THE SOUNDING OF THE TWO LAST TRUMPETS, the sixth and seventh: OR Meditations by way of Paraphrase upon the 9th. 10th. and 11th. Chapters of the REVELATION, as containing a Prophecy of these last Times.  
Digested by Henry Burton during his Banishment, and close imprisonment in the Isle of GVERNSEY.  Revel. 1.11.11. 
I heard a great voice as of a Trumpet, saying, what thou seest Write in a Book, and send it to the Churches.  
LONDON: Printed for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the Brazen Serpent in Paul's Churchyard, 1641.   

TO The Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Honourable House of Commons now assembled in Parliament.  
MOst Noble & grave Senate, having by me a certain Idea of some Meditations upon the sounding of the sixth Trumpet, which Idea I first conceived in my close Prison and Exile, the womb of its breeding, forming, and growing to that small stature it is of: and finding (by comparing with this trumpets sound, the sight of those remarkable things within the circuit of our times) such an harmony between them, as the things themselves seemed to return a full echo to the sound; which as it afforded me matter to exercise and recreate my thoughts, and so to deceive the natural taedium of so horrid a solitariness, and to support humane infirmities with some hope, that it was not impossible (all circumstances weighed) that such a dying life (merely upheld by a divine power) might yet survive to be an eyewitness of the accomplishment of the things then remaining to be fulfilled: so now (though so long since my return) I have conceived it might be not altogether unseasonable for your godly wisdoms to take notice of it, as who have no small interest in it, seeing it hath pleased the Divine Providence in so full and important a season to call you together to be the grand Agents and Instruments of accomplishing his great work falling within the sound of this Trumpet, and hastening on the terrible summons and consummation of the seventh and last: to whom then should I now dedicate these my Meditations but to your worthy selves, and that not only for the interest you have of right in them, but in me also, whose deliverance from Prison and Exile, your unanimous votes made the handsel and first-fruits, and so the happy Auspicia of this ever famous and unparallelled Parliament? so as I have received, and do enjoy a second life, which under God I own to the immaculate justice of this Honourable House; nor a life only, but (which is better than this life) a glorious liberty, and that not only from a perpetual prison and exile, but (with many thousands more) from the bonds and chains of a Babylonish and Antichristian captivity, from the remainder whereof (still surviving) we hope and pray for a full deliverance by you. And for me, if my late testimony against the 
a Revel. 11.7.  Beast may come in for a share with those 
b Ibid. v. 3.  two witnesses mentioned in this sixth Trumpet (which I am fare from arrogating to myself) than this I dare be bold to say, that your unanimous vote which called me from Exile, is that Great voice from Heaven, saying to the Witnesses, Come up hither. And was not that a Great voice, which was made up of the whole House, none contradicting, when the widow's petition for her exiled Husband's liberty was read and granted? And the Order for his liberty came it not to his Prison just in the beginning of that month, which made up three years and half, answering to three days & a half, as here ye shall find it calculated? But I submit all to the charitable & judicious interpretation of your excellent wisdoms. But little thoughts had I of such a Parliament as this, when these Meditations were a working. And this I humbly pray you to take notice of, that I have, without any alteration, or addition, of second thoughts, presented these my Meditations unto your Honours, as they were first conceived, that wherein (at such a distance, as I then was) they have come home to the Prophecy, God may have the Glory, and wherein short, or wide, humane frailty may obtain pity and pardon. Now the Lord jesus Christ be pleased to continue his March before you, and fill your hearts more and more with all holy Zeal and invincible courage, to fight his spiritual Battle against the Beast and his Crew, that you being his Called, and Chosen, and Faithful, may with the Lamb overcome, and reign with him for evermore, which is and ever shall be the fervent prayer of  
Your ever vowed Servant, Henry Burton.   

The sounding of the two last Trumpets, The sixth and seventh: from Revel. 9.13. to the end of the eleventh Chapter: very useful, and much to be observed in these last times.  

AS the whole Book of the Revelation is a prophecy of the estate of God's Church, and of the grand enemies thereof, from john's time, till time should be no more: So the sounding of the seven Trumpets is a special prophecy of things to come to pass in the very last times, on which we are now fall'n, and more especially the sixth Trumpet points to these very present times, and the seventh to the now approaching time, in the end whereof time shall have an end, and so be swallowed up of Eternity. And for the greater both observation and confirmation of this last prophecy uttered by the Seven Trumpets, it is tribled in this book: first under the Seven Seals, Chap. 5.5. Secondly, here under the Seven Trumpets, Chap. 8.7, 8. And thirdly, under the Seven Vials, Chap. 15.16. The Seals are opened, that all may 
* Cap. 6.1.3.5. etc.  see: the Trumpets are sounded, that all may hear: and the vials are poured out to the destruction of the enemies of Christ, and to the consolation of his Church. The whole Prophecy is set out in great State and magnificence: as by Christ the Lamb, and Lion of the Tribe of Juda, and from him by his holy Angels. All which should draw our attention, as to matters and mysteries of highest excellency. And we may note how these three Sevens do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as 
a Mr. Mede.  some have well observed) that is, are coincident, and all fall within the same time, or like the wheels in 
b Ezech. 1.16.  Ezechiel, have their motion one within another. As (Chap. 8.1.) no sooner is the seventh Seal opened, whereupon follows silence in heaven for half an hour: but John sees the Seven Angels standing before God, to whom were given the Seven Trumpets, Verse 2. So as the issue of the Seven Seals falls upon the Seven Trumpets, as having their accomplishment in them. But before they sound, Another Angel stands at the Altar, the golden Altar before the throne, which is Christ, offering up much incense, with the prayers of all Saints, here below, which prayers, as incense, are accepted of God, Verse 4. and out of the same Censer filled with fire from the Altar, the fire is cast upon the Earth, whereupon the seven Angels with their seven Trumpets prepared to sound. And who so compareth their seven several Soundings, and the several effects thereof, with the several pourings forth of the seven Vials, and the effects thereof, he shall observe such a similitude between them, as will put him out of all doubt, that the seven Trumpets and the seven Vials, are all one and the same Prophecy. Take a brief view hereof. The 
c Chap. 8 7. Chap. 16.2.  sounding of the first Trumpet, and the pouring forth of the first Vial smites the Earth: the 
d Chap. 8.8. Chap. 16.3.  second Trumpet and Vial, the Sea: the third Trumpet and Vial, the Rivers: the fourth Trumpet and Vial, the Sun: the fifth Trumpet and Vial, the Kingdom of the Beast, the throne whereof is chief in Rome; so as under this Trumpet and Vial, the Beasts Kingdom is exceedingly 
e Chap. 16.10. Chap. 9.1, 2, 3.  darkened, as with smoke out of the bottomless pit, and the limbs of the Beast, the vass is of his Kingdom of darkness, even all such, as have 
f Chap 9 4. Chap. 7.3.  not the Seal of God in their foreheads, are tormented by sundry plagues, as Chap. 9 and 16.10, 11. So as this fifth Trumpet and vial seems to set forth (not excluding the former; for they have all a concurrence in some degree one with another from the very first to the last) more clearly the State of the Kingdom of the Beast, upon, and since the Council of Trent, whereby through smokes out of the bottomless pit, his whole Kingdom and Throne grew more dark, then formerly they had been; of that smoke, never such Locusts bred, which for multitude, greatness, and power, far exceed those of Egypt, full of Martial terror (as Chap. 9.7, 8, 9, 10, 11.) whose King over them is the Angel of the bottomless pit, Abaddon or Apollyon, a most cruel and merciless destroyer. And that this is that Great Beast of Rome, with all his crew of Jesuits and Friars, no question is to be made. And here by the way, we may clearly see, that by the darkening of the throne of the Beast upon the pouring out of the fifth Vial, is not to be understood the destruction of Rome itself (as some have imagined) but thereby is meant that universal darkness arising from the smoke out of the bottomless pit, wherewith the Kingdom of the Beast is altogether covered, like that palpable Egyptian darkness, the immediate fere-running plague of the destruction of their Firstborn, and so of Israel's final and full deliverance, in the destruction of the whole power, and flower of Egypt. That this is so, compare but the fifth Vial, with the fifth Trumpet: in neither of which you shall find any touch or footstep of Rome's Ruin, but in both a wonderful darkness over that whole Throne and Kingdom, so as unto them (by reason of the smoke out of the pit, namely gross, palpable, and damnable colours and pretences, as a black veil to cover their Mystery of iniquity, most cunningly woven up in the Council of Trent, but first contrived in the Pope's Conclave, the Beasts Den, at Rome) the Sun and air are altogether darkened, as with the black cloud towards the Egyptians, while the bright pillar of the Gospel shines forth clearly to God's people. And that this is the sense aforesaid, is manifest, not only by comparing the fifth Vial, with the fifth Trumpet, but also by considering, and comparing the sixth Vial, with the sixth Trumpet. For if it shall appear, that we are now come within the Sound of the sixth Trumpet, and under the time of the pouring out of the sixth Vial: then certainly the fifth Vial, and the fifth Trumpet are already past (saving only that all the Vials are still pouring out, and all the Trumpets still a sounding, till they all conclude in and with the last). And if (for the main) past, and yet Rome, the seat of the Beast, unruined, then certainly by the darkening of the Seat of the Beast in the fifth Vial, cannot be meant the destruction of the City of Rome. And thus having by way of preface premised these things, which also may serve as a key to introduce us now to take a view of our proposed matter, namely the sixth Trumpet: we now come, by the same Grace of God, leading and guiding us, to such Observations, as the Text all along presents unto us, and wherein our eyes are infallible witnesses of those things which our ears do hear from the sound of this Trumpet.  
Chap. 9.13. And the sixth Angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden Altar, which is before God, saying to the sixth Angel, which had the Trumpet, lose the four Angels, which are bound in the great River Euphrates: And the four Angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men, etc.  
In the former verse, after the sounding of the fifth Angel, it is said, One woe is past, and behold there comes two woes more hereafter. Whereupon it is added, And the sixth Angel sounded, etc. This shows us by the way, that the sounding of these seven Angels brings with it so many woes; even as the seven Vials are called the seven last plagues. And these woes are denounced and do fall upon the Beast and his crew: as those seven last plagues also do; as ye may see, Chap. 9.4.20. Chap. 16.5.6.10. etc.  
Now by the voice from the four horns of the golden Altar, which is before God, is clearly meant Christ's own voice, who is that golden Altar, even that only true Altar, whereof that Levitical four-horned golden Altar was a type, and to which the Scripture here alludeth. For as on that levitical Altar all Sacrifices and offerings were presented unto God, otherwise they were not accepted: So Christ is our only 
g Heb. 13.10.15. &  Altar, 
h 1 Pet. 2.5.  in whose Name we offer up all our Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And as offenders under the law fled for refuge to the horns of the Altar: So we being offenders against God, by our sins, do fly for 
i Heb. 6 18. 1 john 2.1.2.  refuge to Christ, so as the pursuer, man, or devil, may 
k Rom. 8.33, 34  not meddle with us.  
Again, Christ's voice here shows unto us that he is the great King, and Lord, that commands all things in heaven and earth, he it is, that sendeth woes and plagues upon the enemies of his Church. He commandeth his Angels, and they execute his commands.  
Lose the four Angels (saith he, to his Angel) which are bound in the great river Euphrates. Before we can come to know what's meant by these four Angels, it behoves us first to inquire what's meant by the great river Euphrates. Of this great river Euphrates mention is made also in the 
l Chap. 16.11.  sixth vial, answering to this sixth Trumpet. Now this great river Euphrates is that, 
Herodotus.  which environing Babylon, made it invincible, until Cyrus, King of Persia, did by his million of men cause the waters thereof near about Babylon so to be drained, into many deep and vast sluices or by-channels, as the main river for a time becoming fordable, his men waded through it, and so Babylon was surprised. And to this alludeth that which is written 
* Chap. 16.12.  in the sixth Vial, of the drying up of that great river, that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared. Now the Kingdom of the beast, or his throne, against which the woes of the seven trumpets are sounded, and the last plagues of the seven vials poured out, is that Great Babylon, the mother of whordoms and abominations, and the great captiver of God's people, as she is at large, and clearly set forth, Chap. 17. and. 18. And the Great river Euphrates, is that main strength and power of men, whereby Babylon is defended against invasion. This main strength of this Babylon is at this day the King of Spain, or the house of Austria, including the Emperor in Germany, and the rest of that house, yea & all those of that faction and confederacy, as the Hierarchy, or Prelacy, where ever it is, together with the wicked of the World that are made drunk with the Whores golden cup. It follows then, that those four Angels bound in the river Euphrates, whom Christ commands to be loosed, are those christian Kings, Princes, and States, which for a time, either standing Neuters, or being for Babylon, Christ raiseth and rouseth up to take up arms, for the diminishing and draining of this great River Euphrates by their numerous Armies, and potent preparations, v. 16. 17. etc. Nor is it uncouth, to call Kings and Princes Angels; for they are often called 
m Psal 82 16.  Elohim, Gods, as also the holy angels are. And Kings and Princes being 
n Rom. 13.4.  God's Ministers, and being especially sent by him upon any great business, as here, they may therefore properly be called Angels, which signifies, such as are sent. This is clear enough. As Chap. 1.20. The Ministers of the seven Churches are called Angels. And Chap. 12.17. Michael, and his Angels, do fight with the Dragon, and his Angels. And Chap. 17. Those Kings which once warred for the Beast against Christ, even they shall one day hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked. And the reason is there given (Verse 17.) For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their Kingdom unto the Beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And then he will call and send them, as his Angels or Messengers, to execute his will against the Whore. Even so here, the losing of the four Angels, which were bound in the great River Euphrates, is the raising up of certain Kings and Princes, which shall remove out of the way the main strength, whereby Babylon is guarded. And although this her strength be very great, and as hard to remove out of the way, as to remove the Great River Euphrates out of her vast Channel: yet these four Angels thus loosed, shall so diminish Babylon's strong Fortresses, as a way shall be made for her surprisal, and utter desolation.  
This then being so clear and plain, it points us as by the finger, to these very times, wherein God hath stirred up sundry Kings and Princes, with their mighty armies to make war upon the Emperor, the King of Spain, and the house of Austria, the main pillars of the Popedom. As the King of Sweden, whose continued army still keeps the field against all the Emperor's power, also the King of France, and the Princes of Germany, with the State's General (and I may say Generous) of the Low Countries. These may well be those four Angels here loosed, which now make war against the strength of Babylon. These were ready at an hour, etc. to obey Christ's Command, and will, (vers. 15.) for to slay the third part of men. Look but upon the desolations of Germany, & look also upon the late admirable victory, which the Lord of Hosts, of Sea, & Land, gave to the State's General against the K. of Spain's great Navy in the narrow Seas, wherein a third part at least of the men perished; And the war is still continued on all sides against Babylon's Euphrates, to abate the pride of her swelling streams, wherewith Babylon is guarded.  
Again, the 
o Verse 16.  number of the Armies of these four Angels, is said to be, 200000 thousand: such an army for number, as never was in the World. Cyrus (as is before noted) had 1000 thousand to invade Babylon, which was the greatest army that History makes mention of. But lo here an army, of 200 times so many, even 200000 thousand, to make war against spiritual Babylon, & her temporal power. Now by this number so great, numbered by God himself in this place, is especially meant such an army, as shall be invincible against Babylon, such an army, I say, as never was in the world. For God's numbering is his valuing, or as he esteems, & accounts a thing. As when he was about to destroy that potent & proud King of Babylon, Belshazzar, than Emperor of the World, with his Princes and powers about him, he said unto him, 
p Dan. 5.26.  God hath numbered thy Kingdom, which is expounded by the next words, Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting. So as on the contrary, here, where God numbers such an host, as here, to be two hundred thousand thousand, the meaning is, that these four Angels with their army, shall be so potent and formidable, and so victorious against Babylon, and all her forces, as if they consisted of such a wonderful number. For otherwise, God stands not upon numbers, it is 
q 1 Sam. 14.6  all one with him to save by many or by few. And his few shall be, as many thousand thousands, when he will get the victory by them. The King of sweden army, which he first brought into Germany, that got the victory over the Emperor's mighty forces at Lipsich, was far short in number of the Emperors thousands.  
In the next place is described the manner of the horsemen, and of the horses, vers. 17. to set forth their power, and terror: Then the manner of their fight: out of their mouths issued fire, smoke, and brimstone, wherewith the third part of men were killed. Here we see the manner of weapons and fight of these very times of ours, as by powder and shot, signified by fire, smoke, and brimstone, coming out of their mouths, as out of the mouth of the Cannon, those murdering weapons. With these are slain the third part of men. This, desolate Germany can witness, now turned almost into a Wilderness. And in that the horses are said to hurt with their mouths, and with their tails: thereby is meant, that there is no security from being hurt of them every way, both before and behind. And in that their tails are said to have heads like Serpents, it doth argue, that this army against Babylon is not only potent, but prudent and politic in managing of the war.  
And where it is said, Verse 20. That the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet repent not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship Devils, and Idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can sea, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repent they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts: hence we note, these particulars: First, that all this war, all these plagues (as is touched before) are against spiritual Babylon, against the Kingdom of the Beast, and the head and body of Popery. Secondly, (for confirmation hereof) this Spiritual Babylon, notwithstanding all her smooth evasions, and shifts to put it off (as the 
r Prov. 30.20.  whore in the Proverbs, wipes her lips and saith, I have done no wickedness) is found to be a notorious and egregious Idolatress, in as much, as all her Images of gold, silver, brass, stone, wood, are here in plain terms called Idols, as which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. Yet Papists do give that worship and honour unto them, as if they did both see, and hear, and walk, yea, as if they had a very Deity in them. And this is that Spiritual fornication of that great Whore, (Chap. 17.3.) with whom the Kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the nine of her fornication; as being no less mad upon her Images and Idols, and other service devised by men, than Drunkards are upon new Wine. Therefore is this Babylon the Great called the Mother of whordoms, and abominations of the earth, Ver. 5. But yet for all this you must not call her so, She will be called no other, but the Holy Catholic Church, the chaste Spouse of Christ. Thirdly, I note here, that all her idolatrous Service in her Image-worship is the worship of Devils: & consequently all Papists are the Devils vassals and servants. A hard doom (you will say) but it is as true, as God's Word here is true. Fourthly, Notwithstanding all this, and that God plague's the Beast and his brood, and wars against Babylon, with his terrible armies, and doth and will prevail against her, yet she is altogether incorrigible, incurable, though they see the third part of them slain, yet the rest will not repent of their Idolatry, and other Babylonian sins, as murdering of God's Saints and Martyrs, using Witchcraft and Sorcery, authorising of public Stews, and that for money, and robbing and cheating the simple people of their money by their Mountebank Masses, Dispensations and Pardons, and a thousand such like trumpery, being those sins that are proper to Babylon, to this Kingdom of the Beast. Fiftly, I note, here, that God raiseth armies against Babylon, & cuts her short, and pours many and grievous plagues upon her, thereby to bring her to repentance, or otherwise to leave her unexcusable. And so much of the ninth Chapter.  
Now follows the tenth Chapter, wherein are some things observable, that fall under this sixth Trumpet. And so what we find written in this and the next Chapter, till we come to the Seventh, belongs all to this Trumpet. This tenth Chapter is very mystical. For here are voices of seven thunders uttered, but sealed up, and unwritten. Yet because the very sound of thunder leaves some impression behind it, and though man's understanding cannot interpret it, yet the Conscience, being struck with terror, will pick some meaning out of it: therefore taking the Scripture still for our guide, we will assay to speak something of this Chap. by the way. In the first Verse an Angel is sent out with great Majesty. This requires attention to what followeth: He hath a Little Book in his hand, Verse 2. 
Verse 2, 3, 4.  Of which more is spoken from the eighth Verse to the end of the Chapter. The next thing of mark is the seven Thunders uttering their voices, but sealed up; and this followeth immediately upon the Angels setting his right foot upon the Sea, and his left foot on the Earth, crying with a loud voice, as when a Lion roareth. This is very mystical. But this Angel, by his description, should be Christ: the same that is described, Chapter. 1.13, 14, 15, 16. His standing with one foot on the Sea, and another on the Land, seems to allude to 
s Exod. 14.15.16.  Moses, standing on the Sea side, and stretching his Rod over the Sea, and crying with a strong voice of Prayer to God. Or it alludeth to the 
t Iosh. 3.14, 15, 16.  dipping of the Priests feet in the brim of jordan, so soon as the one foot touched the water, the Stream recoiled, and gave way. Both these were Types of Christ, and of his Church. And this which is here written, falling under this sixth Trumpet, is a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, and of the deliverance of God's people. Upon this cry follows the voice of the seven thunders, but sealed up. The voice of Thunder is the 
u Psal. 29.  voice of God. So the Heathen called their God 
x jupiter Altitonans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hom.  jupiter, the thundering God. But this voice uttered, is sealed up. But these thunders will speak plain enough in the next Trumpet, as also under the seventh Vial, when they shall take their effect in blasting and consuming the Kingdom of the Beast. For the voice of the Thunders is a Prophecy to be fulfilled in the Next Trumpet. As also (Verse 5, 6, 7.) the Angel speaketh what shall be under the voice of the Seventh Angel. And there is a secret meaning in the voice of the thunder, which is expressed, not in words, but in the effects. As the Lord saith, 
y Psal 81.7.  Thou called'st in trouble, and I delivered thee, I answered thee in the secret of thunder. This is spoken of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, where they cried to the Lord; and he plagued the Egyptians by his thunder; and of their passage thorough the Sea, when Moses cried to the Lord, and he answered his cry in giving passage for his people, and in the secret of his thunder in destroying the Egyptians. Even as David saith also in another Psalm, where elegantly describing that miraculous deliverance through the Sea: The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee, they were afraid, the depths also were troubled, the clouds poured out water, the Skies sent out a sound, thine arrows also went abroad: he addeth The voice of thy thunder was in the Heaven, the Lightnings lightened the World, the earth trembled and shaken.  
This is that thunder, in the secret whereof the Lord heard the cry of his people, in delivering them, and in discomfiting and destroying their enemies. And thus here, the voice of these seven thunders is sealed up, and reserved to be interpreted by the voice of the seventh Angel, when these thunders shall have their effect upon the Beast in his destruction. For thus also that which followeth (as before is touched) of the Angels Swearing, that time should be no more, is to be fulfilled under the Seventh Trumpet, when also the Mystery of God shall be finished, when all Prophecies shall be accomplished, and in the end of the World, all time shall be swallowed up of Eternity, as before. Which by the way noteth unto us, that the Seventh Trumpet shall continue sounding, and the seventh Vial pouring forth, until the end of time.  
Shall time then have an end? certainly. Here then a question may be moved, what shall become of the Sun and Moon, and Stars, whose motion is measured out by time, and which distinguisheth the 
y Gen. 1.14.  times and seasons, days, months and years of this inferior world? For answer whereunto in brief, because the question is full of curiosity, whether those glorious creatures shall cease to be, or their motion shall cease, as whereof there seems to be no more use, I find not clearly revealed: but this I find; There shall be a new 
z 2 Pet. 3.10, 12.  heaven, and a new earth, when the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. But how this shall be, or in what particular State or form, it is not revealed. Only this resolution is the best, which Peter gives: 
* Verse 17.  Seeing (saith he) all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation, and godliness, looking for, and hastening unto, the coming of the day of God, etc. 
a Verse 13.  Nevertheless (saith he) we, according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.  
It followeth, Verse 8, etc. Here John is commanded to take the little Book, which was open in the Angel's hand, who takes it, and eats it up, which becomes sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his belly: and thereupon he is bid to prophesy before many people, and Nations, and Tongues, and Kings. And this is the sum of the four last Verses of this Chapter. It is clear, that this little Book signifieth, or containeth those prophecies, which John, and in him Christ's Ministers under this Trumpet (called his witnesses in the eleventh Chapter) were to publish to the World. For upon the receiving of the Book, he is bid to prophesy. This place alludes to that in Ezechiel, Chap. 2.9, 10. and Chap. 3.1, 2, 3. where the Prophet beholds an hand sent unto him, and a roll of a book therein, which was spread before him within and without, and there was written therein Lamentations, and mourning, and woe: and he was bid to eat this roll, and to go and speak unto the house of Israel: which he eating, found it in his mouth sweet as honey. A just parallel to this little book here, all circumstances compared together. So as this little book containeth for the matter of it, those judgements of God, which john was to denounce in his prophesying to fall upon the Beast, and his Kingdom. The sweetness of it in his mouth, argues the 
b Esay 39.8.  goodness of God's Word, even when it denounceth judgements for sin; whereupon if men be brought to repent, it is sweet as honey in the mouth: but if they hear, and do not repent, it goes down into the belly, and the effects thereof prove bitterness in the end. The Apostle saith that God's Word is the 
c 2 Cor. 2.15.  sweet savour of God in them that are saved, and in them that perish. Again, this sweetness in the mouth of John, and bitterness in his belly, shows, that God's message should be sweet to his Miinisters, in receiving it, and delivering it with their mouth, although in the issue it prove bitter unto them, as being the cause and occasion of much trouble and persecution, which they suffer of the World; such as befell the Prophets and Apostles, and Ministers of Christ in all succeeding ages; and as we shall see more particularly in the next Chapter, to which we now come.  
Chap. 11.1. etc. And there was given me a reed like unto a rod, and the Angel stood, Saying, Rise and measure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worship therein: But the Court which is without the Temple, leave out, and measure it not: for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy City shall they tread underfoot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred, and threescore days, clothed in Sackcloth, etc.  
Still we are to rememb r (as before is noted) that we are yet within the compass of the sixth Trumpet. So as what is here laid down, until we come to the Seventh Trumpet, Verse 15. must be interpreted, as appertaining to the sixth Trumpet. Within this sixth Trumpet then all this is done. John here represents (as I said those faithful Ministers, or witnesses of Christ, here mentioned, who living under this sixth Trumpet, must rise, and take the reed, and measure the Temple and the Altar, but must not measure the Court without the Temple, but leave it out. First, they m●st rise, that is, begin to bestir themselves in their Ministry. And wherein must they exercise themselves? In measuring the Temple, and the Altar, with the reed in the Angel's hand. This alludes to that measuring Reed which Ezechiell saw in a vision, wherewith he measured the Temple etc. as Chapter 40. and 41. etc. Now by the Temple here is meant the true Church of Christ, as is clear by many places, as 1 Cor. 3.16.17. 2. Cor. 6.16. Eph. 2.21. And in many places of this book of the Revelation, Temple is taken for the Church of Christ: as Chap. 15.5.6. and in the 19 verse of this Chapter, and elsewhere. And by the reed in the Angel's hand to measure withal, is meant the strait rule of God's word, by which alone the true Church of Christ being measured, is thereby known and distinguished from all false and pretended Churches. And that John, Christ's Minister is bid to rise, and thus to measure God's Temple, his Church, doth plainly argue, that in the time of this Trumpet the Ministers of Antichrist shall arise, and make a loud claim to the title of the Temple, as pertaining properly to them, and to none other. Among many other, take one famous instance. What a notorious book is published of late by the Prelate of Canterbury? wherein he sweats and labours to prove, that the only true Catholic Church of Christ over the world is made up of the many Prelatical Churches, as the proper members of the body; so as he makes the Church of England and of Rome to be all one Church; and finally shuts out all reformed Protestant Churches, that have no Prelates, as no true Churches of Christ. And because his single word (which is his best and only argument) may the better pass without control, he goes about tooth and nail to cry down the sufficiency of the Scriptures, as being an imperfect rule of itself to measure the Church by. And this his Book he hath been so bold, as to dedicate to the King, and makes it the faith of his Church of England, as professing one Faith and Religion with Rome. Is it not high time then for some John, or other faithful Ministers of Christ, to rise, and take the measuring Reed in his hand, God's Word, and therewith exactly measure the Temple of God, Christ's Church, that it may be distinguished and differenced from all false pretended Churches, and in especial from the Antichristian Hierarchy, the prelatical Catholic Church (as the 
d In his last reprinted Conference Epist. Dedic. p. 16. and elsewhere in his Book.  Prelate calls his Church) in which Catholic, his Church of England, and of Rome are both one and the same Church; No doubt of that? They be the Prelates own words. So as when the Prelate was so Zealous to bring Scotland to a conformity with England, and when the Scots read in his Book England's conformity with Rome, as to be one Church, and to profess one Faith and Religion with Rome: might not this (trow you) startle and move the Scots to expel and repel, to thrust out and keep out at the Spears point this Conformity? And so might not the Prelates false hierarchical Catholic Church, (excluding all Protestant Reform Churches from being any true Churches of Christ) justly incense the Zealous hearts of Scotland, seeing Christ thus to be dishonoured, and thrust out of his Throne, and Antichrists Prelates to be so mounted aloft, to cast out such usurping Lords, that so none but Christ, according to his Word, and the Lords Anointed, according to his just Laws, might rule over them? Thus we see how necessary this measuring of the Temple is under this sixth Trumpet, and what a clear note it is of the time, wherein this sixth Trumpet is sounded. So as we may boldly say, upon such clear evidence, that now is the time of the sixth Trumpet, when there is such need of measuring the Temple with the Reed, thereby to know and vindicate, and separate Christ's true Church, from all counterfeit and Antichristian Churches, that at this time do so boast themselves for the only true Catholic Church of Christ. As (in chrysostom) the uncertain Author upon Matthew, Chap. 24. hath observed. Let them which are in judea, flee to the Mountains: that is, saith he, let all true Christians fly to the Scriptures: for in the time of Antichrist, it will be impossible to know the true Church from the false, but only by the Scriptures. So he. But the said Prelate of Canterbury rejects the Scripture from being a sufficient and perfect measuring Reed of the Temple: and good reason, because on the one side, the Prelate makes the Hierarchy to be of the very essence of the Catholic Church: and on the other side, the Scripture no where approveth of Prelacy, or of Diocesan Lord Bishops, it knows none such: yea, and both 
e Matth. 20. 1 Pet. 5. 3 john 9.10.  Christ forbade it to his Apostles, and they afterwards never practised it themselves, but expressly condemned it in all; as in the Reply to the Prelate's Relation, the Author hath clearly proved.  
Come we now to the measuring of the Altar. As the Temple, and Tabernacle under the Law, had their just measures and Dimensions prescribed of God: so also the levitical Altar. Now under the Law there was but one Altar, one for  offerings, and one for incense: both these, as one, were types and figures of Christ, the true and only Altar under the Gospel. For as the Altar under the Law did Sanctify every gift and offering upon it (as Exod. 29.37. and Mat. 23.19.) so Christ is to us that only Altar, on which we offering ourselves and our Spiritual Sacrifices, both are Sanctified and accepted of God. This is that Altar (Heb. 13.10.) of which the Apostle saith, We have an Altar, whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle. That this Altar is Christ, and only Christ, is clear, because He being come, who is the true Altar, the typical altar must altogether cease. Otherwise those who still served the Tabernacle, might have had right to eat of our Altar, could the Type and the Truth have consisted together. And the Apostle expressly applies this Altar, which we Christians have, to Christ, as Verse 11, 12, 13, 15. where he shows the proper use of this Altar in sanctifying our offerings, concluding and saying, By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God, continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. By him, that is, by Christ, our Altar, in his Name, we must offer up all our Sacrifices, that so they may be Sanctified, and accepted of God. This is so clear, that no sober Divine, that understands any thing at all, can deny. So as the measuring of the Altar here, is (as the measuring of the Temple, whereof we have spoken before) the vindicating of Christ to be the true and only Altar of true Christians. And this is a duty enjoined all faithful Ministers, and especially under this sixth Trumpet, in these our very times, wherein we have seen such furious Romish Zeal in hoisting up of Altars every where, and boldly maintaining both in 
f Doct. Pock in his Altar l. Christianum. Rather Dam●scenum.  Books and Sermons, the necessary use of such their devised Altars of wood and stone, as without which God cannot be served, nor their Sacrifices sanctified: whereas these their Altars, with all their Altar-service & worship of mans devising, are not only derogatory from Christ the only true Altar, but also a flat denial of Christ, and a very Mass of all Heathenish impiety, and atheistical infidelity, and Antichristian apostasy. For that multitude of wooden and stone altars, which our Prelates do erect in all their Churches, are taken rather from the Heathen, as King 
g 2 Kings 16.  Ahaz and his Priest framed their Altar according to the pattern of that at Damascus, or from Rome, which took them from the Heathen, or from the jews, but if they say they take them from the Jews, (as they do many other of their Rites) than they very much forget themselves, and that in two main points: first, because the Church of the jews had but 
h 2 Chro. 32.12  one altar for Incense, and Sacrifice, and that was at jerusalem, they might not set up Altars in any other place, so as in their seventy year's captivity in Babylon they had no altar there: and at this day, the Temple and Altar at jerusalem being demolished, they have no Altar, as no Sacrifice, or Incense. So as no Jerusalem, and no Temple there, no Altar now of wood, or stone, or any other matter or mettle is to be set up in the worship of God. But the Romanists, with all their Prelates, and Priests, do set up in their Temples, not only one, but infinite numbers of Altars; according to that which the Prophet saith, of revolted Israel, 
i Hos. 8.11.  Because Israel hath made many Altars to sin, Altars shall be unto him to sin. And According to the multitude of his fruit, he hath increased the Altars. And if they object, and say, Israel built Altars to other Gods: I answer, so they did, & to the true God too, as they pretended, as at Bethel and Dan. But all these their Altars were alike abominable to God, and for which he utterly cast them out. And indeed all false Altars, with their service (what ever men pretend to the contrary) are set up, and done to the 
k 2 Chron. 11.15.  Devil, who in jerobohams' calves, and on those Altars was worshipped. And such Altars, such service as men have devised, are not done to God, he utterly abhors them. Such are all Popish Altars, and Altar-Service.  
Secondly, as these Altar-worshipers transgress in the multitude of their Altars: so also in the measure of them, they do not observe that due proportion prescribed in God's Law, but some are bigger, some lesser, some longer, some shorter, some higher, some lower, as pleaseth man's fancy. And therefore these their Altars are in no respect conformable to God's law, but they are mere heathenish Damascen Altars, either of man's, or of the Devils devising, choose which they will.  
Now such Altars, with all their pompous service, being in these our days, so outrageously cried up in all prelatical Churches, not only in dishonour, but desperate defiance of Christ, the only true Altar of all true Christians: and whereas under this sixth Trumpet Christ gives such a charge to his servant John, and so to all his faithful Ministers of the Gospel, to take the Reed that is in his hand, his holy word, and therewith to take a just measure, as of the Temple, his Church, that all may know and distinguish it from Antichrists false Church; so of the Altar, which is himself, that all may know we Christians have no other Altar, whereon to offer our Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God, but only Christ, all other altars, being false and counterfeit, heathenish and Idolatrous, and a service done to the Devil, and not to God, as being altogether and directly contrary to his Word, and a flat denial of Christ the true and only Altar: hence we may safely conclude, that this is the very time of the sixth Trumpet, wherein we now live. How ought the true Ministers of Christ then in these our days to bestir themselves, and fall a measuring the true Temple and Altar, and that with no other Reed, but that in Christ's hand, and with no other Rule, but his own word, that so his people (being truly and thoroughly informed which is the true Church of Christ, and which the false and Antichristian Church, which the Prelates place in their Hierarchy; and which is the true and only Altar, whereon to offer all their Sacrifices, that they may be sanctified and accepted of God, namely Jesus Christ, and that therefore all other Altars, and Altar-Service devised by man, are abominable in God's sight) may have no more communion with such Altars, and such Altar-Service, then with Antichrist, whose Altars and Service they be? Otherwise, such as communicate with them cannot be called the people of God, but are indeed the members of Antichrist. For, as the Apostle saith, 
l 2 Cor 6 14, 15, 16.  What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? For ye are the Temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  
And so we come to the third thing here to be measured, and that is, Them that worship therein; that is, those that are true members of Christ's true Church, that are 
m 1 Pet. 2.5. Ephes. 2.21, 22.  living stones of that living Temple, that are the 
n joh. 4.23, 24.  true worshippers, which worship God in Spirit and Truth, that worship at no other Altar, but Jesus Christ, praying and praising God in his name. These be they, here, whom, with the Temple, and the Altar, John, and the Ministers of Christ, and more especially under this sixth Trumpet, are to measure with the same Reed, So as the true people of God may be known and distinguished from those that be false and counterfeit professors, false and counterfeit Christians. For under this Trumpet, how many thousands (I speak not of those in the professed Popish Churches, but) even in the Church of England, where the Gospel hath been a long time embraced, preached, and professed, do 
o Though now since this Treatise was written, we see (blessed be God) by a late Order from the honourable House of Commons, the Altars to be dismounted.  communicate with Altars, and with the Superstitious and Idolatrous worship and service thereunto appertaining according to humane Ordinances and Inventions: and yet would pass in the rank of good Christians and Protestants, who if they knew what it were to worship at Altars, they would abhor all such Service? How ought Ministers therefore in these times to take the just measure of those that be true Christians, by teaching the people out of God's Word what a true Christian is, and wherein he must differ from all such false Christians, as communicate with Antichrist in altar-Service and Worship, which is so rife, and ruffleth so pompously in this our time, whereby it appeareth plainly, that now the sixth Trumpet is a sounding? But perhaps Ministers will plead for themselves, that if they shall so do, they must necessarily undergo great persecutions, and suffer at least the loss of their Live, and perhaps of their liberty too, and of their blood, and members of their body, and of all they have, as some others have lately done. If this they stand upon, and so for fear forbear to do their duty: they may then sit them down, confessing they are no faithful Ministers of Christ, as john here was for obeying the command of Jesus Christ. Much less will such ever prove such witnesses, as by and by are mentioned in this Chapter, who, forbearing testimony to the truth, are willing to lay down their precious lives. But of this in its proper place.  

Verse 2.  It followeth: But the Court, which is without the Temple, leave out, and measure it not: for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months. This Court without the Temple alludes to that utmost large court, which was without the Temple in Jerusalem, where all the common Jews assembled, as also those of other Nations. And this court without the Temple here, by a Metonymy, taking the continent for the thing contained, may signify the company of those in general, that profess to be Christians, but yet are indeed and in truth no true members of the true Church, they are not of and in the Temple, but they are out of the Temple. And therefore that which is translated in our English, Leave out, is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Cast out, as also the 
p E●jce forat.  Latin, and the 
* jette horse.  French rightly render it. This is, as the Lord saith to jeremy, 
q jer. 15.19.  If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth. So here, john having measured the true people of God, such as worship him according to his Word: is bid here to cast out the refuse, such as do not worship God in purity and verity, such as worship not in his Temple, and at his Altar, to wit, in Christ's only Name; who though they bear the common name of Christians, yet they are not within the Temple, but without, in the common-outer court, which here is cast out, and not to be reckoned to be of the Temple. And this court john must not measure: it sufficeth, that having measured the true worshippers, by describing their true properties out of God's Word: it followeth consequently, that all those, which are falls worshippers, are those of the court without the Temple, & so to be cast out, (as 
r Gen. 21.10. Gal. 4.30.  the bond woman and her son were cast out of Abraham's house) and not to be measured, nor numbered with God's people.  
And it is added here, For it is given unto the Gentiles: that is, they of this court are to be reckoned among the Gentiles, and to be accounted as Heathen, and Infidels. For the purpose: what are all Papists, and all other altar-worshippers, and bringers in, and setters up, and Conformists to strange Service invented by men, but Heathen and Infidels? For as we said before, the very setting up of an Altar, and Altar-Service, is a flat denial of Christ the only true Altar, and so is mere Heathenism and Infidelity. Or else by the Gentiles here is understood the antichristian Kingdom, or the spiritual Babylon, under which the formal Protestants and cold professors of this age, under the sixth Trumpet, shall be brought in bondage, as back-sliding Israel of old was given into the hands of the King of Babylon. For these backsliders and Formalists, are those of the outer court, that is cast out, and the Spiritual Babylon is properly so called, for her Heathenish and Babylonish manners, (as Psal. 59.5.8. David calls Saul and his bloody persecutors, Heathen: and Esay 1.10. the Prophet calls the degenerate Princes and people of Israel, Princes of Sodom, and people of Gomorrha, as being in manners like unto them) especially her manifold Idolatries, wherein she resembleth old Babylon, as she is set out, Chap. 17. And how truly is this verified of our cold, or rather lukewarm Laodiceans in England at this day? Is not all England in general, and for the greatest part, brought under the Babylonish yoke in her universal conformity to Popery in setting up of Altars and Altar-service, after the manner of Rome? Are not all the Ministers and People therein (I say for the most part) made the Prelate's vassals, who have of late, more than formerly, set up the Image of the Beast, and his Throne, almost in all the Churches, and over all the Congregations of England? What Minister almost is there at this day, dare stand against the Antichristian Tyranny, now so highly exalted over all men's consciences? Are they not then brought under the Babylonish Captivity? Are they not given to the Gentiles, into the power of the Spiritual Babylon, a fare worse and more intolerable bondage, then that of the ancient people of God, either in Egypt, or Babylon? For that was a bondage of the body: but this of the Soul and Conscience. And thus this very phrase, [It is given to the Gentiles] alludes too the like speeches in the Prophets, concerning revolted and degenerate Jerusalem, whereof it is said very frequently in 
s jer. 32.24, 25 28.  Jeremy, that the City is given into the hands of the Caldaeans, or Babylonians. So here the Court without the Temple is cast out, and given to the Gentiles, that is (as is said before) to the Kingdom and power of the Babylonian Beast, which succeeds old Babylon in all her Idolatries, and bestial cruelty, in captiving of God's people.  
And it is added here, And the holy City shall they tread under foot two and forty months. This holy City here alludes to the old City Jerusalem, as the Gentiles here allude to old Babylon, which did tread under feet that holy City 70. years. But what is meant here by this holy City? This holy City is the true church of God, called the 
t Psal. 46.4.  city of God, and the 
u 1 Kin. 11.32.  elect City, and the 
x Rev. 20.9.  beloved city, and again (revel. 22.19.) the holy city, and the 
y Heb. 12.22.  City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. This holy City, this Church of God shall the Gentiles, to wit, the Spiritual Babylon, (called the Beast out of the bottomless pit, Verse 7.) tread under foot, that is, shall exceedingly oppress and afflict, making havoc of the Saints of God, the citizens of this holy city, making no more account of them, then of dirt and mire in the Streets; yea they shall defile and destroy the holy assemblies of the Saints, by corrupting the pure worship and service of God, and crying down all holiness, both of life and conversation, and Sanctification of the Sabbath or Lords day, in the public assemblies, and private families, forbidding preaching of the doctrine of Grace, and restraining Sermons on the Lord's day in the Afternoon, and persecuting all Godly, powerful, and painful Ministers, and giving public dispensation to youth and others for following of profane sports on the Lord's holiday, to wit, his own day, & many such like outrages they do. Thus they trample upon the holy city, as labouring to destroy, and bring into contempt, as it were by setting their foul foot upon all holiness. Like those wicked and false Shepherds in Ezechiel, 
z Ezech. 34.18, 19  that devour the good pasture, and tread the residue under their feet; that drink of the deep waters, and foul the residue with their feet, so as the flock of God must eat and drink that, which their filthy feet have trodden upon, and fouled. 
a Note here good Reader, that the Author writ this before this time of Reformation happily in part begun and hopefully expected unto a perfection.  Now when was ever the holy City, the true Church of God, in all these respects, more trodden upon with the feet of false shepherds? when was all holiness ever more hated & despised, & railed upon & reviled, & persecuted, & oppressed, & trampled upon, then now in our time? that we need not doubt, but that this is the time of the sixth Trumpet, under which we now live. How are the godly and painful Ministers of God in England misused, their mouths stopped, their wives, children, and families dispossessed, and cast out of their habitations, all holy and true professors among the People, vexed, wearied, and even worried by the Pursivants, and courts of Prelates? so as they are forced many of them to forsake their houses, and sweet native country, to go seek for refuge among wild beasts, and wild Savages, and wild deserts, 
b Heb. 11.37, 38.  wand'ring up and down (as the Apostle speaks) in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth, of whom the world is not worthy, etc. Thus is not the holy City trodden under foot of these Gentiles, yea, worse than the old Gentiles, the Babylonian Beast, and his brood, having lost all humanity, and all the properties of reasonable men, like 
c Dan. 4.  Nabuchadnezzar, when he grazed among the beasts of the field: when nothing will satisfy them, but the utter desolation and extirpation of the Saints of God, and of all holiness? What need then have God's people to cry, and pray with David, 
d Psal. 83.1, 2, 3, 4.  Keep not thou silence, o God, hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For lo, thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee have lift up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, come, let us cut them off from being a Nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent, they are confederate against Thee. But do thou unto them as unto the Madianites, as to Sisera, etc. as it followeth to the end of the Psalm. Let them be confounded, and troubled for ever: let them be put to shame and perish: that men may know, that thou, whose name alone it Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.  
But 
e Psal. 94.3, 4, 5, 6, 7.  how long shall these wicked thus triumph? How long shall they utter, and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? How long shall they break in pieces thy people, O Lord: and afflict thine heritage? How long shall they slay the Widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless? How long shall these Atheists say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it? How long shall these Gentiles thus tread under foot the holy City of our God? It is said here, Two and forty months. Surely, as the words do sound, no very long time. Two and forty months make up three years and a half, and not much more than those thousand, two hundred, and threescore days, in the next Verse. Now whether these forty two months be taken literally and strictly, or whether they signify some longer or shorter time is uncertain to us: this we may certainly build upon, that the time of Antichrists afflicting of God's Church, under this Trumpet, shall not be long. But this number of forty and two months being so precisely laid down, as containing three years and a half, we may be the bolder to take it literally for this space of time. Nor is it unusual in Scripture so to number, according to the strict letter thereof; as of Israel's affliction in Egypt, from Abraham's calling, just four hundred and thirty years: and the Jews Captivity in Babylon just seventy years. And in Daniel, 
f Dan. 7.25.  A time, times, and half, or part of a time, is taken for three years, and part of the fourth, wherein that proud King Antiochus (who was a type of Antichrist) should and did afflict the people of God. A time, or times, being interpreted by Daniel himself, to be so many 
g Dan. 4.16. & 11.13.  years. The like phrase whereunto we have Revel. 12.14. that the Church should be persecuted of the Dragon a time, times, and half a time. Which is to be interpreted, according to those times in Daniel, three years and a half. And hereupon it is, that the Jesuits, as Bellarmine, and others, stand so stiff, that Antichrists Reign shall continue but three years and a half, by which they think to excuse the Pope from being Antichrist. But it will not serve their turn. For we easily grant, that three years and a half, being the sum of forty and two months, is that space of time, wherein the Beast out of the bottomless pit, that Antichrist, shall afflict God's Church under this sixth Trumpet. And so likewise this space of time doth answer that time, times, and part of time, wherein Antiochus the type of Antichrist, afflicted the ancient people of God, which was a good part of three years and a half, as Tremelius well showeth in his notes upon Daniel. And if we consider the practices of Antiochus in that time, and compare them with Antichrists practices in this sixth Trumpet, we shall find a marvellous correspondence between them. Now of Antiochus, Daniel saith, 
h Dan 7.25.  He shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the Saints of the most High, and think to change times and Laws: and they shall be given into his hand, until a time, and times, and the dividing of time. Whereupon Tremellius notes, that this Antiochus was most blasphemous against God, and a most cruel Tyrant over God's people; in so much as he took upon him, and did arrogate unto himself divine authority in abolishing the Sabbaths, and other Laws of God, and did institute and impose new Laws and Ceremonies according to his own humour and pleasure. Now what doth Antichrist, and his Limbs the Prelates, in these our days? Do they not most proudly 
i See the Prelate of Canterbury his last Book throughout, together wi●h all his practices.  arrogate to themselves divine authority, and impiously blaspheme God and Christ, in saying, Christ thought it fittest to appoint them as his Viceroys in governing his Church? Do they not hereupon bear themselves as so many gods, sitting in Christ's throne, imposing their own devices, Ceremonies, Canons, upon the consciences of God's people? Do they not vilify the holy Scripture, as an insufficient and imperfect Rule of Faith, and prefer the Tradition of their prelatical Church before it? Do they not abrogate the morality of the fourth Commandment, as not binding us Christians to keep the Lords day for our Sabbath day? Do they not dispense with the profanation of it by most licentious and lascivious Sports and Pastimes to all youth and others, thereby also dispensing with the fifth Commandment, when Masters may not restrain their own Servants, nor Parents their Children from their laudable Sports (as they call them) that day? Do they not forbid Ministers to preach twice on that day? Do they not altogether forbidden sound preaching of the doctrines of Grace? And do they not 
i Dan. 7.25.  wear out (and to use their own Phrase) worm out godly Ministers, and good people, and make havoc of all holiness (as is noted before) and commit all manner of outrage and cruelty upon the Servants of God? And this their extreme outrage and cruelty hath continued now very near three years and a half, or forty and two months, I say the extremity of it, 
k Heb. 12.4.  as when they fall to shed blood, etc. though they have been playing their pranks, and laying their plots a long time, but more covertly and insensibly, till of later days, the flame of their Antichristian outrage hath broke out, ready to set all in a combustion. But I trust to see the expiration of these two and forty months to run out very shortly. And were there not such a time here limited, yet such hath been the fury of these men, like a hideous storm, or impetuous torrent, that it cannot be conceived it should last any long time, but quickly run itself dry, or out of breath. And God being so desperately and Giantlike provoked, it cannot stand with his patience, nor with his honour, to suffer long such affronts. And he hath promised to 
l Luke 18.8.  avenge the cause of his Elect quickly. And therefore certainly it will not be long, before he 
m Esay 59. 1●.  repay fury to his adversaries; and the rather at this time, when the Lord sees things so desperate, that there is no man to stand in the gap, no intercessor; but that truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil, maketh himself a prey; and there is no judgement (as the Prophet there speaks) therefore his own arm shall bring salvation, when he shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head, and the garments of vengeance for clothing, and Zeal as a Cloak. Thus 
n Heb. 10.37, 38.  he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith.  
It followeth, Verse 3. 
Verse 3.  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred, and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. Here it is to be noted, that during all the hardship of God's people under this sixth Trumpet, wherein the holy City, Christ's true Church, is trodden under foot by the Spiritual Babylon, or by the Beast out of the bottomless pit, yet God will not want his witnesses to prophesy, and testify his truth even against the most cruel and bloody persecutors thereof. And he will have at the least two witnesses, by whose testimony 
n Math. 18.16.  every word shall be established. Nor can it be expected, that in such a terrible time, 
o Amos 5.13.  an evil time, wherein the prudent do keep silence, there should be many witnesses to be found. But that there should be some, at the least two, God will raise them up, Christ will give them power. I will give (saith he) power, to my two witnesses. To do what? To prophesy, that is, to preach the truth, to witness it against all opposition, to denounce judgements against the Adversaries, and to comfort God's people with his promises. As the Prophet Micah, saith, 
p Mic. 3.8, 9 etc.  Truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgement, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. Hear this, I pray you, ye Heads of the house of Jacob, and Princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgement, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The Heads thereof judge for reward, and the Priests thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the Mountain of the house, as the high places of the forest. Thus the Prophet. Now who is he that would stand up for a witness against wicked Prelates, Priests, and Prophets, against wicked Princes and Rulers, against wicked Heads and Judges in a forlorn time, as here the Prophet did, except the Lord had first filled him with power, judgement, and might by the Spirit of God? Therefore saith the Lord to Jeremy, when he complained, saying, 
q jer. 15 10.  Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife, and a man of contention to the whole earth, etc. 
r Verse 18.  Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, & c? 
s Verse 19.20.  Therefore, saith the Lord, If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: Let them return unto thee, but return thou not unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall, and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. And Esay saith, The Lord spoke thus to me, with a strong hand, and instructed me, that I should not walk in the way of this people, nor to make a confederacy with them. Thus there. And thus here the Lord gives power to his two witnesses to prophesy, and bear testimony against the wicked and terrible enemies of his Church here under the sixth Trumpet.  
In the next place is set down the time how long these two witnesses shall prophesy, and that is, a thousand, two hundred, and threescore days. And this answers to the forty and two months of Antichrists oppressing of god's people, which is three years and a half. For a thousand, two hundred, and threescore days, make up (within one week) just three years and a half. So as their prophecy continueth during the great affliction of God's People under this sixth Trumpet. Whence we may note, here, God never leaves his people in affliction without comfort, nor his truth without testimony, nor his adversaries without conviction, but he sends his witnesses to prophesy even in most forlorn times.  
Then follows here the estate and condition of these two witnesses, expressed by their outward habit, they are clothed in sackcloth; suitable to Elias, and john Baptist. And suitable to their habit was their prophesying, preaching repentance, and remission of sins to the penitent, and believers, and denouncing judgements to the obstinate. And as was their habit, such were their affections, men crucified to the World, forsaking all, and accounting all things to be loss, and betaking themselves to their Sackcloth. It was no time now, as the Lord saith to jeremy, 
t Jer. 4.5.5.  to seek great things to themselves.  
It followeth, Verse 4. 
Verse 4.  These are the two Olive-trees, and the two Candlesticks, standing before the God of the Earth. In these words is couched a great mystery, and a great work signified, which the Lord is about to do in the time of this sixth Trumpet. For the finding out whereof, we are to compare these words with that prophecy which we find written in the fourth Chapter of Zechariah, where (Ver. 1.) the prophet is by the angel awaked as out of sleep. Which noteth a stirring up of the Prophet to great attention to what was now in a vision showed unto him, as being a matter of great moment, and diligently to be marked. In the vision the prophet Saw a golden Candelstick with Seven Lamps, and on each side thereof two Olive trees. This vision came in the time when the Temple at Jerusalem was a repairing by zerubbabel, and it was by the word of the Lord to signify unto him (as V 6.) Saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. This was to comfort and encourage Zerubbabel in the work (as also Verse 9) which the enemies of God's people did so much deride and mock at, as a work which could never be finished; as we read, Nehem. 4.2, 3. Where Sanballat spoke to his brethren, and the army of Samaria, having great indignation, and mocking the Jews, said, What do these feeble jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burnt? And Tobiah the Ammonite said, Even that which they build, if a Fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Now against all this the Lord encourageth Zerubbabel and his people by this Vision of the Candlesticks, and two Olive-trees showed to the Prophet, whereof the Lord himself is the Author, and not man. Therefore, he saith, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. That like as the Spirit of the Lord shown this Vision to his Prophet, wherein is shadowed out the indeficient and never failing Kingdom of Jesus Christ, who is the fountain of grace, and the good 
u Ro. 11.17, 24  Olive-tree, which runneth and floweth forth with Oil continually to supply his 
x Revel. 1.  golden Candlesticks, his Ministers and Prophets, by the light of whose Prophecy (as the Temple was founded and finished by the Prophecy of haggai and Zechariah the Prophets of the Lord at that time: so) the Church of Christ, in all ages shall be built up, repaired, and in fine fully finished. But in special this work, this great work of repairing the Temple, and restoring true Religion unto its primitive purity, is to be accomplished under this sixth Trumpet, wherein the Lord hath his two witnesses (answerable to those two Prophets, Haggai, and Zechariah, by whose Prophecy the ancient Temple, the figure of the Church under the Gospel, was repaired) by the power of whose prophecy, through the Grace and Spirit of Christ, his true Church and Religion shall be repaired, maugre all the malice of Sanballat, and Tobiah, with their Samaritan Army, to withstand the building, and notwithstanding all the scorn and mockery, power and policy of Antichrist, and his nimble Foxes, that think by their treading upon the wall to overthrow it. This work (I say) is to be performed, and is now already begun to be acted under this sixth Trumpet. And therefore, hath the Spirit of Christ in this place compared his two witnesses, and their prophecy, unto two golden Candlesticks, and two Olive-trees that stand before 
y Zech. 4.14.  the Lord of the whole Earth, as it is said in Zechariah: as it were pointing us with the finger to that whole vision of the Prophet, setting forth the perfect reparation of that Temple; to the end we might be out of all doubt that the Lord, under this Trumpet, is about the like great work of reparation, and restauration of his Church and Religion, which shall prosper and be accomplished not by might, nor by power of men, but by the Spirit of the Lord in the mouth of his two witnesses, and by the word of their prophecy, crying (as in Zechariah) 
z Zech. 4 7.  Grace, grace unto it. And for our further confirmation in the truth hereof, have we not a clear and evident demonstration of it in that admirable work of Reformation of the Kirke of Scotland at this day, whereof we are all eye-witnesses? And was this done by might and power of man? No. They indeed (as 
a Neh. 4 17, 18  those Jewish bvilders and repairers, as aforesaid) began to build, working with the one hand, & with the other holding a weapon, or having their sword at their side, to defend themselves against the Antichristian yoke of the Herarchie, as against Sanballets and Tobiah'sses; and chief to vindicate the honour, crown, throne, Sceptre, and Kingdom of Jesus Christ over his people from Antichrists proud and impious usurpations, which all Christian Princes and people are bound to do: as also they had their Prophets, with public fasting & prayer (such as the Jews also used at the repairing of the Temple) whereby they so prospered, and God gave them such favour in the eyes of their Sovereign, that they altogether laid aside their weapons, and so not by might, nor by power, but by the Grace of God, that great work (notwithstanding all their adversaries plotting and labouring against it) was in some good measure accomplished, to the everlasting honour and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and to the renown of that King, the Lords Anointed, whose heart was moved to become the Lords great Instrument in permitting, and assenting unto so glorious a work; whereby as Christ's Kingdom and Temple is now in a fair way restored and established in that Nation, and freed from Antichrists yoke: So the King's throne also is established in that Kingdom, and shall be unto the coming of Jesus Christ, by whom alone 
b Prov. 8.15.  Kings do reign, and Princes decree justice. And as the Lord hath thus begun his great & glorious work of repairing his Temple, and restoring Religion, so evidently represented before our eyes, as in a most clear Vision, in this sixth Trumpet, as hath been showed by comparing this Prophecy with that in Zechariah aforesaid: so certainly the Lord will finish his own work in other Kingdoms also where both Princes and people are deluded, and brought into (at least) Spiritual bondage under the Antichristian yoke, which though it be curiously painted and guilded over, and as it were faced and lined with Pharisaical broad Phylacteries, woven with goodly words, As, The Church, most Reverend Fathers, holy Hierarchy, Christ's Vice roys, and the like pompous and pretended titles, yet these be but golden chains, and silken cords, purple coloured, wherein to lead captive even Kingdoms and States, to make up the train of Antichrists triumph.  
And here, for a close of this excellent Prophecy in this fourth Verse, give me leave to relate a true story. Myself having certain years ago published in print, and that also by Authority, an Answer (entitled, The Baiting of the Pope's Bull) to a Bull of Pope Vrban the eighth, which passed up and down in England, inciting his Roman Catholics to stand for the Catholic Cause: and having set in the Frontispiece of the Book, a Picture, representing King Charles, with a sword in his hand, the point whereof was directed so, as it put off the Pope's triple Crown in the other picture over against it representing the Pope, with Verses interpreting the same: and having a young daughter then of three or four years old at most, to whom I (my wife holding the child in her arms) shown this picture, interpreting the same unto her: the child presently thereupon replied, O Father, Our King shall cut off the Pope's head: It must be so, It must be so. And this so redoubled, she spoke with such an extraordinary vigour and vivacity or quickness of spirit, and utterance, as both myself and wife were struck with great admiration. Now if a man should have said then, when this was uttered, that such a speech, proceeding so strangely from a child was sure some Prophecy inspired into her by God's Spirit, of what should after come to pass, would have found but a few to give credit thereunto, but rather would have been laughed to scorn. Although I presently thereupon said to my wife, surely this in time may prove to be a true Prophecy; God is able to bring it to pass, though never so unlikely. But now that we see the Hierarchy utterly razed and rooted out of the Kingdom of Scotland, and that by King Charles his Royal assent, ratifying the same in Parliament: tell me, what think ye? Was not here a cutting off of the Pope's head by the King, as touching his Kingdom of Scotland? For is not the Pope's headship upheld in chief in the Prelates, and Hierarchy? Might not then the child's speech be a Prophecy, being thus far verified in so great and unexpected a work as this? And if so, why may it not reach to be a like verified in cutting off the Pope's head also in England, as it is now in Scotland? Is any thing hard to the 
c Pro. 21.1.  Lord, who hath the King's heart in his hand, as the rivers of waters, turning it whithersoever he will? But for this we must patiently wait, and incessantly pray, that the Lord will bring to pass his own counsel, and finish his work thus begun, and that Antichrists Throne and Kingdom being thrown down and destroyed, Christ alone may reign in the hearts and consciences of his people, and the King's Crown may ever flourish and shine forth in the beauty of abundance of peace and prosperity, till time shall be no more. Nay, whither the child prophesied, or no: here we have a most sure word of Prophecy, which tells us what Christ is now a working, namely, the great Reformation of his Church, and Restauration of Religion, which as he hath so gloriously begun to do in Scotland, so I trust he will show the like mercy to England, (though a sinful Nation) in rooting out those wicked limbs of the Beast, by whom Religion, and the whole Land is so of late, more than ever before since Queen Elizabeth's days, defiled. Yea, we may be as sure hereof, as we are sure this is God's Word, that the Lord will, and that very speedily, so finish this work now begun, within the compass of this sixth Trumpet, as not all the power and policy of Antichrist and his Confederates shall be able either to prevent it, or ever to overthrow it. For Christ's Word here must needs be fulfilled, which saith, These are the two Olive-trees, and the two Candlesticks, which stand before the GOD of the earth: As if he had said, Even as the vision of the golden Candlestick, and of the two Olive-trees on each side thereof, standing before the Lord of the whole earth, was showed unto the Prophet Zechariah; to be a word of the Lord to encourage Zerubbabel the Prince, and the people of God in repairing and finishing of the Temple in Jerusalem, then in hand, which the enemies of Judah resisted and withstood with all their might and malice, but were not able to frustrate the work: So I have here purposely named my two witnesses the two Olive-trees, and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth, that it may be the like vision (as it were) to my people living under the sixth Trumpet to encourage them not only to begin, but to proceed to the finishing and perfecting of the work of Reformation of Religion, and restauration of my spiritual Temple, the Church; and though the adversaries be potent, and labour tooth and nail to hinder the work, and my people are weak: yet know, that it is 
d Zechar 4.7.  not by might, or by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. For 
e Esay 46 10.  my Counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. And as for thine enemies, O my people, fear them not, but say unto them, 
f Esay 8.10.  Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught: Speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. And I say to thee, O my people, Behold, 
g Esay 54.16, 17.  I have created the Smith, that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an Instrument for his work, and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is form against thee, shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. And thus much of this Verse.  
Now follows Verse 5.6. 
Verse 5.6.  And if any man shall hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 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 often as they wil  
In these two Verses is set forth the efficacy of that power, which Christ giveth to his two witnesses in their prophesying. And this power is such, as that of Elias, and that of Moses was. For first, here is an allusion to the power and spirit of Elias, in the fifth Verse, wherein this speech is redoubled: thus, If any man shall hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. How is that? 
h 2 King. 1.  Elias we know, when the first Captain with his 50 men were sent to fetch him by force to King Ahaziah, saying unto him, Thou man of God, the King hath said, come down: answered, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee, and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him, and his fifty. And the like befell the second Captain, and his fifty. Thus fire came out of Elias his mouth, and it consumed or devoured his enemies. And this was done twice. Accordingly, here it is twice repeated, If any man hurt them, etc. Now by fire coming out of their mouth, is not meant literally, that fire proceedeth out of their mouth: but that, as Elias by his word brought fire down from Heaven, wherein his Word took effect: so the judgements, which these two witnesses shall denounce against their injurious adversaries, the implacable & furious enemies of God's Church, that will not be brought by the word of their prophecy to repentance, shall as certainly come to pass, and fall upon them to their destruction, as that fire did fall from Heaven upon those men, according to Elias his word. I say, if they repent not. For the third Captain with his fifty, we see humbled himself, and entreated Elias, so as Elias went with him to the King; but being come, what judgement he denounced against that wicked idolatrous King, fell upon him also, that he died of his sickness. And in this respect God's Word in the mouth of his Prophets is compared to a fire; so as he that resists this word, is as the foolish fly, that flappeth against the flaming of the Candle, and so is consumed in the flame. And the like manner of speech the Scripture useth elsewhere. As Revel. 2.16. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth. And Chap. 19.21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth. Which is all one with that speech, 2 Thess. 2.8. And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth. So we see what is here meant by the fire,  proceedeth out of the mouth of these two witnesses; And this word, If any man hurt them, in the original it is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is. If any man will do them injury, or offer them violence against all law and equity: fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: that is, the word of their prophecy shall bring as certain destruction upon their injurious enemies, as Elias his word brought fire from Heaven upon those that were sent to take him. And therefore the word is here doubled (as before is noted) for the certainty of it, as was 
i Gen. 41.  Pharaohs dream.  
Again, it is said here, These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy. This also alludes to Elias, whose word of prophecy did shut up the heavens, that it reigned not for the space of three years and a half, in the time of Ahabs' Reign. So as here again is set forth the power of these two witnesses prophesy, in bringing judgements upon the Land, where God's Word is not received and entertained in that love and respect as it ought to be, but that the witnesses, even for no other cause, but the words sake, which they prophesy, are injuriously and violently handled against all Law and justice, yea, and all humanity, in all best iall cruelty. And therefore no marvel, if in the time of their prophecy being thus evil entreated, manifold judgements in sundry kinds do fall upon a Land, as the Sword, Famine, Pestilence, or the like. Yea, and if God send extraordinary foul weather in an extreme abundance of a long continued rain, and that against harvest, as we have seen lately this very last Summer in England, so as the harvest suffered much damage thereby: it were good, that they should inquire, and consider what is the cause, that hath so of late provoked God to send forth from Heaven so many tokens of his wrath and indignation, threatening even desolation to the whole Land, if they repent not. Are there no witnesses abroad at this time? Or hath not England defiled itself with the violent and lawless cruelty of shedding the innocent blood of some at least of Christ's witnesses? If it be so, as England can neither wash her hands from the guilt, nor stop the ears of Heaven from the hideous cry of that innocent blood: no marvel, I say, if England be many ways plagued. For these witnesses have power to shut Heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, as Elias did.  
Not only so, But they have also power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they wil These words have an allusion to Moses, as we said before; Who in Egypt had power given him of God with his Rod to turn their waters into blood, and so smite the Land with manifold plagues. And here seems to be more couched, then so, in this parallel of these two witnesses power, to that of Moses and Aaron. For the words here imply thus much, that as those many Plagues, which Moses brought upon Egypt by his Rod & word of prophecy, were so many forerunners of the utter desolation of hardhearted Pharaoh, & his obstinate Egyptians, who would not suffer God's people to go sacrifice to the Lord their God: So those many tokens of God's wrath, which have been poured upon England of late days, for their sore afflicting & oppressing of God's people by the Prelates and their officers, those Egyptian Taskmasters, & not suffering them to enjoy that freedom & liberty of conscience, which Christ hath by his precious blood purchased for them, but holding their noses to the Grindstone (as we say) and enslaving them to the Egyptian tasks in the observation of those many Popish Ceremonies so tyrannically imposed and pressed upon them; as also for that most impious crying down of the Sanctification of the Sabbath, and stopping Ministers mouths for preaching the sincere Word of God, throwing them out of their Ministry, and many such like, worse than Egyptian outrages, and such as were never done in any Christian State since the Apostles times to this present: those tokens (I say) do plainly show, that without speedy repentance, and a thorough reformation of these intolerable iniquities, God will certainly bring the Taskmasters to desolation, and in the same sea of destruction to the Egyptians will make a way for his people's liberty from that Egyptian bondage, wherein they have been so long, so miserably captived. Nor let it seem strange, that I match England's Taskmasters with those of Egypt; for by and by we shall find a spiritual Egypt, whereof that in England will hardly acquit itself from being apart, or party at least, if all circumstances be but well weighed. And so we pass to the Verses following.  

Verse 7.  Verse 7. And 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, etc.   

Here gins a battle, wherein three circumstances are observable: 1 The time when it gins: 2 The parties, or warriors: and 3 the issue of the battle. First, for the time, it is, when the two witnesses have finished their testimony. Then, and not before. Till then, the Beast hath no power to set upon them. Thus it was with the Captain of our salvation, John 7.8. My time, saith he, is not yet come. And, Verse 30. when his enemies sought to take him, no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. But when his hour was come, that he must lay down his life (as John 13.1. and 17.1) and when hereupon his enemies came to take him, Christ saith unto them, 
k Luke 22.53.  This is your hour and power of darkness. Till now, they had no power, till his hour was come. And when upon the Cross he came to say, It is finished, then, and not before, he gave up the ghost. Thus he finished his Testimony before his death. It is said of David, that 
l Acts 13 36.  after he had served his own Generation by the will of GOD, he fell asleep. And Paul saith of himself, 
m 2 Tim. 4.6, 7  I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. And the reason is added in the next Verse. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. Thus when these two witnesses have finished their testimony, the Beast sets upon them, and kills them. And here let me give you a most remarkable instance, wherein God is the more glorified. Which at that very time, when it was done, was observed by some neighbour Ministers in London. Only this I deprecate, that none do impute unto me any vain humour of glorying, as if I made myself one of those witnesses here spoken of, such an honour I assume not to myself. Only (I say) I crave leave to relate a truth. It is this. I having been 
n See a notable parallel hereof in Ezech. Chap 3.24, 25, 26.  shut up in my own house, by the Prelate's Pursuivants daily and hourly watching for me at my gates, the space of almost two months, in which time, notwithstanding their continual rapping and ringing at my gates, I was a compiling my Book of two Sermons, which I had preached in my Church the fifth of November than last passed; & fitting it for the Press, that so it might be a testimony to all the World of that truth, which I had therein delivered, and for which I was then questioned and troubled by the Prelates: the which testimony, as also my Apology for my Appeal, being now finished, and fully printed, and some Books for the King and Council bound up and brought unto me, the same day at night (and not before) came from the Lord of London, than Lord Treasurer, a Sergeant at Arms, with a number of Pursuivants and Officers with swords and staves, in the evening, and with great violence assaulted my doors, and broke them open, though very strong, and so came and seized on my body, sitting, with my family, in my gown, and making no resistance at all. This I thought here not unfit to be noted, as not altogether impertinent to this Prophecy, to which this example may seem to have some correspondence. And so much of the time, when this war gins; even when these two witnesses have finished their testimony, and not before. The Beast, for all his roaring, yet hath not the power to set his paw upon Christ's witnesses, until they have finished their testimony. And is it not lawful for me to add one truth more, that God may be glorified, and the hearts of his people raised up, and filled with rejoicing in him? This it is. Not all the Beasts hundred eyes, not all his quick-sented bloodhounds, the Pursuivants, for all their vigilant and eager hunting, could find out, or discover, where this testimony (to wit, For God and the King) was printed, though they left never a Printing house about London unsearched over and over, day by day, the Lord in his providence preserving not only my person, but my testimony also, that it should not be prevented, but come forth into the open light.  
It followeth: When they had finished their testimony, The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit gins to make war against them, as I have told you before. Here than we are to consider the second circumstance of this war, the two adverse parties, the one, the Beast, etc. the other, the two witnesses: the Beast is the Assailant, and the two Witness are the Defendants. For the Beast, he is here described from the place whence he comes, the bottomless pit: and secondly, by the manner of his issuing thence, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he ascendeth out of the bottomless pit. His rise is groundless, bottomless, out of the bottomless deep, and his motion is Ascendant, yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ascending (being a participle of the present tense) still aspiring with 
o Esay 4.  Lucifer, to place his throne above the stars, yea, above God himself. He is ever ascending, but still out of the bottomless pit, as if he could never get out of it. This bottomless pit is hell, the Den, where this Beast is bred, and whence he is nourished. And who this Beast is, ye may easily know, by his Picture lively portrayed, Chap. 13. and 17. compared together. He hath his seven heads and ten horns: Monstrum horrendum, ingens: the like Beast again is not in all the World. And the Dragon, the Devil, gives him power, Chap. 13.2. and Verse 5. Power is given him to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them. The very same Beast here, which maketh war with Christ's witnesses, and overcomes them. This is that Beast of Rome, plainly described, Chap. 17. And as this sevenheaded, and ten-horned Beast, hath his ascent, rise, and original out of the bottomless pit: so also his brood and offspring, as those Locusts, Chap. 9.3. who are this Beasts Warriors. Thus we see who this Beast is, from whence & whither he ascendeth.  
Now let us see what he doth. 1 he makes war against the two witnesses. 2 He overcomes them. 3 he killeth them. First, he makes war against them. Alas poor witnesses, for such a great and monstrous Beast, with his numerous brood, to make war against them. Such a power to make war against two? ●ut by this time Christ's witnesses may be increased, and multiplied to a greater number, and that by the example of the two here spoken of, whose more eminent and mighty testimonies cannot so go alone, but they will draw many others after them, to testify the same truth. Though it pleased the Holy Ghost to point out but two witnesses only, and in such wise to set them forth, as thereby we might come to know the full intent and meaning of this Prophecy, as hath been showed. Now the Beast having mustered his forces together, makes war against the two witnesses; not only against Them, but against all other whom he finds endued with the same spirit, namely, such as prophesy against the Beast and his Throne, and all those, that by their constant profession of the Truth, and refusing communion with the Beast, do become thereby the witnesses of Christ. For the Beast wars with the Saints. Chap. 13.7.  
But what be those weapons, and what those forces, wherewith this Beast warreth against Christ's witnesses, and Gods Saints? Surely, he useth all manner of weapons whereby to execute his beastly cruelty. And these may be reduced to two kinds: The Spiritual Sword: and the Temporal Sword. His Spiritual Sword is the brute Thunderbolt of his execrable Excommunication, direful Curses, and dreadful Courts, as his Court of Inquisition, and of High Commission, and other his Prelatical and hierarchical Courts, which are so many Dens, wherein this hideous Beast once enclosing the Saints, doth prey upon them, he and his Cubs. But if this his Sword prove not strong enough as meeting with some mettle too tough for it to ●●●rce, than he can command with a wet finger the help of the Temporal Sword, which is like Tamberlains black and bloody Banner, which being displayed by the Beasts power, and inspired with his fiery-mettled spirit, breathes nothing, but either fire and faggot, or Pillory, with shedding of blood, perpetual close imprisonment, banishment, and all other evils of this life, more bitter and cruel, by many degrees, than death itself. And this is his kind of war. But how comes he to do these things by the help of the Temporal Power, when commonly all his proceed are without either law, or colour of justice, except according to the Beasts own lawless Law? For this, he wants not his devices: for he will so contrive the matter, and lay his snares, as either the innocent (being brought into the Temporal Court, where also he himself will sit a Judge, and where his spirit is wondrously predominant) shall be forced to assent to the condemnation of his own cause before the hearing: or else, if he refuse so to do, he shall be censured as guilty of all those heinous crimes laid to his charge, though never so false and maliciously devised; yea, he can so handle the business, as the censure shall be agreed upon, and concluded, before ever his day of hearing come, and when it is come, his Legal Defence shall never be heard. This needs no application. And this is the Beasts manner of warring, right; nor should it be properly the Beasts war, were it not altogether bestial, void of all Law, or conscience, or honesty, or humanity. And ever his main forces and battery are bend against the two witnesses, namely such as do constantly testify and maintain the Prerogative of Christ's Kingly Government over his Church against the Beasts proud and tyrannical usurpations; and the truth of the Gospel and Word of Christ, against all Antichrists lies: and the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scripture against the Beasts unwritten Traditions, and Ecclesiastical Canons, the authority whereof he preferreth above, and opposeth against the Law of God. As for all wicked, profane, and impious persons, his Holiness hath no quarrel against them; for either they are such, as belong to the Beasts Den, or at least, though they be not of it, yet they are not much against it. Thus he warreth.  
Secondly, as the Beast warreth against the witnesses, so he shall overcome them. How shall he overcome them? Their faith and testimony he shall not overcome, so as to force them to recant, or desert their cause, or betray their conscience. For (Chap. 12.11.) those on Christ's side overcame the Dragon, by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their Testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Nor shall the Beast be able to overcome them by force of arguments and reasoning: for he is a Beast, yea, the Beast of all Beasts; his Arguments are fire and faggot, Pillory and bloodshed (as before) downright club-law, or a push with his ten 
q Revel. 17.12.  horns, or a by-back-blow with his paw. So as thus he comes to get the conquest over their bodies indeed, he can shut them close up, he can pillory them, he can mangle and torture them, and a thousand ways subdue 
r Matth. 10.28  their bodies, but can do no more. Luke 12.4.  
Not only so, but (in the third place) he shall kill them. Famous is the Beast for his infinite bloody victories over Christ's Witnesses in this kind, by putting them to death. But now there is a twofold kind of death, which he puts them to. The first is, by a violent separation of their soul from their body; as in the flames of Martyrdom. This hath been the Beasts practice of old. But this subtle Dragon, finding by experience, that his kingdom rather suffered damage this way, then won any ground, and that it proved rather an advantage to his Adversaries, and brought much hatred to his barbarous cruelty in so putting them to death: he hath found out another kind of death, and that, though not in show, yet indeed fare more cruel than the other; and that is, by a violent and perpetual separation of a living man from all the delights, comforts and contentments in the World, from his wife and children, from his means and livelihood, friends and acquaintance, from the Communion of Saints, yea, from all society of men, and in a word, from all the means of comfort in this life, Spiritual, or Temporal. So as a man in this case may be said to be killed, or deprived of life, when he is deprived of all those things, without which life cannot well be called a life, but a death rather, or such a life, as that in hell, where not one drop of comfort is allowed to those tormented souls. And as dead men neither see, nor hear, nor speak, nor write, nor have any commerce with the living: So these may neither see their living friends, nor hear from them by letters, nor speak, nor write unto them, nor have any commerce with them. Thus far dead they be. And in this sense we have seen some eminent Witnesses of Christ (yet living in their close Prisons in remote Lands) thus to be killed in these our days. Which being so, may it not be one evident sign, that we are now in the sixth Trumpet, wherein we have seen so many things to be come to pass and fulfilled, so particularly set forth in this Prophecy.  
It followeth, Verse 8. 
Verse 8.  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great City, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and Nations, shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves: And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelled on the earth.  
Now these dead bodies (as we said before) may be so called, in respect of a civil death, as dead to the whole World in a civil respect, having no communion nor commerce with the World. And the bodies are here named, not the persons, because persecuting Tyrants (as we touched before) have no power over the soul, but only over the body; this they may torment, imprison, 
s Matth. 10.28.  kill: but that's all they can do. Well, what of those dead bodies, take them in any sense? They shall lie in the street of the great City, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. What great City is this? Surely it can be no other, but the City of the Beast, together with the Suburbs. And the Suburbs are all those Cities or States, which are either subject to, or confederate with the head-city, which is Rome. We can not have a fit exposition hereof, then that which the Prelate of Canterbury gives us in his reprinted Conference with the Jesuit Fisher. For there he saith; That the Church of Rome and the Church of England (as also all other Prelatical or hierarchical Churches) are all one and the same Church; no doubt of that, as he saith, and as is noted before. This is his Catholic Church. And so this is that great City, which stands in opposition to the Holy City, and treads it under feet, as Verse 2. For as Christ's Church is called a Holy City, though it be dispersed over the World: So Antichrists Synagogue is here called a Great City, as comprehending in it all those Cities, and States, which make up one body of the Beast. This great City is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt: Sodom, for the wickedness, voluptuousness, profaneness, pride, and other sins of Sodom, reigning therein, and where they make open war against all holiness, and all good Laws of GOD and Man. And secondly, it is called Egypt, for its tyranny in oppressing and afflicting of God's people with their intolerable burdens. And for this, they have their Taskmasters, to wit, the Prelates and their multitude of officers, who force God's people through their whole Egyptian Provinces to fill up their tale and task of bricks, in the strict observation of all their Rites and Ceremonies, Constitutions, and Canons, the Spiritual burdens of their spiritual Egypt, and for default thereof in the  degree, or kind, the Taskmasters beat and abuse them, & if they 
t Exod. 5.15.  complain, 'tis to no purpose, they can have no remedy. Thus not without cause is this City called not only Great, but spiritually Sodom and Egypt. So as in what Country soever in the World, this Beast sets his paw, that is, where ever he hath his Taskmasters, the Prelates and their Officers (as where almost are they not? there is the Kingdom of the Beast, there be the Suburbs of this Great City. And whatever Country or State doth incorporate itself into an union or confederation with this Papal Hierarchy, becomes thereby ipso facto a member of this great City, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. And this being so, tell me, o England, art thou not become a member of this great body, of this Great City, of this spiritual Sodom, of this spiritual Egypt? For wherein dost thou differ from Rome itself? Doth not thy great Arch-prelate who is as thine Oracle, profess in thy name, and in Print, with an unblushing forehead, that England is of the 
u Conference Reprinted Epist. Ded. pag. 16. And pag. 376. & 338. etc.  same Church, same faith, same Religion with Rome? And doth he not shroud this his Book under the name of the highest Authority in England, as commanded by the King to be published? And hast thou not set forth Edicts dispensing with the open profanation of the Sabbath by heathenish Sports, and others, prohibiting Ministers to preach in the after-noons on Lords Days: as preferring thy profane Sports before the holy and divine Ordinance of Preaching, and so consecrating at least the one half of the Lords Day to Bacchus, or Belial? Art thou not then a part of that great City, which is spiritually called Sodom? Again, dost thou not permit (if not command) thy Prelates, the Roman Pharoahs' Taskmasters to vex, afflict, and grievously oppress the people of God, with the intolerable burdens of their and thine endless Ceremonies? And not 
x These things were then in force when this Treatise was written.  content with the old, thou addest new burdens, as the Egyptians did in denying straw, and those most abominable, as thy Superstitious, yea, Idolatrous Heathenish Altars, with all their Idolatrous Altar-Service, wherein thou art utterly fall'n from being a member of the Holy City, which thou treadest under thy feet, and even professest thyself to be of that Great City, which for its enthralling and oppressing of God's people, is spiritually called Egypt? O England, England, Repent hereof, cast out thy cursed and cruel Taskmasters, like as thy Neighbour Scotland hath done, & so suffer thy people, God's people, to serve their God as he hath commanded, and to enjoy their Christian Liberty which Christ hath dear purchased for them, and no longer to be under the Antichristian Babylonian yoke, and the Egyptian Taskmasters.  
Thus we have seen, as it were in a Map, the large Territories, and bound less bounds of this great City here mentioned, spiritually called Sodom and Egypt; in the street whereof lie the dead bodies of Christ's two witnesses: and where (as here is added) our Lord was crucified. Which is to be understood, not simply and personally of our Lords crucifying, but mystically. For our Lord in Person was crucified at Jerusalem, and yet not within the City, but without the Gate. And yet Christ in his Person was crucified by the first Roman Beast, the Emperor, whose Successor both in his Seat, and in the Image of his Power and State, and in all his bloody persecutions of the Saints, the Papal Beast now is; as also of the Scribes and Pharisees and High Priests, who put Christ to death, and so he with them is guilty of his blood: as Matth. 23.35, 36. & Verse 31. But he is crucified mystically in his mystical members, even in the open Streets of this Great City. Witness all those persecutions and Martyrdoms, which the Beast in all Ages and Countries hath caused, wherein the Lord himself hath been crucified, to wit, in his Saints and Witnesses. And what think you of those Witnesses, of whose crucifying on the Pillory in the open street, or rather spacious Palace-yard in the City of Westminster, we have been all eye-witnesses, and spectators? Was our Lord there, then, in them, on those Pillories, crucified, or not? If he were, and that upon such an eminent Theatre, and in the view of that Court, where they were so censured, the High Priests themselves, with others of high note, beholding and pleasing themselves with such a Tragedy of the Beasts cunning contriving, and cruel execution: was not this, trow you, a part of that Great City, where our Lord hath been thus crucified? O England, blush, and be abashed, yea, confounded in thyself, at these things: return at length to a sober mind, repent, and reform thyself, lest thou perish with the Beast and his Kingdom, whose woeful ruin hasteneth on a pace; as Verse 14.  
But now what becomes of these thus dead bodies? Surely they lie in the Street of the great City unburied. How long? Three days and an half. How so? The people, kindreds, tongues, and nations seeing them, will not suffer them to be put in graves. Just so did the barbarous heathen with the Martyrs, not permitting their bodies to be buried, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as 
Euseb. Eccl. H ist. l. 5. c. 1.  Eusebius reports. Thus our Antichristian heathen or Gentiles here, so called, Verse 2. as before. Now for dead bodies to lie in the open street unburied, three days and a half, is enough to make their smell odious and abominable in the nostrils of all men. So as this appears to be the meaning, these Witnesses being slain, or so, as is before said, they are kept above ground to become an object of abomination to all that behold them; and by their long keeping, they are made so to stink, as men pass by them stopping their Noses, and will not, or do not, or dare not come near them. And who doth, or dare visit the dead bodies of those Witnesses aforesaid? But they are not in the Street. True: they are dragged, or drawn out of the Street, they do so stink in the nostrils of the Beast and his kindred, and people. But yet they are above ground, they are not yet buried under the earth, though they lie buried within strong walled vaults, that none can come any more at them, then at the dead bodies of those that lie in their graves. But not lying in the street, and having lain now above three days and a half, yea, some of them three years and a half, and the least and last is now going upon the last half year: how come they to be reckoned here in the account, and numbered with the dead bodies of these two witnesses, lying three days and a half in the street of the great City? For this, we must take the sense, and not the strict Letter. The lying of dead bodies three days and a half in the open street, where all passengers are to pass, is to note unto us, that (as is before noted) they lie so long, till none can endure their smell, but of force they must be removed out of the way. And is it not so done with these? Their smell grew so strong, that they were feign to remove them. Whither? Into their Graves? No, they are above ground still. For it is added here, The people, and kindreds, and nations, and tongues, will not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. Who are these people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations? Surely all those of this great City, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, such as are the members of the Beast. For though sometimes, these terms, as people, kindreds, etc. are taken in the good part, for those of Christ's Kingdom, as Chap. 7.9. & 10.11. yet here they are taken, as Chap. 17.15. for those of Antichrists Kingdom. And for proof hereof, they will not suffer the dead bodies of the two witnesses to be buried. As we read of the Pope (as I remember Hildebrand) who after he had by his Thunderbolt of Excommunication blasted the Emperor, Henry the Fourth, and driven him out of his Kingdom by his own Son, and he dying in that his exile, his Holiness would not suffer him to be buried, so as his dead body continued unburied for five year's space. So here, with the same spirit of Charity do these his people, and kindreds, and tongues, and Nations, the whole body of that Beast, not suffer the dead bodies of these two witnesses to enjoy the ordinary honour of Christian burial, which even the Law of Nature, and common humanity commands. The sum of it is, they will not allow them any benefit, nor any right, which by the Law of God, and the Law of Nature and Nations is due unto them in that case: So as being banished in a remote Country in a close imprisonment, living indeed, but as dead men (as before) they may there rot above ground, before either Wife, or children, or friend, or acquaintance shall be suffered to come at them to perform that last duty, which all are bound unto, the burial of their dead. Thus if any shall deny this also, (concerning these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or dead bodies) to be a true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Symptom of this Trumpets sounding, which we ought not to think gives an uncertain sound: he may with as good reason deny the fulfilling of all Prophecies, even then, when their proper effects, being seen of all men, become to every man's reason and understanding, clear demonstrations thereof. Except we are yet to look for more monstrous beastly cruelties under this Trumpet, which can hardly be imagined by any Creature.  
It followeth: And they that dwell upon the earth, shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelled on the earth. These Earth-dwellers are the same, with those people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, those of the Beasts Kingdom, in the former Verse. These are said to dwell on the earth, because their Kingdom and happiness is altogether earthly. They mind earthly things, and place their felicity in them: contrary to God's children, who living on earth, yet have their conversation in heaven, and their treasure in heaven, and their Country Heaven. So as to be said to dwell on the earth, is opposed to those, who are 
y Heb. 11.13. 1 Pet. 2.11. Gen. 47 9 Exod. 6.4. Psal. 119.54.  every where in Scripture called pilgrims and strangers in the earth; and the earth itself called, not their habitation, but the land or house of their pilgrimage. Whereas on the contrary, to be said to dwell on the earth, is usually put in Scripture for all the wicked of the earth; as elsewhere in this Book, Chap. 8.13. & 13.12, 14. & 17.8. Where we see, that these earth-dwellers are all those people, over whom the Beast reigneth. And so, on these, all the plagues are poured: as Chap. 8.13. & 12.12. & 16.1. Luke 21.35. and in many other places. And in this Verse it is twice repeated. Thus we see who they be. Now what do they further? First, These earth-dwellers rejoice over the dead bodies of the witnesses: Secondly, they make merry: Thirdly, they send gifts one to another, by way of congratulation. And the cause is added, because these two witnesses tormented them that dwelled upon the earth.  
First, they rejoice over their dead bodies; as the Philistines did over Samson, when they had put out his eyes, they made sport with him, as with a Fool in a Play. He whom they durst not look upon, when he had his eyes, and liberty, now they insult over him at their pleasure. So these people of Antichrist do with the dead bodies of the two Witnesses, 
Sir Phil. Sydney's Arcadia.  as the cowardly Shepherd did in Arcadia with the dead body of the Lion, he came and trampled upon him, and beat him with his sheephook, and spoke big words unto him, and when he had done, boasted he had overcome the Lion. So these here do with these witnesses: in the seventh Verse the Beast overcomes them: and here his brood triumphs over them, who living were a terror to the beast, and all his crew.  
Secondly, they make merry. The Father in the Gospel when he had received his lost Son, is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to make merry; the same word is used here, upon the slaying of these witnesses, as a fat Calf, to feast withal. And such a kind of mirth is here employed, as is used at feasting. As in Amos (Chap. 2.8.) They drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God; to wit, of those whom themselves have unjustly condemned. So these. Perhaps they have their Minstrels too, as Fiddlers and Pipers, & dance about the Maypole, & that on the Sabbath day, in despite of these Witnesses, who while they lived spoke and wrote against these inhabitants of the spiritual Sodom. But let their mirth be what it will: in the third place, they send gifts one to another. They do not send gifts to the poor, of whom they can receive none again: but one to another, by way of retaliation or congratulation: this is their charity, as if they would now celebrate the funeral of these dead witnesses, would they but suffer their dead bodies to be buried.  
But what's the matter they are so jocund and frolic? Even this, because these two Prophets had tormented them that dwell on the earth. It seems they were such torments of these Earth-dwellers, as the Prophet 
z Kings 22.8.  Michaiah was of Ahab; who therefore hated him, and could not endure him, because (saith he) be never prophesieth good to me but evil. So these two Prophets, they tormented all those of the Beasts Kingdom by prophesying of judgements and punishments that should fall upon them from God for all their idolatries, superstitions, humane inventions in the Service they pretend to God, for all their abominable infidelity in their Altars, and Altar-worship, for their open and avowed profanation of the Sabbath, for their stopping of the mouths of Gods painful Ministers, for oppressing and silencing the Doctrines of the Gospel, and of the Grace of God, for overturning all true Religion, for persecuting of all true godliness in Ministers and people, for their favouring of drunkards, adulterers, swearers, Sabbath-breakers, and all manner of profaneness in their Courts, with other the like things, as tedious to rehearse, as to them to hear. Thus these Prophets tormented them. Now I pray you what torments shall such find in Hell for their living in all kind of sin, when they find God's Word itself to be a tormentor of them, in reproving their sins, and moving them to repentance? Is it a marvel then, that all the woes in this Book fall upon these dwellers on the earth? They do so dwell on the earth, that they are glued unto it, so as they will not upon any terms, no not to get Heaven, and so escape Hell, part with the love of it, and with the lusts of it. And therefore they hold none their greater enemies, than God's Prophets, that tell them their own. And of other profane Worldlings, none hate God's Prophets more, than the Beast, and his Hierarchy. For their Kingdom being altogether earthly, and sensual, (I might add also the Apostles third word, which he applies to the wisdom that is from beneath, from the bottomless pit, and that is, 
a jam. 3.15.  Devilish) they cannot endure Christ's Kingdom, which is altogether Spiritual, nor the Heralds thereof, who proclaim war against the Beast, and his Armies, for his notorious hypocrisy, who under the titles of Holiness, and Spiritual, and the like, advance their earthly Kingdom both above and against Christ's Kingdom.  
It followeth: Verse 11. And after three days and a 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. We shown before what is meant by the three days and a half, namely, the time, in which the Beast and his people do expose these witnesses to derision, denying them even that common humanity, which the very Heathen freely afford to all, as burial of the dead. And although the time of their suffering may be much longer than three days and a half, yea, three years and a half, yet it is reckoned here but three days and a half, both because the Beasts cruelty is so great, that he takes no more compassion or consideration of the time of their suffering, though long and tedious, then as if it were but three days and a half: and secondly, because such is the patience and alacrity of these Witnesses in suffering for the Name of Christ, and for the love of the Truth, that the time, though long, and the afflictions they endure, though very grievous, yet it seems to them but 
b 2 Cor. 4 17.  light, and momentany, and as it were but of three days and a halves continuance, in comparison: and Thirdly, it is expressed here by three days and a half, because the Lord himself will shorten the time, and hasten the deliverance in due time, in due time, I say, because it is a certain time, determined and prefixed of God; as three days and a half; and because but as three days and a half, therefore it is a very short time, as will appear more fully, when the deliverance cometh. But lastly, by three days and a half, we may understand three years and a half, as in Daniel 7.25. by a time, times, and part or half a time, three years and part of another. As Revel. 12.14. And why should I here conceal that speech which I used to some Ministers at Coventry in my passage to Lancaster Castle, who being sad at my departure, I said unto them, Come, be not sad, for three years and a half hence we shall meet again, and be merry. And truly (absit invidia verbo) reckoning from the fourteenth of June 1637, whereon we were censured in the Star-Chamber to perpetual imprisonment, it was just three years and a half when we returned from exile, even in the last month of the three years and a half, myself being sent for the very first day of that month.  
Well, when this time, appointed of God, is expired, what then? Then, after three days and a half, the spirit of life from God shall enter into them: and they shall stand upon their feet, and great fear shall fall upon the beholders. All this showeth unto us thus much, that God shall miraculously restore and deliver his witnesses, even as the restoring of the dead to life again, to the astonishment and terror of all their enemies, who shall behold them. But now a little more, particularly to clear the words: we shown before how the Lord's witnesses may be slain two ways, either corporally, in separating their souls from their bodies, or mystically, and in a similitude or parable, in a separation of their life from the world, that is from all commerce & communion with the world, so as their life is made no better, but rather worse than death. Now for them that are slain after the first manner, we are not to expect, that God will according to the Letter raise them up from the dead, as here, after three days and a half. And for them that are slain after the second manner here specified, though God should not deliver and restore them from that their civil death, (though he be able to do it, and will do it, if he have so determined) unto their liberty, and communion with humane society, as formerly: Yet this we are sure of, as God's Word here must needs be true, that of the very dust and ashes of his dead witnesses under this Trumpet (in what manner so ever dead) he will raise up again to life, and that in the time of this Trumpet, either those very witnesses in their own persons, or else in the Spirit of these he will raise up other witnesses, and such, as if they were those very witnesses formerly slain. Thus we read of Elias, 
c Mal. 4.5, 6.  Behold (saith the Lord) I will send you Elias the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the children, etc. Now this Elias was meant of John the Baptist, that morning Star, that ushered in the 
d Mal. 4.2.  Sun of Righteousness, that was to prepare the way before him. 
e Luke 1.17.  He (saith the Angel to Zachariah) shall go before him in the Spirit and power of Elias, to turn the heart of the Fathers to the Children, etc. Whence it is plain and clear, that John the Baptist was that Elias there prophesied of; and he is called Elias, because he came in the spirit and power of Elias. And therefore Christ faith to his Disciples, when they objected, that Elias must first come: 
f Math. 17.11  I tell you (saith he) that Elias is come already, etc. whereupon they understood, that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist. And Matth. 11.14. Speaking of John Baptist, he saith, This is Elias, which was to come. Thus we see, how the Prophet Elias, being dead and buried many hundred years before, yet was as it were raised up from the dead, to be Christ's harbinger. But how? Not in his person, but in his spirit and power. So as John Baptist, coming in the spirit and power of Elias, is called Elias, and in him the Prophecy is fulfilled, that Elias should come, and now in john he was already come. Now according to this sense, we may safely interpret this Prophecy also in this place: After three days and a half, the spirit of life from God, shall enter into them (to wit, into the two slain witnesses) and they shall stand upon their feet, &c: that is, after a short, but set time with God, the spirit of life from God shall raise up his former witnesses, that were slain, though not in their own persons, yet in other witnesses that shall succeed them, who shall be endued with the same spirit and power, which they had been endued with all. And this is that spirit of life from God, which entering into his servants, raiseth them up to be lively witnesses of his truth, full of vigour, strength, courage, zeal, constancy, 
g Revel. 12.11.  not loving their lives unto the death, but as it is said of Paul and Barnabas, such as had 
h Acts 15.26.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, abandoned, or given up for lost their lives for the Name of Christ. So that, as the same spirit of life from God entering into john the Baptist, made him to be called that Elias, who had been endued with the same spirit, and was foretold to come again, which was fulfilled in the Baptist: So here, the same spirit of life from God (nor is it said to be their own spirit) which the slain witnesses had, now entering into other witnesses succeeding them, they by the same reason may be called those very witnesses as being now by the Almighty power of GOD raised from the dead, as john the Baptist was called that Elias, because he came in the spirit and power of Elias. And in this respect, seeing the raising and restoring of these two witnesses, is perhaps not personal, but spiritual, it is not necessary, that we tie or restrain the succeeding witnesses strictly to the number of two only. For as it was said of old, Sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae, The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church: and as one seed or grain sown, and dying, brings forth much fruit (as 
i john 12.24.  Christ saith) so as one corn brings forth the increase of a hundred, and some of a thousand, as in some Countries, as of Virginia: So these two witnesses may in the multiplication of their spirit and power, and of that spirit of life from God, bring forth an abundant harvest, even great plenty of more witnesses, that sh●ll stand up for that Truth, for the which these two were slain. What shall we say of those many witnesses, whom the Lord lately raised up in Scotland, standing up upon their feet to maintain their Christian Liberty against Antichristian bondage, and to vindicate Christ's Sceptre and Government over his Church there out of the tyrannical hands of that proud usurping Beast out of the bottomless pit, who by his Egyptian Taskmasters the Prelates so oppressed God's people, as they were made weary of their lives? And when were these witnesses raised up? Surely, not much after three days and a half, that the two witnesses were slain, those (I mean) who suffered worse than death, for bearing witness against the Tyranny of the Romish Beast, and his cruel Taskmasters. And what other spirit, but that spirit of life from God, could raise up so many witnesses, so unanimously, and with such a wonderful wisdom, discretion, judgement, zeal, and courage, to stand up in defence of Christ's Kingdom against Antichrists Tyranny? Yea, and what other spirit and power, but that of God, could move the heart of his anointed Vicegerent, to assent to his people's just and religious plea, to have Christ alone to reign over his people's souls and consciences, which is his peculiar and incommunicable Prerogative. Nor could the King either have advanced higher his own Royal honour, or more surely have established his own Throne in the uniting and fastening of his Subjects hearts and affections in all love and loyalty unto him, then by giving Christ his due honour, who hath said, 
k 1 Sam. 2.30.  Those that honour me, I will honour: and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. Now blessed be our God for evermore for this his great and glorious work: and he ever bless his King, that as he hath made him a mighty instrument thereof; so he would strengthen him to the finishing of that work, which yet remains to be done in the purgation and reformation of his other Kingdoms, that so he may prove the most glorious Prince that ever reigned in the Christian World.  
And it is said here, And great fear fell upon them which saw them. That is, when they on the Beast's side saw those witnesses (whom the Beast had cruelly slain, and whose dead bodies they had barbarously used, not suffering them to have common burial, but insulted, and triumphed over them) now to be as it were revived and raised from the dead again, when they behold such a wonderful increase to come of their blood so cruelly shed, such a spirit of life from God so to possess many other witnesses, as those slain seem 
1 Here let the Reader still remember, that this Treatise was written before his return from banishment, and so towards London, on that Saturday, the solemnity whereof was so conspicuous and glorious, as it doth, without any other application, even naturally apply itself, as if it were the most proper fulfilling of this Prophecy, if either we consider the manner of that return, or the effect it wrought in the adversaries thereof, which caused in them extreme indignation and rage, even unto gnawing of their tongues, and gnashing of their teeth. And yet fear so possessed them, that all ●heir power and policy could not help.  now to live again in them: they are struck with terror, they are surprised with fear. For whereas they fond imagined, that the slaying, or cruel handling of two or three prime witnesses, making them sure, as dead men, would so have quelled all the rest, that not one durst ever after peep: contrary to their expectation they see a generation of witnesses to rise up after them, and so to affright their enemies, as if they saw an apparition of the Ghosts of the former witnesses returned from the dead. And if a man did now but feel the pulse of those Prelates in England, who have seen their brethren Prelates, late of Scotland, to b● cast out of Church and Country, and utterly cashiered, without all hope of restitution: should he not (trow you) find the spirit of trepidation leaping and panting as it were for life, as if their own turn should be next? But it followeth:  
Verse 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them.  
They (that is, the two witnesses thus raised and restored to life, as before) heard a great voice from heaven. Here Christ, either by an extraordinary voice inwardly calling, or by the ordinary voice of his word outwardly, calls his servants to take Sanctuary, as in heaven. Now heaven, here may be taken for the Church of God hereupon earth. So it 〈◊〉 often taken in this Book. As in this Chapter, Verse 19 So Chap. 12.1. the woman there in heaven is the Church Militant here on earth, as appeareth plainly in the whole Chapter, as Verse 3. & 7. & 8. & Chap. 13.6. and in other places. Now the Church of God here on earth is compared unto, and called Heaven, as in many other respects, so specially in this, because it is holy and pure, being purged, both for Doctrine, and Discipline, from all damnable Heresies and errors in faith, and from the vain Inventions and Traditions of men in the worship of God, 
m Revel. 14.4.  following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, that is, in all things obeying Christ, and observing his Ordinances, and subjecting their souls and consciences to none other King, but only Christ.  
They from this Heaven, hear a great voice: this is Christ's voice in his word, calling his witnesses from having any more to do with the Beast, and his brood, having sealed this their testimony with their blood, which the Beast hath sucked and drunk up. So as he now being found to be incorrigible, and incurable, so as he grows worse and worse, is to be utterly abandoned. As the Lord saith in Jeremy, 
n jer. 51.6.45  Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity: for this is the time of the Lords vengeance, he will render unto her a recompense. And the reason of God's people's thus abandoning of Babylon, is rendered, Verse 9 
Verse 9  We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own Country: for her judgement reacheth up to heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. And the like warning God gives to his people (Revel. 18.4.) concerning the spiritual Babylon, where john saith, I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. So here, the witnesses hear a great voice from heaven, saying, Come up hither; as much to say, as, Have no more to do with Babylon, nor with the Beast and his members, who will hear no reason, but have now filled up the measure of their cruelty, not only to you, but to all my witnesses that went before you, so as now there is no more hope of them, 
o 2 Kings 17. See also 2 Chron 36.16.  no remedy for them, being like those incorrigible and obstinate revolted Tribes of Israel, or like the Jews, that persecuted my Apostles, and 
p Acts 13.46.  drove them away to the Gentiles: therefore come out from among them, admonish them no more, but come up hither, keep you close to my Church, which I have altogether purged and purified from the dregs of Babylon, and there only hold your communion. Come up hither.  
And (as it followeth) they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them. We read, that Elias was carried up to heaven in a fiery Chariot. And Christ ascended up to Heaven in a cloud. Here these witnesses ascend up to heaven in a cloud. But to Heaven (as before is showed) namely, from their enemies to take Sanctuary as in the Church of God here on earth; it being compared to a high and holy Mountain, to which we must ascend. So as this ascending in a cloud, and that in the enemy's view, sets forth the admirable providence of God, who will miraculously make his Church a sure and safe Sanctuary (as Heaven) to his persecuted one's under this Trumpet, from the power and fury of their enemies; who may behold them afar off, but are not able any more to touch them, for they are now out of their reach, as being in Heaven. For in this Trumpet, God is preparing a way to the seventh, and last Trumpet, wherein he will take full vengeance upon Babylon. And therefore before the storm come, God hath a hiding place, to secure his. As he saith in Esay, 
q Esay 4.5, 6.  The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a Cloud and Smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm, and from rain. 
r Exod. 12.  Thus the Lord did, when he was about to destroy the firstborn of Egypt; he shut up his people in their houses, sprinkling them with the blood of the Paschall Lamb, 
Exod. 13. & 14.  that the Avenger should not touch them. And when the Egyptian host pursued them as fare as the Red Sea, the Lord separated them by the pillar of a Cloud by day, and of fire by night, until he had overwhelmed the Host in the Sea. And when he was about to destroy Sodom, he first separates Lot from among them. So before he destroy Babylon, he 
s Revel. 18.4. etc.  calls his people out of her, and then quickly after in the same Chapter follows her ruin, and desolation. So here, the Lord calling his witnesses away, and they ascending up to their Sanctuary in a cloud in the fight of their enemies, it is a sure and certain sign, and immediate forerunner of the destruction of this Babylon, that great City, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. And it is very remarkable, that before the destruction of all these three, Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon, the Lord doth immediately before separate his people, and provide a Sanctuary for them. Yea, not long before the utter and final 
u josephus, Of the wars of the jews.  destruction of jerusalem, (which was once Gods true Church, but now was become the Synagogue of Murderers, and Persecutors of Christ, and his Saints) there was a voice heard in the Temple, as from Heaven, Migremus hinc, Let us departed hence: whereby Gods small remnant yet there, being warned, presently fled to Pella, a Coast-Citie in judea, and not long after followed the sacking and burning of the City and Temple, with the inhabitants therein. Thus by these many famous examples we may clearly see what God is now about in this Trumpet to do, when he calls away his Servants out of Babylon, and Egypt, and Sodom, and the Synagogue of Antichrist, and puts them in a safe Sanctuary, even because he will speedily bring destruction upon those his enemies.  
It followeth, Verse 13. 
Verse 13.  And the same hour was there a great Earthquake, and the tenth part of the City fell, and in the Earthquake were slain of men seven thousand, and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven. See here, no sooner have the witnesses taken Sanctuary, but by and by, even the same hour, there is a great Earthquake. Now though there have been in the World (and still fall out) sundry great Earthquakes in divers Countries, as in Asia, and other places: yet in this place, under this Trumpet, this great Earthquake here is not to be taken literally, no more than heaven in the former Verse, for the place of the highest heaven. But the great Earthquake here is to be understood of the great and terrible shaking of the Kingdoms of the earth under the sound of this Trumpet, as namely by great Commotions, Wars, and the like, especially in Christendom, throughout the Kingdom of the Beast. And when was Christendom ever more embroiled in wars, then at this day? But here it is said, that the tenth part of the City fell. This is joined to the former, as an effect of this great Earthquake. First, what is meant by the City here? Surely that great City, mentioned, V 8. Which we have before described; even the Kingdom of the Beast. And still all the plagues and woes, which both the Trumpets sound forth, and the seven Vials pour out, fall upon the Beast, and his Kingdom. So as there is no question, but this City here is that great City, Antichrists large Kingdom. And what is meant by the tenth part of the City? For resolution hereof, we read, that the 
u Chap. 17.7.  Beast with seven heads hath ten horns. And these 
x Verse 12.  ten horns are said to be ten Kings. These ten Kings are said to be the ten horns, because they are the strength of the Beast. And the ten Kings have their ten Kingdoms, which make up the Beasts Kingdom, or his great City. Now what Kingdoms are those, which are said to be of this great body of this great City? Surely those, which do admit, and maintain the Papal power. The Papal power is maintained by Civil States or Kingdoms two ways. Either when they directly and professedly subject their Thrones and Crowns to the Pope, as to the Head of the Church, by virtue of which title he arrogates to himself a Supreme power over Kings and Princes (which is to 
y 2 Thess. 2.4.  exalt himself above all that is called God) to depose, and dispose at his pleasure: or when they do it only implicitly, or by some privy compact or league, or otherwise, by admitting in their Kingdoms the Pope's Hierarchy (for the Hierarchy is merely Papal, where ever it be erected) which Hierarchy consisting in the Prelates, as it is in itself a proper and principal member and prop of his Kingdom: So it is a mighty and main instrument of bringing into Subjection to the Pope those Kingdoms and people, wherein, and over whom they are exalted in their Episcopal Thrones, as they call them. And although in a Civil Kingdom or State, where the Gospel is professed, & the Pope's Supremacy disclaimed, and the jurisdiction of Prelates by Law limited, as being of humane institution merely, and not by divine authority, Prelates, when they are pinched, and held close to it, may perhaps pull in their horns, and arrogate no more unto themselves, than the Laws of the Land, or pleasure of the Prince do allow unto them: yet when their inbred pride and ambition (an inseparable accident, or rather essential quality of a Prelate) finds opportunity, meeting with a debonair and benign Prince, into whose gentle breast they can easily insinuate themselves, and by their dexterity in the art of flattery, and nimbleness of tongue and wit, persuade and work upon his sweet nature so, as to draw it to conceive a reverend opinion of their counterfeit sanctity, which they set out in a goodly garb of their superstitious guises in their will-worship, and by this means to a credulity in believing all to be Gospel, which they say: as for the purpose, that they are the true Church; that they have a power to ordain Ceremonies in the Church: that Christ ordained them to be his 
x Reprinted Conference, p. 200. 210. 211  Viceroys: that they are the only Judges in controversies of faith: that Princes must leave all government of the Church to them, as the sole Fathers thereof: and such like Prelatical Principles, which are not to be found in rerum natura, as they beg: when once they have obtained credit to these things, how do they then bestir themselves, especially where a pragmatical pate, and the Metropolitan Chair meet together? Then, what Laws of the Kingdom shall bind them? Who shall dare to control them? If Parliaments (whose Laws they break as straws) offer to meddle with them, presently they must be dissolved, and with their good will there shall never be Parliament more. And in fine, they grow to that height of insolency, that their mere lust must be a Law, as all their practices proclaim. 
Reprinted Conference, p. 338. 376. etc.  Nor do their practices only overthrow all true religion, but they come to make open profession, that the religion and faith of Prelatical Protestant Churches, and by name of that of England, is one and the same with that of Rome, and the Church of England one and the same with that of Rome, with many such like bold assertions, all which tend to make a reconciliation and a reunion with Rome, to whom all Prelatical Churches in the World (and they allow no other Churches for true, but only the Prelatical) do make up one entire Catholic Church. Now all these being summed up together, what do they amount unto, but this, that all Prelatical Churches hold with Rome, as members of the same Catholic body, and the Pope being the Head of this body, at lest 
a Pag. 183. 184.  ordine primus, which the Prelate saith is necessary: Ergo, all Prelatical Churches are members of that Church, whereof the Pope is the Head, or at lest ordine primus, and consequently all Civil Kingdoms and States, where the Prelacy or Hierarchy hath got any footing, and much more where it hath gotten head, must be a member thereof. Now this being so (as so it is) the way is now made plain, to come to know what is meant by the fall of the tenth part of the City. What is it, but the fall of one of the ten Kingdoms from the Pope, which are the ten horns of his Hierarchy, in the time of this sixth Trumpet? But where shall we find such a Kingdom, as was one of the ten horns of the Beast, and now broken off and fall'n from that great head? Where? What say you to the Church of Scotland? Had not the Prelates there thrown down to the ground Christ's throne, and consequently with it, the King's Throne, his Vicegerent, and in stead thereof mounted aloft the Throne and Kingdom of the Beast, with their Tyrannical and lawless Government? But now we see the Beasts Throne in that Kingdom dismounted. For now the Prelates with their Hierarchy are there cashiered. And thus the tenth part of the City is fall'n. But what was the occasion of this great fall? Surely, Pride will have a fall. The Prelates intolerable insolency and unsufferable Tyranny did cause it. Which makes me remember a notable saying, or I may call it rather a prophecy, of a 
b Mr. Throgmorton.  godly Minister late of London. As (said he) nothing cures the biting of the Scorpion, but the oil of the Scorpion: So nothing will cure Popery, but Popery. And this was here verified. What cured the Popery, which the Prelacy had brought and set up in Scotland, but their extreme haste, and mad zeal to finish the building up of Rome in one day? To this purpose I remember an other usual saying of another Minister also late of London, who when any spoke of a bad, or mad Prelate, he would still say, The worse, the better, and the better the worse. His meaning was, that the worse the Bishops grew, and the more insolent, and tyrannical, the more they did hasten the fall of their proud Hierarchy. As Christ said to the Pharisees, Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers. As the people of God could not come to their promised inheritance, till the 
d Gen. 15 16.  sins of the Amonites were grown to their full. And the 
e Revel. 14.18, 19  Angel thrust not his sickle into the earth, to gather the Vine thereof, to cast it into the great Winepress of the wrath of God, till the clusters were ripe. And now in Scotland the clusters of the 
f Deut. 32.  Vine of Sodom were grown ripe, and so they are cut down. And thus the tenth part of the City is fall'n, thus the Beast hath lost one of his ten horns. And to conclude this, The immediate instrumental cause of this fall, was the Earthquake. And an Earthquake (we know) is the immediate work of God alone. So as this showeth unto us, that it was Gods own hand and work principally, that did overthrow this tenth part of the City, and Kingdom of the Beast. For it was a building too deep-founded in the earth, for man's either power to overturn it, or policy to undermine it. And therefore let all the glory be given to God alone.  
It followeth: And in the Earthquake were slain of men seven thousand. We shown before, that an Earthquake may be taken tropically for some civil Commotion in a State, as of late in the state of Scotland, when all stood up as one entire body to vindicate their liberty from the Beasts Tyranny, which the Prelates did exercise upon the people; so as the issue hereof proved to be the fall of the tenth part of the City, or Kingdom of the Beast, in Scotland's falling quite off from the Papal Hierarchy. Now these words [And in the Earthquake were slain of men seven thousand] have reference to the same Earthquake 
h Objection. . But no men were slain in that Scotland Earthquake: and here seven thousand men are said to be slain. 'Tis true. But as the Earthquake is taken tropically, so also the slaying here; as we spoke before of a slaying of the two witnesses, in a civil respect, or in a figure: So here, by slaying, we understand a ceasing of a thing to be that, which it was before. As a man is said to be 
i Rom. 6.2.  dead to sin, because he no longer lives the life of sin. Now for the seven thousand here slain in the Earthquake, seven, we know, is a perfect number, and often comprehends a whole society, or all of such a Profession, or quality, in the same place, or Country. As the 
k Chap. 1. & 2.  seven Churches, the seven Stars, the seven Candlesticks, comprehending all the Churches and Ministers in Asia the less. So 
l 1 King. 19.18.  seven thousand men were reserved of God in Israel, even all those who did not bow to Baal. And so here seven thousand may comprehend all those, who in the said Earthquake in Scotland were slain, that is, were cast out of their places, and so ceased to be that, which they were before, and those were the Prelates, with all their Officers, and train, even the whole Hierarchy. And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text, is not altogether to be slighted; for it signifieth not only names, but men of fame and 
m Gen. 6 4.  renown, such as were the Giants and Tyrants of old, and those 
n Gen. 11.4.  Babel-builders, who would get them a Name by building that Tower. And such are those men we speak of, these Giants, Tyrants, Babel-builders, they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, men of Renown, terrible men, yea, not only the Lord-prelates themselves, but their whole retinue, for not a Pursuivant and Apparitor, and the least Boy in their Kitchen, but he is a much man. Well, all these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, even seven thousand, the whole generation of them in Scotland is slain in that Earthquake, that is, utterly cast out as dead men. For still (I say) these plagues fall only on them that have the Beasts mark, or the number of his Name, as the Prelates, and their followers. And if any here stand strictly upon the just Number of seven thousand, I answer, whether there were more of them, or whether fewer, the Number of seven thousand being a perfect and complete number, is sufficient to comprehend all of that rank in that Country. This number here being like that, Chap. 9.16. an Army of Horsemen of two hundred thousand thousand. Which number comprehends all those in the Armies, though they were by many degrees short of that huge number, as before. And so here.  
It followeth hereupon: That the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven. The remnant, whether the whole people in that tenth part (as aforesaid) or whether those that were a kind of Retainers, or favourers, or parties siding with the Prelate's faction, or altogether, they were struck with fear, as beholding the Almighty power of God in the effecting of that great and admirable work, and thereupon gave glory to the God of Heaven. I will conclude this with that of David: 
n Psal. 64.7, 8, 9, 10.  But God shall shoot at them with an arrow, suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them, shall flee away. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God: for they shall ●isely consider of his doing. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him: and all the upright in heart shall glory. Even so, Amen.  
Now a word of the next Trumpet, the seventh, or last. But by the way we find these words; 
o Verse 14.  The second woe is past: and behold the third woe cometh quickly. Chap. 18.13. We find three woes, woe, woe, woe. The first woe belongeth to the fift Trumpet: as Chapter 9.12. the second woe to the sixth: and the third woe to the seventh. So as the sixth Trumpet being ended, it is said here, The second ●oe is past: and the seventh Trumpet now following, is it added; And behold the third woe cometh quickly. That is, the seventh Trumpet cometh quickly, bringing its woe with it to the Beast and his Kingdom.  
The seventh and last Trumpet.  

Verse 15.  And the seventh Angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever, etc.  
This seventh Trumpet, as it bringeth woe, even the last woe, that is utter ruin and destruction to the Beast and his Kingdom, to Antichrist, the Whore of Babylon, that great 
p Ver. 8. & Chap. 17.18.  City, and to the whole Hierarchy, where ever it be in any part, or Kingdom of the World: so it brings great joy and triumph to all the people of God under the Sun. This is that great voice from Heaven, yea great voices, that is, general acclamations of the whole Church of Christ in all places (which is here called Heaven, as 
q Verse 12.  before) Saying, The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, even of God the Father, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. That is, when this Trumpet shall sound (which shall be quickly, as V 14.) all the Kingdoms of the World shall consent to the rooting out of Antichrist and his kingdom, they shall cast down his Throne which is exalted in and by the Hierarchy, and his whole Hierarchy shall they cast out, and shall set up Christ's throne over them; & shall subject the Kingdoms to Christ's Government, in submitting and conforming to his Doctrine, & Discipline, according to his Word. For till they do this, so long as they uphold and take part with the Beast, in admitting and maintaining his Hierarchy in their Dominions, they 
r Chap. 17.13.  give their strength and power unto the Beast, and subject their Kingdoms unto him, making war against the Lamb Jesus Christ, and so their Kingdoms the while, are not Christ's Kingdoms, but Antichrists rather. A thing well to be considered of Christian Kings and Princes, and States. But when this seventh Trumpet shall sound (which will be shortly, if not rather already begun) then is that time fulfilled, which was forelimited of GOD, when they, even the ten Kings, to wit, all Christian Kings and States, which before took part with the Beast, against the Lamb, even 
s Chap. 17.16, 17.  these shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their Kingdom unto the Beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And although this may seem strange and almost incredible to man's reason and apprehension: yet God shall as certainly bring it to pass, as his Word hath said it. And that we might not be diffident herein, God hath given us a famous and remarkable instance, and as it were a sensible taste hereof, in that late glorious work of his in the Kingdom of Scotland (which we noted before) in throwing down that proud Antichristian throne of the Beast, which the Prelates thought impossible to be done, and which seemed at first but as a 
t Psal. 126.1.  dream, even to God's people, when the Lord brought again the captivity of his Zion in that Land in so good a measure begun: whereas now that out-cast Hierarchy hath as little hope ever to be restored, as in their prosperity they had fear or doubt ever to be so cast out. Yet we see it with our eyes, that God hath brought to pass this great thing. And shall we doubt of the rest, when he hath given us such a sure earnest of his never failing word, and of his invincible power? He that hath pulled off one of the the Beasts horns, shall shortly break off all his horns; as the Lord saith, 
u Psal. 75.10.  All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off: but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. And then, then (I say) when the Kingdom of the Beast, that Whore (which yet desperately triumpheth in the confidence of her stately Babylon, 
x Chap. 18.7.  sitting in her throne, and saying in her heart, I sit a Queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow) shall be destroyed 
y Verse 8.  whose plagues shall come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, when she shall be utterly burnt with fire; for strong is the Lord who judgeth her: and so, when all the Kingdom's aforesaid shall resume their power and strength from the Beast, 
Aesop and Horace.  and leave him naked, (as the Birds did the Crow, when each bird took his own feather, wherewith the Crow had pranked himself, exalting himself above his fellows;) and when they shall submit their Sceptres unto Jesus Christ, by receiving his government over them, as aforesaid: then their Kingdoms become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.  
But we find, Chap. 18.9. how the Kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with the Whore of Babylon, seeing her ruin, shall bewail her, and lament for her, etc. and yet Chap. 17. that the ten horns, the ten Kings, that gave their power and Kingdoms to the Beast, shall hate the Whore, and make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. These two places seem to contradict one another. But being rightly understood, there is no contradiction. For first, most sure it is, that the ten Kings aforesaid shall hate the Whore, and be the instruments of her desolation. God will surely bring his word to pass. But yet some of those Kings may at first be brought to it against their wills, or with an ill will, having been formerly so much enamoured on the gay painted Whore, and made drunk with the wine of her fornication. We see, those two milk-cows of the Philistines by a strange instinct carried God's Ark to his place, yet lowed all the way after their Calves (1 Sam. 6.) So the Lord will have his work done upon the whore, though some of the chief instruments may have still a yearning of affection after the Whore, for old acquaintance sake. Yet, though some, for their own persons may do this for a time, and because the Whore falls with her goodly Babylon notwithstanding, because the Kings alone shall not make Babylon desolate, but their Kingdoms, to wit, their people taken altogether: therefore the particular pity of some for a time shall not hinder the general hatred of the Whore, and so the Kingdoms of this World mainly and universally shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. And this making desolate of the Whore by the Kings and their people, shall be with such violence of passion, and zeal, which God shall kindle in their hearts and breasts, as when it is done, they shall stand amazed to behold the smoke of her burning, and spend some human compassion and pity upon those terrible and sudden desolations. Even as Titus, that noble Roman General, when through the obdurate obstinacy of the Jews in their extreme misery, his soldiers were so enraged, that not only the City Jerusalem, but the most beautiful Temple itself were set on fire, he beholding it, wept over it, to see such a goodly and glorious building so miserably destroyed: the like compassion may even those Kings have, in weeping over Babylon, when they shall behold the ruins thereof, wherein themselves notwithstanding, with their people, were the chief Actors. Thus the same Kings, whom the Lord shall employ in the making desolate of Babylon, may be moved with humane compassion, when they behold even those ruins, which themselves by divine instigation have made. And as the same Titus, though he cried to his Soldiers to save that glorious Monument, the Temple, and not to burn it, and seeing it notwithstanding all on a flame, cried out the more vehemently to quench it, but could not prevail to rescue it: So the Kings of the earth, when they shall see the smoke of Babylon's burning, and shall thereupon be moved to lament her, saying, Alas, Alas, that great Citiy Babylon, that mighty City: yet such is the Lords fury kindled against her, that they shall not be able with all their power, though they would never so fain, to rescue her out of the flames. For the Lord will have it so; and therefore as he hath put in their minds to fulfil his will in giving their strength and Kingdom to the Beast, until the words of God be fulfilled: So, when the words of God shall be fulfilled, he will also put in their minds, to fulfil his will, in the utter destruction of Babylon. And from this time Christ shall reign for evermore over his people, when the usurping Beast, with all his power shall be put down, and so when all Kings, Princes and States shall submit their Sceptres to Christ's authority, as before is showed.  
Then shall be great joy, and thanksgiving in the Church, as Verse 16.17: and in the end of this last Trumpet (which how long it shall sound, and the sounding thereof last, he only knows, 
Acts 1.7. Matth. 24 36.  who hath reserved it in his own breast) shall come the general judgement of quick and dead, wherein God shall pour wrath upon his wrathful enemies, and shall reward all his faithful servants, as Verse 18. Now there be sundry other things very mystical and dark, which seem to come under the time of this last Trumpet, as (besides the remainder of this Chapter, Verse 19 which gives some light of the general conversion of the Jews) the whole twentieth Chapter of this Book: but because they be very obscure, and will require longer time and stronger Prayers for assisting and illuminating grace in the opening of them: therefore I will here put an end for the present, till it shall please God to give a further opportunity. In the mean time, 
a Chap. 11.17.  We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and waste, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. Even so, AMEN.