A Discourse Upon the Powers of the World to Come, Discourse · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of that Power of Miracles, that always Accompanies the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and hath Reſted upon the Witneſſes, and yet Reſts upon them; During the whole Time paſt, and to the end of the Twelve Hundred and Sixty Days of the Woman in the Wilderneſs; and the Witneſſes in Sackcloath; and the Forty two Months of the Antichriſtian Apoſtaſy.
IT may ſeem, that by giving ſuch Accounts of the Ceſſation of Miracles, and ſuch Arguments for the Return of Miracles; that it is the Intention of this Diſcourſe to deny all Miraculous Preſence of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt now with his Goſpel; I ſhall therefore, to clear that Part, ſpend this Chapter in the Stating, and Vindicating ſo weighty a point in theſe following Particulars, ſhewing the Conſtancy of Spiritual Miracles.
1. Thoſe Mighty, Miraculous, Spiritual Powers of the Goſpel never remove from it; wherever the Goſpel comes, they come; wherever the Goſpel-Styl'd the Kingdom of God Removes, being taken from any, they Remove alſo; And tho theſe are not accounted Miracles, becauſe they do not aſſure themſelves to ſenſe, yet the Intrinſick, Inward excellency of them is ſuch, that they are indeed the true Miraculous Nature, if I may ſo ſpeak; both as they are Effects, and Emanations of Immediate Power from Heaven; and as they are ſo many eſſential Parts and peices of the World to come.
And Firſt, The Goſpel is its own Miracle; ſo rich a Manifeſtation of Truth, that had been Hid from Ages▪ and Generations, and now manifeſted in theſe last Times; But beſides, It is Truly Miraculous in its Effects.
2. The Acceptance of Believers in Jeſus Chriſt to Righteouſneſs, before and with God, through Free Pardon, and Juſtification by the Blood, and Obedience of Jeſus Christ.
3. The Renovation, and change of the Whole man, and of the Action, and Converſation, by the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, mortifying the corrupt Luſts, Inordinate Affections, and filling the Soul with every Grace, to Newneſs of Life and Obedience.
4. Dying, or Sleeping in, and by Jeſus Chriſt, when Saints Spirits call'd out of the Body, go up to God and Chriſt;
5. When any one is Aſſured in his own mind, hath full Evidence; when he Finds all he ever did, is brought under Conviction and Confeſſion, as in the Woman of Samaria; and that the Heart and Life are chang'd; why ſhould Miracles be narrowed ſo much to ſenſe; while thus there is ſurmounting Evidence to the whole man.
Now altho the Working, and Actings hereof are Inviſible, and Indiſcernible by Senſe, yet they are (as Spiritual) greateſt Realities, every way above the Power of Nature, or its Comprehenſion; Aſſerted in all Scripture to be the mighty Power of God, and giving a Rich, or abundant Entrance into the Kingdom of our Lord und Savi…ur Jeſus Christ; and therefore wanting only the Externe Appearance, and Aſſurance, but giving greateſt Inward Aſſurance; For they are Acknowledged, and Comprehended by All Saints, even this Heighth, Depth, Breadth, and Length, of which the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Epheſ. 3. 18. As if he hereby intended Mathematical Aſſurance; They are Inwardly Seen, Heard, Taſted and Felt, and they have the Odours, the Flavours of the Kingdom of Chriſt, cauſing the Triumphs of his Servants; the certain Obſervation of all by ſtanders, who cannot but acknowledg their good Converſation, the Holy Lives, and Comfortable Dying of the Saints of Chriſt; and many have been wrought upon hereby to Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, the acknowledged Principal End of Miracles.
But beſides theſe, which are always Inſeparable from the Goſpel; There are thoſe, the Spirit of God hath told us are proper to the very Time of the Apoſtaſy, as a Counterpoiſon to it, manifeſted in and by the Witneſſes of that Time. I would therefore open, as I have before ſhewn, Miracles are to be Divided into Miracles of Mercy and of Judgment, How far Miracles continue, even all the Time of the Antichristian Apoſtaſy, in each way or manner of Exerciſe.
But it is Heedfully to be Remembred; They were not Repreſented, and Counterparted with thoſe open, and ſenſible Miracles, which are indeed the Miracles, that more properly we are now in Diſcourſe of; ſuch as force the Senſe, and call upon men Univerſally to ſay; Here is the Finger of God▪ For the Witneſſes and their Miracles were under the Seal of the Living God, as I have already Reaſon'd, and ſo were not ſeen, and acknowledged, but by comparing Spiritual Things with Spiritual; and therefore not by Natural Men, even Men of Senſe, great Reaſoners, as they are Reputed, without the help of the Divine Spirit.
1. It was truly a Miracle to a Spiritual Eye, and wherein the Power of God appear'd; That He held up a pure, and ſincere ſtate of Chriſtianity in the midſt of all the Roman Apoſtaſy, altho it was ſo dark, and Dangerous a Time, or Place, as the Spirit of God calls it by the Apoſtle Peter, 2 Pet▪ 1. 19. And as he aſſures, it muſt needs be, becauſe the Witneſſes were in Sackcloth, and War made upon them; and they were kill▪d; and the Woman, or the Witneſſes, Collectively taken, were in the Wilderneſs, Rev. 11. c. 12.or as Daniel ſpeaks, the Power of the Holy People was ſcattered, Dan. 12. 7. God was pleas'd to keep it up, not only ſince the Reformation, but throughout the whole Time, or ſpace of the Time and Times from 437, to 1517. the 1080, as well as the 180 of the 1260 Days; when by the Reformation there was a Party-Riſing of the Witneſſes, and Party-Retrenchment of the The Freſh Memorial of Chriſts Kingdom.Papal Power, and Apostaſy, at the Half Time (according to the two Oaths of Chriſt, Dan. 12. and Rev. 10. Allowing it;) as I have made out in a Diſcourſe wholly to that purpoſe.
2. For this is that, which is ſpoken of, Rev. 1…. 3. And I will give Power to my two Witneſſes, and they ſhall Prophecy in Sackclo…h a Thouſand two Hundoed, and Threeſcore days, cloath'd in Sac…cloth; I will give them Power, but yet that Power ſhall be hid; they ſhall be Cover'd or Cloath'd with Sackcloth. So a place ſhall be prepared for the Woman the Church, where ſhe ſhall be nouriſhed; but it ſhall be in a Deſert State, not known, or acknowledged, it ſhall be in the Wilderneſs: But; ſaith God, I will give Power to my Witneſſes: Now Power is one of the Words expreſſive of Miracles. They are call'd Power; and by that we have had the Great Truth of the Goſpel Continued, ſo as to be Reſtor'd to us in the Reformation, by their Conſtancy of Declaring, and Maintaining, Profeſſing, and Teaching the Truths after Godlineſs, the Doctrine of Salvation by Chriſt; And this in Regard of the Darkneſs of that Time is call'd Prophecy; and Power to Prophecy, in regard of Miraculous Virtue in ſo doing; For there hath been a Connexion, a linking between Witneſs, and Witneſs, between one Age of Witneſſes, and another Age; and with the Reformation it ſelf; which we are All ſo willing to acknowledg. It hath been from the Power, God gave to his Two Witneſſes in the midſt of all the Barrenneſs, and Darkneſs of the Papal Apoſtaſy: Theſe are the Two Olive-Trees, the Two Green Olive-Trees Emptying their Oyl into the Two Golden Candleſticks, that ſtand before the God of the Whole Earth; not by might, nor by Power, but by my Spirit, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts.
Theſe were the worthy Witneſſes of Chriſt throughout that Dark Time; when no man could any ſooner look out with any of the pureſt Truths of the Goſpel, that ſtem'd that Apoſtaſy, but preſently Heretick, Heretick, was cryed out upon him; or …ince the Reformation among thoſe, who hold of the part of the Synagogue of Sathan ſome Finer parts of that Apoſtaſy venerated, as purer Antiquity; Schiſmatick, Schiſmatick was as vehemently Faſten'd on any one, if he broach'd any thing, (as they call it,) againſt the Hierarchic Church. They have been Anathematiſed, Excommunicated, Proſecuted with Corporal, or Pecuniary Puniſhments, even to the moſt cruel Deaths, and Impriſonments: Fire hath been call'd down from Heaven, and fetch'd up from Hell, againſt them; yet notwithſtanding a Miraculous Power hath been given to them, to Prophecy for the 1260 Days.
I know, Many cannot underſtand, how theſe Witneſſes could be ſaid to Prophecy, while they lay Dead Three Days, and an Half: But I have endeavour'd, in a peculiar Diſcourſe to Aſſoyle that alſo in the Viſion of the Witneſſes; and to ſhew, that as it is ſaid of Abel the firſt Martyr, Being Dead, he yet ſpeaketh; ſo of theſe his Succeſſors, although Kill'd, they yet Prophecy. And it is much more plain on their ſide; For their Death, however Violent-Natural alſo, yet is chiefly Myſtic; They were Kill'd, as Witneſſes; Hateful, and Curſed Hereticks, being the Sambenito, the Diſguiſe whereinto they were preſently put; but ſtill they Prophetied, tho they were ſlain: And in this Senſe alſo they continued Prophecying, becauſe, as any were Naturally Killed, others ſtill roſe up in their Room; and which is great Miracle; They were Dead, yet they could never be Buried; The People, Nations, Tongues and Languages would not ſuffer them to be Buried, becauſe their Doctrine, however Condemned before hand, was ſtill kept above-ground, as we ſpeak, in ſeveral parts of this Univerſal Roman Empire; under the Pope and his Ten Kings, the Princes of Europe, notwithſtanding all their Fury againſt it, their Joy in hopes they had ſuppreſſed their Prophecy, and their ſending Gifts one to another for it; yet it hath, and ſhall continue to the Kingdom of Chriſt; in regard of which to Come, till it comes, Their Doctrine is call'd Prophecy alſo.
And All this may be moſt juſtly Styled Miracle, becauſe it is not in the Train, and Connexion of Things according to the general Order, and Government of the World. For ſo when Men Dye, even all the Living World is in haſt, They be Buried, what way ſoever it be; But theſe Witneſſes were not ſuffered to be Buried. Their Doctrine, their Slain Teſtimony muſt Remain Above to Annoy, and Nuſance the Papal and half Reform'd World.
And with theſe Goſpel Witneſſes, Thoſe Goſpel Miracles before Named, were Depoſited all this Time; the Turning and Changing Men from Sin and Sathan to God, which muſt needs be Miracle; For in the Train and Order of Things, a wicked Man will go on in his Wickedneſs and Lewdneſs, and not be purged from it, till he Dye: All the Juſtifying, Sanctifying Grace of the Goſpel, the Dying and Sleeping in, and by Jeſus, tho by Violent Deaths under the Rage of Perſecutors, was all in the Tenure, in the Conveyancings of theſe VVitneſſes. Churches are Candleſticks Fed from theſe Sons of Oyl, Miniſterily; Originally from Chriſt, and his Spirit.
Conſider then, Spiritual, Inward Miracles, Miracles apprehended by Faith, and Scripture-Reaſon, never ceas'd; For if they had, the Everlaſting Kingdom given to Chriſt, muſt have Ceaſed; And this is an Infallible Argument, there ſhall be a Return of Miracles in an outward, and Glorious Appearance, becauſe inward Miracles, to which the outward, as an externe Tranſparent Air, are Due, have never ceaſed. The outward ſhall, whenever the Reaſons of State, as I may ſay, in that Kingdom ſhall Require it, appear greater, than ever yet; and this I propoſe to Univerſal Conſideration, but more eſpecially, of the Wiſe, Judg you what I ſay.
2. In the Second Place, I will propoſe the Judiciary Miraculous Power, The Spirit of God affirms, the Witneſſes to have had, and this conſiſts of ſeveral Particulars.
1. Fire proceeds out of their Mouths, and Devoureth their Enemies; And if any one will Hurt them, in this manner muſt he be Killed: Rev. 11. This was indeed a Bringing down Fire from Heaven. Now what was this, but a denouncing the Judgments of God upon Antichriſtianiſm, that ſhall ſo ſurely be Fullfill'd in their Seaſon; And of this there are many great Witneſſes, and Monuments; In the Darkeſt Times, there were thoſe that let Fly, as we ſpeak, againſt the Papacy, who ſpared not to call the Pope, Antichriſt to his Face; to Affirm Chriſtianity was Turn'd into Paganiſm among them. Fire went out of their mouths to this very purpoſe to Threaten that Antichriſtian Monarch, and his, ſo call'd, Catholick Church, with all the Vials of the Revelation, the Plagues, and the Curſes of it; to ſay, God abhorr'd it, and would Bring it into Judgment; And tho the Witneſſes were Slain before men, as Witneſſes of Lyes only, by the Anathemas, Excommunications, Brands of Hereſy Pour'd out upon them; yet that Antichristian State▪ Theſe Witneſſes of Chriſt, had Power to Kill, Ten Thouſand Times more; For all that they have ſpoken, ſhall certainly, and everlaſtingly be Fullfi…l'd upon it; and it is condemn'd already by the Mouths of ſo many Servants of Chriſt; of which each Particular Soul of that Antichriſtian Union going out of this World hath Found the dreadful effects; of which the Reformation hath been the effect, and ſtands a Monument; of which many ſevere Judgments by Mahometans and others; Many ſtrokes from Heaven have been the Evidences; and in Regard of which Threatned, and Executed. The Witneſſes a…e, and were accounted by the Antichriſtian World, their Tormentors. But the Illuſtrious Fullfilling is yet to come, when that wicked one ſhall be Conſum'd, or carried off by the Breath of Chriſts Mouth, in the Preaching the Everlaſting Goſp…l, and utterly Aboliſhed by the Brightneſs of his coming.
2. The Second Thing, in which the Spirit of God ſets out the judiciary Miraculous Power of the Witneſſes, is; They had Power to ſhut Heaven, that it ſhould not Rain in the Days of their Prophecy; Now what was this? It is taken from Elijah's ſwearing in the Name of the Living God; There ſhould be no Rain, no Dew for three years and an half; 1 Kings 17. A Symbol of theſe Three years and an Half of years, or 1260 years; For ſo I underſtand them: Yet with Relation to a de…per Time, like that of our Lord's Lying in the Grave a part of Three Days; For which Reaſon they are call'd Days, and ſignify the Three Times and an Half; as Days in all Languages Import Seaſons.
Now the Doctrine of the Goſpel, and indeed all Inſtruction is Compar'd to Rain, and Dew in Scripture; My Doctrine ſhall drop, as the Rain, and Distil, a… the Dew; The Doctrine of the Goſpel after the Aſcention of Chriſt, is expreſſed by Gods ſending a plentiful Rain, whereby he Confirm'd, Strengthen'd, or Refreſh'd his Inheritance, when It was weary, Pſal. 68. 9. So in the Prophet, the People are Call'd to, to Break up their Fallow Ground; Till God come, and Rain Righteouſneſs upon Them. Hoſ. 10. 12.
The Shutting up of Heaven therefore in the Days of their Prophecy, that It ſhould not Rain, ſhews,
1. That there ſhould be, as is very well known, was, a very Dark, and Barbarous Time, as to all Learning, and Knowledg in the Moons of the Apostaſy; that Chill, Fruitleſs Planets of the Night; from which the very Borrowed Beams of the Sun Fall Cold, and Languid, and without Vigor, or Pregnancy.
2. That there ſhould be an exceeding Drought, and Barrenneſs, as to all Goſpel Doctrines in their Life, Purity, Sweetneſs; And how Remarkable this was, all Proteſtants are, I hope, Senſible; except they themſelves Love ſtill thoſe Corrupted Pits, and Ciſternes of Popery; or what hath the brackiſh Taſt thereof!
3. That there ſhould be a very ſad, and woful Turning of the Earth, or the Hearts of Men, under the Name, and Profeſſion of Chriſtianity, into Iron and Braſs, as to all Goſpel Softneſs, and Fructification.
3. And this will be yet clearer in the Third Particular, They have Power to turn Water into Blood, into the Blood of a Dead man; (as another Expreſſion of the Revelation gives it us) that is, that hath no Motion, Circulation, Spirits, Activity; ſhewing the utter Ineptitude, nay, Impoſſibility of Popiſh D…ctrines; as of Juſtification by Works, Tranſubſtantia…ion, Pardons, Indulgences, Pennances, Pilgrimages, Worſhip of Saints, Angels, Virgin Mary, Saints; to be the Inſtruments of Conveying Life to Souls, any more than the Stagnated Blood of a Dead Man to give Life, or Motion to the Body, in which it is ſo Arreſted, and Congeal'd.
But as Elijah ſaid, As the Lord Liveth there ſhall not be Rain, nor Dew, but at my word. So the Witneſſes may ſay, but at our word, at our Doctrine, according to the Plainneſs, Purity, Sincerity of Goſpel Preaching; If they had stood in my Counſels, They ſhould have turned Sinners from their evil ways. When men cull out the Morality of the Goſpel only, and our own Workings; as many, even of the; Styled Reformed do; little elſe; Neglecting the Holding out of Chriſt in his Blood, in the mighty Grace of his Spirit; Hence the Doctrine of the Goſpel becomes as the Blood of a Dead Man, without Power of Converſion.
But it may be ſaid, would the Witneſſes, or ſhould they; ought they to ſhut Heaven, or to turn VVaters into Blood?
I Anſwer, The Preaching God hath given them to Preach, the VVord, he hath given them, they muſt ſpeak, they muſt Preach; If God hath given them to declare the rare, and Seldom Converſions, the Lowneſs, and Penury of True Goſpel Doctrine, the Heavens ſhut during the days of the Apostaſy, they muſt Declare it; their Declaring it done is the doing it; what the Prophets Declare, They Do; as God ſays to Jeremy, I have ſet thee to Build, and to Plant, to pull down, and to Destroy; So God Set theſe Witneſſes to ſhut Heaven, to turn Waters into Bood.
Again, as Chriſt Taking to himſelf the Inſtruments of a good Shepherd, condemned the Inſtruments of the Fooliſh Shepherd; and ſo turn'd all the Preaching of the Scribes and Phariſees into Folly; by Preaching himſelf with Authority, and not as the Scribes; So the Witneſſes ſhut up Heaven, and no Rain falls but at, or by their Word, and they turn waters into blood, by Preaching Plainly, and Powerfully, and Sincerely, the Truths of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; And even many Souls perceive it of them, as they did of Chriſts Preaching; They find the Dullneſs and Deadneſs of other Preaching by that.
Thus God hath given Power to the Witneſſes; It is given to them to turn Waters into Blood, and to ſhut Heaven; that is; to Preach ſincerely themſelves; And to ſhew other Doctrines, Poiſonous, Ruinous to the Souls of Men.
Thus at this Day, all the Doctrines, that turn from Chriſt, and Free Grace; that is, from the Spirit, and Power of Chriſtianity; They are Diſcover'd by the Witneſſes to be Deſtructive; The Sheep that come up from the waſhing, have Teeth white as Milk, waſhed with the ſincere Milk of the Word, purified from this blood between their Teeth; the Blood as of a Dead man; They hang out the Scarlet Thread of Chriſts Blood; They ſet up Chriſt, and Chriſt Alone; and ſo there is none Barren among them; They are bleſſed with doing Good to Souls; made Wiſe to Win Souls, and to turn many to Righteouſneſs.
4. The laſt Miraculous Power they Exerciſe is, They ſmite the Earth with all Plagues, as often as they will: That is, they may, as Freely as They Deſire, Declare the Judgments of God, even thoſe ſeven laſt Plagues, that ſhall make an end of the Antichriſtian State, and of all the Enemies of Chriſt; yea the whole Corrupted State of this Earth; and all they ſay, ſhall certainly be made good, and Fulfill'd; even as the Plagues Moſes was Commanded by God to Smite the Land, or Earth of Egypt with, and which had their full effect, are Recorded as Miracles of Judgment; even ſo ſhall the ſmiting of Spiritual Egypt, and its Earth be found to be, when the Seal in their Forheads is Removed, and all they have ſpoken and done fully underſtood in the Light of that Day.
But this [as often as they will] tho it ſeem altogether a word of Conceſſion, and Leaving the Matter to their Freedom, and Choice; yet it indeed gives the Faulty Reaſon on the part of the Witneſſes, why Popery has not been more prevail'd againſt, even throughout the whole Time, Times, and Half Time of the Apoſtaſy: For the Wiſe, and Holy Counſels of God do not Remove the Faultineſs of Mens Actions which bring thoſe very Counſels to paſs; as we ſee throughout Scripture in the greateſt Inſtances, as in Judas and all the Powers, that Joyn'd in Crucifying the Son of God; They were never the leſs wicked Hands, becauſe they did what God had determined in his Counſel and Fore-knowledg ſhould be done; And while the Jews heard the Voices of the Prophets, they did notwithſtanding, moſt Evilly, Fu…fill them; Even ſo the V…itneſſes, not having a Will to ſmite ſo much, and ſo often as they ſhould, and ought, have fallen under Blame by our Lord▪ And this helps us to underſtand what Chriſt ſays to thoſe Two Churches, even the two Candleſticks, ſlanding before the God of the whole Earth in the Time of the Apoſtaſy; Pergamus, and Thyatyra; To one it is ſaid, I have a few Things againſt Thee; That thou haſt them, who hold the Doctrin of Balam, &c. To the other, it is ſaid, I have a few Things againſt thee; That thou ſuffereſt the Woman Jezebel, &c. Now theſe ſmall Things may be very well Interpreted; They did not will, ſo much as they ſhould have willed; However, they are called ſmall, or Little Things; becauſe they were indeed under an Overpowering, as well, as an Under-willing.
But ſurely Sardis, the Symbol of the Churches under the Reformation (except in the Few and Small undefiled Names) and yet more eſpecially, the They on the part of the Synagogue of Satan, are under much ſeverer Cenſure; that they have not Will'd more to ſmite the Antichriſtian Earth with the Predictions of Divine Judgment upon them; who have a Name to Live, and yet are Dead; who have not ſtrengthen'd the Things that Remain, but are ready to Dye, in order to the Kingdom of Chriſt, nor Fill'd up their Works before God; who have not ſtamp'd with their Foot, and with all poſſible Zeal Prophecyed, Prophecyed (as God Commanded Ezekiel) the Ruin of Babylon the Great; who as Jehoahaz, have ſmote only Thrice, and Staid, when they ſhould have ſmitten Six, or ſeven Times, till they had Conſumed Babylon, and cut it off Root and Branch; For the Reformation was the Arrow of the Lord's Deliverance, but not purſued to the utmoſt, as 2 Kings c. 13 15. And this is ſignified by the Thunders, that opened in the Reformation then Sealed; and ſo it hath ſunk and gone backward, and not forward; and ſo it will be to the End of the 1260 days; we have rather been Giving back to Egypt; this ſhould ſtir up our Zeal to ſmite to the utmoſt now with the Arrows of the Lord's Deliverance; and tho many who have gone further than others, have been Laugh'd at, Deſpis'd, Perſecuted by them; Them eſpecially of the Synagogue of Satan; as Raſh, Heady, Hot, Fanatical Perſons; yet at Laſt it ſhall be found to be under a Divine Commiſſion to ſmite, as often, as they would; and all they have ſaid ſhall have the full Effect, even as greateſt Miracles, and Juſtified as true Interpretation of Prophecy; Neglected too much, by the Learned, under pretence of a Sealed Book.
And thus far I have ſhewn, That Miracles have not in the Inward Spiritual Part been cut off, but have run along the whole Apoſtaſy, tho underground and Inviſibly; But they ſhall now within ſhort Time appear in their Glory.