A Sermon Upon Revelation 2:11, Sermon
A SERMON Upon Revel. 11.11, &c. SUMMONING The Expectation of the Witneſſes Riſing AND OF THE Great Concurrent Works Daily ſhewing forth Themſelves, and to be Compleat by 1697. TOGETHER WITH The Surprizing Confirmations of the Line of Time, and the 1260 Days of Years ending 1697. Deſign'd as an Encouragement of Earneſt Prayer, With Aſſured Faith and Hope of the Bleſſing of God on the Arms of Proteſtant Princes; and particularly, of our King, and the Change of the State of the Suffering Witneſſes in France.
By T. BEVERLEY.
Iſa. 51.9.
Awake, Awake, O Arm of the Lord.
LONDON: Printed for John Salisbury, at the Riſing Sun in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange. 1692.
A SERMON UPON THE Riſing of the Witneſſes; AND THE Great Works, that ſhall therewith ſhew forth Themſelves, ſo as to be Compleated by 1697.
Revel. 11.11, &c.
And after three Days and an Half, the Spirit of Life from God entred into them, and they ſtood upon their Feet, and great Fear fell upon them that ſaw them; And they heard a great Voice fram Heaven, ſaying unto them, Come up hither. And they aſcended in a Cloud, and their Enemies beheld them. In the ſame Hour was there a great Earthquake, and the Tenth part of the City fell; and in the Earthquake were ſlain ſeven thouſand Names of Men; And the Remnant were affrighted, and gave Glory to the God of Heaven. The ſecond Woe is paſt, &c.
IT hath pleaſed God, beyond all my former Thoughts on this Scripture, Providentially to lead me to ſuch a Review of it, as thereby to ſhew me, that the great things of this Context muſt be Fullfill'd before the End of the 1260 Days; If therefore the Calculation I have given, be Juſt and Right, and according to Scripture, of which I have before and do now offer my Evidences from it ſo full, that I cannot but be Aſſured my ſelf, It is ſo; And hope every conſidering Perſon will be alſo aſſured as that the 1260 Days ſhall End 97. And if ſo, there are ſo great Things to be done from this Year to that Time, that we may very well be in a continual Expectation what God will graciouſly pleaſe to do this Year, and every following Year; till all things are made ready for the Proclamation of his Kingdom, as in its Succeſſion, that is immediately to enſue at the Sound of the Seventh Trumpet; which ſhall even then begin to ſound, when thoſe 1260 Days ſhall end.
I come therefore to the cloſeſt Conſideration of this great Portion of Prophecy, I have propoſed to Diſcourſe of. And here I find ſix great Effects that muſt needs come, according to this Prophecy, before the 1260 Days are ended: Seeing then, there are but five Summers, and the ſixth, wherein the Kingdom of Chriſt is to enter its Succeſſion, and 1260 Days ſo to End. There is great Reaſon of Expectation, and of being every Year upon our Watch, to ſee what God will pleaſe to do; ſeeing there are ſo great things to be done, and ſo little time to do them in, How great then may our Expectation be? Indeed we may not Limit the Holy One of Iſrael to any Time, who made the World in ſix days; yet according to the General Procedure of Providence, which is not in the (yet) Time of the ſixth Trumpet ſo ſpeedy, as it will be in the Time of the Seventh that comes, and ſhall move ſo quickly, and ſpeed all its Events, when the ſixth is at an End; Before that, becauſe of the ſlow Motion of the ſixth, the Two Woes are ſaid to come hereafter, Rev. 9.12. that is, by Leiſure. So thr ſixth Trumpet, though its Motion ſhall be more ſwift at the End; Yet it is ſlower than the ſeventh, which is ſaid to come quickly; Not becauſe it ſhall come immediately after the ſixth; for ſo the ſixth did after the fifth; but becauſe it ſhall in a ſhort Time accompliſh its Great Effects; According therefore to the preſent Procedure of Providence, I ſay, there is but ſo much Time left, as is neceſſary to bring theſe great Effects to paſs one after another (with which Prophecy hath charged it ſelf) before the 1260 Days end.
Effect 1. The Spirit of Life muſt enter from God into the Witneſſes, in ſo Remarkable a manner, ſetting Them upon their Feet, that All that ſee ſhall behold Them with Terror; They ſhall ſay, This is the Finger of God; This is from Heaven; Something of this hath been done in Ireland and Piedmont, but not to ſuch a Degree, as that Their Enemies, and Others, ſhould find ſo Remarkable a Terror at it.
Feet in Scripture ſignifie ſome very Remarkable Tydings and Events: How Beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth Glad Tydings. It ſpeaketh steddineſs and aſſurance of Succeſs. It is ſaid of Chriſt, His Feet ſhall stand on Mount Olivet. It imports Self ſupport, Zech. 14Self-ſubſistence of the Witneſſes, and to ſuch a Degree, that All that behold them ſhall ſay, Whereunto will this Thing Grow?
Obſerve it therefore, whenever you ſee thoſe ſuffering, oppreſſed Proteſtants in France and Piedmont, like Feet of Braſs, now Burning in a Furnace, that they may come out Refined and Purified, and Reſt upon themſelves in open View; Then Expect, and Look for the Approaching Kingdom of Chriſt; It will be as a Signal given, as a Beacon fired; It will be as the Fig Tree Bloſſoming, and ſending forth its Buds: Then Lift up your Heads, for Redemption draweth nigh. Then it will be nigh, even at the Doors. And why may not this be this Summer, if God be pleaſed by this Diſcourſe to ſtir up our Faith, Hope, Expectation, and Earneſt Prayer, our Humiliation, Faſting, Repentance, and Reformation?
Effect 2. There muſt be a mighty Voice from Heaven to Call Theſe Witneſſes up into Heaven. And They ſhall Aſcend, Chariotted by a Cloud: And this peculiarly Their Enemies ſhall behold; and They ſhall behold it (as the Former alſo was beheld) with Gaze, with a Theoric Eye, a Conſideration, a Contemplating Look. Now Their being Call'd up to Heaven, may ſignifie Two Things:
1. Their being enfranchis'd into the pure Worſhip of God, according to the Goſpel, which, as it is often Repreſented by the Kingdom of Heaven in other Scriptures; ſo hath in this Prophecy a Secondary Senſe of the State of the Chriſtian Church on Earth; as a Counter-part or Sample of what is done in Heaven: So the Loud Voices in Heaven, juſt after the Text, v. 15. are ſo heard in Heaven, that they Reſound on Earth: ſo the War in Heaven, c. 12.7. was Counterparted in that Famous Battel of Theodoſius the Great on Earth with Eugenius and Argobaſtes. So when the Purity of the Witneſs-Churches is from that time Decreed, Eſtabliſhed in Heaven, It is as if the Witneſſes were call'd up into Heaven, and Aſcended in a Cloud, to Enjoy the ſtate of the Ark of Testament in the Temple, v. 19. c. 15.5.ſeen and opened in Heaven ſpeedily after; and Anſwered by a ſtate on Earth; and into that great Conſeſſus or Glorious Aſſembly Repreſenting the Arche-Type or Original Pattern of a truly Glorious Chriſtian Church-ſtate which we have given, Rev. c. 4. c. 5.
2. It ſignifies the enjoying this pure Church state and Worſhip, with the Favour Countenance and Encouragement of Supreme Power and Authority, carrying and bearing them out in what they do; For ſo Heaven in this Prophecy, often ſignifies even Power and Authority.
Thus Heaven ſignifies, Rev. 12.4. where the Stars of Heaven mean Supreme Princes, that the Roman Dragon or Imperial Power Bruſhed down with his Tail, or Train of Armies; and there is an Eye of the ſame ſenſe in the naming Heaven all along in that Context.
Now for Thoſe who are Trodden down by Power and Strength, and have either been Affrighted from Worſhipping God according to his Word, to the great Wounding of Conſciences; Harraſs'd and Dragoon'd (as they ſpeak) into Idolatry and Superſtition, or Galley'd, Impriſon'd, and Tortured to Death for Refuſing; whenever you ſhall ſee theſe Call'd up by a Loud Voice into Heaven, into ſuch an open avowed Worſhip of God, according to his Word, and according to their Proteſtations for Him, and have Power and Authority in, and with and of Themſelves ſo to do; This will be a great Effect of, and according to Prophecy; and becauſe it is to Lead, and Go before the Face of many other great Effects of Prophecy, and All before 97. It therefore requires to be done within a Little Time; and when you ſee it, Know that it is a Dawn of the Morning-Star, and that one of the Foremoſt in the Train of theſe Great Effects for the Kingdom of Chriſt is in your Eye; and ſo that the Reſt are coming on, and the very Kingdom it ſelf Coming upon us.
Effect 3. There muſt, according to the Prophecy, be ſuch an Earthquake, that the Great Cities Tenth ſhall Fall; where, by Tenth, as I have always declar'd, I underſtand its Decem Principality, that Complex of Ten Kings, that gives it its Grandeur: For they giving their Power to the Beaſt, or Pope of Rome, and its (Call'd) Catholick Church; and He bearing up that City and Church, that ſits upon His Supremacy, as on a Mountainous Heighth; whenever the Words of God are ſo fulfill'd in the Beaſt's having had his Forty Two Moons; that they ſhall give their Power no longer, but withdraw their Kingdoms from the Beaſt, that Tenth of the Great City muſt needs Fall. And it is very Remarkable, that as here it is ſaid, The Tenth of the City Falls firſt, in c. 17. it is ſaid, firſt They ſhall hate the Whore; that is, the Church of Rome. But then it is intimated, that the Reaſon is, the Words of God are fulfilled concerning their giving their Kingdom, Power and Might to the Beast for ſuch a Time, viz. the 42 Moons. So theſe Two Things are made Reciprocal: For whenever They Hate the Whore, Then will be a withdrawing their Kingdom from the Beast, the Words of God being at the ſame time Fulfill'd; When they withdraw their Kingdom from the Beast, They preſently will hate the Whore, and make her Deſolate and Naked; But either, and both ways the Tenth of the Great City Falls: That is, the Greatneſs, whoſe Symbol or Figure in Prophecy is Ten or Tenth, becauſe of the Ten Toes, Ten Horns, Ten Kings, made Eſſential to the Antichristian State by Prophetick Oracles; and within this Time,Dan. 2. c. 7. even before 97. All theſe Kings ſhall thus hate the Whore, ſhall thus Reverſe, Recall and Reprize their Force, Power and Kingdom from the Beast, becauſe the words of God will be fulfill'd. Some have done it, at leaſt, in great part. All ſhall do it then together, and All ſhall do it to Perfection. And it appears by this Prophecy, they ſhall bring ſome Ruine and Deſolation by Ravage and Fire on Rome it ſelf, as a prelude and fore running of that Final Deſolation and Fire, c. 18.
And what will you ſay, when you ſhall ſee the Empire, Spain, Portugal, Poland, the Catholick, as they are call'd, Cantons, and even France, and that firſt of the Reſt, do this? You will Remember what I have this Day ſpoken in your Ears; and you will then believe the Kingdom of God is coming nigh to you; when you compare what I declare to you from the Word of God, and what you ſee come to paſs; and you will eaſily allow, That according to the uſual Progreſs of Providence, if This be to be done by 97, there had need be a ſpeedy Beginning; For you at this time, I am ſure, will be more ready to ſay, The Time is too ſhort, and ſtrait, even already for it to come ſo ſoon to paſs. And yet I muſt confeſs, either this muſt be by 97, or the Expoſition, and Line of Prophetick Time, I have given, muſt Fall.
Effect. 4. Seven Thouſand Names of Men ſhall be ſlain in the Earthquake, this mighty Change and Shake of Things: There is, I make no great Doubt, ſome Alluſion in theſe Seven Thouſand to the Sabbatick Number, of ſo great Uſe in All Things that concern the Kingdom of Chriſt; as it is ſaid, Ezek. 39.9. They ſhall be Burning the Weapons of Gog Seven Years, and cleanſing the Land, of Gog's Remains, Seven Months, v. 12.
But how Admirably alſo does this ſet out the Multitude of Names, Offices and Places in the Roman Papacy, Hierarchy and Grandeur: ſo great a Multitude, that One would be Tempted to think the very Letter of 7000 is fulfill'd therein: It requires much Learning in thoſe Names of Men, to make a Regiſter of their Quality and Number; Cardinals, Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Abbots, Priors, &c. are known as Stars of greater Magnitude. But there are thoſe ſo out of common Ken, and the Sporades, the innumerable Leſſer Stars, that he muſt be more than ordinarily Learned, that can call them All by their Names.
Now if you Live to ſee all theſe Slain, as the Witneſſes have been, and as yet they lie Slain in France, utterly Diſpirited; and with Them, what ever is Deriv'd, not to ſay, Spawn'd from Them, or bears Allyance or Affinity with Them; even among thoſe who are on the Part of that Synagogue of Satan Venerated under the Hoary Vizor of Antiquity, ſhall Fall at the very ſame Time by 97. or very ſoon after, and They be Bowing and Valing at Philadelphias Feet; You will then ſay, I have truly Expounded the words of the Lord to you; But if you find no ſuch thing, I muſt lye Down in ſhame, and confuſion of Face, and own to you, I am found a Falſe Witneſs of God, and think my ſelf, indeed, of all men moſt Miſerable, in ſaying God hath Declar'd he will do ſuch things, and by ſuch a time, in the ſure Word of Prophecy, which he hath not Declared, nor will do.
But I have no Fear, nor Diſtruſt herein, and yet I am very ſenſible, as Jeremy Speaks, When the word of the Prophet ſhall come to paſs, then it will be known, The Lord hath ſpoken by him. So I, that pretend to no Impulſe, to no Impreſſion, but to Argue upon the very written Word, and Letter of Scripture, in compare with it ſelf, may Humbly ſay; when theſe things come to paſs, Then you will know that by holding to the True Senſe of the Teſtimony of Jeſus by his Prophets, That true ſenſe is the Spirit of Prophecy, and I have aright given it to you.
When you ſhall hear of, and ſee a far greater Slaying theſe Names of Men throughout the Chriſtian Profeſſion than when King Henry the 8th, here in England ſlew, that i…, Diſ-Authorized ſo many Names of Abbots, Priors, Monks of ſeveral Orders, and Diſtinctions of Fryars, and laid them in the Duſt; You will then call to mind, what I now make known to you, and Believe, This is indeed according to the Teſtimony of Jeſus, and to the Spirit of Prophecy.
I wait therefore, to ſee what God will herein do, and when he will begin to Work; For when he will begin, Nothing ſhall Let Him, His Reward is with Him, and his Work before Him.
Event 5. The Remnant ſhall be Affrighted, foreignThey ſhall be Magor-Miſſabibs, Fear round about, all Fear; and ſo ſhall give Glory to the God of Heaven; that is, there ſhall be abundance of Converſions to the Power and Purity of Chriſtian Religion; So that every way the Potentacy of Rome, and its Papacy and Hierarchy muſt Fall;foreign For the Remnant, All Succeſſions of Men to the Kingdom of Chriſt ſhall Hear and Fear: For They ſhall wiſely conſider Gods Doing and ſhall be afraid to Joyn themſelves to a Falſe Religion, that God hath ſo Remonſtrated from Heaven againſt. And this is indeed to give Glory to the God of Heaven.
Event. 6. The Second Woe, viz. That of the Mahomet an Turks, ſhall be wholly ceſſated, and paſs away: So that the Grecian Churches, however ſo Dark now, under the very Black Wings of Antichriſtianiſm, ſhall come out of Both Slaveries; They that have lain among the Pots ſhall be made as the Wings of a Dove, covered with Silver, and her Feathers with Yellow Gold. That Great Name of Power and Tyranny, Grand Signior and Sultan, ſhall be diſmounted from the Hills of Conſtantinople, on which it is ſeated, as a Nova Roma, as it ought to be; that it may be a Woe on Old Rome, and from that confluence of Seas, and their Boſphorus; in Regard of which it claims to be as the Port or Haven of the World. Thus Daniel of Old propheſied of that Turkiſh King of the North, planting his Palace between the Seas. But then to the Wonder and Amazement of the World, He ſhall come to his End, and none ſhall help him. However he is now holpen by France, All ſhall be Removed as a Cottage or Shepherd's Tent, and the Seven Aſian Churches, whoſe Candleſticks and Lights have been Covered ſo long under that Night, ſhall begin again to look Bright. When you ſee this come to paſs, you ſhall know there hath been a Scripture-Prophecy concerning it. And if This be to be done by 97, how ſhould we cry out, Awake; Oh Arm of the Lord, Awake; put on ſtrength, as in the Days of Old!
I come in the Second place to Argue upon the Time, when This is All to be, according to this very Prophecy. And This is the general Expreſſion of it; After Three Days and a Half. Now this may look, as if the Three Days, and a Half, were to be fully paſt, and ended; and ſo nothing would be to be Looked for till 97. were fully come, and paſt, according to my Calculation of Time; And then theſe Great Events would find place, and Room for Themſelves to come on. But as I have always endeavour'd to make out, Theſe Three Days and a Half, are Equal with the 1260 Days, except only, as a deep part is particularly implied, when that whole and intire ſpace is yet preſerv'd, and expreſs'd. And it is therefore given in Three Days, and a Half, by a Little Variation from Three Times and a Half, that it may bear a Reſemblance to the Three Days of our Lord in the Grave; viz. the Evening of the Firſt Day, which is our Sixth Day; or which we; not ſo Agreeably with Scripture Language; becauſe in Gentile Times; call Friday; the whole of the Second, which was the Seventh Day, and the Jewiſh Sabbath; and the Night, till towards Morning of the Third Day, which was the Jews Firſt, and our Lord's Day. And this Riſing was in the Night towards Morning, (as the Jews, from the Creation, Account the Night of every Day before the Day) For John 20.1. we are Aſſur'd, Early in the Morning, while it was yet Dark, Mary Magdalen came to the Sepulchre, and found Chriſt Riſen; yet, as it were, on purpoſe to Expound to us the [After Three Days and a Half here in this Prophecy.] This very Manner of Riſing of our Lord (ſo far as can be perceiv'd by Compare of the Evangelists) as ſoon as ever the Seventh Day, or Sabbath, was paſt, and his Third, our Lord's Day, but juſt entred, he Aroſe.) This very Manner of Riſing, I ſay again, on the very Entrance of the Third Day, In both, foreign.is call'd, Mark 8.31. After Three Days: even as here, After Three Days, and a Half.
Thus there was Liberty for a Partial Riſing of the Witneſſes, as ſoon as ever it was Half Time, which Fell out, in Luther's Appearance 1517. (exactly according to my Account of Time), Then the 180 years of Half Time entred, which ſhall therefore end 97. according to that Exactneſs.
And this firſt Appearance of the Reformation by Luther, was like the Appearance of Chriſt in his Reſurrection: It was ſome Time he had been Riſen; how long we cannot certainly find; e're it was any way known on Earth: He was Riſen All that Day; But He was very Retired, Appearing only to ſome very few of his Diſciples, as if ſtill Dead. But in the Evening, even then when the Doors were ſhut, for Fear of the Jews, Chriſt miraculouſly paſs'd through the ſhut Doors, and Appear'd to the whole Eleven, except Thomas; and gave Them, with the Solemnity of Breathing on Them, the Promiſe of the Spirit, tho the Spirit it ſelf did not come down till Pentecoſt was fully come. And thus I doubt not at the Latter part of Half Time, tho All Doors ſeem now cloſe ſhut, and there is ſo great a Fear of Falſe Jews, or Antichriſtian Tyranny, in ſo many places, that the Witneſſes cannot meet Boldly; yet that Chriſt will make his way through all Bars; And as there was a Partial Riſing at the Firſt of Half Time, that hath been hitherto with much Reſervedneſs; yet All will now open in the Evening, and there will be a Spirit of Life, a Breathing on all the Witneſſes by the Spirit of Chriſt; tho the full pouring of it out will not be till the Kingdom of Christ in its Succeſſion, after 97. in the Days of the Seventh Trumpet, when the 144000 ſhall appear with the Lamb on Mount Sion.
3. If we conſider the more particular preciſe Time, In the ſame Hour, it may yield us ſome further Light. Now, tho I would not be too curious and preciſe in Minute Points of Time; yet I have Accounted the Hours of the Half Day which are 12, according to the Natural Diſtribution of Time; and in …80 years there are 15 years to an Hour; ſo that we are ſomewhat paſt the Laſt Half Hour. We may then hope, that as there was Half an Hours Silence ſet for the Churches continuing in the Worſhip of God, ſo as not to ſuffer the Taking away the Daily Sacrifice; and at the Half Hours End the Apoſtacy entred; and as at that Half Hour made an whole Hour, Antichriſt himſelf, Rev. 8.1. c. 17.12.call'd the Beaſt, entred with his Ten Kings; ſo within this Laſt Half Hour, The Apoſtacy ſhall ceaſe, and at the End of the Hour, viz. at 97. The Kingdom of Christ ſhall be in its Succeſſion.
Object. There is one Objection, Theſe Hopes of ſo ſoon Appearances of God in the Witneſſes may ſeem to be encountred by, viz. ſeeing the Witneſſes are to be in Sackcloth, during the 1260 Days; and that a Day for a Year is ſo Preciſe and Limited a Time; it will allow no ſuch Latitude, as that before the laſt Year there ſhould be any ſo Advantageous Change in the Witneſſes Condition, as this Diſcourſe Repreſents.
Anſw. This Argument is, I confeſs, ſo preſſing, that it muſt be acknowledg'd; The Witneſſes cannot come out of their Sackcloth, till that very 1697. For all theſe Effects I have now Nam'd, being in a Concatenation; and then that greateſt Effect of the Kingdom of Chriſt coming into its Succeſſion, not being till that very End of the 1260 days; The Witneſſes are till then willingly, and even deſirouſly in a State of Waiting, and of Prophecy in Sackcloth; Even, tho call'd up into ſuch a State in Heaven, as I have Deſcrib'd; Yet they Humble themſelves in Fasting, Sackcloth and Aſhes, till that very Time is come, when the Kingdoms of this World ſhall be Proclaim'd to be the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Chriſt; The more the Light and Power of Chriſt Appears on the Witneſſes, the more they Prophecy in Sackcloth; that is, Foretel, Deſire, and in Humiliation wait for that Kingdom ſo to be Proclaim'd, and cannot be ſatisfied without it.
But that there might be ſuch a Freedom left by God to himſelf to make a change of the Witneſſes State, ſo much for the better, as He did in the Beginning, ſo in the End of Half Times; He caſt the Time of the Antichriſtian Tyranny and of the Witneſſes Sufferings into Three Times and an Half, and nearer into Three Days and an Half; That there might be a Conformity to the Faithful Witneſs Chriſt Jeſus; of whom it is ſaid, It was impoſſible he ſhould be holden of Death, but muſt overcome it in the very firſt Minute of Time; and ſo far as could conſiſt with the Wiſeſt allowance for the ſatisfaction of Divine Juſtice for mans ſins, and Truth of Prophecy. So the Witneſſes muſt in and through Him, and in Conformity to Him, have a partial Riſing at the very begining of Half Time, and a Full one before the End of Half Time.
There remains only to draw up the Diſcourſe into particular Uſe, and Application.
Ʋſe. 1. Let us upon this Diſcourſe diligently wait, and obſerve, what God will pleaſe to be doing this, and the following years, to 97. It is a Sin at any time, not to Regard the Works of the Lord, and the Operations of his Hand; But it is much more ſo, when we are Warned and Admoniſhed, and aſſur'd that the Kingdom of God is come nigh to us, It is then ſuch a ſin, that there is great Reaſon to Fear, God will pull ſuch Down from their Preſent State, and not Build them up in his New Jeruſalem.
If we then ſhall obſerve theſe Things coming to paſs; How ſhould It Convince, and Aſſure us of the Word of God in all its Truth! and certainly if God Anſwers us now by Terrible things in Righteouſneſs, which we could not have Looked for, had we not been thus Awaked by his Prophetick Oracles; if we ſhall ſee the Mountains of the Preſent State Flow Down at his Preſence, and the Mountain of his Kingdom not only Standing Faſt, being Girded with Power, but beginning to Fill the Earth, while the Vallies grow to ſuch a Fruitfulneſs, as to Laugh and alſo to Sing; How will it Aſſure us of All Things elſe we Find in Prophecy?
Ʋſe 2. Let us, by earneſt Prayer, ſtand upon our watch Tower, and wait to ſee what God will ſay to us; And if we ſeem to be Reproved by contrary Appearances of Providence, what we ſhall Anſwer: I have Endeavour'd to write the Viſion, and to make it plain upon Tables, that he may Run that Reads it. I have been Bold to Declare the Time, the Viſion is Appointen for; If any Mans Heart be Lifted up in Scorn and Ʋnbelief of it; It is not upright in Him: For the Viſion will Speak, and will not Lye; Tho it ſhould ſeem to Tarry this Year; Yet it will not Tarry. God hath given me herein, I Bleſs his Holy Name, the Spirit, not of Fear, or Diſtruſt; but of Love, and Deſire, Theſe Things may come to paſs for the Glory of Chriſt, and his Kingdom; of Power to Declare them; and of a ſound ſober Mind, not Phantaſtry, or Enthuſiaſm, but of Reliance upon what is Written; and I am waiting at the Foot of God, to ſee, whether theſe Matters will hold Good or not. I beſeech your Help by Prayers, and Earnest striving therein, All you, who wait for the Conſolation of Iſrael. It will not hinder, but promote your Salvation; ſince waiting for the Kingdom of Christ, is both ſo great a Grace, and Duty, pray for the Peace of Jeruſalem; They ſhall proſper that Love it: There are ſet Thrones of the Judgment of Chriſt. and his Saints. Pſal. 122.6.There is the General Aſſembly of Brethren, and Companions of Saints. For all theſe Sakes, Let us not hold our Peace at ſuch a Time as this; Let us give God no Reſt, till Jeruſalem's Salvation go forth, as a Lamp that Burns, and become a Praiſe in the Earth. If you ſay, The Profaneneſs, Carnality, Wickedneſs of Proteſtants, and even of Profeſſors of all ſorts, is ſo great, we are Riper for Judgment than Mercy, and can expect that only.
Remember; This Day, that is a coming, whoever are not Reform'd by the Methods of Grace before it; It will flame out upon Them, as an Oven. And why ſhould it be ſtrange, There ſhould be a mighty Grace of the Goſpel firſt, a Miniſtry in the Spirit, and Power of Elijah, to Turn the Hearts, &c. leſt Christ come, and ſmite the Earth with a Curſe. And that for this, God ſhould, as all along, Ezek. 20. work for his Names, his Kingdoms ſake, notwithſtanding all Provocations.
Ʋſe 3. This is the great Hopes we have of good Succeſs upon the Undertaking of Proteſtant Princes, and their Arms, and that ſuch a Confederacy as they are in, ſhall be Bleſs'd, as a Means to Turn the Hearts of Princes, yet joyned to Rome and its Papacy to Hate it; particularly, of All Bleſſing on our Princes, and Nation, and Forces by Land and Sea: Yea, it is the Univerſal Hope and Happineſs of all the Servants of Chriſt, of all his Witneſſes, in whatever Suffering Condition They are. They ſhall all Riſe by a Spirit of Life from God, and stand upon their Feet, under whatever Oppreſſion, whether of the Throne, or of the They on the part of the Synagogue of Satan, or their own private Unhappineſſes. They ſhall All be Aſcending into Free Worſhip of God, and with All Authority, and Amplitude of Condition. Let us therefore earneſtly cry out, Awake, Awake, O Arm of the Lord; make thyſelf Bare, as in the Days of Old, the Years of Ancient Times.
Object. Whereas we may be Ready to ſay, Why is not this Time then more generally Underſtood?
Anſ. I deſire your Conſideration Haggai, 1.2. It was much ſuch a Time in Relation to Jeruſalem, and the Temple of Old; They were between Cyrus his Decree, and the Complemental Accompliſhment of it; as we are between the Beginning, and upon end of the Half Time; There had been about 20 years from the end of the 70 of Captivity, ſet ſo often by Jeremy; The Veſſels of the Lord's Houſe had been Viſited, and Reſtored by Cyrus; Ezra 1.7.Daniel had Computed and Found the Time of the Deſolations at an End ſo long ago; Yet they ſaid, The Time is not yet come to Build the Houſe of the Lord: What Argument then is this, Men generally know not this Time? But God Derides and Scorns their Hipocriſy, as I make no doubt, He does Theirs, who Live in their Cieled Houſes by the Benefit of the Reformation ſo far Vochſafed to us, and God's Care over our Proteſtant Nation; And ſays the Time for the Kingdom of Chriſt is not yet: Is it for you, Oh ye! pittiful, ungrateful Ones? And is it not Time for me? Is it a Time for your Lordſhips, Dignities, Grandieur, Palaces, and is it not yet Time for my Glory, for my Kingdom? This Cauſes All the Blaſts, Comings to nothing of our great Expectations, becauſe the Houſe of God lies Wast, The Kingdom of God is not Minded? This Cauſes all the Miſery, Poverty, Complaint of Taxes, Wants, becauſe we do not look to God's Kingdom? When we do, From that Day let us Count God will Bleſs us. Oh! when will This Spirit be given to Zerubbabel and Joſhua? Surely it will come as a Spirit of Life from God very ſuddenly upon his Witneſſes, and ſtir Them Up; and all ſhall Work together for the Houſe of our God, and of his Kingdom.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Beverley, A Sermon Upon Revelation 2:11 (1692)