The Two Witnesses, Tract · Sermon 11 – Sermon 12
VERS. 13. And the ſame hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the City fell; and in the earthquake were ſlain of men, ſeven thouſand, and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
NOw follows the other Concomitant of the Witneſſes Reſurrection, and aſcending up to heaven, together with the ſeverall Conſequents thereon depending, in the words laſt mentioned; The ſame hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the City fell, &c.
In the handling whereof, we ſhall obſerve;
1. The time of the Earthquake here mentioned, in theſe words; The ſame hour there was a great earthquake.
2. The Earthquake it ſelf.
3. The ſeverall conſequents of this earthquake, being in all three; all whereof we ſhall handle as they fall in their own order.
But firſt of the time; [The ſame hour there was a great earthquake.]
The ſame hour.] Some copies reade, [The ſame day.] But whether day or hour, both ſeem to come to one; neither to be underſtood of either day or hour properly ſo taken.
If you reade, [The ſame hour] it is not to be taken properly, for the 24 part of a naturall day; no more then 'tis in the 14 Chapter of this Propheſie, and 7 verſe; The hour of his Judgement is come: Or at the 17 Chapter, and 12 verſe; Theſe receive power one hour with the Beaſt; beſides many ſuch like inſtances, which might be fetcht from other places.
If you reade, [The ſame day,] it ſeems not to be underſtood either of a naturall or artificiall day properly ſo called, no more then in many other places. But whether one, or other, day, or hour, this appears the plain meaning of the holy Ghoſt; About the time of the Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of the Witneſſes, about that time, there is a great earthquake.
The earthquake it ſelf now follows, There was a great earthquake.
There is a naturall carthquake, as I may call it, when ſome windy matter being incloſed in the caverns of the earth, impat…ent of being impriſoned there long, breaks forth at laſt, cauſing Ariſto. 2. Me…co. 7.great and violent concuſſions and motions of the earth. Such as this you reade of, the 1. of Amos 1: ſuch a kinde of earthquake as this was at our Saviours Reſurrection; but this Mat. 28. 2.kinde of earthquake we are not to underſtand here.
Beſides this there is a myſticall earthquake, when there are great ſtirs and commotions in Kingdoms and States, and by theſe the Forms of Government changed. Such earthquakes are thoſe mentioned at the 8 Chapter of this propheſie and 5 verſe; and 16 Chapter, and 18 verſe. And (if I miſtake not) where we finde mention of an earthquake in all this book, we are to conceive it to be a myſticall earthquake. such is the great earthquake here mentioned, a myſticall earthquake, a State-quake, a Kingdom-quake; this ſeems the great earthquake here intended: When therefore the holy Ghoſt tells us, The ſame hour there was a great earthquake, 'tis this in effect; About the time of the riſing again, and Aſcenſion of theſe Witneſſes, there are great State and Kingdom-ſhakings.
The Conſequents of this earthquake next follow, in theſe words; The tenth part of the City fell, and in the earthquake were ſlain of men ſeven thouſand; And the remnant were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Which Conſequents if you take them aſunder, are three, as was before hinted. 1. The tenth part of the City falls. 2. Seven thouſand men ſlain. 3. The remnant are terrified, and give glory to the God of heaven. Of theſe in this order; 1. The fall of the tenth part of the City, then of the other as they follow.
The tenth part of the City fell; foreign] I finde nothing in this Propheſie of the Witneſſes, with more variety and difference interpreted then this ſame; and doubtleſſe could we hit right here, it would contribute no little to our ſatisfaction in the greateſt intricacie of this buſineſſe. Give me leave to offer a taſte of theſe different Interpretations, eſpecially of them which ſeem to carry moſt likelyhood; which when I have done, I ſhall propound, and ſubmit my own thoughts in the buſineſſe.
The great queſtion is, What we ſhould underſtand by the The Arabi que without conſent of any, either Copy or Tranſlation that I have met withall, reads, The third part of, the City fell.[Tenth part of the great City, foreign.] In anſw…r whereto, you have ſome will tell you 'tis the Tenths of the City, meaning, That whereas the Popes have Tenths paid them, which was the manner of the Romans formerly, as alſo of other Princes of elder times, now upon the riſing again of the Witneſſes, and the great earthquake thereupon attending, this Tribute of Tythes or Tenths, whereby he was in great part maintained before, ſhall now at laſt be utterly with-held from him. This is foreign, that which we tranſlate, [The tenth part of the City] falling. But (as ſome well obſerve) to make this good, it muſt have been foreign; but it is foreign, and therefore this cannot be the meaning.
Another therefore by this [foreign] which we tranſlate [The tenth part of the City] would underſtand, Thoſe ten Kingdoms, which at the 17 Chapter of this Propheſie, and 13 verſe, give up all th…ir ſtrength and power to the Beaſt…; And when thoſe at laſt draw off from Antichriſt, which they do, for theſe ſhall hate the Whore, cat her fleſh, and burn her with fire, Chap. 17. ver. 16. This is the fall of the Decharchy of the City. Thoſe ten Kingdoms that had formerly ſupported Antichriſt, now drawing off, and preparing for her deſtruction, this is the fall of the tenth part of the great City. And ſure if theſe ten Kingdoms withdrawing themſelves, hating the Whore, eating her fleſh, and burning her with fire, ſhould not fall in with the time of the ſeventh Trumpet, and laſt Vial, and be not that deſtruction which at that time is to be executed upon her, I mean the Romiſh Babylon, I ſhould think this interpretation did carry much appearance of truth with it.
But then another by [the tenth part of the City] would underſtand, the City it ſelf, Rome it ſelf falls, making this ſame all one with the fifth Vial, which poured out upon the Throne of Chap. 16. 10.the Beaſt, that is, upon Rome (ſayes this Interpreter) Rome hereby comes to be deſtroyed. And if any object, The holy Ghoſt doth not ſay the whol… City falls, onelyonly the truth part of th… City; to this it is anſwered, That when Rome comes to be deſtroyed, it is but the Tenth part of what it was formerly. I… was in compaſſe in former times neer 42 miles within the walls, now about 15: And if we meaſure, it will appear, That that whch is in compaſſe 15 miles, will make up but the tenth part of that which is in compaſſe 42 miles. And ſo accordingly, when the tenth part of the City falls, as is here ſaid, the whole City is meant; for now the whole, is but the tenth part of what it was formerly.
This, I confeſſe, is a pretty Notion, but yet ſuch as I durſt in no wiſe conclude is the meaning of the holy Ghoſt in this place: It carries with it too much acuteneſſe to be the meaning of the Spirit; and indeed it ſeems too much forced alſo; That the tenth part of the City, ſhould mean the whole City, the words ſeem not in any reaſonable congruity to admit of it.
Give me leave now in the laſt place, to adde what hath moſt taken upon me, in all the variety of thoughts in this matter: and it is this;
The Antichriſtian Kingdom, as made up of thoſe ten horns, ten Kingdoms, into which the Roman Empire upon its fall was reſolved, theſe ten at the ſame time with one conſent giving their power thereunto, ſeem here, as alſo in other places, compared to a great City: Which City, anſwerably to the ten part of the Antichriſtian Kingdom, hath ten parts alſo; every one of thoſe ten Kingdoms, by ſubmitting it ſelf to the Government of this myſticall City, I mean this myſticall Babylon▪ hereby making it ſelf a part of it.
This ſtated, we ſay accordingly [the tenth part of the City] muſt mean, O…e of thoſe ten Kingdoms, which having ſu… mitted it ſelf to the Government of this myſticall B…bylon, hereby became to a part of it: and then anſwerably is this t…nth Kingdom, the tenth part of the great City ſaid to fall, when th…t …inde of Government, which ſubmitted to made this one part of that City, I mean of Romiſh babylon, is now utter…ly diſſolved and aboliſhed in that Kingdom.
So then all this tog…ther is thus much. About the … Witneſſes riſe again, and aſcend up to heaven, there are great ſtirs and commotions, this is the earthquake; and among theſe, that Antichriſtianiſm which in one of the ten Kingdoms ſubmitted to, made it one of the parts of the Romiſh Babylon, is utterly quaſh'd and diſſolved in that Kingdom. This ſeems to be the fall of the tenth part of the great City.
And here obſerve it, 'tis [foreign] with an Artiticle, which (I confeſſe) I had once let paſſe, but ſhould by no means paſſe without notice; [That tenth part of the great City] ſo we might render it, where the holy Ghoſt ſeems to tell us which tenth part of the City, which of the ten Kingdoms he means, why [that tenth part] that which ſeems eaſily diſcernable from all the reſt, that tenth part falls. But which this is▪ I ſhall hereafter ſpeak my conjecture; let this ſuffice at preſent, that in That tenth Kingdom, which ſeems eaſily differenced from all the reſt, Antichriſtianiſm is aboliſhed, this is the fall of that tenth part of the great City. This ſeems the meaning, and (I muſt confeſſe) I have nothing readily to object againſt it, but from this firſt conſequent of the earthquake, viz. The fall of the tenth part of the City, we may proceed to the ſecond, in theſe words; And in the earthquake were ſlain of men ſeven thouſand.
This follows, and this is not without its difficulties neither: Some reade, the heads of men that were ſlain were ſeven thouſand; but if we reckon by the pole, ſeven thouſand men numbred by the pole were ſlain, and no more, it will readily be objected; How can it be imagined the tenth part of the Antichriſtian Kingdom ſhould fall, and yet but ſeven thouſand heads, or ſeven thouſand men reckoned by the Pole, ſlain and overwhelmed in ſo great a ruine? Seven thouſand, thus reckoned, ſeem not a number any whit proportionable. To which it may be anſwered; This number of ſeven thouſand, is a perfect number, and is here put, as in other places, not to ſignifie juſt ſo many, and no more, but rather a certain number, for an uncertain, and may very well ſignifie a great many more then preciſely that number.
But if this ſhould not paſſe, there is another Interpretation foreign, for foreign.beſides, and this ſeems without all exception.
This therefore inſtead of reading [the names of men that were ſlain] which is the Originall, reads [the men of name that were ſlain were ſeven thouſand.] And this not raſhly, this kinde of ſpeaking being not infrequent in the Scripture: hence you reade Silver of Talents, for Talents of Silver, and the like; ſo here, names of men, for men of names: And if you would know what's meant by this expreſſion [men of name,] and what [name] imports in this conſtruction [men of name] conſult that 6 of Gen. and 4 verſe, and you finde, thoſe Giant-like men whom the Originall calls, men of name; our Tranſlation calls, men of r…nown; And ſo both the Originalls ſignifying [name] foreign Orae. O… foreign Beza Anno.often tranſlated; ſo here, There were ſlain ſeven thouſand men of name, that is, men of note, of quality: So many were ſlain, in th… fall of the tenth part of the City.
And if this ſhould be ſo, it cleerly takes off the former objection, viz. That the number of bare ſeven thouſand, were not proportionall; for granting that ſo many of quality, of name, are ſlain, beſides theſe numbers of the common ſort that may be overwhelmed in thoſe ruines, and ſure ſeven thouſand men of note with thoſe other, are a number anſwerable to the fall of the tenth part of the City.
But before I paſſe further, I muſt tell you, this ſlaughter of theſe ſeven thouſand, ſeems not to mean a reall and proper ſlaughter, no more then did the ſlaughter of the Witneſſes before mentioned: for if the earthquake were not ſuch properly ſo called, onelyonly ſignifying ſtirs and commotions in the tenth part of the great City, and ſo a myſticall earthquake, as we ſaw before; in like manner, neither can this ſlaughter which is done by a myſticall earthquake, be any other then a myſticall ſlaughter.
And if a myſticall ſlaughter, what can it be, but the Antichriſtian faction, the abettors and maintainers of Antichriſtianiſme, in that tenth part of the great City, have their place, their power, their maintenance taken from them, they ceaſe to be in office as before, they loſe their Livings, this is to them the loſing of their lives, this ſeems the ſlaughter of the ſeven thouſand eminent men here intended.
I do not deny but in theſe ſtirs ſome of them may be ſlain indeed; ſomewhat like whereto was formerly ſpoken concerning the ſlaying of the Witneſſes, but this is not the ſlaughter is here chiefly aymed at, it is eſpecially a myſticall ſlaughter.
We have ſeen now the ſecond Conſequent, viz. Seven thouſand men ſlain; the third follows, in theſe words; The remnant were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
And who is this remnant, but ſome of that party, I mean the Antichriſtian faction; who ſeeing the juſt and apparent hand of God upon them, are ſtricken with it, acknowledging their errour, and thus give glory to the God of heaven.Joſ. 7. 19.
Or elſe the remnant were terrified, that is, the other ſort of people, who ſcaping the ſlaughter wherein the profeſſed Antichriſtian faction were eſpecially concerned, they, ſeeing the hand of God upon them, are terrified, and by confeſſing their former miſtake in cleaving to them, do thus give glory to the God of heaven.
Sum up all this verſe now, and 'tis thus much: About the time theſe Witneſſes riſe again, and aſcend up to heaven, about this time there are great ſtirs and commotions, in ſome of thoſe ten Kingdoms, into which the Roman Empire, upon its fall, became divided. By means whereof, Antichriſtianiſme becomes utterly aboliſhed in one of thoſe ten Kingdoms: upon the aboliſhing whereof, many of note, and profeſſedly of the Antichriſtian faction, are thrown from all Authority and Place, as alſo that large maintenance which they had before; which the other people, cleaving faſt to them before, now beholding, and taking notice of the finger of God in it, confeſſe their former errour, ſtrike off from them, never to cleave to them any more.
The Obſervations now follow:
1. Is one Kingdom but the tenth part of the great City? hence obſerve the extent of the myſticall Babylon. The Popiſh faction may well cry up Viſibilty, Univerſality, the Catholique Church, and the like, why one Kingdom is but the tenth part Bell. de Not. Eccl.of it.
2. Hence we have the reaſon, why that Call of God, viz. [Come out of her my people] is not to be reſtrained to the City of Rev. 18. ….Rome properly, and in the letter ſo taken, but takes place in all the ten Kingdoms, and in all the parts thereof, though never ſo far remote from Rome, in regard of diſtance of ſpace. The Government of this great Balylon takes in ſeverall Kingdoms, and ſo far as her Government, and Worſhips are retained in any of them, ſo far doth God call ſuch a people out of Babylon.
3. If any of the ten Kingdoms have withdrawn themſelves utterly from Antichriſt, then is the tenth part of the City fallen. I need not trouble you with the rehearfall of the ten Kingdomes, they are commonly known to be theſe; 1. There was the Alanes, the Almains, the Britains, the Burgundians, the Frankes, the Greeks, the Oſtrogoths, the Saxons, the Vandals, the Wiſigoths: If any of theſe have utterly withdrawn themſelves from Antichriſt, then is the tenth part of the City fallen; If not, th…n is not the tenth part of the City fallen. But if any be utterly withdrawing, then is the tenth part of the City falling.
4. There is a time when the Antichriſtian faction ſhall be paid in their own coyn: Have they ſlain the Witneſſes? why when the tenth part of the City falls, they become ſlain alſo: Have they ſilenc'd and ſuſpended the Witneſſes? even ſo ſhall it be meaſured to them alſo: And perhaps of this there hath been a taſte given already. We have ſeen thoſe brought to the Bar, who have uſed to ſit in Judgement, paſſing hard and unjuſt ſentence upon others. Thoſe ſuſpended, and their livings ſequeſt…ed, who formerly have been active to do as much for others. And no marvell; As Babylon falls, ſo the Popiſh faction alſo.
5. Do a remnant repent upon the fall of part of Babylon, and the ſlaughter accompanying it? Obſerve then, there is ſome good to be expected from the fall of Babylon: when the tenth part falls, then do the remnant repent, and give glory to the God of heaven. How earneſtly therefore ſhould we pray for the deſtruction of Babylon: It did no good ſtanding, but unſpeakable miſchief; it will do good fallen, for then will people hereby be brought unto Repentance.
VERS. 14. The ſecond Wo is paſt, and behold the the third Wo cometh quickly.
NOw follows the Cloſe of this Propheſie of the Witneſſes, which alſo as a ſure direction, tells us where we are, eſpecially while in hand with the latter part of this Propheſie; In theſe words; The ſecond Wo is paſt, and behold, the third Wo cometh quickly.
The meaning whereof (that I make not many words about it) ſeems in ſhort this; The ſecond Wo] that is, The ſixth Trump…t; For the three laſt Trumpets being three Wo-Trumpets, as appears Chap. 8. verſe 13, the ſecond Wo muſt needs mean the ſixth Trumpet.
Is paſt] that is, Is paſt in mention. The third Wo] that is, The laſt Trumpet, [Cometh quickly] that is, cometh ſpeedily to be mentioned: As if the holy Ghoſt ſhould ſay; Now after this Propheſie of the Witneſſes is related, you have been told all the foreign, even all the buſineſſe of the ſixth Trumpet; after which, I proceed ſpeedily to acquaint you with the buſineſſe of the ſeventh Trumpet.
Or elſe this may be the meaning, Then when all that which app…rtains to this Propheſie of the Witneſſes is come to paſſe, and the earthquake attending the Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of theſe Witneſſes is perfectly ended, then is the ſtrength of the Wo of the ſixth Trumpet gone alſo. Which the ſeventh Trumpet, and the Wo it brings along with it, ſpeedily follow; which ſeventh Trumpet is to cloſe and ſhut up all this Myſtery.
And now we have gone over this whole Propheſie of the Witneſſes, having carefully enquired the meaning of all the parts thereto appertaining. But before we proceed to ſpeak any thing in that great Queſtion, Whether the Witneſſes are ſlain yea or no, reſerved to be diſcuſſed, till we had gone over with the Interpretation of the Propheſie, give me leave to draw together under one view, the brief meaning of all the ſeveralls already handled; which being ſet ſo neer, and as a Preface to the Work yet behind, will be as a To…ch held at the entrie, ſhewing us where we ſhould tread, in all that obſcure way we are yet to go; as alſo be a rule neer at hand, whereby to examine what may be propounded in the great diſquiſition following.