great Mystery, and the darke sayings thereof.

Againe, this is noted, that it is not day nor night: The day of the Churches peace is not yet come, nor the night of her misery and bondage is not fully upon her as it hath been, but shee is be­tween the day and night (in the birth) and upon the borders of spirituall Aegypt and Canaan.

But at the even- [...]ide, when the worke shall be almost at an end, Zach. 14.7. then it shall be day-light, all shall see what God is doing for his Church, and then will that glorious Sunne shine forth in his full brightnesse and glory, that the light of the Moone shall be as the Sunne, and the Sunne seven-fold, then the eyes of the blind shall be opened to see the way of Christ in his House so plainly, that way faring men, though fooles, shall not erre therein. Isa. 35.8, & 6

And this is also noted in the Scripture of truth, that an Army out of the North shall come up against Babyon, and be the chiefe cause of her mine and destruction: They come from a farre Country, from the end of Heaven, Isa. 13.5. the Lord and the Weapons of his indignation to destroy the whole Land: which is meant of England and Scotland. For we are a very remote Country from mystical Babylon, from the end of Heaven as Scotland is; yea, if we look to the men that are to be imployed in this warre, we shall see them to be the same which the Lord Christ hath in his Army at this day, as we may see in the third verse: I have commanded my sanctified ones, verse 3. I have also cal­led my mighty ones for my anger, even them that rejoyce in my highnesse: The Lord meaning his owne servants, who are said to retoyce in his highnesse, aud are set forth by chosen and faithfull ones, which are now with the Lamb, Rev. 17.14. following him upon white horses in Heaven, Rev. 19.14. who are this day upon the high places [Page 56]of the field, and are said to be in Heaven with their Army, be­cause they are raised by Christ and his Witnesses, who are in Hea­ven, and by that ciuill power which they have in their hands by right, as they are lawfully called to that high place.

Againe, wee shall see that the Lord intended England and Scot­land to come against this mysticall Babylon, if wee looke in Jere­my 50.9. I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an As­sembly of great Nations, from the North Countrey. Now of all Coun­tries in the World, England and Scotland is North to mysticall Babylon.

And againe, Dan. 11.44. Tydings out of the East, and out of the North, shall trouble him.

By East, here surely (as may be supposed) is meant the Sweedes. And by North is meant England and Scotland; so consequently they shall joine together against Antichrist.

Object. Rut all these threatnings were against literall Babylon?

Answ. I grant they were in the Letter, but as truly as Rome is called my­sticall Babylon; Rev. 17.5. and as truly as all these threatnings which the Lord hath pronounced against literall Babylon, were made good in the Letter against them; so will the Lord do against mysticall Baby­lon, in a spirituall and mysticall way: Therefore when Scotland and England have dryed up the River Euphrates here, they shall not then sit downe on this side Jordan, to enjoy peace themselves, and leave their brethren in misery beyond the Sea, and out of their owne possessions, but shall go over Jordan with a strong Ar­my, to help their Brethren, that they may likewise dry up that Ri­ver Euphrates there, to the utter ruine of Antichrist, and for the set­ling of a perfect peace in the ten States, that the powers of States and Churches may be put into the hands of Christ and his Saints, that they may live and raigne over the Nations of the earth in peace and tranquility 1000. yeaees.

CHAP. X. The seventh Viall poured forth; two great effects follow thereupon: The first is the hringing in the fullnesse of the Gentiles. And the second is the calling of the Jewes, with the time when the fifth, sixth, and se­venth Viall began and ended, and liberty given to the Saints by the Witnesses, to build that new Jerusalem.

THe fifth and sixth Viall being poured upon Antichrists seate and thrones, and upon his Armies, the Beast and false prophet taken by Christ and his Army that followed him upon white Hor­ses in Heaven, and both of them cast into a lake, Rev. 19.21. hurning with fire and brimstone. Yet there is a remnant of that Antichristian race left, whom Antichrist hath poysoned with his Antichristian aire, with errors and heresies, in whom those five Beasts are said to live, Dan. 7.12. though they be dead: Therefore the Lord Jesus hath another Vi­all to poure upon these men, as is the maladie, such is the medicine; Rev. 17.10. and as the disease, so is the cure. The disease is inward in their spirits, their understanding is filled with mists and darknesse which Antichrist brought into the world, with which he filled his whole Kingdome. Rev. 15.10.

This Vial must be poured upon this Antichristian aire and dark­nesse by the preaching of the Gospell. For this being an inward and spirituall worke, is fittest for spirituall weapons and spirituall men, and such will Christ have to do the worke, Rev. 16.17. Therefore voices came forth of the Temple: The Ministers of the Churches are to be im­ployed in this worke, and spirituall weapons or swords, therefore saith the Scripture, The remnant were slaine by the sword of him that sate upon the white horse, which sword proceedeth out of his mouth. Chap. 19.21. The way of Antichrist hath been to slay such men, (as they conceive factious and erronious,) with the civill sword; Dan. 8.12. therefore he gets an Host, or the power of Princes, The civill sword used by Antichrist to root errors out of mens hearts. and hales them before Princes and Judges for to root out errors, (as they pretend) out of their mindes; but this is a preposterous way, they may sooner root their hearts out of their brests. But we see Christs way, he useth the Civill Sword to take away all Antichrists power, which he got by [Page 58]the Civill Sword, Christ useth a spirituall sword to re­move and cast out all those errors that are in mens spirits. and so slays him, carry him captive, and likewise dry up that River Euphrates, but spiritually to slay men, in remove­ing darknesse and ignorance out of their understanding, and so consequently errors and heresies, he hath a spirituall Sword fit for the worke.

So the seventh Angel poured forth the seventh Viall into the aire, and then came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven, Rev. 16.17. from the Throne, say­ing, It is done.

By aire is meant that Antichristian ignorance and darknesse wherewith Antichrist had filled the whole world. Rev. 16.10. Rev. 14.6.7. By voices is meant the Gospel. By Temple is meant the Church or Churches of the Saints, 2 Cor. 6.16. This voice came out of the Temple, that is, the Churches of the Saints sent forth Messengers or Mini­sters to preach the Gospel, Rev. 14.6. to every Nation, kinred, tongue, and people. The Temple of Heaven from the civill throne, Christ and his wit­nesses being in Heaven, the high place of Judicature, where they have their throne; the Spirit of God joines the Temple and this Heaven together, and Christs civill Magistrates and his Churches go hand in hand, and with joint consent send forth Ministers to preach the Gospel; Rev. 14.6. therefore it is said, I saw an Angel flee through the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach, &c. saying, It is done. These Ministers shall declare to all the world, that now the worke is done; the Kingdomes and Dominions are taken from the Beast, Dan. 7.11, 12. and their bodies given to the burning flame, and their Ar­mles utterly destroyed, and given up to the slaughter, and so the worke is as good as done; Isa. 34.2. And another shall come after them, and say, Rev. 14.8. Babylon is fallen, Babylon is fallen: And another after him shall come and pronounce the judgments of God against every man that retains and holds fast those Antichristian errors, Vers. 9, 10. saying; If any man worship the Beast and his Image, and receive his marke in their hands, or in their foreheads, the same man shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the holy An­gels, and in the presence of the Lambe.

Upon this great voice of the Gospel shall follow two great ef­fects or consequences:

• First, the bringing in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles.
• Secondly, the calling home of the Jewes.

First, the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in, declared in these words, That there were voices, and thundering and lightning, Rev. 16.18. and there was a great earthquake. By voices, lightning, &c. is meant great stirs and combustions amongst men, not in a warlike way, as were before, but in disputing and arguing about matters of Religion. And by earthquake is meant a great falling off and renouncing those Antichristian tenets and errors, which they formerly held, to imbrace the sincere truths of the Gospel, both for Doctrine and Discipline, which is called the bringing in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles. And this earthquake shall be so mighty and so great, as was not the like since men lived on the earth, there will be such a gene­rall falling off and renouncing of their errors, Rom. 11.25. and such a true and thorow imbracing of the truths of the Gospel, as never was since men were upon the earth; this is called the first resurection. Rev. 20.6.

And this great City is said to be divided into three parts, Rev. 16.19. one part is to be slaine civilly, to have all their civill power taken from them, as those seven thousand were slaine in Scotland, Rev. 11.13. at the fall of the tenth part of the City, by Christ and his witnesses that sit in Heaven.

Secondly, Another part is to be slaine by the naturall sword, Rev. 19.11. and 14. by him that sits upon the white Horse, and they which follow him upon white Hor­ses in Heaven; upon the high places of the field, in his Army.

Thirdly, The third part is to be slaine spiritually, by that spiri­tuall sword of the Gospel, which proceedeth out of the mouth of Christ, which is that voice that came out of the Temple. So this great Ci­ty is divided into three parts, Vers. 21. and thus great Babylon is said to come in­to remembrance before God, and to drinke of the cup of the wine of the fierce­nesse of his wrath and fury. Thus will the Lord deal with Babylon, even deal with her as she did with the Saints; yea, reward her double, Rev. 18.6. she brake the Saints to peeces, so shall she be broken to peeces like a Potters Vessell, that shall not be set together againe, Psal. 2.9. Rev. 2.27. she devoured the Saints, so shall she be devoured; Every man that is found of her shall be thrust through, and every one that is joyned to her, Isa. 13.15. shall fall by the sword. She slew the Saints by a civill sword, and tooke away all their powers from them, and led them into captivity, so shall she be ci­villy slaine by the same Sword and carried captive, Rev. 13.10. and shut up as prisoners in a pit, and civilly bound for many yeares. They laid the wit­nesses dead bodies in the streets of that spirituall Sodome, Isa. 24.22. so shall they lye dead and bound with Satan a thousand yeares, Rev. 20.3, 5. not put in­to [Page 60]their graves; Isa. 14.19. nay worse, they shall be cast out of their graves, like on abominable branch, loathsome and vile for all men to behold, even as the rayment of him that is thrust through with a Sword, and as a carkasse trodden under foot; thus shall it be done to mysticall Babylon, the mother of Haroots, Rev. 17.5. rindx; and the abominations of the whole earth; the zeale of the Lord of Host will do all this in his appointed time: And the Lord gives the reason of all this his fury, Esa. 37.32. and wrath, and indignation, against Ba­bylon; and saith, Isa. 34.8. It is the day of the Lords vengeance, the yeare of recom­pences for the controversie of Zion, and it is the vengeance of the Lord, even the vengeance of his Temple; Jer. 50.28. the violence done to me and to my flesh, be upon Babylon, shall the Inhabitants of Zion say, and my blood upon the Inha­bitants of Chaldea, Jer. 51.35. shall Jerusalem say: Thus will the Lord pleade his Churches cause, and take vengeance for her.

The second great effect which followes upon the seventh Vials pouring forth, is the calling of the Jewes, The Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover Israel: Isa. 11.11. When the Jews shall see the utter ruine of the Romish Beast, and his Image the Pope, with the disso­lution of all his Images and Idols. And likewise the extirpation of all that cursed tradition and invention, which Antichrist is said to bring into the world with him by his power, which are said to be (666.)

Here is wisdome, Rev. 13.18. let him that hath understanding, count the number of the Beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is (666.) That is, he that hath wisdome to distinguish between those traditions which that Antichristian Beast brought into the world, and mixed his cup with, and those pure Ordinances of Worship, which he tooke from Christ and his Saints, in the day he entred into the Temple, let him but divide between the one and the other, and he shall finde those traditions to be (666.)

And when all these abominations are cast out of the worship and service of Christ, and they likewise heare those blessed voices of the Gospel, Rom. 3.25, 26. Jer. 20.37. Rom. 11.25. which came out of the Temple; and likewise hea­ring the same voices of the Gospel, declaring the truth of the pro­mises made to their fathers of old, and Gods free grace and love, and mercy in Jesus Christ, shall thereby be brought into the bond of the Covenant; for saith the Text, blindnesse happened unto the Jewes, but untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles came in, and then all Israel shall be saved.

Here we have, first, the meanes of their calling; secondly, the manner of it; thirdly, the effects of it.

First, the meanes or way by which they shall be called, is by the sound of the Trumpet of the Gospel, Matth. 24.31. and he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet, Isa. 11.12. and they shall gather together his Elect (mean­ing the Jewes) from the foure windes, from one end of the Hea­vens to another.

Secondly, the manner of their callings; Then shall the Lord poure upon them his spirit of humiliation and godly sorrow, that they shall looke upon him whom they pierced, and shall mourne bitterly as one that mourneth for his onely Sonne, yea, Zach. 12.10. as the mourning of Hadda-drimmon in the Valley of Megiddon, which was the greatest mourning that ever we read of Again, Jer. 13.9. with weeping and supplication will I lead them. Thus then the manner of it shall be with much sorrow, lamentation and humilation.

Thirdly, the effects which follow upon this their great humilia­tion and conversion is, they shall enquire after the true Church-way of the Gospell, which way the Lord Christ will be worship­ped in his House and Temple, asking the way to Sion, with their faces thitherwards: which notes, Jer. 50.6. that their hearts shall be fully set to worship Christ after his owne way, and it notes likewise their wil­lingnesse and readinesse to the worke, but yet not all of them shall God take into his House and Temple; no, but one of a City, Rev. 3.14. and two of a Family, and bring them to Sion his Church.

Secondly, But all of them shall have their owne. Ezek. 28.25.20.42.34.13.24. I and given them again for an everlasting possession, and they shall dwell in it for ever, and none shall make them afraid, and they shall be no more a prey to the Heathen. Againe, I will bring againe the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste places, and plant Vineyards and drinke the Wine thereof, Jer. 9.14, 15. and make Gardens and eat the fruit thereof, and I will plant them upon their owne Land, and they shall be no more pulled up out of the Land which I have given them, saith the Lord. Now the Jewes being scattered to the foure winds of Heaven amongst all the people in the world, therefore this is noted of them, that they amongst whom they lived in all Nations shall bring them to their owne Land upon horses and in Chariots, and in Litters, and upon Mules, and upon swift Beasts, Isa. 65.20. for an Offering to the Lord, to his holy Mountaine Jerusalem. Gods Cove­nant in an outward way, is with all the naturall seed of Abraham, to bring them all into their own Land, and to give it them for an ever­lasting [Page 62]possession; and they shall no more be two Nations, nor divided in­to two Kingdomes any more, Ezek. 37.22.24.25. Jer. 3.18. even the Lord Christ shall be King over them for ever, as he sits King over Nations: But that Sion and Church-Covenant shall be but with some of them. By which Co­venant, God is said to be married to them: Therefore saith the Lord; Jer. 3.14. I will take you one of a City, and two of a Family, and bring you to Sion, my Church and Temple: For we are not to suppose that the whole Nation of the Jewes, from Generation to Generation, for so many hundred yeares, will be all godly men and women; no, but all indeed shall submit to that outward way of worship as other Kingdomes shall, Zach. 14.16. over whom Christ in his Saints shall reigne a thousand yeares: But not all godly and holy men and women fit to be taken to Sion into that new Jerusalem and holy City, Rev. 22.1. where God and the Lambe hath their spirituall Throne: Therefore saith the Lord to Daniel, All thy people shall be delivered, that is, with an outward deli­verance from that captivity and slavery that wicked men kept them it; Dan. 12.1, 2. But some of them shall awake to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt. Now we are to speake of the time of the pou­ring forth of these three last Vials, and the end of Antichrist; with the finall deliverance of the Churches from their captivity, and the beginning of that glorious reigne of Christ and his Saints, for a thousand yeares; the time of the little horne, Antichrist, and the last enemy of the Church: we have it set downe in Dan. 12. by a three-fold gradation.

The Question being put by one, Dan. 12.6. to the man cloathed in linen, How long it should be to the end of those wonders; after a solemne Oath taken by him that lives for ever. Which Oath notes the certainty and infallibility of the thing he sware to, he gives a three-fold answer. First, That it should be for a Time, verse 7. Times, and halfe a Time. Secondly, a thousand two hundred and ninety dayes. Thirdly, a thousand three hun­dred and five and thirty dayes,

The first, is the full time of Antichrists reigne, in which he was to scatter the Churches power, Dan. 12.7. called the power of the holy people. Which power he scattered from the time of his beginning to reigne (not so much over the Empire) as over the Saints, to the end of his reigne, from the yeare 375. to the yeare 1635. the full time of 1260. yeares, vid. chap. 3. which is a Time, Times, and halfe a Time, see the third Chapter. At which time then almost all his cruelty against the [Page 63]Saints shall be finished, for he did to this very yeare slay the Saints, and laid them dead, and triumphs over them, and make merry, sending gifts one to another; and at this time Antichrist is said to finish his reigne over the Saints having slaine them: and so is one time of his end come.

Second time of his end, is 1290. dayes, which time begins, saith the Text, when thn daily Sacrifice was taken away, and that abomination set up, which made all desolate. Which was done in the yeare of Christ 365. now 365. and 1290. are 1655. which is the second time of his end, which is the end of the fifth and sixth Viall pouring forth, Carion. Chro. lib. 3. Rev. 12.17, 18. Dan. 7.11. when all Civill and Ecclesiasticall power shall be taken from him, and his Armies destroyed and given to the Fowles of Heaven, and their bo­dies to the burning flames. And all the civill power of States put into the hands of the godly, but not the Ecclesiasticall power, untill the seven plagues of the seven Angels be fulfilled.

The third time of his end is set down in the 12. verse, to be 1335. dayes. By dayes, he means propheticall dayes, a day for a yeare, This time is to begin when the 1290. began, at the yeare 365. so 365. and 1355. make 1700. which is the third and last time of his end, when he shall be spiritually slain and cast out of the hearts & minds of men, in whom he hath fastly rooted himself by his Antichristian errours; Dan. 7.12. in whom he and the rest of the Beast was said to live af­ter they had their Dominions and Kingdomes taken from them.

At this time the Lord Christ is said to sit upon the Throne, Rev. 19.1, 6. and much people in Heaven crying Alleluiah; and the voyce of a great Multitude, and as the voyces of many waters, and the voyce of mighty thunderings, say­ing, Alleluiah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. In the yeare 1655. Christ and his Witnesses are to take the powers of all the ten Kingdomes which Antichrist had into their owne hands, and shall reigne; but yet Christ is not said to reigne fully, Christ not said to reigne untill his reigne in and over his Church as well as over Nations. untill An­tichrist be quite removed out of the hearts of men, and the Church way of Christ clearly seene by all his servants, both by his Witnes­ses in Heaven, and other of his Saints, that so he may reigne, not onely upon the thrones of Nations, but likewise upon the hill of Sion his Church, and then Christ is said to reigne truly; which he shall doe at this last terme 1700. Then shall the Lambe Christ be married unto his Church, and the new Jerusalem built: Antichrist being quite destroyed, and cast, not onely out of the would, but out [Page 64]of the hearts of men, and all that Antichristian darknesse and ig­norance out of the mindes of men, that the way of Church-dis­cipline at that time shall be so plaine, Isa. 35.8. that wayfaring men, yea, though fools, shall not erre therein; and so much light, that all shall see the way of Church-discipline, Zach. 14.7. which way the uncleane is not to passe over, but it shall be for those, At even time it shall be light, which is meant of this yeare 1700. Rev. 19.7. The Spouse married to Christ by a Church-Co­venant. even for those that are holy, which doe not pollute nor defile, and not for the uncleane. At which time all the people of God seeing the Church way of Christ so plaine, are said to make themselves ready and prepared to be married to Christ, not but that they were married to him before in a spirituall way by faith and love; Else how could they have this title of Bride or Wife? But to be married to him, is in an outward way by a so­lemne League and Covenant in the sight of all the world and Nati­ons round about them, which is called the building of that new Jerusalem and holy City, Rev. 21.2, 10. which is said to come downe from Heaven. By Heaven is meant the place of judicature, where Christ and his Witnesses sit; from this high place or Heaven the Church and Spouse of Christ, who is that new Jerusalem or holy City, being in­vested with liberty and leave from Christ and his Witnesses, to en­ter into a true Church-way, and to set up such a Government in all the Churches of the Saints, Isa. 24.22. whereby the Lord Jesus may be Mount Sion, and in his new Jerusalem before his anciemts gloriously: The Lord Jesus who is the Tree of Life, Rev. 22.2. who is in the midst of his Church, is said to yeeld twelve manner of fruits, twelve sorts of fruits, after the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel: That is, in him is all kindes of spirituall meats, to feed and nourish all the Chur­ches of his Saints, though their wants be divers and many; And this Tree yeelds his fruit every moneth in the yeare. The holy Ghost secretly hinting to those Churches that shall live in those thousand yeares, that he would have them to eat of that Tree of Life but once a moneth. Now by Tree of life is set forth to us the Lord Christ in that great Ordinance of the Lords Supper, who doth fully communicate himself to his Saints by that Ordinance. In other Or­dinances there is but a communication of Christ by parcels; but in this, of whole Christ, and a participation of all spirituall gifts and graces: and therefore the Lord Jesus the Tree of life is said to yeeld his fruit but once a moneth; therefore the Saints are not [Page 65]to take fruit from this Tree, but as it yeelds it, not to pluck the Tree before the fruits be ripe: and it is likely this will be the custome of all the Churches in the thousand yeares reigne.

Though the Churches in the primitive times did receive it every seventh day, because they were then in their infancy, and child­hood, and so the Lord Jesus had need to be as a Nurse with his Breasts full of Milke to nourish his young ones every day as it were: But when the Church shall be growne up to the age and stature of a man, and so to be fed with meat and not with milke, then Christ will be a Tree of life in his Church, yeelding meat and fruits for strong men every moneth; for his Saints at that time are foretold by the holy Ghost, to be ancient men, ancient Christians; Isa. 24.23. such that are growne up towards the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ, Ephes. 4.13. before whom he is said to reign in Mount Sion & in Jerusa­len gloriously. This liberty to build this holy City, new Jerusalem, shal be to the Saints 1700. by the Witnesses in the high place of Judica­ture; therefore it is said againe, That this holy City or new Jerusalem commeth downe out of Heaven from God, Rev. 3.12. prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband; the Spouse of Christ had before her inward cloathing all of wrought gold, standing on the right hand of the King in gold of Ophir; Psal. 45.9.13. called gold tryed in the fire, which made her spiritually rich and beautifull in her soule, in the eyes of her Lord and Husband Christ. But this is not sufficient, shee must also have an outward raiment to make her beautifull without, both in the eyes of her Lord that looks upon her, and the men of this world; therefore it is said, that shee shall be brought to the King in a raiment of needle-worke, Psal. 45.14. Rev. 19.8. curiously wrought and imbroidered, even in fine linen, clean & white, which is the righteousnesse of the Saints: That which none hath right unto, or ought to meddle with but Saints, Isa. 35.8. it being the Government and Discipline which Christ is to set up and exercise in his owne House and Temple over his Saints and people, and this fine linen was granted to her by Christ and his Witnesses, and it was also granted to the soules un­der the Altar, which saw themselves slaine for the testimony which they held, that they should have white robes given them by Christ and his Witnesses, when the fifth Seal was opened, which was when the fifth Viall was pouring forth, betwixt 1639. and 1655. but not fully to all the Saints untill the end of the seven Vials 1700. Rev. 15.8. And the holy Ghost gives the reason why no man, that is (not many) shall not be able to enter into the Temple, because the Temple was filled with smoak from the glory of the Lord, and from his power.

By smoake is noted Gods presence, Gods presence in his House and Temple is so glorious and so holy, that very few shall be able to endure it, his Government in his House will be too strict for loose and formall spirits.

By smoak is likewise noted darknesse, the way of Christs Govern­ment in and over all the Churches of the Saints, is for the present hard to be found out, it lyes deep, and is, as it were, hid in the inmost bowels of holy writ, not open in the letter of the Scripture, but wrapped up in the spirituall sense thereof. And Antichrist hath by his Antichristian ayre which he brought with him into the world, out of that bottomlesse pit, so darkned the understanding of men, yea, of many of the deare Saints of God, that they cannot see Christs way in his House and Temple.

Again, Antichrist having taken & kept this Church power from the Saints 1260. years, and therefore they are, as it were, quite ignorant of this Discipline and Government (as well they may) therefore not able to enter into the Temple, but this Church power shall be gran­ted unto the Saints again by Christ and his Witnesses the year 1700.

The Church being thus adorned with pure gold in her inward man, and with a broidered garment and fine linen upon her out­ward man, and that by authority from Christs civill Magistrates in the place of Judicature, Rev. 21.10, 11 is said to descend out of Heaven from God, have­ing the glory of God, and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like unto a Jasper stone, Verse 3. clear as Christall. And at this time the Taber­nacle of God shall be with men, even with the Saints and people, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God, verse 3. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor cry­ing, neither shall there be any more paine. All those teares, or death, sor­row or paine, which came by the oppressour, shall be taken away; for, Verse 4. saith he, the former things are past away, all oppression and tyranny of the enemy, and he that sits upon the Throne will make all things new, new Heaven and new Earth; Verse 5. new Government in the Church, and a new Government in the State: In this new Jerusalem shall be no Temple, nor need of the Sunne or Moone to shine in it: That is, the Church and people of God shall have no need of outward glory to make them beautifull in the eyes of Nations, but God and the Lambe shall have their spirituall Throne there, Rev. 22.3, 4. and be their light and glory, and his servants shall serve him, and shall see his face, that is the brightnesse of his glory [Page 67] and his Name shall be in their fore-heads. Rev. 3.12. & 22.4. The power of Christ in his Church shalbe as visible upon them, & seen to belong to them at that day, as though it were written in their fore-heads. And in this City shall be a pure River of life, cleare as Chrystall: that is, Verse 1. all pure Ordi­nances of worship, which proceed from the Throne of God and the Lambe (who sits in the midst of his Church) and on both sides of those pure Ordinances is Christ, the Tree of life, communicating himselfe to his Saints. Thus shall this holy City and new Jerusalem be built by authority from Christ and his Witnesses in the yeare of Christ 1700. which shall be that great worke of the Witnesses that same yeare throghout all their Dominions, Zach. 9.10. Psal. 72.8. Dan. 7.13, 14. & 18. & 27. Psal. 2.6. & 8, 9. Rev. 5.9, 10. Isa. 24.23. &c. which shall be from sea to sea, from the River even to the ends of the Earth, after they have kept silence in Heaven halfe an houre. At this time will God make good all his promises made unto Christ and his Saints concerning their reigning over the Nations, and upon the hill of him in his new Jerusalem.

CHAP. XI. The two Governments of Christ, the one over the Nations, and another over his new Jerusalem; Christ reignes 1000. yeares; Satan and wicked men bound all that same time, afterwards loosed and utterly destroyed; The Saints reigning three Termes.

CHrist and his Witnesses having taken all power into their hands both Civill and Ecclesiasticall, and being to reigne over the Nations, and upon Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, they must have two Governments set up to rule them by, one to rule the Nations, another to rule upon Mount Zion.

That whereby Christ and his Saints is to reign and rule the Na­tions by, is just and righteous Lawes. Christs go­vernment o­ver the Na­tion. Isa. 32.1. Psal. 72.2.3.4. Verse 7. Jer. 33.15. A King shall reigne in righteous­nesse, and Princes shall decree justice, he shall judge thy people with righte­ousnesse, and the poore with judgement; the mountaines shall bring peace to the people, and the little hils by righteousnesse; he shall judge the poore of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall breake in pieces the oppressour, and in his dayes shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the Moone endureth: at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousnesse to grow up to David, and he shall execute judgement and righteousnesse in the Land, justice and judgement shall be the habitation of his Throne, mercy and truth shall goe before thy face; Psal. 89.14. Jer. 23.5. a King shall reigne and prosper who shall execute judgement in the earth.

Secondly, Christ will not only give them just and righteous Laws, but he will also give them his Gospel, Rev. 14.6. Zach. 14.16. which shalbe preached to all Nati­ons, & they shal come up to Jerusalem to worship, & keep the feast of Taber­cacles. They shall submit to his power so farre as to have the Gos­pel preached to the people of the Nations: Rev. 22.2. Which Gospel is called the leaves of that Tree of life, which is to heale the Nations of their deadly wounds and diseases, that they may doe the Commandements of God, and have right to the Tree of life, and so enter in through the Gate in-that holy City, Isa. 65.17. new Jerusalem.

This Government by which Christ will rule in the world, Rev. 21.1. Matth. 24.35. is cal­led The new Earth, which God promised to make (the old earth be­ing passed away, even that old Government of oppressions and cru­elty which the five Beasts set up, Rev. 21.1. being now dissolved by Christ and his Witnesses; Christ set up a new Government to governe the men of the earth by, called The new Earth, lust and righteous Lawes, and his Gospell, Rev. 14.6. to be preached unto all Nations.

The second Government which Christ is to set up in the Church­es of his Saints and new Jerusalem, is a more stricter government then the former: Zach. 2.1. Rev. 21.15.16. Rev. 11.1. He shall sit upon the throne of his glory in his Church and Temple, with a measuring line and golden reed, to measure Jerusalem, that holy City, to see that the length and bredth and hight of it be equall; the highest Officer, and the meanest Member of the Church must be e­quall in point of power: and with this rod or golden reed he is to mea­sure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worship therein; but the outward Court must not be measured. They that come into the out­ward Court; that is, they that come to the preaching of the Gos­pell, measure not them, for it is given to all the Nations of the world to be as leaves of the Tree of life to cure them therewith; but the stones of the Temple and Altar, and they that worship therein, must be measured.

First, Christ will measure all the stones which this holy City, new Jerusalem is to be built withall, none is to be admitted but preci­ous stones, Rev. 21.18. even of Jasper, godly men and women, and the city is to be all of pure gold, like unto clcere glasse. None are to enter into a Church-league and Covenant, to be a stone of this new Jernsalem, but such as have their cloathing of wrought gold, Psal. 45.13. befitting the Spouse of Christ and Queen of Heaven, those graees of Gods Spirit which are as gold tryed in the fire, Rev. 3.18. like unto cleare glasse, without spot or defilement, which are so, I say, in the judgement of Charity, for so must the [Page 69]Saints judge, if one be without spot, not defilling by any outward sin, as to worke abomination, or make a lye, he is to be admitted, the Saints is to believe that such a one is a precious stone, and pure gold, in the judgement of charity.

2. The Temple must not only be measured, that is, godly men and women which are as lively stones, and spirituall, Psal. 1.2.5. Ezek. 43.13. to build this spirituall Temple, but the Altar must be measured, all ordinances and instruments, with which the Saints are to worship, are to be measu­red; nothing is to be admitted as an Ordinance of worship, but what is of divine institution, which will agree with the touch-stone of the Word, and ballance of the Sanctuary: Not any of that Ro­mish trash of mens inventions and humane traditions, with which the Whore of Rome mixed her cup, Ezek. 43.26, 27. but the Altar must be cleansed se­ven daies, seven times, as gold or silver, and then the Lord will accept of our offerings, These are the Ordinances of the Altar of Christ within his Temple.

3. They that worship in the Temple must be measured, Christ sits upon the throne of his Church in the Temple, and all that come in after it is built, to worship, shall be measured, if they doe not agree with the golden reede of divine truth, no admittance in­to his Temple; nay, after they be admitted, if they walke not ac­cording to the rule of the Gospell, after the third admonition, Matth. 18.17. they are to be cast out of his house: 1 Cor. 5.7. As none shall enter into his house that defiles, so nothing is admitted to stay there, for he would de­file all the rest. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; 1 Cor. 5.6. therefore he must be cut off by the sword of Christ that goeth out of his mouth. This is that government and discipline which Christ will set up in his Temple and holy City, Rev. 2.16. and exercise in all the Church­es of his Saints all the 1000. yeares, and to the end of the world: And these are the lawes, ordinances, and forms, and going out thereof, and commings in thereof, this is the law of the house, Ezek. 43.12. upon the top of the moun­taines, which is called that new Heaven which he will make, A new Hea­ven. that old Heaven being passed away; and there was found no more sea, no more of that Romish doctrine or humane traditions which that Antichristian Whore brought into the world with her; but that Roman Beast, and Babylonish Whore, with all her abominations, is now to be removed out of the way, which she set up in the Temple and Heaven; and now the Lord sets up pure ordinances of worship [Page 70]in all the Churches of the Saints, which he calls the new Heaven, which new heaven and earth shall ever continue, Isa. 61.17. Rev. 21.1. Rev. 20.3, 4. Isa. 24.22. not only for 1000. yeares, in which Christ and his Saints shall raigne, Satan be bound, and wicked men shut up as prisoners in a pit, and lye civilly slaine, but even to the worlds end; and then shall that be fulfilled, Isa. 16.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Thou shalt also suck the milke of, &c.

So the Lord Jesus is to raigne over the Nations of the world and Churches of his Saints, 1000. yeares, which 1000. yeares begins when Antichrist is quite destroyed, which will be 1700. yeares, and continue unto 2700. in which time Satan is said to be bound and shut up, Rev. 20.3. and sealed in that bottomlesse pit: Not so shut up, but he shall still tempt and intice the men of the world, yea, and Saints too, to sin; but this, he shall be bound from tempting men to civill war against one another, Mic. 4.3. all that 1000. years, and therefore they are said, not to learne war any more, that is, not all that 1000. yeares; and wicked men shall be civilly slain and laid as dead men, and not to live untill that 1000. years be ended, Rev. 20.5. and shut up as prisoners in a pit; not but that they shall have as much liberty as the Saints in an outward way, to trade and to have commerce in the world, but they shall have all civill power taken out of their hands, and so lie as dead men, and uselesse men in the State or Kingdome where they live, and be in that respect as prisoners gathered into a pit, and shut up in prison. Isa. 24.22.

But after this thousand yeares is ended, then Satan shall be un­bound in the yeare 2700. and the rest of the wicked, Rev. 20.7. Vers. 5. Isa. 24.22. which were civilly dead, shall live, and the prisoners which were shut up, shall be visited; that is, let forth out of their prison, and the Devil shall go out to deceive the Nations of the earth, by stirring up wicked men to make civill war with the Saints; and the wicked of the earth shall be suffered by God to take up armes against his people, and so are said to be let out of prison, for it is a prison to wicked men and the Devill, Rev. 20.5. to be kept from warring against the people of God. And likewise are said to live when the 1000. yeeres are en­ded, that is, civilly, they now having taken up Armes, have civill power in their hands, Ezek. 39.1. and so live, And they shall gather together into a great Army horses and horsemen, all of them cloathed with all sorts of ar­mour, even a great company; all of them handling the sword, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea, God and Magog. The chiefe Princes of [Page 71]Meshech and Tubal, Captaines of this great Army, shall goe upon the breadth of the earth, and compasse the Campe of the Saints, and the belo­ved City. But God will destroy them with a mighty destruction. Rev. 20.9.

First, he will call for a sword against him throughout all his Moun­taines, or powers of States, all being in the hands of him and his Saints at the same time throughout the world. Ezek. 38.21.

Secondly, God will turne the sword of the enemy against them­selves, every mans sword shall be against his brother.

Thirdly, God will send his pestilence into their army, Vers. 23. Rev. 20.9. Ezek. 39.2, 4.9.12. Ezek. 28.23. and raigne upon them great haile-stones, fire and brinstone, and but the sixt part of them shall returne back, and the rest shall fall upon the Mountaine of Israel, and the people of God shall be seven moneths burying the dead, and seven yeares burning their weapons; Thus will the Lord magnifie and sanctifie his great Name in the fight of the Heathen, and in the eyes of many Nations, and they shall know that he is the Lord, and they shall know that the people of Israel went into captivity, for their iniquity and for their sin; Therefore God hid his face from them, and gave them all into the hands of their ene­mies; and the house of Israel shall know that the Lord is their God, from that day forwards; neither will he hide his face from them any more, because he hath poured his Spirit upon them; And thus shall God destroy this great army of Gog & Magog, & the Devil that deceived them shall be cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone, Rev 20.10. where the Beast and false prophets are, and shall be tormented day and night, for ever and ever. And then the Saints of God, and Churches of Jesus Christ, shall reigne in peace and quiet, never to be molested by the Devill and wicked men, in a way of civill war more, and shall reigne to the end of the world; but when that end of the world shall be, is not knowne Our Savi­our gave foure signes of his comming to judge Antichrist, but of that last judgement of quick and dead, when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome to his Father, and God to be all in all, 1 Cor. 15.24. & 28. Mark. 13.32. of this day and houre knowes no man, no not the Angels in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Fa­ther. Onely he hath hid this time and season in his owne heart and breast, and it is not for us to search into it, or to meddle with it; It may be hundreds or thousands of yeares after this yeare, 2700. when Gog and Magog shall be destroyed.

But this is noted in the Scripture of truth, that the Saints shall reigne for three periods, they shall take and possesse the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever. Ever is a terme of time; Dan. 7.8. the first ever begins [Page 72]1655. when the Beast, and the false prophet, and their Armies shall be destroyed, and the Saints take possession of the Kingdome to the yeare 1700. unto which time the seventh Viall shalbe pouring upon that Antichristian aire, and so cast out of the world, as out of the grave, as an abominable branch.

Second Ever is from the yeare 1700. to the yeare 2700. all that 1000. yeares reigne of Christ and his Saints, wherein Satan is to be bound, and the wicked civilly slaine and lye dead; at the end of which terme they shall assay to take the power out of the hands of the Saints, but shall not be able. This is the second terme of time, or ever, to which the Saints shall raigne.

The third Ever is from the yeare of Christ 2700. to the end of the world, when Jesus Christ shall come to judge the quick and dead, and deliver up the Kingdome to his Father, and God be all in all.

Then also who knows whether the Lord will fulfill all these things in a literall and naturall way, at his last and personall com­ming to judgment, as he hath fulfilled them in a spirituall and my­sticall sense, as hath been shewed in this discourse, so that the sun shalbe darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, the stars fall from Heaven, Heaven and Earth to be rolled together as a scroll, and passe away, and their place be no more found, and the sea not only to roare, but there to be no more sea; and a new Hea­ven and a new Earth to be made by the almighty power of God, which shalbe as a great new City for the servants of God to dwell in, and to behold his face, and see his glory, which City will have no need of the light of a naturall sun or moone, for the Lord God and the Lambe will be the light and glory thereof.