The Mystery of the Two Witnesses Unveiled, Verse 10
VERS. 10. And they that dwell upon the earth, ſhall rejoyce over them, and make merry, and ſhall ſend gifts one to another, becauſe theſe two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
HEre wee have a farther carriage of the Adverſaries towards the dead bodies of the Witneſſes: while they lye in the ſtreet of the great Citie, and are kept from being interred, or put in graves, the men of the earth, they rejoyce over them, and make merry, and ſend gifts one to another, becauſe theſe two Prophets are tormented, &c. In the opening of theſe words, obſerve,
1. The perſons brought in here acting: And they are they that dwell upon the earth.
2. Their actions: They rejoyce, make merry, and ſend gifts one to another.
3. The reaſon of this their acting; Becauſe theſe two Prophets tormented them, &c.
The firſt of theſe to be conſidered is, who are meant by the perſons that are here ſtiled, the inhabitants of the earth: Theſe are meant of worldly Chriſtans, ſuch as ſerve Antichriſt, they are onelyonly earthly and carnall, they are without the Temple of God, they live in the ſynagogu… of Satan. Theſe are ſaid to dwell upon the earth, Rev. 12. 12. And Chap. 13. 8. The Antichriſtian Church and faction are ſaid to dwell upon the earth, becauſe they are earthly and carnall, in oppoſition to the Saints, who are ſaid to dwell in heaven. The Witneſſes are ſtiled ſuch as dwell in heaven, Chap. 18. 20. And thoſe that worſhip the Beaſt, being their oppoſites, are ſtiled, thoſe that dwell upon the earth. The Saints under heavenly enjoyments, heavenly diſcoveries of truth and light, theſe dwell in Heaven, in the glorious Temple, in the holy tabernacle of God.
But the Antichriſtian Church, and all the members thereof are caſt out of heaven unto the earth, there they inhabite and dwell; they favour of the earth, having earthly enjoyments, carnall delights; their condition, ſtate, worſhip, and contentment conſiſting all of earthly things. The earth is their portion, and they make their habitation in it.
Secondly, the carriage of theſe earthly men, towards the Witneſſes dead bodies: they rejoyce over them, make merry, and ſend gifts one to another. This is an alluſion to the practice of the Jewes, when they had procured deliverance from the contrivances of Haman, they ſolemnly feaſted, rejoyced, and made merry, ſending portions one to another, Heſt. 18. 19. So when the Lord had reſtored unto the Jewes their land, their Citie, the Temple, and worſhip; The people went their way to eate, and to drinke, and to ſend portions, and to make great mirth, Neh. 8. 12. Suitable hereunto is that of the Prodigall, who when he came home, the Father for joy kils the fatted Calfe, and they rejoyce and make merry together, Luk. 15. 24. So here the inhabitauts of the earth doe ſo well reſent their killing, and overcoming the Witneſses, as that they ſolemnly rejoyce and make merry, even as thoſe that have obtained ſomeeminent deliverance, or that have received ſome excellent good thing, or as if they had obtained ſome great and notable victory, they ſet up ſome Trophies or Enſignes of Conqueſt. And this they expreſſe in a feaſtival manner, They eate, and drinke, and are merry, and ſend portions one to another.
The ſumme of all is this; that when the Adverſaries ſhall think upon the dead bodies of the Witneſſes, that they maintain and keep them above ground without the true life and ſpirit, they ſhall excceedingly triumph, and make feaſts in token of joy, as in the old time; and if they doe not this literally, yet they ſhall as much, and as really rejoyce, as they that did ſuch things; and not only ſo, but do what they can to make others rejoyce with them.
3. Conſider the reaſon why they do thus rejoyce, and that is, Becauſe theſe two Prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth. Wee may read tormented, or had tormented; not that they rejoyced becauſe they were tormented by theſe Prophets, but becauſe they had overcome, and killed theſe Witneſſes of God, that had alwayes tormented them; now they thought they were rid of them, and ſhould not be troubled with them any more, therefore it is, that they of the earth do ſo greatly rejoyce. The Witneſſes torment the earth by inflicting juſt puniſhment and reward upon thoſe that worſhip the Beaſt. Their very witneſſe and teſtimony is a great torment to the world. The wine of Gods wrath, and the cup of his indignation ſhall torment the earth: and what is all this, but the powring forth of the Vials, occaſioned by the propheſie of the Witneſſes: As they turned waters into blood, and plagued the Earth with all plagues, as we heard before, ſo they torment the earth by their witneſſe and propheſie: Good reaſon hath the world to rejoyce, when they can hinder the courſe of their teſtimomonie, and keepe their bodies out of graves, to their owne advantage and uſe. From the words thus opened, take theſe few Obſervations.
Firſt, obſerve, That the people that 1 Obſerv.ſerve Antichriſt are earthly and carnall. They are a generation that doe ariſe from the earth, and they are earthly, they neither know nor favour the things of God. Their Church is carnall, their Ordinances are but inventions, their Government is but a worldly power, all the whole forme of ſervice and worſhip is but of an earthly and humane inſtitution. Their wiſdome and knowledge is but of the fleſh, the wiſdome of this world, and of the firſt Adam, they are not endued with wiſdome from on high. All their parts and gifts are but acquired, and made up by art and ſcience, they are not the pure gifts of the ſpirit, but of a falſe annoynting, of a common ſpirit. Indeed theſe may cauſe fire to come downe from heaven in the ſight of men, as it's ſaid, Chap. 13 13. pretending they have the ſpirit of God, when they have but a falſe and ſeducing ſpirit, to draw Proſelites to themſelves. So that all the things theſe enjoy, are but carnall Churches, invented Ordinances, humane gifts, worldly governments, all proceeding from the earth, are earthly, and ſhall be caſt forth into the Earth againe.
Secondly, obſerve, That the greateſt 2 Obſervejoy that Antichriſt hath is over the dead bodies of the Witneſſes. The greateſt expreſſion of the joy and rejoycing of earthly people, is in ſlaying of the Witneſſes, when they can overcome and trample upon their Teſtimonie, when they can ſuppreſſe the ſpirit of God in them, and ſtop them in the courſe of their propheſie, then they will rejoyce over their dead bodies, and make their Carkaſſes their very life and glory. Theſe of the Earth have no quiet or peace in themſelves, untill by their power and wickedneſſe they have crucified the very apperance of God in theſe two Prophets; and when having ſlaine their teſtimonie, and ſet up their Carkaſs as their form of Religion, then they rejoyce, they ſtir up one another to triumph, and exult, they comfort one another in this great victory. Oh what great rejoycing hath there been in all ages, when the world and men of the earth could at any time ſuppreſſe theſe Witneſſes, it hath been their greateſt aime and ambition; and when they have accompliſhed it, it hath been their greateſt joy and rejoycing.
Thirdly, obſerve, That the Witneſſes 3 Obſer.by their propheſie doe moſt of all torment the men of the earth. The Earth, and the Inhabitants thereof could rejoyce in their earthly enjoyments, in all their carnall actings, and humane inventions, were it not for the teſtimony of the Witneſſes, theſe continually vexe and trouble earthly Chriſtians, and worldly Profeſſors. The men of the Earth would take much comfort and contentment in all their fleſhly worſhip and formality, but that theſe Witneſſes are always giving in their teſtimonie againſt their falſeneſſe and emptineſſe of all their performances: But when theſe come and ſay, this is Antichriſtian, to tell the world their Church is carnall, their Ordinances invented, their gifts and abilities are but humane, and their government but worldly; this doth exceedingly enrage and torment the men of the earth. Thus they turn their ſweete waters into blood and contention, as we heard before, and plague the earth with all plagues; they pour out whole vials of wrath upon all the worſhips and ways of Antichriſt. Thus we ſee, as the men of the earth doth overcome and ſlay the Witneſſes: ſo theſe Witneſſes make their part good againſt their Adverſaries. They reward Babylon as ſhe hath rewarded them, and in the cup wherein ſhe hath filled, they fill to her double, Revel. 18. 6. And as ſhe hath glorified her ſelfe, and triumphed over the Witneſſes, ſo great ſhall be her torment, her puniſhments ſhall be anſwerable to her pride and tyranny. Therefore when the Witneſſes ſhall by the word of their teſtimonie, cauſe vials of wrath to fall upon Antichriſt, then ſhall the men of the earth be ſcorched with great beate, and ſhall gnaw their tongues for paine, and blaſpheame Grd, becauſe of their ſoares and their paines, Rev. 16. 9, 10, 11. Their hearts ſhal be enraged with rancour and malice, as burning with fire they ſhall ſpeak evil of God, and gave their tongues for anguiſh, and vexation of ſpirit. Thus do the witneſſes by their propheſie vexe and torment the Inhabitants of the earth.