The Retired Mans Meditations, Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Treating of the power which ſhall be given unto the two Witneſſes, to Prophecie and finiſh their teſtimony, when the ſuffering Saints of Chriſt muſt expect the viſible protection of Magiſtracy to faile them, as exerciſed in a worldly way.
WHat theſe two Witneſſes are (conſidered as well in a general acceptation as in the more reſtrained ſenſe, relating to Revel. 11. where the power of propheſying, to be given to them, is mentioned) we have already ſpoken in the thirteenth Chapter; unto whom the Scripture ſayes; power ſhall be given to propheſie a thouſand two hundred and threeſcore dayes, in ſackcloth, being the two Olive-trees and the two candleſticks ſtanding before the God of the earth; whom, if any man will hurt, fire proceedeth out of their mouths and devoureth their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he muſt in this manner be killed. Theſe have power to ſhut heaven, that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie: and have power over waters to turne them to blood, and to ſmite the earth with all plagues; as often as they will, Rev. 11. 3, 4, 5, 6. comprehending in this power of theirs, all that was incident unto Moſes and Elias in the dayes of their Miniſtery, to fit them to the work that was by God allotted unto them.
In the exerciſe of this power, the Saints of God ſhall be enabled to go forth, before the great and notable day of the Lord come; even then, when to the eye of fleſh and blood, their ſtate and condition ſhall be at the loweſt, and they ſhall ſeeme to be ſurrounded with the power of the world, in the fierceſt oppoſition and enmity againſt them. At which time, it is ſaid, Dan. 12. 1. that MICHAEL ſhall ſtand up, the GREAT PRINCE, which ſtandeth for the children, that are the true Iſrael of God, in a troubleſome ſeaſon, ſuch as never was, ſince there was a Nation to that time; and the Saints ſhall be delivered, even every one that ſhall be found written in the Book.
This ſtanding up of Chriſt, ſeemes to be by the power which he gives to his TWO WITNESSES that in this troubleſome ſeaſon are to propheſie in ſackcloth: ſhewing plainly thereby, that they are but fore-runners to the coming of Chriſt himſelf; before the brightneſſe of whoſe appearance, all oppoſition ſhall be conſumed and vaniſh away.
Whence it is, that during theſe two Witneſſes propheſying in ſackcloth, their enemies bear up in as much confidence as ever, conſiſting not only of the generation of Hypocrites and Apoſtates, embodying themſelves as a holy City and earthly Jeruſalem, but of all the reſt of the Gentiles, who notwithſtanding the differences betweene themſelves, do make a ſhift to peece up together, that they may both attaine their ends upon the true ſpiritual ſeed and right heirs of ſalvation; eſſaying to mingle themſelves, and joyne counſels and forces in a combination againſt the approaching glory of Chriſts Kingdome, as he ſhall come to be admired in all thoſe that do beleeve.
When it ſhall thus come to paſſe, that this yron and clay ſhall mixe together, it ſhall be but for a ſeaſon: for at length the corrupt world finding its owne ſtrength, will beſiege this Jeruſalem, ſpiritually called Sodome, and burne this whore in the fire of their rage and hatred againſt her. Then ſhall the viſible worſhip and formes of Chriſtian Religion (that are in being and practice amongſt any people, in their fleſhly reformation) come to be deſtroyed, taken away, & ſwallowed up into impurity and corruption, and mens hearts will be greatly failing them for feare, by reaſon of what God is bringing upon the earth.
And at this very ſeaſon, when all outward protection, viſible defence and power, through the treachery of Hypocrites and Apoſtates ſhall be withdrawne from the ſuffering Saints of God; and in a juſt recompence of Divine vengeance, the ſiege of the earthly Jeruſalem ſhall draw nigh upon thoſe that have made themſelves acceſſory to the betraying of the ſpiritual ſeed, (as it did on the literal Jeruſalem upon the betraying and crucifying of Chriſt) then ſhall the TWO WITNESSES receive their Commiſſion, and ſtand up in a deſtitute, naked and poor condition as to worldly aſſiſtance, but armed with the mighty power of God, and the fiery indignation that ſhall accompany their witneſſe, againſt their adverſaries, whereof Elias in his dayes was the figure, who for the ſame number of dayes propheſied and ſaid there ſhould be no raine, and afterwards brought raine againe by his prayer, and fire alſo from heaven, yet a man of like paſſions and affections with us, which alſo theſe two Witneſſes ſhall be found to be, in the dayes of their prophecie, as a proof whereof, their dead bodies ſhall be found in the ſtreets of the holy City, ſpiritually called Sodome and Egypt, kept for three dayes and an half, unburied; ſignifying, that they muſt in all things ſubmit to the bruiſing of their outward man, in conformity unto Chriſt, and be ſlaine as their brethren have beene, from the beginning of the world; which is to be their lot, in the latter end.
This prophetical and powerful ſpirit of Eliah ſhall be poured forth in thoſe dayes upon the witneſſes of Chriſt, that keep the WORD OF HIS PATIENCE, (and endure the fiery triall of thoſe times, not thinking it a ſtrange thing that thereby happens unto them) and ſhall fill them with exceeding joy under all the reproaches which they beare for the Name of Chriſt, as the Spirit of glory and of God that is reſting upon them, and fitting them for ſuch a ſeaſon: that as John Baptiſt by his Miniſtery, uſhered in Chriſts coming in the fleſh, or in his firſt appearance; ſo this ſame prophetical ſpirit of Eliah, ſhall be the fore-running diſpenſation, given forth by the witneſſes of Chriſt in thoſe dayes, unto Christs ſecond appearance or coming from heaven, as hath beene foretold by all the Prophets ſince the world began, for the reſtitution of all things, as the fruit of his perſonal preſence in the world, exerciſing Rule and Dominion there for a thouſand years with his Saints, and then carrying them up with him to his Father and their Father, into the ſame Kingdome as continued in glory, in heaven for evermore.
What this prophetical ſpirit of Eliah is, that ſhall be thus poured out upon the Witneſſes of Chriſt in thoſe dayes, is to be underſtood by what it was in Eliah's perſon, who was but the type, and therefore certainly had this ſpirit in a much inferiour degree to what it ſhall be in them. The ſpirit of glory and power therefore which he had, they ſhall have, and much more, as indeed is expreſſed when it is ſaid, if any man will hurt them, he muſt in this manner be killed: fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devours their enemies.
Theſe have power by the ſame way Eliah had, which was by the prayer of faith, to ſhut heaven, that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie, yea, they have power alſo over waters to turne them into blood, and to ſmite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. Yet under all this power and glory they ſhall remaine expoſed in their perſons (upon the finiſhing of their TESTIMONY) to the rage and power of their enemies, who ſhall then make warre againſt them, overcome them and kill them. But notwithſtanding, on the third day, they have power given them to riſe from the dead, and to aſcend up into heaven, Rev. 11. 11, 12. after a more glorious manner then Eliah did; and this, in the ſight of their very enemies, to their terrifying and amazement.
Thus we ſee the ſpirit and power of Eliah, what it is, that then ſhall be poured forth, and that in a more myſtical and ſpiritual conſideration.
Something we ſhall alſo ſpeak to the opening of the ſtate and qualification of the perſons that are called the TWO WITNESSES, and why they are ſo called. For their ſtate and qualification, this is to be known by their names and their apparel.
They are called the two Olive-trees, and the two Candleſticks, ſtanding before the God of the whole earth. By what hath beene already opened on this ſubject, we are not far to ſeek what theſe ſignifie. For the two Olive-trees and two Candleſticks that ſtand by the Lord of the whole earth, muſt either be Chriſt in his owne perſon, as he is head to his body, the Church, and Mediatour betweene God and man, ſhining forth in his firſt and ſecond appearance, as both theſe perfections of the natural and ſpiritual man are built up and wrought into a perfect conſiſtency and harmony in him: or elſe theſe two Olive-trees do ſignifie the conformity, which from him as the head, is wrought out in, and derived upon his ſpiritual and heavenly members (by his firſt and ſecond appearance) in both thoſe perfections of the firſt and ſecond Adam, as the elder is made to ſerve the younger, and the firſt is built up into a conſiſtency and harmony with the ſecond, by the power of the Croſſe, making them conformable to him in his death. Which conformity is ſignified by their propheſying in ſackcloth, testifying the marks which they bear about with them in their mortal bodies, of the dying of the Lord Jeſus. And in this crucified, mortal fleſh of theirs, they are owned by Chriſt, as having the Spirit of God and of glory thus made to reſt upon them; in a like diſpenſation unto that of Eliah's prophecy.
So that when once it ſhall pleaſe God to raiſe up a ſeed and generation of Saints, in whom theſe marks of the dying of the Lord Jeſus ſhall be eminent, to the ſlaying and bringing to reſt, all operating powers and faculties of their natural man, as ſtanding in oppoſition to the Lord of life and glory, and ſubjecting every high imagination in them by the Croſſe, to the laying of it and all the glory of fleſh, in a very great meaſure under the feet of Chriſt, whereby that which lets his glory from appearing unveiled, and hath all this time let, is taken away; then will it be knowne what the TWO WITNESSES are, and that they have not hitherto ſo much as begun their prophecy, in the power of Eliah before mentioned; ſo farre are they from being ſlaine.