2. When her enemies forbear to plead against her by argument, and rather betake themselves to blows (Matt 10:19).
3. When the spirit of testimony-bearing is taken from the church; for that is not essential to Christianity, but is given and taken away as there is occasion.
4. When testimony-bearing becomes a vain or needless repet.i.tion, when they have heard sufficiently of things before (John 9:27).
Secondly, This victory of the beast shall not invalidate or weaken their testimony; no, not in the eyes of the world; for they will still remember, and have a reverence for it: This is intimated by this, That "they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations--(that are neither the witnesses, nor they that in the next verse are called the inhabiters, or they that dwell upon the earth,)--shall not suffer their dead bodies to be (buried, or be) put in graves" (Rev 11:9).
Thirdly, This shall not lengthen the reign and tranquility of the antichristian kingdom; nor frustrate, drive back (or cause to tarry) the glorious freedom and liberty of the saints. But some may say, This will be a SAD day.
So it will, and gloomy; but it will be but short, and "the righteous shall have dominion over them next morning." "Twill last but three days and an half; nor shall it come, but for the sins of churches and saints, and to hasten the downfall of the kingdom of the beast, and for the sweetening to the church her future mercies. Christ Jesus, our Lord, in answer to the question of his disciples, about the destruction of Jerusalem, presented them with a relation of many sad things; but when he was come even to the hearts of men, and had told them "that they should fail for fear": He said, "when these things begin to come to pa.s.s, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:25-28).
"Tis as ordinary as for the light to shine, for G.o.d to make black and dismal dispensations, to usher in bright and pleasing [ones]; yea, and the more frightful that is which goes before, the more comforting is that which follows after. Instances in abundance might be given as to this, but at present let this suffice that is here upon the paper before us; namely, the state of the witnesses, with their glorious resurrection.
FIFTH SIGN.
Fifthly, Another sign of the approach of the ruin of Antichrist, will be this: The great joy that will be in her, and among her disciples, when they shall see that the witnesses are slain, and lie dead upon the spot: "And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth" (Rev 11:10). Babylon has been always a merry city, and her disciples merry men; but the poor church of Christ has been solitary, and as a wife forsaken; her tears upon her cheeks bear her witness, and so doth her sackcloth-weed.
Hence our Babylon, under the name of Nineveh, is called, "the rejoicing city" (Zeph 2:15). Only her joy is distinguished from that which is the joy of G.o.d"s people, by these two things.
First, Either she rejoiceth in outward and carnal glory, or else in the ruin of the church of G.o.d. This last, to wit, the supposed ruin of the church of G.o.d, is that which will be now the cause of her glorying. And this is the joy that G.o.d complaineth of, and for the which he said that he would punish Babylon: "Chaldea shall be a spoil: All that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the Lord.
Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage," &c. (Jer 50:10,11). The joy therefore of Babylon, Antichrist; the joy that she shall conceive in her heart upon the slaughter of the witnesses, is a sure sign of her unavoidable ruin and destruction. These two prophets tormented her; they were to Babylon as Mordecai was to Haman, a continual plague and eye-sore: As also was David to the wretched Saul: But now they are overcome, now they are killed; now she rejoiceth, and maketh merry. And this her joy was of old prefigured by them that in her spirit have gone before her: As, First, When the Philistines had, as they thought, for ever overcome Samson, that Nazarite of G.o.d, how joyful were they of the victory! "Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their G.o.d, and to rejoice: for they said, Our G.o.d hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the people saw him, [saw him in chains]
They praised their G.o.d: for they said, Our G.o.d hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us" (Judg 16:23,24). Poor Samson! While thou hadst thy locks, thy liberty, and thine eyes, thou didst shake the pillar that did bear up their kingdom! But now they have conquered thee, how great is their joy! How great is their joy, and how near their downfall! This therefore is a joy that is like that we have under consideration, to wit, the joy of them that dwell upon the earth; for that the witnesses that did bear up the name of G.o.d in the world, were overcome and killed.
Secondly, Like to this, is that which you read of in the first book of Samuel, concerning the men that had burnt David"s Ziklag.
Ziklag was poor David"s place of safety; nor had he any else but that under the whole heaven: But the children of the east came upon it, and took it; set it on fire, and carried thence all David"s substance, with his wives and his children. (Very ill done to a man in affliction; to a man that went always in fear of his life, because of the rage of his master Saul.) But how were they that had got the victory? Oh! joyful, and glad, and merry at heart at the thoughts of the richness of the booty? "Behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines (from Ziklag) and out of the land of Judah" (1 Sam 30:16). Here again you find a joy and merriment like these that we have under consideration, and that upon such like accounts.
Nothing pleases the wicked more, than to see the G.o.dly go down the wind; for their words, and lives, and actions are a plague and a torment to them: As "tis said of these two prophets, "They tormented them that dwelt on the earth."
Thirdly, While the church of G.o.d lay dead in Babylon, and as bones exceeding dry; what a trampling upon them was there by Belshazzar a little before his death! He called for his golden and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple of G.o.d that was at Jerusalem, (those holy vessels once dedicated to the worship and service of G.o.d) that his princes, his wives and his concubines might drink therein. An high affront to heaven: "They drank wine, and praised the G.o.ds of gold, and of silver, of bra.s.s, of iron, of wood, and of stone" (Dan 5:4). And all to shew what a conquest, as he thought, he had got over the G.o.d of heaven, and over his people that dwelt in Jerusalem, and over his ordinances and vessels used in his worship and service: Yea, this he did with such joy that was not usual, as is intimated by his doing of it before "a thousand of his lords," and that till he had drank himself drunken. But all this while, as was hinted before, the church of G.o.d, as it were, lay dead at his feet; or as the phrase is, "as bones exceeding dry." This too will be the joy of the beast and his followers in the latter days; they will make war with the witnesses; they shall overcome them, and kill them; and when that is done, they shall rejoice over them, and make merry.
But as Belshazzar soon after this, saw the handwriting that made his knees knock together; and as he lived not to see the light of another day; so "twill be with the beast and his followers; the next news that we hear upon this mirth and jollity, is, the tenth part of his kingdom falls, and so on till the whole is ruined.
Thirdly, Moab also, in the day that Israel was taken captive by their enemies, could not forbear but skip for joy, so glad was he in his heart thereat. But what saith the jealous Lord? "Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the Lord: Moab also shall--be in derision: For was not Israel (saith G.o.d) a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy" (Jer 48:26,27). Of all things, G.o.d cannot away with this: For when the wicked would rejoice that they have been suffered to make havoc of the church of G.o.d, they deny the wisdom and power by which they were permitted to do this, and offer sacrifice to their own net and drag (Hab 1:16); which provoketh the holiness of Israel: "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood." But what follows? Why, burning and consuming of soul and body of them that do such a thing (Isa 10:15-18). And this text I the rather bring, because "tis to be the portion of Antichrist.
And therefore let this be a caution to the men that wonder after the beast, to caution them to repentance, for he will a.s.suredly go into perdition. What! shall the witnesses of G.o.d be killed! Shall the beast stand glorying over them while they are dead, with his feet in their neck? and shall none be angry at it? Let them that love themselves look to themselves: G.o.d will be concerned, and will a.s.suredly for this quickly put a period to the kingdom and reign of Antichrist (Jer 50:13).
And although this glorying mistress of iniquity, this Antichrist and Babylon, may say that her power is the hammer of the whole earth; yet G.o.d will cut him in sunder, and break him in pieces with his bout-hammers,13 with the kings14 of the earth, that he will use to do this work withal; that is, when this last sign is fulfilled: I call it the last sign; I find none that doth intervene betwixt the slaying of the witnesses, and the beginnings of the ruin of Antichrist but this.
But a little to comment upon their joy, as the Holy Ghost doth set it forth. The cause of their joy we have touched already; which was, for that they had slain their tormentors. For, as was shewed you, the witnesses had been their tormentors: But when they shall overcome them, and kill them, they rejoice, make merry, and send gifts one to another.
This repeating, and repeating with aggravation, doth manifest, and at that day their joy will be exceeding great: "They shall rejoice, and make merry," &c. They shall rejoice over them, over their slain, their enemies, their tormenting enemies. This joy therefore, is a joy that flows from victory, from victory after a war that has lasted a thousand two hundred and threescore years. They shall rejoice, as they do that have a most potent, vexatious, and tormenting enemy lying dead at their foot, and as those that ride in triumph over them. They shall therefore rejoice as conquerors used to do, who make the slaughters of their spoiled enemies the trophy of their joy.
For the devil, that great deceiver of mankind, will so flush up and bewitch the men that wonder after the beast, with the victory that they shall get over the faithful witnesses for G.o.d and his Son, that they will think ("twill never be day) that the victory is so complete, so universal, so thorough, that the conquest must be lasting. And from sense and reason they will have ground to think so; for who now is left in the world any more to make head against them? but here comes in that which will utterly spoil this joy; these conquered, killed, dead men must come to life again, and then what"s become of their joy? "And great fear fell upon them which saw them" (Rev 11:11). Wherefore, this joy must fade and vanish: But, I say, the followers of the beast will be far from thinking so; for they will "rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts one to another," concluding that these tormentors shall never torment them more. But Jacob"s blessing upon his son Gad, shall be fulfilled upon these witnesses: "Gad [saith he] a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last" (Gen 49:19). So then these conquerors must not always rejoice, though they will suppose they shall, and also make merry too.
"And make merry." To make merry, is more than to rejoice. To rejoice, doth shew the present act of the soul; but to make merry, is to use the means as will keep this joy alive, and on foot. Joy is one thing, and the continuance of it is another (1 Sam 25:36). Joy may be begotten by a conceit, a thought; but it cannot be maintained so; because deliberation will come in and spoil it (Esth 5:4), if sufficient means is not used to continue it: wherefore he adds, They rejoiced over them, "And made merry."
And there are five things that are usually made use of to keep up wicked joy. 1. There is the merriment of music (Luke 15:25,32).
2. The merriment of feasting (Judg 19:6,9). 3. The merriment of laughter (Eccl 10:19). 4. The merriment of fleshly solace (Jer 31:4). 5. Revenge upon a supposed enemy (2 Sam 13:28). So then, by these five things we see what is the way that sinful joy is maintained in the hearts of wicked men; and also by what means the limbs and brats of Antichrist will keep up that joy that at first will be conceived in their hearts at the thought that now they have killed their tormentors. They shall have music. They shall have feasting. They shall have laughter. They shall have fleshly solace.
And they shall have their fill, for the time, of revenge. Thus therefore shall they rejoice over them, and make merry, all the time of that little, short everlasting that they are to live in the world.
"And make merry." To make merry, to make wicked mirth, there must be a continual fraternity, or brotherhood in iniquity, maintained among them, and that where none may come to interrupt; and that they will be capable of doing any where then, for that their tormentors will be dead. Wickedness shall walk with open face in those days; for then there will be none alive for G.o.d and his ways; wherefore, the beast and his train may do what they will: now will be the time for men to live carelessly and wantonly, and to make their wantonness their joy, (after the manner of the Zidonians) for there will be none to put them to shame.
"And shall send gifts one to another." This is another token of their gladness, and also a means to buoy them up still. And it will be a sign that they have joined hand in hand to do this wickedness, not dreaming of the punishment that must follow. This sending of gifts to each other, and that after they have slain these two prophets, doth also declare that they will be far from repentance, for the commission of so great an offence. Nay, it signifies further, that they were resolved, and determined to quench all manner of convictions one in another, that might arise in their hearts for the sin which they had committed: for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the judgment of the righteous; how much more then will it stifle and choke appearances of such upon the spirits of wicked men! I question not at all but many have been, by the favours and gifts of wicked men, drawn down into the belly of h.e.l.l.
Now what these gifts will be, either as to kind or quant.i.ty, that I can say nothing to: but probably, whatever they will be, there will be but little of their own cost in them. Victors and conquerors do used to visit their friends with their spoils won in battle, with the spoil of the enemies of their G.o.d (Ezra 10:7).
And this was David"s way, after ha had recovered the loss that he had sustained at the burning of his Ziklag; he sent to his friends of what he had taken from his enemies, as token of victory: "David sent of the spoil (says the text) unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoils of the enemies of the Lord" (1 Sam 30:26); And why may not those we have now under consideration, do so to their G.o.d, and their friends also? Spoiling is like to be one of the last of the mischiefs that Antichrist shall do to the church of G.o.d in this world: And methinks, since the beast will have power to overcome, and to kill, he should also have power to take away (Dan 11:33): "Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?" said the prophet to wicked Ahab.
However, whatever their gifts may be, and at whose cost soever bought, "tis a sign their hearts will be open, they shall send gifts one to another: their merry days will then be come, and their enemies will then be dead at their feet; wherefore, now they will have nothing to do but to rejoice over them, and to make merry, and to send gifts one to another.
Thus as to sense and reason, all shall be hush, all shall be quiet and still: the followers of the Lamb shall be down; the followers of the Beast be up, cry peace and safety, and shall be as secure as an hard heart, false peace, and a deceitful devil can make them.
But behold! While they thus "sing in the windows," death is straddling over the threshold! (Zeph 2:14). While they are crying peace and safety, sudden destruction cometh: By that they have well settled themselves at their table with Adonijah (1 Kings 1), they shall hear it proclaimed with sound of trumpet, the witnesses are risen again.
Now the Christians" pipes will go again, and surely the earth will be rent with the sound of their shouts and acclamations, while they cry with joyful sound, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev 11:15).
But woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with them; for the Lord Jesus will now begin to shew his jealousy, and to make known his indignation towards those that have thus cruelly slain his prophets, digged down his altars, and made such havoc of the afflicted church of G.o.d (Isa 66:14). Now will he whet his glittering sword, and his hand shall take hold on vengeance, that he may render a recompence to his enemies, and repay them that hate him (Deu 32:41).
But this he will not do immediately by himself, but by such instruments as have been spoken of before: of which more particularly to treat, shall be that I shall next take in hand.
OF THE INSTRUMENTS THAT G.o.d WILL USE TO BRING ANTICHRIST TO HIS RUIN.
Although I have hinted at this before, yet it may be convenient briefly to touch it again. Antichrist, as I have told you, consisteth of soul and body, and must be destroyed by such instruments as may most properly be applied to each. Further, As to the soul, spirit or life of Antichrist, and its destruction, of that we have also spoken already: It remains then that now we discourse of the ruin of his body and flesh.
I then take it, That the destruction of her flesh shall come by the sword, as managed in the hands of kings, who are G.o.d"s ministers for the punishment of evil deeds, and the praise of them that do well (Rom 13). Not that the church, even as a church, shall be quite exempt and have therein no hand at all; for she, even as such, shall with her faith and prayers help forward that destruction.
The church therefore, as a church, must use such weapons as are proper to her as such; and the magistrate, as a magistrate, must use such weapons as are proper to him as such. When the church of Israel were prisoners in Babylon, they did not fight their way through their foes, and the countries to Jerusalem; but waited in their captivated state with patience, until the kings of the Medes and Persians came to deliver them. Nor is it to be sleighted, but to be thought on seriously, that before there was an Israelite captive in Babylon, their deliverer Cyrus was prophesied of: which Cyrus did afterwards come and take Babylon, and deliver the captives, as it was foretold he should. He saith unto Cyrus, "He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid" (Isa 44:28). And again, "Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden to subdue nations before him, &c. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Isa 45:1,13). And this accordingly he did, to wit, when the time was come; as may be seen in those holy records where these things are made mention of. Indeed, as I said, the church is not excluded (2 Chron 36:2); she may, and ought, with her faith and prayer, and holy life, to second this work of kings (Ezra 1:2,3).
Wherefore, when G.o.d speaks of bringing down the lofty city and of laying it low in the dust by the church, he saith, they shall do it by their feet, and with their steps: "The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy" (Isa 26:6).
By feet and steps, I understand the good lives of the children of G.o.d: but now, when kings come to deal with her, as kings, they serve her as Samuel served Agag, as a judge, "cut her in pieces with their swords": or as you have it elsewhere, "They make her desolate and naked; they eat her flesh, and burn her with fire."
The sword will be put into their hands for this very purpose. Thus therefore must their deliverance be begun.
It is also to be considered, That after these first kings of the Medes and Persians had broken the yoke of the king of Babylon from off the neck of the captive church, and had given her license to go to her place to build her temple and city, and to sacrifice there according to the law of their G.o.d, (as both in Ezra and Nehemiah we read;) and when their work was hindered by under-officers, or they endeavoured so to do, they pleaded the license that they received to build and sacrifice by the decree of the first kings, and so finished their deliverance: They went not on in headstrong manner, as if they regarded neither king nor Caesar: "But Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them," that sought to hinder their work, "Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our G.o.d; but we ourselves will build unto the Lord G.o.d of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us" (Ezra 4:3). And as they said, so also they did: "The elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the G.o.d of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia" (Ezra 6:14).
Yea, they did not only accept of the kindness of kings, but did acknowledge that kindness with thanksgiving, as a gift of the G.o.d of heaven: for the kings had commanded and given leave to the Jews to go to Jerusalem, to build their temple, and to do sacrifice there, according to the counsel of the priests that were at Jerusalem, and according to the law of G.o.d that they had in their hand (Ezra 7:13,14). For Artaxerxes sent Ezra the priest to inquire after the condition that Jerusalem and Judah was in, according to, or by the law of G.o.d that was in his hand (verse 14). And he had license also further to do with the king"s silver and gold, which he gave of the service of the house of the Lord, "according to the will, word or law of HIS G.o.d." "And thou, Ezra, [says the king]
after the wisdom of thy G.o.d, [that is, after his word] that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy G.o.d; and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy G.o.d, [that is, worship, and walk by the rule of his testament,] and the law of the king, [that is, shall refuse to give Ezra such things as by the king was appointed for Ezra"s help in the furthering of the worship of G.o.d, according to the law of his G.o.d,] let judgment be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment" (Ezra 7:25,26). This was therefore a wonderful gracious license that the king now gave to Ezra: he imposed nothing upon him or the Jews in matters of religion and worship, but left him and them wholly to the law, will, and word of G.o.d, only he laid check upon wicked and unG.o.dly people: that if they did things contrary to the laws of Ezra"s G.o.d, or did sleight the king"s law, as aforesaid, that then such penalties and pains should be inflicted upon them.
To the same purpose was the decree of Cyrus, and that of Darius, to put it in execution. Also the penalty enacted against such offenders, was full as sharp and severe: "Also I have made a decree [said the king,] that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.--And the G.o.d that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of G.o.d which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed" (Ezra 6:11,12).
Indeed, sometimes a stop was put to this work by the kings, and the Jews were made to cease by force and power, (Ezra 4:23,24) the which the good people did bear with patience (Ezra 4:11-21): also they waited to see their G.o.d go before them among the kings, who at length took away Artaxerxes, who for a time had put a stop to the work, and brought in another, who gave leave that with speed it should be set on foot again (Ezra 5).
The Jews did also in these vacancies, or times in the which hindrances were put, carry it very tenderly and lovingly to those kings that at present they were under, submitting of their bodies and their goods to their will, and meekly endured the trial and affliction, serving them with all faithfulness, watching to save their lives from the hands of b.l.o.o.d.y men. Also when the king"s laws, and the law of their G.o.d, did at any time come in compet.i.tion, they would indeed adhere to, and do the law of their G.o.d; yet with that tenderness to the king, his crown and dignity, that they could at all times appeal to the righteous G.o.d about it (Dan 6:22). Nor did they lose by so doing; yea, they prospered; for by this means Mordecai was made a great man, and a saviour of his people (Esth 2:21-23) By this means also was Daniel made a great man, and helpful to his brethren (Dan 5:29).
Kings, I say, must be the men that must down with Antichrist, and they shall down with her in G.o.d"s time.
G.o.d hath begun to draw the hearts of some of them from her already, and he will set them, in time, against her round about.
If therefore they do not that work so fast as we would have them, let us exercise patience and hope in G.o.d: "tis a wonder that they go so fast as they do, since the concerns of whole kingdoms lie upon their shoulders, and that there are so many Sanballats and Tobias"s to flatter with them and misinform them concerning the people that are delivered but in part. See what an ugly account was given of Jerusalem by the enemies of the Jews, even then when they were in the hands of their deliverers: "Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us, are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.--Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings" (Ezra 4:12,13).
Oh! what a be it known, be it known, is here! But were not these gentlemen more afraid of losing their own places and preferments, than of the king"s losing of his toll and custom? But the whole was a lie, though it hindered the work for a time, and the patience of the people, and their loyalty to the king, did conquer and overcome all.
I speak the more to this, because, (as I have said) I believe that by magistrates and powers we shall be delivered and kept from Antichrist; and because G.o.d has already begun to do it by such, by which also she shall be destroyed: and I have a few things to present to good men, to be conversant in, in such a day as this.
Let the king have verily a place in your hearts, and with heart and mouth give G.o.d thanks for him; he is a better saviour of us than we may be aware of, and may have delivered us from more deaths than we can tell how to think. We are bidden to "give thanks to G.o.d for all men, and in the first place, for kings, and all that are in authority" (1 Tim 2:1,2).