THE BREAKING OF THE DAY OF GOD. Wherein, Four things are manifested. I. That the two Witnesses are not in killing: but in rising from death. II. The three days and half: or 42. months of the Saints Captivity under the Beast, very near expired. III. Christ hath begun to reign in his Saints, and to tread their corrupt flesh under his feet. iv. Christ's dominion over the Nations of the world, near the approach. BY Gerrard Winstanley. London, Printed by I. C. for Giles Calvert, at the Black-spread-Eagle, at the West end of Paul's, 1649. TO The despised Sons and Daughters of Zion, scattered up and down the Kingdom of England. DEar friends, and fellow brethren in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ: you have been, and are the object of the world's hatred and reproach; not simply as you are men and women, but because the light & beauty of our Father shines forth of you, which they cannot behold: therefore they brand you for wicked ones, and your principles to be error. 1. Kin● 18. And under that name of deceivers & troublers (though indeed they themselves are the only deceivers & troublers) they threaten your ruin & death: you are the signs and wonders of the Kingdom; you are the object of every one's laughter and reproach; you are the men, that they would plunder; you are the men, that are sentenced to be put to death in these uproar risings, Psal. ● under the name of roundheads, That the name of Israel may be no more known in the Land; but they shall never prevail, your Father hath blessed you, Num. ● 12. yea and you shall be blessed: Dan. 24. D●● 6. 5. you are the men they would chain up by an ecclesiastical compulsive or coercive power, you are the men that they would give no liberty to; to practise what God teaches you; you are the men preached against, writ against, & petitioned against to the higher Power, 〈…〉 II to bring you under their footsteps: you are the men that are counted the troublers of Kingdoms and Parishes where you dwell, though the truth is, you are the only peaceable men in the Kingdom, who love the kingdom's peace, the Magistrates peace, and the people's peace; who love the health and peace of all their souls. But what's the reason, the world doth so storm against you; ●n 19 ●hn but because you are not of the world, nor cannot walk in the darkwayes of the world; they hated your Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, and they hate you; they knew not him, and they know not you; for if they had known him, they would not have crucified him; ●et. 〈◊〉. and if they did truly know the power of that God, that dwells in you, they would not so despise you. But well: these things must be; it is your Fathers will it shall be so, ●e 〈◊〉 12. the world must lie under darkness for a time, that is God's dispensation to them; and you that are Children of light, must lie under reproach and oppressions of the world; that is God's dispensation to you. But it shall be but for a little time. What I have here to say, is to bring you glad tidings, that your redemption draws near; you are come to the half day of the Beasts reign, which may be very hot, yet it will be short, for the Son of righteousness and peace i● risen; and he is beginning to disperse those cold, rainy Clouds of men's lusts and inventions; And to make the earth, (mankind) to become like the summer season, full of light, heat, fruitfulness and comfort. There are two things which the Lord our righteousness is in doing. Jer. 23 ● 6 First, He is burning up all the dross of our flesh, 2 Thes 2. 8. and treading it under his feet; by his bright appearing in our hearts; Luke 17. 21. and by the lively and free discoveries of himself, and doth cast out the accuser, (The Serpent) and takes possession and dwells in you himself, Heb. 4. 3. and takes you up to dwell in him: this is God's Kingdom, and this many of you have experience of; 1 John 4. 4. and this strength of your God within, is that which supports you against all the storming provocations of the world without; stronger is he that is in you, Esa. 1. than he that is in the world. Secondly, the same God of truth, he is burning up the dross and shaking and casting down all corruptions, which the wise flesh (or rather wicked Serpent) hath built up in commonwealths and Churches; and is beginning to spread the knowledge of himself over the earth, as the waters cover the Seas; Esa. 1 But for the present, men are angry & disquieted at it, they would not know God, nor be saved, God at first must work against their wills, and make their swelling spirit to become willing and obedient, Rev. 〈◊〉 before they can be healed. And what's the reason? Why truly the, Serpent that deceived the whole earth, doth still stir up the whole world to wonder after the Beast; and to maintain that corrupt power as long as he can; for when once the Anointing takes the Kingdom and reigns: The Beast, or fleshly wisdom in States and Churches, Dan. 7. 6. 27. shall never reign more: this the Serpent knows, and because God and the Lamb sits upon the Throne, Rev. 11. 5. judging the Beast and Serpent; The smoke of their torment ascends upwards day and night, in blasphemy against God, and bitter language and ill usages of his Saints; Rev. 16. 7. that live above, in the liberty and life of God, which is a condition above the bondage and death of the Serpent; Rev. 14. 〈◊〉 1. well it must be thus for a time, but do you wait patiently upon your God, and you shall see in conclusion, Esa. 60. 4. he will bring in your enemies to fall down at Christ's feet, and acknowledge love, and live in the same God with you, and then your joy shall be more and more fulfilled. This thing God ere long will do; far he is judging the Serpent. And if England, Scotland, and Ireland; this threefold Kingdom, ●ev. 11. ●3. united under one head or State Government, be the tenth part of the City Babylon, that must fall off from the Beast first, as I have no doubtings but daily confirmations in me, Cor. 〈◊〉 4. that it shall be; You shall then see, That all this envy and bitterness of spirit in these Nations, shalldie, and shall be swallowed up, in the spirit of love: you shall see these great national divisions, to be swallowed up into brotherly one-ness; you shall see oppressing injustice, to be swallowed up into righteousness and peace, and the fire of God's spirit, ●a. 4. 4. to burn up the fire of men's lusts and inventions: so that Magistrates shall love the people, and be nursing Fathers to them, for that prophecy comes now to be fulfilled; and the people shall love and cheerfully obey the Commands of Magistrates; Esa. 49. 22. All striving who shall honour God most, in their several places and callings, this God can do, and this he will do: for he is Commander in chief, in and of the spirits of men. There are three Songs, which God hath taught us, and will have us to sing in experience continually. The first is, Rev. 1● 7. 8. fear (or rather love) God, and give glory to him. The second is, Babylon is fallen, is flan, chap. 19 6. that great City Babylon is fallen. And the third is Haleluja: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Now brethren, 1 Pet. 4. 13. you I speak to, in whom the Serpent ● subdued; you see and feel, that God your teacher, your comfort, your life, your strength, your liberty; you are set free by him, and it is a sweet satisfying freedom: Now speak plainly, do not your ☜ heart's love God, and glory in him, do you not acknowledge God all in all, in pardoning, healing, teaching, saving, and manifesting love and life to you; and that yourselves, men and creatures can do nothing herein, but must let that alone to God for ever, now you give glory to him, and you love him, and I believe that Scripture that is interpreted, Fear God, should rather be, Love God, for the frame of spirit thus set at liberty, in whom Babylon is fallen, and in whom the Lord God omnipotent reigns; is rather full of the embracings and breathings of love and delight to give God all the glory, John 18. rather than fear; which 〈…〉 of bondage, which perfect love casts out▪ Well, all that I have 〈…〉 the midst of this cloud of 〈…〉 your Redemption draws near: God is working out, an inward, and an outward peace, and liberty for you all. What I have writ in this following discourse, I could not but write, I was carried by a strong hand (I believe of God) in writing of it through much bodily weakness, and yet with abundance of delight; that gave strength to my spirit; I leave it with you. ●ev. 22. 1. But the Crown of Glory I cheerfully set upon his head that sits upon the Throne, and upon the Lamb for evermore. ●ev. 5. ●3. May 20. 1648. Your Brother, and Companion in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Gerrard Winstanley. the Particulars insisted upon in the following Discourse. CHAPTER, I. THe great Mystery of God is this: He will cast the Serpent out of man; and subdue that ●orrupt flesh under his feet, & dwell in man himself. pag. 1. The Promises and Types of the old Testament, point out God manrfested in the flesh, which is God's Kingdom. God by his Prophets foretold the captivity of Gentile Saints, under the little horn, The Beast. The Prophets saw not in the depth of those prophecies, God gave them to write. God manifested in the flesh, makes known his own mystery to men. Seven particular heads to be minded about God's two Witnesses. CHAP. II. What the testimony of the two witnesses is. p. 9 Jesus Christ and his Saints make one perfect man. The Anointing that dwelled in Jesus, and in his Saints, is that only power, that bruises the serpent's head. The world ever hated the appearance of God in the flesh. CHAP. III. Who these two witnesses are that God speaks of; to whom he will give power to prophesy in sackcloth, 1260. days. p. 15. What is meant by three that bear witness in Heaven, and by three that bear witness on earth. The excellency of Christ's spirit in his sufferings. Christ was not compelled by human authority, to bear testimony of his father's council; but he did it willingly. The Saints are not compelled, they bear testimony of the Father willingly: by the power of the same Anointing. Gentile Saints are God's Witnesses, that prophecy in sackcloth 42. months. What is meant by two Candlesticks. And by one golden Candlestick, and two Olive-Trees of each side of it. And by two Olive-branches. Jesus Christ was the first that went under the Captivity of mystery Babylon, and the first that came out. Christ laid the foundation of Zion; and his hand shall finish the building. The two witnesses kill enemies by fire that proceeds out of their mouth: and how. What it is to hurt the two witnesses. What Antichrist is. What is meant by Heaven. The witnesses have power to shut Heaven, that it rain not: and how. What is meant by rain. The witnesses have power over waters, to turn them into blood; and how. CHAP. IV. What is meant by 1260. days, which is the time given to the 2. witnesses to prophesy in, clothed in sackcloth. p, 42. What is meant by prophecy: and to prophesy in sackcloth. And by 1260. days in a literal sense. And by silence in heaven for the space of half an hour. And by wilderness into which the woman fled. The wilderness is a safe hiding place (in God's hand) from the face of the Serpent. The earth helped the woman. What is meant by 1260. days in a mystical sense. And by 3. days and half, by 42. months, or by time, times, and dividing of time, that the Saints are to lie under the captivity of mystery Babylon. What is meant by Dragon, by Leopard, by the Beast with 2 horns like a Lamb, And by the Image of the Beast. The proud Beast, or whorish spirit, will not suffer Christ to reign ●ing, Priest, and Prophet; but he will reign in his stead. What it is to speak like the Dragon. The Saints rejoice when Christ reigns. What the seventh day or Sabbath is. The Saints greatly rejoice, when they feel and see the Serpent cast out of them: and the Anointing appears to rule and dwell in them. CHAP. V The Witnesses were to be slain when they had finished their Testimony. p. 63. The witnesses finish their testimony, and prove the word of the Father true: That the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, by their own experience, not by hearsay. What the bottomless pit is. What the Beast is that rose out of the bottomless pit. What the smoke is that ascended out of the bottomless pit. What the King of this bottomless pit is. What is the air wherein the Beast lives. S. John speaks that the two witnesses must prophesy in sackcloth, but 1260. days: And Daniel saith, that the Sanctuary and host shall be trod under foot, 2300. days, how these are reconciled. The Beast kills the two Witnesses, and how. Three dispositions in the Beast whereby he kills God's two witnesses. The Ecclesiastical laws of the Beast, kill God's 2 witnesses, but give liberty to God's enemies. The Whore kills the two witnesses, by that Authority which she got from the Kings of the earth when she and they committed fornication together. What the mystery of iniquity is. Wh●● the Kingdom or mystery of God is. The killing of the two Witnesses, is not a killing of the bodies of their flesh only: but 〈◊〉 killing of their testimony, and how. The Rea●●● and whorish spirit, snubs and thwarts Jesus Christ in 8. particulars. CHAP. VI. The Witnesses were slain long ago, have lain dead in the street of the great City three days and almost the half, and are now upon their rising. p. 85. We in these days are under the found of the sixth Angel, or second woe. Four Angels are loosed, that were bound up in the great River Euphrates; and what they do. What the great River Euphrates signifies. What is meant by Kings of the East, whose way is prepared when Euphrates is dried up. Those four Angels are evil ones, and what they are by name. How these four evil Angels kill the third part of men. These four evil Angels raise Armies of horsemen, and what they are. What is meant by fire, smoke, and brimstone, that proceed out of the horses mouths, by which the third part of men are killed. The rest of the men that were not killed, yet repented not; and who they be. Why these our days are called the half day Of the Beast: or the dividing of time. They of the nations, kindreds, tongues and people, shall see the dead bodies of the witnesses he dead in the street of the great City 3 days and half: and who they are. They will not suffer the two witnesses to be put in graves; what is the meaning. What the great City Babylon is. What the street of the great City is. The Beast doth not do his own will, when he killed the witnesses, but God's will. A scruple answered. The power called Ecclesiastical, hath and doth deny the Scriptures. Men of the earth rejoiced when the witnesses were slain. The appearance of God In Saints casting down the forms and customs of t●● Beast, is that which torments the world. G●● calls his witnesses to come up to heaven 〈◊〉 him: what is meant. What the Cloud is, in which the witnesse●● ascend up to heaven. What is meant by Earth quake. In the earthquake the tenth part of the Cit● fell, what is that. Seven thousand men were slain in the Earth quake, who are they. How those 7000. me●● are slain. The re●nant were affrighted, what is that. The reformation, and preservation of Magistracy in commonwealths: is that which every man is to mind with tender care; it being God's Ordinance. The downfall of human Ecclesiastical power will be the reformation and preservation o● Magistracy, and peace of commonwealths. That which men call ecclesiastical power was raised up by the craft of the Serpent, on purpose to make war with Christ and his Saints, God only suffering it for a limited time. Ecclesiastical troubler, relies upon the arm of flesh to support it, not upon the arm of God. Ecclesiastical power hath always made men hypocrites. Ecclesiastical power hath through its policy, ever made Magistrates to act backwards. A Conclusion. ●ROPHESIES fulfilled: AS particular and general experience is proved. CHAP. I. 〈◊〉 great Mystery of God is this: he will cast ●●e Serpent out of man; and subdue that cor●upt flesh under his feet, and dwell in man him●elf. IN every age of the world God, hath manifested his love to sinners, more clear than other, that he will deliver them from the power of darkness, by no other ●●●e or power; Act. 4. 12. but by his Son Jesus Christ. ●●●om Adam to Moses, Gen. 3. 15. God revealed his Son, ●●●er the name of a seed, The seed of the woman bruise the serpent's head; and then to Abraham promising a blessedness to all Nations thorough his son. Chap. 18. 18. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. This was God's sowing time, Gal. 3. ●. 16. and all our mercies, graces, pardon, life, salvation, are in that seed of his love, Jesus Christ, whom the Father hath sent and cast into the world: even as the fruitful crop of corn, lies in the small seed, which the husbandman throws into the earth. Then from Moses till the fullness of time, or the period of God's determinate counsel. Gal. 3. ●20. That Christ should come in the flesh. Heb. 10. 5 God did make known his son, under types, figures shadows and ceremonies of the Law: And God took no delight in those legal performances, no further than they by his appointment, held forth his Son. And so the Law was a teaching (not a whipping) schoolmaster till Christ came in the flesh. When God made known the Law of works to the people upon Mount Sinai in Horeb, he taught the people therein to beg a mediator; for God appeared so terrible to them, that they said to Moses. Do thou speak to us, Exod 20. 19 and we will bear, but let not God speak with us, Deut. 5. 28. lest we die. They have spoken well, saith God, in what they have spoken; therefore bid them go to their Tents again, and come thou, said God to Moses, and stand by me, and I will speak unto thee, and thou shalt be a Mediator between me and the People. But Moses was made only a Type of Christ, who is the Mediator of a better Covenant than this. Heb. 8▪ For as soon as God had granted them Moses, he promised them his Son Jesus Christ in Moses: for when the People had desired Moses to speak to them from God, Deut. 1 18. They have well spoken, saith the Lord, in what they have spoken. For I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee; and I will put my words into his mouth, and he shall speak unto them, all that I will command him: And the Apostle shows plainly, Acts 3. 21. 22 that this Prophet, whom God promised, is Jesus Christ the son of God, or God manifest in the flesh. And so the Law of Types and Ceremonies, whereof Moses was the Mediator, was but a teaching schoolmaster to lead us to Christ; For it was added till the time of Reformation, Heb. 1● 4. and 5▪ 10. or till the seed came: For it was impossiible that the blood of bulls and Goats should take away sins; therefore when Christ or the anointing came into the world; he saith, Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared for me: in burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices thou hast no pleasure. Then said I, Lo I come to do thy will O God. He takes away the first Covenant, Psa. 40 6. where of Moses was Mediator that he might establish the second, whereof he himself is Mediator. And therefore Stephen told the Jews, That though they had received the Law by the hand of Angels, yet they had not kept it: and why? Because saith he, There was not a Prophet that God sent to foretell the coming of Christ, Act. 7. 52. the just One; but your Fathers did slay them; and of whom now, yourselves are the murderers of the just one. They should have observed Moses Covenant of Types, till Christ came, who was the body and substance of all, and cleaved to him, Col. 2. 7. and then rejected the Types. ah but they rejected Christ, and kept to the Types still; and therefore saith Stephen, you have not kept the Law. As it was the sin of the Jews to keep to the letter of Moses, when Christ was come in the flesh: Rev. 11. ●2. So I believe it will be the sin of many professing Gentiles, to keep to the bare letter of the Apostles, ● Cor. 5. 16. only looking upon Christ in the flesh, when the promise of the Father is come, that he will take up his Saints into a spiritual enjoyment of himself; Can. 2. ●0. 11. and that they shall die to forms, and know Christ no more after the flesh. I hope I shall declare a truth in this before I have done. In the days of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah, who did prophecy towards the latter end of the Jewish figurative worship; which was a little before the dawning of the new Testament, Dan. 9 1. 23. 24. or of God's being manifest in flesh, in the man Christ Jesus. For Daniel did prophesy in the first year of Darius, which was the full end of seventy years of Israel's captivity in Babylon. Now from the carrying away into Babylon till Christ came, was fourteen generations, but 70. Mat. 〈◊〉 1 years of those fourteen Generations, were now expired; so that the dawning of the new or better Testament, was near at hand in the time of those Prophets. And now upon the delivering of Israel after the flesh from that Babylonish captivity, Dan. 7 21. 25 25. & cha● 8. 23. 2. God reveals to Daniel in a Vision, his council and purpose, to send his spiritual Israel, which are the believing Gentiles, into a longer captivity, under the power of mystical Babylon. Rev. 1 For Daniels Vision reports three things. First, the nature and power of this mystical Enemy. Secondly, How that the household of Faith, in the latter days shall lie under that Antichristian power for a certain time. Thirdly, It points out the Saints deliverance from this Captivity; and the ruin of that tyrannical Beast. And all the time of this mystical Captivity, it is called by the spirit of God, Rev. 3 10 the hour of temptation that shall come upon all the World, to try them that dwell upon the Earth. Now to Daniel God revealed the Vision more dark and hidden; Dan. 12● 8. 9 13 for Daniel himself did not understand the mystery of the Vision; for saith Daniel, I hear, but I understand not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, go thou thy way Daniel, for the words are closed and sealed up till the time of the end; for thou shalt rest, and shalt stand in the lot, at the end of the days. But when Jesus Christ, John 4. the Lamb of God was come; and had shed his blood, and was gone to the Father again, and was found worthy and able to open the book of the mystery of godliness, and of the mystery of iniquities, and to lose the seven seals thereof: ●ev. 5. 2. that is, To make known to sinners that by his blood, a sweet harmony and consent was made among the seven attributes of the godhead; and so fully declaring their reconciliation to God, ●ct 2. 13 according to his eternal council in him. Then did God give the full Revelation of all things to this Son, that he might reveal them again to his Servants. For God doth not speak to us out of his Son, ●ev. 1. 1 but in his Son, and by his Son: ●ct 3. 23 And it shall come to pass, that, that Soul, John 3. 9 that will not hear the voice of this great Prophet which God hath sent into the world, that we might live through him; shall be cut off from among the people. And now Jesus Christ being, in this last age of the World, fully revealed to be the seed of the woman; the Messia, the holy and just one; and by his blood hath worthily deserved to be King of Saints, and King of the World; ●sal. 78. 2. he doth now clearly show by his spirit, the right understanding of all those Books, dark sayings of old, and Visions that were sealed up to the Prophets. Many truths he hath made known already, yet ☜ I believe there are many more truths, which are not yet made known to the Sons of men; John 16. 12 for indeed our weakness is not able to bear all truths at once: Mar: 4 13 But at the sound of the seventh Angels Trumpet, when the mystery of God is finished, Rev. 11 19 and Temple of God is opened in Heaven: that is, when Christ in spirit is made known to Saints: and I believe, that the time for this angel to sound, grows very near, if not begun already: Then the Saints shall see clearly into the mystery of God, Phil. 3. 11. which they have so long time earnestly desired to attain unto. Now among many other truths which God hath promised by his spirit to lead his Saints into, John 16. 13. which must be made known in the time of the end. There is one mystery of God concerning God's two witnesses, spoken of by St. John, and what the meaning is (as they conceived) many dear servants of God have writ very largely, which I shall neither contradict nor condemn, 1 Cor. 12. 11. but only add what I understand, and so cast in my mite into this treasure of God, Eph. 4. 7. according to the measure of the gift of Christ which I have received. Revelations 11. 3. I will give power to my two Witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. Some by these two Witnesses, do understand, the Law and Gospel, and others conceive them to be Christian Magistrates and Ministers: Some understand them to be faithful Men and Women that have been martyred for the testimony of Jesus: And others conceive them to be only the Ministers of the Gospel, as the margin notes in the bible show: and others do say they be two particular eminent Saints, whom God will raise up towards the end. But the Scriptures of truth, will not give their harmoniall consent to any of these so laid down, neither will they own any of the like terravid and fading subjects absolutely to be those two Witnesses, which the spirit in that place speaks of. Therefore according to the proportion of faith received, in declaring of my persuasion therein, I shall endeavour to show: First, What the testimony is which these two Witnesses do bear witness unto. Secondly, to show you who these two Witnesses are. Thirdly, to show you what the meaning is (as I conceive,) of the 1260. days, which is the time appointed them of God to prophesy in, and when they must be slain. Fourthly, to show how the two Witnesses are slain, and how long they have been dead, and how long they are to lie dead, before the spirit of life from God enter into them, and set them upon their feet. Fiftly, to show what falls out in the World upon the slaying of these two Witnesses; and why they of the Nations, People, Tongues and kindreds, will not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves, and buried. Sixtly, What shall follow upon the resurrection of the two Witnesses from the dead. And seventhly, I shall endeavour to show what I have given me to understand by those dark words, phrases, and terms of time which are expressed in that eleventh Chapter of the Revelations, under which this mystery of God concerning his two faithful Witnesses doth lie folded up. But I do declare what I conceive of the words and phrases all along this discourse, as they necessarily fall in the way. CHAP. II. What the Testimony of the two Witnesses is. NOw for the first of these, to show what the Testimony of the two Witnesses is. I conceive it is to bear witness of the eternal will and council of God. That the seed of the woman should brusse the serpent's head; ●n. 3. 15. and that this seed is Jesus Christ his Son: a perfect man after the flesh, 〈◊〉. 1. 25. as he was called the Child Jesus, or the Sun of man. Or secondly, ●phes. 4. 13. A perfect man in the unity of faith with all his Saints: he being the head, and all the City of Zion, Cor. 12 3, 14. or number of Saints the Members, knit into one spiritual body, by the spirit of the Father. And this is called the Branch and the Vine. Now a Branch or Vine, doth not consist of one sprig or rod, but of divers: and so the seed of the Woman, ●ecl. 3. 8. the Anointing, or the Son of God; doth not consist of one man only after the flesh, ●ohn 15. 5. to wit, the man Christ Jesus; but also those whom the Father hath chosen and given to Jesus the anointed, ●ohn 6. 37. and writ their names in him, the lamb's Book, makes up but one Son of God, Rev. 13. 8. being all partakers of one Spirit. And likewise they make up but one feed of the Woman, they be●ng all partakers of one flesh, to wit, the flesh of Christ; the Saints being bone of Christ's bone, and flesh of his flesh. And this is the 1and of righteousness, which all the Children of Zion shall inher●t: they shall not dwell in Adam's corrupt flesh: but in Christ pure flesh. And because Christ's mystical body springs from the first Adam, Isa. 60. 21. which is from the earth, earthly and corrupt. Therefore the Lord takes away the filthy garments from them: Zech. 3. 4. 9 And purges the iniquity of that Land in one day; that is, in the day of Christ's power, Rom. 8. 29. and so makes them conformable to the second Adam, which is the Lord from Heaven. Now this seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head: Psal. 110. 1. for God the Father hath engaged himself, Col. 1. 24. to subdue the serpent's power under the feet of S●●nts, as well as under the feet of Christ, Ier. 50. 20. he and they being but one body, one man, one branch, one Vine, one Son of God; being but one in respect of the unity of spirit, 1 Cor. 12. 11. and one in respect of the unity of flesh: after their iniquity is purged as it must be, God being Christ's God, and their God; Christ's Father, and their Father. Only here lies the difference, Christ hath the full measure of the spirit; but God gives to the Saints severally as he will, according to the measure of the fullness of Christ, Jesus Christ he breaks the serpent's head, Ephes. 4 7 by the strength of his Father which dwelleth in him, Isa. 27. And the Saints break the serpent's head by Christ's strength in them, even the same Anointing: and hence it is that Christ the head, 1 John ● 2● prayed, That his Disciples, John 1 21 or body mystical, might be one with him, as he and his Father were one: and when the Saints are taken up into this spiritual enjoyment, and feels, sees, and finds by experience, that God's strength which is the anointing, ● Cor. 5. 16. dwells in them, and is become the Lord their righteousness: they henceforth know Christ after the flesh no more. And this speaks great comfort to Saints, to the poorest members that live alone among the scoffing sons of bondage, 1 Pet. 1. 5. as well as to the whole City in general: they shall never fall from grace; their eternal life is as sure as the eternal life of Jesus Christ their head, in whom their life is hid, God himself being that life and strength: and these being part of that seed, which the Father hath said shall break the serpent's head; Rev. 20. 15. so that the Serpent shall only bruise the heel, by his temptings; but he shall never blot out one name that is writ in the lamb's Book of life; for this complete man, or seed of the woman, shall break the serpent's head. The head of this mystical body hath conquered already, Heb. 10. 13. and is sat down in glory, waiting till his body be glorified with him, Thes. ●. 10. and so all enemies be for ever made his footstool. And this is the Counsel of God, which the two witnesses give testimony of, that the serpent's head shall be bruised, Act. 4. 12. and sinners reconciled to God, by no other name or power, but only by Jesus Christ, ● Cor. 5. 19 the anointed Son of God. This anointing being God himself in man. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their sins to them. But the Lamb Christ Jesus he is the chief, and the power of the Fa●her appeared first in him, and after that, through him in the Saints, Gen. 3. 15 to break the serpent's head, according to the word of the Father. And this is the testimony which these two faithful witnesses, bear witness to, for the glory of the Father, who is engaged. 1 John 4 9 14. 15. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, Because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him; And we have seen, and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God; That is acknowledge, that Jesus is that power whereby God will break the Se●pents head, God dwells in him, and he in God. And so again, 1 John 5 5 who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus the Anointed is the Son of God. And this eternal council and purpose of the Father, Rev. 12 9 That the seed of the Woman should break the serpent's head; was declared as soon as the devil, or red Dragon had deceived the whole world in Adam. And this council of God is held forth to the world in all the promises; in all the Mosayecall types, and in all the prophecies of old. For mind it, the Scriptures point out nothing else to us but this, Col. 1. 13. That Jesus Christ is, the only begotten Son and strength of God, whereby he will subdue the power of darkness, and translate sinners into his own kingdom and glory: and he is the very righteousness of God; whereunto the self-conceited Jews and Gentiles will not submit. And therefore God had need of faithful witnesses to bear testimony hereof to the world; Cor. 3. 16. such witnesses as men may say (after the veil is taken off their hearts) that without doubt their testimony of the father's council is true. Such witnesses as can and will prove their testimony, not from the writings and words of others: but from their own experienced knowledge, of what they have seen and heard, and been made acquainted with from God. The world is so far from believing this report: That the Anointed, is the power of God: Mat 13. 19 That when Christ appeared as a man in the flesh; they reproached him, under the name of a Mecannick tradesman, a Carpenter; and never rested till they had killed him and cast him out. And now in these Latter days, when Christ comes in Spirit, ruling and working in the Saints, 〈◊〉 23. ●6. according to the promise of the Father, truly the ignorant deceived world denies him still, ●●hn 7. 12. will not own his spirit, but jeers him, calling him the Spirit of the devil, and a spirit of error: even as the Jews told Christ after the flesh, that he was a deceiver of the people. And this deceived world, or corrupt flesh of man, endeavours to make laws and establish ●hem with all possible policy and power, to ●ring the Anointed into bondage, and will not allow him a liberty to work where and upon whom he pleaseth; Dan. 8. 23, 24, 25. but would restrain him to their scanty measure, the principles of the flesh: Mic. 6. 16. and so though the world allow Christ the name of King, Priest, and Prophet, yet they will act ●hese Offices themselves, both over him, and over his body the Church. Ay, but God's two faithful witnesses shall not only prove that Christ is King, Isa. 26. 11. Priest, and Prophet in name only: but that he is those in ●ule, in operation and power, proving it in ●heir own experience; which in time the world ●hall see, and be ashamed; though for the present they will not see, Zac. 3. 8. nor be ashamed, for ●heir envy to Christ and his fellows: And ●hen shall the glory of the Father be advanced, ●nd the song of the Saints, shall set the Crown of glory upon the head of him that sits upon the Throne, and upon the Lamb for evermore. For than all Nations shall see the word ●nd council of the Father fulfiled; Rev. 5. 13. that the ●erpents head is bruised by the seed of the woman. This is their testimony, which I lay ●own general, but the witnesses prove their Testimony by particular experiences; as here●fter I shall relate some. CHAP. III. Who these two Witnesses are that God speaks of, to whom he will give power to prophesy in sackcloth a thousand two hundred and sixty days. NOw the second thing is, to show who these two Witnesses are which God speaks of. I will give power to my two witnesses. And these are, the word of God, and the Spirit of God, or Christ in flesh, and Christ in Spirit, or the Anointing in the person of Christ after the flesh; or the Anointing in the flesh of Saints: And these are but one in respect of nature, one Spirit, and one flesh, one body, as I have showed: But they are two in respect of their appearance or manifestation in or to the world. The man Christ Jesus, who was borne of the Virgin, and died by the hands of the Jews at Jerusalem; he is the one witness. And the body of Saints in whom the Spirit of Jesus Christ dwells, who are persecuted for the same testimony that Christ held: they are the other witness. And my understanding herein is built up as follows. ☞ There are three that bear witness in Heaven. The Father, the Word and the Spirit, 1 John 5. 7. 8. 9 and these three are one. But one witness, though three names or denominations. By Heaven, I understand the Church, or the City Zion, in whom the Anointiug dwells, and in ●hem and to them, the witnesses of those three ●n one, is satisfaction enough; and the Saints ●ife is bound up in that divine manifestation, and ●hey live in that life, and see light in that light. The son of righteousness, Rev. 21. 23. the Lamb the Anointng, is the light of that City, which makes it Heaven. The Testimony of men to the Saints is no●hing, they have no peace nor joy in their hearts, till God himself do witness to them by ● lovely manifestation of himself, taking them ●p into his own rest. Acts 10. 40. 41. And this is God in three discoveries, which make up but one witness, both in and to Zion the Church: not to the World first: but to them first, and afterward to the World. Then there are three that bear witness in earth. The water, Zech. 3. 4. blood, and Spirit, and these three ●re one: but one witness though 3 denomina●ions, making one perfectman. Now by Earth, [understand either the Saints before they have a clear manifestation, before their filthy garments be quite taken off them: For than they look upon Christ after the flesh; God. 4. 4. and seek for testimonies of the father's love and promise in a ●itterall way; and God condescends to the weakness of their flesh; for in the fullness of time, God ●ent his son made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons, according to the promise. Gen. 3. 15. Or Secondly, by Earth, I understand mankind; all sects and Nations, as they are considered one flesh, or one earth; of which all of us are made even one created humanity. And unto this earth, God sends water, blood & spirit, in two appearences, to witness this his faithfulness, that what he spoke shall come to pass● That the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head. God calls these his two witnesses, because they are two discoveries of his own wisdom and power. For first, By water, blood and spirit, I understand to be our Lord Jesus, the seed of the woman, a perfect man according to the flesh; who 〈◊〉 the first faithful and true witness, the human ●ody of Christ, and the eternal spirit that dwelled ●herin: or that power which God gave: I will give power to, my two witnesses, &c. And God gave this is power, Mat. 3. 16. when the holy Spirit descended like a Dove upon Christ Jesus, when he was baptised, and came straightway out of the water. This power God gives to both his witnesses: but to his human body first. If you look into the Evangelist John, you shall find that one of the soldiers with a spear pierced Christ's side, John 19 35. and forthwith there came out water and blood: now the water and blood declared Jesus Christ to be a true and real man, the seed of the Woman, according to the word and council of God; and so the word was made flesh, and dwelled among us and we saw the glory thereof, as the glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth. Now physicians say, John 1. 14. and it is a truth, that the heart of man hath adjoining to it a bladder or skin of water, which cools the heat of the blood; Which they call the Pericardium. And the Spear piercing Christ to the heart did break that skin of water, and so there came out that water and blood that was in his heart; this shows he was a man, the seed of the Woman. And then for the spirit or power that was in Jesus Christ declares him to be one faithful witness; I Pet. 2 23. for though hisfufferings were so great that he sweat drops of blood, yet there was no sin, or murmurings against God found in him; but he was still full of the sprrint of humility and patience, of love, and of faithfulness to God his Father, who had assigned him that cup to drink. And likewise was still full of the spirit of love to poor lost sinners, that flood in need of this his death, or else they could not have been reconciled to God: and this unbsameable spirit of his, gives testimony to Heaven and Earth, that Christis the great power of God, and so the world, to the council of his Father: For indeed no son of man besindes him, could be found to suffer the like intolerable burden of wrath, and yet bear it, with such a patient understanding, loving, Isa. 55. 5, 6. faithful, and pitiful spirit towards others, as Christ did. Now this human body of Christ, is an active and loving witness, bearing record of the Father wish courage; and he did not receive his testimony from any creature; but from the Father. For the Son can do nothing of himself,. but what he seeth the Father do; and whatsoever he doth, John 5. 19 the Son doth likewise. Jesus Christ was not compelled to bear witness to the Father, as a malefactor is compelled to bear the sentence of justice, but he undertook to bruise the serpent's head voluntarily: he suffered freely, and died freely, seeing it was the will of his Father: he took up death (which was the desert of our sins) willingly and voluntarily; as soon as the Father had declared his council concerning him, Behold (saith Christ) I come to do thy will O God; John. 10. 17. 18. And no man takes away my life; for I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down. and I have power to take it up again. New if the blood of bulls and Goats, and the ashes of an Heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifyeth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, Heb. 9 13. 14. who through his eternal spirit, offered himse; f without spot to God, purge our Consciences from dead works (of human forms and fleshly actings) to serve the living God, in spirit and truth. The Scriptures are plentiful to prove this, In the Evangelist, John 8. 13. 14. 18. we see Christ bears witness of himself, That he is the Son of God: and told the Jews, that unless they believed that he was He, they should die in their sins: The Pharisees told him, his record Was not true, because he bare record of himself: but saith he, My record is true; and I am one that bear record of myself, and my Father that sent me beareth witness of me. I have many things to say and judge of you: John 8. 26. 28. but he that sent me is true, and I speak unto the world those things which I have heard of him: And when ye have lifted up the Son of man, than ye shall know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, so I speak. And St. John Writes. Grace and Peace to the seven Churches, Rev. 1. 5. cha. 3. 14 that is, (to the complaeat number and body of Saints) from jesus Christ who is the faithful and true witness. And again unto the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, Write thest things saith the Amen the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. And by this we see that jesus Christ, he was God's first witness. Then secondly, The Saints or City Zion or the mystical body of Christ; This is God's other Witness: And these do not receive their testimony from men, but from Jesus Christ. And their testimony is still the same, ●ev. 6. 9 that Christ bare witness to; and therefore they are said to suffer for the Testimony of jesus. Now this second witness, is not to be restrained to Magistrates, Ministers, particular men or women; but to all the body, consisting of learned, Rev. 1. 1. unlearned, poor and rich, men and women, in whom the spirit of the Son dwells and from whom they receive their testimony: neither are they compelled to bear witness, but through the same anointing, they profess God willingly; and they find it is pleasing to them to acknowledge the Father, as to take their meat and drink: therefore certainly those that have neither will nor skill to bear witness to the Father, unless they have a directory from men, and those that never worship God without a human power to encourage them. Yea, ☜ rather, they that would fain have a human power established, to suppress God's Witnesses, it is a manifest sign that they themselves are none of his Witnesses. Now I conceive that water, blood and spirit (as I mentioned before) points out the Saints, 1 Tim. 6. 13. which are the seed of the woman likewise, and as our Lord Jesus our head gave testimony in his appointed time (prophesying in sackcloth) so the Saints his body in whom the spirit rules, Rev. 19 10. giving testimony in their appointed time. And the understanding people in all Nations, Rev. 11 9 kindreds, Tongues, and People, do see their testimony; and how they have been slain in the streets of the great City Babylon, Mat. 11. 27. three days and an half, as I shall declare how I conceive it, if God please: Now these Saints are not only learned scholars in human wisdom, but such as the world counts fools, neither are they God's witnesses that are compelled by human laws to worship God: For these witnesses declare their testimony willingly against the wisdom of the flesh, 1 Cor. 1. 27. neither is there here and there one Saint that are called God's witnesses, Psal, 110. 3. but all the Saints in one body, three in one water, blood and spirit, make up one witness. Now this spirit, or this anointing that is in Saints, which indeed is Christ the Lord their righteousness, is a faithful witness likewise: This is he that came by water and blood, and not by water only, Jer. 23. 5. 6. but by water and blood; and this Christ came not only in himself, but in his Saints, I John 5. 6. whom he sanctifies and washeth in his blood; and it is the spirit that bears witness, 1 John 2. 20 because though the bodies be weak, yet the spirit in them is truth, it being the anointing which they have received from the holy one. And when Christ had not only freely shed the water about his heart, but the blood in his heart also, as a price laid down for sinners: 1 Cor. 6. 20. he that saw it, saith the text, meaning God, and the spirit of God that was in Christ, a●● those few Saints then present; ●ohn 19 ●5 bore record 〈◊〉 his record is true, and he knoweth that he 〈◊〉 truth, that ye might believe. All the whole body of Saints, both 〈◊〉 and Gentiles, are God's Witnesses; for one ●●●●rit unites them into one body. But I be●●●● that those that live in the time of the new Testament, while the little horn-beast and whorish spirit, 1 Cor. 12. 12. had a ruling power allowed him of God (though I mention three names, Dan. 7. 35. yet they are all one enemy to Christ) I conceive (I say) that these are they to whom God hath given power to prophesy in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty days. And these are they that are slain in the streets of the great City Babylon, that is, by the power of the Beast: Yet the Saints of old, are to take part of this honour, & stand in this lot, because they & these have all one spirit; and if God had appointed them this sackcloth honour, they would have been faithful witnesses of God, as well as these: Nay, in their time, they bore witness to God, against the same spirit of the beast; though he had not the same power as he hath now: Mordecai, Hester, & the Jews, gave a faithful testimony to God, against proud, hypocritical, and bloody Hamon: And likewise Daniel & the three Children did bear witness to God Faithfully, against the hypocritical and bloody practices of Darius councillors: which sufferings of them then, did but type out the sackcloth-profession of Saints in the days of the little horn, the Beast and whorish spirit, or as I may say, Judas spirit of self-love and hypocrisy, that must reign in the world for a time. Thus we see it is Jesus Christ after the flesh, and his spirit ruling in the flesh of Saints, which are God's two Witnesses: The spirit of Christ sent down into Saints, or rather the Saints taken up into fellowship with that spirit, according to the father's promise, and love to his Sons and Daughters in the latter days, which must prophesy in sackcloth, one thousand two hundred and sixty days; and it can be no other but these in whom the power of God dwells and rules. And there are divers discoveries of this truth laid down by God himself, as a testimony from him that these two are his Witnesses, in the four, five, and six verses of that seventh chapter of the Revelations. In the fourth verse, These two witnesses are ●aid to be the two Olive Trees, and the two candlesticks, standing before the God of the whole Earth. Now I conceive that these two Olive-trees, and two Candlesticks, can be ap●lyed to no other, but to the two appearances of the Anointing. First, In the body or flesh of Christ. Secondly, In the flesh of Saints, that is to say, Christ and his spirit. And marvel not that I say, Christ and his spirit are the two candlesticks, Rev. 1. 20. because the Scriptures in other places, call Christ and his spirit the lights of God, as indeed they are, and by Candlesticks, are properly meant the Churches, or particular societies of Saints, as St. John writes. But in this place, Acts 4. 12. the light that is held forth, is this eternal council of God, That Jesus Christ is this Son, by whom he will bruise the serpent's head, and reconcile sinners to himself, and by no other name or power whatsoever. So that when Christ was visibly seen upon the earth, in the day and hour of his sufferings, or time of his sackcloth prophesying; he and his spirit in one person were the candlestiks, in whom this mystery of God, and truth of his council did burn and shine forth to the world; and therein they were a certain witness of the Father. But set that day and hour aside, and then properly the Churches are called Candlesticks, in whom Christ and his Spirit burns bright, and shines gloriously. Men or Women, Magistrates or Ministers, or churches, 1 Isa. 19 cannot be called these two Candlesticks: because the churches ate taken up and moved by Christ, and such as were unwilling are made willing to bear the testimony of God, by the almighty working of Christ in them that believe. But now christ and his spirit, was never unwilling to bear witness to this purpose of the Father; for as soon as ever the Father had declared his will; Psa. 40. 6. lo, I come, saith Christ, to do thy will, O God. And therefore the Father glories in Christ, and makes proclamation to all the World, Heb. 10. 7, 9 That he will have all men honour the Son, as they honour the Father. Then again, they are called two Olive-Trees; and these cannot be Men and Women, Magistrates or Ministers: but only Christ and his Spirit. If you look into the fourth chapter of Zechariah, there is mention of one Golden Candlestick, which I conceive is the general Church of Christ, or the great Congregation, as David speaks, the mystical body of Christ, the Saints, or City Zion. And, than there is mention of two Olive Trees by the Candlestick, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. Now these two Olive-Trees are Jesus Christ ☜ and his Spirit, the one being under, the other over the Church: which are the two arms of God, embracing the Church in love. For first, God sent the human Body of Christ, to testify his love to the Church, and to comfort her in all her asslictions: Because he was afflicted for them, and with them, Heb. 2. 18. and therofore, in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted: and this is the Olive-Tree upon the left side of the Candlestick. Then secondly, God sent his Spirit the comforter, to testify his unchangeable love to the Church, and to lead her into all truth; because he is the Spirit of truth: And so in the bodily absence of Christ, the Spirit, which is the Lord our righteousness, John 14. 19 26. ruling as a King in love in them, doth counsel, comfort, sanctify, and remains with the Church for ever; and so doth establish the covenant of Grace to them to be an everlasting Covenant. And this is the Olive Tree upon the right side of the Candlestick. And further, Ezek. 37 26. Zechariah goeth on, making mention of two Olive Branches, which through the two golden p●pes empty the golden oil out of themselves. Zech. 4. 12. And the Angel said to Zechariah, Knowest thou not what these be? And he said, No, my Lord. Then he said, These are two Anointed ones, that stand before the Lord of the whole earth. Now these two Olive Trees, and these two Branches, that thus empty themselves with constant running, and so feed the Church with life and light, which is that golden oil that they empty out of themselves, and which the Angel likewise called the two Anointed ones, they cannot be meant of any other but Jesus Christ in his own particular person in the flesh; and he spiritually in his Saints. For there is none that hath the seven pipes, the seven Lamps, and the seven eyes, which are the seven spiritual power of God in his hand, but only Jesus Christ, Rev. 5. 6. for the Spirit descended, and rested upon him: And in him dwelleth the fullness of the godhead bodily. And then secondly, because none stands by the Lord of the whole earth, Cor 2. 9 as the Angel told Zechariah, but only Jesus Christ and his eternal Spirit, who is both the outward and the inward Lord and King of Saints. And this is cleared by God's own word to Daniel, Dan. 10. 21. when God showed to him, what was written in the Scriptures of truth, There is none, saith God, holdeth or standeth with me in these things, but Michael your Prince, that is, Jesus Christ, in his twofold discoveries, in the flesh of the Man Jesus, and in the flesh of Saints by the same Spirit: and the great promise of the Gospel, for the exalting of Jesus Christ, the Anointed, and the Anointing is this, Psa. 110. 1. Sit thou, saith God, on my right hand, (or stand by me) until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Now brethren you know, that the Church and Sainrs do not receive light, life & grace, from any other but from Christ; Of his fullness we receive grace for grace: Therefore these two Olive-trees, John 1. 16. these two candlesticks which John speaks of, and these two Witnesses which God glories in, Rev. 11. 3, 4. and calleth His Witnesses, must needs be meant Christ and his Spirit, or the two appearances of God in Jesus, and in his Saints. There is one phrase mose in that fourth verse, which is this, These two Olive-trees, and the two candlesticks, strand before the God of the whole earth, saith john. And these two stand by the Lord of the whole earth, saith Zechariah. I conceive the meaning is twofold, as the phrases are different. They stand by the Lord of the Whole erth saith Zechariah, Zech. 4. 14. that is, they hold with him, as two friends maintaining one and the same cause, 1 Pet. 1. 13. in giving testimony, and in convincing the world by experimental discoveries of this truth, and counsel of God, that the seed of the Woman shall break the serpent's head: and none holds with me in these things, saith God to Daniel, but Michael your Prince. And they stand before the God of the whole earth, Rev. 11. 4. saith John, that is, as they two faithful witnesses, the Anointed and the Anointing, Christ and his Spirit, hold with God in defence of his Word, Truth, and Honour; so these two Witnesses they stand before God: that is, they are always in his eye, in his heart, are his delight, and his right hand; and so will honour them as they honour him: Gen. 3. 15. And so certainly will subdue all enemies under Christ's feet; Psal. 49. 6. as under the feet of his human Body, so under the feet of his Body the Church, which are the heel of Christ, and so part of his feet, according to the word of the Father: therefore the Apostle speaking of Christ, This man, saith he, Heb. 10. 12. after he had offered up one sacrifice for all, sat down at the right hand of God, expecting till his enemies be made his f●ot-stool. And Zechariah makes it yet more plain, That Jesus Christ, a perfect man in the sense aspresaid, is God's two witnesses, that both stand by and before the God of the whole earth. As Zech. 4. 7. Who are thou, O great Mountain, before Zerubbahel? thou shalt become a plain: And ●o forward to the end of the ninth verse. Zerubbabel types out Jesus Christ, Psal. 2. 6. who is the King, or chief governor in Zion, God's holy Hill. For Zerubbabel was the chief of the Fathers of Israel, that was carried into the captivity of earthly Babylon: And he was reckoned the first that came out of that literal Captivity. All other Priests and Elders were counted inferior to him, as appears Ezra 2. 2. Nehem. 7. 7. And this types out Jesus Christ, that is the Head and chief of Saints, that was carried, or rather sent captive into mystical Babylon, that is, to prophesy in sackcloth under the wisdom and powers of the flesh. or Serpent, which ruled in the Jews and Gentiles, and under which he was slain. And he was the first that returned with joy from that Captivity; for he rose by the power of God, the third day, and ascended to his Father. And all the rest of the Saints in their appointed time, when their testimony is finished, they shall come along with Christ our or from under then same captivity, as inferior Priest and Elders For Christ the first fruits, than afterwards they that are Christ's; as it shall be in that other resurnection, 1. Cor, 15. 26. where these words are used, I. Cor. 15. Then again, Zerubbabel was the chief tha● did bulld the Temple and Walls of the Citi●Jerusalem which was thrown down; all the rest of the Fathers and Elders were inferior to him, as appears, Ezra. 4. 2. Nehem. 12. 1. And this types out Jesus Christ, who is the chief in Zion, and whose hands did lay the foundation of that spiritual House of God both in respect of one private Saint, and in respect of the whole body, as is mysteriously declered by Zechary, chap 4. 9 For where it is said, that the hands of Zerub babel have laid the foundation of this House, and his hands shall finish it; it points out clear to me, that by the phrase, This House, hath reference to the golden Candlestick in the second verse, which is the Church Zion, or House of God, for there is no other House, spoke o● but this; Zech. 3. 7. 8. as is likewise mystically held forth in the chapter before, which is the voice of the Father unto Christ the Anointed, under the name of Joshna the high Priest: If thou wil● walk in my ways, and keep my charge, then shalt thou also judge my House, and I will give thee places to walk in among these that stand by hear now, O joshua the high Priest (that is Christ the Anointed) thou and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at; that is, the Saints, or House of God in whom the Anointing dwells, the foundation of this House, the hands of Jesus Christ hath laid, and his hands shall finish this Temple and City building. Therefore God the Father makes a boasting exultation over all enemies of Christ, that rise up to hinder him in building God's spiritual House, the Saints; as Sanballat and Tobia, rise up to hinder the building of literal Jerusalem, Who art thou, O great Mountain before Zerubbabel? thou shalt become plain; that is, who art thou, O great wisdom and powers of the flesh, and darkness before Christ my son? ye shall all be trod under his feet; nay, his very heels shall stamp you down: For behold, Zech. 3. 8. I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH, and he shall break the serpent's head. Then God goes on to hold forth to our view his two faithful witnesses, which he calls the two anointed ones, which stand by the Lord of the whole earth, Esay 60. 22. which are the Branch, that is, first the Man Christ Jesus, the anointed, For in him the Godhead dwells bodily, Col. 2. 9 and he is pointed out by the name Joshua the high Priest; and by the name Zerubbabel, as being the first and chief witness. Then secondly, 1 John 2. 27. his mystical body the Saints, which being united to him, and he to them by the same Anointing, makes up God's Branch. And these are pointed out to be Joshua's mystical body, that was clothed with filthy garments in the days of corrupt flesh, before God caused their iniquity to pass away, Zech. 3. 4. and clothed him with change of garments, that is, with the beauty of the anointing. ☞ Now mind this, that though the Saints be many particular persons, yet as they stand in relation to Christ, they are but one body, kni● together by that one Spirit the Anointing; and Jesus Christ, as he is called the Anointed of the Father, cannot properly be called a perfect man if he should be separated, or stand at a distance from the Saints, his body and spiritual house therefore the Apostle joins Head and Members together, and so make up one complea● Christ, or Anointed, in Eph. 4. 13. and 1 Cor. 12. 12. as you may read. And these I conceive to be Gods two faithful witnesses, the Man, or Child Jesus, who is the head and chief witness; and the city Zion, who are anointed with the same Spirit, every one with that measure as God is pleased to divide to every one his portion as he will, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And these two witnesses stand by the God of the whole earth, in proving in their own experience, this to be a truth; that the seed of the Woman shall break the serpent's head: and there are none that acknowledge the Father, and bear witness to him herein, but only these two, against all the world, and Babylon: All others wander after the Beast, Flesh, & self. But these only whose names are written in the Book of life, admire God, and make their boast only in him continually. But Jesus Christ the Head, he bears witness by the power of the Father in him: John 14. 10. The Father that dwelleth in me, saith Christ, he doth the works; and the Saints they bear witness by the power of Christ, Which is the Father likewise that is in them, as in him. But the Saints receive this power at the second hand; for the anointing that Was poured upon the head of Christ Jesus, fell down to the skirts of his garments, Psa. 133. 2. and so his meanest member Partakes of that anointing, and by his power the Saints do all things, and without him they can do nothing. The Spirit of God gives a second testimony, that the two witnesses are Jesus Christ in his flesh: and Jesus Christ spiritually in the flesh of Saints, and can be no other. For saith he, in Rev. 11. 5. Rev. 11. 5. If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies. And if any will hurt them, he must on this manner be killed. Now mark, this is one part of honour which the Father hath given his two witnesses, to kill enemies by fire that proceedeth out of their mouth. For when Paul spoke of the destruction of the Man of Sin, 2 Thes. ●2. 8. or mystery of iniquity, it is not to be done by an earthly power, of prisons and punishments: But the Lord Jesus himself (saitn he) shall consume him with the Spirit of his mouth, and with the brightness of his coming. And in the great battle of God Almighty, Rev. 19 14. when Christ and his Saints fought with the Beast, and the Kings of the Earth, which is the wisdom of the flesh strengthened by human Authority, the Text saith: That the Beast and the false Prophet were taken (as other places say, God takes the wise in their craftiness) and they were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone; that is, they were plunged into a deep vexation of spirit, so that they gnawed their tongues with anger; which is as terrible to that proud spirit, as a fire of brimstone to tender flesh. And the remnant were slain with the sword that proceeded out of the mouth of him that sat upon the Horse. By remnant I conceive, Rev. 13. ●3. is meant the common people that were deceived by the learned wisdom of the Beast: but when she was destroyed, first, that was the main upholder of deceit; then the people were undeceived and convinced, by the word of truth in the mouth of the Anointed. And whereas they wandered after the Beast, Rev. 1. ●6. now they admire at the wisdom and power of Christ; for the Word of his mouth, is a sharp two edged Sword; and when that appears, no policy or strength of flesh, can stand before it; which would make void the council of God, by her directories, and blessed reformation as the flesh called it. Therefore if any will hurt God's two faithful witnesses; that is, if any will deny them or their testimony, and turning them and their witness into a lie, as all ungodly men do; turning the grace of God into wantonness; Jude 4. and so making void Gods eternal council in their thoughts, words, and practices, so far as lies in them; after this manner they shall be destroyed: that is, not by prisons, whips, or punishments of men; nor by any carnal weapons, but by the spirit of truth, that proceedeth out of their mouth. Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God. and this is that spirit of Antichrist, 1 John 3, 4. whereof you have heard, that it should come, and even now already it is in the world. He that denies the Anointing to be manifest in the flesh of the person, Christ Jesus, is Antichrist: but this none denies, if any do, they be very few; for all sorts of professors, acknowledge Jesus Christ to be born of the Virgin, and to be a man, and so come in the flesh. But there are but few that confess, that the Anointing, Eze. 11. 16. is manifest in the flesh of Saints: or that Christ who is the Lord our righteousness, doth rule in believers, from one single person to the whole City, which are his body, scattered up and down the world. And if they do confess this, yet when Christ doth manifestly appear to dwell and rule in the flesh of his Saints, they will not freely acknowledge it; ●●hes. 7. but presently stand off and call it a delusion, or blasphemy for any to affirm, that the same anointing for kind, ● Cor. 12. ●2. as was in the flesh of Jesus Christ, doth rule and dwell in the flesh, according to the measure of the gift of Christ: and in this sense there are many Antichrists, that deny Christ to be come in the flesh. And what do these Antichrists do, but hurt God's Witnesses, ●ev. 11. 3. or deny that power the Anointing, which God hath given to his Witnesses: or if they acknowledge the one witness, to wit, Jesus Christ after the flesh, yet they deny the second witness, the Saints, which is Christ's mystical body; or Christ in his spirit, manifesting this testimony in their flesh, as he did in their own person, That the seed of the Woman should bruise the serpent's head. But he that believeth on the Son of God, hath the Witness in himself: That is, be that belieyeth in whole Christ, Head and Members, a perfect man, consisting of divers members, hath the witness in himself, ●John ●. ●, the truth is in him, as it was in Jesus: But he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not. the record that God gave of his Son. Then farther, God proves Christ in his twofold appearance, that is, in his own person, and in flesh, or persons of his Saints, to be his two witnesses; for saith he in the 6. verse of the eleventh chapter of the Revelations. Rev. 11. These have power to shut Heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy; and have power over waters to turn them into blood; and to smite the Earth with all plagues as oft as they will. By Heaven, I conceive may be understood either God himself or his Church: If we understand God to be that Heaven, that the witnesses have power to shut that it rain not in the days of their prophecies; then I conceive the meaning is twofold, thus, first, they have power to stay the hand of God from raining and pouring down destruction upon the Beast all the days of their prophecy, because God hath said, they shall prophesy in Sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty days. So that God hath given the power of destroying the Beast out of his hand; or hath tied up his power till that time be accomplished; for it is their time of prophesying in sackcloth: it is not God's time of raining down wrath as yet: because God by his word hath limited himself to such a time. And truly here our God points out such a spring as may refresh his people in all their suflerings. To consider the sufferings of the Saints, and the enemy's cruelty; is not acted according to the will of the enemy, but enemies and Saints, and troubles; are all in God's hand, and enemies shall die, the Saints shall be comforted, and all tears wiped from their eyes, when God's appointed time is accomplished, and not till then. surely this gives much strength of peace and patience, to poor children of God, in their sufferings. But secondly, They have power to shut Heaven, or to stay God's hand from raining down judgement upon the Beast, all the days of their prophecies; as sometimes God rained down a deluge of water to drown the rebellious World: and sometimes he rained a deluge Of fire. as a plague to destroy those wicked people in Sodom and Gomorah. And this power is in the hand of the Anointed Jesus Christ; Rev. 1. ●8. for he hath the power of hell and death. And the reason is this, ☜ Jesus Christ hath bought out this power by his blood, out of the hands of offended justice: For now as God shows no mercy out of Christ, 1 Cor. 6. 20. so he executes no act of wrath or justice, but by the hand of Christ: for the Father hath committed all judgement to the Son; and Christ is all, and in all. Christ hath the Key of life and death, he can either bind or lose; destroy or save: Therefore it is said, That the Witnesses have power to shut Heaven, or the hand of offended justice▪ that it rain not down plagues: And they have power to open Heaven, and to smite the earth with plagues as oft as they will. Or secondly, If by Heaven we understand the Church, which I rather adhere to: then I conceive the meaning is this. Rev. 11. 6. The Witnesses have power from God to prophesy in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty days; and there shall not be showers of divine discoveries, whereby the Beast shall be utterly consumed all that time, only she shall be plagued now and then, by those divine discoveries, like drops of rain, so often as the spirit of truth, the Anointing which rules in the witnesses, pleaseth. And by these few discoveries of divine truths from God to, and in the Church; the carnal inventions of the Beast shall be discovered to be evil, and made void thereby; and the Beast or subtle flesh, shall be put to her shifts, to invent new deceits every age against Christ, Rev. 16● 8● which doth plague this carnal earth mightily. But the witnesses have power to shut Heaven that it rain not. That you may see into the mystery hereof. By Rain, I understand two things, by which the Beast is destroyed quite. First, When discoveries of God, and manifestations of the brightness of the Anointed Jesus Christ, appears in every Member of the Church, like a shower of rain, that sweeps away the refuge of lies, or fleshly inventions before them, Isa. 11. 9 as Isaih saith, The Earth (or Saints) shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea; for now the darkness of men, cannot stand before the light of God, 2 Thes. ●. 8. nor the wisdom of the corrupt flesh, cannot stand before the wisdom of God, and this is that sword that is in the mouth of Christ, whereby he destroys his enemies, and this shall be made good when the Church shall not need to be taught by any man, but shall be all taught by God, and by that same Anointing shall know all things. John 2. ●0. 27. But Heaven, or the Church, is shut up from these plentiful discoveries, till the time of the end, that the Witnesses sackcloth-prophesying is accomplished; but when that time is finished, ●er. 31. ●4. than this rain shall appear, whereby the Beast with all her fleshly deceits shall be destroyed. Secondly, By rain, I understand the number of Saints that shall increase and spread like the multitude of drops in a shower of rain, or like sands upon the Sea shore, so that their number shall overtop the number of Babylon's Citizens: Ios. 1. 10. And so the Church being full of the righteousness of God, and discoveries of Christ, shall sweep away the City Babylon, with all her beastly practices, and fleshly inventions: And hereby the Beast shall be destroyed. For whereas all the days of the Witnesses sack-cloth-prophesying, and death, The earth (that is the flesh of men, and conversation of men) was full of dryness and unfruitfulness before God, in every thought, word, & Work, by reason of the Beast, or wisdom of the flesh that ruled in them, and promoted Self. Now by this Rain, the earth or flesh of man, is filled with fruits of righteousness and truth. I mean, by the plentiful discoveries of truth▪ or brightness of Christ; and by the plentiful1 increase of the Saints, the destruction of the Beast, or the serpent's head in flesh is broken and consumed. And that there shall be such increase of Saints in the latter days, the prophecy of Hosea makes it manifest; for when God cast off literal Israel, Hos. i. 10. He promised the large increase of spiritual Israel, which are believing Jews and Gentiles that shall be like the sands of the Sea shore in the day of Christ. But the Witnesses have a power to shut the Church, or Heaven, from raining in this kind, till their prophecy be ended, as God appointed: And then (I believe) there shall appear plentiful manifestations of God's love in the Church, to the increase of their number, and to the increase of their spiritual enjoyment of God. Isa. 28. 2. 17. And likewise there shall appear hereby even plentiful manifestation of justice and wrath upon the beast and wisdom of the flesh to its utter overthrow. And these manifestations of love & justice, shall appear like a showr● of rain, sweeping away the refuge of lie before it. And yet further in that sixt verse, They have power over waters to turn them into blood. By waters, first of all I conceive are mean● the inventions, actings, and appearances of the power and wisdom of the flesh, arising against the testimony of the two Witnesses, to prove their testimony false. For the Devil and corrupt flesh would fain prove God a liar, and would not have the seed of the Woman break the serpent's head. Gen. 3. 1. 5. And hence doth arise such a dea● ado among men to find out a way to worship God, and give direction to others, and to enforce people to observe those directions, o● else to stand liable to human punishments, as though they must help Christ to save sinners: But when the Angel powers out his vial into the Sea, ☜ fountains and waters of Babylon, Rev. 16. 3. that is, upon the very spirit of subtle enmity itself, and upon all the carnal wisdom and appearances that have flowed therefrom; and caused them to become like the blood of a dead man: that is, to corrupt and die for ever. And every living soul within the Sea died. That is, All the strength, glory, and being of the beast, died. And the place and power, fleshly wisdom, Dan. 12. ●7. and actings against Christ and the Saints was seen no more; And this suits with the Oath that the Angel swore in Daniels hearing, and in John's hearing likewise. Rev. 10. 6. That when the beast had accomplished to scatter the holy people, Rev. 16. 17. all those things in the vision, should be finished, Rev. 17. 2. and time should be no more. For when the seventh Angel had poured out his vial upon the air, or the element wherein the beast lived, which is a human magisterial power, got from the Kings of the Earth, when they and she committed spiritual fornication together, after that God had limited the beast a time to reign in: Then there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven: that is, Hos. 2. 8. from Christ, saying, it is done. And in that day, saith God, I will make a Covenant of peace for Israel, and I will break the bow and the sword, and the battle out of the Earth, and make them lie down safely: And there shall none hurt in all God's holy mountain any more, Isa. 11. 9 as the Beast hath done hurt. But secondly, when these waters are applied to Nations, kindreds, Tongues, and People; as they be, for saith John, The Waters which thou sawest, Rev. 17. 15. whereon the Whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. Then they point out unto us those people, men and women, in whom the flesh rules, in all her self-actings and inventions against Christ, and in either of these senses, that is, either the multitude of fleshly inventions arising from the spirit of self-love; or, the multitude of people in whom the flesh works so powerfully; or both these joined into one body, make up the City Babylon. Ephes. 2. And all those phrases, as Mystery Babylon, Beast, Whore, and Mother of Harlots, and abominations of the earth, are to be applied hereunto. And when the waters are thus turned into blood by the testimony of God's two Witnesses; that is, the wisdom, inventions, and actings of the flesh are now destroyed, and proved evil, and the men in whom this wisdom appeared against God, are ashamed and confounded; then it is manifest, That the seed of the woman, Christ the anointed, hath broken the serpent's head. I heard the Angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, Rev. 16. 5. 6. O Lord, which art, which wast, and shall be, because thou hast thus judged; For they have shed the blood of Saints, and Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. And by these phrases thus made manifest, it appears, that Jesus Christ in his twofold appearance, in the flesh, and in the Spirit, as hath been declared, are God's two faithful Wit●esses, and can be meant of no creature. CHAP. IV. What is meant by one thousand two hundred and sixty days: which is the time given to the two witnesses to prophesy in, clothed in sackcloth. AND now I come to the third particular to be minded: that is, to show the meaning of the thousand two hundred and sixty days, which is the time given them of God to prophesy in; and when they must be slain, and who it is that slayeth them. In handling of this, I shall observe three things in prophecy. First, to prophecy is to foretell, either in plain or dark language, what hereafter shall come to pass And this did God the Father, when he said, Gen. 3. 15▪ The seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head: And this is both a Promise and a prophecy. Secondly, to prophecy is to make such things plain and easy to the understanding of others, which appeared dark and hidden before: Mat. 1●▪ 11. And this did Jesus Christ when he made the mysteries of the kingdom of God plain and easy to the understanding of his●] 〈◊〉 which were spoken indark sayings 〈◊〉 thers: and this is gospel-ministry by the 〈…〉 of truth. Thirdly, to prophecy is to give testin● 〈◊〉 or proof of such things to be true by 〈◊〉 Discoveries, which God hath 〈◊〉 or foretold heretofore should 〈◊〉 pass in the latter days: And this did Jesus Christ, when he by his Death and Resurrection, 1 Pet. 4. 13. did experimentally prove himself to be the seed of the Woman that broke the serpent's head. And so the Spirit of Christ in the conversion of sinners to God, doth provelikewise by many clear experiences, that those sinners so taken up to God, are part of that seed of the woman, in whom the serpent's head is broken. And they shall prophesy in sackcloth (saith God) and so they do. Rev. 11. 3. For first, all those abusive slanders, mockings, oppressions and death, which was laid wrongfully upon Jesus Christ (for his enemies confess they found no fault in him, Esa. 53. 6, 7. and yet they would crucify him) doth not all this show a cause, time and hour of mourning, or wearing sackcloth? And this was the condition of Christ whilst he was in the world, bearing a visible testimony to his father's counsel. And this is the same condition of his church; 1 John 3. 2. for as he was in the world, so are ●hey. The world knew not him, neither doth the world know them: The world hated him, ●nd it hates them. Secondly, sackcloth implies the absence of ●ome friend, plenty, honour, comfort, &c. And did not our Lord Christ leave his glory in Heaven, Phil. 2. 6, 7. and came and took upon him the form ●f a Servant; nay, took upon him the curse ●ue to sin, which is death, that he might ●reak the serpent's head, and free sinners from the bondage of that power of darkness? And ●oth not his Church go on weeping▪ carrying ●heir Sheaves with them, like Pilgrims and strangers looking for a dwelling place in God; ●nd waiting upon him till he wipe away all ears, &c. And thus they prophesy in Sack-●loth. Rev. 7. 17. Thirdly, Jesus Christ prophesieth in Sack-●loth while his heel is bruised by the Serpent ●nd his seed; for in all their afflictions he is ●fflicted with them. Therefore it is a time of ●●ourning to Christ, to see such cruelties and ●ppressions to be inflicted upon his Church, ●hom he doth so dearly love. And it is a sackcloth time to his church, ●hen they see the Name, the Truth, end Testi●ony of their Lord Christ Whom they love, Gen 3. 15. Psal. 83. 2. to 〈◊〉 blasphemed, rejected and persecuted in the ●orld. And now I shall observe the time that God I hath given his witnesses to prophesy in, and that is 1260 days. The number of 1260 days is to be understood, as I conceive, in a twofold sense, yet both pointing out the mystery of God: the first, more literal, the second more mystical. As first, ☜ I conceive, that these, 1260 days, are reckoned according to the days of a Week, that our Saviour Christ Jesus did bear witness to his Father from the time of his baptism, and descending of the Spirit upon him, to the day that he was crucified. For he began his visible testimony, that he was the Son of God, Luke, 2. 23. when he was supposed to be about 30 years of age, as Luke speaks, & we read not of any thing that he did till this time that he was baptised, and the Spirit descended upon him. And from that time, till he was crucified, as I have gathered by books, it was supposed to be about three years & a half, which is about this account, which the Spirit calls 1260 days, according to the days of a week: it is but about 17 days' difference. The like number of days is spoken of, Rev. 12. Rev. 12. 6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God 1260 dyes. This I conceive was the same term of days, according to the number of the days in a week, that one Saviour did prophesy here in the world among men. And this points out unto us the time of the battle that was fought between Michael our Prince, Rev. 12. 7, 8, 9 the seed of the woman; and the Dragon, or the power of darkness ruling in the corrupt posterity of Adam. For if the Serpent and his seed, Joh. 19 35. could have made Jesus Christ to have sinned by their temptations, than the Serpent had conquered him, and had broken God's head. But Jesus Christ held out to the end, and sinned not, as he that saw it bore, witness, and his witness is true; Jer. 3. 1●. therefore he broke the serpent's head, and became a faithful witness to his father's counsel. Now all the time of this bettell, the church was kept by the power of God at a stand, and there Were no voices heard, but silent for the space of half an hour, that little time of 1260 days: and God and Angels, Saints and Men, were spectators of this great battle between the Serpent and Christ. But when Christ had finished his testimony, he laid down his life, John 19▪ 30, and the Serpent and his seed thought they had conquered him, and began to rejoice and make merry, as Revel. 11. 10. And then was made manifest in heaven, that is, in and to the Church, by the Father, the Spirit of truth, Heb, 2. 14. That Christ by death had overcome him that had the power of death, which was the devil. Then there was heard a loud voice in heaven, in the kingdom and victory of Christ. Now is come Salvation and. Strength, an● 〈◊〉 Kingdom of our God, and, the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our Brethren is cast down which accused them before God day and night And they (the Church) overcame him (the Serpent) by the blood of the Lamb● (the death 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ) and by the word of their testimony (the father's promise, Rev 12. ●0, 11. That the seed of the Woman should bruise the serpent's head.) And they loved not their lives unto death. They would rather die, as the Martyrs did, than they would deny this testimony of Jesus. One thing note here, That as the silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, points out the time of tine battle between the Serpent and Christ in the flesh, so likewise it points out the spiritual combat between the Spirit of Christ and the flesh, Gal. 5. ●7. or the serpent's power in every believer. For so long as the Flesh and Serpent accuses, their consciences before God day and night, and every disobedient action that will break their peace, is laid before them, they cannot sing praises, but mourn bitterly; for as yet God hath given them no testimony of his love in pardoning of them, and of receiving them into his enjoyment: & this is the writing time, or the half hour's silence, till God give deliverance. But when the Anointing sets the poor souls free from these accusations, John 8. 36. by a satisfying discovery of his love, Rev. 8 5 than there arise voices of ●raises, and thunderings-forth of thanksgiving ●o God day and night, even as the accusation formerly was day and night. And truly here is great comfort to every particular member of Zion, to know that the wisdom and power of their corrupt flesh, which fights against the Anointing, and accuses their consciences day and night before God, presenting God to be an angry God to them, when as indeed he is loving, yea, and love itself to poor sinners; I say, for them to know, that it is conquered, Jer. 23. 6. and the life and power of it is taken away by Christ the Anoiuted, it is comfort. And when Christ, who is the Lord our righteousness, 1 Cor. 3. 17. is pleased to cast the Serpent out of your flesh, and to take possession, and dwell in you himself; then you shall be freed from all those accusations, Cor. 1. 17. and from the malice of the accuser, and be made able to sing by experience, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, to my soul; for the Prince of darkness, and powers of my flesh that fought in me against the Anointing, or Spirit of truth, is now cast out: For God hath pardoned all my disobediences, and taken me into his own rest: Therefore honour and glory be to him that sits upon the Throne, and to, 〈◊〉 Lamb for evermore. And now the Dragon being vexed, and 〈◊〉 of wrath, because he is conquered, and c●st out of heaven, ●ph. 2. 2. (even every particular member of Zion) he rules strongly still in the children of disobedience, or in the serpent's 〈◊〉 in whom he dwells; and raises all cruel per●●cutions against the church, out of whom he is cast, and in whom the Anointing rules. And of whom according to the flesh, the Lamb Jesus Christ was born. And as Paul spoke of Isaac and Ishmael, that he that was born after the flesh, ●al. 4. 29. persecuted him that Was born after the spirit: even so it is now, he or they in whom the Serpent rules, persecutes him or them out of whom the Serpent is cast, and in whom the Anointing rules, who is the Lord our righteousness. But (saith John) unto the woman (or church) was given two wings of a great Eagle, ●ev 12. 4. that she might fly into the wilderness into her prepared place, where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time, from the face of the Serpent. I conceive, that the soul, by the wisdom and love of God, is carried into a condition of sensible barrenness, both in itself and in others; ●say 32. ●0. to 15. in which condition the soul is under God's protection from the face of the Serpent, ●say 28. 〈◊〉 &c. so that this wilderness spoke of, is a very safe condition, or hiding-place from the Serpent, wherein the soul is fed and nourished by God, and not by any creature, for a lime, times, and half a time; that is, the Church, and every particular member, is fed and protected by God all the several degrees of the days of The Beast, Luke, 12. 32. as hath been showed. And here I shall mind two things, First, what this wilderness is not. Secondly, what it is. First, ☞ when men are in a good conceir of their own wisdom, Learning, and Strength, as the Jews were, that thought they had all knowledge to discern Truth from error; and therefore when Christ, who is Truth itself, John 7. came to them, they called him a Deceiver, and a man of Errors, and sought to kill him, through that conceit of theirs. But Christ told them, that of all men, though they were the chief in human learning in those days, they were the deepest in sin and errors, and the furthest from truth, John 9 41. because you say, we see (saith Christ to them) therefore your sin remains. Now this good conceit of a man's self is not the wilderness-condition, it is not a safe hiding-place from the Serpent, but it is before his face, or in his hand. Or again, when Men suck content from creatures, as from men's Learning, gifts, customs, prayers, or forms of worship, and think they shall never have comfort umlesse they enjoy these outward helps; this is to prefer the broken cisterns before the fountains. And this is not the wilderness-condition neither: for still the poor man is before the face of the Serpent, and in his hand; for he seeks contentment from creatures, and not from God only, by resting upon outward helps. But now secondly, when a soul is driven or called into the wilderness, where she is fed by God's special and loving care, from the face of the Serpent, we are to mind two things. First, ☜ it is such a condition, wherein a man is dead to all his own wisdom, memory, strength, Esay 32. 12, &c. learning, actings, and looks upon all as privileges of no gain, but of weakness and of dross; without the Anointing, he cannot meditate, nor understand; till God come into him; he cannot speak, till God give utterance; he feels his heart barren of understanding, of love, of peace, he feels and sees nothing in him, but only a thirsting soul after God, whom his secret thoughts tell him, is able to satisfy him, if he please but to manifest himself. And secondly, as the soul sees a barrenness and death within itself, so likewise is she dead to every thing without, she finds no comfort or strength from any man or creature; preaching, praying, and all outward forms, are barren actions to this poor soul, because she sees the Spirit absent. And therefore she cries, Saw ye not my beloved, Cant. 3. 3. him whose enjoyment I ●on● after; I can take no delight in your company and societies, and in your actings, unless my God whom my soul loves, did manifest himself to me there. The experiences and writings of Prophets, Apostles, and Saints, are dry shells to me, 1 John 1. 4. and cannot comfort, unless God whom my soul breathes after, give to me likewise some experience of his love, as he gave to them, and then I shall have joy; yea, and my joy then will be fulfilled, and not till then. And here also the soul sees and feels a barrenness, as if she were in the midst of an unfruitful and dry wilderness, where she sees nothing within, but a hunger-starving soul, nor any thing without round about, but barren trees, as our Saviour sought for Figs from the tree, but found none. Now this poor man sees nothing in others and nothing in himself to nourish him; but only a secret hope of relief from God, Waiting upon him with tears in his eyes till God come, longing to see him, mourning in his absence; for the soul hath no sensible manifestation as yet. And this, I conceive, is the wilderness into which the woman fled, & in which the Lamb feeds her: and this is a sure hiding-place from the face of the Serpent, and a very safe condition in two respects. First, because God is now engaged to take care of this soul (for by Woman, in that place, I conceive is pointed out the Church in general, Esay. 32. 12, 15. and every particular believer, and what is made good to one soul is true in all Zion) she is now dead to all other protectore; but alive to God, she waits, she sighs, she breathes after him. O. when shall I see my God, when shall I be satisfied with the Mannoe Which is from heaven, even the sweet enjoyment Of the Anointed. Secondly, it is a safe condition because the soul is now in a way of nourishment before God, from the face of the Serpent; God never manifests himselse to a soul, till he hath first emptied her of herself, and drawn her off from sucking milk from the teats of the creatures: For saith God, whom shall I give understanding to? and to whom shall I teach doctrine, but to them that are drawn from the milk, Esay 28. ●9. and are weaned from the teats of a man's own self-conceit, and sucking contentment from men's learning and inventions? And so saith the Apostle, You are dead to all things below God; Col. 3. 3. but your life is hid with GOD in Christ. This is a very safe condition for a poor soul (though she thinks not so; for she is now in God's way that leads to true rest. And when God is pleased not only to allure her, and bring her into this wilderness, Hos. 2, 14 but begins likewise to speak kindly to her, Joh. 1. 4. and to manifest his love in lively and sweet discoveries, John 2. 1. than the writings and experiences of Prophets, Apostles and Saints, do fulfil his joy; and he now sees there is no lie of the truth; that is, of the Anointing. But this woman, say some, cannot point out a partioular Beloever, but some thing more general, because it is said, That the Earth helped the woman, as you may read, Rev. 12. 15, 16. I conceive there is no scruple in this objection. I will answer it briefly: First, if the Magistrates, or common people, be this Earth, as some think, than it follows, that if they help the Church in general, they help every particular believer also. But I conceive that interpretation is too far below the spiritualness of this mystery, acts 5. 34. though there may be a truth in it notwithstanding. For God makes use of Magistrates and common people to help his Church and Saints against the serpent's flood of mallcious temptaitons. But by Earth I rather conceive is to be understood the human body of Christ, Rev. 12. which is made of the same earth that our Bodies are, and this helps the Church; for by the blood of this Lamb, they overcome the Serpent, and by this Lamb they are fed, as you may read more fully Rev, 7. 9 17. Now in the second place we are to look into the mystical meaning of this number 1260 days. And I conceive, Dan. 7. 21. they point out the length of time that the Church of Christ is to lie under the captivity of the little Horn, or Antichristian power, which are called Gentiles; for they are not in covenant with God. The time of the battle, as I showed, was 126● days, according to single days in a week And the holy City shall be trod under the feet of the Gentiles almost so many years, according to the years in a man's life: This conceive is one mystery of God, I say, almost, do not say altogether so many years as. the beattell was days. For Christ will not have them to hold. an even proportion of years to those 1260 days but hath shortened the days of their captivity for the elects sake. Mat. 24. 22. And therefore, saith God the witnesses shall prophesy 1260 days, and the Gentiles shall tread under foot the holy City 42 months. Rev 11. 2, 3. Now these 42 months being just 3 single years and half, Rev. 11. 9 bear a proportion of time with the 3 days and half, that the witnesses must lie dead: but I pray mark, we are not to reckon the forty two months, nor the three days and half, to point out no longer time then barely three single years and half, as some think. But I conceive, that God by these terms of time, Dan. 11. 36. points at a higher mystery: That is, points out to us 3 ages and a half, or 3 degrees of time and a half, that he hath determined for the Beast to tread the holy City under foot. Therefore when the question was asked by one Angel in Daniels Vision: How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? Another Angel swears by him that liveth for ever. Dan. 12: 7. 7. That it shall be for a time, Dan 7. 25. times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, Dan 12. 14. all these things shall be fi●ished: John mentions the samet earms of time. So that now mark, I conceive these time, times, and a half, are 3 ages and a half, which God can and will shorten as he pleases, Mat. 24. 22. as he hath promised: And the 42. months, nor the 3 days and half, doth not hold a proportion of years, to the 1260. days, which was the time of the battle; but they point out 3. ages, and an half, of the reign of the Beast. As the day and Reign of the Dragon, the ●lay and Reign of the Leopard, the day ●nd reign of the Beast with two horns, Rev. 13. 2. 11. 14. which speaks like a Dragon, the day and reign of the Image of the Beast, which I conceive is the half day: And by the names and descriptions of these Beasts, and by the 3 days and half, or the divided time, as now it is God points out the different workings of the wisdom of the flesh, and how she flies from one shape to another, as Christ comes into the heart of his Saints to discover her. And that an age of a man is called a day, the Scriptures make it plain; as our Saviour said, Abraham desired to see my day: that is the day and reign of Christ, so the day of Moses, or the age or time while Moses bore rule, and so here the day of the Dragon, before the devil took up any other shape. If you desire to know the Beast, that treads you and the holy City under foot: look first into your own hearts, for there she sits; And after that ye have beheld her confused workings there against Christ, then look into the world, and you shall see the same confusjoin of ignorance, pride, self-love, oppression, and vain conversation acted against Christ, in States, in Assemblies, and in some Churches in the world. But when Christ comes in his brightness; in glory light and beauty, 2 Thes. 2. 8. as the Son that shines from East to West, enlightening the whole earth; then will this beast or wisdom of the flesh be destroyed, in all her shapes and disguises. First in the flesh and hearts of Saints, And afterward through the multitude of Saints, Revel. 16. 17. and their manifold discoveries from God, Dan. 7. 7. all her confusion shall be thrown down in the world, and she shall reign no more; but the Kingdom, yea the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven, shall be given to the Saints of the most high. The Beast, or this powerful wisdom of the flesh; Revel. 12 17. or rather the Serpent in flesh, which reads down the holy City 42. months, or 3. lays and half, in her first day she is gross, ●nd down right profane, which was the day ●f the Dragon, or magistracy out of joint, as ●n the day of Nero, when Magistrates and people were all deceived; But Satan finding he ●ould not do mischief enough against Christ ●n this age, or day. He chauges his shape into an Angel of light, Rev. 13. 2. 〈◊〉 in the day and time of setting up an Univer●all Bishop that should rule successively; but ●eing discovered by the light of Christ to be ●ery hypocritical, and full of abominations: ●his is the Leopard. She changes herself into her 3. day, Dan. 8. 25. into re●ormed Episcopacy, & appears by fair shows, ●f pretending peace, even more closely hypo●riticall. But this day of hers likewise, Ezek 34. 16. being discovered to be a day of darkness by the Lord our righteousness: this is the Lamb with the ●wo horns, &c. She changes herself into her half day, or Image, which is more closely hypocritical, Rev. 13, 11, 14. than the former, she being now hedged into a nar●ow compass by Christ, and all her shifts are almost discovered, so that every young man of Christ, can point the finger at her, 2 Thes. 2. 4. 5. and say that as she that will not suffer Christ to reign King, ●riest, and Prophet in his own house; but will give him the name, but reign herself in those Offices. This is she that will not suffer Christ to choose his own Church, John 15. 19 out of the world; but she will choose for him, and Christ must either be content with a whole Parish, and a whole Kingdom, and so the whole world to be his Church, or else this beastly whorish spirit, Will allow him no Church at all. This is she that will not suffer Christ to call, to gift, Luke 10. 21. and to send forth, his own Ministers and Servants, to work in his Vineyard; but she will choose, & call, and gift them for him; and he must either be content, with such Ministers as she ordains, and counts able scholars, and Orthodox Divines, or else he shall have none at all: Shepherds and Fishermen, Act. 4. 13. 20. or Tradesmen that are unlearned in men's writings, she will not allow to preach the Gospel, though Christ give them anointing, 1 John 2. 20. 27. and bid them speak the things which they have seen and heard from him. More might be said here, but every man's experience can add some thing; but I will speak two words more, to them that pretend love to Christ. First, ☜ if there be any that by human wisdom and policy endeavour to set up the worship of God, Rev. 17. 2. or that by a human Law, or compulfive power, will enforce others to give testimony to the Father, Rev. 13. that Jesus Christ is his Almighty power: Esa. 29. 13. Call you these people, or this Government what you will, I am confident it speaks like the Dragon and it is the Image of the Beast. And secondly, if there be any that pretend love to Christ, and yet in their judgements and practices are part for Christ, and part for the flesh. And though they do not desire a human Law to enforce others to walk in their way, yet they will not own as Brethren, nor with the tender embracings of love will not receive any; Rev. 13. 17. but such as are of their own way and judgement, though the Anointing which knits Christ's mystical body together be manifest in them: call you this likewise what you will, I am confident it speaks like the Dragon, and is of the Image of the Beast, and part of the half day. But I will speak one work of comfort to the Saints, your captivity under the Antichristian power, is come to the half day or half time, and the Lamb will nourish and feed you before the Throne, Rev. 7. 17. or under the eye and protecting care of God, Dan. 7. 11. in this half time; as he hath fed the Church with love and watchful care, in the 3, days that are past; And the power of this blaspheming horn, that will not acknowledge Christ's testimony, nor suffer others to acknowledge him: this day of his is and shall be shortened for the elects sake. And I believe ere long we shall hear the Angel say, Rev. 16. 17. it is done, her 3 days and half, or her time, times, and half time is now accomplished. And the stone which is cut 〈…〉 Mountains without hands, Dan. 12. 7. even 〈…〉 Christ our righteousness, Dan. 2. 45. shall destr●●● 〈…〉 workings and Kingdom of darkne● 〈…〉 in the Saints, Jer. 23. 6 and likewise 〈…〉 power, that Satan exercised over 〈…〉 he trod them under foot the 42. 〈…〉 now Christ will reign himself for 〈…〉 ever, Rev. 11. 15. for of his Kingdom there shal1 〈…〉. And then the world shall see by experience, Prov. 11. 10. that word of Solomon, to be made good. That when the wicked (that is, Psal. 97. 1. the flesh rules) the City mourns; but when the righteous (that is, Rev. 19 9 Jesus Christ) rules, the City Zion rejoices, and there is great shouting for joy among the Saints, when they can speak by experience and say, O rejoice, rejoice, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns. And now doth the son of righteousness, rise higher in the bright manifestations of himself upon the souls of his Saints, And the day of Christ begins to shine more clear; Zech. 3. 9 even that one day, as Zachariah calls, it, which did appear in the hearts of Saints formerly, for Abraham saw it, and David saw it, and rejoiced to see it. And truly this day of Christ, ☜ this sweet discovery of the father's love to poor sinners, John 19 14. began to dawn upon the seventh day in course after the Creation of all things; Gen. 3. 8. for Adam sinned upon the sixth day towards the close of the day or cool of the evening, And then the seventh day in course should have been a day of punishment or destruction to Adam, Ex. 12▪ 6 for his disobedience: I but the Son of our righteousness rises presently and love appeared in this promise, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and so stopped the breakings forth of wrath, and made it a day of joy and gladness unto lost sinners, And therefore when the Jews told Christ he was a finner, John 5. 17. because he had broke the Sabbath-day, when he had but cured the lame Man upon that day. Why saith Christ, my Father worketh hitherto, and I work, that is: All the six days was my father's time of working, and making all things; but the seventh day is my day, and now I work, to bruise the serpent's head, and to save that which was lost. And therefore I say, this one day of Christ, did dawn upon the seventh day from the creation: Zach. 3. 9 and the son of righteousness hath rose higher and higher, in the discoveries of himself, or his Church: though the thick and cold clouds of flesh and self-love, both in ourselves, and in the world, hath darkened the beams of it from us. I but now the Winter is near past, the Summer is come, the flowers appear in the earth: that is, the glorious workings of the Anointing, in the spirit of Saints; The time of the singing of birds is come, Can. 2. 10. 11, 12. that is, all the Saints begin to sing Halelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, within, and begins to reign in the world, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our Land, that is, the voice of the Lord Christ our righteousness, is heard and seen to rule in our flesh: And now the Beast or wisdom and power of our corrupt flesh, or Serpent within us, is wounded to death, and she shall reign no more. And so by the multitude of divine discoveries, self-love and confusion shall be destroyed in the flesh of Saints; Esay 60. ●. and their very flesh shall be made that land of righteousness, ●er. 23. 6 even the branch or the Lord's own planting the Inhe●●tance of their Father; in whom the King of righteousness, and the King of Peace shall dwell and rule for ever. And by the multitude of these Saints whom Christ will raise up like drops in a shower of rain for number. All the oppression, injustiee false shows and forms of God's Worship, shall all be destroyed in the World, and judgement shall run down our streets like a stream, and righteousness like a River. And though there be a people still on earth, in whom the wisdom and power of the flesh dwells (as yet there must be) yet the power of it shall be kept under, Rev. 20 ● &c. and suppressed by the power of Christ, the Anoining in the Saints, for a certain term of years appointed by the Father. And then he will let Satan lose again, who shall stir up those children of disobedience in whom he dwells, Ez. 38. 18 to join together in one mind and spirit of malice, and of fleshly wisdom and force, which is Gog and Magog 〈◊〉 destroy the holy City, 1 Cor. 15. 28. the Saints, the body of Christ, and house of God. But then shall the wrath of the Lamb be made manifest to their destruction, and then comes the End, That the Son shall deliver up the KINGDOM unto the Father. CHAP. V. The Witnesses were to be slain when they had finished their Testimony. NOw in the next particular, we are to mind the time when the Witnesses are to be slain, and that is, when they have finished their Testimony, Rev. 11 7 as John speaks, When they shall have finished their testimony, the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them and kill them. These two Witnesses (I conceive) may be said to have finished their testimony, when by manifest experience they have made it appear, that the seed of the Woman hath broken the serpent's head, and so have proved the Word of the Father to be true. And this they have done, for first, Jesus Christ in his own person he broke the serpent's head, Mat. 4. when he trod under his feet all the sub●●wit and power of the Serpent, and prevailed over all his temptations, so that Satan could find nothing in him; and so by death, overcame him that had the power of death, Hab. 2. 14. which was the Devil. Secondly, Jesus Christ, breaks the serpent's head in the Saints, when he makes them able to speak out of experience, I was proud (saith the soul) now God hath made me humble: I was envious, now God hath made me love, even my enemies; I loved and acted injustice, now God hath made me to hate injustice, and to love truth in my heart, and to act righteousness cheerfully. The flesh and the lusts of it ruled strongly in me, now holiness rules in me, so that I can look back and see my strong sins and lusts lie like dead enemies before me; and my heart rejoiceth in the Anointing, who hath given me the victory. And now I see, Col. 1. 27. That the love, the self-denial, the inward rejoicing of my heart to advance God above all things, is Christ, the Anointing in me, the hope of my future established enjoyment of God. And this is my life, and this my life is hid with God in the Anointed, & in this glory of Christ, thus revealed in me, 1 Pet. 4. 13. and to my sight & feeling, that the serpent's head is broken in me, in part, 1 Cor. 15. 26. and shall be quite broken at the resurrection, at the day that my body is raised out of the dust; In this I rejoice with joy unspeakable. Formerly my life and joy was bound up in creatures, in riches, in friends, in self-satisfaction, in my pride, covetousness, and contents of the flesh. Job 42. 5. Ah but now my life is the enjoyment of my God; His wisdom I glory in, His will, His love, His spirit of truth I glory in. Not only to hear of these without, by the voice of others, but to feel the working, dwelling, and ruling in me. To hear that Christ was raised from death, and from the grave, Phil. 3. 11. is joy. But to see and feel Christ the Anointing, raised upon me; and to feel him who is the spring of life, to be opened in me, John 11. 35 and to send forth sweet manifestations of God to my soul, this is much more joyous, and full of abundance of inward refreshments. But the foul sees and feels more of this glory within itself, than it can relate in words; And when once the Saints can speak this in experience, Rev. 2. 17. than the serpent's head is broke in them, the seed of the Woman, and they seal to the truth of the father's word, and now their testimony is finished. And this was Paul's case, while the serpent's power and head, 1 Tim. ●● 13. ruled in him, he was a blasphemer, and a persecuter, as himself confessed; but when the power of God appeared to break the serpent's head in him, than saith he, but I have obtained mercy, Gal. 1. 23 and by the grace of God am made to preach, and to acknowledge and practice, that faith of God which once I endeavoured to destroy. But when the Witnesses had thus finished their testimony, ● Rev 11. 7. and proved the word of the Father true in their own experience, than the Beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit, made War against them and killed them. Now here mind first, ☜ what is the bottomless pit, I conceive it is the corrupt heart and flesh of man; Dan. 8. 25. for there is no end of the pride, envy ignorant self-conceited subtlety; and hurtful nature of it against Christ, the Prince of Princes, and being far below God. For let a man live ten thousand Million of years, and the sinfulness of his flesh will not lessen; Gen. 6. 5. but grow worse and worse, and rise higher and higher, in wickedness, against righteousness and peace, if Christ do but let him alone: so that the depth of this pit being so far below God, may be well said to be bottomless. But this is spoke after the manner of men, 1 King 8. 39 for no man can search the bottom of his heart; but God knows the full depth of it: it is not a bottomless pit to him, though it be a bottomless pit to men. Then secondly, mind, That the Beast that rises up out of this bottomless pit, is the wisdom and power of it, Dan. 7● 21. 25. Revel 13. 6. 7. branching itself forth into divers forms of Church-Government, being contrary to Christ in every thing, and so makes war against God's witnesses, in all their actings, either inwardly or outwardly. And this Beast, or blind, subtle, hypocriticalnes of the flesh will not suffer Christ the Anointing to rule in the flesh, but she will rule therein, and over Christ too; this is the Beast which hath his seat in every Son and Daughter of Adam. Now John speaks of a smoke, Rev. 9 2 Thes. 11. that rises up, out of the bottomless pit, and this smoke I conceive, is either the inward inventions, accusations, and workings of the flesh within, Rev. 1. 10. like a cloud hiding the Son of righteousness from the soul as long as he can. Or else it is the outward actings of the wisdom of the flesh, 2 Sam. 22. 5. in hypocrisy and provocations from men, which is like an overflowing wave of powerful wickedness, which drowns the souls of men under ignorance and darkness that they know not what to do, or else puffs up their minds with a vain confidence, that they worship God according to his word, when as it is manifest they have not so much as the letter of the word to warrant their practices; and so this smoke becomes a strong delusion, to them in whom the Beast reigns with power. Then thirdly, mind, there is a King of this bottomless pit, ●ev. 9 ●●. and that is, Satan the spirit of darkness that rules in the children of disobedience; or the Prince of the air: The air, ●ev. 10. 6. I conceive is the element wherein the Beast or whorish spirit lives, and that is, either the time which God hath given her to reign in, or else the human, compulsive, and coercive power, exercised by Satan, against Christ & his Saints: compelling the Saints to forsake the spiritual way of Christ, Dan. 11. 8. 43 and to honour the God of forces, and of Silver and Gold, which they know not, as Daniel speaks; for take away this power, or let but the Angel power out his vial upon this air, Rev. 16. 17. and the Beast dies, her time is done or accomplished. So that here is the bottomless pit, Col. 1. 13 the corrupt flesh: Then the Beast that ascendeth out of this bottomless pit, Tim. 2. ●6. and that is; The wisdom of the flesh, which is enmity against God. And then here is the King of this bottomless pit: Even Satan or the universal power of darkness, Thes. ●. 12. that leads poor sinners captive at his will. And yet these three are but one power of darkness in three discoveries, Col. 1. 12. fighting and making War against Christ, and his testimony; But the Anointed will destroy this power of darkness, and translate his mystical body into his own kingdom of light and liberty. Rev. 11. 7. And when they had finished their testimony, the Beast shall make War against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. Before I proceed, it is needful to clear one Scripture of Daniel, that may raise a scruple: In that which I have already writ, it appears that God said, the Witnesses should prophesy in sackcloth 1260. days. But when one Saint spoke to another Saint, and asked, Dan. 8. 13. 14. how long shall be the vision of the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be trodden under foot? The Angel answered, unto 2300. days. Then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed. Now this time of Daniels vision was 14. Generations, (except the 70. years' captivity) before Christ came: therefore I conceive, that this 2300. days, doth point out so many full years, that the Church partly of the Jews, and partly of the Gentiles, shall lie under the captivity of the blaspheming horn, in his several shapes. And so points out the oppressions of the Church of the Jews, the destruction of the City Jerusalem, and the destroying of the Temple, and all those wastings of the Church (both before Christ came) among the Jews, (and since Christ came) among the Gentiles, and so comprehends the Tyranny both of the Dragon (corrupt Magistracy,) And the Tyranny of the Beast (the Antichristian shapes) over the holy City, Dan. 8. 17. 19 20. &c. from the end of the 70. years' captivity in Babylon, to the time of the end, that the Beast shall reign no longer. And I believe that this 2300. days are a full number of years, that the Church of the Jews and Gentiles, Dan. 12. 9 have suffered and must suffer under the serpent's power, till the appointed time be finished from the end of the 70. years' captivity; for when Daniel asked the Angel, what should be the end of these things, he said, go thy way Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed, till the time of the end, pointing out to us that the Jews were yet to suffer many things before the Gentiles be called. But when God speaks, that his Witnesses shall prophesy 1260. days, and that the holy City or the Host, shall be trod under foot, 42. months, which are one and the same term of time as hath been showed; I believe he points out the very direct time of captivity that the Church of the Gentiles shall undergo under mystery Babylon, Rev. 22. 10. or the blaspheming horn. And therefore when the Angel was showing the vision of these things to John. Saith he, seal not the sayings of this prophecy, for the time is at hand; or the time of the 1260. days, are upon the beginning, and the time of the Jewish Church is come to a period. And as God was pleased to show unto John the beginning of those 1260. days' captivity, so I believe, God is pleased to show his Servants now, Rev. 11. 15. that these 1260. days, are very near an end. And that the Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of Christ, and he shall take to him his own power, and reign for ever and ever. Even so come Lord Jesus. I shall now proceed; hither to we see who it is that kills God's two Witnesses, Even the wisdom and envious power and policy of corrupt flesh: that would be as God, and sit in God's Temple, and rule over all that is called God. The corrupt wisdom, blind zeal, and meritorious actings, is forcibly pressed upon the Saints, by the flesh; before the believing in the free grace and love, and gift of God, yea, the flesh honours itself and dishonours God, Rev. 13. 5. 6. and all that worship God, or that live in him, yea, the flesh rules and strives mightily, and hath a great prevailing power to enforce men to attend upon her preparative use of means, which she calls means, and self-actings; to get knowledge, comfort, life, and will not suffer men, nay, nor the Saints sometimes to honour God by waiting upon him, and wheresoever you see the flesh active, if God be pleased to teach, you shall see the flesh both in yourself and in others, to slight, despise, and undervalue God, though to your present apprehension, Psal. 106. 29. you think you honour God; but truly we dishonour God when we would worship him in the way of the flesh; and will not wait upon him in his own way. It remains now to show how the Beast (or flesh) doth kill the two Witnesses. And this phrase killing, Rev. 11. 2. 3, 9 is but a fuller declaration of that complete captivity under the blaspheming horn in his several shapes, for the space of 42. months, or three days and half, or 1260. days, which are all one; and then that God that gave his witnesses into the hands of the Beast to be killed, raises them up to life again: and as Solomon said, the righteous is delivered, Rev. 11. Dan. 7. 27. and the wicked falls into his place; for upon their rising, the Beast is killed, and he dies for ever; but the killing of the witnesses is not everlasting, neither is their death eternal; for God will raise them up from death, and of the life and Kingdom of the two witnesses, there shall be no end. But how are the Witnesses slain? why truly when the wisdom and powers of the Beast rules in full strength, than the Father hath so. determined, that the witnesses shall be trod under foot and killed, but this killing is but in the eye of the world, not in the eye of God and Saints; for because I live (saith Christ) therefore you live, and the world sees me no more, but you see me. And there are three dispositions of the Beast, to be considered in killing God's witnesse●. First, consider the spirit of envy and heartburning that is in the flesh against God's Witnesses. As first, the flesh of every man within, John 16. 12. in the ☜ secret of his own heart, doth rise and fret against any truth which doth principally advance God, and deny self: we cannot bear the truths of God at first hearing, nor ever, till God make us able: I speak in experience, my own flesh declared its rebellion against God in this particular. Tell a man that he hath no knowledge, & no faith in God, and his heart swells presently, Esay 1. 11, 12, 13. and thinks you wrong him; tell him him his own human learning and workings are abomination to the Lord, and that he must lay aside his beloved actings, and wait only upon God for knowledge and faith, & his heart swells, Esay 54. 13. and cannot endure to hear of waiting upon God: And truly, God is more honoured by our waiting, then by the multitude of our self-actings. Tell a man that God doth and will give his Spirit to Tradesmen nowadays, as he gave himself to husbandmen and Fishermen formerly, John 6. 45. and that these being taught of God, are Ministers which God sends forth; and that human scholars that are not so taught of God, are no Ministers, but such as run before God send them, though they have the ordination of human authority, his heart presently swells against this, and he cries it down for an Error, and cannot endure to hear, that God should teach any but scholars, that any should preach glad tidings from God to sinners, but such scholars: Here the flesh within every man labours to kill God's witnesses: for the flesh grudges to give God his liberty to do with his own what he will, John 9 34. and the flesh would have something in itself, it hath a secret grudging to acknowledge all wisdom, faith and life must be given of God, and that his actings can get nothing. And if there were not an inward root of bitterness in every man's heart against truth, John 4. 1. there would not be such strivings and wars amongst men as there is; the flesh of every man envies the Anointing, and would not have God to reign in him, but by secret grudgings and swellings would cast God out; not under the name of God, but under the name of an Error● For truly our flesh will envy Truth, it will not envy Error: the flesh will kill its enemy, not its friend. Barabbas must live and Christ must die; John 7. 12. and so Christ, who is God blessed for ever, is put to death under the name of a Deceiver, and a man full of errors. And thus the Flesh in every man labours to kill God's witnesses; even the Declarations of truth within itself, by grudging, because he cannot bear it. Secondly, this spirit of envy which ariseth in the flesh against God's witnesses, whose testimony honours God; doth not only appear inwardly in the sensible feeling of a man's own corruptions, when God begins to teach him, but it appears outwardly likewise, in other men's actings to the view one of another. As the envy of Darius his counsellors against Daniel: Dan. 6. Mat. 2. Acts 7. 52. the envy of Herod against the Child Jesus: and the envy of the Scribes and Pharisees against Christ & his Apostles, who threw down the letter of the Law which the Jews doted upon, and set up the spiritual practice of the Gospel, which they could not endure. This envy in the Flesh, is the first onset of the Beast to kill God's witnesses. A second disposition of the Beas Dan. 8. 23. is, the spirit of subtle policy and hypocritical craft, that lays wait to ensnare God's witnesses, and makes his mountain strong against God. And this crafty hypocrisy appears in every man likewise: for when God hath found out a man's iniquity, and begins to shame the Flesh, that he may save the Soul; the heart will not with humility acknowledge itself sinful; Ezek. 28 15. but will have many turnings, shifts, and policies to justify himself; though his conscience tell him he is guilty. So while the Witnesses of God prove the man a sinner, his flesh still would fain be esteemed righteous, and labours to kill the Witnesses. If the heart be found guilty of pride, Gen. 3. 12 covetousness, envy, unfaithfulness, or any uncleanness, it hath many winding pretences to clear himself, and so prove God the liar. But well, though the fleshly conscience smother and kill God's Witnesses within itself, and by his shifts avoids shame, and so rejoiceth in his innocency got by lying craft; yea, and rejoices over that testimony from God, that bore witness against his conscience. As when the witnesses were slain in in that 11. Revel. all that dwelled upon the earth, that were tormented by them, rejoiced at their death. Even so all the wisdom, love, joy, and peace in sin, that were tormented in a man by the testimony of truth against them; now they all rejoice by the loud out-cries of the flesh, (God suffering it) the truth is slighted, and the conscience quieted upon carnal grounds, through carnal policy. But when the determined time is accomplished, Esay 32. 15. that God will raise up the spirit of his Son in thee, who is killed by, and lies buried under thy corruptions, 1 Cor. 3. 15. than God will destroy thy flesh, & all thy carnal joy & peace, and all thy own self-works shall be burned, Luke 18. 13. and he will make thee confess thyself a sinner, and a wicked man. When God hath given thee experience that he hath broke the serpent's head in thee, and so hath revealed his Son in thee, and filled thee with joy and peace of himself, Gal. 1. 15 1 Pet. 4. 13. taking thee into his rest, into his kingdom and glory, by the rising of the bright morning Star, and the resurrection of God's truth, 2 Pet. 1. 10. the Anointing within thee; then the envy, policy, and all the wickedness of the flesh acting against God, shall be destroyed. 1 John 27. And the Anointing, which is the Lord our righteousness, shall dwell and rule in thee for thee for ever, which is thy redemption. And secondly, this spirit of hypocritical craft against truth, appears in others likewise, to the view one of another; by slighting the testimony of God by a twofold policy: first, by devising carnal customs, and false forms of worship, which are pleasing to the flesh, not according to the command and example of Scriptures, which the flesh pretends to follow, and yet doth not. Here is truth killed by the subtle inventions of the flesh, which are cried up for sound learning. Secondly, the Flesh kills Truth, by working subtly with the higher powers of the earth, Rom. 13. 1. the Magistracy, which God hath set in the world, by which he preserves peace, Rev. 17. 2. and outwardly punishes them that do evil. I say, the flesh works subtly to deceive this, and gets an Authority here-from to make laws, Dan. 7. 7, 11, 24. Canons, Directories, & Ecelesiastical or Classical Constitutions, to compel all men to an uniform conformity, to all her inventions, customs and forms of worship agreed upon: And this is the subtlety of the little Horn, or the King of a ●erce countenance, which Daniels vision speaks of, whose power shall be mighty, Dan. 8. 9 but not by his own power. For truly this ecclesiastical power is no power which God did ordai● or make; but is a power which the crafty Flesh hath got from the Kings of the earth, 〈◊〉. 8. 24, whereby the Flesh doth destroy wonderfully, the mighty and the holy people. And likewise through his policy, (God still suffering it, and having appointed a time for the Flesh to act its part in, against God) mind that, He causes craft to prosper in his hand, ●evel. 13 ●6. ●an. 11. ●6. and he shall magnify himself in his heart; and by peace (or by pretending of peace) shall destroy many; he shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes: (here is the upshot of the flesh's malice and policy) But he shall be broken without hand. Now mark: All this crafty hypocritical policy of the Beast, Thess. ●4. ●en. 3. ●● 5. is not to move God's witnesses to be faithful, to give God all the glory, but to entangle them in and by the usurped power and unjust laws and Constitutions of the Flesh; because the Witnesses bear testimony that the Flesh wo●ld reign as God, and would sit in the Temple of God, that is, in created man: but their testimony is, that God will destroy this Serpent and will reign himself in his own House, even Man. And this we have experience of, that the Canons and laws that have been made and confirmed by human Authority, Dan. 7. ●1, 25. to maintain Directories, and ecclesiastical forms of worship, did not suppress wickedness: for ungodly men, that wondered after the Beast, and honoured the Flesh, still have their liberty in sinful practices. But they have ensnared and suppressed the Saints, that worship the Lamb, that is, God in Man: or the holy breathing in man's flesh. And this is the second onset the Beast makes to kill God's witness. As Darius his crafty counsellors got the King to sign a Decree, Dan. 6. which they pretended would be for his honour and welfare, but the subtle intent was to entrap and kill Daniel, who was God's friend. A third disposition in the Beast, Luke 21 12. 17. is the spirit of cruelty which puts all those laws and Canons in execution, to kill God's Witnesses. And the ☜ flesh in every man is very ready to assent hereunto, even to stop the mouth, and to kill Truth. And this is cruelty; the flesh would not have Truth to live, but is still heartburning against it, John. 7. 7 Truth must be killed, because it testifies against the flesh, that the deeds thereof are evil. If thou be vainglorious; and the flesh be proud of Learning, gifts, preaching, praying, actings; and set a man tell thee never so mildly of thy pride, Luke 22. 8. covetousness, and oppression, or self-worship, and blind devotion; and though the inward conscience tell thee, thou art scuh a one, yet thy flesh burns and swells presently, and nothing will satisfy thy disquiet flesh, if it might have its will, but the imprisonment and death of him that speaks the truth. Act. 5. 33. And is glad to hear of any gloss, or subtle invention, or authoritative Law, that doth seem to kill Truth, and countenance a vain and empty form of God's worship. If God give thee a discerning heart, thou wilt acknowledge, that thy own flesh within, as well as the flesh of other men, is very cruel against truth, and rejoices in its death. And when the Flesh gets a power into his hand, ●ev. 13. 〈◊〉 as it hath a power when the Kings of the earth give their authority and power to it; Rev. 17. 〈◊〉. than it puts all politic laws and ecclesiastical Constitutions into execution, ●ev. 18. 〈…〉. to kill the appearances of Truth everywhere. The Jews by the envy and policy of their flesh, ●ohn 9 first, made a Canon-Law, that whosoever acknowledged Jesus the Anointed, should be put out of the Synagogue. And within a little time after, did put this Law into execution, and did cast the poor man out, whom Christ had cured of his blindness, because he testifies love to Christ, and said, he was no sinner, whom their flesh said, was a sinner. Likewise they did imprison and beat the Apostles by the same ecclesiastical Law, Acts 16. ● 4. because they preached the Name of Jesus▪ And have we not all experience, Acts 5. how this self-honouring Beast, in her three shapes already past, hath mightily suppressed, martyred, and worn out the Saints of the most high God, by executing her Canon-Lawes, by Inquisitions, High Commissions, and classical Censures, upon those innocent Lambs of Christ, that could not conform through their love to God) unto her fleshly forms of worship, Dan. 11▪ 43. and carnal customs, which he hath with a great confidence declared to be according to the Scriptures, which upon examination appears to be her own invention and fancy, and not agreeable to the sense of the Scriptures in any kind. And here lies the great mystery of all, Psa. 2. 6. God the Father will have his Son Jesus Christ to be advanced, Luk. 17▪ 21. King, Priest, and Prophet; for God in Flesh must rule, and this is God's kingdom. But the corrupt felsh, (or rather the Serpent in flesh) would be God; 2 Thess. 4, 5. therefore all the wisdom and power of it, sets itself as God, and strives to advance itself ●above God, Dan. 6. and denies and persecutes God's Anointed ones, in whom God delights. And this Mystery of iniquity did work in Daniels time, by envy and craft against the appearances of God in Daniel: Rev. 1. 5▪ And it prevailed in the time of Caiaphas the High Priest, to kill the Man Christ Jesus, who was God's faithful and true witness. And as the Beast had got a human corrupted power to put Christ to death, yet an illegal law; for the Judge confessed he found no fault in Christ; yet the Beast had no law to put such to death, as acknowledged or believed in Christ; for the Anointing in Saints was not yet known so manifestly in the world. Gal. 2. 4. 5. Therefore she began to creep in, in Rauls time, to spy out the Saints liberty, and to bring them into bondage: and after some few years she commits fornication with the Kings of the earth, and they gave their authority and power to the Beast, Rev. 13. ●2. and then an universal Bishop was set up at Rome, and a compulsive power was put into his hands to compel all men and women to conform to what Divine government or worship he and his college made, Rev. 17. ●2. or else to suffer punishment. And now the Beast makes Directories, and Church-governments, not according to Scripture, but by her Conclusions and Inferences from Scripture that agree (not with the Mystery of God) but with her own Being & maintenance. Dan. 11. 36. &c. And likewise she hath power in her hand to make laws and Canons, and Ecclesiastical censures, to enforce a conformity hereunto. The first of these is to ensnare the Saints, and to catch them within the limits of a law; and in the next place to kill them. Dan. 8. 9, 24. And thus the Beast hath killed and worn out the Saints, and made war with Christ, God's two Witnesses a long time. And the Beast hath killed them by her ecclesiastical laws (an ordinance of government which God never made) but is a corrupt power cunningly juggled out of the hands of civil Magistrates of the earth, Rom. 13, ●, 2, &c. which is God's Ordinance, which he appointed for the government of the world. Rev. 18. ●, 7. And by this ecclesiastical Bastardly power which was got in fornication with the Kings of the Earth; The Beast hath reigned and lived in pomp like a delicate Whore, first killed, and then trod the Witnesses under her feet: For now she doth what she will, Dan. 7. 25. she sits like a Queen, and knows no sorrow; for she hath a power from the Kings of the earth, Rev. 11. 3. and this power is permitted and limited by our God, to tread them under foot 42 months which bear testimony of her ruin. For this is the testimony of the two Witnesses, Gen. 3. 15. That God will reign and dwell in Flesh, and tread the Beast under his feet. Jer. 23. ● And this is God's kingdom; Dan. 11▪ 42, 43. but this the Beast cannot endure to hear of. Therefore she envies God's two Witnesses, and uses all her policy to kill them, and tread them under her Whorish feet, that she might prove God a liar, and reign herself as God, in God's Temple. It is not any particular man or office, that kills God's witnesses, but it is the Serpentine flesh in every man that advances itself in men and offices above God, and this must be till God take him away, or tread this wicked one under his feet. But one thing note, that the slayiug of the witnesses, is not a slaying of the Bodies of their flesh only, but a slaying of their actions and testimonies, by reproaches, oppression, and ecclesiastical laws, not suffering them to act ike themselves, according to their testimony of the Father in the view of the world, so that they lie like dead bodies in the world's account, though they be still living in themselves: and will appear to the world to be alive ere long. For first, the human body of Christ was killed by the Jews, that was the History: but this is not the only killing; for afterwards when the Beast had committed fornication with the Kings of the Earth, Izek. 43 〈◊〉 than he killed the laws, Ordinances, Thess. ●. 5, 5. and Commands of Christ; by setting up laws, Ordinances, and Commands of his own invention, in stead thereof, and would not suffer the practical directions of Jesus Christ to have a Being on earth; but turns the Scriptures that testify of Christ, up-side down, Mat. 15. 〈◊〉 advancing the mystery of Iniquity, that is, the Serpent in the flesh, in stead of the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh, and hath drawn a dark veil over the free grace of God's absolute workings, (as the witnesses testify God to be all in all) and carries sinners back again to a ceremonial, Jewish, and legal way of worship, to seek salvation not by faith only, but (as it were) by the works of the law. As for instance in 8. particulars. ☞ 1. Jesus Christ said, we should be all taught of God, ●oh. 6. 45 and that he would send the Spirit of truth to lead us into all truth. But the Beast saith, we must be taught by men, and calls the teachings of God, without men's teachings, a delusion. 2. Jesus Christ sends forth his servants to preach the kingdom of God, that is, to speak of what they have heard and seen of the indwelling and in-working of God in themselves, and in the man Jesus Christ. But the Beast will suffer none to preach, though they be taught of God, unless they come out of her Schools of learning first, and so speak what they have seen and heard from Commentaries, Books, and ancient Authors. 3. Jesus Christ commands his servants to love their enemies, and pray for sueh as do despitefully use them. But the Beast, though she pretend love to God by outward profession, will not only oppress and kill despiteful enemies, but such as are peaceable men, under the name of factious, and men of errors, if they cannot conform to her principles and practices. 4. Jesus Christ calls his Church out of the world, Eph. 1. 19 & makes them to believe in God by his own almighty power; Johu 15. 19 but the Beast will have a whole Parish, a whole kingdom, and so the whole world to be his Church in her time, or else she will suffer him to have no church at all. 5. Jesus Christ speaks honourably of the Saints, John 4. 23. and calls them, his sheep, his little flock, his peculiar ones. But the Beast speaks bitterly of them, evil entreats them, prisons, whips, oppresses and murders them, and thinks she doth God good service in so doing. 6. Jesus Christ commends the Communion of Saints, such as worship the Father sincerely in spirit & truth. The Beast commends the communion of bare professors, for Saints, whose worship lies in forms and customs only. 7. Jesus Christ declares that his Sabbath, or day of rest to a Saint, is his indwelling in the soul, and the souls indwelling in him, which is continual, and not an observation of one seventh day in the week, after the Jewish type. But the Beast being unacquainted with the substance, observes one day in seven, after the manner of the typical worship; and condemns the soul's continual resting in Christ, and Christ in it, for an error. 8. And so for Bapti●me, breaking of Bread, and Saints communion, Rev. 12. 9 Ministers maintenance, as Jesus Christ left direction, the Beast by her usurped authority, Rev. 13. 3▪ and fleshly inferences, quite altered, and practices clean contrary things of her own invention, and hath deceived the whole earth, that all the world wonders after the Beast, and judges her ways more wise, more holy, more orderly, and more decent, than the Directory of Jesus Christ. And thus we see the Beast hath killed one of God's Witnesses, Jesus Christ, both in his human Body, and in his testimony; and Christ hath lain like a dead body under the power of the Beast, three days, and upwards of the half, And then for the Saints, in whom the same Anointing dwells, 1 John 2. 20. 27. who are God's second witness; for they hold the testimony of Jesus, to acknowledge the Lord their God, and him only will serve. First, the Beast hath killed the bodies of their flesh, by martyrdom in several ages of the world by-past, in her three days that are by-past. And so all along since, the Beast hath slain them in their actings and testimony, and would not suffer them to receive Christ and his testimony. And whereas the Anointing teaches them to worship the Lord their God only, Dan. 8. 25. & acknowledge him all in all, in binding and losing the Conscience, The Beast hath usurped this power, which she got by craft from the Kings of the earth, to appoint directories, Ordinances, and Ecclesiastical Governments, to enforce every one upon pain of prisons and death not to deny these, but to own them, & to submit to them, as God's Directories, Ordinances, and Government, to the binding and losing of Conscience, Rev. 14▪ 9 10. 11. when the plain truth is, they are but the thresholds of the Beast, laid equal with God's thresholds, and the Posts of the Beasts house set equal with the Posts of God's house; Eze. 43 8▪ and brought in on purpose to pollute God's Sanctuary; for which God will consume the Beast, and all that worship both him and his Image. CHAP. VI. The Witnesses were slain long ago, have lain dead in the street of the great City three days and almost the half; and are now upon their rising. NOw consider that this slaying of the two Witnesses is past long ago, Rev. 11. 8. and they are lying in the street of the great City like dead bodies three days and an half, but I believe they have lain dead, well nigh their full time, if not complete; for I believe they are upon their rising. But are the Witnesses then slain for certain, I answer, by the experience that we have of the fulfilling of John's Vision and prophecy, it appears clear to me, that they are slain: And that the troubles of the world at this very day is but the Cloud in which the Witnesses doth ascend up to God, after that the spirit of life from God was entered into them. This is partly seen by some already; but for the time and season when God will make this manifest to the view of the world, Rev. 11. 11. 13. 18. I am silent; God hath the times and seasons in his own power, yet I have persuasions in me from experimental grounds of God's own working, that ere long within few years, God will make this visible to the world, but they shall be filled with great fear, and be offended at it. A man's own sight and persuasion will not satisfy others; therefore I shall add a few things more that lies in my spirit to confirm this, grounded upon John's Vision, for the fulfilling of a prophecy, shows the meaning of a prophecy. In Revel. 8. 13. There are three woes denounced to the Inhabitants of the earth: the first woe is past already, and I have nothing to speak of it but only this: Rev. 9 2. That when the bottomless pit or corrupt flesh was opened, made manifest, and had a liberty to act itself, it brought forth woe and sorrow to the Inhabitants of the earth; that is, to such as lived below God, merely in the use of creatures of this world; such as lived seemingly a little higher, Esay 32. 9 and yet below God too, in the use of God's Ordinances; but in an outward profession to the flesh, living by sense, (through a mere form and custom, and human.) These meet with woe & sorrow, for a literal profession exposed them to the lash, but to worship God in spirit, carries away the smart, when the flesh is let lose it prepares misery to itself and to all that live after the flesh. The third woe is yet to come, and I have nothing to say of it, only I greatly rejoice in expectation of that universal glory which God will reveal to his Saints, and into which they shall be taken up when those days come. But the middle woe, Rev. 9 12 or the second in course, is now in being; And there are great troubles to be acted in the world, but yet for the comfort of the Saints, two things are to be noted. First, Dan. 12. 7. that under the sound of the sixth Angel, that pronounces the woe, The death of the Beast is declared, Rev. 13. 6. 7. and that his determinate time is quite finished, and though he strive mightily, like a dying hog for life at the last gasp, Rev. 10. 6. 7. yet he shall never reign again in Majesty, established by an usurped Law, Dan. 2. 44. over Christ and his Saints, as he hath done; for his time, times, and dividing of a time, Dan. 7. 26. 27. his 42. months, and his three days and half, are upon the point of expiring. And the Lord Christ is beginning, Rev. 11. 15. 17. nay hath begun to take the Kingdom, and to reign; of whose Kingdom there shall be no end. Secondly, note that under the sound of the sixth Angel, the Witnesses are to be killed, but to arise from death, and ascend up to God, in the Cloud: And their rising is the Inhabitant; of the earth's woe, even to such as have no hope, but in this life, it will be, and it begins to be a time of woe to them; for all creature comforts, helps and communion, shall be taken away and dead to them. And I believe we are under that sound; oppression, and injustice, doth so mightily abound in the Kingdoms and Magistracy of the world, for when the seventh Angel sounds, than Christ, or the Anointing, ●ho is King of righteousness, and King of Peace, shall reign in the Kingdoms and Magi●tracy of the world, Rev. 20. 6. for a certain space, or a thousand years, as the Scripture speaks: which yet generally doth not appear, though this Kingdom of Christ doth begin to appear, in & among the Saints that are scattered abroad. The Beast is giving up his last breath, and his violent kicking and sprawling, troubles the whole world for a little time; for the spirit of the Beast is the life of the Inhabitants of the Earth: therefore I believe the Witnesses are not in killing, Jer. 30, 17. but in rising from death, and that the world must see ere long; which will be a third woe to them, when they shall see poor despised Saints whom no man regards, Rev. 21. 8 to partake of the glory of the City of God, and they themselves put by. There is one passage of John's Vision; while ●his sixth Angel sounds, Rev. 9, 14. 15. &c. which gives light hereunto: the words are these. lose the four Angels that are bound in the great River●uphrates: And the four Angels were loosed, &c. These are four evil Angels as I conceive, which stir up the four quarters of the Earth to enmity against every appearance of God, so that there shall be risings up of much bitterness in the East, West, North, and South, among the Sons of men against God, though they think not so, for they think their cruelty is godliness, and they think their malice is zeal, and they think their oppressing, imprisoning & murdering the Saints, under the name of erroneous roundheads, doth God good service. And it appears they are four evil Angels, because they were bound up like prisoners, Rev. 9 15. in so bad a place, as in the River Euphrates: and they were prepared for this time, that is, For an hour, a day, a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men, ☞ It appears they are four evil Angels, if we consider, first, what the great River Euphrates is: I believe this Euphrates is the spirit of the Beast, or the very Serpent himself, which like a great River overflows every Son and Daughter of the first Adam. Rev. 16. 12. And this River Euphrates is to be dried up, when the sixth Angel powers out his viol, so that the way of the Kings of the Earth might be prepared. The meaning to me is this; That when this spirit of the Beast, Dan. 7. 27. is dried up, destroyed and subdued, than the Kings of the East, or such, in and upon whom the Son of righteousness rises first; Jer. 23. 6 which are the Elect or City Zion, they come and take the Kingdom, and the Anointing in them, who is the Lord our righteousness, reigns in the earth, that is, in mankind, forever and ever. The spirit of the Beast or Serpent is called Euphrates, Gen. 2. 14. because as the River Euphrates in the History, overflowed a great part of the Earth. So this spirit of darkness overflows mankind, and drowns them in ignorance, pride, covetousness, malice, disobedience, discontent, & deceived zeal; but when this is dried up, as it must be when the seventh Angel sounds, than the Nations appear for God. And the Saints are called Kings of the East, for their knowledge, Mat. 2. and for their faithfulness to God, for as the wise men or Kings of the East, found out where Jesus Christ lay, when he was born, but would not tell Herod who laid wait to kill him, but went another way. So these spiritual Kings of the East, Dan. 1●, 10. or as Daniel calls them, the wise or understanding people▪ John 10▪ 14. They know where the Anointing appears; and they know that the Kingdom of Christ is spiritual: 1 John ● 27: for the Anointing teaches them all things, and they have experience of the love, sincerity, humility, peace, and the like, which are the Laws and walls of that Kingdom. And likewise they know that the spiritual powers of darkness, as ignorance, pride, envy, discontent, hypocrisy, self-love, and the like, is the Serpent, that would destroy Christ or the Anointing: for if pride ruled which is the Serpent in the Children of disobedience, than humility which is Christ in the Saints, must be destroyed: And if malice reign, than love which is Christ in the Saints, must die. And so of all the rest. And the Saints knows this: therefore in the second place they are called Kings of the East, because they do not betray Christ into the hands of Herod the Serpent; John 5. 4. but they hold forth the power of Christ, in faith and patience, till God finish his work, ●ev. 14. & thereby destroys the enemies. Now when pride, covetousness, injustice, envy, self-love, and the like, is dried up like a River that cannot run, than the way is prepared for these Kings of the East, Heb. 7. 2. to take the Kingdom, and to reign in with Christ and righteousness for ever; and these four Angels were bound up in this River Euphrates, and were not suffered to act in their full strength, or appear out of that cursed fountain of darknesses till God pleased to let them lose, therefore they were evil, because bound up or imprisoned in such an evil stinking River. ☜ Secondly, These four Angels were evil, in respect of their nature, for I believe they are four spiritual powers of wickedness. As first, wicked craft and subtlety in the strength of it. 2. Hypocrisy in the strength of it: 3. Envy in the strength of it: And 4. A murdering cruelty in the strength of it. Now these four Angels or powers of darkness were bound up within the very body of the Serpent, and not suffered to act in that violent universal strength as they do, Rev. 14. 11. till this sixth Angel sounded, And now being let loose, they stir up every one in the four quarters of the earth, and vex, and torment you day and night; for men in whom these powers rule, they have no rest. And men are stirred up in Armies to kill and slay. But whom do they slay? Not the witnesses, Ez. 38. 10. 11. &c. though they think so in their heart: as it is spoke of Gog and Magog; but those men only who have not the Seal of God in their forehead, Rev. 4. or as it is said before, the Inhabitants of the Earth. And truly the strong subtle craft, unparalleled hypocrisy, extreme envy, and inbred cruelty, that is expressed in the four quarters of the land of the world too, against the Saints, that are branded Sectaries, schismatics, Anabaptists, roundheads, doth appear plain to me, to be those three powerful Angels of darkness, which are let loose in the spirits of men, even in that spirit of darkness that hath overspread the Earth, mankind; like the overflowing River Euphrates, therefore they are evil Angels. Thirdly, consider, how do these Angels slay, the third part of men? Why truly I believe it is not their killing of their bodies only, though it may be in these great troubles, many are, and doubtless shall be killed in that sense; but it points out a worser death than that of the body; for they kill the very minds and consciences of men. And it is thus. These four Angels shall be so powerful in men's spirits, Esa. 25. 13. and spread so universally over the earth of mankind, John 9 22. That many that are convinced of a false worship, and unjust ways that are practised generally, Rev. 2. shall out of slavish fear of men, and out of shame to own God, his ways at this time are so contemptible, and so generally reproached, slandered, and hated, tha● a third part of men shall turn Hypocrites, and practice ways contrary to their knowledge, and will say, do, subscribe and fight, laugh, scosse, reproach and kill the Saints, yea do any thing; so they may have the flattering word of their carnal Neighbours, and not be called roundheads, Anabaptists, or independents, these names whereby the Saints are branded are so odious. And truly these men are slain, for the fearful and unbelieving shall have their part in the lake, Rev. 21. 8. which is the second death. And every Parish through this Kingdom and the World too, at this very day, are full of these dead men and women. But these four Angels are spiritual powers of darkness, which do not appear in apparitions and visions; but being let loose in men's spirits, they rule and work there; And the multitudes of men whom they violently stir up are called Armies of horsemen, as you may read, Rev. 9 6. 17. 18 ●. which declares their strength and their swiftness to do hurt, pointed out by the strength and swiftness of horses. Now these Armies of horsemen, or multitudes of men, put upon violent and unreasonable actions, by these four evil Angels, are the appearing cause that doth hurt and kill weak spirited men and women, by overawing them. And out of the mouths of those Armies, thus set on fire; there proceeded fire, smoke, and brimstone, by which the third part of men were killed. By smoke is betokened false Doctrines, threatenings, reproaches, scoffs, oppressions, and bitter provocations. Brimstone betokens, persecution, whips, plunderings, prisons. And fire betokens, fire and faggot, hanging, murdering, or putting them to death in any kind, that do not submit to the ways of these four Angels. And this is further cleared by the 19 Rev. 9 19 vers. The power of this Army whereby they do hurt, is in their mouths and in their tails. Mat. 1▪. That is, they call their own inventions and lies, the Doctrines of God; and against them that do not submit thereunto. First, they give out bitter reviling language, and threatning speeches, to plunder, imprison, and kill. And thereby overawe men, and make them afraid and ashamed to own God, and so kill them. And if this doth not do, Rev. 1▪ than their power is in their tails; when by the Authority of the Civil Magistrate, whom these four Angels have deceived, they over-awe men by punishments, whips, prisons, plunderings, and death; for this follows the other, as the tail follows the head. And therefore mind, That when threatenings, reproaches, and bitter language goes before; prisons and death follows, Rom. 1. 2. if they can but deceive the Magistracy, which is God's Ordinance, and get an Authority by craft from him so to do: And thus the four Angels by their Armies deceive, and kill weak men, and make them out of slavish fear, ●an. 8. 25. and bashful shame to disown God, and to say or do any thing, to preserve themselves from danger. And the rest of the men that were not killed by these plagues, ●ev. 9 ●. repented not: That is, though these Armies of men, in whom these four Angels rule with violence, ●●r. 17. ●. were not themselves overawed by this slavish fear and bashful shame, because they are audacious, bold, and desperately confident in wicked ways. And though they do see poor weak men overawed by them, and made to do any thing, (not out of sincerity of heart to God,) but out of hypocrisy and fear to their usurped power of wickedness. They have neither piety in them, to see men so enslaved, but rather glory in it: neither do they repent of their own works, and false Idolatrous worship, ●ph. 2. 2. which is self-invention, neither indeed can they, for the four evil Angels being let loose, rule in them. So that these that repent not of the works of their hands, are the master-upholders of the Beast against God; such as repent not of their pretended plat-forms and customs of pretended divine worship, Dan. 11. ●2. 43. which have no warrant from God Such as repent not of their covetousness after silver and gold by rich tithes; nor of their murder in reviling, imprisoning, and killing the Saints; nor of their fornication, in loving themselves, riches, creatures, honours, more than God. But though they do not repent, yet they shall not reign always like Lords over God's Inheritance. Rev. 1. For God hath and doth proclaim by the voice of the sixth good Angel, that time to the Beast shall be no more, Rev. 1. 17. his days are near done. And secondly, after that the spirit of life from God hath raised up the two Witnesses, there were seven thousand slain in the earthquake, Rev. 1▪ 13. which are these very master-builders and upholders of the Beast, as I shall show anon. Well, here is a great Cloud of trouble arises; nay, it is risen, And these four evil Angels, subtlety, hypocrisy, malice, and cruelty, Rev. 1● 11. are very bitter in the spirits of men, whom they torment day and night, and kill. And they have condemned to death all the Saints of God in the Kingdom, under the name of roundheads; and they are boldly confident, they shall compass their murther-intent, but they shall never do it. Rev. 1▪ For the day of the Beast is ended, his reign is done, and the Saints shall sing that Song in experience, Babylon is fallen, is fallen. For the spirit of life appears in some already, Rev. 1. 19 and will appear in more ere long, (when the shower of hail falls,) And God takes up his Saints to himself, for the Witnesses are not in killing, vers. 1. but in rising from death, and ascending up to God in this Cloud: the Cloud of woe shall not now fall upon them, but upon the Inhabitants of the earth, who have no other hope or comfort, but in this life. There are a few words more mentioned in John's Vision, Rev. ● 8. 9 in that eleventh of the Revelatiticons, which being fulfilled declare, that the witnesses are not in killing, but in rising from death: It is said, That they of the Nations, kindred, Tongues, and People, shall see their dead bodies, lie in the street of the great City three days and an half, &c. These two appearances of God in flesh, which testify of God: that is. The appearance of God in the man Jesus; and the appearance of God in the Saints, are said to be dead bodies; when they do not act and operate like themselves, in the view of them; whose names are not written in the lamb's book of life; so long as the Beast hath a time to fit in the Temple of God, and to show himself as God, no more than the dead bodies of men, can do the actions of living men. God the Father hath made Christ his Anointing the King, ●●al. 2. 6 Priest, and Prophet, to bring sinners to God; but these Offices of Christ have been trampled upon by the laws, Canons, Acts and Ordinances of the Beast, and have not visibly appeared to the world; but the anointing of the Father in Jesus and the Saints, have been like dead bodies, in respect of such operations, and have not acted publicly like themselves; but have lain all the time of the Beast, dead in the eye of the unbelieving world, who have rejected them and stumbled at them, till the spirit of life from God, raises them up, and sets them upon their feet; that is, till God subdue all enemies under Christ's feet (the Anointing) and give all rule and all authority to him. Jer. 23. ●. But though the Beast have allowed Christ the name of King, 2 Thes. 2. 5. Priest and Prophet, yet he hath denied Christ both the operation and honour of these three Offices, and hath set the Crown of these upon his own head. For whiles the Beast declares himself to be so quick-sighted, John 9 24. that he can presently discern, what is truth and what is error; Gen. 3. 6▪ and take upon him, by his usurped power, to punish errors, with plundering, prisons, and death. Does he not thereby declare himself to be as God in knowledge, knowing good and evil. And as God likewise in Majesty, by punishing every one that opposes his beastly being: and so he declares himself to be an absolute infallible prophet to teach men, A King to rule and punish men, and a Priest to save men from death by his skill and operation. And thus the Beast hath a long time acted these three Offices of Christ, 1 John 20● 27. as himself pleased; and the Anointing in Jesus, and the same in the Saints, have lain like two dead bodies, killed under the hand of the Beast. And these two dead bodies were to lie dead, Rev. 11. 9 three days and an half: that is, the whole reign of the Beast, in his three ages and an half. As first, the time and age of the Dragon, which was magistracy out of joint, Rev. 12. 27. that persecuted Christ and his Saints, by open violence, before the universal Bishop was lifted up by the Dragon; Rev. 12. ●7. and this is the first shape or time or age, in which the Serpent appeared to kill the Witnesses. Secondly, Rev. 13. ●. 2. The time and age of the Leopard, which is that we call gross Popery, when the universal Bishop bare rule by the authority of the Dragon, Rev. 17. 17. before there was any Church reformation; And this was not so downright violent, but kills the Witnesses by a pretended Law, under the names of error, for indeed the appearance of God in flesh, is far different from the appearance of the Serpent in flesh. And the Serpent having a time, to act himself, and to maintain his being, labours to destroy the being of God, John 7. ●2. and calls the appearance of God an error or deceiver. Thirdly, The time and age of the Beast with two horns like a Lamb, Rev. 13. 11. but spoke like a Dragon; And this is that we call reformed Episcopacy, which was of the same nature; and had the same authoritive power from the deceived Kings of the earth, to make war with Christ & his Saints, as the former had, though a little more hypocritical; for it came in sheep's clothing, but it spoke like a Dragon; Dan. 8. 23. 24. for it devoured the sheep by his common laws, ecclesiastical power, and high Commission Courts. And these two shapes of Popery and Episcopacy are called times, because they are two ages or days of the Beast, maintaining one and the same nature and compulsive and coercive power, the one being more grossly abominable, the other more hypocritically abominable: Revel. 17. 5. so that here is time, the Dragon; and times, Popery and Episcopacy, fallen in the world: or three days, which are visibly past and gone already, in this one tenth part of the city, England, &c. Here remains in being, Rev. 13. 14, 5. &c. the dividing of time, or half day, which is called, the Image of the Beast, because it hath not the Authority of the Beast, though it have the Nature and Spirit of the Beast in it. And this half day, or this dividing of time, is the age of the Beast, under which England, Scotland, and Ireland do now groan; and it may be a very hot time for the length of it; but it will be but short. And I have some hopes that God will make this threefold kingdom, Rev. 11. 13. being under one Magistracy, the tenth part of the City Babylon that shall fall off first from the Beast. And this is called the dividing of time, because the witnesses are neither under an absolute bondage by ecclesiastical laws, Luk. 21. 17. as formerly; neither in absolute freedom, because the boilings of the four evil Angels mentioned before in men's spirits, both in Magistrates, common people, and such as they call Ministers, are so opposite against them. And I believe that Gods two witnesses do yet lie dead publicly under the heartburning power of discontent, both of outside professing Presbyters, and outside professing Independents▪ but this will not last long: for the sincere-hearted, that worship God in spirit and truth, are reproached thereby, and are not much visible in the eye of the world. And then again it is called the half-day, in regard of the shortness of it; and when it shall end our God only knows: but there are two things that give me great persuasion that this half-day is near an end. First, because our Lord Jesus the Anointed, told us by his own mouth, Mat. 24. 22. that these days should be shortened for the elects sake. Secondly, the rejoicing in hope which God hath put into my heart, grounded upon experience of his love which I see in myself; and in others of his servants; and of his power in shaking kingdoms, and things in the world, agreeable to the prophecy of Ezekiel, Ezek 38 19 20. which was foretold to be in the latter days, gives me great persuasion, that this half-day is near an end. Now it is clear to me, that the time, times, or the three days, which are but one and the same thing, are already past, and therefore I believe, that the Witnesses are not in killing, but are upon their rising. Then further it is said, That they of the nations, kindreds, Rev. 11. ●9. tongues and people shall see their dead bodies lie in the street of the great City, three days and a half; that is, the Saints, or Elect that lived ●n all the three ages and days of the Beast, shall ●ee the appearance of God in the Man Jesus, and the appearance of God in the Saints, to be suppressed, reproached, killed, and not suffered to act like themselves by the ecclesiastical Laws and Canons of the Beast. And these three days and a half cannot be three single days, nor three single years and half, according to men's account of days and years, as some think; for then the Saints that were scattered in all nations, kindreds, tongues & people, could not have seen them lie dead in regard of the shortness of time, and the great difficulty of travel to see experience. But in the three ages and half of the Beast, all the Saints of God through the whole dominions of the Beast, have suffered more or less by the Beast, and have seen, do see, and shall see the captivity end. The testimony of God in those twofold appearances to be suppressed, and not suffered to act visibly in the world, but to lie like a patient long-sufferer, till Christ come and destroy his enemies by the word 2 Thess. 2. 8. of his mouth, and by the brightness of his coming. Another thing mind, that though these of the nations, kindreds, tongues and people, do see the dead bodies of the two Witnesses so lie in the street, Rev. 11. 9 yet they will not suffer them to be put in graves: that is, though the City Babylon look upon the manifestation of God in the flesh of Jesus, 1 Pet. 2. 7▪ and in the flesh of the Saints, as two dead bodies, yet the Saints see them to be living, and looks upon them with precious thoughts. And though the City Babylon would have these two witnesses put in graves, Joh. 6. 45 that is, quite buried, forgotten, and put out of memory, by their sharp laws, to advance the learning of the flesh, and to suppress the teachings of God, yet the City of God, the Saints, will not forget Christ, nor put him out of memory. For though they cannot acknowledge Christ and his testimony publicly, ●ohn 20. ●9. for fe●r, or by restraint of those laws, as the Disciples durst not meet publicly for fear of the Jews, yet they will acknowledge and remember Christ among themselves, and speak of him, and rejoce in him: and so will not suffer these two Witnesses to be put in graves, or to be forgotten. From hence likewise it appears, that the Witnesses were killed long ago, and in these troublesome days are upon their rising; for they must rife in a cloud. And by the great City which is called spiritual Sodom, Rev. 11. ●. & Egypt, is meant that wicked Babylon, or that Serpent (which hath overspread mankind, Col. 1. 13. and keeps it in bondage) which God will destroy and cast into the Lake. Rev. 20. ●0. 14. And by the street of the great City, Dan. 7. ●5. it is clear to me, to be the limited time, wherein God hath determined the Beast to reign, Rev. 13 ●, 8. & would not call him to account, but let him do what he will to advance himself: and in all this determinate time, Rev. 18. 7 the Beast walks up and down at liberty (as a man walks up and down in a street of a city where there is no stop) and knows no sorrow. And here is both a time limited to the Beast, and the wicked power of the Beast limited in this time: Dan. 8. 15● 23, &c. For the Beast does not do his own will, Esay 10. 6, 7, etc▪ but God's will, and that is comfort for the Saints. Well, all this limited time, or the full length of this street, or the length of the chain in which the Beast is tied God hath suffered the Beast to walk at liberty up and down. Thus long thou shalt reign over my Saints, Dan. 12▪ 7. and no longer, saith God. And all this limited time the two Witnesses are first killed, and then lie dead, under the laws, Dan. 8. 24. Canons, and bastardly ecclesiastical power; for God never made it (though he suffer it) ● or it is the power which the Beast makes use of all his limited time; Dan. 7. 21, 22. and by this power the Beast keeps the Witnesses under, and will not suffer them to act like living bodies publicly. But there is one clause may raise a scruple: It is said, they lie in the street of the great City, where also (where also) our Lord was slain. Rev. 11. 8. This implies, may some say, that Jesus Christ was neither of the two witnesses; but that they were to be slain a long time after his departure hence, and in the same City where also he was slain. I answer, when I say, that Jesus Christ is one of God's witnesses, I do not look upon the body of his flesh only, I Pet● 18. but upon the manifestation of God in that flesh of his. And the witnesses. If you observe all along, I judge them to be these two: First, the manifestation of God in the man Christ Jesus. And secondly, the manifestation of God in the flesh of Saints; for hereby God makes good his ancient word of, Gen. 3. 15 promise, That the seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head. And therefore though the flesh of Christ was killed in that City Babylon, (or by the spirit of Babylon, which is indeed the meaning) yet the manifestation of God in the flesh; was not killed by the Dragon and Leopard, till divers years after Jesus Christ was crucified. For the Saints had a liberty to acknowledge and profess God openly, and to practise what God in Christ had made known to them, for a long time after Christ was departed, and their testimony was not suppressed by any human deceived power; for in Paul's time, which was after Christ, the spirit of Babylon began to work, Gal. 2. 4, ●. to bring the Saints into bondage: but it had not as yet an ecclesiastical power. And when John writ his Epistles, John 4. ●, 2. this Babylon was in rising towards his greatness, but it was not set upon the Throne by the Kings of the Earth, as yet. But when the Dragon (that is, Magistracy out of joint) and the Leopard (that is, Rev. 17. a spirit of whoredom pretending love to God, but intending to advance itself above God) had committed ●ev. 13. 2 fornication together, than they begat this Beast (or ecclesiastical power) to kill and suppress, not men and women simply, but the manifest appearance of God in them, And then the purity of the Scriptures of the Gospel was corrupted, Act. 5. Amos 10, &c. and the practice of it quite altered, and the invention of self-seeking flesh set up in the room of it, and sharp punishing laws were made to forbid Fishermen, shepherds, Husbandmen and Tradesmen, for ever preaching of God any more, but scholar's b●●d up in human letters, should only do that work. So that the manifest appearance of God in the man Christ Jesus, as it was left in writing, had a dark veil of human inferences, and selfish conclusions drawn over it: and ever after the manifest appearance of God in the Saints, was suppressed likewise. For the Beast which hath a limited time and power to reign, 2 Thes. 2. 4. by God, will not suffer God to reign by him; Luke 2▪ 28. but takes away his liberty, and would destroy God's Being, and will not suffer God to reveal himself any more in flesh and this is called the time of God's patience and long-suffering: so that the witnesses, or the manifestations of God in flesh, were slain in that city Babylon, and lie dead in that street, in which also the flesh or body of Jesus Christ was crucified and slain. But that slaying was but the history, and God leads us, as we are able to bear it, from carnal knowledge, to spiritual and divine knowledge, and that crucifying is nothing in respect of the other. For to suppress the appearance of God in flesh, is the main business the Serpent aims at: for if the Serpent could kill this, as he killed the flesh, ●el 2. and so hinder the appearance of God in his sons and daughters in these latter days, ●cts 2. according to his ancient promise, than he would prove God a liar, that the seed of the Woman should not bruise the serpent's head; and than the Serpent would prove the only Being, which he strives to maintain. I but God will make his own counsel good, and he will raise up his Witnesses again, which the Beast hath killed and suppressed, and God will make himself visible to all men, ●●r. 23. 6 dwelling and ruling himself in man, ●Pet. 4. ●. and subduing the Serpent under the feet of mankind, according to his promise. ●eb. 10. ●. That the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head. But further, in that eleventh Revelations and tenth verse, it is said, That after the witnesses were slain, ●ev, 11. ●. they that dwelled upon the earth rejoiced over them, and made merry, and sent gifts one to another, because these two Prophets, tormented them, that dwelled off the earth. I shall not speak much of this; for they that are acquainted with histories, or have any experience, can tell, what rejoicings there have been in all ages of the Beast, when the appearance of God in human flesh, by martyrdom or punishment, hath been suppressed; and the wisdom and learning of the Beast, ●●v. 13▪ 3. (which the whole world wonders after) is advanced. And if men of the earth, such as have their hope and comfort in this world only, ☜ could destroy the appearance of God in such as they call roundheads (among whom there are precious Saints) they would rejoice mightily; but some that are so called, are merely carnal, and are but as the chaff among the Wheat, or Weeds among good Corn. For it is the bright appearing of God in the Saints, casting down all forms and customs of the Beast, which doth torment the world at this very day, Dan 11. 37, 38, 43. as the bright shining of the Sun doth mightily offend a weak-sighted eye. And indeed, if this worshipping of God in Spirit, were or could be beaten down, and proved an error: and if every man were or could be forced to maintain and practise one outward lazy, formal, customary, and tyth-oppressing way of pretended Divine worship, Rev. 17▪ 5. which pleases the flesh: for it nurses up pride, covetousness, ignorance, oppression, and is the mother, or harlot rather of all abominations: and if men might be freely taught, that they shall go to heaven though they seek it not by faith only, but as it were by the works of the Law, that is, by bidding them do what they are able, and Christ will do the rest; and so join Christ's merits and men's works together, O then, cry some, it would be a merry world, and we should have good times again. Ah! But the days of the Beast are done, ●●v. 16. ●7. and God is putting a stop in the street of Babylon, and taking away that limited power, Cor. 12. and is beginning to raise up his witnesses: that is, God is beginning to manifest himself more abundantly then formerly in the flesh of his Saints, ●ph. 4. 12 ●3. the seed of the woman, ●ol. 2. 9 and more plentifully dividing to every one his portion severally as God will, ●ph. 1. 23 according to the measure of the gift of the Anointing, even as he did manifest himself to dwell bodily in the Anointed Jesus, who is the fullness of him that filleth all in all. And God doth this, that his Saints may worship him, ●Tim 3. not in bare forms of godliness, and customs of Religion, in a self-seeking way of pride and covetousness, expressing bitterness of spirit to others that differ; ●oh. 4. 23 but that they may in his strength, worship him in love, sincerity, humility, and in spirit and truth, inwardly rejoicing and glorying continually in God only. At this the Nations of the World will be mightily angry, when it appears more plentiful; and I believe it will appear ere long: For (saith the Angel in the vision) after three days and half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them. Now I conceive, yea it is clear to me, that these three days and half are upon the very period and finished point; three days are completely past, and the half day is ●now in being; and this half day must be shortened too for the Elects sake: Mark 4● 22. so that the time will not be long, before the glory of God that is made known in secret, be preached on the house top. And they heard a great voice from Heaven, Rev. 11. 12. saying, Come up hither, And they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud, and their enemies beheld them. The two Witnesses heard God speak out of Heaven; it was a lively voice: it was not the dead voice of a man speaking out of a Book. And what is this Heaven? Why truly, as the Firmament is called Heaven in the history, because the created Sun, Moon, and Stars, those glorious lights, are seated there: so wheresoever God dwells, who is the light of lights, that is called Heaven in the mystery. And this leads us to the sanctified human Nature, Col. 2.▪ Jesus Christ, in whom God dwells bodily: And I believe this is the Heaven here spoken of; So that God the Father speaks out of his beloved son Jesus Christ, and calls his Witnesses, that have been trampled upon under the feet of them that were not in covenant with God, forty two months, that is, the three days and half of the Beasts reign, and bids them come up hither, into the same condition of Nature, 1 Thes 2. 12. Life, Liberty, Peace, Victory, kingdom and Glory of his beloved Son Jesus Christ. And this Paul having some experience of, gives God thanks that had called him into his kingdom and glory. For seeing the men of the World will have no communion with these lights of God, ●●u.. 7. his Witnesses, but mightily oppress them, and wear them out, therefore God takes them up into fellowship with himself: and so the Anointing in the man Jesus, and the Anointing in the Saints, are made one with the Father, and the Father entered into Jesus and the Saints; so they likewise enter into the Father, and partake of his rest and peace. And this is God's kingdom, even God thus manifested in flesh. And so human flesh is changed into the image of God, ●hil. 3. ●. and the vile bodies of the Saints are made glorious by the indwelling of the holy breathings of Almighty God. Come up hither, ●an. 8. faith God, into the same height of glory, you shall lie no longer under the feet of the Gentiles, for the appointed time is accomplished. ●an. 12. And they ascended up to heaven in a Cloud. Now this Cloud is the combustions, delusions, oppressions, and troubles, which the four evil Angels before spoken of, ●●v. 9 13 raise up. For mind, and you shall see, that when the sixth Angel began to blow the Trumpet, the four evil Angels were loosed out of the great River Euphrates, and they went forth killing and doing hurt. And thus they continued until the Witnesses ascended up to heaven, and then this second woe ceased. Rev. 1● 13, 14. And the third woe to the inhabitants of the earth, cometh presently after, as you may read. So the losing of the four evil Angels and the troubles that they stir up and the ascending up of the Witnesses into heaven, were all to be acted under the sound of the sixth Angel, which is the second woe. By Cloud note four things: First, what the Cloud is. Secondly, it darkens the sun from our sight. Thirdly, It sends down rain. Fourthly, the effects that follow. Now by Cloud, Rev. 11. 13. in this spiritual sense, I conceive is meant a conjunction of the seven thousand (which John mentions, which I shall speak something of anon) either in whole as they live in all Nations, or in part as they have power in one Nation, to manage the cause of the Beast, by preferring the wisdom, power, and learning of the flesh, in either upholding old corrupt forms and customs, or in making new ones of pretended divine worship. By reason whereof in the Second place, the light of the Son of righteousness, Jesus Christ is hid from the generality of men; where these bear sway; for the immediate teachings of God must not be preached, neither must any be suffered to write thereof, but the seven thousand, or such as they tolerate. And so the wisdom of men is taught for the wisdom of God, by reason whereof, a dark veil is drawn over the minds of men, so that the whole world wonders after the Beast, ●●v. 13. saying, Who is like the Beast? who is able to make war with him? Or, Thirdly, by Cloud may be meant the two effects that follow, as first, the falling of the could in a shower of rain; for when the usurped authority of the seven thousand is slighted by the Saints, and these mordecays will not bow to that proud Haman; and indeed none dare encounter with the wisdom, power, customs, forms, directories and abominations of the Beast, but the Saints in whom the holy breathings of God dwell, and the weakest of these dares throw him the glove. I say, when that cloud of false witness is scattered, it showers down threatenings, ●●v. 12. oppressions, prisons, punishments, death, like a flood of water to drown the woman (the Spouse of Christ) upon every one that will not conform; for truly the King of a fierce countenance (the Prince of darkness) rules in the cloud, who through policy makes craft to prosper in his hand, ●an. 8. ●, 24. and he destroys the holy people mightily, and then the second effect. But in the Fourth place, the falling of the. Cloud makes men to run under some shelter. And so when this Cloud of false witnesses falls, either in self-seeking, and false doctrines, in threatenings, or punishments, upon all that will not conform, or in forcing people to conform, ●m. 4. or in restraining people from such ways of Divine worship, ●s God hath persuaded their hearts unto; and ●o taking peace from the earth. In the falling of this Cloud, or in this shower of rain, God calls upon his two faithful witnesses, & bids them come up to him, & shelter themselves, in heaven, Rev. 1. 9 even in the glory, kingdom and beauty of Jesus Christ. And, they ascend up to heaven in this cloud, that is, God takes up his Saints to him, & is their refuge and shelter, their life, liberty, and comfort; he dwells in them, and they dwell in him. And now they live above the wisdom, malice & sorrows of the world, in the joy, rest & peace of the Father, as Jesus the Anointed did. And their enemies beheld them, that is, those that were the upholders of the Beast, Rev. 11. 18. shall be convinced in their consciences, that the Saints whom God, so takes up into fellowship with himself, though they be not bred scholars inhuman Arts, yet they are more righteous than they: and at this sight they shall be offended, and very angry. And in the same hour there was an Earthquake. By Earthquake mind two things: First, when God shakes down all the corrupt flesh in a Saint, Esay 66. 1. and treads it under his feet, making that subtle, proud, covetous, envious, and unclean Serpent his footstool, Prov. 1. 22. shaking down, either more visible, or less visible in the eye of the world, old Adam's building, that he may set up his own new building, the Anointing. And this shaking is that which unbelievers scoff & make a laughingstock at in these days: but they can do no otherwise, for they are slaves to the Serpent, and he makes them do so, and they will do so till God pull them out of that power of darkness. But this is not the shaking only which is pointed out by John's vision, though without this the other that follows cannot be done. therefore Secondly, the Earthquake here pointed at, is this: When God shakes down corruption in Magistracy, Eze. 38. ●9. & e. which the Beast brought in, and so restores that ordinance of God to purity in justice; and when he shakes down all false shows, forms & customs of pretended divine worship, ●ohn. 6. ●5. that he may advance himsel to be the only teacher of truths in the hearts of his Saints And in the effecting of this great work, God shakes, and will yet shake, Kings, Parliaments Armies, Counties, kingdoms, Universities, human learnings, studies, yea, shake rich men, and poor men, ●ag. 12. ●. and throws down every thing that stands in his way opposing him in his work. And this is the earthquake here spoken of, which is the history of things, which follows the other which is the mystery. For as all outward abominations ☞ in men's practices came from the indwelling of the Beast in every man's heart: so when God first shakes down and casts out the Beast out of men's hearts, the outward abominations and unjust practices in church and State, shake together and fall presently. And truly this is one main testimony that God is shaking down the corrupt flesh in many, and is in raising of his Witnesses, in regard we see so much shakings of Kingdoms, Assemblies, Churches, and corruptions out of them, which have been brought in and upheld by the Beast, all the time of his Reign. And in the earthquake, Rev. 117▪ 13. the tenth part of the City Babylon fell off from the Beast, and begins to submit to the sceptre of Jesus Christ; and the wisdom, 2 Thes. 2. 8. love, justice, and peaceableness of the Saints, or rather of God's indwelling, and teaching of them, shall appear so bright, and the Government in their hands becometh so righteous, more peaceable, 1 Cor. 12. 13. and more safe, for the well-being of men, than the former Customs, Laws, and Directories were, all walking in love and justice, as Members of one body, Christ, knit together by the same Anointing, that the very enemies shall give glory to God and say, his ways and actings are more righteous than men's; And then multitudes shall come in and inquire after Zion, Jer. 50. ●. with their faces thither-wards, the beauty of Zion shall be so glorious. By tenth part of the City, that fell in the earthquake, I believe it is a tenth part of the Nations of the world, Rev. 17. 2. 16. 17 that have been deceived by the Beast, and that have acted for the Beast, against Christ, and wondered after the Beast; for when the ten horns, or ten Kingdoms that formerly had given their power to the Beast, Dan. 12▪ 7▪ begin to hate the whore, and to take back their power, out of the hand of that Ecclesiastical whorish spirit; the forty two months being now ended, and the words of God fulfilled, than the whole ten Kingdoms shall join together to advance God in Christ, and shall make the beastly whore desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. And there is some good hopes, that these three Kingdoms, England, Scotland, & Ireland, though three, yet united under one State-Government, is the tenth part of that great City, that shall first fall from the Beast, and submit to Christ, and then we shall see the witnesses are in rising, which I believe with rejoicing, Rev. 14. ●1. that God is raising of them, and that this violent storming of the Beast in this tenth part of the City Babylon, shall ere long droop and hang the head, like a dead man that hath no strength to strive any longer: the discoveries and manifestations of God in his Saints, shall come in so plentifully like a shower of hail, Esa. 28. 7. that shall sweep away all the refuge of lies before it. But if this threefold Kingdom, be not the tenth part, nor the Land which God will honour, the first of Nations, in raising up his Witnesses in, and in casting off their sackcloth here, The Saints must wait but a little longer with patience upon their God, for I am mightily persuaded, and filled with a sweet joy in the expectation of it, That there is a tenth part of the City Babylon, falling off from the Beast; and striving to set the Crown with shouting upon the head of Jesus Christ. And in this tenth part the two witnesses must first throw off their mourning Garment, Rev. 11. 3. and sackcloth; but whether it shall be these three united Kingdoms or no, I leave that to our Father and submit to him; wishing in my heart that England, Scotland, and Ireland, might live before God in this glory; I rejoice inwardly that this shall be the tenth part. I have no doubting in my heart about it, I have strong persuasions in my spirit, that it shall be; I greatly desire in my soul, that this Land may be the tenth part. Yet not my will, but the will of my Father be done. And as there fell in the earthquake, Rev. 13. 11. &c. the tenth part of the City: so in the same earthquake were slain of men, seven thousand. By seven thousand, I conceive are pointed out, the complete number of those false Witnesses (for seven, implies a perfect number) whereby the Beast hath deceived the people; so that all false Prophets, false Ministers, either of Justice of Divinity, Rev. 19▪ 19 &c. which have reigned with the Beast, shall be destroyed with the Beast, in this earthquake; or as John speaks in Revelations 19 in that great battle of God-Almighty; the beast was taken and with him the false Prophet, that wrought miracles before him: with which he deceived them that had the mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his Image; These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone. That which he called the seven thousand, in the eleventh Chapter he calls the false Prophet in this nineteenth: for it is one and the same conjunction of power, that doth manage the cause of the Beast in his several shapes, in his three days and half. I do not believe that Kingly Authority, Rom. 13. 2. or Parliamentary Authority is reckoned in the number of the seven thousand; ● Pet. 2. ● 3. 14. for these two Authorities are God's Ordinances, or the higher Powers, which God hath ordained for to preserve peace in the World. But all usurped powers from these are Clergical, Rev. 13. ●. 4. 7. Ecclesiastical, Classical, which are stolen by craft from those kings of the earth, on purpose to make war with the Saints, Dan. 8. ● 5. and to stand up against the Prince of Princes; these are the seven thousand, and this is the false Prophet that must be broken without hand, ●ev. 19 &c. even the bright appearing of God in Saints, shall consume that Beast. And by the number of seven thousand, as God points out the complete number of such ●as do manage the cause of the Beast; so he points out that the number that shall be deceived, are not a few in the rank of hundreds; ●ev. 13. 3. but many, very many in the rank of thousands, so many as he calls them the whole World: ●ev. 12. 9 but all that seven thousand or complete number that upholds that cause of the Beast, are to be slain in the earthquake. But this slaying, is not meant the killing of their bodies, though it may possibly fall out that in so great troubles of he world, some may be slain in that sense. For their slaying points out, the slaying of their Cause, Dan. 8. 25. the destroying of he Beast, with all the wisdom, Authority, forms, Customs, and oppressions; for when the Witnesses, Rev. 16. 17. are raised, the limited power of the Beast is ended, and he shall reign no longer, and so the seven thousand, or the complete number of such as managed the cause of he Beast have no more work to do. And these are said to be slain in a twofold respect. First, Acts 19 24. &c. when they shall see the cause of the Beast is destroyed, and they are like to have no more gain come in, Rev. 11. 8. for they have no work to do, for they cannot work in Christ's Vineyard: Now their hearts are filled with anger, Rev. 16. 10. madness and vexation, Mat. 11. 25. to see that inferior people, even the fools of the world, but the babes and sucklings of Christ, are raised up to speak the deep things of God, which those Masters of Art understand not: Rev. 13. 6▪ And so the seven thousand seeing their Trade go down, they grow very angry, and that beastly spirit in them, John 7. 12. opens his mouth in balsphemy against God, and blasphemeth his Name and his Tabernacle, 1 Sam. 25. 37. and them that dwell in Heaven: calling light darkness, and darkness light, and calling every truth an error, because it is too high for their understanding, and in this sense they are slain, and their hearts die within them with discontent, and vexation; and so they lie in hell, or under the dispensation of wrath. But secondly, Mat. 24. 26. these, or some of these shall be slain in another sense: That is, they shall even burn their books, forsake their private Chambers and colleges, and deny their Ecclesiastical Trade, which their Fathers and friends for worldly living sake have bred them too, Mica. 3. 5. and shall come in and join with the Saints to wait upon God, and to give glory to him; and some shall by the spirit of burning, or bright appearing of God in them, Rev. 19 21. be thus slain, and happy it will be for those among the seven thousand that shall be thus slain, ●Thes. 2. 8. for they have escaped the woe, which the other that are disconted and angry lie under. And the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven; Rev. 11. ●3. by remnant are meant the common people, that have been deceived by the false Prophet, or 7000▪ that managed the cause of the Beast; for when they shall see that Husbandmen, and Tradesmen in every corner, are able to speak in experience of things and truths which they have heard and seen from God; & their learned clergy begin to be slighted in their Office, and be ashamed in their own visions, though their persons be tender in the eyes of Saints, &c. Why now the ignorant common people are afraid, Zach. 1 that all laws and Governments shall be thrown aside, nay, the Beast doth buzz them in the head with such a conceit, to make the appearance of God odious, as if men now should live in sin and error, as they list without control, this the Beast pretends, but inwardly her fear is, she shall be destroyed herself; because the laws, forms, directories and customs of the flesh, are denied by the Saints, Hest. 3. ●● and Mordecaie that loves God, will not bow to proud selfish Hamon; and this is the remnant shall be afraid of. But when God is pleased to put it into the hearts of governors and Kings of the earth, Rev. 17● to take their Authority out of the hands of the Beast, Ezek. 38● 19 &c. as our governors in this tenth part of 〈◊〉 City have done in part; and when God is 〈◊〉 sed to shake down all injustice in the civil ●●istracy, and restores that to the beauty and ●●●●ty of justice and tenderness, as I am confident 〈◊〉 is about that work, than we shall have no ●se to fear or be troubled that we shall have 〈◊〉 Laws and Government, Esa. 45▪ 22. for we shall then 〈◊〉 Laws and Governments according to truth, 〈◊〉 Magistrates that will tender, love, and delight to be executing justice, for the good and ●●●●ry of the commonwealth. But this is the misery of our age, Dan. 7. 21. men strive to uphold the usurped Ecclesiastical power, which God never made, Dan. 8. 9● 23. &c. only he determined to 〈◊〉 way it should rise and reign too, Rev. 11. ●. forty two months over his Witnesses: ●an. 11. And in upholding of this, which God is in throwing down, because the time is near expired, Dan. 12. 7. men are so ma● and ignorant (as the Beast hath deceived them) that they will throw down the lawful powe● too, Rev. 12. 9 even Magistracy, which is the higher power God hath ordained, Rom. 13. 1. 2. and commands every man to be obedient too. And they count Magistracy no Government; Act 17. 30. unless the Beast reign cheek by chaw by it as formerly in the days of ignorance; but it must not be so, Rev. 10. 6▪ for Magistracy in the commonwealth must stand, Rev. 16. 2. 17. its God's Ordinance. But this Ecclesiastical beastly stole● power in and over the Saints shall fall; for the seven Angels of God are sent to pour out seven Viols of wrath, to blast, curse, and destroy all the glory of the Beast. And when Christ comes in brightness, and consumes the remnant: Rev. 19 21. that is, when Christ by his bright appearing, burns up and consumes all● the ignorance, Esa. 54. 13. envy, discontent, unbelief, and al● the dross of the flesh in all people, and teache● them to knowledge of his will. Rev. 19 6. Then this remnant shall give glory to God, they shall then fal● down before God, and acknowledge him Lord o● Lords, and King of Kings; they shall acknowledge all God's Ordinances, and forsake the Beast, and rejoice and sing songs of praise because the Lord God omnipotent reigns. This Ecclesiastical power hath been a great troubler of Magistracy, Dan●● ever since the deceived Magistracy set it up; Rev. for when tender hearted Magistrates, have sat in the seat of Magistracy, it hath been a grief and burden to them: witness Queen Mary's days, as in the book of Martyrs, To imprison, Dan. 6. 5● banish, fine, and sometimes put to death, peaceable quiet men, that have no offence laid to their Charge, but about the matters of their God; as Darius bad councillors troubled Daniel, who indeed were a type of this Ecclesiastical troubler. For while the Serpent ruled still in particular persons, he was every foot put to his shifts to deceive and stir up new enemies against God and his Saints, Dan. 8● 24. 25. Rev. 17. when the old ones returned to dust: therefore he wrought very subtly to deceive the Kings of the earth●, that by them might be established this Ecclesiastical troubler, to be a standing Law; for as Daniel speaks, this King of a fierce countenance, reigns by a power, that is none of his own, but by the power of Magistracy, out of whose hand the Serpent hath got it by his craft. And so, though persons die that manage the cause of this troublesome Beast, and others come in their room, yet still the Office and trouble remains; And it hath been observed, that when some Bishops have first been made Bishops, they were tender hearted and zealous, but after a little time by managing this Ecclesiastical Beast, which their Office tied them too, they grew hard-hearted, and great oppressors of peaceable men, that were guided by God to walk sincerely, according to what they knew and understood, and durst not do any thing, Rom. 14. ●. 12. because others do it, or said it was a truth unless they saw it, to be a truth likewise. I wish this were seriously minded in these our days. And as it was raised by deceived Magistracy, so in every change of time, the maintainers of that stolen usurped power, did not rely upon God, to preserve and carry on Church-work, but still they were petitioned to Kings and Parliaments, to establish this Ecclesiastical power, to enforce men to a uniformity in Religion, but self-love and temporal livings were the bottom of that zeal, Esay 29. 13. &c. And so by the precepts of men, they have taught, or rather by compulsion have enforced men, to pretend a fear of God; for thei● Ecclesiastical power, makes men fear men, mor● than God, and so makes hypocrites, which hath been a power, God hath since Esay prophesied threatened, and executed wrath upon the managers. So that ever since this Ecclesiastical power was raised up, it hath been a troubler of Godly Magistrates, a troubler and silencer of godly Ministers, a troubler of common people in, High-Commission Courts, Sessions, and by Classical censures, & making men hypocrites to act contrary to their knowledge for fear of punishment. But if it please God to put it into the heart of Magistrates in kingdoms, to take back their power from this Beast, Esay. ●● and to let the government of Church-work lie only upon the shoulders of our Lord Christ, for it is his due right, he is King of Saints. Then the pure reformation of civil Magistracy would soon appear, Rev. 15. confusion and Babylon would die, and there would be peace among men. Indeed the main cause of all our national troubles is, the discontent of the whorish spirit in men that wonder after the Beast, Rev. 1. 11. but when once it is fallen really in commonwealths, as it is fallen in some Saints, Rev. 1. 4. than men will be freed from bitterness, and rejoice because the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. And Magistracy, which is God's Ordinance, will run in its right channel, 1 Pet. 14. to be a terror to the wicked, Rom. 1. 2. and to protect them that do well; whereas by this ecclesiastical power established by deceived Magistracy, the sincere in heart, that worship God in spirit and truth, according as God hath taught them, and they understand: These are, and have been troubled in Sessions, in Courts, and punished by Fines, 1 John 27. and prisons, &c. But the loose-hearted that will be of any Religion that the most is of, these have their liberty without restraint, and so Magistracy hath acted quite backwards, in punishing them that do ●●ell, and protecting in a hypocritical liberty them that do evil. O that our Magistrates would let Church-work alone to Christ, upon whose shoulders they shall find the government lies, and not upon theirs; and then in the wisdom and strength of Christ, they would govern commonwealths in justice, love, and righteousness, more peaceably. All that I shall say in conclusion is this, Wait patiently upon the Lord, let every man that loves God, endeavour by the spirit of wisdom, meekness, and love, to dry up the river Euphrates; even this spirit of bitterness, that like a great River hath over-flowed the Earth of mankind. For it is not revenge, Prov. 10, Matth. 7. 2. fines, fightings, that will subdue a tumultuous spirit; but a soft answer, love and meekness, tenderness and justice, to do as we would be done unto: This will appease wrath. When this Son of righteousness and love arises in Magistrates and people, one to another, than these tumultuous national storms will cease, and not till then. This Son is risen in some, or else these tumultuous storms would have made it a cold and uncomfortable season before this time. This son will rise higher, and must rise higher, and the bright shining of it will be England's liberty. Well, I am confident, that those that are very violent in spirit, without double-dealing, acting outwardly what merely is in their hearts and knowledge, though for the present they are tormented even in Hell night and day by that unquiet Spirit; yet these 〈…〉 make and enjoy a peaceable, quiet, and righteous spirit, and I believe within a short time, and they shall be delivered from this serpent's bondage, and God's kingdom shall enter into them; and when men have wearied out themselves in following their lusts, than is God's time to take them up into his rest and liberty. This work God maniests in some, that are scattered up and down, like a few drops of hail before the shower fall in force. And when he works in general, than the shower of hail shall fall in force, and sweep away all the refuge of lies before it; that is, plentiful discoveries of God in every man, burns up the dross of the flesh, and plentiful increase of Saints in a kingdom, is like a shower of hail, that sweeps away all abominations in States and Churches: And such a time as this is coming on, when the seventh Angel sounds. And I shall leave with you one Scripture, with which I will conclude. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his Temple the ark of his Testament, and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. Commander in chief is God himself, 〈◊〉. 3. who rules the Spirits of men: 〈◊〉. 6. Wait then on him, uproars to quell, 〈◊〉. 29. and settle peace again. 〈◊〉. 14. 13. Those that do rise for fleshly ends, 〈◊〉. 17. 33. a kingdom for to trouble, ●●n. 23. 27. Shall lose their pains, 〈◊〉 2. 22. undo themselves, and vanish like a bubble. God's shaking Nations, 〈◊〉 38. 19 trying men, and changing times and customs, 〈◊〉 9 19▪ Ruining the Beast, and saving men, amidst these great combustions. 〈◊〉 24. 1. 2● Cease striving then, 〈◊〉 ●5. 22. ye sons of men, Destroy not one another: 〈◊〉. 12. 19 God will avenge him that's oppressed, 〈◊〉 ●3. 2. by Christ our elder brother. His turn is next, 〈◊〉 ●2. 24. the Realm to take, and rule the sons of men, 〈◊〉. 7. 26▪ And Beast and devil, Pope and Sin, Shall never rise again. 〈◊〉 16. 17. But yet men's hearts disquiet are, 〈◊〉. 24. 42. and bitter as we see; 〈◊〉. 25 Hot times have been, 〈◊〉. 19 13, hot times yet are, but hotter yet may be. For now the Image of the Beast 〈◊〉. 13. 15, appears to act his part; But he's a-falling, 〈◊〉. 8. 25. and Saints shall sing Haleluja with joy of heart. 〈…〉 FINIS.