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<DATE>2010-01-19</DATE>
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<NAME>Lauren Proux</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1">
<P>Apocalyptical MYSTERIES, Touching the <HI>Two</HI> WITNESSES, the <HI>Seven</HI> VIALS, and the <HI>Two</HI> KING|DOMS, <HI>to wit,</HI> of CHRIST, and of ANTICHRIST, EXPOUNDED.</P>
<P>Wherein is contained &s;ome things ne|ce&s;&s;ary for the Saints in this pre&s;ent GENERATION to know. And therein is al&s;o &s;hewed, what the IS|RAEL of God ought to do in this DAY.</P>
<P><HI>By</HI> H. K. <HI>a Servant of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>I&s;a. 26.20, 21.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Come my people, enter thou into thy Chamber, and &s;hut thy doors about thee; hide thy &s;elf as it were for a little moment, until the indig|nation be overpa&s;t. For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to puni&s;h the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: The earth al&s;o &s;hall di&s;clo&s;e her blood, and &s;hall no more cover her &s;tain.</P></Q>
<P><HI>London.</HI> Printed in Year, 1667.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To all the Saints, that in every place call up|on the Name of the LORD Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Brethren,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THey that would &s;erve God in their <HI>Generation,</HI> according to his <HI>Will,</HI> ought to inquire dili|gently into the particular Truths of the <HI>Age</HI> they live in, which are <HI>Re|corded</HI> in his Holy WORD. The <HI>dayes</HI> wherein we live, being not onely the latter <HI>Times</HI> of the fir&s;t Apo&s;ta&s;ie, prophe&s;ied of by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>1 Tim. 4.1, 2, 3.</HI> but the la&s;t dayes of tho&s;e peri|lous Times mentioned by him, <HI>2 Tim. 3.1, 5.</HI> I conceive, that the la&s;t part of God's revealed Will, <HI>to wit,</HI> the Book of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> hath in it tho&s;e
<PB REF="3">Truths, which more <HI>peculiarly</HI> belonged unto this Age wherein we live; which con&s;ideration hath made me willing (as my occa&s;ions and daily Imployment would permit) to be &s;earching them out. And though I cannot &s;ay that I have in all things found the <HI>Truth,</HI> which prin|cipally, and above others, may be called the <HI>Truth</HI> of this <HI>Age,</HI> and of our <HI>Ge|neration;</HI> Yet being incouraged by that <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing,</HI> promi&s;ed <HI>Rev. 1.3.</HI> I have crouded my &s;elf into the number of tho&s;e that run <HI>to</HI> and <HI>fro</HI> to find it: And have by &s;earching the <HI>Prophe&s;ies</HI> of this Book of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> found three <HI>My&s;teries,</HI> wherein are &s;ome things that &s;eem to relate unto this <HI>Age</HI> and <HI>Gene|ration</HI> wherein we live, <HI>viz.</HI> That of the two <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> of the &s;even <HI>Vials,</HI> and of the two <HI>Kingdoms,</HI> to wit, of Chri&s;t, and of Antichri&s;t. Which I have made the Subject of this little <HI>Treati&s;e,</HI> in the reading whereof, I doubt not but you will find &s;ome Truths that are <HI>ne|ce&s;&s;ary</HI>
<PB REF="3">for the Saints in this <HI>Age</HI> and pre&s;ent <HI>Generation</HI> to know, and al&s;o &s;ome duties which the ISRAEL of God ought to do in this DAY and <HI>Age</HI> where|in we live.</P>
<P><HI>Dear Brethren,</HI> How ever others may cen&s;ure me for pre&s;umption, in offering my Opinion in tho&s;e things, that are in their judgment too high and deep My&s;teries for me to meddle with; Yet you that are Saints, know how to bear tho&s;e infirmities and weakne&s;&s;es of your <HI>unworthy</HI> Brother, which <HI>happily</HI> you may di&s;cern in reading this <HI>Treati&s;e;</HI> And notwith&s;tanding them all, may re|ceive any glimmerings of light that is held forth to you in the Expo&s;ition of the&s;e Prophe&s;ies; that &s;o you and I, who have our Fathers Name written in our Fore|heads, may go hand in hand <HI>(like loving Brethren)</HI> about our Fathers WORK, following our LORD the <HI>Lamb</HI> where|&s;oever he goes. The Divi&s;ions, Con|tentions, and Separations that to this
<PB REF="4">Day remains among the Profe&s;&s;ors of this Age, cau&s;eth me to think, That God hath not done all his WORK upon Mount <HI>Sion;</HI> There are &s;ome &s;uffer|ings yet behind, which will purge away that dro&s;s, by the Spirit of Judgment, and by the Spirit of Burning: And this is one Rea&s;on among others, which makes me think, the two Witne&s;&s;es are not yet &s;lain; And though many of Gods Ser|vants have &s;uffered for the Te&s;timony which they held, yet there remains a Remnant of their fellow Servants and Brethren which &s;hall be killed as they were, and this mu&s;t be fulfilled: For, as there was &s;uch a Di&s;pen&s;ation under the &s;even Seals, <HI>Rev. 6.9, 10, 11.</HI> before God would avenge their Blood; &s;o there &s;hall be &s;uch a Di&s;pen&s;ation under the &s;even Trumpets, before the &s;even Vials of Gods la&s;t Plagues be poured out, <HI>Rev. 11.7, 18.</HI> And when I con&s;ider the <HI>Congregations</HI> of Saints, &amp; <HI>Churches</HI> of &s;everal per&s;wa&s;ions, <HI>in this Age,</HI>
<PB REF="4">how unlike they are to the Churches of God recorded in the Scripture, with re|&s;pect unto Mini&s;try, Gifts, and Di&s;cipline or Government, be&s;ides what is ami&s;s in the Wor&s;hip of God; It makes me think, That the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Te&s;timony in Heaven is not opened, out of which Temple <HI>John</HI> &s;aw the &s;even Angels come, who had the &s;even golden Vials of the &s;even la&s;t Plagues of God, <HI>Rev. 15.1, 5, 6.</HI> And if &s;o, then the &s;even Vials are not yet any of them poured out upon <HI>My&s;tical Babylon;</HI> for tho&s;e &s;even golden Vials were given them after they were come out of the Temple, <HI>Rev. 15.5, 6, 7.</HI> and they had not a com|mand to pour out any of the &s;even Vials till after that, <HI>Rev. 16.1, 2, 3.</HI></P>
<P><HI>La&s;tly,</HI> The late <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> of &s;ome, who have fallen in with the corrupt &s;elf-&s;eeking intere&s;ts of this &s;inful and &s;uper&s;titious <HI>Generation;</HI> and the <HI>Zeal</HI> of others, who have &s;eparated them&s;elves from their Brethren, judging them to be
<PB REF="5">defiled with the &s;ins of the <HI>times,</HI> and there|fore dare not have and hold Communion with them, though they hope they are Saints, and the dear Chilaren of God, hath given me occa&s;ion to publi&s;h my Te&s;timony at this time for the Kingdom of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and again&s;t the Kingdom of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> wherein I have &s;aid &s;ome things that may, <HI>by the ble&s;&s;ing of God,</HI> tend unto the recovery of &s;ome <HI>back&s;liders,</HI> and to the recti&s;ying of the Judgments of my zealous Bre|thren, and to the reducing of tho&s;e Saints unto repentance, who have been defiled with any &s;ins of this Age or Generation, not of wilfulne&s;s, but through weakne&s;s, and that either for want of light, or through the strength of &s;ome temp|tation; who being overtaken with a fault, &s;hould be re&s;tored in the &s;pirit of meekne&s;s, <HI>Gal. 6.1, 2.</HI></P>
<P>Which ble&s;&s;ings of God &s;hall plea&s;e to effect, by the&s;e my poor endeavours, and labour of love, as I know he will not forget it, &s;o I pray for you, and beg your prayers for me, that neither I nor you may forget to give him the glory.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>This done, I remain your Brother in the be&s;t Bonds, <HI>H. K.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="part">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<HEAD>Apocalyptical MYSTERIES, The Fir&s;t Part, Touching the <HI>two</HI> WITNESSES.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Rev. 11.3, 14.</HI></BIBL>
<P>And I will give power unto my two Witne&s;&s;es, and they &s;hall prophe&s;ie a thou&s;and two hundred and three&s;core days cloathed in &s;ack-cloth. The &s;econd Wo is pa&s;t, and behold, the third Wo cometh quickly.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IT is not my intent to expound <HI>every ver&s;e,</HI> and interpret <HI>each particular</HI> thing therein contained, but to offer my <HI>Opi|nion</HI> briefly touching &s;ome things which I conceive are of more <HI>general</HI> concern|ment,
<PB N="2" REF="6">and may be of more <HI>&s;pecial</HI> u&s;e unto the Saints at this DAY.</P>
<P>The Particulars which I have thought mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary to treat of touching this Sub|ject, are principally the&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Who are the two Witne&s;&s;es, and what is their Te&s;timony?</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>What is their Power, and the time of their Prophe&s;ying?</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Who the Bea&s;t is, and how he kills them?</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>What is the &s;treet of the great City, in which their dead bodies lie?</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>VVhat Time is to be under&s;tood by the three dayes and an half?</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>How they &s;hall be rai&s;ed again, and what are the Effects thereof?</HI></P>
<P>As touching the fir&s;t, <HI>viz. VVho are the two VVitne&s;&s;es, and what is their Te&s;ti|mony?</HI></P>
<P>The two <HI>VVitne&s;&s;es,</HI> ver&s;. 3. are de&s;cri|bed <HI>Metaphorically</HI> by two Olive Trees, and two Candle&s;ticks, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 4.</P>
<P><HI>The&s;e are the two Olive Trees, and the two Candle&s;ticks &s;tanding before the God of the Earth.</HI></P>
<P>By which De&s;cription it appears, that the two Witne&s;&s;es are not any two <HI>individual</HI> Per&s;ons, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Elias,</HI> nor is thereby meant any two particular Te&s;timonies, <HI>as
<PB N="3" REF="6">the Old and New Te&s;tament,</HI> or two di&s;tinct Callings, <HI>as Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try;</HI> for none of the&s;e Interpretations will agree with this De&s;cription of the two Witne&s;&s;es, as will plainly appear in the Expo&s;ition of this <HI>fourth ver&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>By the <HI>two Olive Trees</HI> are my&s;tically &s;ignified the Lords Mini&s;ters and Prophets, who are here called <HI>Sons of Oyl,</HI> which is an <HI>Hebrai&s;m,</HI> and a <HI>Metaphorical</HI> Expre&s;&s;ion borrowed from <HI>Zech.</HI> 4.11, 14. <HI>The&s;e are the two Anointed Ones that &s;tand by the LORD of the whole Earth.</HI> Such were the Prie&s;ts and Prophets of the LORD, who were Anointed, <HI>Exod.</HI> 28.41. &amp; 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 19.16. Yea, and all the Saints who are a Royal Prie&s;thood, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.9. have an <HI>Unction</HI> from the Holy One, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.20, 27. but e&s;pecially the Lord's Mini&s;ters and Prophets, who being <HI>anointed</HI> with the <HI>Spi|rit</HI> above their fellow-Brethren the <HI>Saints,</HI> do empty the golden <HI>Oyl</HI> out of them&s;elves into the <HI>&s;even</HI> Lamps of the golden Candle|&s;ticks.</P>
<P>By the <HI>two Candle&s;ticks,</HI> are figured forth the vi&s;ible true con&s;tituted <HI>Churches</HI> of Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, as plainly appears by his own in|terpretation, <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.20. <HI>And the &s;even Candle&s;ticks are the &s;even Churches.</HI> As
<PB N="4" REF="7"><HI>one</HI> Candle&s;tick in the Prophets Vi&s;ion <HI>usy|&s;tically</HI> &s;ignified that <HI>National</HI> Church of God, which was but One, <HI>Zach.</HI> 4.2. So <HI>two</HI> Candle&s;ticks in the Apo&s;tles Vi&s;ion <HI>Metaphorically</HI> repre&s;enteth tho&s;e <HI>Congre|gational</HI> Churches of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which are many.</P>
<P>Nor is my di&s;tingui&s;hing between the Lords Mini&s;ters, and Prophets, and his Churches unwarrantable; for they are di|&s;tingui&s;hed in other Scriptures, <HI>Acts</HI> 15.4.22, 23. <HI>The Apo&s;tles and Elders with the whole Church, Acts</HI> 20.17, 18. al&s;o <HI>Phil.</HI> 1.1. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.1, 2. and 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.28. <HI>And God hath &s;et &s;ome in the Church, fir&s;t Apo&s;tles, &s;econdarily Prophets, thirdly Teach|ers.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> which the&s;e <HI>two Witne&s;&s;es</HI> bear, whil&s;t they prophe&s;ie in Sackcloath, is not that general <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> which the Mi|ni&s;ters and Churches of God <HI>in all Ages of the Go&s;pel</HI> have born again&s;t Sin, Satan, and the World of ungodly men; though that may turn unto them for a <HI>Te&s;timony,</HI> but it is a <HI>Generation Confe&s;&s;ion</HI> of tho&s;e Truths which do <HI>properly</HI> belong unto that <HI>Age</HI> wherein they live, and unto which they are called, as was <HI>John</HI> the <HI>Bapti&s;t, John</HI> 1.19, 20, 23. the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Acts</HI> 1.8. &amp; 4.18, 19. 20.
<PB N="5" REF="7"><HI>Paul, Acts</HI> 18.5. and 23.11. <HI>Timothy,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.12. And the Martyrs of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 6.9. in their DAY.</P>
<P>So that this <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> is that <HI>confe&s;&s;ion</HI> of Truth, which the Churches of God, and the Mini&s;ters and Prophets of the Lord have made, and the Witne&s;&s;e, which they have born in their <HI>own</HI> Generation for Chri&s;t, his Magi&s;tracy, Mini&s;try, Churches, Ordinan|ces, Wor&s;hip, and Government, or Di&s;ci|pline, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and again&s;t Antichri&s;t, or the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> his Magi&s;tracy, Mini&s;try, Churches, Ordinances, Wor&s;hip, and Government, or Di&s;cipline, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Hereby the Saints in this pre&s;ent Gene|ration, may under&s;tand three things, which are nece&s;&s;ary for them to know, and to do, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. The Churches, Mini&s;ters, and Pro|phets of the LORD are to bear their Te|&s;timony, not onely again&s;t the Power, Throne, and great Authority which the Dragon (<HI>who is the Devil,</HI> Chap. 20.2.) gave unto the Bea&s;t, <HI>Chap.</HI> 13.2. but al&s;o again&s;t all the Kings of the Earth, who have received their power at the &s;ame time with the Bea&s;t, and give their power and &s;trength unto the Bea&s;t, <HI>Chap.</HI> 17.12, 13. <HI>to wit,</HI> tho&s;e ten Kings of the fourth Monarchy,
<PB N="6" REF="8">who received a <HI>Political</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tica<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Power one hour (<HI>or at the &s;ame time</HI>) with the Bea&s;t, and have given their <HI>moral</HI> pow|er and <HI>natural</HI> &s;trength unto the Bea&s;t; and <HI>principally</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Politick</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;i|a&s;tick</HI> power of the <HI>eighth</HI> Bea&s;t, who is al&s;o one of the <HI>&s;even</HI> Kings who goeth into per|dition.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Churches, Mini&s;ters, and Pro|phets of the LORD, are to bear their Te|&s;timony, not only again&s;t the mo&s;t gro&s;s <HI>I|dolaters</HI> of the great VVHORE, <HI>My&s;tery Babylon,</HI> and her <HI>Sorcerers,</HI> but al&s;o again&s;t the &s;uper&s;titious <HI>Abominations</HI> of all other Harlots, <HI>to wit,</HI> fal&s;e Churches, and fal&s;e VVor&s;hippers, who are her Daughters, <HI>Chap.</HI> 17.5. Yea, though they be <HI>well-fa|voured</HI> Harlots, <HI>Nahum</HI> 3.4. called the <HI>Cities</HI> of the Nations, (<HI>that is to &s;ay, Nati|onal Churches</HI>) who &s;hall fall in the utter de&s;truction of <HI>great Babylon,</HI> when &s;he comes in remembrance before God, <HI>Chap.</HI> 16.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Churches, Mini&s;ters, and Pro|phets of the LORD, are to beat their Te|&s;timony unto the Kingdom of Je&s;us Chri&s;t here on Earth, not onely as he is King of <HI>Saints, Chap.</HI> 15.3. and King of <HI>Zion, P&s;al.</HI> 149.1, 2. but al&s;o as he is King of
<PB N="7" REF="8"><HI>Nations, Jer.</HI> 10.7. For this <HI>confe&s;&s;ion</HI> of the Kingdom of our LORD Je&s;us Chri&s;t, is <HI>properly</HI> the Truth of this pre&s;ent <HI>Age</HI> and <HI>Generation;</HI> the <HI>glad tydings</HI> whereof, is to be preached in all the <HI>WORLD</HI> for a <HI>Wit|ne&s;s</HI> unto all Nations, and then &s;hall the END of the <HI>WORLD</HI> come, <HI>Mat.</HI> 24.14. And I may &s;ay in the Apo&s;tles words, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.11. <HI>This is written for our Ad|monition, upon whom the Ends of the VVorld are come.</HI></P>
<P>As touching the &s;econd, <HI>viz. VVhat is the Power of the&s;e two VVitne&s;&s;es, and the time of their Prophe&s;ying?</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Power,</HI> which the Lord hath given unto his two <HI>VVitne&s;&s;es,</HI> is not a <HI>Magi&s;teri|al</HI> Authority or Dominion, but a <HI>Propheti|cal</HI> Power, <HI>to wit,</HI> the Power of the <HI>VVORD,</HI> not the Power of the <HI>Sword;</HI> which is ano|ther Rea&s;on, why I cannot be of their Opi|nion, who &s;ay, That the&s;e two VVit|ne&s;&s;es, are the Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>This <HI>Prophetical</HI> Power, is declared by &s;everal Acts, <HI>(&s;uch as were done by the Pro|phets of the LORD of old) ver&s;.</HI> 5, 6. <HI>to wit.</HI> fir&s;t Power over Fire, as <HI>Eliah</HI> had, 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 1.10. and <HI>Jer.</HI> 5.14. <HI>Behold I will make my words in thy mouth Fire.</HI></P>
<PB N="8" REF="9">
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Power over VVaters, both the VVaters that are above the Firmament, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 6. <HI>The&s;e have power to &s;hut Heaven, that it rain not in the dayes of their Prophe&s;ie.</HI> And &s;uch a <HI>prophetical Power Elijah</HI> or <HI>Elias</HI> had, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 17.1. <HI>There &s;hall be no dew nor rain, but according to my VVord;</HI> which the Prophet effected by <HI>earne&s;t</HI> prayer, <HI>Jam.</HI> 5.17. And al&s;o over the VVaters which are under the Firmament, to turn them in|to Blood, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 6. As <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> the LORD'S Prophet did, <HI>Exod.</HI> 7.19, 20, 21.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly, Power to &s;mite the Earth with all Plagues;</HI> which Plagues are to be under|&s;tood <HI>Metaphorically</HI> of Spiritual Judge|ments: For although the <HI>Prophetical</HI> Power of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Elijah,</HI> and other Prophets, brought <HI>material</HI> Plagues, and <HI>temporal</HI> Judgments upon <HI>Egypt,</HI> and other Coun|tries, &amp; upon the Inhabitants of the world, yet the Plagues and Judgments here <HI>my&s;ti|cally</HI> de&s;cribed are, <HI>if not onely, yet princi|pally</HI> of a Spiritual kind, &s;uch as the Lord: Prophets of old al&s;o had <HI>Power</HI> to do, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 6.9, 10. and <HI>Mat.</HI> 13.13, 14, 15.</P>
<P>The <HI>Time</HI> of their Prophe&s;ying is 1260, dayes, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 3. The &s;ame <HI>number</HI> of 1260. the <HI>WOMAN</HI> (that is to &s;ay, the <HI>Church</HI> of God) is fed in the <HI>Wilderne&s;s,</HI> chap. 12.6.
<PB N="9" REF="9"><HI>to wit,</HI> by tho&s;e Mini&s;ters and Prophets, who are the Witne&s;&s;es of Chri&s;t, as afore|&s;aid. Which 1260. dayes, counting 30. dayes for a month, make <HI>forty two</HI> months, which is the time that the holy City (<HI>viz.</HI> the <HI>Church</HI> of God) &s;hall be troden under|foot by the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> ver&s;. 2. <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> by the Papi&s;ts and Popi&s;h Idolaters, who for their Spiritual Idolatry in the Wor&s;hip of God, are called <HI>Gentiles,</HI> as the great <HI>City,</HI> My&s;tical Babylon, <HI>Spiritually</HI> is called <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Egypt,</HI> ver&s;. 8. And the number of forty two months is the time that was given unto the Bea&s;t (<HI>viz.</HI> Antichri&s;t, that Man of Sin, and Son of Perdition, <HI>to wit,</HI> the Antichri&s;tian <HI>Politick</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tick</HI> Power and Dominion) to continue, and to prevail, <HI>Chap.</HI> 13.5, 7. Hereby it doth plain|ly appear, that as the <HI>time</HI> of the <HI>Gentiles</HI> who tread the holy <HI>City</HI> underfoot, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.2. and the <HI>time</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> that doth make war with the <HI>Saints,</HI> and <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> of the LORD, and overcome them, and kill them, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.5, 7. &amp; 11.7. are one and the &s;ame time of forty two months; &s;o the <HI>time</HI> of the <HI>WOMAN,</HI> who is fed in the <HI>Wil|derne&s;s</HI> chap. 12.6. and the time of the two <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> prophe&s;ying in <HI>Sackcloath,</HI> chap. 11.3. are one and the &s;ame <HI>time</HI> of 1260.
<PB N="10" REF="10">dayes. And it hereby al&s;o appears that all the&s;e <HI>four</HI> are contemporary, <HI>all beginning and ending together;</HI> and be&s;ides that which is noted touching the&s;e <HI>four,</HI> and their <HI>time</HI> in the Scripture of Truth, both the Anti|quity of <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> Hi&s;tory, and the late <HI>Expo&s;itors</HI> of this Book of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> do give a <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> unto the &s;ame, <HI>affirm|ing,</HI> that when the Bea&s;t began to exerci&s;e his <HI>Tyrannical</HI> Power, and <HI>Antichri&s;tian</HI> Do|minion over the Saints, then the Holy <HI>City</HI> began to be trodden under foot, then the <HI>Woman</HI> fled into the <HI>Wilderne&s;s,</HI> and then the two <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> began to Prophe&s;ie in <HI>Sack|cloath.</HI></P>
<P>Which <HI>time</HI> of the <HI>exerci&s;e</HI> of the <HI>Beasts</HI> Antichri&s;tian <HI>Politick</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;iastick</HI> Power <HI>coercively</HI> was (<HI>&s;ay they</HI>) about the Year of our Lord, 407, 409, 410. or there|abouts.
<Q>As may be &s;een in <HI>Sym&s;ons</HI> Hi|&s;tory of the Church, <HI>lib.</HI> 4. <HI>Socrat. Hist. Eccle&s;. cap.</HI> 3. <HI>Helvicus in Concil. Tau|rinaten&s;. cap.</HI> 7. The Councel of <HI>Toled<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> in <HI>Spain, Anno Dom.</HI> 400. as &s;aith <HI>Helvi|cus. Magdeb. Cent. 5. cap.</HI> 10.</Q></P>
<P>It is not my work at pre&s;ent to determine either the <HI>beginning</HI> or <HI>ending</HI> of this <HI>time,</HI> but onely to give the Interpretation of the&s;e 1260, dayes, which contain the
<PB N="11" REF="10">time of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> prophe&s;ying in <HI>Sack|cloath.</HI></P>
<P>The 1260. dayes are not to be under|&s;tood <HI>litterally</HI> of &s;o many <HI>natural</HI> dayes, for that is but three years and an half, which is intended by the <HI>three dayes and an half,</HI> ver&s;. 9. when the dead bodies of the &s;lain Wit|ne&s;&s;es lie unburied, called a Time, and Times, and half a Time, <HI>chap.</HI> 12.14. and <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.21, 25.</P>
<P>But we mu&s;t under&s;tand tho&s;e 1260. dayes <HI>prophetically,</HI> that is to &s;ay, <HI>each day for a year,</HI> according unto tho&s;e Scriptures, <HI>Numb.</HI> 14.34. and <HI>Ezek.</HI> 4.5, 6.</P>
<P>So that, <HI>The whole time of the two Wit|ne&s;&s;es prophe&s;ying in Sackcloath, is</HI> 1260. <HI>years.</HI> So long the <HI>holy City</HI> is to be trodden under foot; &s;o long the <HI>Woman</HI> is to be in the <HI>VVilderne&s;s;</HI> and &s;o long the <HI>Beast's</HI> Power is to continue; for the times of all the&s;e four do begin and end together, and are but one time, <HI>to wit,</HI> 1260. years.</P>
<P>As touching the third Particular, viz. <HI>Who the Beast is, and how he kills the VVitne&s;&s;es.</HI></P>
<P>The great Monarchs and Monarchies of this WORLD, have been figured forth by <HI>wild Beasts;</HI> God &s;hewed his Prophet <HI>Da|niel</HI> the <HI>four</HI> Kingdoms by a Vi&s;ion of <HI>four</HI> Bea&s;ts, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. <HI>The first like
<PB N="12" REF="11">a Lyon, the &s;econd like to a Bear, the third like a Leopard;</HI> the <HI>fourth</HI> Bea&s;t, <HI>to wit, the Roman Kingdom,</HI> was &s;o dreadful, that he had no <HI>Name,</HI> &s;o mon&s;trous, that he had no <HI>re&s;emblance</HI> unto any one Bea&s;t, but is de&s;cribed by &s;uch things as doth manife&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> him to be a <HI>Monster,</HI> to wit, <HI>partly</HI> a Man, by his two <HI>Iron</HI> Legs, by his Feet, and te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Toes, <HI>part of Iron, and part of Clay, Dan.</HI> 2.33. which is expounded of the fourth Kingdom, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 40, 41, 42, 43. and <HI>part|ly</HI> a Bea&s;t, by his great <HI>Iron</HI> teeth, by his te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Horns, and a little Horn <HI>that came up among them, Dan.</HI> 7.7, 8. which is al&s;o expound|ed of the fourth Monarchy, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 24, 25&punc; or Roman Kingdom.</P>
<P>And our LORD Je&s;us Chri&s;t gave the like De&s;cription of the fourth Monarchy, or Roman Kingdom, unto his Servant <HI>John,</HI> under the &s;imilitude of a Bea&s;t, namely, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> great red Dragon, Revel.</HI> 12.3. Which Bea&s;t was terrible and mon&s;trous, (<HI>as that which</HI> Daniel <HI>&s;aw</HI>) all &s;potted like a Leo|pard, his feet like a Bear, and his mouth a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the mouth of a Lyon, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.3. with <HI>&s;e|ven</HI> Heads and <HI>ten</HI> Horns, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.3. <HI>a&s;|cending out of the bottomle&s;s Pit, and goeth in|to Perdition,</HI> v. 8. And this is the Bea&s;t which &s;hall kill the <HI>VVitne&s;&s;es,</HI> chap. 11.7.</P>
<PB N="13" REF="11">
<P>The <HI>Beast</HI> in this Prophe&s;ie is &s;ometimes mentioned alone, without any di&s;tinction, and then we are thereby to under&s;tand the whole complex Body of the Roman Anti|chri&s;tian Politick &amp; Eccle&s;ia&s;tick State and Government, as <HI>chap.</HI> 14.9, 11. And in other places of this Book the Bea&s;t is men|tioned with &s;ome other, <HI>as if he were two,</HI> as the Bea&s;t that ro&s;e out of the Sea, and the Bea&s;t that ro&s;e out of the Earth, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.1, 11. Bea&s;t and Woman, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.3. the Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet, <HI>chap.</HI> 19.20. And thereby we are to under&s;tand a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">wo-fold Power mixed and exerci&s;ed toge|ther, that is to &s;ay, by the Bea&s;t is meant <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he Political, and by the Woman, the Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical Power of the Roman Govern|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ent.</P>
<P>So then by the Bea&s;t, <HI>that kills the VVit|ne&s;&s;es,</HI> ver&s;. 7. we are to under&s;tand the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">oman-Antichri&s;tian-Politick-and-Eccle|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;tick-State and Government exerci&s;ed <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ercively</HI> over mens Con&s;ciences in any <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">lace or Ca&s;e what&s;oever.</P>
<P>This <HI>Beast, that &s;hall kill the two VVit|ne&s;&s;es,</HI> is more di&s;tinctly (<HI>though more My|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ically</HI>) de&s;cribed, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17.8, 11. by <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ee particular things. <HI>First,</HI> By his pa&s;t, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;ent, and future State; The Bea&s;t that
<PB N="14" REF="12">WAS, and IS NOT, and yet IS. <HI>Second|ly,</HI> By his twofold number; even he is the EIGHT, and is of the SEVEN. <HI>Thirdly,</HI> By his RISE and RUINE; He &s;hall a&s;cend out of the bottomle&s;s PIT, and go into PERDITION,</P>
<P>The <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that WAS, <HI>Chap.</HI> 17.11. <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> the <HI>fourth</HI> Monarchy, or <HI>Roman</HI> Kingdom, and the <HI>Political</HI> Government thereof WAS a Kingdom which God &s;et up, and a Power which God ordained, <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.40.7.7, 23. and <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1, 7.</P>
<P>The Bea&s;t that WAS, and IS NOT, <HI>th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> is to &s;ay,</HI> the <HI>fourth</HI> Monarchy, or <HI>Roman</HI> Kingdom in its <HI>mixt</HI> State of <HI>Politick</HI>-and, <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tick</HI> Government, <HI>coercively</HI> exer|ci&s;ed over the <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> of men in an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Place</HI> or <HI>Ca&s;e</HI> what&s;oever, IS NOT God<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> ORDINANCE; For the <HI>Dragon</HI> (which is the <HI>Devil,</HI> Chap. 20.2.) gave this <HI>Bea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI> his Power, and his Seat, and great Autho|rity, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.2.</P>
<P>The Bea&s;t that WAS, and IS NOT, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> yet is, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.8. <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> the <HI>fourth</HI> Monarchy, or <HI>Roman</HI> Kingdom, which w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> a Power ordained of God, with re&s;pect un|to its <HI>meer</HI> Political Government, but I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> NOT God's Ordinance in its <HI>mixt</HI> State <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Politick-and-Eccle&s;ia&s;tick Power and Go|vernment;
<PB N="15" REF="12">Yet IS a <HI>Power,</HI> and hath a <HI>Throne,</HI> chap. 13.2. Yea, and exerci&s;eth great <HI>Authority</HI> over the Bodies and Con|&s;ciences of Men <HI>coercively;</HI> and cau&s;eth both &s;mall and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive his <HI>Mark</HI> in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and cau&s;eth that as many as would not wor&s;hip the <HI>I|mage</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> &s;hould be killed, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.15, 16, 17.</P>
<P>And the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that WAS and IS NOT, even he IS the <HI>EIGHTH,</HI> chap. 17.11. <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> the eighth <HI>Head</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and IS of the <HI>SEVEN,</HI> which <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of Iniquity, that we may with more clearne&s;s under&s;tand; the Angel told <HI>John,</HI> that the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that carrieth the <HI>Woman,</HI> had <HI>&s;even</HI> Heads, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.7. which he &s;aith are <HI>&s;e|ven</HI> Kings, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 10. <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> &s;even kinds of <HI>political</HI> Governours, and <HI>forms</HI> of Government in the fourth Kingdom, where|of <HI>FIVE are fallen,</HI> or were pa&s;t and gone before <HI>John</HI>'s time, namely, 1. Kings, 2. Con&s;uls, 3. Decim-vers, 4. Tribunes, and 5. Dictators: <HI>ONE</HI> is, <HI>to wit, Em|perors,</HI> who being the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> head of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> ru&s;ed and exerci&s;ed their <HI>Dominion</HI> over the who&s;e <HI>Roman</HI> Kingdom in the dayes of our Saviour and his Apo&s;tles; the <HI>OTHER</HI> is
<PB N="16" REF="13">not yet come, <HI>to wit,</HI> the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> Head of the <HI>Bea&s;t, that is to &s;ay,</HI> the &s;eventh King, or kind of Government was not yet in be|ing, when <HI>John</HI> writ this <HI>book</HI> of the Re|velation; which <HI>&s;eventh</HI> Head is Popes, for they <HI>&s;ucceeded</HI> the <HI>Emperors</HI> in the King|dom and Government of the Roman <HI>Em|pire (as all Hi&s;torians te&s;tifie)</HI> and have ruled and reigned as Kings.</P>
<P>And this Bea&s;t is the <HI>EIGHTH,</HI> viz. the <HI>eighth</HI> Head, with re&s;pect of his <HI>Eccle|&s;iastical</HI> Power, mixed with his Political-Authority; And is of the <HI>SEVEN, that is to &s;ay,</HI> he is <HI>one</HI> of the <HI>&s;even, to wit,</HI> the &s;eventh Head or King, with re&s;pect of his <HI>Political-Power</HI>-and-Authority. And this mixed <HI>Politick</HI>-and-<HI>Eccle&s;iastick</HI> Power, is &s;ignifyed by his <HI>two</HI> Horns, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.11, 12.</P>
<P><HI>And &s;hall a&s;cend out of the bottomle&s;s PIT,</HI> chap. 17.8. <HI>&amp;c</HI> chap. 11.7. <HI>The Beast that a&s;cendeth out of the bottomle&s;s Pit,</HI> viz. the Helli&s;h Apo&s;tacy of the latter times, fore|told by the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.1, 2, 3. which is contemporary with the opening o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the bottomle&s;s Pit, <HI>chap.</HI> 9.1. So is th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> falling away (<HI>or Apostacy</HI>) with the reveal|ing of the man of Sin, this &s;on of Perdi|tion, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.3. this King is the Ange<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="17" REF="13">of the bottomle&s;s Pit, <HI>chapter</HI> 9.11.</P>
<P><HI>And go into Perdition,</HI> chap. 17.8. <HI>and</HI> ver&s;e 11. <HI>goeth into PERDITION.</HI></P>
<P>The man of Sin, <HI>Antichrist,</HI> is called the <HI>SON</HI> of <HI>PERDITION,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.3. and it is <HI>twice</HI> affirmed, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.8, 11. that he goeth and &s;hall go into <HI>PERDITI|ON,</HI> becau&s;e the thing is certain: And the meaning is, that the <HI>BEAST</HI> of the <HI>eighth</HI> Head, <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> the Roman-Antichri|&s;tian-Pollitick-and-Eccle&s;ia&s;tick-Power, Dominion, and Government, together with the Antichri&s;tian-<HI>POWERS,</HI> Potentates, Kings, and Governours, who exerci&s;e that <HI>Antichristian</HI>-power and dominion <HI>coercive|ly</HI> over the Bodies, E&s;tates, and Con&s;cien|ces of men, &s;hall be utterly de&s;troyed; which <HI>utter</HI> De&s;truction and <HI>PERDITION</HI> will be fully effected and compleated by pouring out of the <HI>&s;even</HI> VIALS of the la&s;t Plagues, <HI>for in them is filled up the wrath of God,</HI> chap. 15.1. &amp; 16.1, 10, 19. &amp; 18.2, 8. &amp; 19.19, 20, 21. &amp; 14.9, 10, 11, 12. <HI>And the third Angel followed them, &s;ay|ing with a loud Voice, If any man &s;hall wor|&s;hip the BEAST and his IMAGE, and receive his MARK in his Forehead, or in his Hand; the &s;ame &s;hall drink of the Wine of the WRATH of God, which is poured out with|out
<PB N="18" REF="14">MIXT&V;RE, into the C&V;P of his In|dignation.</HI></P>
<P>If it be enquired how the BEAST doth kill the Witne&s;&s;es? <HI>I an&s;wer,</HI></P>
<P>The BEAST &s;hall 1. make WAR again&s;t them; 2. He &s;hall OVERCOME them; and 3. He &s;hall KILL them, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7.</P>
<P>The <HI>Beast</HI> cannot <HI>overcome</HI> them as <HI>Wit|ne&s;&s;es,</HI> (for &s;o they Overcome him, and the Dragon al&s;o, <HI>chap.</HI> 12.11. <HI>And they over|came him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their Te&s;timony</HI>) but as <HI>Warriours,</HI> chap. 13.7. <HI>And it was given to him to make War with the Saints, and to overcome them.</HI> This WAR is a more open and vi&s;ible <HI>Oppo|&s;ition</HI> between the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> &amp; the BEAST, then <HI>formerly,</HI> though the <HI>two Witne&s;&s;es</HI> had oppo&s;ed the <HI>Beast,</HI> and born their <HI>Testimony</HI> again&s;t his mixt Antichri&s;tian <HI>Power,</HI> and Idolatrous <HI>Wor&s;hip,</HI> from the <HI>beginning</HI> of the 1260. <HI>dayes</HI> of their <HI>Sackcloath</HI>-conditi|on, which they did more privately; And though the <HI>Beast</HI> had per&s;ecuted the <HI>two Witne&s;&s;es</HI> for the <HI>Testimony</HI> which they bare again&s;t him, from the <HI>beginning</HI> of the 42. <HI>months</HI> of his <HI>Power;</HI> Yet now at <HI>last,</HI> and toward the <HI>end</HI> of their 1260. <HI>dayes,</HI> the two Witne&s;&s;es bear a <HI>more manifest Testimony,</HI> and make a <HI>more open and Vi&s;ible Oppo&s;ition</HI>
<PB N="19" REF="14">y again&s;t both the <HI>Tyrannical</HI> Power, and <HI>Ido|latrous</HI> Wor&s;hip of the <HI>Bea&s;t:</HI> and therefore the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> now at la&s;t, and toward the <HI>end</HI> of his 42. <HI>months,</HI> begins to rage, and maketh a greater and <HI>more cruel Oppo&s;ition,</HI> both a|gain&s;t the <HI>Churches</HI> and <HI>Prophets</HI> of the LORD, who are the <HI>two Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> and all the Saints; by exerci&s;ing his Power more <HI>tyrannically</HI> again&s;t them; which is the WAR here mentioned, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7. as that was, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.7. In the time of <HI>Charles</HI> the <HI>fifth,</HI> in <HI>Germany, France, Scotland,</HI> &amp;c. and in Queen <HI>Maries</HI> dayes in <HI>England,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>In <HI>this</HI> WAR the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> overcomes the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> ver&s;. 7. as in <HI>that</HI> he overcame the Saints, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.7. Some of the Witne&s;&s;es are overcome by <HI>fear,</HI> and others by <HI>flatte|ry;</HI> &s;ome by his <HI>alurements</HI> and preferments, others by his <HI>threats</HI> and confinements are overcome for a time; &s;o far as to cea&s;e from <HI>bearing</HI> their Te&s;timony again&s;t him &s;o <HI>openly</HI> and <HI>vigorou&s;ly</HI> as they did before; In which re&s;pect the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is here &s;aid to <HI>over|come</HI> them.</P>
<P>But this will not appea&s;e the <HI>rage,</HI> and great <HI>wrath</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> for he perceives that the <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> which the Witne&s;&s;es bear in their more private <HI>Retirement,</HI> and Con|venticles, <HI>(as they are called)</HI> or Meetings,
<PB N="20" REF="15">will like a Moth wa&s;te, &amp; &s;ecretly con&s;ume his Power and Dominion, and at la&s;t (if let alone and &s;uffered to enjoy any liberty to meet together to <HI>wor&s;hip</HI>) his Power and Dominion will be utterly de&s;troyed, as is Prophe&s;ied, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.26. And therefore the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> will take Councel together with his chief Prie&s;ts to KILL the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> of the LORD, (as the high Prie&s;t, the chief Prie&s;ts and Elders did to put our <HI>Saviour</HI> to death, <HI>John</HI> 11.47, to 53.) <HI>And KILL them,</HI> ver&s;. 7. The <HI>killing</HI> of the <HI>two Witne&s;&s;es</HI> doth not &s;ignifie a <HI>Corporal</HI> death only, nor principally, for &s;uch a <HI>killing</HI> doth not a|gree with this Prophe&s;ie; but it is rather a <HI>Metaphorical</HI> Expre&s;&s;ion, which &s;ignifies a <HI>two-fold</HI> Death, partly Civil, whereby the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> &s;hall be deprived of their <HI>civil</HI> Li|berties, and the <HI>Exerci&s;e</HI> of their Religion; their <HI>E&s;tates</HI> confi&s;cated, their <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> con|fined, Impri&s;oned, Bani&s;hed; and <HI>&s;ome</HI> of their <HI>Lives,</HI> or <HI>all</HI> their <HI>livelyhood</HI> taken a|way by the tyrannical Power of the Bea&s;t; and <HI>partly,</HI> yea principally Spiritual, where|by the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> &s;hall be deprived of that <HI>Zeal, Vigor,</HI> and <HI>Courage,</HI> which with all boldne&s;s they had <HI>formerly</HI> manife&s;ted, in bearing their <HI>Te&s;timouy</HI> openly for <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> his Kingdom, his Church, his Wor&s;hip,
<PB N="21" REF="15">and his Government; again&s;t the Antichri|&s;tian <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> his Kingdom, Church, Wor&s;hip, and Government.</P>
<P>The darkne&s;s and blackne&s;s of the DAY of the Witne&s;&s;es <HI>death,</HI> will <HI>principally</HI> con|&s;i&s;t in their being deprived of that <HI>Spirit of Life</HI> that &s;ometimes they had received from God, and had formerly exerci&s;ed in bear|ing their Te&s;timony: which Spirit of Life the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> lo&s;e by cooling in their <HI>Spiri|tual</HI> affections unto Chri&s;t, and by their &s;inning again&s;t the LORD; for <HI>u&s;ually</HI> when Mini&s;ters or Members of Churches fall from their fir&s;t Love, they fall in with the Apo&s;tacy of the time; and &s;o lo&s;e that life and courage which they formerly had, and manife&s;ted with great boldne&s;&s;e for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> again&s;t Antichri&s;t.</P>
<P>This <HI>Spiritual</HI> kind of death is mo&s;t a|greeable unto their Re&s;urrection, that is effected by that Spirit of Life from God, which ver&s;. 11. <HI>after three dayes and an half</HI> &s;hall enter into them. Now &s;uch as is the <HI>Re&s;urrection</HI> of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> &s;uch is their <HI>death:</HI> But their <HI>Re&s;urrection</HI> is <HI>Spiritual,</HI> (for ver&s;. 11. <HI>the Spirit of Life from God entred into them</HI>) therefore their death is Spiritual, viz, <HI>A depravation of that Spirit of Life,</HI> that is to &s;ay, the lo&s;s of that cou|rage,
<PB N="22" REF="16">boldne&s;s, zeal, vigor, and life, which they formerly had, and manife&s;ted in their <HI>Testimony</HI> for <HI>Christ</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Beast.</HI></P>
<P>This kind of <HI>death</HI> is al&s;o mo&s;t agreeable unto the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> lying dead after they were <HI>killed,</HI> in re&s;pect both of the place, which is <HI>Spiritually</HI> called <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Egypt,</HI> ver. 8. and of the time when they lay unburied, which is <HI>Prophetically</HI> &s;aid to be three dayes and an half, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 9.</P>
<P>Touching the fourth Particular, viz. <HI>What is the Street of the great City in which their dead Bodies lie.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>An&s;wer</HI> unto this Particular is <HI>My|&s;teriou&s;ly</HI> given in the 8, &amp; 9. ver&s;es of this Chapter, <HI>And their dead Bodies &s;hall lie in the street of the great City,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The great City is <HI>that</HI> mentioned, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.8. <HI>Which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth, to wit,</HI> the WOMAN that &s;its up|on a Scarlet-coloured BEAST, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.3. which is the great WHORE, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.1. who&s;e <HI>Name</HI> is <HI>My&s;tery BABYLON,</HI> the <HI>Mother</HI> of HARLOTS, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.5. <HI>viz.</HI> the whole <HI>Antichri&s;tian</HI> Kingdom of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> all <HI>My&s;tical</HI> Babylon.</P>
<P>The <HI>Street</HI> of the <HI>great City</HI> is &s;ome <HI>no|ted</HI> Street, <HI>(as a Market-Street)</HI> or &s;ome
<PB N="23" REF="16">eminent Street, <HI>(as Cheap-&s;ide)</HI> or &s;ome o|pen Street or place <HI>(as Smithfield)</HI> within or without the <HI>great City,</HI> under the Domi|nion and Government thereof.</P>
<P>By this <HI>Street</HI> we are to under&s;tand &s;ome <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">minent Part</HI> of My&s;tical <HI>Babylon,</HI> and King|dom of the Bea&s;t, <HI>viz.</HI> &s;ome of the ten King|doms which appertain unto the Dominion of the Bea&s;t, and not his whole Kingdom, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">or the whole City: It is not &s;aid in the <HI>Streets</HI> of the great <HI>City,</HI> but in the <HI>Street,</HI> to wit, the mo&s;t eminent Kingdom for the <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, even that Nati|on where the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> have mo&s;t <HI>eminently</HI> born their Te&s;timony again&s;t Antichri&s;t.</P>
<P>The place being &s;poken of by way of <HI>emi|nency,</HI> mu&s;t be under&s;tood either in relation <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">o the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> or in re&s;pect unto the Bea&s;t that kills them, or to both: Now take ei|ther of the&s;e, or both together, and it &s;ig|nifies not the whole <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> nor the whole Kingdom of <HI>Babylon,</HI> but a <HI>part</HI> thereof. Not the whole Kingdom of <HI>Babylon,</HI> becau&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">pon the ri&s;ing and a&s;cending of the Wit|ne&s;&s;es, there is but a <HI>part</HI> of the Kingdom of Babylon falls, <HI>And the tenth part of the City fell,</HI> ver&s;. 13. which is that part here meant by <HI>this</HI> Street.</P>
<P>Nor all the VVitne&s;&s;es of Chri&s;t in all
<PB N="24" REF="17">the WORLD, no nor in all the Kingdoms of <HI>Babylon,</HI> becau&s;e there are &s;ome Wit|ne&s;&s;es remain alive when the&s;e <HI>two</HI> are kil|led, who &s;hall call upon them to come up to them, when the Spirit of Life from the Lord doth again enter into them, and cau&s;e them to &s;tand upon their feet, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 12&punc; <HI>And they heard a great Voice from Heaven &s;aying unto them, Come up hither.</HI> Which Voice from Heaven, is the call of tho&s;e Angels, who have the &s;even la&s;t Plagues and come out of the Temple of the Taber|nacle of the Te&s;timony in Heaven when i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> is opened, to come up to Mount <HI>Zion</HI> to them, where they and other Saints &s;tan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> with the Lamb, and to &s;ee the Judgement of the great WHORE, which will appe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> by comparing, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.12, 19.14.1, 5<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> 15.1, 2, 5, 6.17.1. <HI>And the Temple o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> God was opened in Heaven, and there were voyces,</HI> chap. 11.19. <HI>And the &s;even An|gels came out of the Temple &mdash; in Heaven</HI> chap. 16.6. <HI>And one of the &s;even Angels which had the &s;even Vials, &s;aid, Come up hi|ther, and I will &s;hew thee the judgment of the great Whore,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>As touching the fifth Particular, <HI>viz. What time is to be under&s;tood by the three days and an half,</HI> ver&s;. 9.</P>
<PB N="25" REF="17">
<P>The knowledge of the <HI>time</HI> when the <HI>Wit|ne&s;&s;es</HI> &s;hall be killed and ri&s;e again, is very de&s;irable unto the Saints in this GENE|RATION; many godly and learned Men have laboured <HI>&s;tudiou&s;ly</HI> in &s;earching out this <HI>time,</HI> and have communicated their under&s;tanding about this Matter; who&s;e labours have been profitable unto the Lords people, and unto me al&s;o; who having read their Opinions about the <HI>ending</HI> time of the Witne&s;&s;es <HI>Sackcloath</HI>-condition, and of the <HI>troubles</HI> of the Lords People, I have been much comforted by &s;everal precious Ob|&s;ervations which they have made touching this matter: But not being fully &s;atisfied with their Determination of the <HI>period</HI> of that <HI>ending</HI> time, I have al&s;o addicted my &s;elf to &s;earch the <HI>holy</HI> Scriptures touching &s;uch <HI>Prophetical</HI> Numbers as &s;eem to contain the <HI>ending</HI> time; And I &s;hall take liberty to give my Opinion al&s;o, and the grounds thereof, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. The three dayes and an half, are three years and an half; <HI>each day for a year,</HI> ac|cording to the prophetical Account of <HI>My&s;tical</HI> dayes, <HI>Numb.</HI> 14.34. and <HI>Ezek.</HI> 4.5, 6.</P>
<P N="2">2. The three dayes and an half, are tho&s;e three years and an half which do <HI>immediate|ly</HI>
<PB N="26" REF="18">&s;ucceed the <HI>killing</HI> or death of the <HI>Wit|ne&s;&s;es;</HI> for after they are killed, their dead Bodies are &s;een three dayes and an half, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.9. and they do immediately pre|ceed their Re&s;urrection; for after three dayes and an half, the Spirit of Life from God doth enter into the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> and they &s;tand upon their feet, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.11. So then, <HI>The three years and an half are the time of the interval between the Death and the Re&s;urrection of the two Witne&s;&s;es.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The three dayes <HI>(or years)</HI> and an half, is the <HI>ending-time</HI> of the Witne&s;&s;es 1260. dayes, <HI>(or years)</HI> and of the Bea&s;ts 42. months (<HI>or</HI> 1260. <HI>years.</HI>) For the <HI>clear</HI> de|mon&s;tration of this third Particular, let i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> be con&s;idered;</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> That the <HI>time</HI> when the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> kills the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> is towards the end of the 1260. dayes or years of their Prophe&s;ying, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.7. <HI>When they are about to fini&s;h their Te&s;timony;</HI> and therefore the Witne&s;&s;es are killed before the time of their 1260<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> dayes or years be ended, <HI>to wit,</HI> three dayes <HI>or years</HI> and an half before.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> The <HI>killing</HI> of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> and the <HI>rejoycing</HI> over their <HI>dead bodies,</HI> are th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>la&s;t</HI> Acts of the Bea&s;t's <HI>Tyrannical</HI> Power, and of the Whores <HI>Triumphing</HI> Joy; and
<PB N="27" REF="18">therefore mu&s;t be near the <HI>ending</HI>-time of the Bea&s;t's 42. months, and al&s;o of the 42. months, wherein the Gentiles <HI>(who are the Idolatrous wor&s;hippers of the Bea&s;t)</HI> tread the <HI>holy City (that is, the Church of God)</HI> under their feet.</P>
<P>That the killing of the Witne&s;&s;es is the <HI>la&s;t</HI> Act of the Bea&s;t's <HI>tyrannical</HI>-Power, <HI>ap|pears plainly;</HI> for as &s;oon as the Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;e, <HI>Babylon</HI> begins to fall, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.11, 13. <HI>And they &s;tood upon their feet; and the &s;ame hour &mdash; the tenth part of the City fell.</HI></P>
<P>That the rejoycing over their dead Bo|dies is the <HI>la&s;t</HI> Act of the Whores <HI>triumph|ing</HI>-Joy, appears plainly; for as &s;oon as her Joy and Rejoycing is over, the day and hour of her Judgement came, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.7, 8, 10. <HI>For &s;he &s;aith in her heart, I &s;it as a Queen, and am no Widow, and &s;hall &s;ee no &s;orrow; therefore &s;hall her Plagues come in one day,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The things that the Saints in this GE|NERATION ought to know touching the time of the Witne&s;&s;es lying dead; Are,</P>
<P N="1">1. That the <HI>time</HI> of the END, or the <HI>ending-time</HI> of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> prophe&s;ying in Sackcloth; of the Bea&s;t's <HI>tyrannical</HI> POW|ER; of the <HI>holy City,</HI> her being troden un|der foot of the Gentiles, and of the <HI>Wo|mans</HI>
<PB N="28" REF="19">being in her <HI>Wilderne&s;s</HI>-condition, is near at hand; for the fini&s;hing Te&s;timony is begun, <HI>to wit,</HI> the Go&s;pel of the Kingdom of our LORD Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which is a cer|tain fore-runner of the ending-time of this WORLD, <HI>Mat.</HI> 24.14. <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.7. <HI>And when they were about to fini&s;h this Te&s;timony;</HI> That is, when they began to preach the Go&s;pel <HI>(or glad tydings)</HI> of the Kingdom; the Bea&s;t killed them, which is the la&s;t <HI>Act</HI> of his <HI>tyrannical</HI> POWER.</P>
<P N="2">2. That although the <HI>ending-time</HI> be near, yet the <HI>period</HI> thereof will not be certainly known until the la&s;t three years and an half be begun, and well night expired, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.4, 9. and <HI>Hab.</HI> 2.3. <HI>The Vi&s;ion is yet for an appointed time, at the END it &s;hall &s;peak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, becau&s;e it will &s;urely come.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. That when the <HI>ending-time</HI> is come and begun, before it be expired, there &s;hall &s;uch <HI>remarkable</HI> and <HI>wonderful</HI> things come to pa&s;s (as are foretold in the Scriptures) whereby the wi&s;e &s;hall under&s;tand, and cer|tainly know that it is the time of the END, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> Then will be &s;uch tribulation, and &s;uch a time of trouble as never was before, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.1. <HI>Mat.</HI> 24.21, 22.</P>
<PB N="29" REF="19">
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Then will be &s;uch an Apo&s;tacy among Profe&s;&s;ors, Mini&s;ters, Prophets, and Churches, as never was before, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.1. &mdash; 5. and 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.3.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> Then will begin a very glori|ous Reformation in the Wor&s;hip of God, by the Spirit of Life from God, which Spi|rit of Life entring into the &s;lain <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> will &s;et them upon their feet, <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> will cau&s;e them again to &s;tand up for Chri&s;t and his Kingdom, and again&s;t Antichri&s;t and his Kingdom: And then will the Tem|ple of God (<HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> the Church and Wor&s;hip of God) be opened in Heaven, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.11. <HI>&amp;</HI> 10.11. <HI>&amp;</HI> 11.19. <HI>Which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the times of the re&s;titution of all things, which God hath &s;poken by the Mouth of all his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">oly Prophets &s;ince the WORLD began,</HI> Acts <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.21.</P>
<P>Touching the la&s;t Particular, viz. <HI>How be Witne&s;&s;es &s;hall be rai&s;ed again, and what <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">re the effects thereof.</HI></P>
<P>The An&s;wer unto this Particular, is My|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ically held forth in the 11, 12, 13, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">4. <HI>ver&s;es</HI> of this <HI>Chapter.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> As to the <HI>time; After three dayes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">d an half,</HI> ver&s;. 11. by which we are to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">der&s;tand three years and an half, <HI>(as have before proved)</HI> that is to &s;ay, at or
<PB N="30" REF="20">before the end of that time; for as it was &s;aid of our LOKD and Saviour, <HI>Mark</HI> 8.3<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> After three days he &s;hould ri&s;e again, which he did on the third day, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.3, 4. S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> it is likewi&s;e &s;aid of his <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> after three dayes and an half, the Spirit of Life from God entred into them, and they &s;tood upon their feet, according to what was foretold by one of the Lords Prophets, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 6.2&punc; <HI>After two dayes he will revive us, in the thir<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> day he will rai&s;e us up, and we &s;hall live in h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ight.</HI></P>
<P>The means of the Witne&s;&s;es Re&s;urrecti|on, is <HI>the Spirit of Life</HI> from the Lord which entred into them, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. viz. that Spirit Life, Power, Courage, Zeal, and Boldne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> which the two Witne&s;&s;es <HI>formerly</HI> had recei|ved from God, and had exerci&s;ed in bearin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> their Te&s;timony for the Kingdom of Chri&s;t <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and again&s;t the Kingdom of Antichri&s;t <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but had lo&s;t by falling from their <HI>f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI> love, and by falling in with the <HI>le&s;t</HI> Apo&s;t|cy; which Spirit of Life from God is again given unto them.</P>
<P><HI>And they &s;tood upon their feet,</HI> ver&s;. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> that is to &s;ay, The <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> were <HI>rai&s;ed,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> vived, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd &s;trengthened by the Spirit of Li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> from God; for as the lo&s;s and departure<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> that Spirit of Life and courage to bear the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="31" REF="20">Te&s;timony with boldne&s;s, was their death; &s;o the Spirit of Life from God entring into them, and renewing their Courage, revive|ing their Zeal, and increa&s;ing their Bold|ne&s;s in bearing their Te&s;timony, is their Re&s;urrection, and that which cau&s;eth them to &s;tand upon their feet: which effect of the Spirit of Life from God, was typed out by the dry Bones of the Hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael, Ezek.</HI> 37.5, 10, 14. <HI>O my People, &mdash; I will put my Spirit in you, and ye &s;hall live.</HI></P>
<P>The LORD knows his Servants, his Wit|ne&s;&s;es are not able either to do much, or to &s;ay much for Chri&s;t and his Kingdom, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> nor again&s;t Antichri&s;t and his Kingdom, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> unle&s;s they be &s;pirited thereunto; and there|fore when God had any eminent work or &s;ervice to do, he did not onely rai&s;e up In|&s;truments to do it, but &s;pirited them ac|cordingly. Thus the Spirit of the LORD came upon <HI>Othniel,</HI> Judg. 3.9, 10. and upon <HI>Gideon,</HI> Judg. 6.34. and upon <HI>Jephthah,</HI> Judg. 11.29. and upon <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> Judg. 14.6, 19. and 15.14. and upon <HI>David,</HI> 1 Sam. 16.13. And &s;o it will do upon the Lords <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> Rev. 11.11. <HI>And great fear came upon them</HI> (Enemies) <HI>that &s;aw them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> The <HI>effect</HI> of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> Re|&s;urrection, or &s;tanding upon their feet, ei|ther
<PB N="32" REF="21">concerned <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> ver&s;. 12. or their <HI>Enemies,</HI> ver&s;. 13.</P>
<P>Ver&s;e 12. <HI>And they heard a great Voice from Heaven &s;aying unto them.</HI></P>
<P>The Witne&s;&s;es being rai&s;ed and &s;pirited for the WORK of the LORD, are now cal|led thereunto, which call is by <HI>a great Voice from Heaven;</HI> that is out of the Temple of God opened in Heaven, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.19. <HI>to wit,</HI> the Church of God on Earth, who&s;e Spiritu|al Glory is de&s;cribed, <HI>chap.</HI> 12.1. <HI>by a Wo|man cloathed with the Sun,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>This Voice, is the Voice of the <HI>Remnan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> of the <HI>Womans</HI> Seed, who kept the Com|mandments of God, (<HI>viz.</HI> Chri&s;ts <HI>Go&s;pel In|&s;titutions,</HI> Acts 1.2.) and have the Te&s;timo|ny of Je&s;us, (<HI>viz.</HI> a Spirit of Prophe&s;ie a|mong&s;t them, <HI>chap.</HI> 19.10.) even then, and all that time of the three years and an half, when the Witne&s;&s;es are killed, and their dead Bodies lie in the Street of the great City.</P>
<P>Which <HI>Remnant</HI> of the <HI>Womans</HI> Seed, do call upon the rai&s;ed Witne&s;&s;es, &s;aying unto them, <HI>Come up hither,</HI> ver&s;. 12. that is to &s;ay, <HI>Come</HI> and joyn with us, and wor&s;hip God with us; <HI>Come</HI> and help us to carry on the Work of the LORD, his Kingdom, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and to pull down the Kingdom, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> of the
<PB N="33" REF="21">Bea&s;t, which call or invitation of the Rem|nant, the Witne&s;&s;es did &s;traightway an&s;wer as followeth.</P>
<P><HI>And they a&s;cended up to Heaven in a Cloud,</HI> wer&s;. 12. This &s;ignifies a <HI>glorious</HI> change in the &s;tate of the <HI>VVitne&s;&s;es,</HI> attending their Re&s;urrection, which they now attended by their <HI>Te&s;timony,</HI> called a Cloud, in which re&s;pect tho&s;e eminent Believers, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. <HI>Chapter,</HI> are called <HI>a Cloud of VVitne&s;&s;es,</HI> Heb. 12.11. And the <HI>VVitne&s;&s;es</HI> &s;wift a&s;|cen&s;ion, or going up unto tho&s;e that called them, is fitly re&s;embled unto a bright Cloud, as the Conver&s;ion of the Gentiles, and their coming into the Jews after their glorious Conver&s;ion, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8. <HI>VVho are the&s;e that flee as a Cloud,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>And the &s;ame hour was there a great Earth|quake,</HI> Ver&s;. 13. By this <HI>Earth-quake</HI> we are to under&s;tand great Commotions, o|verturnings, and downfals in the Kingdoms of Antichri&s;t, as <HI>chap.</HI> 6.12. and <HI>Mat.</HI> 24.7. which great Change is &s;aid to happen the <HI>&s;ame hour</HI> with the Witne&s;&s;es <HI>A&s;cention,</HI> that is to &s;ay, at the &s;ame time when the <HI>VVitne&s;&s;es</HI> ri&s;e, the Papi&s;ts fall.</P>
<P><HI>And the tenth part of the City fell,</HI> Ver&s;e 13. By the City, here is meant the whole
<PB N="34" REF="22">Roman Antichri&s;tian Kingdom of the Bea&s;t as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8. and <HI>chap.</HI> 17.18. And by the <HI>tenth part</HI> of the City, we are to under&s;tand one of the ten Kingdoms of <HI>My&s;tical</HI> Baby|lon, for the <HI>whole</HI> City con&s;i&s;ting of ten Kingdoms, <HI>chap.</HI> 12.3. &amp; 13.1. and 17.12. the <HI>tenth part</HI> of the City mu&s;t be under|&s;tood of &s;ome ONE of the ten Kingdoms, <HI>to wit,</HI> that Kingdom where the <HI>VVitne&s;&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> lay &s;lain, called the STREET of the great <HI>City,</HI> ver&s;. 8. And the <HI>Retaliation</HI> which follows, &s;eemeth to favour this Interpreta|tion, <HI>And in the Earth-quake were &s;lain of men &s;even thou&s;and,</HI> ver&s;. 13. <HI>viz.</HI> &s;even thou&s;and men of Name; which fall of &s;o many eminent Per&s;ons of the Antichri&s;tian Party, will become a means of Conver&s;ion unto many others of that Party, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 13. <HI>And the Remnant were afrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven.</HI></P>
<P>Ver&s;e 14. <HI>The &s;econd VVOE is pa&s;t, and behold the third VVOE cometh quickly.</HI></P>
<P>By the <HI>&s;econd</HI> WOE we are to under&s;tand all the Troubles, Plagues, and Judgements of the &s;ixth Trumpet, recorded from <HI>chap.</HI> 9.13. unto <HI>chap.</HI> 11.14. which are now pa&s;t and ended. <HI>And the third VVOE cometh quickly, to wit,</HI> upon the &s;ounding of the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> Trumpet, which is the <HI>third</HI>
<PB N="35" REF="22">WOE-<HI>trumpet</HI> which is to be &s;ounded by the &s;eventh Angel, <HI>chap.</HI> 8.13. which <HI>&s;eventh</HI> Trumpet brings in the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the <HI>&s;even</HI> Vials of the <HI>la&s;t</HI> Plagues of God upon <HI>Babylon,</HI> which is fitly called the third <HI>(or la&s;t)</HI> WOE.</P>
<P>Touching which <HI>third</HI> WOE, or <HI>Vials</HI> of the la&s;t Plagues of God upon <HI>Babylon,</HI> I have &s;omething to offer in the <HI>&s;econd</HI> Part of this little <HI>Treati&s;e,</HI> which I judge meet for the Saints in this <HI>Generation</HI> to know; And therefore I &s;hall pray that God will o|pen the Scriptures unto you, <HI>(that &s;hall read it)</HI> and open your under&s;tanding, that you may know the Truth, and what you ought to do in this <HI>day</HI> of your <HI>Generation.</HI> Amen.</P>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="23">
<PB REF="23">
<P>Apocalyptical MYSTERIES.</P>
<P>The Second Part, Touching the <HI>Seven</HI> VIALS.</P>
<P><HI>Revel.</HI> 16. Chapter.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed in the Year, 1667.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="part">
<PB REF="24">
<PB N="1" REF="24">
<HEAD>Apocalyptical MYSTERIES. The Second Part, Touching the <HI>Seven</HI> VIALS.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Revel.</HI> 16. Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>THis <HI>Chapter</HI> containeth the Angels <HI>Commi&s;&s;ion,</HI> to execute the wrath of God upon the Bea&s;t, and their <HI>execu|tion</HI> thereof gradually, by pouring out one <HI>Vial</HI> after another, until all the &s;even <HI>Vials</HI> of the &s;even <HI>la&s;t</HI> Plagues be poured out up|on <HI>Babylon,</HI> unto whom is given the <HI>Cup</HI> of the Wine of the fiercene&s;s of the wrath of God, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19. of which <HI>Cup</HI> every one that wor&s;hippeth the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> and his <HI>Image,</HI> and receiveth his Mark in his Forehead, or in his hand, &s;hall drink, <HI>Chap.</HI> 14.8, 9, 10, 11.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="25">
<P>The Angels <HI>Commi&s;&s;ion</HI> is in the <HI>fir&s;t ver&s;e</HI> of this Chapter, <HI>And I heard a grea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Voice out of the Temple, &s;aying, Go your wayes, and pour out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the Earth.</HI></P>
<P>In this <HI>Commi&s;&s;ion</HI> ob&s;erve Chri&s;t's Com|mand for the <HI>execution</HI> of the wrath of God upon <HI>Babylon;</HI> wherein you have, <HI>fir&s;t,</HI> The Divine Authority of it, A <HI>great Voice out of the Temple; Secondly,</HI> The <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> to whom the Command was given, <HI>Saying to the &s;even Angels, Go now. Thirdly,</HI> The <HI>work</HI> which they were commanded to do, Pour out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the Earth.</P>
<P>This great Voice was the Voice of the LORD, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 66.6. A <HI>Voice from the Tem|ple, the Voice of the LORD, that rendereth recompence to his Enemies.</HI> It is called a <HI>grea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Voice; not onely to &s;hew us that it is the Lord's Voice, but his Voice out of <HI>Zion,</HI> which is his <HI>Temple,</HI> as was prophe&s;ied <HI>Joel</HI> 3.16. <HI>The LORD al&s;o &s;hall roar o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> of</HI> Zion, <HI>and utter his Voice from</HI> Jeru&s;alem <HI>and the Heavens and the Earth &s;hall &s;hake</HI> Yea, to declare that the great <HI>day</HI> of the LORD is near, it is near, and ha&s;tned greatly, <HI>Zeph.</HI> 1.14, 15. which di&s;pen&s;a|tion of the day of wrath, the Prophet cal|leth,
<PB N="3" REF="25"><HI>The Voice of the Day of the LORD,</HI> Zeph. 1.14, 15. And &s;uch is that Voice which is uttered out of the <HI>Temple</HI> of Hea|ven, from the <HI>Throne,</HI> &s;aying, It is done, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 17. <HI>of this Chapter;</HI> upon the pour|ing out of the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> Vial.</P>
<P>The <HI>Temple</HI> in this fir&s;t ver&s;e, is called, <HI>The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Te&s;timo|ny in Heaven,</HI> chap. 15.5. and <HI>the Temple of God opened in Heaven,</HI> chap. 11.19. And in the 17. ver&s;e of this Chapter, <HI>the Temple of Heaven.</HI> Not that we are to under&s;tand it to be in Heaven, in re&s;pect of place, for <HI>John</HI> &s;aw no &s;uch Temple in the holy and Heavenly City, <HI>chap.</HI> 21.22. But by the Temple of Heaven, or in Heaven, is meant the Heavenly State of the Church of God on Earth, re&s;tored to its Apo&s;talical in&s;ti|tutions, and Primitive purity, called, <HI>the Temple of the Living God,</HI> 2 Cor. 6.16. It is called the <HI>Temple</HI> of the <HI>Tabernacle,</HI> to note, that the Church of God on Earth at this <HI>time</HI> of the pouring out of the &s;even <HI>Vials,</HI> is not &s;o <HI>glorious,</HI> nor &s;o <HI>fixed,</HI> as the <HI>Temple</HI> was in <HI>Solomons</HI> time, but rather doth re&s;emble the <HI>Tabernacle</HI> of the Con|gregation of the LORD, which had been in the Wilderne&s;s, and was come into the promi&s;ed Land; in which <HI>Tabernacle</HI> of
<PB N="4" REF="26">the Congregation of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> there was a &s;ig|nal <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> of the pre&s;ence of God, <HI>Num.</HI> 9.15, 16. where was al&s;o the Ark of his Covenant, and wherein was the Service of God performed, and all his holy Sacrifices offered, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 16.17, 37, 40. And &s;o when this Temple of the Tabernacle was opened, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.19. <HI>There was &s;ee<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> in his Temple the Ark of his Covenant;</HI> and tho&s;e who had wa&s;hed their <HI>Robes,</HI> and made them white in the blood of the <HI>Lamb,</HI> that <HI>did &s;erve him day and night in his Temple,</HI> chap. 7.14, 15.</P>
<P>The &s;even <HI>Angels</HI> which had command to pour out the <HI>Vials</HI> of the wrath of God, are them <HI>&s;ame &s;even</HI> who had the &s;even la&s;t <HI>Plagues,</HI> chap. 15.1. the &s;ame &s;even <HI>An|gels</HI> came out of the <HI>Temple,</HI> ver&s;. 6. and the &s;ame &s;even <HI>Angels</HI> had given unto them &s;even golden <HI>Vials</HI> full of the <HI>wrath</HI> of God, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7.</P>
<P><HI>Seven</HI> is a Prophetical Number, &s;igni|fying both <HI>variety</HI> of In&s;truments, and per|fection of the Judgements of God in this Prophe&s;ie, as the &s;even <HI>Trumpets,</HI> chap. 8.1, 6, 3. <HI>Some</HI> denouncing, and <HI>others</HI> exe|cuting the&s;e la&s;t Plagues.</P>
<P>The&s;e <HI>Angels</HI> are cloathed with pure and white Linnen, and girded with golden Gir|dles,
<PB N="5" REF="26"><HI>chap.</HI> 15.6. Their Cloathing de|clares &s;ome of them to be the Prie&s;ts of God, for &s;o were the Prie&s;ts of the Tem|ple cloathed, <HI>Levit.</HI> 6.10. <HI>&amp;</HI> 16.4. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2.18. And this was the Lords In&s;titution, <HI>Exod.</HI> 39.27, 28, 29. Their being gir|ded with golden Girdles, &s;hews that others of them are the <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> of the LORD, into who&s;e hand God will commit the Go|vernment of the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 22.21, 22, 23. The Mini&s;ters of the Churches are called Angels, <HI>chap.</HI> 1.20. <HI>The Angels of the &s;even Churches.</HI> And Kings al&s;o are compared unto Angels, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 29.9. <HI>&amp;</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 14.7. <HI>As an Angel of God, &s;o is my Lord the King.</HI> The whole De&s;cription te&s;tifies the&s;e Angels to be Kings and Prie&s;ts unto God, whom Chri&s;t hath made &s;uch, <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.9, 10. who was &s;o cloathed and girded him&s;elf, <HI>chap.</HI> 1.13. <HI>And in the mid&s;t of the &s;even Can|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">le&s;ticks, was one like unto the Son of Man, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">loathed with a Garment down to the foot, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">irt about the Paps with a golden Girdle;</HI> A De&s;cription of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">rie&s;t and King in his Church.</P>
<P><HI>Objection.</HI> But how can the pouring out <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the Vials of the Plagues of Almighty God, full of his great wrath, be applyed
<PB N="6" REF="27">unto the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, who an to preach the mo&s;t precious &s;weet &s;ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;aving Truths of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, e&s;peciall con&s;idering that by the&s;e Vials and Plague<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> are meant the real and external Judgment and Plagues which God will have execute<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> by tho&s;e Angels upon the <HI>Whore,</HI> as appears <HI>chap.</HI> 18.8. <HI>Therefore &s;hall her Plagues co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> in one day, Death, Famine,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;wer.</HI> The Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> may be &s;aid to pour out the Vials of God great wrath, even his real and materi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Plagues, and mo&s;t righteous Judgments up on the great City <HI>Babylon;</HI> as the Prophe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of old are &s;aid to root out, and pull dow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and to de&s;troy, and to throw down, <HI>Jer.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> 10, 16. and to take the <HI>Wine-Cup</HI> of th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Lords <HI>fury</HI> at his hand, and to make a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Nations (<HI>to whom God &s;ends them</HI>) to drin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of it, <HI>Jer.</HI> 25.15, 16, 17, &mdash; 28. A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> this they did by pronouncing tho&s;e Judge|ments of God again&s;t them, which the Lo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> commanded them, <HI>Jer.</HI> 1.16. Even <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel pour out th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Vials of the wrath of God, &amp; real Plague<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> upon My&s;tical <HI>Babylon,</HI> by pronounci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> tho&s;e la&s;t Plagues of the wrath of God <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|gain&s;t her.</P>
<P N="3">3. The&s;e <HI>Angels</HI> come out of the Te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|ple,
<PB N="7" REF="27"><HI>chap.</HI> 15.6. <HI>after it was opened.</HI> This doth declare them to be the rai&s;ed <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; for the Temple was not opened (<HI>in the Vi&s;ion unto</HI> John) un|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">il the <HI>&s;lain</HI> Witne&s;&s;es were ri&s;en, and had <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;cended the Throne, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.7, 11, 15, 17, 19. So their coming out of the Tem|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">le &s;ignifies their Saint-&s;hip, and that the&s;e Angels are <HI>fellow Citizens with the Saints, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd of the Hou&s;hold of God, built upon the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">oundation of the Apo&s;tles and Prophets, Je|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">us Chri&s;t him&s;elf being the chief Corner Stone, in whom all the Building fitly framed <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ogether, groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord,</HI> Eph. 2.19, &mdash; 22.</P>
<P>And who are more fit to declare the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">engeance of the Lord, <HI>even the vengeance <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">f his Temple,</HI> Jer. 50.28. then the <HI>Mi|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;ters</HI> of God in <HI>Zion?</HI> Or who are more <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">eet to execute the Righteous Judgments <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">f God upon <HI>Babylon,</HI> then tho&s;e Magi&s;trates <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nto who&s;e hand the LORD will commit <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he Government of Chri&s;ts Kingdom here <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">n Earth, called, <HI>The People of the Saints <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">f the most High,</HI> Dan. 7.27. whom the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ORD of Ho&s;ts will make his Battle Ax, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd Weapons of War, and with whom he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ill break in pieces the Nations, and de|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">oy Kingdoms, and render unto <HI>Babylon</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="28">all the evil that &s;he hath done in <HI>Zion, Jer.</HI> 51.20, 24.</P>
<P>Le&s;t it might be dubious how the Saint or true Wor&s;hippers in the Churches, Mi|ni&s;ters or Magi&s;trates, &s;hould execute th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> fiercene&s;s of Gods wrath upon <HI>Babylon,</HI> an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> upon the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of the Bea&s;t, con&s;ider th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ome of the Angels which came out of th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Temple,</HI> may be al&s;o the <HI>holy</HI> Angels of God who are &s;aid to be about the <HI>Throne</HI> in th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Temple, <HI>chap.</HI> 5.11. wor&s;hipping God wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the four living Creatures, and twenty for Elders, <HI>chap.</HI> 7.11. and who are &s;aid to a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> company the Saints, that were cloathe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> with white <HI>Robes,</HI> and <HI>Palmes</HI> in the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> hands, <HI>chap.</HI> 7.9, 10, &mdash; 15. (<HI>an Emble<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the victory they had gotten over the Be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> and his Image,</HI> chap. 15.2.) For the ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Angels of God are pre&s;ent in the A&s;&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|blies of the Saints, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.10. 1 <HI>Pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> 1.12. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.21. And they are &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> forth to mini&s;ter for them; and therefor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> may be &s;aid al&s;o to come out of the Te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|ple (<HI>as well as the Saints</HI>) to execute th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> righteous Judgements of God upon <HI>Baby|lon,</HI> chap. 18.1, 2. And Chri&s;t al&s;o, <HI>w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> is the Angel of the Covenant.</HI></P>
<P>By the <HI>Earth,</HI> here we are to under&s;tan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the <HI>earthly</HI> State of <HI>Babylon,</HI> as it is contr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="9" REF="28">di&s;tingui&s;hed from the <HI>Heavenly</HI> State of <HI>Zion,</HI> which is the true Church of God, <HI>Rev.</HI> 9.1. <HI>I &s;aw a Star fall from Heaven to the Earth;</HI> which was the vi&s;ible <HI>Apo&s;ta|cy</HI> of the <HI>Clergy</HI> from the <HI>Heavenly</HI> State of the True Church of God, for &s;oundne&s;s of Doctrine, purity of Wor&s;hip, and power of Di&s;cipline, to an <HI>earthly</HI> State of a fal&s;e Church, with re&s;pect unto corrupt Do|ctrine, &s;uper&s;titious Wor&s;hip, and <HI>tyranni|cal</HI> Di&s;cipline, after the Inventions and precepts of Men.</P>
<P>And as the Earth, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.2. is a genetal <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">earm, which comprehended the Land, the Seas, the Firmament, with the Sun, Moon, and Stars; the Air, and all Men, Bea&s;ts, Fowls of the Air, and every creeping thing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hat God created and made out of that Ma&s;s or <HI>Chaos.</HI> So by the Earth <HI>here</HI> is com|prehended the Earth, Sea, Sun, Seat, and all other things of the Bea&s;ts devi&s;ing, men|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ioned in this Chapter; and al&s;o tho&s;e In|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">abiters of the Earth, which are the <HI>Ob|jects</HI> of the three dreadful WOES menti|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ned, <HI>chap.</HI> 8.13. whereof the third <HI>Woe</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ontains the 7. <HI>Vials</HI> of the la&s;t Plagues of God to be poured forth upon tho&s;e Inhabi|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ers of the Earth, who are the wor&s;hippers <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd admirers of the Bea&s;t, <HI>chap.</HI> 13. 8. 17. 8. &amp; 14. 9, 10, 11.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="29">
<P>The <HI>Saints</HI> having gotten the <HI>victory</HI> over the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and over his <HI>Image,</HI> and over his <HI>Mark,</HI> and over the <HI>number</HI> of his <HI>Name;</HI> the <HI>Temple</HI> of the <HI>Tabernacle</HI> of the <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> in Heaven being opened; the Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, and Di&s;cipline of the <HI>Church</HI> of God in &s;ome mea&s;ure <HI>re&s;tore<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> to their primitive <HI>Purity;</HI> the &s;even <HI>Angels,</HI> who have the &s;even la&s;t <HI>Plagues,</HI> being come out of the <HI>Temple,</HI> and having received &s;e|ven golden <HI>Vials</HI> full of the <HI>wrath</HI> of God, with commi&s;&s;ion and expre&s;s command to execute the <HI>fiercene&s;s</HI> of the Wrath and Plagues of God, poured out their <HI>Vi|als</HI> upon the earthly State of the Bea&s;t, and My&s;tical <HI>Babylon,</HI> and upon all the Inhabi|ters of that Earth, <HI>to wit,</HI> the wor&s;hippe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and admirers of the Bea&s;t; as hath bee<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> before declared and proved in the Expo&s;i|tion of the <HI>fir&s;t ver&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And the fir&s;t</HI> (Angel) <HI>went and poure our his Vial upon the Earth.</HI> ver&s;. 2. of th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Bea&s;ts Kingdom.</P>
<P>The Earth <HI>in Scripture</HI> is often taken fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> an Earthly-State-Apo&s;tacy in any Natio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> or Kingdom, upheld by men of corru<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Minds, and earthly Intere&s;ts, <HI>Gen.</HI> 6.11, 12, 13. <HI>Zeph.</HI> 3.8 This Earthly-Stat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Apo&s;tacy is prophe&s;ied of, and foretold <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">
<PB N="11" REF="29"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he Apo&s;tle to be in the <HI>la&s;t dayes,</HI> 2 Tim. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.1, &mdash; 5. and is mo&s;t likely to be the Sub|ject of the la&s;t Plagues which are to be poured out of the &s;even <HI>Vials</HI> upon the Earth, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1. This <HI>Earth</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;ts</HI> Kingdom, is that <HI>Earth,</HI> who&s;e Inhabitants <HI>rejoyced</HI> over the Witne&s;&s;es and Warriors of the LORD, when they were <HI>&s;lain</HI> by the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and their dead <HI>Bodies</HI> were not &s;uf|fered to be put in <HI>Graves,</HI> chap. 11.10. a|gain&s;t whom that third <HI>WOE</HI> is pronoun|ced, <HI>chap.</HI> 8.13. and upon whom this fir&s;t <HI>Vial</HI> is to be poured out. As the dry Land is called the <HI>Earth,</HI> Gen. 1.10. &s;o by the <HI>Earth</HI> in this <HI>&s;econd ver&s;e,</HI> we are to un|der&s;tand &s;ome thing in the Bea&s;ts King|dom that bears a fit and full re&s;emblance unto the dry Land.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. For Foundations.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. For all manner of Flood.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. For fulne&s;s of Riches, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 104.5, 14.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>And therefore by this <HI>Metaphorical</HI> Earth, we are to under&s;tand, the Founda|tion, Doctrines, and Principles of all fal&s;e Religions, as the Doctrine of Ju&s;tification by Works, the Doctrine of Popi&s;h Supre|macy, the Doctrine of Purgatory, Ma&s;s, wor&s;hipping of Images, Cro&s;&s;es, Cruci|fixes,
<PB N="12" REF="30">Altars, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> the Doctrine of the wor|&s;hip of God according to the Command|ments and Inventions of men; the Do|ctrine of Magi&s;tratical and Mini&s;terial Pow|er <HI>coercively</HI> to be exerci&s;ed over the Con|&s;ciences of men, in the Matters of God, his Wor&s;hip and Government, both Poli|tical, and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which like the dry Land, <HI>(called Earth) Fir&s;t,</HI> Doth &s;eem to &s;tand &s;o firm, that they &s;hall not be removed for ever. And <HI>&s;econdly,</HI> Out of tho&s;e Earthly Doctrines is produced all manner of Food for them that make their belly their God, as the Abbots and Prie&s;ts do. Al&s;o <HI>thirdly,</HI> Out of tho&s;e <HI>Earthly</HI> Doctrines is produced abundance of <HI>riches,</HI> all their Temples, Cathedrals, Abbies, Friaries, Nunneries, Churches and Chap|pels, have been founded and built upon this Earth, which they that are the Inhabi|ters of this Earth, thought &s;hould never be removed, chap. 18.7. <HI>For &s;he &s;aith in ber heart, I &s;it a Queen, and am no Widow, and &s;hall &s;ee no &s;orrow.</HI> Yea, the Popes them&s;elves, and their Cardinals, Arch-Bi&s;hops, Prelates, Prie&s;ts, and <HI>all the Clergy,</HI> (have been founded, fed, and en|riched by the&s;e earthly Doctrines) who are the Inhabiters of this Earth, upon which
<PB N="13" REF="30">this fir&s;t <HI>Vial</HI> &s;hall be poured out, and a|gain&s;t whom the third <HI>Woe</HI> is pronounced, <HI>chap.</HI> 8.13. and upon whom the &s;ad effects of this fir&s;t <HI>Vial</HI> will inevitably fall, <HI>viz.</HI> a noy&s;om and grievous &s;ore which fell upon the men which had the <HI>Mark</HI> of the <HI>Beast,</HI> and upon them which <HI>wor&s;hipped</HI> his Image; which bears &s;ome <HI>allu&s;ion</HI> unto one of the noy&s;ome and grievous <HI>Plagues</HI> of <HI>Egypt,</HI> Exod. 9.10, 11. This Sore being <HI>noy&s;ome,</HI> cau&s;eth both Lovers and Friends unto <HI>Baby|lon</HI> to &s;tand afar off for fear of her Tor|ment, <HI>chap.</HI> 18.10, 15, 17. And it being a <HI>grievous</HI> Sore, cau&s;eth much pain and torment unto the wor&s;hippers of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> and his <HI>Image,</HI> chap. 14.8, 9, 10, 11. [which are the properties of &s;uch Sores, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 38.11. &amp; 77.2.]</P>
<P><HI>The &s;econd Angel poured out his Vial up|on the Sea</HI> of the Bea&s;ts Kingdom, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 3. <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> upon the <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tick</HI> Con&s;ti|tutions, Forms, Ordinances, Ma&s;&s;es, Tra|ditions, Will-wor&s;hips, and all other <HI>Po|pi&s;h</HI> Super&s;titions, and Inventions of My|&s;tical <HI>Babylon,</HI> that great <HI>Whore,</HI> and <HI>Mo|ther</HI> of Harlots, (<HI>viz. both ill-favoured and well-favoured Harlots</HI>) the Catholick and National Churches of <HI>Rome, Spain, France,</HI> &amp;c. which Idolatrous Wor&s;hip, (like the
<PB N="14" REF="31">Sea, when it is troubled, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 57.20.) is full of mire and dirt. As the gathering to|gether of the Waters is called <HI>Seas,</HI> Gen. 1.10. &s;o the gathering together of the ge|neral Councils, National Synods, Dioce|&s;an Vi&s;itations, Courts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> are called Seas, as the Sea of <HI>Rome,</HI> the Popes Sea, the Cardinals Sea, <HI>Canterburies</HI> Sea, <HI>Yorks</HI> Sea, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> In which Sea of My&s;tical <HI>Babylon,</HI> the Kings of the Earth, the Merchants of the Earth, Ma&s;ters of Ships, and as many as Trade by Sea do trafick for the States and Souls of men, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> chap. 18.9, 11. The <HI>effects</HI> of this <HI>Vial</HI> is blood and death unto the Idolatrous and Super&s;titious wor|&s;hippers. Behold, the righteous <HI>Judge|ments</HI> of God, and his ju&s;t <HI>Retaliation</HI> unto the Scarlet and Bloody <HI>Whore,</HI> and fal&s;e <HI>Prophet,</HI> the <HI>Sea</HI> of <HI>Rome,</HI> and all other My&s;tical <HI>Seas</HI> of the <HI>Romi&s;h</HI> and <HI>Babyloni&s;h</HI> Churches in any Nation, who&s;e <HI>Sea,</HI> by the pouring out of this <HI>&s;econd Vial,</HI> &s;hall be|come like the <HI>blood</HI> of a dead Man, and eve|ry <HI>living</HI> Soul died in this Sea.</P>
<P>And this Plague <HI>al&s;o</HI> may have &s;ome <HI>Al|lu&s;ion</HI> unto that <HI>Plague</HI> of <HI>Aegypt,</HI> Exod. 7.20, 21. who&s;e <HI>Waters</HI> was turned into <HI>blood,</HI> and the <HI>Fi&s;h</HI> that was therein died. So <HI>bloody</HI> and &s;o <HI>deadly</HI> is the Idolatrous-wor|&s;hip
<PB N="15" REF="31">of the <HI>Sea</HI> of <HI>Rome,</HI> and of all other Nations that wor&s;hip the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> or his <HI>Image,</HI> who &s;hall utterly be de&s;troyed, as appears, <HI>chap.</HI> 14.9, 10, 11.</P>
<P><HI>The third Angel poured out his Vial upon the Rivers and Fountains of Waters</HI> in the Bea&s;ts Kingdom, ver&s;. 4.</P>
<P>The&s;e <HI>My&s;tical</HI> Rivers and Fountains of Waters, bear &s;ome Allu&s;ion unto tho&s;e <HI>ma|terial</HI> Rivers and Fountains which <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith, run into the <HI>Sea,</HI> Eccle&s;. 1.7. As the Fountains or <HI>Spring-heads</HI> run into the Rivers, and the Rivers run into the Sea; &s;o the Emperors, Kings, Princes, and Nobles of the Roman Antichri&s;tian Poli|tick and Eccle&s;ia&s;tick Government and Kingdom, give their power and &s;trength unto the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> chap. 17.12, 13. And to his Councels, Synods, Courts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which is the River into which the&s;e Fountains run, and &s;o into the Sea of <HI>Rome, Canter|bury,</HI> &amp;c. The great Monarchs of this World, and Kings of the Earth, are &s;aid in Scripture to be the Head of their Rivers, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 29.3, 4. &amp; 32.2, 6. <HI>I will al&s;o wa|ter with thy blood the Land wherein thou &s;wime&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. Again, as the Fountains do &s;ignifie Kings, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;o by the <HI>Rivers</HI> into which their &s;treams do continually run and
<PB N="16" REF="32">are filled, and influenced by them, is meant the Antichri&s;tian Hierarchy, Popi&s;h Cler|gy, and all the fal&s;e <HI>Prophets,</HI> Teachers, and Prie&s;ts, and upon all that are in <HI>holy Orders, (as they &s;peak)</HI> who preach the Doctrine of the Bea&s;t, and wor&s;hip his <HI>Image;</HI> &s;uch as the&s;e are called <HI>Wells,</HI> (though without any <HI>living and refre&s;hing</HI> Water) 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.1, 17. And they are here fitly re&s;embled unto <HI>Rivers</HI> of Waters in the Bea&s;ts Kingdom. This Antichri&s;tian Monarchy, Hierarchy, Popi&s;h Clergy, Prie&s;ts and Prelates, (like the Rivers and Fountains in and about a great City, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 18.27. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 32.2.) though they &s;poil the Land, and wa&s;te the City, and foul the Waters, [for as a Fountain ca&s;teth out her filthy Waters, &s;o do the&s;e corrupt Foun|tains ca&s;t out their wickedne&s;s, <HI>Jer.</HI> 6.7.] yet that great City, <HI>My&s;tical Babylon,</HI> is made very great, (<HI>and like the</HI> A&s;&s;yrian <HI>of old,</HI> Ezek. 31.3, 4, 5.) her <HI>height</HI> is ex|alted, and &s;he is <HI>enriched,</HI> becau&s;e of the multitude of the&s;e Waters and Fountains of hers, who&s;e Nur&s;eries and Seminaries, like the deep, with her Rivers running round about their Plants, &s;end out their little Rivers unto all the Trees of the field, and into the deep Sea.</P>
<PB N="17" REF="32">
<P>The <HI>effect</HI> of this <HI>Vial</HI> is their own blood, which God in his <HI>righteous</HI> Judgements gives tho&s;e Monarchs, Kings, Prelates, Prie&s;ts, and all the Popi&s;h Church and Clergy-men to drink, as a ju&s;t <HI>Retaliation</HI> of the blood of the faithful Saints, and Sackcloath <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> which this <HI>Scarlet Bea&s;t</HI> and <HI>bloody</HI> Whore of <HI>Rome</HI> hath &s;hed, by per&s;ecuting and killing them, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">7. &amp; 11.7.17.4, 5, 6. &amp; 18.20, 24. For which Judgments the LORD is acknow|ledged by all his Saints, and holy Angels in Heaven and on Earth, <HI>to be Righteous;</HI> and his Judgements al&s;o are acknowledged by them <HI>to be true and Righteous,</HI> ver&s;e 5, 6, 7.</P>
<P><HI>The fourth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Sun</HI> of the Bea&s;ts Kingdom, ver&s;. 8.</P>
<P><HI>That is to &s;ay,</HI> Upon the Emperour of <HI>Germany,</HI> the King of <HI>Spain,</HI> &amp;c. with re|&s;pect to the Temporal and Political part of the Bea&s;t's Kingdom, and upon the Pope of <HI>Rome,</HI> the Popi&s;h Cardinals, and Arch-Bi&s;hops, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> with re&s;pect to the Spiritual and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical part of the Bea&s;t's King|dom; tho&s;e Antichri&s;tian Emperors, Kings, Popes, and Prelates, (like the Sun in the Firmament of Heaven, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.16, 17, 18.) are mo&s;t eminent and chief Lights, and
<PB N="18" REF="33">have the mo&s;t eminent Grandeur, Rule and Dominion in the Firmament or Fabrick <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the Bea&s;t's Politick and Eccle&s;ia&s;tick Go|vernment and Kingdom; and are fitly re|&s;embled by the Sun, and other Lights <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Heaven, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 13.9, 10, 11.</P>
<P>The <HI>effect</HI> of this <HI>Vial,</HI> is the <HI>&s;corching of men with great heat,</HI> ver&s;. 9. By th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> power that was given unto this <HI>Angel</HI> &s;o t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> do, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8. The men that are &s;corched with fire, and with great heat, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8, 9. are tho&s;e men of the Bea&s;t's Kingdom, who wor&s;hip the Bea&s;t and his Image, <HI>chap.</HI> 14.8, 9, 10, 11. <HI>who are tormented with Fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> and Brim&s;tone,</HI> which cau&s;eth them to <HI>bla&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> pheme</HI> the Name of God, who hath powe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> over the&s;e Plagues; <HI>And they repented n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to give him glory,</HI> ver&s;. 9. The Fire an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Heat, are the <HI>burning Heat and devouring Fire</HI> of the fiercene&s;s of God's great wrat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> poured out of this <HI>Vial</HI> upon the Sun, which cau&s;eth tho&s;e dreadful Effects, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18.8<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>And &s;he &s;hall be utterly burnt with Fire; fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;trong is the Lord that judgeth her.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And the fifth Angel poured out his Vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> upon the Seat of the Bea&s;t,</HI> ver&s;. 10.</P>
<P>Who this fifth Angel is, the Expo&s;itio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the <HI>fir&s;t ver&s;e</HI> gives us to under&s;tand <HI>viz.</HI> Some of tho&s;e Magi&s;trates into who&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="19" REF="33">hand God will commit the Government of the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, (<HI>as was proved before</HI>) And &s;ome of tho&s;e Mini&s;ters of his Churches, who &s;hall come out of the Temple, <HI>even</HI> &s;uch of his Saints as our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath redeemed and made <HI>Kings</HI> and <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> unto God, who &s;hall reign on Earth, a&s;&s;i&s;ted by Chri&s;t, <HI>the Angel of the Covenant,</HI> and his <HI>Heavenly</HI> Angels, to <HI>ex|ecute</HI> the righteous <HI>Judgments</HI> of God, (<HI>as was al&s;o proved before</HI>) by pouring out of the Vials of the wrath of God.</P>
<P>This <HI>Vial</HI> is one of tho&s;e &s;even golden <HI>Vials</HI> which was given unto the &s;even An|gels, which were full of the wrath of God, and contained the la&s;t Plagues, which are to be poured out upon My&s;tical <HI>Babylon,</HI> to her utter de&s;truction, <HI>as hath been proved, before,</HI> and chap. 16. ver&s;. 19. and all them that wor&s;hip the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> and his <HI>Image,</HI> chap. 14.8, 9, 10, 11. The&s;e <HI>Vials</HI> are called the <HI>Cup</HI> of Gods Indignation, and the <HI>Cup</HI> of the Wine of the fiercene&s;&s;e of his wrath.</P>
<P>The <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is the <HI>Object</HI> of the Wrath of God, even of the <HI>fiercene&s;s</HI> of his great Wrath, upon whom the LORD will pour out all his <HI>Plagues</HI> fir&s;t and la&s;t, and <HI>Baby|lon</HI> &s;hall drink the <HI>Cup</HI> of his Indignation,
<PB N="20" REF="34"><HI>chap.</HI> 14.10. <HI>and the nineteenth ver&s;e of this Chapter.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Bea&s;t</HI> in this <HI>Prophe&s;ie</HI> of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> is &s;ometimes named without any di&s;tincti|on; and then by <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> we are to under&s;tand the whole Complex Body of the Antichri|&s;tian Politick and Eccle&s;ia&s;tick State of the <HI>Roman</HI> Kingdom, <HI>Church,</HI> and Government, as <HI>chap.</HI> 11.7, 13.18, 14.9, 11. and &s;ometimes the Bea&s;t is named with di&s;tin|ction, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.11, 12. as if there were <HI>two</HI> Bea&s;ts, both which is but <HI>one</HI> Bea&s;t di|&s;tingui&s;hed by his <HI>twofold,</HI> Power, and Do|minion, <HI>to wit,</HI> Political and Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|cal, as doth appear, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1. &amp; 4. So <HI>chap.</HI> 17.3. the Bea&s;t and the Woman, <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> the Political Government, and the Eccle&s;ia&s;tick State; likewi&s;e <HI>chap.</HI> 16.13. and 19.20. the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Pro|phet; al&s;o the Bea&s;t and his Image, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.14. By the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> we are to under&s;tand the <HI>Roman</HI> Antichri&s;tian Political State Power and Dominion. By the <HI>Woman,</HI> wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> is the <HI>Whore,</HI> the <HI>Image</HI> of the Bea&s;t, and the <HI>fal&s;e</HI> Prophet, <HI>(in divers re&s;pects)</HI> w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> are to under&s;tand the Roman Antichri&s;tian Eccle&s;ia&s;tick State, Church, Wor&s;hip, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Government. The <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> of this <HI>di&s;tincti|on</HI> is the <HI>two-fold</HI> Authority and Juri&s;dicti|on
<PB N="21" REF="34">which the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> exerci&s;eth in the World, and in the Church; and therefore the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is &s;aid to ri&s;e from <HI>two</HI> places, <HI>to wit,</HI> out of the <HI>Sea,</HI> Chap. 13.1. and out of the <HI>Earth,</HI> ver&s;. 11. and to have <HI>two</HI> Horns like the <HI>Lamb,</HI> chap. 13.11. <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> a two-fold Power, <HI>Political</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|cal,</HI> both which was given unto the Bea&s;t by the Dragon, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.2. <HI>And the Dra|gon gave him his Power, and his Throne, and great Authority.</HI> Which Dragon is called the old Serpent, the Devil, and Satan, <HI>chap.</HI> 12.9. &amp; 20.2. <HI>And he laid hold on the Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan.</HI></P>
<P>By the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> then in this <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> is meant the Roman Antichri&s;tian Politick and Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tick State, Kingdom, Rule, Power, Dominion, Wor&s;hip, and Government, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">wit,</HI> the whole <HI>Complex</HI> Body of <HI>Anti|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hri&s;t,</HI> who hath his Power, Throne, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">eat Authority given unto him by the De|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">il, and doth by virtue thereof exerci&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">oth a Political and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Govern|ment. And this Roman Politick and Ec|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;ia&s;tick State, is that <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> who de|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">eth the Father and the Son, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">. and that <HI>Man of Sin,</HI> and Son of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">rdition, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.3, 4, 9, 10. <HI>Who op|po&s;eth
<PB N="22" REF="35">and exalteth him&s;elf above all that is called God, or that is wor&s;hipped,</HI> even that Bea&s;t that a&s;cended out of the bottomle&s;s Pit, and goeth into Perdition, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.8, 11. As the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is the Object of the wrath of God, &s;o the <HI>Seat</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is the <HI>Subject</HI> upon which this <HI>fifth Vial</HI> of his wrath is poured out.</P>
<P><HI>And the fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Bea&s;t,</HI> ver&s;. 10.</P>
<P>By the <HI>Seat</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> we are to under|&s;tand the Place, <HI>even</HI> the <HI>principal</HI> place where the Bea&s;t doth exerci&s;e his Power and great Authority; which is <HI>Rome,</HI> and al&s;o all other great Cities where the Bea&s;t hath his Re&s;idence, his Throne, his Courts, and exerci&s;eth his Grandeur and great Au|thority. The City of <HI>Rome</HI> is the <HI>&s;eve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Mountains on which the <HI>Woman, that is,</HI> My&s;tical <HI>Babylon,</HI> &s;itteth, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.5, 9. And the <HI>Seat</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> being di&s;tinct from his Power and Authority, <HI>as it is,</HI> chap. 13.2. it mu&s;t be interpreted of the place <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the Bea&s;t's <HI>Re&s;idence,</HI> where his <HI>Throne</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> placed, and his Power and great Authori<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> is <HI>principally</HI> exerci&s;ed.</P>
<P>The <HI>effects</HI> of this <HI>fifth Vial</HI> are four.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> A great <HI>Eclip&s;e</HI> of the Bea&s;t's fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|mer Greatne&s;s, Grandeur, and Glor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="23" REF="35"><HI>And his Kingdom was full of darkne&s;s; that is to &s;ay,</HI> The Bea&s;ts Kingdom and Domi|nion both in the Political and Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|cal part thereof was <HI>totally</HI> eclip&s;ed, dark|ned, and clouded.</P>
<P>The <HI>&s;econd</HI> effect of this <HI>Vial</HI> will be the extremity of Rage that the wor&s;hippers of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> will fall into; <HI>And they gnawed their Tongues for pain.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>third</HI> effect of this <HI>Vial,</HI> will be their bla&s;phemy again&s;t God; <HI>And they bla&s;phemed God becau&s;e of their pain and &s;ores.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>fourth</HI> effect will be, an impenitent frame of hardne&s;s of heart; <HI>And they repen|ted not of their deeds.</HI></P>
<P>So that although the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> and &s;ome of his wor&s;hippers live, after his Kingdom and Dominion, both Political and Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|cal be de&s;troyed, yet they repent not of their Idolatries, which cau&s;eth God to pro|ceed in his Judgments, and to pour out the 6th and 7th Vials upon them.</P>
<P><HI>And the &s;ixth Angel poured out his Vial up|on the great River</HI> Euphrates, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 12.</P>
<P>The <HI>Object</HI> of the <HI>wrath</HI> of God poured out of this <HI>Vial,</HI> is the River <HI>Euphrates.</HI></P>
<P>There was a <HI>River</HI> that ran through <HI>Me|&s;opotamia</HI> unto old <HI>Babylon,</HI> which by way of <HI>Eminency,</HI> above all other <HI>Rivers,</HI> is
<PB N="24" REF="36">called <HI>the great River, the River</HI> Euphra|tes, <HI>Gen.</HI> 15.18. <HI>Deut.</HI> 1.7. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 1.4. unto which this may bear &s;ome allu&s;ion; be|cau&s;e what that <HI>natural</HI> River was to <HI>Mate|rial</HI> Babylon, this <HI>Metaphorical</HI> River is to <HI>My&s;tical</HI> Babylon. The <HI>principal</HI> benefits of a great River are two, <HI>viz.</HI> Revenue, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 23.3. <HI>The Harve&s;t of the River is her Revenue;</HI> and Strength, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 8.7. <HI>The Wa|ters of the River &s;trong and many,</HI> even <HI>the King of</HI> A&s;&s;yria <HI>and all his glory.</HI></P>
<P>By the great River <HI>Euphrates,</HI> here we are to under&s;tand that which is the Harve&s;t of <HI>Babylons</HI> Revenue, and the Pui&s;&s;ance of her &s;trength at this juncture of time, when the Throne of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> by the pouring out of the fifth Vial, was broken, and in a mea|&s;ure de&s;troyed. That the day of Gods great wrath will be upon the Merchandi&s;e of <HI>Ba|bylon,</HI> viz. her Merchandi&s;e of Gold and Silver, precious Stones and Pearls, Purple and Scarlet, Wine and Oyl, Corn and Cat|tel, Slaves and Souls of Men, is manife&s;t, <HI>chap.</HI> 18.10, 11, 12, &mdash; 17. <HI>For in one hour &s;o great Riches is come to nought.</HI> And by that Judgment of God upon <HI>Babylon,</HI> her great Revenue (<HI>which is one Stream of the great River</HI>) is dryed up.</P>
<P>But the &s;trength of <HI>My&s;tical</HI> Babylon <HI>fi|gured</HI>
<PB N="25" REF="36">forth by this great River <HI>Euphrates,</HI> (in this 12. ver&s;e) is the great Turk, and his numerous and mighty People; who will be at this juncture of time aiding and a&s;&s;i&s;t|ing the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and <HI>My&s;tical</HI> Babylon, again&s;t Chri&s;t and his <HI>Zion;</HI> for which Cau&s;e God will pour out this Vial of his wrath upon both <HI>Turk</HI> and <HI>Pope,</HI> and upon all the Peo|ple and Multitudes, who are the Waters of this great River, <HI>chap.</HI> 17.15. And the Rea&s;on why I rather incline to this <HI>Opinion, (than the former)</HI> is, becau&s;e all Expo&s;itors do interpret <HI>the great River</HI> Euphrates, <HI>chap.</HI> 9.14. to be the Turks. Now con&s;idering that this <HI>great River</HI> is mentioned but in tho&s;e <HI>two</HI> places of this Book of the <HI>Reve|lation.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> Under the &s;ixth Trumpet, <HI>chap.</HI> 9.14.</P>
<P>And <HI>&s;econdly,</HI> Under the &s;ixth Vial, <HI>chap.</HI> 16.12.</P>
<P>I conceive it is mo&s;t probable that one &s;ort or Nation of People is intended in both places, to wit, the <HI>Turks,</HI> who then did, and now do inhabit about that great River <HI>Euphrates;</HI> and as the loo&s;ing of the <HI>four</HI> Angels which were bound in that great River, <HI>chap.</HI> 9.14. &s;ignifyed the <HI>Turks</HI> breaking in and over-running the Nations,
<PB N="26" REF="37">as a Plague (<HI>following Antichri&s;t</HI>) upon the Chri&s;tian WORLD: So the drying up of the Water of this <HI>&s;ame</HI> great River, <HI>chap.</HI> 16.12. &s;ignifyeth the wa&s;ting and de&s;troy|ing of the <HI>Turks</HI> Dominion, Power, and People, as a Plague upon them for &s;tand|ing in the way of the LORD and his Peo|ple, and aiding, a&s;&s;i&s;ting, and helping his and his peoples Enemies, whom God hath purpo&s;ed to de&s;troy utterly; <HI>That the way of the Kings of the EAST might be prepa|red,</HI> ver&s;. 12.</P>
<P>By the <HI>Kings</HI> of the <HI>Ea&s;t,</HI> we are to un|der&s;tand the <HI>Jews,</HI> who are called Kings, becau&s;e of the Kingly Dignity which God will put upon them in that day, <HI>Mich.</HI> 4.8. <HI>The Kingdom &s;hall come to the Daughter of</HI> Jeru&s;alem, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 62.1, 2, 3. <HI>Thou &s;halt be a Crown of Glory in the Hand of the Lord, and a Rayal Diadem in the Hand of thy God.</HI></P>
<P>And the <HI>Kings</HI> of the <HI>Ea&s;t,</HI> becau&s;e they &s;hall come from the <HI>East Countries,</HI> at lea&s;t &s;ome of them, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 43.5. <HI>I will bring thy Seed from the Ea&s;t,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The way that is to be <HI>prepared</HI> for the <HI>Jews,</HI> is two-fold.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> For their Conver&s;ion.</P>
<P>And <HI>&s;econdly,</HI> For their return unto their
<PB N="27" REF="37">own <HI>Land,</HI> by taking the <HI>stumbling-block</HI> out of their <HI>way,</HI> I&s;a. 57.14.</P>
<P>The <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> are a very great Stumbling-block unto the Conver&s;ion of the <HI>Jews;</HI> and the <HI>Turks</HI> are a great impediment unto their return unto their own Land, unto which God hath promi&s;ed to bring them, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 37.21, 22, 25. and to that end God will have both the&s;e &s;tumbling-blocks re|moved out of the way of his Antient People the <HI>Jews.</HI></P>
<P>That which followeth in the 13, 14, 15, 16 ver&s;es of this Chapter, is not any pro|per effect of this Vial, nor any part there|of, but rather an <HI>interval</HI> of time betwixt the <HI>&s;ixth and &s;eventh</HI> Vials, wherein &s;ome remarkable things are to be tran&s;acted in order to the pouring forth of the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> Vial, and therefore contain a praeparatory Vi&s;ion thereunto.</P>
<P><HI>In which Vi&s;ion</HI> John <HI>&s;aw three Emba&s;&s;a|dors or Agents &s;ent from the Dragon, the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet, to the Kings of the Earth.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Dragon</HI> is that old <HI>Serpent</HI> called <HI>Sa|tan,</HI> which is the <HI>Devil,</HI> chap. 20.2. The <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is the <HI>civil</HI> State or <HI>political</HI> Powers, <HI>which Beast ro&s;e out of the Sea,</HI> chap. 13.1. The <HI>fal&s;e Prophet</HI> is the Eccle&s;ia&s;tical State,
<PB N="28" REF="38"><HI>which is the Bea&s;t that ro&s;e out of the Earth,</HI> chap. 13.11. He is here called the <HI>fal&s;e Prophet,</HI> becau&s;e now he is unmasked, and his Vizard pluck't off, <HI>to wit,</HI> his pretend|ed likene&s;s unto the Lamb, <HI>chap.</HI> 13.11. And now he is di&s;covered to be that Decei|ver and fal&s;e Prophet which was to come.</P>
<P><HI>The three unclean Spirits like Frogs,</HI> ver&s;. 13. are their Emba&s;&s;adors or Agents, called <HI>Spirits,</HI> for their &s;ubtilty and activity, and pretending to be &s;piritual men, and imploy|ed <HI>principally</HI> about Religious and <HI>Spiritual</HI> Affairs, (<HI>like</HI> Ahabs <HI>fal&s;e Prophets,</HI> 1 King. 22.21, 22. <HI>who deceived the Kings of</HI> I&s;rael <HI>and</HI> Judah, <HI>in per&s;wading them to go up to</HI> Ramoth Gilead <HI>to Battel</HI>) and therefore are &s;aid to be Spirits of <HI>Devils,</HI> ver&s;. 14. <HI>work|ing Miracles:</HI> as the Devil rai&s;ed up fal&s;e Chri&s;t's, and fal&s;e Apo&s;tles; &s;o he doth fal&s;e Prophets, <HI>purpo&s;ely</HI> to deceive the Kings of the Earth, and the Inhabitants of the Earth, that they may not receive the true Chri&s;t, believe the true Apo&s;tles, nor regard the Te&s;timony of the true Prophets of the Lord.</P>
<P>Before <HI>John</HI> &s;ets down the <HI>&s;ucce&s;s</HI> of this their <HI>Negotiation,</HI> he writes a word of warn|ing, <HI>as it were a Parenthe&s;is,</HI> ver&s;. 15.</P>
<P><HI>Behold I come as a Thief,</HI> &amp;c. that is to
<PB N="29" REF="38">&s;ay, <HI>&s;uddenly</HI> and <HI>unexpectedly,</HI> as <HI>Mat.</HI> 24.43, 44. and 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.10.</P>
<P><HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that watcheth</HI> for my coming, <HI>and keepeth his Garments</HI> white and clean, and fa&s;t girded unto him; <HI>le&s;t he walk na|ked, and they &s;ee his &s;hame,</HI> 1 Tim. 5.22. <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.27.</P>
<P>The &s;ucc&s;s of their Negotiation follow|eth, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16. <HI>And he gathered them together into a place, called in the Hebrew Tongue,</HI> Ar|mageddon. He gathered them together, <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> the Dragon, <HI>which is the De|vil,</HI> by his Frogs, <HI>tho&s;e unclean &s;pirits,</HI> ga|thered <HI>them</HI> together, <HI>viz. the Kings of the Earth.</HI></P>
<P>By <HI>Armageddon</HI> we are to under&s;tand the name of a place, which the Jews &s;hall give after they have gotten &s;ome con&s;iderable victory over the <HI>Turks,</HI> and therefore cal|led it <HI>Armageddon, the place of de&s;truction of an Army;</HI> which <HI>happily</HI> may have an <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">llu&s;ion</HI> unto that great <HI>de&s;truction</HI> of the <HI>Ca|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">aanites</HI> at the Waters of <HI>Megiddo,</HI> Judg. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.19. when <HI>Si&s;era</HI> the chief Captain of <HI>Jabin,</HI> with all his Ho&s;ts, fell by the hand of <HI>Deborah,</HI> and <HI>Barack,</HI> where was made <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">uch a <HI>total</HI> de&s;truction, that it is &s;aid, <HI>Judg.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.16. <HI>And the Host of</HI> Si&s;era <HI>fell upon the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">dge of the Sword, and there was not a man <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">eft.</HI></P>
<PB N="30" REF="39">
<P>And &s;uch an <HI>univer&s;al</HI> de&s;truction will be the effect of this Battel at <HI>Armageddon,</HI> chap. 19.20, 21.</P>
<P><HI>And the &s;eventh Angel poured out his Vi|al into the Air,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 17.</P>
<P>The <HI>Object</HI> of this <HI>Vial</HI> is the <HI>Air,</HI> which notes the <HI>univer&s;ality</HI> of the <HI>Subjects</HI> upon whom the <HI>wrath of God</HI> is poured out of this &s;eventh <HI>Vial.</HI> The <HI>Air</HI> fills all places, no <HI>Subject</HI> can be more general then the <HI>Air.</HI></P>
<P>By the <HI>Air,</HI> here we are to under&s;tand all Nations, Kingdoms, and People; all Places, Per&s;ons, and Things, that oppo&s;e the Kingdom, Wor&s;hip, and Government of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and his <HI>Sion,</HI> I&s;a. 60.12.</P>
<P>The Earth, Sea, Rivers, Sun, and Seat of the Bea&s;t's Kingdom is de&s;troyed by the former Vials; And by this &s;eventh Vial &s;hall be de&s;troyed all things what&s;oever remains of <HI>Sathans</HI> Kingdom; Who is called, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.2. <HI>The Prince of the power of the Air.</HI></P>
<P>The other &s;ix <HI>Vials</HI> were poured out upon their particular <HI>Objects,</HI> but this &s;event<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Vial is poured out into its Subject; which notes the &s;preading and dilating of it &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> into every part of <HI>Satan's</HI> and the Bea&s;t'<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Kingdom, for the utter de&s;truction o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="31" REF="39">every thing therein that remained.</P>
<P>So then the wrath of God poured out of this Vial, will diffu&s;e and &s;pread over,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>The whole Kingdom of Antichri&s;t, or the Bea&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>The remaining Dominion and Kingdom of the Turks.</HI></P>
<P>And thirdly, <HI>The whole Kingdom of the Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil.</HI></P>
<P>And when all the&s;e <HI>Enemies</HI> again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and his <HI>Kingdom</HI> &s;hall be <HI>de&s;troyed</HI> by the pouring out of this &s;eventh <HI>Vial,</HI> then comes a great Voice out of the Temple of Heaven, (<HI>to wit, the Vi&s;ible Church of God on Earth, re&s;tored unto her primitive Purity, and made glorious,</HI> I&s;a. 60.7, 12, 13, 14.) &s;aying, It is DONE, <HI>chap.</HI> 10.6, 7. viz.</P>
<P><HI>The My&s;tery of God is fini&s;hed, as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets.</HI> This Voice is Chri&s;t<HI>'s, chap.</HI> 21.5, 6. <HI>He that &s;at upon the Throne, &s;aid unto me, It is DONE.</HI> This Voice is &s;aid to come from the <HI>Throne</HI> in the <HI>Temple</HI> of Heaven, in this 17. ver&s;e; <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> It came from <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who &s;at upon the <HI>Throne,</HI> chap. 21.5, 6. and implies now Chri&s;ts Kingdom &s;hall be &s;et up, and <HI>he</HI> him&s;elf &s;hall <HI>&s;it</HI> upon the <HI>Throne,</HI> chap. 3.21. and all his Saints with him.</P>
<PB N="32" REF="40">
<P><HI>And there were Voices, and Thundrings, and Lightnings; and there was a great Earth-quake,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 18.</P>
<P>The like to this was the effect of the <HI>Wit|ne&s;&s;es</HI> ri&s;ing, <HI>chap.</HI> 11.13. upon which Com|motions the tenth part of the City fell; &s;o here by this great Earth-quake, <HI>the great City is divided into three parts,</HI> ver&s;. 19. Fractions, or Divi&s;ions, note the utter ruine of the Roman-Antichri&s;tian-Politick-and-Eccle&s;ia&s;tick-State, Power, Domini|on, and Kingdom of the Bea&s;t; <HI>For a King|dom divided again&s;t it &s;elf cannot &s;tand.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And the Cities of the Nations fell,</HI> ver&s;e 19. <HI>litterally,</HI> &s;uch Nations as come to help the Bea&s;t, and the <HI>Turk</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Lord</HI> and his <HI>People. Mystically</HI> by the Cities of the Nations, we may under&s;tand <HI>National Churches.</HI> The great Whore is called the great City; &s;o the Harlots, <HI>who are her Daughters,</HI> chap. 17.5. are here called the Cities of the Nations. If the Catholick Church of <HI>Rome</HI> be the great City, then the National <HI>Romi&s;h</HI> Churches, may al&s;o be called the Cities of the Nations; which &s;hall fall in the Day of the Lords contro|ver&s;ie with all Nations, <HI>Hag.</HI> 2.22. and <HI>Jer.</HI> 25.30, 31, 32, 33.</P>
<P><HI>And great Babylon came in remembrance before God,</HI> ver&s;. 19.</P>
<PB N="33" REF="40">
<P>By great <HI>Babylon</HI> here is <HI>primarily</HI> meant, <HI>Con&s;tantinople,</HI> the royal City of the great <HI>Turk.</HI></P>
<P>And <HI>Secondarily,</HI> All his Principalities, Domininions, and Kingdom, prophe&s;ied of, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 14.4, 5, 24, 25, 32.</P>
<P>Neither am I alone in this my Opinion, for Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> and others are of the &s;ame Jugement. And my Rea&s;ons are,</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e the great <HI>City,</HI> and great <HI>Ba|bylon</HI> are <HI>contradi&s;tingui&s;hed</HI> one from the o|ther in this 19 <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> and therefore cannot the &s;ame.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e great <HI>Babylon</HI> is &s;aid here to come in <HI>remembrance</HI> before the LORD, which ca~not literally be applied to the City of <HI>Rome;</HI> for that was the Seat of the Bea&s;t, upon which the fift <HI>Vial</HI> was poured out; nor can it be <HI>mystically</HI> applyed unto the whole Kingdom of the Bea&s;t, for that had come in remembrance before the Lord, in pouring out the former five <HI>Vials.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e the Turk hath been, is, and will be as great an Enemy again&s;t the Jews (<HI>e&s;pecially in their return to their own Land</HI>) as the Pope hath been, is, and will be a|gain&s;t the Gentile Saints; And whereas both <HI>Turk</HI> and <HI>Pope,</HI> together with the <HI>Kings</HI> and <HI>Nations</HI> of the <HI>Earth,</HI> being now at la&s;t
<PB N="34" REF="41">all combined together, with all their <HI>For|ces</HI> again&s;t the LORD and his <HI>Saints,</HI> both <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles,</HI> they &s;hall all drink of the Wine of the fiercene&s;s of Gods wrath, which &s;hall be poured out of this &s;eventh <HI>Vial</HI> without mixture of Mercy; <HI>chap.</HI> 19.19, 20, 21.</P>
<P><HI>Every I&s;land fled away, and the Mountains were not found,</HI> ver&s;. 20.</P>
<P>By I&s;lands and Mountains, here we may under&s;tand,</P>
<P N="1">1. Places of hiding, and of &s;ecurity, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 39.6. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 2.19, 21. and <HI>Hag.</HI> 2.6, 7, 22. But there will be no &s;ecurity not hiding, for every I&s;land fled away, and the Mountains were not found, &s;o that their <HI>ruine</HI> will be <HI>inevitable</HI> without any refuge or &s;helter.</P>
<P N="2">2. By I&s;lands we may under&s;tand &s;uch things as are &s;eparated from a common, un|to &s;ome &s;acred u&s;e, as I&s;lands are &s;eparated from the main Land by Waters that go round about them. Such are all Popi&s;h <HI>Con&s;ecrated</HI> and <HI>Dedicated</HI> things, <HI>viz.</HI> Bi|&s;hopricks, Deanaries, Cathedrals, Churches, Chapples, Priories, Nunneries, Church-Lands, and Revenues; all the&s;e, and all of the&s;e kinds &s;hall be &s;eque&s;tred and ta|ken away from their Sacred, or rather Su|per&s;titions
<PB N="35" REF="41">and Idolatrous u&s;es, and re&s;to|red unto a common and civil u&s;e, as be|fore any &s;uch Con&s;ecration, Dedication, A&s;&s;ignation, or Separation.</P>
<P N="3">3. By Mountains, we may under&s;tand, the great Powers and Dominions of the Earth, the Monarchs and Monarchies of this WORLD, <HI>Zech.</HI> 4.7. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 40.4. <HI>Jer.</HI> 51.25. <HI>The&s;e &s;hall not be found;</HI> for they &s;hall be broken and de&s;troyed utterly, and they &s;hall be made like the Chaff of the Summer Thre&s;hing-Floors, which the Wind carrieth away; <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.35. <HI>And no place was found for them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And there fell upon men a great Hail out of Heaven,</HI> &amp;c. Ver&s;e 21.</P>
<P>The <HI>Hail</HI> from <HI>Heaven</HI> &s;ignifies &s;ome more immediate Judgements and Plagues of God. Here may be &s;ome <HI>Allu&s;ion</HI> to the de&s;truction of the Canaanites by great Hail&s;tones from Heaven, <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 10.11. Or el&s;e this is that great Storm of Gods <HI>im|mediate</HI> Judgements threatned <HI>Prophetically</HI> again&s;t <HI>Gog</HI> in the Land of <HI>Magog, Ezek.</HI> 38.2, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23. <HI>And I will plead again&s;t him with an overflowing rain, and great Hail&s;tones, fire and brim&s;tone,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>And men bla&s;phemed God,</HI> &amp;c. Ver&s;e 21.</P>
<P>This is the Effect of Gods mo&s;t ju&s;t and
<PB N="36" REF="42">righteous Judgements upon all his unpla|cable Enemies, <HI>they Bla&s;phemed God.</HI> This was the Effect of the Plagues poured out of the Fift <HI>Vial,</HI> Ver&s;e 9, 11. which was the Bea&s;ts former practice, Chap. 13.6. The Bea&s;t was a Bla&s;phemer from the Beginning, and &s;o continues unto his End; He lives and dies in his Bla&s;|phemies again&s;t God, <HI>and peri&s;heth for ever.</HI></P>
<P>Now as touching the <HI>Time,</HI> when the&s;e <HI>Seven Vials</HI> &s;hall be poured out, though I have a very honorable e&s;teem of tho&s;e Godly and Learned Expo&s;itors of this Book of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> who are of opi|nion, that three or four of the&s;e Seven Vials are poured out already; Yet not|with&s;tanding all that they have &s;aid, I con|fe&s;s I am not of their mind, out do rather think, <HI>That none of tho&s;e &s;even Vials are yet poured out.</HI></P>
<P>The Scripture-Grounds that I have to offer for my Opinion in this Point are the&s;e, <HI>Viz.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e, <HI>the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Te&s;timony in Heaven is not opened,</HI> out of which Temple the &s;even Angels come forth with their &s;even golden Vials, Chap. 15.5, 6, 7. Which Temple I have proved before, to be <HI>the
<PB N="37" REF="42">Heavenly State of the Church of God on Earth, re&s;tored in &s;ome Mea&s;ure unto its Apo&s;tolical Con&s;titutions, and primitive Pu|rity:</HI> which, when &s;o, was called the <HI>the Temple of the Living God,</HI> 2 Cor. 6.16.</P>
<P>Let Chri&s;tians con&s;ider, that <HI>none</HI> of the Seven <HI>Vials</HI> are to be poured out until the Temple be opened, <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> until the Church of God on Earth be re&s;tored in &s;ome mea&s;ure unto its Apo&s;tolical Con&s;ti|tutions, and primitive Purity, which is not yet done, and therefore <HI>no Vial is yet poured out.</HI> 2. Becau&s;e, <HI>Chri&s;t's Sackcloch Witne&s;&s;es and Warriers mu&s;t be &s;lain, and rai&s;ed, and the Seventh Trumpet &s;ounded, before the Temple be opened, or any of the Seven Vials be poured out,</HI> Chap. 11.7, 11, 14, 15, 19.</P>
<P>But the&s;e things are not yet done, and therefore none of the Seven Vials are yet poured out. Let Chri&s;tians con&s;ider, Are the Witne&s;&s;es &s;lain, before their Te&s;timo|ny be fini&s;hed? Ver&s;e 7. &s;aith, <HI>When they &s;hall have fini&s;hed their Te&s;timony, the Bea&s;t, that a&s;cendeth out of the Bottomle&s;s Pit, &s;hall make war again&s;t them, and &s;hall overcome them, and kill them:</HI> And if the&s;e Witne&s;|&s;es and Warriers be &s;lain, Are they Ri&s;en and a&s;cended up to Heaven? (that is, to
<PB N="38" REF="43">an Heavenly State and Dignity) and have their Enemies been enlightned to behold them? as is prophe&s;ied they &s;hall, Ver&s;e 11, 12. Again, Hath the Seventh Angel &s;ounded his Seventh Trumpet? as is pro|phe&s;ied Ver&s;e 15. which Angel mu&s;t Sound his Seventh Trumpet before this Wrath come, Ver&s;e 18. I offer the&s;e three Rea&s;ons to the &s;erious Con&s;ideration of Chri&s;tians, why the Seventh Angel hath not Sounded his Seventh Trumpet, <HI>Viz.</HI> 1. <HI>The My&s;tery of God is not fini&s;hed,</HI> which mu&s;t be done when the Seventh An|gel begins to Sound his Trumpet, Chap. 10.6, 7. 2. <HI>The Second Wo is not Pa&s;t</HI> until the Witne&s;&s;es and Warriers be rai&s;ed and a&s;cended, which mu&s;t be done before the Seventh Angel Sound his Trumpet, Chap. 11.11, 12, 14, 15. 3. Upon the Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, The Kingdoms of this World do become the Kingdom of Chri&s;t and of his Anointed, Chap. 11.15. But this is not accompli&s;h|ed, which argues that the Seventh Angel hath not Sounded his Seventh Trumpet, which Seventh Trumpet mu&s;t u&s;her in the <HI>Seven Vials,</HI> as the <HI>Seventh Seal</HI> did the Seven Trumpets, Chap. 8.1, 2, 6. whereby it is manife&s;t that the Temple is not open|ed,
<PB N="39" REF="43">nor any of the Seven Vials poured out.</P>
<P>And Thirdly, Becau&s;e, <HI>Tho&s;e Seven Vials contain the Seven la&s;t Plagues</HI> (Chap. 15.1. <HI>for in them is filled up the Wrath of God</HI>) which are Contemporary with the Victory, which the Saints &s;hall get over the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and over his <HI>Image,</HI> and over his <HI>Mark,</HI> and over the <HI>Number</HI> of his <HI>Name,</HI> Chap. 15.1, 2, 3, 4. <HI>Standing up|on a Sea of Gla&s;s mingled with Fire,</HI> and &s;inging that Triumphant Song of the Lamb, Ver&s;es 3, 4. Which Victory the Saints have not yet Gotten, neither can they &s;ing that Triumphant Song, and therefore none of the Seven <HI>Vials</HI> are yet poured out. Let Chri&s;tians con&s;ider, 1. That the Seven la&s;t Plagues will utterly Ruin and De&s;troy Antichri&s;t, Root and Branch, and that &s;uddenly, Chap. 18.2, 8, 10, 17, 19. 2. That the Seven la&s;t Plagues contain that la&s;t Judgement of the great Whore (called <HI>My&s;tery Babylon</HI>) which doth precede the Marriage of the Lamb, Chap. 17.1. and 19.1, 2, 3, 7. 3. That the Seven la&s;t Plagues are the effects of the la&s;t War of the Bea&s;t and Fal&s;e Prophet, and the Kings of the Earth again&s;t the Lamb, <HI>our LORD Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and his Armies in Heaven, <HI>namely,</HI> his Saints <HI>who are Called, and Cho&s;en, and
<PB N="40" REF="44">Faithfull,</HI> Who having Overcome and got|ten the Victory over the&s;e Enemies of God, of Chri&s;t, and of his People, They pour out tho&s;e Vials of the la&s;t Plagues of God Almighty upon them, chap. 17.13, 14. chap. 16.14. chap. 19.19, 20. and chap. 18.6, 7, 8. All which Argues that the Seven Vials of Gods la&s;t Plagues are not yet poured out. 4. Becau&s;e <HI>the Fir&s;t An|gel hath not yet poured forth his Vial;</HI> And If the <HI>Fir&s;t Angel</HI> hath not poured forth his <HI>Vial,</HI> then the <HI>Second, Third,</HI> nor any of the <HI>Seven Angels</HI> have not poured forth any of their <HI>Vials.</HI> But that the <HI>Fir&s;t</HI> An|gel hath not poured out his <HI>Vial</HI> [be&s;ides what hath been &s;aid for the proof of my Opinion, the Rea&s;ons and Scripture-Grounds given for the &s;ame in general] I do humbly offer the&s;e following Argu|ments to prove. <HI>Viz.</HI> Though I Reve|rence tho&s;e Godly and Learned Men, and Ble&s;s the Lord for their worthy Labours in the Expo&s;itions of the Book of the <HI>Revela|tion;</HI> Yet I cannot, <HI>(for the Rea&s;ons before gi|ven)</HI> con&s;ent with them who affirm that <HI>Wal|do, Wickliff, Hu&s;&s;e, Luther,</HI> &amp;c. are meant by the Fir&s;t <HI>Angel,</HI> that poured out the fir&s;t <HI>Vial:</HI> nor can I be of their Opinion, who &s;ay by this <HI>Angel</HI> is meant, the Sweden
<PB N="41" REF="44">Wars, nor the Long Parliament; nor any other Per&s;ons or Plagues, which have be|fallen the Antichri&s;tian Roman Political and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical State unto this Time: Becau&s;e I &s;ee not the Effects of this Fir&s;t <HI>Vial</HI> accompli&s;hed upon the Earthly, Car|nal, and Worldly Intere&s;t of the grand Apo&s;tates of the&s;e La&s;t Times. Which thing cau&s;eth me to continue in my <HI>Opini|on,</HI> both in general touching all the Seven <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> and in <HI>particular</HI> touching the Fir&s;t <HI>Vial,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> I &s;hall be convinced by Scrip|ture-Light, and &s;ound Rea&s;on grounded thereon; Viz. <HI>That the Fir&s;t Angel hath not poured out his Vial.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Argument</HI> for the proof thereof is from chap. 18.21. <HI>Thus with violence &s;hall that great City</HI> Babylon <HI>be thrown down, and &s;hall be found no more at all.</HI></P>
<P>I have already declared, that the Vials of the La&s;t Plagues do contain that la&s;t Judgement of the great Whore <HI>(called My&s;tery Babylon)</HI> mentioned Chap. 18. And all Expo&s;itors of this Prophe&s;ie of the <HI>Revelation</HI> do affirm the &s;ame: which be|ing &s;o, This Compari&s;on chap. 18.21. holds e&s;pecially in the&s;e two things; <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t;</HI> as a great <HI>Mil&s;tone</HI> ca&s;t into the Sea doth not &s;ometimes &s;ink, and another
<PB N="42" REF="45">while &s;wim; now falling down, and then ri&s;ing again; Thus, <HI>or &s;o</HI> When any of the Seven <HI>Angels</HI> pour out any of their <HI>Vials</HI> upon any part of the Roman Antichri&s;tian State of the Bea&s;t's Political and Eccle&s;i|a&s;tical Kingdom, that <HI>Part</HI> upon which the <HI>Vial</HI> is poured forth &s;hall fall, peri&s;h, and ri&s;e no more; <HI>no nor be found no more at all,</HI> chap. 18.11, 14, 21.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> As a great <HI>Mil&s;tone</HI> ca&s;t into the <HI>Sea</HI> falls and &s;inks down irrecoverably unto the <HI>Bottom;</HI> Thus, <HI>or &s;o</HI> when the Fir&s;t Angel hath poured out his <HI>Vial</HI> upon the <HI>Earth,</HI> the <HI>Second</HI> upon the <HI>Sea,</HI> the <HI>Third</HI> upon the <HI>Rivers,</HI> the <HI>Fourth</HI> upon the <HI>Sun,</HI> and the <HI>Fift</HI> upon the <HI>Seat</HI> of the Bea&s;ts Kingdom, <HI>Babylon (like a Mil&s;tone)</HI> &s;inks to the Bottom; <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> The ut|ter de&s;truction of the Great Whore <HI>My|&s;tery Babylon</HI> is &s;uddenly effected by the pouring out of the Vials of the La&s;t Plagues of the fiercene&s;s of the Wrath of God upon her, chap. 18.8, 10, 17, 19. <HI>for in one Hour &s;he is made de&s;olate.</HI> But we &s;ee not &s;uch Effects of any Plagues of God yet upon <HI>Babylon,</HI> and therefore con|clude, that the Seven La&s;t Plagues or <HI>Vials</HI> are not any of them poured forth, no not the <HI>Fir&s;t</HI> of them.</P>
<PB N="43" REF="45">
<P N="2">2. <HI>Argument,</HI> that proves the <HI>Fir&s;t</HI> Vial is not <HI>yet</HI> poured out is, <HI>Becau&s;e</HI> That noi|&s;om and grievous Sore <HI>(which is the Effect of the Fir&s;t Vial)</HI> is not yet fallen upon the <HI>Men,</HI> which had the <HI>Mark</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and upon them that did wor&s;hip his <HI>Image,</HI> chap. 16.2. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. That noi&s;om Sore will cau&s;e both all the Lovers and Friends of <HI>Babylon</HI> for ever to &s;tand aloof, yea, after off from her, and from them that the Sore is on, <HI>to wit,</HI> Popes, Cardinals, Bi&s;hops, Prie&s;ts, Je&s;uits, Fryars, Monks, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And upon them that wor|&s;hipped his Image; namely, all the Pa|pi&s;ts, Crucifix-adorers, Image-wor&s;hipers, Cro&s;s-creepers, Altar-bowers, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> chap. 18.10, 15, 17.</P>
<P N="2">2. That grievous Sore will cau&s;e &s;uch exqui&s;ite Torment, and pain unto the Men that had the Mark of the Bea&s;t, and upon them which wor&s;hipped his Image, That the Smoke of their Torment a&s;cend|eth up for ever and ever, chap. 14.9, 10, 11. and when the Kings of the Earth, the Merchants of the Earth, and the Ship|ma&s;ters, Saylers, and all the Company of Ships, and as many as Trade by Sea, &s;hall &s;ee the Smoke of her Burning, and the Torment of her Wor&s;hippers, they will
<PB N="44" REF="46">&s;tand afar off and Cry, Alas, alas! for in One Hour &s;he is made De&s;olate, chap. 18.18, 19.</P>
<P>But there is no &s;uch not&s;om and grievous Sore fallen upon the Men, that had the Mark of the Bea&s;t, nor upon them that Wor&s;hipped his Image. The Popes, Car|dinals, Prelates, Prie&s;ts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> nor the Papi&s;ts, who wor&s;hip Images, Crucifixes, Cro&s;&s;es, Altars, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> have not been &s;o tor|mented by any plagues of God, that the Smoke of their Torment hath Arcended for ever and ever; Nor have the Kings of the Earth, the Merchants of the Earth, nor they that Trade by Sea &s;o &s;een the &s;moke of he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Burning, as to &s;tand afar off for fear of he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Torment, Concluding and Confe&s;&s;ing that in one hour &s;he is made De&s;olate; Read ch. 18.9, 10, 15, 17, 18, 19. And therefore I again conclude, (being the more confirm|ed in my Opinion, by the&s;e Arguments) <HI>That the Fir&s;t Angel hath not yet poured out his Vial:</HI> And if the Fir&s;t <HI>Vial</HI> be not <HI>yet</HI> poured out, then <HI>none</HI> of the Seven <HI>Vials</HI> of the <HI>La&s;t Plagues</HI> are <HI>as yet</HI> poured out.</P>
<P>And until the&s;e Seven <HI>Vials</HI> of the La&s;t Plagues of God be all poured our, The Kingdom of the Antichri&s;t will not be <HI>totally</HI> and <HI>finally</HI> De&s;troyed; nor will all
<PB N="45" REF="46">the <HI>Kingdoms</HI> of this WORLD become the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of the LORD, and of his Saints: Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">gh there will be &s;ome con&s;iderable <HI>Beginnings</HI> of the <HI>De&s;truction</HI> of the <HI>King|dom</HI> of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and of the <HI>E&s;tabli&s;hing</HI> of the Kingdom of our LORD Je&s;us Chri&s;t before the la&s;t <HI>Vial</HI> be poured out.</P>
<P>Touching which Two <HI>Kingdoms, viz.</HI> of Antichri&s;t, and of Chri&s;t, I have &s;ome|thing to offer in the <HI>Third Part</HI> of this lit|tle <HI>Treati&s;e,</HI> which I judge meet for the Saints in this GENERATION to know: Into the right under&s;tanding whereof, the LORD guide my heart and yours by his Holy Spirit and Word to his Glory, that we may know what we ought to do in this DAY of our GENERATION. Amen, and Amen.</P>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="47">
<PB REF="47">
<P>Apocalyptical MYSTERIES.</P>
<P>The Third Part. Touching the <HI>Kingdome</HI> of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and the KINGDOME of CHRIST.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Rev. 11.15.</HI></BIBL>
<P>The Kingdoms of this WORLD are become the KINGDOM of our LORD and of his CHRIST, and HE &s;hall REIGN for ever and ever.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed in the Year, 1667.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="part">
<PB REF="48">
<PB N="1" REF="48">
<HEAD>Apocalyptical MYSTERIES. The Third Part. Touching the <HI>Kingdome</HI> of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and the KINGDOME of CHRIST.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Rev. 11.15.</HI></BIBL>
<P>The Kingdoms of this WORLD are become the KINGDOM of our LORD and of his CHRIST, and he &s;hall REIGN for ever and ever.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe <HI>Seventh</HI> Angel mentioned in this ver&s;e is the <HI>Angel</HI> of the third WOE, denounced again&s;t the Inhabiters of he EARTH, chap. 8.13.9, 12. and 11.14. which third WOE containeth all tho&s;e
<PB N="2" REF="49">righteous Judgments of God that are to be executed upon <HI>My&s;tical</HI> BABYLON by pouring out of the <HI>Seven</HI> VIALS of the <HI>La&s;t</HI> PLAGUES of <HI>Almighty</HI> God upon the KINGDOM of the BEAST, Where|upon the <HI>Kingdoms</HI> of this WORLD be|come the KINGDOM of CHRIST and and of his SAINTS <HI>for ever and ever.</HI></P>
<P>By the Kingdoms of this WORLD, we may under&s;tand, 1. <HI>&V;niver&s;ally,</HI> All the Kingdoms of the World, that are upon the face of the Earth: 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 19.15. <HI>Jer.</HI> 25.26. <HI>to wit,</HI> All Rule, Dominion, Power, and Government in all Nations, and Kingdoms of the WORLD. 2. <HI>Ge|nerally,</HI> All the Kingdoms of the DOMI|NION of <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> King of BA|BYLON, <HI>Jer</HI> 34.1. and <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.37, 38. al&s;o of <HI>Cyrus</HI> King of <HI>Per&s;ia, Ezra</HI> 1.2. and <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.39. likewi&s;e of <HI>Alexande<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> the Great, King of <HI>Grecia, Dan.</HI> 8.8, 9, 10, 21, 22. and <HI>Dan.</HI> 11.3. and 2.39. and la&s;tly of the <HI>Cae&s;ars,</HI> the Kings of the <HI>Romans,</HI> which is the <HI>fourth</HI> Kingdom o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Monarchy</HI> of this WORLD, <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.40, 41, 42. <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.23, 24, 25. 3. <HI>Specially.</HI> All the Nations, Languages, Kingdoms, and People that are under the DOMINI|ON, Rule, Power, Government and
<PB N="3" REF="49">Kingdom of ANTICHRIST, the Man of SIN, and Son of PERDITION, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.3, 4. <HI>to wit,</HI> the BEAST of the EIGHT Head, with two HORNS, Who a&s;cended out of the Bottomle&s;s PIT, and &s;hall go into PERDITION, chap. 17.8, 11. to|gether with All the <HI>Dominions,</HI> Rule, Au|thority, Power, and Government of all the <HI>ten</HI> Kings, who received their <HI>Power</HI> one hour <HI>(that is, at the &s;ame Time)</HI> with the BEAST, and have given their Power and Strength unto the BEAST, chap. 17.12, 13. <HI>The&s;e are the Kingdoms of this WORLD; which &s;hall become the KING|DOM of our LORD, and of his CHRIST.</HI></P>
<P>That which doth Concern the <HI>Saints</HI> in this GENERATION to know, touch|ing the Kingdoms of this WORLD, is, 1. <HI>How they became the Kingdoms of AN|TICHRIST; and</HI> 2. <HI>How they &s;hall become the Kingdom of CHRIST.</HI></P>
<P>To that End, let the Saints Con&s;ider,</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> The Kingdoms of this WORLD, <HI>to wit,</HI> the <HI>A&s;&s;yrio&mdash;Chaldean</HI> Monarchy, the <HI>Medio&mdash;Per&s;ian</HI> Monarchy, the <HI>Grecian</HI>&mdash; Monarchy, and the <HI>Roman</HI>&mdash;Monarchy had their <HI>Dominions</HI> and Kingdoms given them by the God of Heaven, <HI>Jer.</HI> 34.1. <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.37, 38, 39, 40. <HI>Ezra</HI> 1.2. Who
<PB N="4" REF="50">have by the Succe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Divine</HI> Provi|dence had and exerci&s;ed their Dominion, Power, and Authority over all Nations, People, and Languages under their Go|verment; <HI>Under who&s;e Yoke and Dominion God for the &s;ins of his people</HI> I&s;rael <HI>put them al&s;o and their Kings, Deut.</HI> 28.15, 25. <HI>Jer.</HI> 27.6, 7, 8, 11, 12. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 17.12, 13, 14. <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.37, 38, 39, 40. <HI>Ezra</HI> 1.2. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1-7.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> The <HI>Fourth</HI> Kingdom or Mo|narchy, which is the <HI>Roman</HI>-Monarchy, or <HI>Kingdom</HI> of the <HI>Cae&s;ars</HI> in the dayes of our Saviour and his Apo&s;tles, was God's ORDINANCE of <HI>Magi&s;tracy,</HI> and tho&s;e <HI>higher</HI> POWERS unto which all the <HI>Saints,</HI> and every <HI>Soul</HI> who lived under the <HI>Roman</HI> Government, ought to be <HI>Sub|ject</HI> for Con&s;cience &s;ake, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> would not have ex|horted <HI>Titus</HI> to put the <HI>Saints</HI> in mind to obey <HI>Magi&s;trates,</HI> (as he did, <HI>Tit.</HI> 3.1.) if there had been no <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> then in <HI>Being:</HI> or if they had been <HI>&V;&s;urpers,</HI> and not God's <HI>Ordinance.</HI></P>
<P>Why did the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter,</HI> writing to the <HI>Saints (&s;cattered through Pontus, Gala|tia, Capadocia, A&s;ia, and Bythinia)</HI> ex|hort
<PB N="5" REF="50">them, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.13, 14. <HI>To &s;ubmit them&s;elves unto every Ordinance of Man for the Lords &s;ake, whether it be to the King as Supream, or unto Governours, as unto them that are &s;ent by him,</HI> &amp;c. ver&s;e 15. <HI>for &s;o is the will of God,</HI> &amp;c. if the <HI>Cae&s;ars,</HI> Kings, and Governours then in <HI>Being,</HI> were not <HI>Lawfull Powers,</HI> had no <HI>lawfull Authority,</HI> nor were the ORDINANCE of God, as well as <HI>they were</HI> the <HI>Ordinance</HI> of Man?</P>
<P>Let it be al&s;o well and &s;eriou&s;ly Con&s;i|dered, <HI>fir&s;t,</HI> That Chri&s;t and his Di&s;ci|ples called the <HI>then</HI> Roman Powers, <HI>Magi|&s;trates, Luke</HI> 12.11, 58. and <HI>Acts</HI> 16.19, 20, 21, 22. <HI>Secondly,</HI> That the Apo&s;tle exhorted the <HI>Saints</HI> to pray for <HI>Kings (in their Church-A&s;&s;emblies)</HI> and for all that then were in <HI>Authority,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.1, 2. <HI>Thirdly,</HI> That our <HI>Saviour</HI> and his <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> did &s;ubmit <HI>them&s;elves</HI> unto the <HI>Roman</HI>-Cae|&s;ats, Kings, and Governours then in Power, paid them <HI>Tribute</HI> or Cu&s;tom, <HI>Matth.</HI> 17.24, 25, 26. and commanded the <HI>Saints</HI> &s;o to do, <HI>and to continue in &s;o do|ing, Rom.</HI> 13.5, 6, 7.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> The <HI>Roman</HI>-Power, and Poli|tical-Government of the Cae&s;ars, Kings, and Governours of the fourth Monarchy
<PB N="6" REF="51">or <HI>Kingdoms</HI> of this WORLD; became <HI>An|tichri&s;tian,</HI> and the Kingdom of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> when the Bea&s;t received his Power, his Seat and great Authority from the Dragon, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.2. that old Serpent, <HI>which is the Devil,</HI> chap. 20.2. and exerci&s;ed that Power, both <HI>Tyrannically</HI> over the E&s;tates and Per&s;ons of Men, and <HI>Coercively</HI> over the Con&s;ciences of Men and Women, Cau&s;ing all both &s;mall and great, rich and poor, free and bond to &s;ubject them&s;elves unto the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> and his <HI>Image,</HI> and to receive his <HI>Mark, Name,</HI> and <HI>Number,</HI> and to Wor&s;hip the Bea&s;t, or el&s;e they mu&s;t neither buy nor &s;ell, but be Killed, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.16, 17.</P>
<P>This POWER of Antichri&s;t, <HI>which the Devil gave him,</HI> was &s;ignified unto <HI>John</HI> by a BEAST with <HI>two</HI> HORNS like a Lamb, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.11. <HI>Horns</HI> do &s;ignifie <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Authority</HI> in the <HI>Prophe&s;ies</HI> of Scripture, <HI>Zech.</HI> 1.18, 19, 20, 21. <HI>Hab.</HI> 3.4. and <HI>Dan.</HI> 8.20, 24, 25. and <HI>two Horns,</HI> imply a <HI>twofold</HI> Power and Authority, <HI>to wit,</HI> Po|litical and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical; the&s;e two Horns are <HI>&s;aid to be</HI> like the Lamb, <HI>becau&s;e</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> pretends to have both his <HI>Political,</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> POWER and great <HI>Au|thority</HI> from Chri&s;t, and to exerci&s;e both
<PB N="7" REF="51">for Chri&s;t; whereas indeed <HI>HE</HI> had his Throne, his Power and great Authority from the <HI>Dragon, the Devil and Sathan,</HI> chap. 23.2. and doth exerci&s;e it again&s;t Chri&s;t and his Saints, chap. 11.7. and 13.15, 16, 17.</P>
<P>This <HI>Politick</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tick POWER</HI> is the &s;ame <HI>POWER,</HI> that the <HI>ten</HI> Kings of the <HI>Roman</HI>-Kingdom received al&s;o <HI>ONE HOUR</HI> with the <HI>Bea&s;t, that is to &s;ay,</HI> at the &s;ame Time, when the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> received his Antichri&s;tian <HI>POWER</HI> from the <HI>DRA|GON,</HI> chap. 17.12. Which mixt Politi|cal and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power the <HI>ten</HI> Kings <HI>or Kingdoms</HI> do exerci&s;e for the <HI>BEAST</HI> again&s;t <HI>CHRIST</HI> and his Saints, chap. 17.13, 14. and chap. 19.19, 20, 21. <HI>unto their own De&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P>Now a&s;&s;oon as this <HI>Antichri&s;tian Bea&s;t</HI> with his <HI>ten</HI> Horns was <HI>ri&s;en</HI> out of the <HI>SEA, to wit,</HI> the troubles, tumults, con|fu&s;ions, and divi&s;ions of the <HI>Roman</HI>-Em|pire, when by the <HI>WARS</HI> of the <HI>Barbari|ans</HI> the <HI>Roman</HI>-Empire was di&s;&s;ipated into <HI>ten</HI> Kingdoms; At which <HI>Time</HI> al&s;o this &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> with his two Horns, is &s;aid to <HI>Ri&s;e</HI> out of the <HI>EARTH, that is to &s;ay,</HI> out of the <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> of an <HI>earthly-minded CLERGY;</HI> who departed from the
<PB N="8" REF="52"><HI>FAITH,</HI> as was afore Prophe&s;ied, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.1, 2, 3. &s;hould come to pa&s;s in the <HI>latter</HI> Dayes. <HI>I &s;ay, from that Time,</HI> the <HI>Ro|man</HI>-Monarchy, and Political Govern|ment of the fourth Kingdom cea&s;ed (though not to be a Kingdom, and to have a Power, a Throne, and great Authority, yet) to be a <HI>lawfull POWER,</HI> and an <HI>OR|DINANCE</HI> of God: And therefore ought not to be obeyed, nor &s;ubmitted unto by any of the Saints of God, neither in any <HI>Civil</HI> or <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> Commands; for that is to <HI>WORSHIP</HI> the <HI>BEAST,</HI> or his <HI>IMAGE.</HI></P>
<P>Let the Saints con&s;ider, 1. That tho&s;e, who &s;hall Reign with Chri&s;t, have not <HI>WORSHIPPED</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> chap. 20.4.2. As it was dangerous to <HI>WORSHIP</HI> the <HI>Beast</HI> a little after his Ri&s;e, chap. 8.7, 13. &s;o it will be damnable to <HI>WORSHIP</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> a little before his fall, chap. 14.8-12.3. Tho&s;e that &s;hall &s;tand with the Lamb upon <HI>Mount Sion,</HI> with his Fathers <HI>Name</HI> in their Fore-heads, and learn to Sing that <HI>New SONG</HI> before the <HI>Throne,</HI> chap. 14.1, 3. are &s;uch <HI>Saints</HI> as have gotten the <HI>Vi|ctory</HI> over the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and over his <HI>Image,</HI> &amp;c. chap. 15.2, 3.</P>
<P>So then I conclude from what hath been
<PB N="9" REF="52">&s;aid, upon Scripture-Grounds, touching the <HI>Kingdoms</HI> of <HI>This WORLD</HI> becoming the Kingdom of <HI>ANTICHRIST,</HI></P>
<P><HI>That the Saints in this GENERATION ought not to Obey, nor to &s;ubmit them&s;elves unto the</HI> Roman-<HI>Antichri&s;tian-Politick and Eccle&s;ia&s;tick-POWER, Rule, Authority, Dominion, and Government of the BEAST, nor of the ten Kings or Kingdoms, who have given their POWER and Strength unto the Bea&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd thing which I judge nece&s;&s;a|ry for the Saints in this <HI>GENERATION</HI> to know, is, How the Kingdoms of this <HI>WORLD</HI> &s;hall become the <HI>KINGDOM</HI> of <HI>CHRIST.</HI></P>
<P>God &s;hewed unto his <HI>Prophet Daniel</HI> in his <HI>VISIONS</HI> of the <HI>Night,</HI> how the <HI>King|doms</HI> of the <HI>WORLD</HI> &s;hould become the <HI>KINGDOM</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t, Dan.</HI> 2.34.35, 44, 45. <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.13, 14, 18, 22, 26, 27. <HI>Viz.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> The Kingdoms of the <HI>WORLD</HI> &s;hall be broken in pieces by a <HI>STONE</HI> cut out of the <HI>MOUNTAIN</HI> without hands, <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.34, 35, Which <HI>STONE</HI> is Chri&s;t, <HI>Plal.</HI> 118.22. <HI>Matth:</HI> 21.42. and 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.4, 6. and al&s;o the Churches of Saints, <HI>his Jeru&s;alem,</HI> called a <HI>Burthen&s;om Stone, Zech.</HI> 12.3.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="53">
<P>The Kingdoms of this <HI>WORLD</HI> &s;hall be broken in pieces; <HI>fir&s;t,</HI> by falling upon the <HI>Stone, viz.</HI> Chri&s;t and his People, <HI>Luke</HI> 20.17, 18. <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall fall upon that STONE &s;hall be broken,</HI> Zech. 12.3. <HI>In that DAY I will make</HI> Jeru&s;alem <HI>a burthen&s;om STONE; All that burthen them&s;elves with it &s;hall be cut in pieces. Secondly,</HI> The King|doms of this <HI>WORLD</HI> &s;hall be broken in pieces by the <HI>STONE, to wit,</HI> Chri&s;t and his Peoples falling upon them, <HI>Matth.</HI> 21.44. <HI>But on whom&s;oever this STONE &s;hall fall, it will grinde them to Powder:</HI> and <HI>Jer.</HI> 51, 19, 20-24. <HI>Thou art my Battle-AXE, and Weapons of WAR; for with thee will I break in pieces the Nations, and with thee will I destroy Kingdoms.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of the <HI>STONE</HI> &s;miting the <HI>Fourth Kingdom</HI> upon his <HI>FEET</HI> of <HI>Iron</HI> and <HI>Clay,</HI> and breaking them in <HI>Pieces,</HI> was expounded unto the Prophet, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.17, 18. <HI>But the Saints of the Most High &s;hall take the KINGDOM, and po&s;&s;e&s;s the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever,</HI> Dan. 7.24, 25, 26. <HI>But the Judgement &s;hall &s;it, and they &s;hall take away his Dominion, to con&s;ume and to destroy it unto the End:</HI> read <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60.12.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> The Kingdoms of this <HI>WORLD,</HI> being broken in pieces by the <HI>STONE</HI> fal|ling
<PB N="11" REF="53">upon them, The <HI>STONE</HI> will become a great <HI>MOUNTAIN,</HI> and fill the Whole <HI>EARTH, Dan.</HI> 2.35. <HI>that is to &s;ay,</HI> Chri&s;t and his Saints &s;hall have the <HI>DOMINION</HI> in all the <HI>EARTH, Dan.</HI> 7.11, 12, 13, 14. <HI>And I beheld till the BEAST was &s;lain, and his BODY de&s;troyed, &amp;c. As concerning the</HI> REST <HI>of the Bea&s;ts, they had their</HI> DO|MINION <HI>taken away,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Behold</HI> ONE <HI>like the</HI> SON <HI>of Man,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>And there was given him</HI> DOMINION <HI>and Glory, and a</HI> KINGDOM, <HI>that all People, Nations, and Languages &s;hould &s;erve him,</HI> &amp;c. Al&s;o <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.26, 27. <HI>But the Judgement &s;hall &s;it, and they &s;hall take away his</HI> DOMINION, &amp;c. <HI>And the</HI> KINGDOM <HI>and Dominion, and the greatne&s;s of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven, &s;hall be given to the People of the Saints of the Mo&s;t High,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>As the WAY for the KINGDOM of Chri&s;t and his Saints to be &s;et up, is made by the Breaking in pieces the Kingdoms of this WORLD, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60.12. <HI>For the Na|tion and Kingdom that will not &s;erve thee &s;hall peri&s;h, yea, tho&s;e Nations &s;hall be utterly wa&s;ted:</HI> So the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of Chri&s;t and his Saints &s;hall be <HI>inlarged</HI> and <HI>e&s;tabli&s;hed:</HI> 1. By the <HI>Conver&s;ion</HI> of Sinners, both <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles</HI> unto Chri&s;t, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60.3, 5, 8,
<PB N="12" REF="54">10, 11, 14, 15. and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 66.8. and <HI>Rom.</HI> 11.25, 26, 27. 2. By the Pouring out the SPIRIT upon all Fle&s;h, <HI>Joel</HI> 2.28. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 44.3, 4, 5. 3. By the UNION of all the Saints, <HI>Zeph.</HI> 3.9. and <HI>Zech.</HI> 14.9. <HI>The</HI> LORD <HI>&s;hall be</HI> KING <HI>over all the</HI> EARTH, <HI>in that</HI> DAY <HI>there &s;hall be</HI> ONE <HI>Lord, and his Nome</HI> ONE. And 4. By the RESTITUTION of all things, <HI>Acts</HI> 3.20, 21. and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1.26. <HI>I will Re&s;tore thy Judges as at the first,</HI> I&s;a. 60.17. and I&s;a. 49.6. <HI>It is a light thing that thou &s;houldest be my Servant to rai&s;e up the Tribes of</HI> Jacob, <HI>and to</HI> RESTORE <HI>the pre&s;erved of</HI> I&s;rael, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And then the Whole CRE|ATION &s;hall be <HI>delivered</HI> from the BON|DAGE of Corruption, and <HI>Restored</HI> into the Glorious LIBERTY of the Children of God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.19, 21, 23.</P>
<P>That which the Saints of God in this GENERATION are to know, touching the KINGDOM of Chri&s;t, are the&s;e things following, <HI>Viz.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. That the KINGDOM of our LORD Je&s;us is not of this WORLD, <HI>Joh.</HI> 18.36. Nor is it of a <HI>Worldly</HI> Con&s;titution; but it is a &s;piritual and <HI>heavenly</HI> Kingdom, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.18. and will be a <HI>glorious</HI> State, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60.1, 2, 15, 19, 21, 22. of a NEW
<PB N="13" REF="54"><HI>Heaven,</HI> and of a NEW <HI>Earth,</HI> wherein dwells <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.13. which is the <HI>State</HI> of the Holy <HI>City,</HI> the NEW <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> that cometh down from God out of <HI>Heaven, Rev.</HI> 21.1, 2. Then &s;hall they call <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> the THRONE of the LORD, <HI>Jer.</HI> 3.13, 17. which NEW <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> God will make a PRAISE in the EARTH, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 62.2, 3, 7. An <HI>eternal</HI> Ex|cellency, and the joy of many <HI>Generations, I&s;a.</HI> 60.14, 15.</P>
<P N="2">2. This KINGDOM of Chri&s;t is the THRONE of his <HI>Father David, I&s;a.</HI> 9.7. and <HI>Luke</HI> 1.32, 33. which <HI>Throne Solomon</HI> his <HI>Son (who was a Type of Christ)</HI> &s;at up|on, when he <HI>reigned</HI> over all the Kingdoms that God gave to him, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 4.21. Up|on who&s;e THRONE our LORD Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hall &s;it, and <HI>Reign</HI> over all the Kingdoms of the WORLD, <HI>Who is the onely</HI> POTENTATE, <HI>the</HI> KING <HI>of Kings, and</HI> LORD <HI>of Lords,</HI> 1 Tim. 6.14. who &s;hall be KING of all the EARTH, <HI>Zech.</HI> 9.14. with whom the <HI>Saints</HI> &s;hall <HI>Reign</HI> on EARTH, and &s;hall Rule and Govern the <HI>Nations, (not by the Laws of Men, but)</HI> by the Laws of God; <HI>Which are true Laws, right Judgements, and good Statutes,</HI> Nehe|miah 10.13, 14. For <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> our LOKD,
<PB N="14" REF="55">and <HI>Judah</HI> his People is our <HI>Law-Giver,</HI> I&s;a. 33.22. and P&s;al. 101.8. <HI>The Kingdom &s;hall come to the Daughter of Jeru&s;alem, and the first</HI> DOMINION <HI>to the Daughter of Sion.</HI> Mich. 4.7, 8. <HI>And out of Sion &s;hall go forth the Law,</HI> Mich. 4.1, 2, 3-7.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> This KINGDOM of our LORD will <HI>begin</HI> before the Kingdoms of this WORLD <HI>End,</HI> Dan. 2.44. <HI>In the Dayes of the&s;e Kings</HI> (to wit, the ten Kings of the Fourth Monarchy and Kingdom of the Bea&s;t) <HI>&s;hall the God of Heaven &s;et up a</HI> KING|DOM; which is the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of Chri&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.13, 14. Then will our LORD Je|&s;us Chri&s;t take unto him his great POWER and <HI>Reign, Rev.</HI> 11.15, 17, 18. At which the Nations will be angry, and the Heathen will <HI>Rage,</HI> The Kings of the EARTH will &s;et them&s;elves, and the <HI>Rulers</HI> of this WORLD will take <HI>Coun&s;el</HI> together again&s;t the LORD, and again&s;t his <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> Yet God will &s;et his KING upon his <HI>Holy</HI> HILL of <HI>Sion,</HI> and will give him the <HI>Heathen</HI> for his <HI>Inheritance,</HI> and the uttermo&s;t parts of the EARTH for his <HI>Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion. P&s;al.</HI> 2.1-8. <HI>And the LORD &s;hall</HI> REIGN <HI>over them in MOUNT-Sion, from henceforth even for ever,</HI> Mich. 4.7, 8.</P>
<P><HI>Fourthly,</HI> Though the KINGDOM of
<PB N="15" REF="55"><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hall <HI>begin</HI> before the <HI>Kingdoms</HI> of this WORLD <HI>End;</HI> And though all the <HI>Kingdoms</HI> of this WORLD &s;hall become the KINGDOM of our LORD Je&s;us Chri&s;t; Yet the great Glory and Perfection of Chri&s;ts <HI>Kingdom</HI> &s;hall be in the WORLD to COME. Then &s;hall ALL things be put in SUBJECTION under the Feet of <HI>Chri&s;t, Hebr.</HI> 2.5, 6, 7, 8, 9.</P>
<P>Which <HI>World</HI> to COME is contradi&s;tin|gui&s;hed from the WORLD <HI>that</HI> NOW IS, <HI>Mat.</HI> 12.32. Called <HI>this</HI> WORLD, <HI>in di|&s;tinction</HI> from <HI>that</HI> WORLD, <HI>Luke</HI> 20.34, 35, 36. The Apo&s;tle al&s;o &s;peaketh of the DOMINION of <HI>this</HI> WORLD, <HI>Eph.</HI> 1.21. and of the POWER of the WORLD to COME.</P>
<P>The WORLD to COME is not that <HI>eter|nal</HI> State of God's <HI>Kingdom</HI> of GLORY in <HI>Heaven;</HI> but it is the <HI>glorious</HI> and <HI>&s;piritual</HI> State of the KINGDOM of Chri&s;t on EARTH, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.5. <HI>That &s;ame</HI> WORLD, <HI>even</HI> THAT, <HI>that is to</HI> COME; <HI>to wit,</HI> The inhabited WORLD to Come, wherein the PEOPLE of God &s;hall build Hou&s;es, and inhabit them, according to Gods Promi&s;e, <HI>in that day,</HI> when he will <HI>Create</HI> New Hea|vens, and a new Earth, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 65.17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25. and <HI>Amos</HI> 19.11, 14. <HI>And &s;hall
<PB N="16" REF="56">build up the Tabernacle of</HI> David, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fifthly,</HI> The Dominion and Govern|ment of the KINGDOM of Chri&s;t on EARTH &s;hall be given to the Saints, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.27. and be Managed by them accor|ding to the Laws of Chri&s;t; and to that End the Saints, (<HI>who &s;hall Reign with Chri&s;t on Earth</HI>) &s;hall be <HI>rarely</HI> Qualified, and fit|ted for that <HI>Kingdom,</HI> Work, and <HI>Kingly</HI> Government: for, 1. They &s;hall be all Righteous, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60.21. They &s;hall do no Iniquity, <HI>Zeph.</HI> 3.13. They &s;hall be with|out Fault before the THRONE of God, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14.5. 2. The Saints &s;hall be SPIRI|TED for Government, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 28.5, 6. Con|&s;tituted Government, <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.9, 10. and &s;trengthned for Governing, <HI>Zech.</HI> 12.5, 8. and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 45.24, 25. 3dly, and La&s;tly, The Saints &s;hall be <HI>cloathed</HI> with <HI>Humility,</HI> &s;o that they &s;hall Ca&s;t down their <HI>Crowns</HI> at the Feet of Chri&s;t, their KING, <HI>Rev.</HI> 4.10, 11. Exalting HIM alone, ch. 5.9, 10. And they &s;hal be <HI>Endued</HI> with Courage, <HI>Clad</HI> with Zeal, and <HI>Girded</HI> with Strength and Truth, that they may binde Kings in <HI>Chains,</HI> and Nobles in <HI>Fetters</HI> of IRON, and <HI>Execute</HI> upon them the JUDGMENT written, <HI>Luke</HI> 19.27. <HI>This</HI> HONOUR <HI>have all his SAINTS, P&s;al.</HI> 149.1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9. which
<PB N="17" REF="56">was Prophe&s;ied of <HI>Jer.</HI> 51.19-24. <HI>Thou art my Battle-Axe and Weapon of WAR, for with thee will I break in pieces the Nations, and with thee will I de&s;troy Kingdoms, and with thee will I break in pieces Captains and</HI> RULERS, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Al&s;o Zech. 12.5, 6. <HI>In that DAY will I make the GOVERNORS of</HI> Judah <HI>like a Hearth of Fire among the Wood, and like a Torch of Fire</HI> in a Sheaf, <HI>and they &s;hall devour all the PEOPLE</HI> (the Enemies of Chri&s;t) <HI>round about.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Sixthly,</HI> The Go&s;pel of this <HI>KINGDOM</HI> of Chri&s;t &s;hall be preached in all the <HI>WORLD</HI> for a <HI>WITNESS</HI> to all <HI>NATI|ONS, Mat.</HI> 24.14. And therefore the <HI>King|dom</HI> of Chri&s;t <HI>cannot</HI> be &s;et up in any <HI>Na|tion until</HI> the <HI>GOSPEL</HI> of the <HI>King|dom</HI> be <HI>fir&s;t</HI> preached in that <HI>Nation;</HI> And then that <HI>NATION,</HI> Kingdom, or <HI>PEO|PLE,</HI> which do believe the <HI>GOSPEL</HI> of the <HI>Kingdom</HI> preached unto them, and are made <HI>WILLING (in the DAY of God's POWER, P&s;al.</HI> 110.3.) to Admit the Saints to <HI>RULE</HI> and <HI>GOVERN</HI> that <HI>Nati|on</HI> according to the <HI>LAWS</HI> of our <HI>LORD</HI> and <HI>KING Je&s;us,</HI> &s;hall become the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of Chri&s;t: But that <HI>Nation, Kingdom</HI> and <HI>People,</HI> which will not receive the <HI>TESTI|MONY</HI> of the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of Chri&s;t, but re|ject
<PB N="18" REF="57">the <HI>WITNESS</HI> of the Go&s;pel, and Kill the <HI>WITNESSES</HI> of Chri&s;t, &s;hall be utterly Wa&s;ted, and De&s;troyed, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60.12. And our <HI>LORD</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t will put down all RULE, all <HI>AUTHORITY,</HI> and all <HI>POWER,</HI> that are his <HI>Enemies,</HI> and wil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> not Submit unto his <HI>DOMINION,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.24, 25. and <HI>Luke</HI> 19.27.</P>
<P><HI>Seventhly, WHEN</HI> this <HI>Kingdom</HI> of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>LORD</HI> is E&s;tabli&s;hed on <HI>EARTH,</HI> wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> <HI>POWER</HI> and great <HI>GLORY,</HI> and all th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> Kingdoms of this <HI>WORLD</HI> are become the <HI>KINGDOM</HI> of Chri&s;t; The <HI>Thou&s;and</HI> Years of the Reign of Chri&s;t and his Saints being Expired and Ended, Then Will Chri&s;t come <HI>again,</HI> and all the Saints with <HI>HIM, Zeph.</HI> 14.5. and 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4.15, 16, 17, 18. then will be the <HI>General RESUR|RECTION,</HI> and the <HI>La&s;t JUDGMENT,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.22, 23. and <HI>Rev.</HI> 20.4, 12, 13, 14. Which being pa&s;t, Chri&s;t &s;hall deliver up the Kingdom unto God the Fa|ther, <HI>that GOD may be ALL in ALL,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.24, 25, 28.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="57">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</GROUP>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
