Generation-work, or, A brief and seasonable word offered to the view and consideration of the saints and people of God in this generation, relating to the work of the present age, or generation we live in wherein is shewed, I. What generation-work is, and how it differs from other works, II. That saints in the several generations they have lived in, have had the proper and peculiar works of their generations, III. That it is a thing of very great concernment for a saint to attend to and be industrious in, the work of his generation, IV. Wherein doth the work of the present generation lye, V. How each one in particular may find out that part or parcel of it, that is properly his work in his generation, VI. How generation-work may be so carried on, as that God may be served in the generation / by John Tillinghast ...

SECT. II.

THey are called Witnesses, their name being given them from their work, because their work is to bear witness for Christ against the Beast; and that each in his place all the Forty two months that the Beast doth Tyrannize, and the Holy City is trodden underfoot.

The Magistrate, as a Magistrate bearing publick witness against the unjust oppressions of the Beast, and his lawless Tyranny over the Estates and bodies of men, yea and consciences too. The Minister, as a Minister against the cursed institutions of Antichrist, either in Doctrine or Discipline.

Here its necessary we distinguish betwixt that general witness-bearing that is common to all ages; and that spe∣cial witness-bearing which is peculiar to these Witnesses, and to this time, viz. of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

There is a general Testimony which the people of God in all ages give for Christ against the World, Sin, Satan, Op∣pression, Error, &c. But that testimony barely doth not bring him who bears it within the number of these two Witnesses. A Magistrate in his place, may oppose Tyran∣ny, Oppression, &c. a Minister in his, error, and false Doct∣rine, and yet neither of them Christs two Witnesses, if there be not in both an opposing themselves to that special evill, whether it be in things Civill or Ecclesiastical that was at first brought in, or being brought in is upheld by the Beast; for the peculiar work of these witnesses, and the thing wherein lies the specifical difference betwixt these witnesses and others, is, That these bear witness for Christ against the Beast. Which is most evident,

1 Because Christ hath paired his Witnesses in the same manner as the Beast hath his. The Beast (as but now I

observed) stands up with two witnesses, viz, an Antichri∣stian Magistracy and Ministry, to maintain his cause. On the contrary, Christ stands up with two witnesse, (or a pair of Witnesses) viz. a true Magistracy and Ministry, to oppose the Beast, and maintain his cause.

2 Because Its for this Reason Christ entitles them my Witnesses—because in Christs behalf they shall stand up against Antichrist; as those are said to be such a mans witnesses, that bear witness for him against his Adversa∣ry. All that time the Beast stands up, and would per∣swade the world that he is in the truth, and his cause the right; these two Witnesses on the contrary stand up, and profess before the world, that he is the Beast, and his cause the cause of Antichrist, and not of Christ.

3 Which is the principal Reason, because the time that these Witnesses bear their witness, is the very time of the Beasts reign. The time of the Beasts reign, and treading under foot the Holy City, is Forty two months, Rev. 13.5, Chap. 11.2. The time of these two Witnesses is One thou∣sand two hundred and sixty days, Vers. 3. And I will give power to my two Witnesses, and they shall Prophecy one thousand two hundred and sixty days—

Now that the Forty two months, and the One thousand two hundred and sixty days are one and the same, I prove, not onely from the general consent of Expositors, who ac∣knowledge the thing, giving this reason for it, Because (say they) forty two mouths reduced into days, and reck∣oning thirty days to each month, which is the Grecian account, which John writing to the Church of GOD then resident among the Greeks did observe, make up the full sum of One thousand two hundred and sixty days, not a day over or under. But I prove it hence, that indeed this thing must needs be so; for let it be considered what is the very cause that these two Witnesses wear sackcloth this long term of one thousand two hundred and sixty years,

the cause is, not the sufferings of the Saints thoughout this time, for had that been the cause, then should these Wit∣nesses have put on their sackeloth more early, viz. with the time of the ten first Persecutions, which was a day of as sore sufferings as ever any hath been since, but then these two Witnesses here mentioned were not in their sackcloth; but contrariwise, the Woman all that time was cloathed with the Sun, Chap. 12.1. the two Witnesses in Sackcloth therefore were not then up: But the cause, yea, the very cause why the Witnesses wear mourning attire, is, because they hear the continual Blasphemies of the Beast against God, his name and Tabernacle, and them that dwel in Heaven: They see the Holy City, the Truths and Wor∣ship of Christ trodden under foot by the Beast, and they not able to rescue them out of his hands, this makes them put on sackcloth, and mourn before the Lord. Now con∣sider, the term of time that is given to the Beast to con∣tinue to do these things, is forty two months; this being so, it will follow, that in case this forty two months were a time either longer or shorter than the one thousand two hundred and sixty days; then must also the witnesses wear∣ing sackcloth be by so much longer or shorter then 1260 days: for continue the cause, and we continue the effect also; and contrariwise, take away the cause, and the effect ceaseth.

Upon this Principle, it being a thing manifestly clear that the 42 months, the 1260 days, make up but one and the same number of years, which also must of necessity be∣gin and end together; Hence it is evident, that that very act, which I may call the constitutive act, i. e. the act which makes these Witnesses to be such, is bearing witness against the Beast; take this away, though they may stand up against all the evill that is in the world besides, yet are they not Christs Witnesses, if they do not in particular ap∣pear against the evil of the Beast; for if this be not the meaning, what reason is or can be given, why their witness-Bearing

should be thus restrained onely to the time of the Beast; seeing in the other sense its a duty in all ages to bear witness, and those Instruments the Lord hath raised up in all ages have done it.

1 Hence a man may be a godly man, and in a more ge∣neral way bear witness for Christ, and yet none of Christs Two Witnesses.

2 Hence its of more concernment than many are aware of, to be inquiring into, and publickly appearing against whatsoever is of the Beast, though the thing be never so small. A man in publick place may cease to be a witness of Christ, if publickly he do not bear witness against these things.

3 Hence, such Laws, Principles, and Practices as tend to suppress this witness-bearing against the Beast, are themselves expressely Antichristian, and of the Beast,