The Two Witnesses, Tract · Sermon 8
VERS. 10. And they that dwell upon the earth ſhall rejoyce over them, and make merry, and ſend gifts one to another, becauſe theſe two Prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the Earth.
IT now follows we ſee what is done the while theſe Witneſſes lye dead, gazed upon, and uninterred in the ſtreet of the great City. In theſe words, And they that dwell upon the earth, ſhall rejoyce and make merry, and ſend preſents one to another, becauſe theſe two Prophets tormented, &c.
In opining whereof, we ſhall obſerve ſuch like method as in the former enquiring.
1. What it is that's done, the while the Witneſſes lye ſlain, and unburied, laid down in theſe words, [They rejoyce, and make merry, and ſend preſents.]
2. The perſons thus rejoycing, and making merry, And they are ſtiled [The Inhabitants of the earth, They that dwell upon the earth.]
3. The ground why they that dwell upon the earth are thus over joyed; In theſe words, [Tis over theſe two Prophets, becauſe they tormented them that dwell upon the earth.] Of theſe briefly in this order.
In opening the former, whereof I mean [The rejoycing, and making merry, &c.] here mentioned, I ſhall for this purpoſe referre to two, or three Scriptures; which taken notice of, will contribute abundant light in this matter.
The firſt of theſe I referre to, is that ninth of Heſter: where, the Jews having got the day of their enemies, and procured Haman hanged, who in chief contrived, and endeavoured their ruine, for ſo great a deliverance, they ſet apart dayes of ſolemn feaſting, and in them, They rejoyce, and make merry, and ſend Heſt. 9. 19, 18portions one to another.
So likewiſe in that fifteenth of Luke, When the Prodigall …mes home, ſo glad is the tender father, he hath received his ſonne ſafe again, that for joy, he ſends, and kills the fatted Calf, and they rejoyce, and make merry alſo.Luk. 15. 24.
And in the eight of N…h…miah, and the twelfth verſe. The manner of keeping a ſolemne feaſtivall, is thus deſcribed, The people went home every one to eat the fat, and to drink the ſweet, and to ſend portions on… to another, and to make great mirth.
From all which we gather, this much ſeems meant by the r…joy…ing, and making m…rry, here mentioned: The Inhabitants of the earth ſhall ſo reſent there killing of, and conqueſt over theſe Witneſſes, that they ſhall as greatly, and ſolemnly rejoyce, as thoſe, who for ſome great deliverance, or elſe ſome eminent good thing befalling, were wont to ſet a part, and celebrate a …eaſtivall, wherein their menner was (as we heard before.) To Neh. 8. 12.eat, and drink▪ and make m…rry, and ſend preſents one to another.
This is the meaning. And here obſerve it, I ſtick not for the exact performance of all this in the Letter: Namely that indeed, And in the letter they ſhould here ſend preſents one to another (a cuſtome among them of Elder times in their ſolemn rejoycings, now antiquated,) out this they ſhall do; They ſhall as greatly rejoyce, now they are rid of theſe Witneſſes, as they in their ſolemn feaſtivals did, whoſe way of expreſſing their joy, was by making merry, and ſending preſents one to another.
We have now the meaning of the firſt thing, viz. The rejoycing, and making m…rry, here mentioned; next follows, the perſons that rejoyce, and they are [The Inhabitants of the earth, Th…y that dwell upon the earth.] Theſe are they, that rejoyce, and make m…rry. And whom can we underſtand by theſe, but the Popiſh Antichriſtian party? So we find them expreſſed, and pointed at, in the thi…teenth Chapter of this Propheſie, and the eight verſe. Likewiſe at the ſeventeenth Chapter, and the fifth verſ, beſides many more places: yea ſo commonly doth the earth ſignifie the Antichriſtian Church, and the Inhabitants of the earth, the Popiſh Antichriſtian faction, that all this propheſie over, they are almoſt termes convertible. The Inhabitants of the earth, are the Antichriſtian faction; and the Antichriſtian faction, are the Inhabitants of the earth. And when the members of the true Church are uſually in this Revelation Rev. 13. 6. Revel. 18. 20.ſtiled [Thoſe that dwell in Heaven] which they are, how appoſitely are the members of the Antichriſtian Church, their oppoſites ſtiled [Thoſe that dwell upon the earth.]
And indeed, who elſe can be imagined to rejoyce at the ſuppreſſing, and killing of theſe Witneſſes, but ſuch as theſe? Who were tormented by the Witneſſes, but they? So the Text, The two Prophets torm…nted them, who dwelt upon the earth. And then who can theſe poſſible be, but the Popiſh faction; who becauſe tormented by theſe Witneſſes, help the beaſt to ſlay them, and now having ſlain them, do out of meaſure rejoyce, they are thus got rid of them?
It is evident then the Inhabitants of the earth, are the Popiſh party: So we have diſpatched the ſecond thing, [The perſons that do rejoyce, and make merry;] Now follows the third, [The reaſon why the Popiſh party do re…oyce:] thus expreſſed, They rejoyce over the Witneſſes, becauſe they tormented them that dwell upon the earth.
And here we muſt not miſtake, as though the reaſon lay thus, They rejoyce, becauſe the two Witneſſes tormented them; as the words at the firſt face, ſeem to carry it: for doubtleſſe, 'tis ſmall joy to them to be tormented. But thus rather, They rejoyce over them, becauſe theſe two Witneſſes tormented them, meaning, That becauſe theſe two Witneſſes tormented them, when alive; therefore do they thus inſult and triumph over them now, they are dead: or elſe thus; They rejoyce, becauſe avenged, as alſo got rid of theſe Witneſſes, and the reaſon why they rejoyce for this (as they conceive) ſo happy riddance, is, becauſe theſe two Witneſſes, while they were alive, grievouſly tormented them. This is then in ſhort the meaning, The Popiſh faction rejoyce, becauſe got ſhut of theſe Witneſſes, fearing now no more to be tormented by them.
Queſt. But befo…e we paſſe hence, ſome may perhaps move ſuch…r queſtion as this? How are theſe two Witneſſes ſaid to torment them that dwell upon the earth?
Reaſ. To which I anſwer, Were it nothing elſe but the Miniſtry of theſe Witneſſes, this is torment greater then the Popiſh party poſſi…ly can endure; and ſhould we conclude upon it, and ſay, this is that rack that doth torment them, the word [foreign] expreſſing here the torment, would not at all oppoſe: For in other Scriptures 'tis uſed to ſignifie inward torment, torment of Chap. 14. 10, 11.conſcience, and would as well ſignifie the ſame here alſo.
But we ſaw the Witneſſes at the ſixth verſe of this Chapter, Turning …ers into bloud, and ſmiting the earth with all plagues, by which is meant [The powring out of the Vials] as was then ſhewed. This indeed is the [Tormenting the Inhabitants of the earth] here mentioned. And ſure if it be either conſidered, what …s in thoſe Vials, which is powred forth, or their behaviour, on whom they are powred; with all, remembring what hath been diſcovered in this matter before. It will be undoubtedly concluded, The pouring forth of the Vials, is, The tormenting of the Inhabit…nts of the earth, here intended. For example. Obſerve, What it is theſe Vials are full of, and at the 16 Chapter and ſeventh Cha 16. 1.verſe, you finde them brim full with the wrath of God. All which being poured forth upon the eart…, (verſe firſt, of that 16 Chap.) can it be, but this ſhould torment th…m that dwell upon the earth. Again, Look upon the behaviour of them that dwell upon the earth, now there Vials are a pouring forth: and ſeverall times in that 16 Cha you find, that when a Viall is pouring out, Chap. 16. ver. 9. and 11.they gnaw th…ir tongues for pain, and blaſpheme the God of heaven.
The Witneſſes pouring forth the Vials] is then the [tormenting of the Inhabitants of the earth] here mentioned.
But before I wholly leave this ſame, give me leave by the wa…, to obſerve ſomething from the word here uſed. It is not [foreign to wrong,] but tis [foreign to inflict a juſt torment:] when the Popiſh party medles with the Witneſſe, then [foreign] expreſſes it, as at the fifth verſe, they do the Witneſſes wrong; but when the Witneſſes plague them, then tis [foreign] they inflict upon them a juſt torment; and accordingly when they come to deſtroy Babylon (for theſe very Witneſſes do deſtroy her) there you have the ſame word alſo. How much ſhe hath glorified Cha. 18. 7. foreign.her ſelf, ſo much juſt torment give her: Shewing, that what they do to theſe Witneſſes, is wrong; what the Witneſſes do to them, even when they come to deſtroy them, is but juſt puniſhment.
But to let this paſſe, all the parts of this verſe being now opened, put all together, and it comes to thus much. The Popiſh party being grievouſly tormented by the Witneſſes pouring forth the Vials upon them, in revenge hereof, they ſlay the Witneſſes, and having ſlain them, do out of meaſure rejoyce, they are thus got rid of them. Thus you have at once the ſum of the verſe; from which, next follow theſe few obſervations.
1. Are the dwellers on the earth the Popiſh crue? From hence then learn the Character of the Popiſh Antichriſtian party, They are a generation that dwell upon the earth, an earthly generation: So ſometime the Prelaticall faction their neer kinred have been deſcribed: viz. A generation of the earth, earthly, and Baines Dio. Try. Fr…f:that ſavour not the things of God. And certainly not without cauſe are the Popiſh party thus decifered, Their Religion is of the earth, their Ordinances are earthly Ordinances, thence all came; and when they have all holpen thoſe poor Papiſts that uſe them, what they can, will not carry them above that earth, from whence they came.
2. Do the Antichriſtian brood rejoyce at the ſlaughter of the Witn…ſſes? Oh the deſperate height of wickedneſſe theſe unhappy wretches arive to. The Lord doth ſend his Witneſſes, choice Inſtruments, to convince theſe of their Idolatry, uncleanneſſe, prophaneneſſe, and if it might be to bring them to repentance: but they, are ſo farre from being convinced, ſo farre from being wonne unto repentance, that inſteed hereof they ſlay the Witneſſes; and when they have this done (wonder of impiety) as if they had done ſome moſt praiſe-worthy thing, they rejoyce at it. Oh the deſperate hardneſſe thats come upon the Antichriſtian faction!
3. Do the Witneſſes torment the Popiſh party? You ſee then they do not ſo carry their hard uſuage of theſe Witneſſes, that they themſelves ſcape u…et withall: If they make the Witneſſes propheſie in Sackcloth, the Witneſſes torment them as much by pouring upon them the Vials. And ſure by that time all caſts are plaid, The Popiſh party will have no great cauſe to boaſt of their winnings: by that time theſe Witneſſes have rewarded Rev. 18. 6.Babylon, as ſhe hath rewarded them, and in the cup wherein ſhe hath filled, have filled to her double, (which is their Commiſſion) which alſo I could earneſtly deſire, were more looked upon, and conſidered, (for who knows but ſome of us, that now live may be called forth to execute this Commiſſion) I ſay again, by that time the Reformed Churches have ſlain her Prieſts, as ſhe hath ſlain their Witneſſes, and daſh'd her bratts againſt the Pſal 137. 8, 9. Rev. 18. 6.ſtones, as ſhe hath done their little ones: yea, and rewarded her double for all the wrongs, and violence done unto them, then will the Antichriſtian faction be enforced to acknowledge they were ſufficiently matcht, when they medled with theſe Witneſſes.