cv1n Ex P o sr TI o N ~ Chri!l: was declared the Son of God with Power, it was in his Refurrei.hon from ~ the Dead. And fuch a Power !hall raife up thefe Witneffes. 11. They Jland upon thtir Feet: that is, 1. As in their former Station or State. 2. As Men ereCt, and taking Heart, their <;:a(Jfe being jufr, though before condemned. And, 3· as ready to defend it, and as Men able and refolved now to confront their Enemies; which !l:rikes a mighty dread into their guilty Confciences.[Great fear fell upon them that Jaw them]; that is, a difbeartnednels and dejeClion of Mind. Their Hearts begin to fink and die, at the Witneffes fir!l: beginning to live : For they fee this Prophecy, beyond all expellation, fulfilled, that (as Chri!l: foretold he {hould rife again the tbird Day, fo (it being generally fore– told) that) thefe Witne!fes !hould rife after three Years and a12 half; wl,1ich they (as thefe Pharifees) had Otghted: But now ( tlunk they) furely the Ruin, both of us, and of our Caufe, will follow. So the Hearts of Haman's Friends milgave thorn, when they faw him begin to fall before Mtrdecai. And nowmay the Church well begin to fay, 7?...ejoice not againjl me, ·0 mine E11emy; whe12 I foil and lie in the Street, I jha/1 arife: -Then jhe that ir '!'ine E11emy Jba/1 fee it, and Jbame fha/1 covet· hel';- and fbe Jhall be troden down a; Mire in the Street!, (never to rile again) as you have it Mic. 7. 8, 10. · Or (it may be) this great Fear that is here Ctid to foil upon thcnt that fow them, is meant of thole !l:anders-by of the 'Peoplu, Kindred1, Tongues, a11d Na– tion!, that had before fcen their dead Bodie1, but r,elieved them not, though they were Friends unto them. Upon whom therefore this great Fear and Reverence of God and his Truth in thele Witneffcs doth fall, fo as now to take part with them, and be on their fide; being moved thereunto by the marvellous Spirit of Life, and zealous Courage, whtch God ( accordmg to the Prophecy whtch be– fore run of them) did now caufe to come upon them. The word [ 8<oeii• J implies, a fixed diligent oblervance and intention of mind; fuch as, upon fee– ing a wonderful Work of God, we ufe to have. They lee the Finger of God in thi,, and that makes them to fear and dread his Power and Maje!l:y. For in thot fenle we often find in Scripture, that upon fome, great and eminent Deli· veranee, or Work of an Almighty and Divine Power put forth, Fear is faid to foil upon the Beholder~ ; fo ']er. 33· 9· and clfewhere. Ill. As Chri!l: Afcended up to Heaven in a Cloud ; fo allo thefe being called up to Heaven by a great Voice from thence, laying, Come up hither. Where, by Heaven, the Place into which they are called, is meant, a condition more ho– nourable and glorious than ever they had before, and which, comparatively to their former c!l:ate, is a Heaven. For now they ore about to call: off their Sack– cloth for ever. And again, as Chri!l: rofe, to die no more, Rom. 6: 9· fo fbal! thefc ; they fball die no more, (as Men that afcend to Heaven do not). And thus, as Chri!l: f,1id of bimfelf, Lu~ 24. 26. It became hint to jiiffir, and fo to enter into hi1 Glory: fo it may be faid of thele. So that, by Heaven here, is not limply meant the Cf.urch, (as often in this Book it is): For thefe that rife, are of the True Church already, and were fo even when they lay dead: But it is meant of their following Condition, which for Liberty and Honour !hall be as a Church in Heaven, in comparifon to what it was before ; which was but as a Church on Earth. Thus [ Aji.ending into Heaven J is uled to expre!S an obtaining of new Power, Freedom, and Glory, as lfo. 14. 12, 13· And this is done in recom· pence of that Contempt which they lay in before, elpecially ju!l: before, when they lay Dead. And indeed (as I take it) the dawning of the Glory of the New He•vw, and New Earth approaching, begins lira in this Glorious Condi· tion, which the Church after this Riling of the Witneffes, fhall within a while be raifed up unto, and quietly enjoy, (as thole in Heaven do) whole State is defcribed, Chap. 19. I fow a great MHltitude in Heavm, &c. Of which hereafter. And thus much of their Refurrellion and Afcenfion it felf. SECT.
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