A DISCOURSE CONCERNING The Witnesses, Relating to the TIME, PLACE, and MANNER of their being Slain.

BY WILLIAM HOOKE, late Preacher of the Gospel.

LONDON, Printed by J. Astwood, for Thomas Cockeril at the Three Legs in the Poultrey, over against the Stocks-Market, 1681.

Quest. I. Whether the Witnesses are Slain?

I Dare not be definitive and peremptory in making answer hereunto, being conscious to much darkness in my self about the understand­ing and unfolding matters Apocalyptical, and knowing also that there are many difficulties attending the Answer of this Question; I shall therefore humbly lay before you what the Scripture speaketh, and leave it to you to consider and conclude as the Lord shall help you. And in order to what I shall say, there is something that I would premise, and it is this: That in the slaughter of the Witnesses there is that which carrieth a great analogy and proportion to the death of Christ, the con­sideration whereof will much help us in the Answer of the Question; but I mean not a complete and adequate proportion, but as to many remar­kable Particulars.

The sufferings of the Church are a great part of the subject matter of this Book of the Revelations, especially under the Seals and Trumpers, till you come to the last Wo, which is objectated chiefly on Antichrist: And these Sufferings were partly under the Pagan Roman Empire, partly under Rome Antichristian; and the sufferings of the Saints under both are the sufferings of Christ mystical, and are so expressed as bearing a great proportion and likeness with the sufferings of Christ personal.

The first of these sufferings of Christ mystical we find, Rev. 12.1, 2, 3. &c. where it is said, The Woman being with Child, cryed, travelling in Birth, and pained to be delivered. The Woman here is the Church, and the Child that she travelleth with is her Seed, which is Christ mystical, whose Sufferings by the great Red Dragon (i. e. the Devil in the Roman Pagan Empire) do, in many things,Mr. D [...] on Rev. 1 [...] as a Learned Interpreter hath ob­served, allude to the sufferings of Christ personal when he was born.

  • 1. In that Christ was a Child born of a Woman under many outward wants, so as the condition of the Church is commonly.
  • 2. In that Herod did watch to destroy Christ so loon as he was born, and as Paraoh (se­veral times called a Dragon) sought to destroy the Jews Male-Children as soon as they came into the world.
  • 3. As Christ when he was born, was soon put to flee into Aegypt with his Mother; so it is here with the [Page 2]Church and her seed, they flee into the Wilderness.
  • 4. The foresaid Author affirmeth, that the time of Christs being in Aegypt was three years and an half, which (in the mistery) is the time of the Church her Wil­derness condition: For Christ (as my Author affirmeth) was born in the thirtieth year of Herods Reign, but he fled not presently, but was first cir­cumcised and his Mother purified, after which also Herod sought to de­stroy the young Children in and about Bethlehem: This took up some part of Herods thirty first year, and Christ returned out of Aegpyt immediately after Herods death, who reigned thirty four years.
  • 5. As Herod vented his malice upon the Bethlehemitish Infants after the flight of Christ; so doth the Devil here vent his malice upon the Church her seed after her de­liverance and flight.
  • 6. As Christ was still preserved till he had finished the work committed to him, notwithstanding all the opposition he met with, but after that he suffered and was slain; even so it happeneth to the seed of the Church. Thus you see how the sufferings of Christ mystical under Rome Pagan, do in many things answer to the sufferings of Christ personal.

Secondly, Let us consider the other part of the sufferings of Christ Mystical under Rome Antichristian, and we shall see their conformity to the sufferings of Christ Personal, especially in and about his death.

It is said (you know)Rev. 11.8. that the doad Bodies of the Witnesses shall lye in the Street of the great City, which is spiritually called Sodom and Aegypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Which last words are added, not only to discover under what power the Witnesses should be slain, viz. that of Rome, spiritually called Sodom and Aegypt; but also to shew us the con­formity that should be between the slaughter of Christ and his Witnesses. And yet we must not expect a complete analogy and proportion between them, for in some Circumstances they differ, but in several material ones they do agree.

  • 1. Christ preacheth forty two Months, literally taken; the witnesses prophesie as long, taking forty two months
    Numb. 14.34. Ezek. 4.6.
    prophetically and mysti­cally.
  • 2. Christ is slain when he had finished his Testimony, and could not by any means be slain before; so it is with the Witnesses, Rev. 11.7.
  • 3. Christ is slain by the
    Rev. 11.8. with Luk. 18.32 33.
    Gentiles, grammatically and properly so ta­ken; and the Witnesses are slain by the
    Rev. 11.2, 7.
    Gentiles, metaphorically so taken.
  • 4. Christ arose after three days, figuratively taken, i. e. part being put for the whole: His Witnesses arise after three days and an half, pro­phetically taken, i. e. three years and an half.
  • 5. Christ's Sepulchre was guarded to keep him down in his Grave, and hinder his Resurrection,
    Mat. 27.64.
    which his enemies could not bear the thoughts [Page 3]of: In like manner the enemies of the Witnesses endeavour to keep them down by power, and so to bury them (but that they are hindered) that they might never rise again.
  • 6. When Christ was crucified, presently beginneth the Jews Passeover, where his Enemies rejoyced together and made merry, because Christ, who had tormented them was crucified:
    Rev. 11.10.
    Even thus deal the Enemies of the Witnesses when they are slain.
  • 7. Christ arose notwithstanding the Soldiers who guarded his Sepul­chre, and when he arose they were wofully skared at the sight of him:
    Rev. 11.11.
    Even so it is at the Resurrection of his Witnesses.
  • 8. When Christ arose there was a great Earthquake, properly so cal­led: So, not long after the Resurrection of the Witnesses, there is
    Rev. 11.13.
    a great Earthquake, mystically and metaphorically so called.

This Analogy thus premised, I shall express to you what the Scripture saith concerning the slaughter of the Witnesses, that you may make your Collections from it as the Lord shall help you.

1. TheRev. 2 [...].8, 9. Text seemeth to hold forth such a slaughter of the Witnesses, as is partly civil and partly spiritual: For were the slaughter literal and proper, the enemies of the Witnesses would not have endured their dead Bodies to have lyen so long unburied in the Street, because of the noisom­ness thereof; nor would Kindreds, and Tongues, and Nations have hin­dered their burial, from the Principle of mere Humanity. And therefore this their death must be of another kind, and that is partly civil, the Wit­nesses being deprived of their liberty and free exercise of their Religion by humane Laws and Constitutions; whereupon their death becomes al­so partly spiritual, in that their Spirits faint and fail so far, that they are bereft of spiritual Life and Courage; the spirit of Life is greatly with­drawn from them, and they are possessed with great fear and faintness. And that this is the manner of their death, appeareth, in that upon their Resurrection it is said, that the spirit of life from God entred into them, which clearly signifieth, that during their slaughter, they were deprived of spiritual life and activity. You see then what kind of death this of the Witnesses is, partly civil and partly spiritual, civil as to the outward means, slaying, spiritual as to the inward man, slain.

And if it be thus, then we are not to account the great slaughter of the Saints in other Countries, viz. Germany, Holland, France, Piedmont, England in those Marian days, to be this slaughter of the Witnesses, be­cause those slaughters were properly such in a literal sence, and the Saints so slain were buried in a proper sence.

2. The Text telleth us,Rev. 11.7. that the Witnesses must finish (or be in fi­nishing) [Page 4]their Testimony, before they can be slain; that is, they must be finishing it,

  • 1. As to the time or period of their prophesying, viz. at the end of 1260 years, a day being put for a year.
  • 2. As to the matter of their Testimony, or the thing to be witnessed by them.

And therefore begin the Epocha and rise of their Prophesying where you will, you fail in the commencement thereof, if the 1260 years do not determine and conclude in the finishing of the matter of the Testimony, which is to be insisted upon as much as the period and conclusion of it. And from hence again I gather, that all your former slaughters in other Countries, cannot be that mentioned here, Rev. 11.7. because the Testimony of Jesus was not materially finished in any of them, no nor in finishing.

When therefore is this Testimony finished, [...]. A [...]. as to the matter of it?

When the whole Office of Christs Mediatorship is testified unto; that is, not only his Prophetical and Priestly, but also his Kingly Office, When Antichrist wrought, as it were under ground, during the sounding of the four first Trumpets, he opposed the Person of Christ by those ancient blas­phemous heresies of the Arrians, Nestorians, Eutichyans, Macedonians, &c. But since the sounding of the first Wo-Trumpet, he hath more espe­cially opposed his Mediatorship, which the Witnesses have still asserted to this day. And this Testimony of theirs must be complete, and con­formable also to that of Christ himself, who finished his Testimony1 Tim. 6.13. when he witnessed a good Confession before Pontius Pilate: And what was that Confession? You may see in Joh. 18.33-38. where he asserteth and avoucheth his Spiritual Kingdom before the Roman Governor, and there­in he finished his Testimony; for he was put to death upon that very ac­count, as appeareth hereby; in that when Pilate said unto the Jews, Joh. 19.6, 7, 12. Take ye him and crucifie him, for I find no fault in him: Say the Jews, We have a law, and by our Law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. I say, this did not move Pilate at all, but rather affright him from medling with Christ, and cause him to attempt his release; for Christ must not die upon the confession only of his Person, that he was the Son of God.

When the Jews therefore perceived that this would not prevail with Pilate, they cryed out, saying: If thou let this man go, thou art nor Caesars Friend; whosoever maketh himself a King, speaketh against Caesar. Ay, now Pilate is put hard to it, and sits down again upon his Judgment-Seat, and saith to the Jews, Behold your King: But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, Crucifie him: Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucifie your King? The Chief Priests answered, We have no King but Caesar. Then Pilate delivered him to be Crucified. The Jews were weary enough, as we know, of the Roman Yoke, and had no cordial zeal for Caesar, save only when he comes into competition with Christ, who must dye upon [Page 5]the point of his Kingly Power and Government, where his Testimony was finished. And upon the same Confession, must the Testimony of his Witnesses be completed. And hence, again, I conclude, that all the for­mer slaughters in other Countries, cannot be (upon this very account) the slaughter of the Witnesses spoken of, Rev. 11.7—because those that suf­fered, dyed not upon this Confession.

3. When the Witnesses are slain, it is the act of the Beast, as the same Text tells us: which word Beast, as applyed to Antichrist, you shall sometimes find mentioned in the Revelations, Rev. 1 [...].1, 4, with 11. as distinct from the two horned Lamb that speaks like a Dragon;Rev. 17.7. sometimes you will find the Beast distinguished from the Woman that sits upon him;Rev. 16.13. & 1 [...].2 [...]. another time you will find him distinguished from the false Prophet. And when you find it thus, then by the Beast we are to understand the secular power of Antichrist; and by the two horned Lamb, the Woman, and the false Prophet, we are to understand his Ecclesiastical. But when we find the word Beast mentioned alone, as it is in the slaughter of the Witnesses, then it holds forth his complex Power, both Civil and Ecclesiastical. This being so, you here find this complicated Power of the Beast in the slaughter of the Witnesses, who must be slain by both these Powers. And though the Ecclesiastical is included in the word Beast, when it stands alone; yet the Secular Power hath the preheminence therein: For it may so fall out, that when the Witnesses are to be slain, there may not be so much power in the High Priest and his Followers, as to do it of them­selves; their former Power, perhaps, may be diminished, insomuch that they must crave the help of the secular Officers to perform this work for them, like as the chief Priest and Elders did of Pilate; and this civil pow­er must exert it self, and make Laws and Decrees for the slaughter of the Witnesses. It is therefore the Civil or Secular Power (implyed here more immediately in the Beast) that must commit this slaughter. True, the earnest Votes, fervent Affections, and utmost Endeavours of the two horned Lamb, the scarlet Whore, and false Prophet, will be found in this Slaughter, as the Ecclesiastical Power was accessary to the killing of Christ Personal; but as it was Pilate's Secular Power that struck the great stroke; so must the Secular Power be especially the Instrument in the death of the Witnesses.

4. There must be aRev. 11.7. particular, eminent and signal War waged with the Witnesses by the Beast, when they are to be slain.

For there is a clear distinction between the Beasts war with the Saints, and his war with the Witnesses when they are to be overcome and killed by him. As for his war with the Saints, it commenced with the begin­ning [Page 6]of his Reign, as is apparent, Rev. 13.4-8. And this war runneth through the whole Reign of the Beast unto the very time that the Witnes­ses have finished their Testimony; after which thereRev. 11.7. beginneth a distinct particular war with them; otherwise why is it said, That when they have finished their Testimony, the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, shall make war with them, overcome them, and kill them? For it may be said, the Beast hath been at war with the Saints ever since he first arose. True; but this last war of his with the Witnesses, is more particular, eminent and signal, as directed especially against them, and not generally against all the Saints, as his former wars were, by which he rose still higher and higher, whereas after this particular and last war of his with the Witnesses, he descendeth, and falls still lower and lower, whereof I shall speak more hereafter. By his first warsRev. 13.7. he got power over Kin­dreds, Tongues, and Nations; whereas when he hath slain the Witnes­ses, the Kindreds, and Tongues, and Nations shall dislike his doings, and hinder his attempts to bury them.

It being thus, hence it will follow, that in this last war, the Ministers of the Gospel, and the Churches (Rev. 11.3, 4. who are properly the Witnesses) must be the special object of the Beasts opposition. As for the rest of the Saints, they shall escape this civil slaughter, that is, they shall fare bet­ter, the enemy shall not fight with small nor great, save only with the Witnesses; I mean, the heat of the Battel shall fall especially upon them, they shall be sadly handled, others shall not be so strictly looked after, the weapons of the Adversary, viz. his Edicts, Mulcts, Fines, Coun­sels, Menaces, Searchings, Apprehensions, Restraints, Confinements, Impoverishments, Banishments, &c. are principally directed against them; they shall be sought after and carried away, when others shall bet­ter escape. So that this war (you see) is distinct from that general long lasting war against the Saints spoken of in the thirteenth Chapter.

But are not all the people of God Witnesses,Quest. especially when they pro­fess and practise against the Beast?

Yes,Answ. in a large sence, but not in the strict meaning of the word in this eleventh Chapter. And among all the Saints, the Martyrs of Jesus may best be called Witnesses, for so the word signifieth; but the Witnesses that we have here to do with, are (as I humbly conceive from the Text) Ministers and Churches of Christ.

5. The Witnesses must be slain,Rev. 11.2. not in the streets, but street of that great City; that is, not in all places under the power and dominion of the Beast, but in some one particular Province or Nation, which hath not (at least fully) cast off and renounced his Interest.

It must be such a Nation in which Jesus Christ doth not Reign visibly, [Page 7]but the Government thereof is subservient to the Beast, at least as to the end and issue of the work, if not also as to the intention and scope of the workers. And yet it is not totally immers'd in Popery, because there is a plentiful Testimony therein given against it, else how should the Wit­nesses be slain therein?

But what Street may this be?Quest.

I will not define particularly; only it is some remarkable Street, Answ. be­cause there is [...]&c. an Article, in the Original, prefixed to it, as much as to say, that Street. And when this Street is afterward mentioned under the notion of the tenth part of the City, both the tenth part and the City have this Article of Eminency set before them: [...]; Ver. 13. Now it is eminent either in relation to the Witnesses that have formerly lived in it, and especially that live in it immediately before the Slaughter; i. e. It must be a Nation eminent for its Testimony against the Beast, and for its Testimony for Jesus Christ and his Kingly Power in and over the Churches, which is the special matter of their Testimony for which they are slain; or else it is eminent, as belonging to the Beast in a special man­ner. And in both these respects (as saith a worthy and learned Writer) this Street is no other but Germany: But I do rather fix upon the first of these respects, because that Testimony is the point upon which the Wit­nesses are slain, and no other eminency can be found in the Text; though peradventure, there may be some other Countrey besides Germany, which hath been very eminent for its relation to the Beast, and which hath af­forded him no small revenue and support.

It therefore concerneth us to consider, what Countrey and Nation hath been most eminent for its Testimony for Jesus Christ and his complete Mediatorship: For though Germany hath been famous for its Witnesses, in their generations, yet the eminency of the Witnesses must lye, not in the number of them that give the Testimony, but especially in the clear­ness and completeness of the Testimony given; I say, The Street must excell in that respect, which will not be found in Germany, but rather in some other Country, in which the Kingly Power of Christ in and over his Churches, hath been testifyed both by Doctrine and Practice; and if you can find out that, you have found the Street. And, peradventure, when you have found it, you may find also that such a Street may better brook the Prophetical and Priestly Offices of Christ, than his Kingly Power and Government: I say, better, though you may not find a full and cordial approbation of either; but as touching the Kingly Office of Christ, that will in no wise be admitted, but pertinaciously rejected, up­on this apprehension, that Christ and Caesar cannot consist,Joh. 18.36. though Christ hath said the contrary; but the pride of man will not endure it.

You see, partly, what a Street it must be in which the Witnesses must [Page 8]be slain. And by this you may further see (by the way) what it is in Reformations, not to make through work: For such a Street (I conceive) it will be, that is not discharged from subjection to the Beast, but is sub­servient to his Interest, though it may not be professedly cordial to him. But what then is it, you will say, not to go through stitch with Reforma­tion? It greatly gratifieth the Devil [...] who, when he seeth that there is still a remnant of Idolatry and Superstition unpurged, presently he markes use of that for the continuance of that persecution which before was ground­ed upon other Cau [...]es, which are now removed by a partial Reformation. For such a persecution must necessarily be in such a Nation, or else how could the Witnesses be slain there? So dangerous and dreadful a thing it is, not to do as J [...]holad [...] did after the death of that wicked woman Atha­liah; [...] Kings 11.18. for he caused the people to break the Altars and Images of Baal in picces thorowly.

But (to return) the Witnesses you see must be slain, not in the Streets, but Street, i. e. in some one remarkable Country under the power of the Beast, and which hath not cast off his Government, though yet there must be so much of Protestancy, and Testimony against Papal Usurpations and Impositions, and for the Kingly Power of Christ in and over his Churches, as will be a fit object for Persecution even unto the slaughter of the Wit­nesses.

I know there are such as like not to have this slaughter so narrowly con­fined, whereas the Text is express for some particular Street; And there seemeth to me to be reason for it, why it should be thus limited.

  • 1. Be­cause if the slaughter should be in all the Streets of the great City, i. e. in all the Countries under the power of the Beast, there would be a very large Testimony, and the Witnesses would be numerous, who (in re­spect of their paucity)
    Rev. 11.3.
    are here said to be two. For the Testimony must be but little and narrow when the Witnesses are slain, as it was never very large before.
  • 2. If they were to be slain in all Countries where the Beast hath to do, where should we find those Kindreds, Tongues, and Na­tions, that must hinder their Burial? For as concerning these hinderers, they seem to be a middle sort of people, such as neither like the slaughter of the Witnesses, nor yet are full for the Testimony of the slain; but are of a mungrel kind, and stirr'd up by a worldly interest to hinder the Bu­rial of the Witnesses.

They aim not herein at Reformation, nor at the exalting of the King­ly Government of Christ in the Churches, according to the rule of the everlasting Gospel, but are wholly swayed herein by Principles of State. Now I say, if the Witnesses were to be slain in all places under the Beasts Dominion, where should we find out so many Kindreds, Tongues, and Nations, so and so qualified, as might suffice to hinder the Buryal of the Witnesses?

Again; That it is not to be a general slaughter in all Countries, but only in some one particular, here called the Street, I shall demonstrate by a further Argument.

In order hereunto, we must know, that this Street is that which in Rev. 11.13. is called the tenth part of the City; for that Verse is coupled with the precedent, as belonging to the same Story of the Death, Resurrecti­on, and Ascension of the Witnesses, and asVindicta divina d [...] ­testium ini­mi [...]is. Pisc. in Rev. 11.13. Piscator observeth, there is expressed in it, the revenge of God upon the enemies of the Witnesses, and I cannot [...]ee how it should be otherwise understood. Hence then I thusargue:

Where the revenge of God is inflicted for the slaying of the Witnesses, there (and there only) are the Witnesses slain.

But the revenge of God is inflicted only upon the tenth part of the City for the staying of the Witnesses; therefore in that tenth part only are they slain.

For the God of Revenges, in the execution of Judgment for such and such sins, doth not exceed the limits of the Place and Persons offending; he will not punish the Innocent for the sins of the Delinquent, nor one Place for the iniquity of another. And yet I cannot but say, that the whole City is vertually guilty of this slaughter, as being not only guilty of the like, but also as approving of this. But God hathRev. 16.18. another guess Earthquake in store for the whole City, (i. e. the whole Papal Dominion) which shall destroy it all totally and for ever. This Earthquake (Rev. 11.13.) reacheth only the tenth part.

I might further enlarge upon this point (which is of great moment as to the purpose in hand) by pasing through the several Streets of the great City, and rationally considering which of them is most likely to commit this Martyricide, as I may call it; especially weighing withal what the Testimony must be upon which the Witnesses must be slain, viz. Such as asserteth and exalteth the Kingly Power of Christ in his Churches, as you heard but now in the second particular.

Now this being granted, that the Witnesses must be slain in some one particular and eminent Street, and not in all the whole Dition and Domi­nion of the Beast; it will follow, that the former slaughters which have been committed in many Countries, and near about the same time, are not the slaughters that we are here enqui [...]ing into. For I have read of many hundred of thousands slain in several Countries for the Testimony of Je [...]us, about the year 1540. and afterward for some years; but

  • 1. They were slain in a proper sence.
  • 2. Not upon the point of the Kingly Power of Christ; and therefore the Testimony was not finished when they were slain.
  • 3. Their dead Bodies were buried, nor did any hinder it.
  • 4. They have lyen dead above an hundred years, and are not like to rise again till [Page 10]the Resurrection at Christs coming; whereas, if the death of the Witnes­ses is proper, so must also their Resurrection be.

6. When the Witnesses are slain, they must be looked upon by their enemies, as it were naturally dead, so dead in law, as if they were also dead in body. This may be gathered from Rev. 11.8, 9, 10. For the Kindreds, Tongues, and Nations, could not so look upon them, if their enemies did not so behold them; nor could their dead Bodies lye dead in the Street, and their enemies there living not look upon them; nor would the dwellers upon earth rejoyce and make merry at their death, did they not account them so dead, as that they would never rise again; for did they but fear their Resurrection, it would marr their mirth, as the Hand Writing on the Wall did Belshazzar's; because if the Witnesses did torment them before they were slain, O how would they excruciate them to the very death, should they but rise again! And hence it is, that their enemies will not be contented with the death of the Witnesses, ex­cept also they be buried, and therefore they attempt their interment, but that they are therein hindred: so that this attempt to bury them is not out of any love to them, but merely out of hatred, fearing lest they should rise from the dead; for they will never think them dead enough. To this end, they will make one Law after another, and throw upon the slain Witnesses one Edict after another, as they do upon dead Bodies when they throw one shovel-full of earth after another, saying, Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes, &c. only not in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection of the Witnesses to life again. And this multiplying of Laws upon them, is (interpretatively) their attempt to bury them.

7. There shall be no humane help, nor Arm of Flesh imployed in their Resurrection, this shall be wrought only by the Spirit of Life from God entring into them: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord. If any liberty should be procured by force (which ought not to be) it will not prosper, nor will any attempts that way. The Resurrecti­on of the Witnesses shall be like a Resurrection, wrought only by the om­nipotent hand of Heaven, even by him in whose power alone it is to raise the dead, and to call things that are not as though they were. It is true indeed, when the Earthquake cometh, which followeth soon after the Ascension of the Witnesses, there will be great Concussions in that Coun­try, whatever it is, where the Witnesses must be slain; but who shall be the Authors of them and Actors in them, I do not know; but as for the Resurrection it self, it shall be effected immediately by the Spirit of Life from God, who will certainly blast all humane attempts by Conspiracies and Insurrections in order (or rather disorder) to the Resurrection of the Witnesses.

Men were as good go about the raising of the dead out of their Graves, as to raise the slain Witnesses by humane endeavours. When the Israe­lites were e'en upon the point of their Resurrection out of Egypt (which was not complete till they arose out of the Red Sea; Ex. 15. compared with Rev. 15.2, 3.) what saith Moses to them?Exod. 14.13, 14. Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of God—The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And yet the Israelites at that time wereExod. 13.18. harnessed, marshalled, and prepared with Arms; and they used them not long after this their ResurrectionExod. 17.9.13. against the Amalekites at Rephidim; but at their Re­surrection there must not be a Sword drawn, nor a stroke struck; but as Jahaziel said to Jehosaphat and the men of Judah, 2 Chr. 20.17. Ye shall not need to fight in this Battel, set your selves, stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you. Thus (should I live to the Time, and in the Street of the Resurrection of the Witnesses) would I say, and as Moses also said to the Israelites (who would needs go up uncalled, and fight against the Canaa­nites,)Numb. 14.41. Wherefore now do ye transgress the Commandment of the Lord? But it shall not prosper; Go not up, for the Lord is not among you, that ye be not smitten before your enemies: Yet they would presume and go up, but the Amalekites and Canaanites smote them and discomfited them even unto Hormah. Ex. 17. When they had a call to fight against the Amalekites, they conquered them; but when they will fight with them uncalled, they are smitten by them.

Quest. II. VVhat if we should see such a Slaughter, as symbolizeth much with that here, ver. 7, 8, &c. And yet when the three years and half are ended, there appeareth little or nothing in view, agreeable to such a Resurrection as the Text here holdeth forth, ver. 11, 12?

Answ.

HEre lyeth the difficulty, that (as I said in answer to the former Que­stion the last time) I dare not be positive in determining whether the Witnesses are slain or not; only I laid before you what the Scripture [Page 12]saith concerning their slaughter, and left it to you to consider: And the same course I shall take at present in answer to this Question.

But before I come to the Answer, I shall premise a Position or two.

1. That there must not only be a Resurrection of the slain Witnesses, but such a Resurrection al [...]o as is here described, for the Scripture cannot be broken. It is not enough that there is an answerableness of things in the death of the Witnesses, to prove their Slaughter; but there must be the like in their Resurrection also, or we can conclude nothing. Every Slaughter hath not been the S [...]nght [...]r, and so every Resurrection is not that Resurrection; And to hold forth that which is like the death of the Witnesses, but to fall in the Resurrection, will not amount to satis­faction.

2. This Resurrection of the Withesses must be homogeneal, and of the same kind with the Slaughter, [...] If the slaughter be partly civil and partly spiritual. so must also the Resurrection be, and not proper and li­teral; for those Bodies can never rise from a natural death, which were never deprived of their natural lives. These Positions premised, I pro­ceed to the Answer.

1. Negatively, I shall not answer as some have done, who say, that after three days and [...] the witnesses shall arise, but how soon after it is not said. [...] not answer thus, for this were ponere Resur­rectionem [...] smite Resurrection, without an, de­termination of time; and [...]o to what purpose would the Text in hand [...]rve? Or what comfort thould we have from it more than this, that there shall come a time when the witnesses shall arise? For as Martha said to Christ, of her dead Brother [...], I know that he shall arise again i [...] the Resur­rection at the last day; all her doubt was, whether Christ would raise him then, John 11.24. Even [...]o might we say of the slain Witnesses, if their Resurrection here had [...] been mentioned at all, We know that they shall rise again [...]: yea, but when shall they arise? After three days and a [...] half, saith the Text; therefore the time is determined. For in these words there is the Ep [...], [...] O [...]inal or beginning of time from whence the Re [...]urrection doth commerce and proceed, i. [...]. presently after the expi­ration of the said [...] of their death. For the time of their Witnessing had,

  • 1. Its Epo [...], though [...] dark and difficult to discover it.
  • 2. Its Continuance, [...]

like manner the time of their slaugh­ter hath.

  • 1. [...] and [...]egi [...]ning, and term from whence to reckon; and
  • 2. Its [...] c [...]ance, v [...]z. three years and an half: And shall not [...] [...]ction also have a certain fixed beginning?

God is very pun [...] [...] as to his times and seasons, though our dark­ness [Page 13]knows not how to discern it, as you may see, Exod. 12.40, 41, 42. It came to pass at the end of the 430 years, even the self same day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt: It is a night to be much observed, &c. it is doubled and trebled to shew us Gods exactness in keeping time.

2. I shall not answer according to that Notion of some others concern­ing three years and half, i. e. three years (say they) and half three years for the words in the Original are these, [...] i. e. say they, after three days and half, leaving out the word an; so that they reckon the time to be three years and half three years, i. e. four years and an half. But this answer will not hold: For,

  • 1. There are three notable Numbers in the Revelations, relating to the sufferings of the Church, viz. 1260 days, and 42 months; and time, times, and half a time, i. e. three years and an half: For so many days are so many months, and so many months are so many years, a day being put for a year; so that there is a singular answerableness in these numbers, and therefore if we extend the three days and an half (i. e. three years and an half) to four years and an half, we break the proportion and correspondence that is between these three numbers.
  • 2. How will this notion hold, if at the end of four years and an half, there should be no more shew of a Resurrection, than there was at the end of three years and an half? I come therefore to an Affirma­tive Answer.

First. There are several Resurrections mentioned in the Scriptures.

  • 1. The Resurrection of the Soul from the death of Sin to the life of Grace, [...] 5.25. Eph. 2.1.
  • 2. The Resurrection of the Body at the coming of Christ, 1 Thess. 4.16. And the [...]e two Resurrections are in instanti, or in a very short and quick time, as it is said of that great change, 1 Cor. 15.52. In th [...]twink­ling of [...].
  • 3. There is the Resurrection of the Jews at their Conversion, [...]for so it is calied, Ez [...]k. 37.12, 13, 14. Rom. 11.15.
  • 4. The Resurrection of the Witnesses in my Text. And these two last are not so peedy as the two former, but have their gradual Process and [...]e [...]ral [...]ucceeding steps. For, as touching that of the Calling or Re­surrection of the J [...]ws.
    • 1. There is a noise.
    • 2. A shaking.
      Ezek. 37.7.-11.
    • 3. A com­ing together of Bone to Bone.
    • 4. Sinews and Flesh coming upon them, and skin [...]ve [...]ing them.
    • 5. The breath of Life coming into them.
    • 6. Their [...] upon their feet as an exceeding great Army.
    So for the raiting of the [...]:
    • 1. The Spirit of Life from God entreth into them.
    • 2. They fraud upon their feet.
    • 3. They hear a great voice from Heave, saying, Come up hither.

Secondly, I answer, that the Resurrection of the Witnesses seems to an­swer to the coming of the Children of Israel our of Egypt, for spiritual Ba­bylon is called spiritual Egypt, ver. 8. Which Deliverance was a kind of Resurrection, as appears from the resemblance there made to Abraham in a vision, Gen. 15.9, 10, 11. Now the Children of Israel arose our of their bondage by degrees, for their Resurrection was not complete till they rose out of the Red Sea, and sang the song of Moses, Ex. 15. For till then they were not quite free from the [...]yptians. They made several steps out of Egypt to the other side of the Red Sea, viz. from Rameses to Succoth, from Succoth to Etham, from Etham to Pihahireth, from P [...]ha­hiroth to the red Sea, Numb. 33.5-9. And therefore that remarkable day spoken of, Exod. 12.40, 41, 42. is not to be understood of Israels complete Resurrection, but that day was remarkable for the beginning of it.

3ly. There is a great Analogy between literal and spiritual Babylon, and the coming of Gods people out of that, and of the rising of the Witnesses and their deliverance from this. Now the people of God arose gradually out of literal Babylon. For 1. When the seventy years of their captivity were fulfilled,Jer. 29.10.-15. the Text tells us, that they must call upon the Lord, and go and pray to him and seek him; and search for him with all their hearts, and then he would be found of them; then they should do it, i. e. at the end of the 70 years. This then was their first motion in their Resurre­ction; they must first of all rise upon their knees.

And Daniel did his part in this Calling, Praying, Seeking, Searching. And when did he do it? In the second year of Darius the Son of Ahasue­rus of the seed of the Medes, in which he was made King over the Realm of the Chaldeans, Dan. 9.1.

This then was after the accomplishment of the 70 years, because the Kingdom of the Chaldeans was now at an end. For note what Jeremy saith, It shall come to pass when 70 years are accomplished, that I will punish the King of Babylon; and that Nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, &c. Jer. 25.12. It is apparent therefore that the 70 years were now ended, and that the time of the Jews deliverance was come; and yet (you see) after that very time did Daniel thus call, pray, seek, and search. This (I say) is remarkable, as also, that after this time it was, that our Lord Jesus Christ (the Angel of the Covenant) made intercession for the deliverance of his people, Zach. 1.12. Saith he, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the Cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? God therefore seemed to delay a while, some may say, after the 70 years were [Page 15]ended, that our Lord Jesus saith, How long, when the years were expired. Yea, but God did not delay one moment, Hab. 2.3. for the Jews Resur­rection was now begun, for they were upon their knees, and Christ was interceding for them and in them. The Spirit of Life from God acted this way in them in their first motion; their rising was somewhat like as when a man riseth out of his bed, and falls down upon his knees by his Bed-side and prayeth. If any man now should enquire and say, is such a man risen? it might truly be affirmed that he is so, though he be down upon his knees at present.Isa. 26.1 [...]9. It was prophesyed of the coming of the Jews out of Babylon, that their dew should be as the dew of the herbs, and that the earth should cast forth her dead: Their Resurrection out of Ba­bylon should be like the Resurrection of Herbs in Spring, which arise out of the earth by degrees.

And also when they did come out of Babylon, they came not out all at once, but at several times; some of them in the first year of King Cyrus, upon the Proclamation which he made, Ezr. 1. Others in the Reign of Artaxerxes, came out with Ezra the Scribe,Neh. 2. & 7.7.— which was 13 years after Ezra's coming forth. Neh. 2.1. with Ezr. 7.7, 8. Ezr. 7.1.—Others with Ne­hemiah, in whose days also the bondage was not quite ended, Neh. 9.36, 37. So that it was upon that account also a kind of gradual Resurrection or coming forth.

It is true, there was liberty of returning granted by Proclamation in the first year of King Cyrus, but there fell in certain impediments that hindred both the speedy progress of their coming forth, and also of their carrying on of Religion when they were come unto Jerusalem, for fear was upon them, Ezr. 3.3. and much opposition they met with for some years; for the people of the Land weakned the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired Councellors against them, to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus King of Persia, Ezr. 4th 5th, & 6th Chapters. unto the days of Darius the King thereof. They had still very many Adversaries.

For Military Occasions withdrew Cyrus, who left the Government to his Son Cambyses, who proved an Enemy to the Jews, and to the build­ing of the Temple: He did not second his Farthers Proclamation of Liber­ty, but rather hid it in the House of the Rolls, insomuch, that it was at last quite forgotten, as you may see Ezr. 5.13. with 17. and chap. 6.1, 2. Note therefore what is said, Dan. 10.1—In the third year of Cyrus King of Persia, a thing was revealed unto Daniel, and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long—In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks, I ate no pleasant bread, neither came Flesh or Wine into my mouth, &c. It seems he understood of the oppositions which were made by Cam­byses and his Emissaries against the work of God at Jerusalem, even in the third year of King Cyrus, who gave the Jews their liberty in his first year.Ezr. 4. And upon this occasion Daniel humbleth himself greatly, and waiteth to [Page 16]know the mind of God, and what he purposed to do with his people: And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him, and shewed him a great Vi­sion, which astonished him very much, and made him to fall down upon his face, and he was cast into a deep sleep, his face being towards the ground.

And now behold, an Hand touched him which set him upon his knees, and upon the palms of his hands; afterward Christ said unto him, Stand upright, for unt [...] thee am I sent; and when he had spoken this word, Da­niel stood trembling. Christ could have set him upright upon his feet at once, but I have sometimes thought whether our Lord Jesus did not here­by shew unto Daniel, the gradual manner of the Je [...]s Re [...]urrection out of B [...]bylon; for

  • 1. They did lye in B [...]bylon as it were in a deep sleep on their faces, as Isalah prophesying of their coming out of Captivity, saith, Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust.
    Isa. 26.19.
  • 2. They arise but in a gradual manner, viz. upon their knees (as it were) and the palms of their hands.
  • 3. They stand upright, but trembling; and therefore as if the Lord Jesus should bid Daniel not to be so much dejected, the people of God, for whom he was thus solicitous, should stand upright in good time.

This (I have thought) is the intendment of Christ in this Vision, and of what befell the Prophet under it; s [...]eing it is likely that Jesus Christ would in­struct him by the Vision and the Effects of it, concerning that business which lay most upon his Heart. Now to come to our purpose.

Even thus the Witnesses are dead asleep in the dust. 2. The Spirit of Life from God entreth into them, and they rise first on their knees and palms of their Hands, and there they stick a while, a [...] l [...] they stand up­right but trembling, and then they begin to gather strength by little and little, till at last their en [...]mies begin to stand trembling, and are afraid to look upon him, as we shall bear, ver. 12.

Thus the Resurrection here will be gradual, and (which is more) not be the business of a few days, though in my Text it is comprehended in a very few words.

You know what vast Histories are contained in the second and seventh Chapters of Daniel, and in other also of his Visions, which are but short and brief in the Reading. And thus it is with very many Histories in the Scriptures which are expressed with very great brevity. That which the Apostle speaketh of Antichrist,2 Thess. 2. and of what did then hinder his visible appearance, and what he speaks of his Wickedness, Revelation, Con­sumption, Destruction, containeth many Centuries of years above a thousand, and is the sum of most that is contained in the Book of the Re­velations, from the sixth Chapter to the End; In which Book how are large Stories contained in a very small compass? The large History of the ten Persecutions lyeth in a narrow Room in the sixth Chapter; the Ty­ranny [Page 17]and power of the Turk, and how he hath been a Scourge to the Antichristian World, lyeth within the one half of the ninth Chap­ter, &c.

For it is in this Book, as in a small Map of the vast World, where­in very great Countreys are described in as narrow a compass as the breadth of your hand: And in the S [...]ale of miles which you see in the bottom of the Map, the miles seem to be very short, but he that tra­velleth them [...]hall find them very long. And therefore I conceive we are much mistaken, when we think that the entring of the Spirit of life into the Witnesses, and their standing upon their feet, and their ascend­ing in a Cloud, are matters that fall out suddenly, and that follow close one upon the heels of another. The slaying and rising of the Witnesses is a great part of that Story which is contained under the sixth Trum­pet, which soundeth several hundreds of years, and yet you see not many things expressed during the time of its sounding.

Lastly, That the rising of the Witnesses will be gradual, is apparent by the gradual fall of the Beast; for they cannot rise faster than he falls, like as in two Well-buckets, one cannot ascend faster than the other doth descend.

Autichrist, you know, hath been long ascending to his height, and his Vertical point is at the time of the slaying of the Witnesses, after which he will rise no higher, but begin to descend, yet so as that it will not be presently discerned, no more than the declining of the Sun is forthwith observable after his height in Summer; there is a Solstice, or a stay or stand (as it were) of the Sun for a time after the longest day, before the declension thereof is visible: For even thus it is with the Kingdom of the Beast after the rising of the Witnesses: And when that Kingdom of his doth decline visibly, it will not fall suddenly, but God will first begin with a tenth part thereof, vers. 13. as a pledge of the ruine of the whole City under the seventh Trumpet, which will sound presently upon the back of the fall of the said tenth part. But the descending of the Beast to his Center, i. e. till he be cast into the Lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone, will take up many years, during which time the Church will still be ascending. And therefore we must not think that when the Witnesses begin to arise, they will presently (no nor in a few years neither) rise up to their heighth; for they must ascend as Antichrist descendeth, and that is, gradually.

And by this we may collect, that it is a mistake in such as think, that when the Witnesses begin to arise we shall have Halcyon dayes, in which the Saints shall begin to ride as it were in Triumph, and see sor­row no more. For surely their life from the dead will not presently become the death of the Beast; only, after a while, when he perceiv­eth [Page 18]that the Cause of Christ is in a rising way, he will be sorely af­frighted, as here vers. 12. But great troubles will follow this Resur­rection after a short time; for the tenth part of the City (i. e. of the Beasts Dominion) will not fall easily, as the walls of Jericho did, with­out striking of a stroak; there will be somewhat to do in the execu­tion of the Vengeance of Gods Witnesses, which will shake the power of the Beast so far, that he shall lose the tithe of his Dominion. There will be nothing but woful stirs and shakings, till it be come to Arma­geddon. For when the Beast perceives himself falling, who hath stood, and that strongly, these many hundreds of years, he will rage like the Angel of the bottomless Pit,Quoniam ad septi­mum clan­gorem prin­cipatus Christi maximè eminet, ad ho [...] tem­pus praecipu­us furor to­tius Pontifi­ci [...]e nationis reservatus est. Joh. Bright. in locum. so that Hell it self will be moved, and break loose to help him.

You know what is said here after the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, The Nations were angry, &c.

Christs Kingdom will begin to shine forth at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet, and therefore the special rage of the Pontifician Na­tion is reserved unto that time. And if it be thus under the Seventh Trumpet which allarums the Beast more especially, how will it be un­der the sixth Trumpet, which is the saddest of all the Trumpets to the Church and People of God? And what a fearfull Farewell will it have? For it will not cease sounding presently after the rising of the Witnesses, seeing there is an ascending time to follow, and a great Earthquake at the heels thereof, which will make sad work, and after that, The third Woe cometh quickly. These things then will not be done upon a sudden, nor without further tryals to the Church of God. For the Worships and Superstitions of Antichrist are woven (almost) into every thing throughout Christendom, the unravelling whereof will shake that part of the World where these things are so twisted and interwoven, and so have been these hundreds of years. And therefore we must take heed that we do not judge of the rising of the Witnesses by the times that succeed it, but by that Resurrection Spirit which (after a while) will appear in the Witnesses of Christ.

I shall conclude with a Consectary flowing from what hath been spoken of the gradual rising, and it will serve also in way of answer to the question in hand; and it is this, viz. That seeing there is such a gra­dual motion, the first beginnings of the Resurrection will not (in pro­bability) be so perceivable. How imperceptible were the first moti­ons of Antichrist?2 Thes. 2. The Mystery of Iniquity (saith Paul) doth work al­ready; and yet how few discerned him in the dayes of Constantine, which was some hundreds of years after the Apostle thus wrote, and when also that which did let his more publick appearing and acting, was quite taken out of the way?

I suppose, they have been very few who at the opening of the Seals, and at the beginning of the sounding of every Trumpet hitherto, could say, Now such a Seal is opened; and heark, how such or such a Trum­pet doth now begin to sound.

Beginnings are many times very small and obscure, as it is with Rivers which arise from little Fountains, and yet at last grow to be very deep. Perhaps also there may be in some an aptness to expect the accomplishment of such or such a passage in the Revelati [...]ns, in such a way as they have fore-fancyed, and then when the fulfilling of them is very different from their pre-conceptions, they may be ready to question it. In our eager pursuits after accomplishments, it may hap­pen sometimes that we may leave them behind us, and yet think that they are before us. A little waiting therefore will set our Judgments right as to the question in hand, and give you a surer Answer than I shall undertake to do.

One thing more; you have heard how the Death and Resurrection of the Witnesses do in many things answer to the Death and Resur­rection of Christ, though in some things again they differ: But if their Resurrections correspond in any thing, I am prone to think it is in their first beginnings: Let us consider this a little, and finish the present discourse.

1. When Christ arose it was dark, and for ought I know to the contrary, it might be near Midnight.Joh. 20.1. When Mary Magdalene came to the Sepulchre, it was yet dark, and Christ was then risen I know not how long before. And when she saw Christ afterwards at the Se­pulchre, she neither knew him, nor that he was risen, but mistook him, thinking he had been the Gardiner; And when she knew him, she went and told them that had been with him, and found them mourning and weeping, who therefore little imagined that Christ was risen.Mark 16.10, 11. And when these heard what she said, they believed it not; and when the two Disciples told them the same, they did not believe them;Mark 16.13. for as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. And when he appeared afterward to the Eleven as they sate at meat,Joh. 20.9. he upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart,Mark 16.14. because they believed not them that had been with him after he was risen. And so too he upbraided the two Disciples that went with him to Emmaus. And when he appeared to the Ten, Thomas (who was then absent from them) would not believe that Christ was risen; yea,Luk. 24.37 and at his first ap­pearing to them, they thought they had seen a Spirit, (which is more;) when the Disciples went into Galilee into a Mountain where Christ ap­peared (which I conceive to be the time spoken of by the Apostle,Matth. 28.17. 1 Cor. 15.6.) it is said, They worshipped him, but some doubted.

By all this you see, how difficultly the Resurrection of Christ was believed. Even thus it may be when He riseth in his Witnesses, whose resurrection doth (in many things as well as his death) allude to that of Christ's.

The Witnesses then (like Christ) may be up, and few know it, or believe it; that, as it is said of the report of them who brought the first tidings of Christs resurrection to his Disciples, Their words s [...]emed to them as idle [...]ales, Luk. 24.11 and they believed them not: Even so it may happen at the resurrection of the Witnesses, who do not only ascend, but per­haps also rise in a cloud, as many times the Sun doth, insomuch that some lye a bed till seven or eight of the Clock in the Spring in a cloudy Morning, and think not that the Sun is risen.

Now then, lay all the precedent passages together, and pray for light and help from the Spirit, and see what it doth amount unto. How­ever wait for a while lo [...]ger, and time will prove a sure Interpreter.

‘REV. XI. 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.’

IN the former Verse we find the Witnesses upon their feet, in this we find them upon the wing. In the words you may observe,

  • 1. A Call given them, and it is by a Voice.
  • 2. It is a great Call, for it is a great Voice.
  • 3. From whence it cometh, from Heaven.
  • 4. The Witnesses hearing it, They heard a great voice.
  • 5. What it saith, viz. Come up hither.

I shall only paraphrase upon the verse, and conclude with application.

And they heard a great Voice from Heaven.] Heaven is put for the Church here upon Earth. For as the Church is distinguished from her seed; Chap. 12.17. So here, from her Witnesses. The meaning therefore is, There comes a voice out of the Church to the Churches and Ministers, to rise up yet higher and nearer Heaven. For the Spirit speaketh in the Churches to the Churches, as you may see in the second and third Chapters of this Book of the Revelations. This I take to be the meaning of the words.

  • 1. It seems to be set here in opposition to the Beast, who is said to ascend out of the bottomless pit, ver. 7. The Beast lives in Hell upon Earth, the Saints in Heaven.
  • 2. It stands also in opposition to the former condition [Page 21]that the Witnesses were in, who but now lay dead (as it were) upon the earth, and now, behold, they are called up to Heaven.
  • 3. This Heaven is the same that is mentioned ver. 19. but that is the Church of God, and therefore so is this.

Now the voice that calls to them from this Heaven, is a great Voice, declaring a loud call. Here then is a Commission and Warrant given them to prophesie again, and to follow their former employment, and not in the least to be discouraged, for their Call is very clear, distinct, and audible, it being a great voice. And some do conceive, that this Call comes from men in publick place; and I should be glad it might prove so; but I much doubt of it, upon these grounds.

1. Because it is said, That when they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud, their Enemies beheld them. Now these enemies are those who lately slew them, and therefore were men of Place and Power. And still they are the men they were, as very Enemies at the Resurrection and Ascension of the Witnesses, as when they slew them; Therefore surely these could not call them; They who beheld them as Ene­mies when they ascended up to Heaven, would never call them up to Heaven.

2. It is said in the following words, That in the same hour there was a great Earthquake, and the tenth part of the City fell, and in the Earthquake were slain of men seven thousand. These are the enemies spoken of in my Text, as I shall further shew you when I come to ver. 13. So that this call here comes not from men in publick place, they are enemies (you see) after the Resurrection, and at the Ascension of the Witnesses; And the Voice here comes from Heaven, which is no place for the enemies of the Witnesses.

This Voice then comes from the Spirit of God in the Churches, work­ing an inward powerful instinct and impression in these Witnesses, &c.

They heard a great Voice.] It is not said, that others heard it. It is somewhat like the voice which Pau [...] heard from Heaven,Act. 22.5. when he was near unto Damas [...]; They that were with him saw the light that shined about him, but they heard not the voice of [...]im that spake to him: That is, They did not hear it disti [...]tly; for the men that journeyed with him st [...]od speechless, hearing a Voice, Act. 9.7. but seeing no man. It was a Voice, and a great, clear, distinct voice, but in Paul's ears only, not in theirs. So here, &c. But what is the subject matter of this call? Come up hither;] Not l [...]g ago, there was a great voice, or vote, from He [...] against these Witnesses; and now there is a voice from Heaven to them, and fo [...] [...]em; The first was from the Beast as­cending out of the Bottomless p [...], this is from the Spirit speaking from Heaven to them; The first cryed, D [...] with them: This from Heaven [Page 22]cries, Up with them; Come up hither; The first laid them as it were upon the Earth in the streets; This calls them up to Heaven.

Quest. But what shall they do there? Answ. Wherefore, as if the voice should say, Here is more work for you, the Church is rising higher than it was; It is nearer Heaven, more pure and refined, more set upon Separation, more elevated above the world, and preparing for more glorious times approaching under the seventh Trumpet; and therefore, Come up hither; which intimateth, that formerly they preach­ed, lived, and conversed at a lower rate than now they must, and are here called to do; For the Churches are risen, and all things in the Churches are higher, and got up nearer unto Heaven, and the Saints must now live far above their former selves; Wherefore, abide no long­er where you are, but Come up hither.

And in this Call, there is a motion implyed, Come, which hath a term from which.

  • 1. The Earth, or a lower condition of living be­fore, when the Witnesses savoured too much of the Earth, and when their Spirits lay prostrate during the time of their slaughter; For as the death of the Witnesses was in a special manner Spiritual, their spirits being low and dead, so now their Spirits are raised up higher.
  • 2. They move and rise up from Antichrist and his Pollutions, and all his earthly and hellish waies of Worship, Mixtures, and base conversa­tions.
  • 3. From that Bondage and servitude which the Witnesses were lately in unto the Wills of men, before their Resurrection; so that some­time after their Resurrection there will be a very great change in the Churches of Christ, as to purity of Doctrine and Worship, and Holiness of walking, and Gospel-liberty, far beyond what was before. Thus you see their Call cleared.

2. I come now to their Obedience to this Call, or great Voice from Heaven.

And they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud, and their Enemies beheld them.] In which words, there are three things considerable.

  • 1. Their Ascent to Heaven.
  • 2. In what manner, in a Cloud.
  • 3. Who saw them thus ascending; their Enemies beheld them.

1. They ascended up to Heaven. The great Voice is accompanied with great Power, that the thing commanded is soon accomplished. They willingly and readily attend the Call, declaring that their hearts were wholly in it. Come up hither; Lo, we come; and must we yet be more separate from sin and sinners, as to communion with them, and from Antichristian pollutions, and from the world? We desire nothing more. And must we be more conform to Rule, in Church, in Family, and in all our Relations, Conditions, and Conversations in this world? We chearfully attend this call from Heaven. They are not therefore [Page 23]passive in ascending, as men that are haled up from the Earth so as if their feet stuck in the mire, and as Jeremy's body was drawn up by cords out of the Dungeon; but they seem to leap up Heaven-ward. Only this is not done presently after their Resurrection, but like unto Christ's Ascension to Heaven in a cloud, some good space of time after his Re­surrection.

2. For the Manner; They ascended in a cloud; Act. 1.9. wherein there is an allusion unto the manner of Christ's Ascension into Heaven. But what doth this Cloud here signifie?

1. It noteth their ascending in a Degree of glory. Matth. 24.30. There is now a Spirit of glory resting upon them. As it was with Christ when he rose from the dead, he layd aside for ever his state of Humiliation: So do these Witnesses; they shall now prophesie in sack­cloath no more, they shall henceforth be cloathed with a cloud of glo­ry. And as Christ's Resurrection was the first degree of his Exaltati­on, and his Ascension the second; even so it is here with his Witnesses; For this is the second degree of their Exaltation, the third will be when they shall dye and enter into glory; and the last, when they shall come with Christ to judge the world.

2. Here is also Power denoted in this cloud, as you may see from the former Text, Matth. 24.30. For the Witnesses were slain in dis­honour, but they shall be raised (especially ascend) in glory; slain in weakness, but raised and ascend in power, as it is also said of Christ,2 Cor. 13.4. that he was crucified through weakness, but he liveth by the power of God.

3. Hereby is signified their Protection and safe passage and proceedings in the way of further Reformation, like as the Cloud in the Wilderness was a defence upon Israel when they were come up out of Egypt; for thus now, upon all the glory there shall be a Defence. The case also is some­what like as when the Egyptians pursued the Israelites into the Red Sea, at what time the pillar of cloud removed from before the Israelites, and stood between them and the Egyptians; For thus, here is a cloud of Protection between the ascending Witnesses and their Enemies.

4. This cloud signifieth the Obscurity of this ascension, as to their ene­mies who stand here looking on them. For clouds are sometimes put for darkness. Ps. 97.2. And as it is said of the Pillar of cloud that stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians, Exod. 14.20. It was a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, but it gave light by night unto the Israelites: Even so, &c. And therefore though there are many lookers on here to see the ascend­ing Witnesses, yet they do not understand what God is about to do in this so glorious a dispensation, but are ready to say as Samballat, Neh. 4.2. What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make [Page 24]an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rub­bish which are burnt? Why? What is that which blindeth their eyes? It is their malice, envy and hatred; for you see they are still called Ene­mies, even when the Witnesses ascend. God hath hardened their hearts, and blinded their eyes, and given them up to a reprobate sence, and to the power of prevailing enmity. Besides which, They look upon there Ascenders as clouded with reproaches and calumnies, which hath still been the Lot of the Saints in all times of Reformation. So that, neither the Resarrection, nor Ascension have altered them, nor opened their eyes in the least. Thus much for the Manner of the Witnesses As­cension.

3. Here follows the Spectators of this Ascension.

And their Enemies beheld them.] There is a fo [...]r-fold Beholding of them by their Enemies.

  • 1. They beheld them prophesying, and that was with Torment, ver. 10.
  • 2. They beheld them s [...]ain, and this was with joy, for they rejoiced over them, and made merry, and sent gifts one to another.
  • 3. They beheld them risen, and that was with fear, ver. 11.
  • 4. They here behold them ascending, and that is with grief and Indignation.

But that which is here remarkable is, 1. The Progress which the Witnesses make in their Reformation after their slaughter is finished; for,

  • 1. The Spirit of Life from God enter [...]th into them.
  • 2. They stand upon their feet.
  • 3. They ascend up to Heaven. For surely such a progression there will be.

2. It is observable, that as the Witnesses are called to this Reforma­tion by a great Voice from Heaven, so a great power attends the work, insomuch that their Enemies cannot hinder it by any means, though the persons and their work are very visible to their eyes; for they see both them and it with fear, grief, and Indignation, like as Tobiah, Sanballat, Goshem, and the rest of their companions, beheld the repairing the Wall of Jerusalem, but could not put a stop to it: For just so it is here with these Enemies. The case is somewhat like that which the Psalmist mentioneth concerning the Kings of the Nations, who came up against Zion; Ps. 48.4, 5, [...]. saith he, Lo, the Kings were assembled, they passed by toge­ther; they saw it, and so they marvelled, they were troubled and hast­ed away; fear took hold upon them there, and pain as of a Woman in Travel. They saw Zion, and were troubled, affrighted, and pain­ed greatly, and that was all that they could do. And like as the Soul­diers, who guarded the Sepulchre of Christ, saw him as he arose, and feared,Marth. 23.4. and shook, and became like dead men, but were not able to lift up a weapon against him: Even so it [...] here, &c. Whereas in the time of the slaughter, a Child of God could scarce stir, but these Ene­mies [Page 25]presently beheld it, and not only so, but also opposed and hin­dered it; but after their Resurrection, especially their Ascension, they shall behold the Witnesses, and do little or nothing more to speak of.

3. It is remarkable, that the Enemies of the Witnesses do still retain their Enmity unto the last, even though they do most evidently behold that their slaying of the Witnesses is come to nothing, but (notwith­standing all endeavours to the contrary) they are up and upon their feet again, yea, and ascending also, as resolved upon a further Refor­mation; For yet still you see that here they are called Enemies, even when the Witnesses are upon the wing for Heaven. They are a Ge­neration of Vipers, the seed of the Serpent, whose malice is implacable. And why are they such Enemies? Not for any hurt that the Witnesses and people of God have done them, for these would fain be quiet and live peaceably, for they oppose not Government here, but endeavour further to reform among themselves. Their condition is much like that of David; saith he, They that render evil for good are mine Ad­versaries, because I follow the thing that good is. Oh what a dreadful account will these Enemies have, when neither the wonderful Providen­ces of God, nor notable Disappointments, nor Reformation, nor Holi­ness in Churches and Saints, can by any means turn them from their En­mity and opposition even against God himself! And thus much for the ex­plication of this 12th. verse; Let me add a few Uses, and conclude.

USES.

1. We are shewed, that when the Witnesses are risen, God calls them after a while to an higher pitch of Reformation: I say, After a while; For their Resurrection (as you have heard) is gradual, and when they are arrived so far that they stand upon their feet, and have attained to some strength and stability, then God calls them by a great Voice from Heaven to Come up higher, and to approach nearer unto Heaven. God doth not raise up his Witnesses, that now they should sit down, and content themselves to live as they did before; the Re­surrection is the first degree of Glory, and God doth now expect that they should live above the world.

What the Apostle saith, Col. 3.1. may well be applyed to the pur­pose in hand; If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. Churches must now reform, and be rising up nearer and nearer towards Heaven; and so it must be also with Families and Persons. Espe­cially Ministers, Churches and Church-members must be advancing forward, and pressing after an higher point of holiness and conformity to the Gospel; for the Witness and testimony lyeth especially among these; [Page 26]And God calls from Heaven to them with a loud voice to ascend; Sure­ly, if the Churches and Saints were at their set pirch, God would not say to them, as here he doth, Come up hither. It is not therefore [...]ough that they are ri [...]on from the dead, and have the spirit of life in them, but they must also [...]and upon their feet; stand fast, grow strong, and [...] last ascend [...] ward. They must now grow and encrea [...],1 King. 22.35. as the [...]ame word in the Original is rendred both to ascend and increase; they must be going and growing2 [...]am. [...].1 [...]. as it is said of David when he came to the King­dom. And doth God call from Heaven? take heed then that [...] refu [...]e not him that speaketh for how shall they escape who tu [...]h awa; from him that speaketh from Heaven?

As for publick and general Reformation, God calls aloud this day for it; but it is our duty to leave that unto our Superiours; As for our selves, we shall be left wholly without excuse, if we take up our stand and [...]n­deavour not to ascend yet higher. As touching others, [...] not this Voice, nor will they hear it when it shall hereafter come to [...] great Voice; for they are like the People who stood close by Christ when there came a voice from Heaven,Joh. 12.28. saying unto him, I have both glo [...]ed my Name, and will glorify it again; which when the standers by heard, they said, that it Thundered. It seemeth therefore that it was a very great voice, and yet the matter spoken was hidden from them. Others said, An Angel spake unto him; how beit Christ tells them, That voice came for their sakes, but (you see) they understood it not.

But let us hear what the Lord speaketh; for we have this day a voice from Heaven, though the great Voice is not as yet come. Let us hear what is come, and though it be but a still small voice, yet God is in it, and therefore let us wrap our faces in our mantles, fear God, and obey his voice.

For surely God calls now for a more full Reformation in the Churches, and more exact walking according to Gospel-pattern; and why should we stay till the great voice cometh? When that cometh, the Witnesses will hear, as the Text declareth, as much as to say, Till then they will not hear, at least be so attentive. For thus God calls, and calls, and few will hear, that at last he is fain to call with a loud voice; In the mean while it is the sin of such who are thus dull of hearing. Do not therefore say as sometimes the Jews did concerning the building of the Temple, The time is not yet come; so, the great voice hath not, as yet, spoken; but if there be any thing of a Resurrection-spirit in us, let us live at an higher rate, and far above our slain selves. Surely, when the Witnesses are risen from the dead (whether it be done, or as yet to come) they will preach, and speak, and pray, and partake of Ordi­nances, and buy, and sell, and converse, at a Resurrection-rate, espe­cially [Page 27]when once they begin to stand upon their feet, and to be warmed with the Spirit of life from God in them. And God will go on with a further Reformation before the 7th Trumpet soundeth; yea, you see that he calls for ascending higher immediately before the coming of the Earthquake, saying, as sometimes [...]shua to the Israelites, Josh. 3.5. Sanctify your selves, for to morrow God will do wonders among you. Make hast, get ye up with all speed, and stand clear of the Earthquake.

2. We are further informed, That when the Witnesses are risen, they shall not dye again, they are now beyond any more slaughters; And as it is said of Christ in another kind, so it may be said of his Witnesses, Christ being raised from the dead, Rom. 6.5. dyeth no more.

And as there was Counsel in the former point of Information, so there is Comfort in this. The Testiomony of Jesus after its Resurrection shall live for ever, that as Christ saith of his own death and Resurrection, his Testimony may speak likewise, I am be that live [...]h and was dead, Rev. 1.18. and be­hold, I am alive for evermore. The joy and mirth of the Beast at the slaughter of the Witnesses could not keep them down from rising again; nor shall their fears, and griefs, and wrath, and indignation at their Resurrecti­on prevail to slay them a second time. This is great mercy, and not a lit­tle comfort.

When the Isra [...]lites rose up out of their boudage in Egypt, they rose (as you have heard) by degrees, and were not compleatly risen till they came up out of the Red Sea; and though all the power of Egypt pursued them to reduce them to their former servitude, and to slay them once again, they could not prevail, God would not suffer Pharaoh and his host to come near them, but he interposeth by the Pillar of cloud between them, as if he should say, You shall as soon slay me as them; not an hair of their heads shall perish. Yea, but shall not the Witnesses meet with oppositions and exercises from the men of the world after their Resurrecti­on? Yes, they may have many attempts made against them to destroy them, for even to their very Ascension (as you see here in the Text) they have their Enemies, for their Enemies behold them; They behold them both rising and ascending, they have still an eye upon them.

The Enmity therefore doth not cease at the Resurrection or Ascension, but rather increase upon that very account; for the Witnesses rise, and (at last) ascend, and their [...]emies cannot help it, they can behold them, as the Text she weth us, and that is all that is here spoken of them. The Witnesses shall meet with enm [...]y enough, but with no more slaugh­ters, attempts perhaps that way, [...] still f [...]ustraueous. We must not therefore judge of the Resurrection [...] Ascension of the Witnesses by the enmity and affronts which they [...]ay meet with, for what [...] can be expected from Enemies? The priviledge of the ri [...]en Witnesses is, [Page 28]not that they shall suffer no more, but that they shall be slain no more.Joh. 12.10. When Lazarus was risen from the dead, the chief Priests consulted to take away his life, but they could not do it; will any therefore say, that Lazarus was not risen from the dead, because the Hierarchy con­sulted to kill him? No; Do not therefore misgive as to the Resurrecti­on of the Witnesses, upon every petty or particular indignity that some one or more of them may meet with from their enemies. When the children of Israel were risen up out of the Red Sea, they were gone no further than to Rephidim, Exod. 19 1, 2. which was within three months, e're they met with an host of Amalekites, who gave them a sore assault, and when Moses let down his hands, prevailed against them; but Israel had the day, and discomsited them, who were afterwards devoted to utter destruction for this their cruel and wicked attempt.Exod. 19 4. Israel was now born up on Eagles Wings, out of the reach of destroying dangers, and of fear of Reduction into Egyptian bondage; and now they pass on still from Journey to Journey in the Wilderness, and though at last they meet with Og and Sihon in the way, yet they subdue them, and never stop till they arrive in Canaan. Thus it will be with the Witnesses after their Resurrection.

The Churches and Saints will meet with some shakings after the Resur­rection and Ascension, because there is a great Earthquake presently to follow; ver. 13. After Christ's Ascension, the Gospel, its Preachers and Professors had many encounters with their enemies; for presentlyAct. 4.26 The Kings of the Earth stood up, and the Rulers were gathered toge­ther against the Lord, and against his Christ; but in all the story of the Acts of the Apostles, you find the Gospel growing and getting ground by opposition, and they were but two, Stephen and James, who lost their lives. And though we have an expectation of a great Earthquake, yet it is comfortable to consider, that immediately before it cometh, a great Voice saith unto the Witnesses, Come up hither, and that the as­cend up to Heaven in a cloud. It is a mercy, and will prove a means of the greater security, that they are got up nearer unto Heaven, and unto an higher degree of Holiness, Purity of Doctrine, Worship, Disci­pline, and manner of living, before the storm cometh. The safest living is above the Earth, in the Heaven of holiness, when the Earth shall shake and reel to and fro like a drunken man; And this shall be the case of the Witnesses ascended.

You never find a Reformation in the Scriptures, but if there followed a shaking time, the People of God sped well, or much the better for it.

When the Israelites put away their strange Gods and Ashteroth from among them,1 Sam. 7.4— and prepared their hearts unto the Lord, and served him onely, and poured out water before him, and fasted, and confessed their [Page 29]sins, presently the Philistines are gathered together against them, and draw neer to battel; but the Lord thundered upon them and discomfit­eth them, and they are smitten before Israel.

When Jchosaphat had reformed his Kingdom, 2 Chron. 19. it came to pass afterwards that the Inhabitants of Moah, Ammon and Mount Seir, came up to war against Judah, but God turned their swords against one another, and destroyed them without a stroke struck by the men of Judah, 2 Chro. 20.

2 Chro. 29.30, 31. 2 Chro. 30. When Hezekiah had finished an eminent Reformation in Judah, Sennacherib comes up against the land with a very formidable Army; but the Angel of the Lord slew therein an hundred fourscore and five thou­sand in one night.

And in all these confusions of the enemies of God and his People, after a Reformation wrought, it is observable, that God doth work wonders from Heaven, his People do little or nothing but pray and stand still; And I am thinking whether God will not work wonderfully from Heaven by his own immediate hand when the great Earthquake cometh, soon after the Ascension of the Witnesses.

The Enemy cometh upon a very great disadvantage to himself against the People of God, when once they are in an ascending way of Reforma­tion. It is great presumption in these enemies here to slay the Witnes­ses; to oppose them and oppress them in their sackcloath is a cruel and accur [...]ed thing; what then will God account it, if they shall dare to de­sign against them when cloathed with a Cloud? This is a very high degree of Th [...]omachy. For, as for the Dragon and the Beast, they will not be quiet till the seventh Vyal is poured out, and both are shut up in the bottomless Pit; yea, when the Devil is loosed out of prison at the end of the thousand years, the first thing he doth, is, he gathereth Gog and Magog together against the Camp of the Saints. He and his Instruments will never cease their opposition, till they are thrown together into Hell, there to remain for ever. Wherefore, after the Resurrection of the Witnesses, the Saints may meet, and are like so to do, with many trou­bles to the pouring out of the last Vial, but yet they shall meet with no more slaughters. For what do we meet with as to these Enemies, after the rising of the Witnesses?

  • 1. It is said of them, that great fear fell upon them.
  • 2. That, when the Witnesses ascended, they beheld them.
  • 3. When the Earthquake cometh, many fall, and the remnant is affrighted.
  • 4. When the seventh Trumpet soundeth, they are angry.
  • 5. When the fourth Vial is poured out, they blaspheme.
  • 6. When the fifth, they gnaw their tongues and blaspheme.
  • 7. When the sixth, they gather themselves toge­ther to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

So that here is fear, anger, shewing of teeth, blaspheming and gnawing of tongues, and [Page 30]great preparations to sight, kill and conquer; and this is all that I find after the Resurrection of the Witnesses unto the last Vial, which will end in their everlasting confusion. Make therefore the Resurrection sure, and though there will be stirrs and struglings, attempts and oppo­sitions, and some particular sufferings now and then, yet no great or con­siderable hurt will be done unto the very last.

3. If the Witnesses shall thus rise and afterward ascend, then it will follow, that from thence forwards the Beast will not rise higher, but be continually in the declining hand unto the very last; During which time will be made good in a pecial manner what is prophesied of him by the Apostle,2 Thes. 2.8. The Lord shall consume that wicke [...]on [...] with the breath of his mouth. And this consi [...]ption shall more eminently begin with the fall of the tenth part of the City, and when the seventh Vial is poured out, he shall be destroyed with the brightness of Christ's coming.

He shall never thrive more after the slaughter of the Witnesses, he shall never digest the shedding of their blood, which shall cry night and day to Heaven against him for vengeance. Let us but rise and ascend, let once a Resurrection Spirit appear amongst us, a Spirit of Faith, Love, Power and Zeal, a Spirit of Prayer, Praise, Reformation, holy walk­ing, and it will prove a Blessed Omen to us of the coming of Christ's King­dom, and of the declension of the Beast's dominion. If we ascend, he will of course desced; for we and he cannot ascend, nor descend to­gether, we are so diametrically opposire, that contrary fates do of necessi­ty attend us.

Now then, out of all that hath been said, you may gather up these Consequents of the Witnesses Resurrection.

  • 1. That as the Spirit of Life from God entreth into them, so now they will be more bold, active and zealous for God; only as the Resurrection is gradual, so this Spirit of Life cometh on by degrees.
  • 2. They attain, at last, to some sta­bility, and begin to stand upon their feet, as being more fixed, strengthned and resolved.
  • 3. When it is come thus far, grear fear falls upon them that see them, and their enemies begin now to be affrighted; As the Witnesses grow stronger in faith, their enemies grow weaker with fear.
  • 4. When thus they begin to gather strength, and their enemies to grow more and more feeble, the Spirit of God gives the Witnesses a loud call to em­brace the opportunity, and to ascend to an higher pitch of Reformation, raising them up above the earth and earthly things, and separating them more from the world and the things of Antichrist.
  • 5. And now, in­stead of sackcloath, they are cloathed with a cloud, and a Spirit of pow­er and glory resteth on them.
  • 6. They shall still have enemies notwith­standing all this, and their enemies eyes shall be much upon them with vexation and anguish, but yet they shall not know how to help themselves, [Page 31]nor how to hinder this work of God, the external face whereof they shall see, but not the meaning of the dispensation, the Cloud interposing be­tween them and that, so that they shall be blinded and hardened like Pha­raon and the Egyptian, they shall be under the power of a dedolent Spi­rit, and still [...]ain their enmity.
  • 7. This Ascension of the Witnesses im­mediately foreruns the Earthquake, giving hopes of greater security to the Witnesses in such a day of dreadful concussion, when God will make some notable distinction between them and their enemies.

If therefore you should live to see the Witnesses upon their feet, expect after a while to see them upon the wing; and if you see them ascending, expect ere long that Earthquake, whereof I shall speak in the next discourse, which will cause great ruines, and effect strange alterations. When the Witnesses begin to ascend, the great City will begin to descend, and pay the rithe of it self to divine Vengeance for its late blood-guiltiness, of which more upon the next Verse. So much for this.

‘VERSE 13. And the same hour there was 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.’

WE are now come to the Conclusion of the sixth Trumpet, which endeth with an Earthquake; and [...] Earthquake is descri­bed,

  • 1. By its Greatness, for it is said to be a great Earth­quake.
  • 2. By the time when it happened, [...].
  • 3. By the effects or consequents of it;

  • 1. That the [...] [...]th, [...] of the City fell.
  • 2. That therein were slain of men seven thousand.
  • 3. That the remnant were affright­ed.
  • 4. That they gave glory to [...] God of He [...].

I shall handle the words as I did the former verse, by way of Para­phrase, or E [...]ion.

A [...]d the same hour.] Not th [...]hour of their Resurrection: the Earthquake here is reserved for the W [...]sses. Asce [...]on, after which it hasteth, coming in the sam [...] [...], not [...]tera [...]ly take [...], but Metaphorically, i. e. Sp [...] [...] For it [...] s [...]den and anexpected succession of th [...] [...] [...] of the Witnesses. Let but these once [...], and [...]re [...]e [...]y [...] falls a shaking; for (Vindicta divina de testi [...]m ini­micis. Joh. Pisc. in h [...]ver­sum. as Piscat. well [...]) this in the [...]e [...]ce of God upon the enemies of the Witnesses; they were now gazing up to Heaven to see the Witnesses [Page 32]ascending, and, before they are aware, they are surprized with a grea Earthquake from under them. For this verse is connected with the Ascension of the Witnesses by the Copulative And, shewing us, that it belongeth to the same story, and followeth close upon the Ascension. The Enemies were staring upon the Ascenders, and upon a sudden the Earth shaketh under them, and turns their eyes upon another object. God threat­neth to throw them down to Hell, whilest his Witnesses are ascending up to Heaven.

And the same hour there was an Earthquake.] There are two sorts of Earthquakes in the Scriptures.

  • 1. Such as are Natural, as when the earth shaketh through collection of Wind and Vapours in the bowels thereof, and which want vent. Such an Earthquake there was in the dayes of King Ʋzziah,
    Zach. 14.5.
    and such before the destruction of Jerusalem, Luk. 21.11.
  • 2. There are figurative and metaphorical Earthquakes in the Scripture, as when some notable dispensation of God resembleth an Earth­quake; and such is this here in the Text.

And this, in Scripture, signi­fies some notable change,Hebr. 12.26, 27. as when God saith, Yet once more I shake not the Earth only, but also Heaven; This (saith the Apostle) signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken. And when God saith, He will shake the Heavens and the Earth, mark what a change followeth: And I will over­throw the throne of Kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the Kingdoms of the Heathen, and I will overthrow the Chariots and those that ride in them, and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. Hag. 2.21, 22. See also Isa. 13.13. And these Metapho­rical and figurative Eathquakes are sometimes accompanied with or pre­saged by literal ones, as in that place of Luke forementioned. And that formidable Earthquake in the dayes of Ʋzziah happened about the time that Jehu's fourth Generation was expiring, after which followed frequent and fearful changes unto the very Captivity of the ten Tribes. Again; When God brought his people of Israel out of Egypt, this was a perio­dical time, and there was now a very great change coming upon the World, and the Church therein, not the like thereunto (excepting in the time of the Deluge) from the foundation of the World. Pharaoh and the Egyptians were now to be destroyed in the Red Sea, and the Church to pass into Canaan, and there to settle; And God signified this great change by an Earthquake properly and literally so called. O God (saith the Psalmist) when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march thorow the wilderness, the earth shook, the Heavens also dropped at the presince of God, even Sinai it self was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Ps. 68.7, 8. See also, Ps. 77.15, 16. to the end. The Earthquake therefore in my text signifies some great and emi­nent change brought in with shaking and affrighting Judgments, common­ly [Page 33]for the destruction of Gods enemies, and sometimes for the delive­rance of his People. Thus you see what kind of Earthquake is here meant, and what it signifieth.

But let us look a little further into it, and compare it with other Earth­quakes in this book of the Revelations, which we may call Apocalyptical Earthquakes, of which we find five.

  • 1. The first at the opening of the sixth Seal, Rev. 6.12.
  • 2. The se­cond at the opening of the seventh Seal, Rev. 8.5.
  • 3. The third in my Text, near the conclusion of the sixth Trumpet.
  • 4. The fourth at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet, Rev. 11. last.
  • 5. The fifth at the pouring out of the seventh Vial, Rev. 16.18.

Among these, this in my Text is the middlemost; the two first (like the two last) fall in quickly, the one after the other, the first under the sixth, the second un­der the seventh Seal, a little before the sounding of the first Trumpet; af­ter which we meet with no more Earthquakes till the close of the sixth Trumpet in my Text, which long interval takes up above a thousand years, during all which time the Earth seemeth to stand still, not simply, but in comparison with what is now like to be at the close of the sixth Trumpet, and the beginning of the seventh. The world is now drawing towards its end, that its shaking fits do come so fast upon it; and some more than ordinary Change is hasting upon the World; for there have been great Changes in it during the long Interval aforesaid, and yet none of them have been called Earthquakes, as this here in my Text, which though it falls only upon the tenth part of the City, yet it is a fair warning to all the other parts, and a sure Pledge of their approaching ruine.

The far greater part of this Interval between the second and third Earth­quake, hath been taken up with the Reign of the Beast and of the Turk, who in all this time have met with no such considerable Change, as now they are warned to look out for, and which shall shortly befall them under the seventh Trumpet; but as for the change signified by the Earthquake in my Text, it appertains especially to the Beast who slew the Witnesses.

The same hour there was a great Earthquake.] Great; Let us consider that a little, and compare it with the other four Earthquakes; For they are all great, and as it seemeth, greater than this here in hand.

The first, mentioned, Rev. 6.12. is expresly called a great Earth­quake, and surely greater than this in my Text; For that was so great, that it shook the whole Pagan Empire, and overthrew it funditùs, with an utter destruction, as in the Verses there following. It overthrew the Pagan Emperial world, the Heavens thereof, the Sun, Moon, and Stars thereof, and every Mountain and Island belonging thereunto,Rev. 6.12.—to the end. and all the persons therein, from the King to the Bond-slave. This then was a dreadful Earthquake, which shook and overthrew the whole fabrick of the Heathenish Empire, and introduced a blessed Change as to the Chri­stian [Page 34]world,Rev. 8.2. at least for a season. But now, as for the Earthquake in my Text, though it is great, yet nothing near so great, as shaking only and overthrowing a tenth part of the great City. Only know thus much, that it will destroy the Heavens, the Sun, and Moon, and Stars of this tenth part, and overturn the little world therein. For all the Apocalyptick Earthquakes overthrow Worlds; the first the Roman Pagan world, the second the Roman Christian World, the third, fourth and fifth the Romish Antichristian World; after which succeedeth the Millenary World, which the Apostle calls, The World to come, H. br. 2.5.

2. As for the second Earthquake at the opening of the seventh Seal, and immediately foregoing the sounding of the first Trumpet,Rev. 8.5. this al­so was a great Earthquake, though it is not expresly so called. For,

  • 1. A great Change followeth it, as appeareth in the eighth and ninth Chapters.
  • 2. Whereas there are several expressions of Terrour when it comes, as, Voices, and Thunderings, and Lightnings, and an Earthquake, there seemeth to be a gradation in the words, and the sorest dispensation brings up the rear, and that is an Earthquake. So that this also looks greater than that in the Text in hand.

3. Compare the Earthquake in my Text with the next to it, under the seventh Trumpet, and though this here is great, yet that is great­er, so as it is not in my Text.

  • 1. Because accompanyed with Lightnings, and Voices, and Thunderings, and great Hail.
  • 2. Because it is the im­mediate fore-runner of those Vials which shall utterly destroy the Beast. Whereas the Earthquake in my Text shakes only a tenth part of the Ci­ty, and makes way for the seventh Trumpet.

4. Compare it next with the Earthquake at the pouring out of the seventh Vial, Rev. 16.18. And though this in my Text is called great, yet that is greater, and indeed the greatest that ever was. For mark what the Text saith of it: There were Voices, and Thunderings, and Lightnings, and there was a great Earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the Earth, so mighty an Earthquake, and so great; and the great City was divided into three parts. This Commotion and concussion made the great City to fall asunder; And great Babylon came into re­membrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath; and every Island sted away, and the mountains were not found, and there fell upon men a great hail out of Heaven, every stone about the weight of Talent, &c. Well therefore may it be said, There was not so great an Earthquake since men were upon the earth. For now also the Romish Antichristian world is wholly destroyed, and the Mille­nary introduced. For in these three last Earthquakes, it is observable, that there is a gradation, that in my Text is exceeded by that, verse last, and this exceeded abundantly by that under the seventh Vial, which is the sweeping and concluding Earthquake.

And in these two last, it is observable again, that they are accom­panied with Hail, the first of them with great hail, but the last with so great, that every Stone is about the weight of a Talent, big enough to brain an Oxe or an Elephant; for God now knocks down not only the great Beast, but the Turk and Devil also. And now, not only the Earth shakes under the Beast, but the Heavens also from above discharge (as I may say) their Cannon-shot, such massy Hail-stones as God hath reserved against this day of battel and war, and now is fulfilled what is written, The windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake, Isa. 24.18. It will be now in the end of this Antichristi­an World, a [...] in the end of the Old World, when the deep from beneath, and the Windows of Heaven from above, met together and conspired to destroy that world of the ungodly. Thus I have opened to you these five Revelation Earthquakes, comparing that in my Text with the other four, as the least of them all, yet called a great Earthquake, consi­dered simply in it self, as also effecting a great work, in throwing down the tenth part of the great City.

Let us come now to the effect of this Earthquake in the following words.

And the tenth part of the City fell.] By City here we understand the great City spoken of, ver. 8. For this verse referrs to that, though that is called the great City, this only The City, without the Epithete Great, yet not without an Article or two, [...], which amounts to as much as Great, for it is, That tenth part of that City; so that both the City it self and its tenth part, have a singular remark here upon them. But what is that City, that great City? It is not a mate­rial City properly so called, compassed about with walls, but the City here being the same with that ver. 8. is the whole Jurisdiction and Government of Rome. And whereas it is said, The tenth part thereof fell, viz. with the foresaid Earthquake, this cannot be meant of the City of Rome it self, which is reserved for the fifth Vial, which I conceive will not be poured out till after the sounding of the seventh Trumpet. And though a Learned Interpreter of the Revelations expoundeth this of the City of Rome, which he saith, is now but the tenth part of what Rome was in former times, I suppose that will not easily be proved. Nor is this tenth part (as I humbly apprehend) to be understood Geographically, for a tenth proportion of the Romish Dominion; but I rather conceive, that it is to be understood Mystically, for one of the ten Horns; among which Great Brittanny is reckoned one, and by some, the first.

But why doth there fall no more of the City than the tenth part?Quest.

1. Not but that it were just with God to destroy the whole City,Answ. which hath fully deserved it long since; but God begins only with a tenth part to give the remainder of the City fair warning, lest all be ruined (as it will) after some time longer. You know, this City is spiritually [Page 36]called Sodem, ver. 8. Now God gave Sodom a timely Admonition by the Conquest which the four Kings had over it, and the spoil which they got therein, and the captivating its Inhabitants; and when this prevail­ed not to amend them, after a while it was utterly destroyed: Even thus it is with this Spiritual Sodom in my Text.

2. I further answer, [...], God hath a revenging eye; The eye of divine Vengeance is not so much at time this of the Earthquake upon the whole City or Power of Rome, as upon that part thereof where the Witnesses were slain.

But the whole City is guilty of this Internetion and Witness-slaughter:Ob. For though the hands of multitudes, and of the the far greater part by much of all the Citizens of the Romish Polity, were not in this slaugh­ter, yet their hearts do fully consent unto it; like as in the French Mas­sacre, Aug. 24. in the year 1572. though the blood was shed in France, yet Rome did even triumph when they heard thereof.

This is granted,Sol. according to that of Christ, Matth. 23.35. as also Rev. 18.20. But divine Vengeance falls here upon the Principals, and Patience forbears the Accessaries for a season longer, giving them space, as yet, to repent. For in all the strokes and plagues that God inflict­eth upon the Beast, God still expecteth Repentance, as we plainly see, Rev. 9. last; and, Rev. 16.9, 11. This fall or ruine then lighteth one­ly upon the place or Countrey where the slaughter of the Witnesses is committed, to give warning to the remainder of the City, which yet suffereth also in the fall of this tenth part.

But how and in what manner doth this tenth part of the City fall,Quest. it may be said?

1. By dreadful Concussions;Answ. as if God should say, I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. God will throw down the Props and Pillars thereof with notable subversions.

2. There will also be (as I am apt to think) a falling, by falling off; in the end, or falling away of this tenth part from the remaining nine, by them that shall survive the overthrow; for I do not think that the tenth part shall be utterly destroyed. The survivers shall desert the Beast and his Worship and Government. So that the whole City shall be mulcted and fined a tenth part, paying the tithe of it self to divine Ven­geance for the slaughter of the Witnesses; for the Hierarchical Power shall from thence forward cease in that Countrey, which but now was the tenth part of the great City, and the Countrey shall be forfeit­ed, for its bloodshed, into the hands of our Lord Jesus. My appre­hensions are, that it will be such a fall as this, i. e. which will end in a falling off, and that such a Change will be introduced by this Earthquake, as will prove to be a great Judgment upon the great Whore. The Hierarchy exercised in that tenth part shall fall and sink, and never [Page 37]rise again, like as what is sunk by an Earthquake never riseth more, but is for ever buryed in its own ruines. A City or Town may be shaken by a little Earthquake, and yet not fall, though it may stand tottering and hang a-to-side, and be propt up for a time, but this here is said to be a great Earthquake, which will quite swallow up that which before was only shaken and shivered, that now it shall never rise again.

It may be said, perhaps, That what the Sea loseth in one place,Ob. it gaineth in another:

But it is not so with the Sea of Rome, Sol. which now falls into that irreco­verable Consumption prophesied of, 2 Thes. 2.8. The Lord shall consume that wicked one with the breath of his mouth; i. e. with the Gospel, which shall now begin to flourish, when the tenth part of this City is fallen. When the City begins to fall, the Gospel shall begin to rise in equal proportion, and never fall again. There will be no Balm for this bruise, no Cordial for this Consumption; the great Whore shall now begin to abate of her flesh, by that time that this Earthquake hath done reckoning with her; her Arm shall be so broken, that there shall be no Roller to bind it that it may be healed and strengthned. And thus you have heard the first Effect of this Earthquake opened; the next followeth.

2. And in the Earthquake were slain of men seven thousand.] The New Translation rendreth it, Capita hominum, heads of men: The Old, Nomina hominum, Names of men, and so the Original hath it; the mean­ing whereof is, by an Hypallage, Men of Names, i. e. famous men. The Grecians (I suppose) borrow the expression from the Hebrews, who call eminent and renowned men, Men of names, as you may see, 1 Chron, 5.24. and 12.30. The Text there compared with the Margine in your Bibles, where Men of names in the Hebrew are called famous men in the Text. And hence, men of no name in the Hebrew, are called, base men by the Translators, Job 30.8. By this then you see the meaning of the expression in my Text; for these seven thousand men of Names, are Viri nominati, as Junius and Tremelius render the same word, named, or famous men. They are therefore men of eminency and fame, as if one should say, Dukes, and Earls, and Lords, and Knights, and Esquires, and Gentlemen, and Prelates, and Judges, and Counsellours, and Doctors, and Collonels, and Captains, and Magistrates, Officers, &c.

Now of these men of Names, there are slain in this Earthquake seven thousand, i. e. very many, Seven being a number of perfection, and often used in this Book of the Revelations; as seven Spirits, seven golden Candlesticks, seven Seals, seven Trumpets, seven Angels, seven Vials; so here, seven Thousand, i. e. a great number. And of these it is said, That they were slain in the Earthquake, the Spirit of God (perhaps) alluding to such an effect of natural Earthquakes, as when they throw down Towns or Cities, and bury many of the Inhabitants in the ruines.

For this here is called a great Earthquake, and therefore whenever and wherever it comes, there will be a terrible shake both of Persons and Things, viz, Houses, Inhabitants, Lands, Goods, Moneys, Inheri­tances, Callings, Trade, Liberty, Health, Relations, Life, and many other Comforts; Mens hearts will shake, fear and tremble, and some perhaps will cry to Rocks and Mountains. It maketh me to think of the case of the Philistines, 1 Sam. 14.15, 16. when God committed them among themselves, and when they sheathed their Swords in one anothers bowels; there was a trembling (saith the Text) in the host, in the field, and among all the People, insomuch that the Garrison and the spoilers also trembled, and the Earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling, (or, a trembling of God) and the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. Such a kind of Earthquake peradventure it may be, when the Mighty man, and man of Name, shall stumble against the mighty, and both fall down together. Briefly; It will be such a shake as will make a man to eat his bread with quaking, and to drink his water with trembling and with carefulness, as sometimes the Prophet did, Ez [...]k. 12.18. At what time, the Sword shall devour flesh, and be drunk with the blood of the slain from the beginning of re­venges upon the Enemy. And when shall this be? Upon the back of the Witnesses Ascension, when once a Reformation (on their part) riseth upon their rising; for then, and not till then, will this Earthquake be; which yieldeth some matter of Comfort to the People of God, that they are so well prepared against such a shaking time; for now that they are drawing nearer to God, he will be their strong Tower to which they shall run and be set aloft. Wherefore, though the Heavens and the Earth shall shake, the Lord will be the hope of his People, and the strength of the Children of Israel. So much for this Effect of the Earthquake.

And the remnant were affrighted.] This is the third Effect of it. The Remnant; Here is Mercy in the midst of Judgment, that all in this tenth part of the City are not slain, a remnant liveth and escapeth. God is so far here from destroying the whole City, that he destroyes not all the Street. But yet the Remnant are affrighted, flying, like as the People fled from the Earthquake in the daies of Ʋzziah, Zach. 14.5. Or as the Israelites, that were round about the Tents of Korah and his Company fled when the Earthquake swallowed up the Rebels, saying, Lest the Earth swallow us up also, Numb. 16.34.

This is the case of this Remnant, who are not simply afraid, but af­frighted, and e'en at their wits end; they are not slain with the Earth­quake, but almost kill'd with fear, yet spared and have their lives given them for a prey. God might justly have destroyed the whole Street where his Witnesses were slain, and lay dead, but he is satisfied with the Sacrifice of the lives of Seven thousand men of Names, and it is some­what [Page 39]what a considerable price; for if so many men of Names fall, how many thousands of little or no name are slain together with them? As Aha­suerus said to Ester; The Jews have slain five hundred men in Shusan the Pallace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the Kings Provinces? But God's Eye is especially upon the Fatlings and the best of the Flock, that they may be offered up in sacrifice to him, and it is somewhat like his sacrifice in Bozrah, and his slaughter in the Land of Idumea, where his sword is filled with blood, and made fat with fat­ness, with the blood of Lambs and Goats, and with the fat of the kid­neys of Rams, when the Unicorns come down with them, and the Bul­locks with the Bulls, in the day of the Lord's Vengeance, and the Year of Recompences for the controversies of Zion, Isa. 34.6, 7, 8. And it is also considerable, that what is wanting in the Number of the slain, is made up in the fall of the Tenth of the City; a part only are slain, but the whole City falleth in a degree.

4. And they gave Glory to the God of Heaven.] This is the last Effect of the Earthquake. But how do they give God glory?

  • 1. By confes­sing their Sins, especially in ought that they did relating to the slaying of the Witnesses. My Son (saith Joshua to Achan) give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, Josh. 7.19.
  • 2. They repent also of the sins which they confess; for therein also is God glo­rified, Rev. 10.9.
  • 3. They give God the glory of his Patience and ten­der mercy in sparing them, and plucking them as a brand out of the burning, Lam. 3.22.
  • 4. They glorifie his Justice and righteous deal­ings with the bloody Street, saying, Thou art righteous, O Lord, be­cause thou hast judged thus, for they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets, and of thy Witnesses, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy; Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

And this glory is given to the God of Heaven, as in my Text, i. e. to the true God; for as Cyrus saith in his Pro­clamation of liberty to the Jews, The God of Heaven, he is the God, Ezra 1.2, 3. The Remnant is now convinced of their former Atheisms, Superstitions and Idolatries, and give glory to the God of Heaven.

But is this Acknowledgment extorted from them,Quest. or is it freely given by them, as by such whose hearts are now unfeignedly turned to the Lord?

It is apprehended by some,Answ. that it is done by the power only of a strong Conviction in the time of this great Judgment and Vengeance of God upon his Adversaries, but not done by such whose hearts are now truly turned to the Lord: For the Judgments of God do sometimes wring such acknowledgments from wicked men, as when Pharaoh could say after the plague of the Hail, I have sinned this time, the Lord is righteous, Exod. 9.27. and I and my people are wicked. And as Joshua said to Achan, My son, Josh. 7.19, 20. give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto [Page 40]him; And Achan said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Isra­el, and thus and thus have I done. See also Judg. 1.7. and 2 Chron. 12.6. and 1 Sam. 6.5. But others do apprehend that this Remnant here were effectually wrought upon by this terrible hand of God, and gave glory to him in sincerity. But I find no reasons given for either opinion, yet I incline to this second. If indeed this Remnant were such as had been totally immerst and drenched in Popery, I should have been of the first opinion; for the Jurats and sworn Creatures of the Man of sin, cannot repent to give glory to God whatever judgments are inflicted on them, as you may clearly see, Rev. 9.20, 21. and 16.9, 10, 11, 21. The Spi­rit of Popery is a Spirit of dedolence and impenitency, because the complete Worshippers of the Beast are noted as obstinate Reprobates, Rev. 13.8. and, 14.9, 10.

This Remnant therefore were only sprinkled and dipt a little into Popery, and such may and often do repent of their Idolatries and Su­perstitions. And by this you see that there is a possibility that this rem­nant may truly repent and give Glory to the God of Heaven. Yea, and it is probable that they do effectually repent in giving Glory unto God.

For it is here said, that a tenth part of the City fell by this Earth-quake; now, How did it fall? Two wayes, as hath been said;

  • 1. A part therereof fell by being Slain, as a just recompence for Slaying the Wit­nesses, upon whose ascension it immediately followeth.
  • 2. The remnant also of the tenth part fell, but how? By falling away from the Power and Dominion of the Beast.

For if they had still persisted in their former courses and adhered to the Bestian Interest, the tenth part of the City had not fallen by falling away, because a remnant had still stood their ground. And this kind of falling, by falling off, was also a Righteous Judgment of God upon the Beast, whose Power is hereby diminished; for the Remnant throws off the Papal Hierarchy, never to be reassumed more by them; and God is pleased to preserve them (as with submission I con­ceive) to make use of them for future against the Beast and his Interest; Perhaps it is the first of the ten horns which shall hate the Whore, and make her Desolate and Naked, &c. Surely this remnant is reserved for for some singular purpose, seeing they are snatcht thus out of this dread­full ruine; for they related unto them that were Slain, in that they are called their Remnant; It seemeth therefore as if God intended to turn them into an Horn wherewith to goar and wound the Beast.

This Street then is, from the time of this Earthquake, and so forward, for ever cut off from the great City, and being now purged, partly by Divine Vengeance on the bloody men of Names, and partly by the repen­tance of the Remnant, it is thenceforth consecrated unto the Government of Jesus Christ.

This Remnant then is reserved,

  • 1. As a Trophy of Victory and Triumph.
  • [Page 41]2. For some signal Service to be performed afterward by them under the seventh Trumpet, which followeth quickly upon the back of this Earth­quake, as you may see, v. 14.

And thus I have opened (as God hath holpen this passage of the Earthquake and the several effects of it.

But now it may be inquired,Quest. what may be the cause of this great Earth­quake? As the Psalmist saith, What ailed ye, O Mountains, that ye skiped like Rams, and ye little Hills like Lambs?

You know what follows in answer hereunto;Answ. Tremble thou Earth at the Presence of the Lord, at the Presence of the God of Jacob. It comes to pass therefore from the Presence of God among his People, coming down to visit the Street where his Witnesses were Slain.Deut. 21.15.— When under the Law a man was found slain in the Field, and it was not known who slew him, the City that lay next unto the slain Man was to purge it self from that blood, and the Elders thereof were to come and wash their hands over a slain Heifer, and to say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it, &c. God is tender of the Lives of men, especially of the lives and blood of his Saints which is precious in his sight, and he will certainly make inquisition for it in due time, Ps. 9.12. And when he goes about this act of Justice, what will he do to that City, or to that Street, where his Witnesses are found slain; not slain (I say) in a Field by unknown hands, but in the open Street, yea, and by them that dwell therein, and who cannot thus wash their hands? He will call them to a severe account, For there is a cry in the Ears of God for Vengeance.

1. In the general, There is a cry of many and great sins in the Streets, for where such a sin is committed as Witness-slaughter, surely there are many other crying sins. Now the sins of a land may lye so heavy upon it, that they may make it to shake and even to reel and rent again, like as a Cart may be so heavy loaden, that it may make the very Axle-tree to crack, and quite overturn all.Isa. 24.19, 20. The Earth (saith the Prophet) is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly, the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunken man, and shall be removed like a Cottage. Why, what is that which presseth it down so greatly? It fol­loweth; And the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again. It must needs be a marvellous weight that makes the Earth thus to move, yet such is the weight of sin.

2. More particularly, there is the cry of blood in the Street, as I have said; and it is the cry of the blood of the Witnesses. For though they are not literally slain, i. e. not as men, but as Witnesses, yet the Lord calls it, and accounts it a slaughter, yea, and their very enemies account them as naturally dead; and they are greatly Oppressed, Vexed, and Silenced, Imprisoned, Impoverished, and cruelly handled, and so, that it hasteneth also the Death of some of them,Jer. 2.34. and reacheth also to the blood (as I may say) of many thousands of Souls who depended upon [Page 42]their Ministry; and such blood hath a loud cry in the ears of God, and such a cry will shake the Earth wherever the sin is committed, and remains un­purged. You know how the Martyrs under the fifth Seal cryed with a loud voice,Rev. 6.10, 12. saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not Judge and Avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth? What then followeth? And I beheld when he had opened the sixth Seal, and lo, there was a great Earthquake, &c. You have heard before of the greatness of that Earth­quake, and how it shook and quite overthrew the whole Roman Pagan Empire.2 King. 24.4. You know also that the blood shed by Menasseh could not be expiated by the greatest reformation that was ever wrought, but the whole Land of Judah was at last shaken to pieces for it. That land is ex­treamly deplored that lyeth under the guilt of blood, especially of slaying Christ's Witnesses. See 2 Chro. 36.15, 16. It layed Jerusalems house, i. e. the Temple, desolate, Matth. 23.37, 38.

And when the Jews killed the Lord Jesus,1 Thess. 2.15, 16. and the Prophets, and per­secuted the Apostles, forbiding them to Preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved, they filled up their sins, and the Wrath of God came up­on them to the uttermost. This is a filling and a finishing sin; even Reformation it self (were it equal to Josiah's) cannot save that land from a great Earthquake, and from such Vengeance as will make the ears of them who hear it to tingle. What saith the Prophet? The City sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come; thou art become guilty in thy blood, and hast caused thy dayes to draw near, and art come even to thine years. Ezek. 22.3, 4.

3. There is yet another cry, and that is from the Prayers of God's people, especially from under their Affliction. No doubt but the cries, and sighs, and groans of the Children of Israel in Egypt were accompani­ed with many Prayers, and it brought such vengeance upon Egypt, as you have scarce read the like. God never forgets the cry of the hum­ble. Ps. 9.12.Exod. 22.23. If but a poor Widdow or Fatherless child be afflicted, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, saith the Lord. And know thus much, that the Prayers of one distressed Child of God may be such, that they may shake the very Earth it self. What saith David? In my distress I called upon the Lord, Psal. 18.6, 7. and cryed unto my God; He heard my voice out of his Temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears; Then the Earth shook and trembled, the Foundations also of the Hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth, &c. The Prayers of David in his distress shook Heaven, Earth, and Sea. And wherefore is it that God saith, I will shake the Heavens, and the Earth, and the Sea, and the dry land, and I will shake all Nations, and the desire of all Nations shall come? I say, wherefore is this, and whence proceedeth this great con­cussion? Even from the desire of all the Saints that live among the Nati­ons in the world. They are oppressed and persecuted in the world, and [Page 43]they cannot be quiet; upon this they cry out, and utter their desires, O that Jesus Christ would come and deliver us, and plead our cause, and re­lieve us in our distresses, and call the world to a reckoning! Even so come Lord Jesus, come quickly. I tell you, This will cost the world a sound shaking. Little do people imagine what the force of God's peoples prayers is, they have an Earth-shaking power in them. The praying Saints are a thundering Legion. Samuel no sooner cryeth to the Lord,1 Sam. 7.10. but he heareth him and answereth him with a dreadful discomfiting thunder upon the Philistines. And when the Saints fall to prayer at the close of the seventh Seal,Rev. 8.3.5. present­ly follow Voices, and Thunderings, and Lightnings, and an Earthquake. Act. 4.31. When Peter and John were returned from their persecutors to their own compa­ny,Act. 15.25. they betake themselves to prayer, which was no sooner ended but the place was shaken, where they were assembled together. And when Paul and Silas prayed and sung praises to God in the prison, and in the stocks, suddenly (saith the Text) there was a great Earthquake, and the foun­dations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and every ones bonds were loosed, and the Keeper of the pri­son drew his Sword and would have killed himself. And do we think now, that all the prayers that have been made within these few years by the Saints in the world, will not end in a dreadful Earthquake? God hath already answered his people, and will again answer them, by ter­rible things in righteousness. Thus you have seen the procuring causes of this Earthquake. I shall conclude with some Consectaries, Informations and Exhortations flowing from what hath been opened to us.

1. By what we have heard in the Explication of this thirteenth verse, we have a further proof of what sometime I said, That the Witnesses are slain not in all parts of the great City, but in some one eminent Street thereof that hath not quitted and cast off the power of the Beast; where­fore I thus argue:

Where the revenge of God is inflicted for the slaying of the Witnesses, there, and there only, are the Witnesses slain:

But the revenge of God is not inflicted upon the whole City for the slaying of the Witnesses, but only on a tenth part thereof:

Therefore in that tenth part thereof, and there only, are the Witnes­ses slain.

For God proportioneth his Revenge unto the place of the slaughter, making it commensurate and adequate thereunto, and doth not exceed the bounds thereof.

2. In this dispensation we may see the singular patience of God towards the Enemies of his Witnesses, in that he doth not presently bring this great Earthquake upon them; they may meet with many a sore concussion, during the time of the slaughter, and presently after it is over; but yet God deferrs the terrible Earthquake till the ascension of the Witnesses, and [Page 44]till that great Voice from Heaven hath said unto them, Come up hither, and that they have ascended in a Cloud in the very sight of their Enemies. Which (by the way) sheweth us plainly, as I touched it before, that this loud voice and call unto them to ascend, doth not proceed from the Pow­ers and Rulers of this World, as some have thought, for these are Ene­mies, and the men of names, who are to be slain in the Earthquake pre­sently upon the Ascension of the Witnesses. They continue Enemies unto the very time of their destruction.

But that which I am speaking to, is the Patience of God towards that Street where the Witnesses are slain; for God doth not destroy the men of names so soon as they have slain the Witnesses, no, nor so soon as the Witnesses are risen and standing upon their feet; He tarrieth till they are ascended, and gives his Enemies warning enough; but when once the Ascension time is over, and Reformation of Churches, Families, and Saints on foot, the Earth will forbear shaking no longer; there is then but an hour (i.e. a very short time) between the Ascension and the Earthquake.

3. We are shewed the just Revenge of God upon these Enemies, in that he slayeth them, a meet recompence for their slaying of the Witnesses. Thus,Rev. 13.10. he that leadeth into Captivity, shall go into Captivity, and, he that killeth with the Sword, shall be killed with the Sword. So here, They that slay, shall be slain; as it is written,Gen 9.6. He that sheddeth blood, by man shall his blood be shed. Jer. 51.56. The Lord God of Recompences shall surely requite; he is as punctual in his Justice, as powerfull in his Patience.

4. In that the holy Ghost here seemeth to allude to the manner of great. Earthquakes, which is to swallow up houses and their Inhabitants, so as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were swallowed up, though that was ra­ther by the Earth renting, than quaking, yet swallowed up they were,Numb. 16.32. they and their houses and all the men that appertained to them, and their goods; I say God seemeth to deal with these men of names, as with those Rebels and their companions; As if God should say, they shall perish in the gain-saying of Kore, and as so many Dathans and Abirams, and Rebels against the God of Heaven; for such God accounteth these, whatsoever these accounted the Witnesses.Numb. 16.2. And of these three men it is said, They rose up before Moses, with certain of the Children of Israel, two hundred and fifty Princes of the assembly, famous in the Congregation, men of renown. They were, just like these in my Text, viri nominatissimi, men of great note and name; and so Mr. Aynsworth translateth the word famous, in that place, Men of names, and he reckoneth them no less than States-men, as you may see in his Exposition. And the like title also is given to the oppressing Gyants of the old World, whose foundation was over­flowed with a Flood;Gen. 6.4. They are called Mighty men, and men of Re­nown.

You see then the account of God concerning these famous ones in my [Page 45]Text; They slay the Witnesses as Rebels, and ere long themselves are slain of God, as such.

5. Whereas these many thousands were men of Names, it may denote (as Mr. Brightman observeth from the expression) that God doth not fall blindfold with his judgments upon men; he doth not strike Andaba­tarum more, sed certo, nominatimque, even so certainly and knowingly, as if he named these great men; There's for you, such a one, saith he, and there's your reward, saith he to another, naming him, &c. God shall shoot at them with an arrow, suddenly shall they be wounded, Psal. 64.7. He doth not shoot like that Syrian who hit Ahab at adventure, but he aim­eth alwayes when he shooteth, and never misseth the mark.

6. God then is no respecter of persons;Job 34.19. He accepteth not the Per­sons of Princes, nor regardeth the Rich more than the Poor.. Nay, he hath a special eye upon the men of Names, for you must know that this Earthquake here doth slay many a man, hundreds and thousands no doubt nullius nominis, of no name or fame at all, but these you see are not here mentioned, but only the viri Nominum, the men of great re­nown. And God will do this dreadfull Execution upon them by a re­markable hand from Heaven; for Earthquakes are in a special manner from God, there is no hand of man in them. The mighty shall be taken away without hand, Job 34.20. That is, without the hand of any man; God will do it by an out-stretched hand from Heaven.

7. It is very observable, That in Gods execution of Judgment here, he falls most eminently upon the principal Ring-leaders, the men of Names, whose hands especially were employed in slaying the Witnesses. Many others of little or no name were ingaged also in the slaughter, but the men of Names stirred them up and set them on work, and led them the way also by their Examples and Authority. Wherefore God takes no­tice of them especially, and the stroke falls most remarkably upon them as the great Oppressors of the Witnesses, and hinderers of Reformation. He takes off these therefore, and removes them out of the way, as intend­ing now to bring in Reformation contra gentes virosque nominum, against all opposition whatsoever. For great men, if not also good, are great opposers of that which is good; as God sometimes said to Ezekiel, shew­ing him five and twenty of his great Enemies, and among them Jaazaniah and Pelatiah Princes of the people; Son of man, saith God, These are the men that devise Mischief and give wicked Counsel in this City; There­fore prophesy against them, Ye have multiplied your slain in this City, and ye have filled the Streets thereof with the slain, &c. I will execute judgments upon you, and ye shall fall by the Sword, &c. And saith Ezekiel, It came to pass when I prophesied, that Pelatiah dyed, Ezek. 11.1. — See also Numb. 25.4.

Thus when the sixth Seal was opened, and that the Judgments of God [Page 46]fell most formidably upon the Roman Pagan Empire for the most horrid bloody Persecutions used against the Christians, the most righteous God began with the ring-leaders, the viri nominum are set in the front of the Sufferers, viz. The Kings of the Earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty men; and after them come in the men of small names, every bondman, and every freeman, Rev. 6.15. The Earthquake there mentioned shook all the Empire from the highest to the lowest, but it began with, and fell heaviest on, the men of Names, Kings, great men, rich men, chief Captains, and Mighty men. For as for the Bondmen and Freemen, they were set on by their Kings, and great men, and rich men, and chief Captains, and mighty men; That is, the Informers, and Catch-poles, and Jaylors, and poor Souldiers, were but as a company of boudmen to the Kings, great men, and men of Names; and they must do what the Powers will command them, but (you see) that will not excuse them when the Earthquake cometh; but yet the Grandees are the men in the Van that are most eminently shaken and thrown down thereby; they shall pay for it to the purpose.

8. We may here behold the riches of God's grace, that he not only spareth a Remnant of his, and his Witnesses Enemies, that they are not slain with the rest in the Earthquake, but he giveth to them also the grace of repentance. They might have drunk of the same Cup with those men of renown, as being a Remnant of them, especially as to their enmity, but God lets them live to repent and give him glory. I suppose these to be such as were persecutors as well as those others, but they did it ignorantly in unbelief, and therefore they obtain this mercy; perad­venture the other (at least many of them) are such as transgress of malicious wickedness, and rebell against the light, which is a very high provoca­tion. They are nothing like so ignorant as malicious and despighthful, being desperate sworn enemies to Jesus Christ, his People, Cause and In­terest. Yet even the spared Remnant are bad enough, as known and professed enemies to the God of Heaven, to whom now they give glo­ry, whose glory and honour they never cared for before. O the riches of the glorious grace of God, that he should save such as these, not on­ly from the destruction of the Earthquake, but of Hell it self! Let us exalt this inestimable grace, and believe, love, and praise, and give glory to the God of Heaven for their so doing; and in the mean while, let none despair, when such men as these repent.

9. They that are the People of God and dwell in that bloody Street, may have hopes, that God will not utterly destroy it, seeing there is a Remnant that will be spared, which shall be as the shaking of an Olive­tree and the gleaning of Grapes after the vintage; is ended. You know what devastation God maketh by his four sore Judgments, Ezek. 14.22. And yet saith the Lord, A remnant shall be left, and they shall come forth [Page 47]unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings, and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon you. Isa. 6. ult. God will not u utterly forsake that Street, but yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten as a Teyl-tree, and as an Oak, whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves; for so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. God will as it were tithe this tenth part, and consecrate it and the land unto himself for some signal and singular service to his Name. And as God will destroy the Microcosm and little world in that land by this Earthquake, viz. the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Heavens and Earth there­of; so he will create new Heavens (as I may say) and a new Earth therein, and the former shall be remembred no more.

Lastly, We see what a shaking world we live in; Let our hearts there­fore hang loose to the things of this world, to which they are so apt to ad­here. How soon God may shake us, we know not, and shaking (espe­cially of the earth) is in order to the removing of the things that are shaken, Hebr. 12.26, 27. And when men are sorely shaken, they had not need to take hold on things that shake, and which are ready to remove away from under them; they have need to lay hold on stable and abiding things that will stand fast and not forsake them. If any should say, This shaking may be far enough off from us; Let no man think so; For admit that this be not the time nor place spoken of, in Rev. 11.7, 8. Yet where there is any thing like it, there will be that also which is as like unto this Earthquake.Ezek. [...]3.10, 13. What saith the Lord to Eze­kiel? If a righteous man beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doth the like to any one of these things, viz. there spoken of, he shall not live, he shall surely dye, his blood shall be upon him. That doth the like, &c. He doth not say, That doth the very same. If an Hue and Cry pursue after a shedder of blood, and find a man that is very like him, and apprehend him upon suspition, and it falleth out upon examination that the person apprehended hath also shed blood in like manner, though he is not the person that shed the blood inquired after, yet he shall not live, he shall surely dye, his blood shall be upon him: Even so, &c. God will never put up the slaying of his Witnesses, though (perhaps) it may not be that slaying here spoken of, but only the like unto it. There is no satisfaction to be taken for the life of a murtherer, nor is there any City of Refuge appointed in the law for him,Numb. 35.31.—Deut. 21.1.-10. he must be taken away from God's altar, or slain at it, as Joab was, otherwise, the whole land lyeth under the guilt of blood.

You know what Hanun did to David's Embassadors, who were sent to him in meer love and good will. He did not slay them, but shame­fully abused them.2 Sam. 12.30, 31. O how was the land of the children of Ammon shaken for this abuse! The Kings crown was taken from his head and set on David's, the Ammonites slain, Rabbah sacked and plundered, and the [Page 48]people of the Land put under sawes, and harrows, and axes of iron, and made to pass thorow the brick-kiln. And yet, what is this abuse of David's Embassadors, to that of Christ's, which we have lived to see? And what will the Lord then do, how dreadfully will he avenge the high and horrible contempt of his Messengers? Prepare therefore for times of great concussions; perhaps they may prevent some of your deaths, if not prove also the cause of them. Hang loose (I say) to the world, and be in the number of the ascenders, get up above the Earth, and ap­proach nearer unto Christ in Reformation and Holiness, and then, if the worst should come, you may sing Luther's Psalm, Ps. 46. And be not so sollicitous about the Earthquake, as about the Ascension that imme­diately precedeth it; for the Earthquake must come, but wo be to them when it comes who are not got above the Earth. It is the great mer­cy of God to defer the Earthquake till after the Ascension, for the great­er safety to his people; which I conceive to be a special reason why it is deferred till then; though another may be, That a foundation may be layd for the carrying on the work of Reformation the better, when the Earthquake is at an end.

And it promiseth well to the Street, that God will not utterly destroy it, nor take away his Gospel from it;

  • 1. In that he still continueth his Witnesses in it.
  • 2. Because Reformation and Holiness are ascending when the Earthquake cometh.

Now therefore let it be the care and endea­vour of the People of God,

  • 1. To rise.
  • 2. To ascend.

  • 1. To rise; what is that? To hold forth the Spirit of Life from God; They must walk in opposition to their slain condition; now, they were slain by the loss of spiritual life, courage, and activity; therefore they must rise by a con­trary Spirit.
  • 2. Let it be their endeavour also to ascend, i. e. to reform, viz, Churches, Families, Hearts and Lives.

And if we must thus ascend, then it will follow, that we must not stay at that pitch of Reformation to which we have already attained, but must yet get up higher; there is a great deal more yet to be done. For per­haps some may say, Are we not ascended already? No; we are not yet come to the utmost of our Resurrection, which (as we have heard) is gradual. True; there hath been a kind of rising and ascend­ing of late years; for wherefore are the Witnesses slain, but for their climbing up so high in their Seperations and Professions? And yet (you see) they must ascend up higher; For we are not risen up so high above former times, as we must yet rise up higher above our present selves; God will not be satisfied with our Resurrection when it is come to its ut­most degree, but then he requireth also an Ascension, which will be gra­dual likewise, unto the time of the pouring out of the seventh Vial.

FINIS.

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