of the R E V ELA T I 0 N. been there. For it is flrange, even to a Miracle, (to fee) how God upholds ~ in the fame {late, two fuch contrary Factions and Parties; one of his own Peo- Chap. 7· pie rifing higher and higher in Spiritual Light, and tn oppofition to Superllition, ~ and breathing after further Punty of Holmefs, and perf<Cbon of pubhck Wor- {hip ; and together with this (at the fame_ time) another flrong Party looking rowards Rome, and encreafing m Superfl1110n, Darkneis, and an tmpudem outfacing the Light of Truth; and that, then when tt ihmeth hottefr and clearefr on them. Now for the All-wife God, who profdfeth to have tillS Art and Skill, 10 preferve tbe Rlghteolfl, and referve tb~ Wicf<!d unto Punifoment, as Peter fpeaks; for him now at lafr to come off fo glonoufiy; what more equal, and fo more likely Difpenfation than to run this courfe chalk'd out here in this Chapter, both towards the 'one and the other Party in that Kingdom, and which, according to rhe courfc of his dealings throughout the Scriptures, (though this Prophecy had not been left us in this Chapter concerning thefe very Times) the Godly-Wife might have hoped God mofr probably tDJgbt tntend to take? s I!C T. VII. How tMs tf,eir r'f{efurreaion and Afcenfion, u a fore-running Shadow of tl!e r'f{eftitruion of all Things at the coming of ("rift's l(jngdom. NOw further; Concerning this great Priviledg and Honour thus litfr befalling fome one tenth Part of E11rope; let me add this unto all that bath been faid of it, to make it appcar yet the more glorious, That this Refurrecbon of the Wirnelfes, feems to be the beginning of the firfr great Turn of Thing.s in the Church, haflning to the New :ferufo/em; and fo the very firfr dawning of the Kingdom of Chrifr approaching, and of the final Refiitution of the Church's Liberty from under the Yoke of Antichrifr. When Chrif\ arofe, ( as the(e Wimelfes here do) his Difciples then a>ked him, Whether he would at that Time re!\ore Ifrael? He denies not bur that it ihould be done; only he tells them, It was not for them then to know the Seafons. Bur now, the Time of that Ref\irurion approaching, the Rifing of tbefe Witneifes (which beareth the true ~efemblance of his) is here mentioned as the Signal _of that Rellit~tJOn, which, chap. 20. ts called, the firft Reforreazon ; of whtch (I fay) thrs is the fore-running Shadow. And tndeed, thus have the Writers of all Ag.es,. fince Chnfr, undcrf\ood tt. For when they Cpeak of that Day, and the Signs of it, you !hall generally find it among the Ancients, that this killing of rhe Two WitnefTes, and their Rifing, ( rhongh indeed it bath by them been interpreted of Henoch and Eli.u) are made the fore-running Signs of the approach of that joyfa! Day of Chrifr's Kingdom, (which they called the Day if J~tdgment.) And, I confeCs, I have thought, that the true Reafon why this Particular Occurrence, though tailing out but in a tenth P'art of Europe, is here made men· tion of, .rather than other Occurrences which are like to fall out with it, or af.. ter it (as the Ruin of Rome, which in it felf is a greater one) is, becaufe that rhis one Paifage !hould have more fitnefs to become a fign ( whrch to give, is the fcope of the Holy Ghofr in this Chapter) of the approaching of the New Je· rufalem, ( ro come under the fevemh Trumpet) than any other Occurrence: It being not only the fir(\ frep of the Refrauration ofthe Church afrer Amichrifr's la!\ fcattering of it; (which !hall for ever after go on, and encreafe, until! the full R.ef\itution of all Things); it is not only, I fay, the fir(\ turn of the Stream, after that lafi low Ebb ; the Waters whereof !hall rife and encreafe, till it be full. Sea, and never Ebb ~gain, ( thefe Wimelfes now rifing, as Chrifr did, never to Die again, but to caf\ off their Sack-cloth for ever): but further alfo, in many Paniculars, the liveliefr Pill:ure and Model of that great Refrauration of all Aa z Things,
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