Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

Of Eleelion. ~ Verf. s. Out of tbethro11e procadtd Ltghwmgs tmd Thzmdtriugs; (which BooK I. always accompany Ternpelts) of the breaking forth of which you may fre– v-v--.... quemly read in that Book, now for their fupport, and conlhm comlurr, aga:nfl thofc dreadful d1fpenfations of Gods, doth this Rambow appear. 1. To Ggnifie to us mat Memorial which God himklf bath , of his everla{\. ing kindnels to his Church, in t he mid(\ of all thundering D:fpenlations what– ever, as a Ggn and f:mbol umo his Church, of the Light of his Countenance lhining on them, in their thickefl and darkefl Clouds: for a Rainbow only appears where, and wLen the Sun alio Shineth. And this New Td!amont Rainbow excel· (as the.Subfiance alwavs doth the Figure) thatother; take it bmasit was in the Figure. ' t. ln that it is conHant and fixed for all tJmes; Whereas that of Noabs Co. venant appears but occuf:onally. 2, T he old wa. but as a halt: Moon Rainbow, a Semi-circle; \\hereas this is round about the Throne, and encompalleth it; 'tis a whole Circle: P.nd his Church are encamped likewife in a round, and He in the mid(l o[Jhem : So let God turn himfelf in various O!fpenfations, and look which w•y he pleaf– eth, yet !\ill he cloth, and mu1l necelfarily view his Church through his Rain– bow, putting him in mind of mercy : Yea; and all thofc lighroings, and thunderings, though never fo fiery, he fhoots, mu1l pafs thorough his Rain– bow, and fo proceed out of mercy, and pafs thorough loving kindnefs unto them; !hewing withal!, that in the midfi ot his fierceft Anger, he 1lt!l remem– bers mercy; And that rtU hu wrtys art mercy rmd truth uuto thtm; ever ful– filling that in 'Pfat. 3· The Lord id Gracious a1Jdmeretj11t, mtd wz/1 tver bt miudjztl ofhu Cvveuaut: To fhew both that aU hid ways art mtrcy, tJ>Jd truth ; for even all thofe Thunderpolts, and lightnings do come through that Rainbow; which cloth blunt the force, and draw out the venemous vapour that is in them, as they come forrh, and are direded to his people : As alfo that Himfe!fis evtr rmudfut ofhid Covma11t, Pfa!. 3· The fecond appearance of tl:is Rainbow, i• cccafJOnal, and for a fpecia] pur– pofe: There is up0n many forebodes, wd feeming more than probabiliues, out of the Rtvtlatto1J, one great Fate to come upon the Churches ofChri!\; The tuj/ kiUing oftbe Wttuej]es, that bath been fo long forewarned ot by many Wirnelfes : riow long lit11, or how foon, none but God knows; it may per– haps lie at the door, which when it comes, will prove the moll violent of all the foregone ; even as that.of Vioclefi.•~t, ( the !ail ofthe Ten Perfecutions up· on the Primitive Saints) was the greate1lof all forewent it: And fo, this being to be the !aft, from Amichrifi, and his fol lowus, may likewife prove to be o! all Perfecutions the foreft, and in which !hall be accomplifhed, and fo ended, the fcattrrmg oftht power ofthe holy people, Dan. t 2. And indeed, fo great is it like to be , as 1t occafioneth Chrift hirnfel f (the fame Angel that appeared in the I 21 h. of'Daniel; ) to come down from Heaven on purpofe, in in an extraordinary appcarJnce. to fupport the Saints in a fpecial manner a– gain11 that trial: And this Angel is no other than Chrifl himfelt; as appears by one fpeech o f his in the 111h, Chapter, Vtr[:~. for the Narrative 10 the fore-part of that Chaprer, is uttered by the fame Angel, Iwi/Jgive Powrr to my two Wrt11fjfes, faith he: And 10 call them his Wirn'eifcs, none but Chrift mufl be allowed to fpeak, no meer created Angel might do it. Now fee whlt an'appearance he comes down withal, when he cometh with this fad Melfage , which we find in Chap. 1 I, His appearance in Chap. to. 1. Is, rh,zt hid body was clorbedwith a Clcttd, his face Jhwing as the Su11, a11d tt Rainbow ttpon his Rt.~<t';and all of t i1efe fi~n ificant unto the purpofe fptcified. 1. Tnere being fo violent, and huge a Storm a coming immediately upon his Church; and that fh ould come upon his whole Church, that i•, his Body; His Body is therefore fa id to be clothtd wirh rt Ctottd a/J over : For ·his Head and F'eet are otherwife there particularly dcfcribed; and therefore i1 is inrend· cd it was his Body was that of him, which the Cloud environed. O :her Daugh– ters of his members have been at various times p1rticular, upon fcve"ll'"" of his Body aparr; but this Jafl is to be univerfal, to the whole that rrmatn 1n the Streets, or Jurifdidion ofthe great City : Even as the Waters of ~oah, was

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=