The Little Horns Downfall, Treatise 2 · Discourse · Part 2 – Part 3
Verſe 15.
And the ſeventh Angel ſounded, and there were great voices in Heaven, ſaying, the kingdoms of this world are become, &c.]
The declaration of this truth, that the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord Chriſt, is here held forth unto us to bee that great and glorious part, and portion of the providence and counſell of God, that is to be manifeſted under the ſounding of the ſeventh Trumpet; which brings in the ſeventh, and laſt, and greateſt judgement of God upon that wicked, (as the Apoſtle termes him,) or that man of ſinne. That great Saint oppoſer the Roman Papall Beaſt, and his adherents: For by the ſeven Angels which were to ſound the ſeven Trumpets, is to be underſtood 7 ſeverall, remarkeable, and great judgements, that in ſo many ſeverall periods of time, by ſo many ſeverall paſſages of the providence and purpoſe of God, ſhould be brought upon that beaſt, and his aſſociates, whereby they ſhould bee gradually ruined. The firſt of them being one degree of bringing them down; and the ſecond bringing them lower then the firſt had done, and the third bringing them lower then the two former, and the fourth breaking down another part of their greatneſſe, and glory, which was not broken by the three former: but the three latter are to bee more terrible, and dreadfull unto them then any of the former; and therefore they are ſaid to be three great woes which were to come upon that crew, Chap. 8. 13. which are there ſtil'd the inhabitants of the earth: for all along in this Propheſie they are cal'd the earth, to diſtinguiſh them from the Saints, who are all along cal'd heaven, and as theſe are ſaid to be woes, ſo they prove woes indeed, unto that miſerable crew; but it is to them, and them onelyonly, and not to any others. As for the Saints, all the ſeven Trumpets produce matter of joy to them, becauſe therein Chriſts enemies, and their enemies are from time to time brought low: And indeed theſe ſeven Trumpets (or ſeven ſeverall judgements of God upon the Beaſt and his adherents,) were obtained from God in a great meaſure by their prayers; being offered up by the Lord Jeſus their bleſſed Mediator, who perfumed them with the incenſe of his own righteouſneſſe and worthineſſe, in which they are acceptable: For upon the offering up of the prayers of Saints, with that incenſe, theſe Judgements were powred out upon the earth, that is, upon that crew: and theſe angels prepared to ſound, as appeares, Chap. 8. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c. So that, the Saints had cauſe to rejoyce, when theſe judgements came upon that faction; and they indeed did rejoyce, and their hearts have been made glad, in all theſe ſeverall Judgements which have come upon them. As in that their Doctrines, and Doctors, Biſhops, Jeſuits, and Prieſts, and much of their power and authority which they had over the people, have been brought down and laid in the duſt; in thoſe ſix ſeverall Trumpres ſounding, or glorious diſpenſations already paſt, wherein that party have been troubled, perplexed and pained at the heart: and now this great and glorious diſpenſation we are treating of, is to bee the ſeventh and laſt; which is of greateſt terror to them, and greateſt joy to the ſaints: as it followes,
And the ſeventh Angel ſounded, and there were great voices in Heaven, ſaying, the kingdoms, &c.]
There were great voices in heaven, that is, there were many in heaven, that is, in the Church, or among the Saints, (that in the Propheſies of this Book are ſtiled heaven) that did trumpet forth, ſound forth, or clearely hold forth, and confidently ſpeake out this truth: that the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Chriſt, and he ſhall reign for ever and ever. They were voyces; it was not only the ſingle voice of one, but they are voices; it is the voice of many in heaven, many among the Saints: And they are not the whimſicall notions of unſound and rotten men, but they are voices in heaven, voyces of reall Saints.
Great voyces in heaven:] Being great voices, argues firſt, that they are not ſome poore weak ſuppoſitions, or may be's: Nor ſecondly, are they ſome weake faint ſayings; but they are great, that is, effectuall, convincing, and unqueſtionable ſpeakings: ſuch as ſhall be heard, and be received, and be beleeved among the Saints; they ſhall be ſpoken with ſuch authority of Scripture, and ſuch demonſtration of the ſpirit, and power going along with them; and theſe great voyces ſhall have a double effect: firſt, they ſhall miniſter joy and gladneſſe to the Saints; and ſecondly they ſhall miniſter terrour to the Popiſh party, for it ſpeakes and works their ruine, and third woe that comes upon them.
The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Chriſt, and he ſhall reign for ever and ever.] The Kingdoms of this world are become ſo, why were they not ſo before this ſeventh Angell ſounded, or this ſeventh diſpenſation? Is not the earth the Lords and the fulneſſe thereof? whoſe were the Kingdomes of this world but our Lords, and his Chriſts? Anſwer, Though it is true they were his, yet they were not ſo viſibly the Kingdoms of God, and of Chriſt as they ſhall then be. For they ſeemed rather to be the Kingdomes of the evill one, they were ſo univerſally inſlaved to the Devill, among the Indians, and Heathens that profeſſed not Chriſt, and they ſeemed rather to be inſlaved to that man of ſin, that wicked one, that ſate in the Temple of God, and blaſphemed among ſuch as profeſſed Chriſtianity. But at this time they ſhall in a moſt viſible and glorious manner become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Chriſt: for he ſhall break down the power of other Kings, even of all that will not ſtoope to him, and caſt their Crowns at his feet, yea, he will breake them in peeces as a Potters veſſell, and that great Papall Beaſt ſhall be deſtroyed with the fire of his wrath, and his glory ſhall be manifeſted to all people, and nations, and languages: who caſting off all other Lords ſhall willingly be ſubjected to him; and rejoyce in his glorious reign, according to that of the Pſalmiſt, The Lord *Pſal. 97. 1. and 96. 10, 11, 12, 13.reigneth and let the earth rejoyce, and let the great “England is one of the great Iſles.Iſles be glad thereof. Yea, the Kingdomes of this world ſhall be univerſally ſo ſubjected to our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as they ſhall all ſerve and obey him only: and other Lords ſhall not have Dominion over them, but they ſhall have one Lord, and his name one in all the earth. Thus in a moſt viſible manner ſhall the Kingdomes of this world become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chriſt.*Zach. 14. 9.
And he ſhall reign for ever and ever. He having once ſubjected the Kingdomes of this world unto the obedience of himſelfe; it ſhall not be with him, as it hath been with all the great and potent Monarchs that have formerly ruled the world: that one of them have thruſt out and deſtroyed another: and one hath taken the Dominion from another. No, none ſhall take the Dominion from him: But as Daniel ſaies, His Kingdome ſhall be an everlaſting Kingdom, and all Rulers ſhall ſerve and obey him. So John here ſaies, He ſhall reigne for ever and ever.
And the foure and twenty Elders, which ſate before God on their ſeats, fell upon their faces, and worſhipped God, ſaying, we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty, &c.]
What thoſe foure and twenty Elders are will appeare in the fourth and fifth Chapters of this Propheſie. They are firſt mentioned Chap. 4. 4. where they are thus deſcribed, And round about the throne were foure and twenty ſeats, and upon the ſeats I ſaw foure and twenty Elders, ſitting, cloathed in white rayment: and upon their heads were Crownes of Gold. Now that we may know what theſe be: we muſt obſerve what the Angell ſaies to John in the firſt verſe of that Chapter, in theſe words, Come and I will ſhew thee things which muſt be hereafter; whence it appeares that theſe Elders, as well as the other things which John ſaw, were repreſentatives of ſome things that were to be after that time. Now Chapter 5. we may ſee what they were that were to be hereafter; which theſe foure and twenty Elders did repreſent, and that is, that they were Saints that were redeemed to God by the bloud of the Lamb out of every kindred, and Nation, and people, as appeares in the 8, 9, 10. verſes of that Chapter.
Now here in this 11 Chapter theſe foure and twenty Elders, that is, theſe Saints and redeemed ones of Chriſt, do upon the ſounding of theſe voyces, (that the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Chriſt) fall upon their faces, that is, they lay themſelves low before God, and worſhip him: being exceedingly affected with this great work of God, and with his great grace toward them, in bringing them out of their ſuffering condition to reign with Chriſt.
They fell upon their faces, and worſhipped God, ſaying, we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty, which art, and waſt, and art to come, becauſe thou haſt taken to thee thy great power, and haſt reigned]
The Saints, whatever others do herein, yet they, (if their eyes be open to ſee it) they cannot but give thanks, yea, ſolemnly lay themſelves low before God in thankſgiving: for the great and ſignall manifeſtations of the Lord God Almighty, and eternall, his taking to him his great power in ruling, and raigning; and laying of ſuch as are indeed his enemies in the duſt, and yet withall at the ſame time their hearts may be very much affected with this, that any godly men ſhould be ſo deeply engaged with Gods enemies: and conſequently do partake of their puniſhments.
Becauſe thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and haſt reigned] Becauſe thou haſt not ſuffered thine enemies alwaies to boaſt, and to triumph, but haſt begun to lay them low before thee, and now haſt taken to thee thy great power, which thou ſeemedſt to have laid aſide, when thou ſufferedſt ſo long the rod of the wicked to reſt upon the lot of thy righteous ones: but now doſt thou take to thee, and ſhew forth thy great power, in puniſhing, and bringing down the power of thine enemies; for theſe things we give thee thanks, and becauſe that now more generally, univerſally, and evidently thou appeareſt to reign over men in thy juſt and righteous deciding of Controverſies, and in juſtifying them that in the integrity of their hearts give up themſelves to glorifie thy great name, and to do that which may be for the good of all thy Saints, even of every one that feares thy name, ſmall and great: laying aſide all by and ſelfe reſpects; yea, we give thee thanks for that thou now ſo evidently appeareſt to reigne over men, in condemning and blaſting thoſe that pretending other things, force themſelves againſt their judgements to contend for ſome things which are but a ſeeming ground of that quarrell againſt others which was primarily occaſioned by their ſelfe ends which ſelfe-love hath ſo blinded them as they could not, or would not ſee, but ſhall ſee, and be made to acknowledge them to thee, and to thy Saints by thy righteous judgements.
This and much more is the Saints meaning in theſe words, when they ſay, Wee give thee thankes becauſe thou haſt taken to thee, &c. Wherein they expreſſe how they are affected with, and doe rejoyce in theſe things: Wee know how David expreſſes himſelfe upon ſuch an occaſion, Pſal. 98. 7, 8, 9. Let the Sea roar and the fulneſſe thereof; the world and they that dwell therein: Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hils be joyful together, before the Lord, for he commeth to judge the earth with righteouſneſſe, and to judge the people with equity. David is ſo affected with this great and glorious diſpenſation, when God comes to reigne, and even for to judge the earth with righteouſneſſe, and to decide with juſtice and equity, the controverſies of the people; as that he cannot be content, to onelyonly rejoyce and be exceeding glad thereof himſelfe, but he alſo excites the whole Creation to rejoyce in this moſt glorious diſpenſation. And if theſe that are ſtill of the world, (ſo they be not the deſperate, and implacable enemies of his Saints) ſhall have ſuch cauſe to rejoyce when the Lord reigneth; becauſe they ſhall not be at all oppreſſed, nor unjuſtly dealt with, as they had bin before, but ſhall have juſtice done them. I ſay, if theſe, and the whole Creation ſhall rejoyce when the Lord reigneth: much more ſhall Saints, when hee ſhall come to Judge their cauſe with righteouſneſſe, and deſtroy the man of ſinne; and ſhall lay all his ſupporters, though Kings and Princes, (notwithſtanding whoſoever labours to prop or beare them up) in the duſt.
And the Nations were angry.]
When God comes to take his great power, and to reigne himſelfe, the Nations are angry; becauſe their vaine cuſtomes which they have doated upon, muſt bee laid aſide and this great man muſt be brought downe: and that King, and 'tother darling, and favourite of the Nations, (for oppoſing of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt and his Saints) muſt bee deſtroyed, even the *Pſal. 110.heads over many Countries.
And thy wrath is come.]
When Jeſus Chriſt comes to reigne, hee will breake forth in wrath againſt his, and his Saints implacable enemies: and this is that which he ſpeakes of, when hee ſpeakes of the yeere of recompences, for the controverſies of Sion. And when he ſaies the day of vengeance is in his heart, *Iſa. 63. 3, 4.and the yeere of his redeemed is come; having ſuffered his adverſaries a long time, to go on unpuniſhed, in afflicting and martyring, and oppreſſing his Saints; hee will at laſt have a time to reckon with them, and hee will avenge his Saints quarrell, (for vengeance is his) recompencing all the blood, and cruelty of their enemies on their owne heads: And he will ſhew that hee hath not been regardleſſe, of all the ſufferings and ſad preſſures which his people have undergone, from the hands of wicked and cruel men; but when the yeere of his redeemed is come, then will he recompence his enemies for all their controverſies with Sion: and as it is Jer. 30. 23. His fierce anger ſhall goe forth as a whirlewinde, and ſhall fall with pain upon the heads of the wicked.
For thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they ſhould be judged.]
When Chriſt thus comes to avenge his people on their enemies, he doth therein give judgement for them, for in that thoſe enemies have ſlain and martyred his Saints long before, he herein judges his people that they have ſlaine with righteous judgement, when he paſſes the ſentence of condemnation, and executes it upon thoſe that have thus deſtroyed, and had a hand in the deſtroying of ſo many innocent, and ſo many righteous ſoules: for all the bloud of all the innocent ſoules, from righteous Abel to the bloud of the many innocents lately ſhed in Ireland and elſewhere muſt be charged upon the Pope, and that Generation, *And thus God judgeth the dead Saints cauſe.for ſo ſaies the Text, Rev. 18. 24. that in them will be found all the bloud of all the Prophets, and Saints, and of all that were ſlaine upon earth
And that thou ſhou dst give reward unto thy ſervants the Prophets, and to thy Saints, and to them that feare thy name, ſmall and great.]
The time of Chriſts reigning will be the time of Saints rewarding, for all their love, and all the labour and ſufferings of it. There is none that ever did any thing for God, or that ſuffered any thing for God, but ſhall be abundantly rewarded for all their doings, and ſufferings; and for all their ſhame and ſufferings ſhal have a reward of double joy, according to that paſſage, Iſa 61. 7. For your ſhame you ſhal have double, and for confuſion they ſhal rejoyce in their portion: therefore in their land they ſhall poſſeſſe the double, everlaſting joy ſhall be unto them; And the reward which Chriſt will give, when he hath thus brought down his enemies, ſhall be univerſall to all his Saints; not only (as ſome have conceived) unto thoſe Saints that have been Martyr'd for Chriſt; but to all his Saints, which are here expreſt under various denominations, that ſo all Saints may ſee themſelves here included; and therefore firſt it is thus expreſt, That thou ſhouldſt give reward unto thy ſervants the Prophets; by which in generall is meant all Saints: for all Saints have in a meaſure a ſpirit of Propheſie; For the teſtimony of Jeſus is the ſpirit of Propheſie, ſaies the Angell, Rev. 19. 10. but more peculiarly by Prophets, is ordinarily underſtood, the great preachers and publiſhers of Goſpelltruths: thoſe that are gifted and inabled to hold forth publikely to edification, exhortation and comfort Goſpell truths; for this is propheſying, as 1 Cor. 14. 3. and now if there had in this place been no other deſcription given of the Saints which ſhould have been rewarded by Chriſt: but only this his ſervants the Prophets, there might have been ſome queſtion made whether this did include all Saints? and it might be taken only for publike officers; but it therefore follows, and to thy Saints; this is a more generall word, and herein all ſaints might be ſatisfied, though they be not ſo eminently gifted as others are: ſince this word is added, and to thy Saints: but if any ſhould yet conceive that they are not here included, ſeeing ſome that are Saints are ſometimes under ſome doubtings of their Saintſhip; therefore it follows: And to them that feare thy name: ſo that if they have but a true filiall ſonlike feare of God, they may hereby be encouraged; but yet further, that there may not be any diſcouraged for their weakeneſs, becauſe they are lookt upon as little ones, as babes: or becauſe they are low in the world; it therefore followes, and to them that feare thy name, ſmall and great; all Saints, from the moſt eminent Prophet, and Teacher, to the meaneſt and tendereſt babe, that waites upon, and loves, and feares the Lord Jeſus, ſhall all be rewarded at his comming; not that any thing they have done or ſuffered doth merit a reward, but he will freely give them a glorious reward, for all that they have ſuffered and done for him.
And ſhouldſt deſtroy them which deſtroy the earth.]
This being the time in which he comes to do righteouſneſs and juſtice in the earth: he will render a juſt reward to the enemies of his people, and cauſe his wrath to go forth againſt them to their deſtruction; but this is further ſpoken of in the 19. verſe, as it follows.
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was ſeen in his temple the Arke of his Teſtament, and there were lightnings, and voyces, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great haile.]
This verſe containes a declaration of two great effects, the firſt of which concernes Saints, and the latter concernes the enemies of Chriſt and his Saints. That which concernes Saints is in theſe words, And the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was ſeen in the Temple the Arke of his Teſtament; and that which concernes the enemies is in theſe words, And there were lightnings, and voyces, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great haile: of this latter effect of the ſounding of this Trumpet I ſhall ſpeake by and by in its place; but firſt of the firſt effect mentioned in this verſe, which concernes the Saints, which is contained in theſe words, And the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was ſeen in his Temple the Arke of his Teſtament.] The Temple, and the Arke of his Teſtament are both Old Teſtament-phraſes: and for the opening of theſe things we muſt firſt enquire what is meant by theſe phraſes here in the New Teſtament?
Now this may be made cleare by comparing Scripture with Scripture, for the ſpirit of God ordinarily cleares that in one Scripture, which he leaves more doubtfull in another.
Now generally in the New Teſtament, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and his Diſciples to whom he opened the *Luk. 14. 22.Scriptures, of Moſes and all the Prophets do make uſe of ſuch phraſes, as the Temple, and Jeruſalem, and Sion, and the Prieſthood, and the Sacrifices, and the like, to expreſſe thoſe things by them which the outward things in uſe under the law did type out, and they never ſpake of theſe things as they are litterally underſtood; as to be ſo underſtood in the times of the Goſpell: but as being now aboliſhed: and thoſe ſpirituall things which they typed out, are alwaies to be underſtood by ſuch phraſes in the New Teſtament, and ſo the ſpirit of Chriſt in the Apoſtles expreſly declares: as for inſtance, the Churches of God are now ſaid to be the Temple of God, as 2 Cor. 6. 16. for ye (ſaith Paul to the Church of the Corinthians) are the Temple of the living God; as God hath ſaid, I will dwell in them, and walk in them: and I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people: and ſo alſo the Church of God is in the New Teſtament called the heavenly Jeruſalem, and Sion, as Heb. 12. 22. and Gal. 4. 26. and Rev. 21. 2, 3. and in the New Teſtament the title of High-Prieſt is given to Chriſt, as Heb. 8. 1. and the title of Prieſt is given to Saints, as Rev. 1. 6. and the ſpirituall ſervices of Saints are termed ſacrifices for with ſuch ſacrifices, (ſaies the Apoſtle) God is well pleaſed.
So that theſe words in this verſe, The Temple of God, and the Arke of his Teſtament, are to be myſtically underſtood, and not literally, ſince ſuch things are aboliſhed. Now by the Temple of God, we are to underſtand here the Church of God, the Saints, the people of God, which in the New Teſtament are ſtiled the Temple of God. And as the Arke of the Teſtament was of old that wherein the Book of the Law was put in the Temple of old: ſo in this New Teſtament Temple, that is to ſay in the Church of God, there is the Arke of his Teſtament, there is the new and ſpirituall Laws, and Ordinances of God contained; Now then this follows upon the ſounding of the ſeventh Trumpet, That the Temple of God is opened in heaven; that is, that the Church of God which before ſeemed to be ſhut up, and to lye in obſcurity, now it ſhall be opened, that is, be more fully diſcovered, and manifeſted openly, it ſhall no longer remaine ſhut up, and in obſcurity, but it ſhall be viſible, and in it is ſeene the Arke of his Teſtament, among the Churches, the ſaints of God, is to be ſeen the Law, and Ordinances of God ſet up in Majeſty, and purity; I ſay, it is to be ſeen, it no longer remaines in doubt what the Laws and Ordinances of God are; but in his Temple, in his Church they are to be ſeen under the ſounding of this 7th Trumpet.
Thus much concernes and is peculiar only to ſaints, but that which followes concernes the enemies of Chriſt, which is in theſe words; and there were voices, and lightnings, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great haile: theſe words are to expreſſe terrible things to come upon the oppoſers of Chriſt: the like words are uſed, Rev. 8. 5. To expreſſe the terrible Judgements of God, that were to come upon his enemies in the ſounding of the trumpets, in anſwer to the prayers of Saints, which are there mentioned to be preſented before God: and wee know that thundrings, and lightnings, and haile, is uſually very ſad and dreadfull weather: and earthquakes, and voices, are very ſad and amazing things. Now ſuch terrible, dreadfull, and amazing things doe come upon Antichriſt, and his adherents, upon the ſounding of the ſeventh Trumpet, which will prove exceeding dreadfull, diſtracting, and deſtructive to them: and this ſhall be when the ſaints ſhall be in greater freedome, and liberty, and glory, and ſplendor then ever they were; and when nothing ſhall diſquiet them, for theſe tempeſts muſt come upon the wicked: To them there will be earthquakes, but there ſhall be none among the Saints, no earthquakes in heaven, (the Saints and their ſocieties are heaven) but Antichriſt and his crew, and conclave is earth, and upon theſe come theſe ſtormes, and theſe earthquakes, but the ſaints are above the reach of them.
And thus much for the opening of this latter part of the eleventh Chapter of the Revelation, which I have the more fully and diſtinctly opened, as it now came in my way, in the cleering of this truth in hand, becauſe I have already opened all the former part from the firſt verſe to the fifteenth where I now began; ſo that now I have opened the whole Chapter.
And now in all theſe thirteen ſeverall Scriptures which I have produced (and opened as there was need) is this truth which in this twenty ſeven verſe of this ſeventh of Daniel is aſſerted or made as cleare as the Sun.
And having thus cleared this truth in generall, (which I have done the more fully, to be a foundation to what I have in the following part of the diſcourſe to diſcover.) There are now ſeverall queries that may be made, about ſeverall things which are ſuch as theſe.
How and by what meanes ſhall the kingdomes of this world come to bee poſſeſſed by Chriſt and his Saints?
Whether at all the material ſword ſhall be made uſe of in the cutting downe the power of men?
When Chriſt ſhall begin to take the kingdoms of the world into his poſſeſſion?
Whether or no he ſhall take them into his poſſeſſion all at once? or when ſhall the time be when the work ſhall bee compleatly finiſhed?
Whether multitudes of the Gentiles ſhall not bee firſt brought into the beliefe of the Goſpel, and the obedience of Chriſt? and when the Jews ſhall be called?
Whether at the time of Chriſts taking the whole world into his poſſeſſion, hee ſhall not perſonally appeare on earth?
Whether his ſaints that have been ſufferers for his ſake, ſhall not then be raiſed and reign on earth?
Whether or no the world ſhall then bee burnt with fire?
Whether temporary enjoyments ſhall bee enjoyed by ſaints when Chriſt ſhall take the world into his poſſeſſion?
Whether the Saints ſhall then practice any ordinances?
How long this Kingdome of Chriſt is to continue? and what is to ſucceed it?
Now to all theſe queſtions I ſhall give full and cleere anſwers: which that I may do the more cleerely, and without confounding of one thing with another; I ſhall not obſerve that method of anſwering them particularly as they are laid downe, but (which will bee more cleare, and pleaſant, and ſatisfactory when it is done) I ſhall give a generall deſcription of the ſtate of the Church, from the Yeere 1645, already paſt, unto the day of the laſt generall reſurrection. In which deſcription all theſe Queries, and many others which might be made, ſhall bee anſwered.
Now the deſcription or map of this new world, from the firſt entrance into it, unto the utmoſt borders of it, as farre as I have yet diſcovered, (or rather hath been diſcovered to me from the Scripture,) in my weake travels, inquiries, ſearches into it; followes after this ſhort preface.