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. IV.

OUr second Particular is to inquire into the cause and manner of this Rendezvouz, and the condition this 144000 shall be in thereupon.

1 For the Cause, the accidental cause shall be the Dragons attempt upon the remnant of the Womans seed, who by making war upon them to do them a mischief, shall do them the greatest good, and himself the greatest mis∣chief that can be.

But the efficient cause shall be the Lambs standing upon Mount Sion, vers. 1. And I looked, and lo a Lamb stood upon the Mount Sion, and with him 144000— This standing upon Mount Sion, we are to understand of Christs more glorious manifestation of himself, in his meekness, grace, and love, the precious vertue of his Death and Sacrifice (in which respect he is called a Lamb) to his Churches and People, where this remn••nt shall be, and that more generally at this time. He shall make his people generally and wondrously sensible of the greatness of his pardoning love, and how he hath ingaged so far as to become himself a Sacrifice for them; withal assuring their hearts, That the day is come, that he is to take his King∣dom, and now all they can do for him in way of requital, is to gather about him and help him, to stand by him in his great work of taking vengeance on the Beast, overturning the Thrones of Kingdomes; and therefore he calls upon

them now to quit all earthly respects, and interests, and straight-way to arise, list under his Banner, and if they will but stand to him, though they may have their failings and haltings, yet will not he use martial Law, but lead them, and march before them, with meekness, gentleness, and love. Here is the principal efficient cause.

2 The manner of their Rendezvouz, we have vers. 2. And I heard a voyce from Heaven, as the voyce of many waters— the phrase seems to intimate, as if the thing should be by some general tumult, a mighty rush∣ing of waters, a voyce and cry amongst the waters. Now Waters in Apocalyptical phrase, and elsewhere, (as I have observed in opening the subject of the third Vial) denote the common people, and in this place it is necessary we so interpret it, because the voyce of Waters is distinguished from the voyce of Thunder, which John hears after∣wards.

And further observe, these waters are not the common waters, but they are the waters of Heaven, i.e. of the true Church, and its members, therefore the voyce of waters is heard from Heaven.

Yea further observe, the voice of waters from Heaven is a great voyce, for it is a voyce not of a few, but many waters, noting, that the Spirit now acting shall be general, the cry to arise, general.

There had been a little rushing of waters before, a cry of one here, another there; but now, what was before set home upon some particular hearts, is upon the hearts of Gods people in general, and the voyce of waters is a great and general voyce, the cry runs on the sudden throughout the Churches and Saints, and all are instantly upon their legs.

3 The state and condition they shall be in upon this their Rendezvouz, is set forth in two things.

1 They shall be owned by some eminent Head whom

God will either raise up among them, or make to appear for them. This Head is noted by the voyce of the great Thunder, it being the phrase of the Holy Ghost in this Book to call the common people Waters, the Heads and great ones Thundrings, Rev. 19.6. I heard the voyce of many Waters, and the voyce of mighty Thundrings, saying, Hallelujah. It teacheth us thus much, That Christ will raise up some such faithful Instrument to bee his Lieutenant General to lead on this his 144000, whose name shall be as a great Thunder in the world, dreadful and terrible to the Antichristian party.

And whereas it is the voyce of but one Thunder, it in∣timates, that at this first Rendezvouz, there shall appear but some one noted Head for Christ, but a while after, when the work is gotten a little forwarder, we hear of many Thun∣drings, Rev. 19.6. i.e. many great One, Heads, Rulers, who either wanted opportunity or courage at first, shall now come in, and joyn with this party.

2 They shall begin their march with praises. The Lamb being now upon Mount Sion, his remnant gathered about him, an eminent Head by Christ raised up, and set over them, the first work they do is to sing praises. I heard the voyce of Harpers, harping with their Harps. The Holy Ghost in these words alludes to the way of praising God in time of Old, when Gods people in their praises made use of Instruments of Musick, and particu∣larly, and as that which was in most common use, of the Harp, Psal. 33.2. Psal. 43.4. Psal. 71.22.

And methinks the first setting forth of the 144000. seems to be much like Jehoshaphats march against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, 2 Chron. 20. An infinite multitude of people, and Nations like the sand of the Sea, come up together against Jehoshaphat and Judah. The noise and rumor of their coming, doth 〈…〉〈…〉 ••istress the people, but seeking God, the Lord

setting it home upon the heart of Jehoshaphat and his people, that the morrow should be the day of his power, he would do the work for them, they should not need so much as to fight, only stand and behold the salvation of the Lord; fear and faint-heartedness now flyes away; they do not consult, whether are we strong, or whether are we weak; how is it possible we should deal with this multi∣tude? But being assured of the Victory, and that the day should be theirs, they begin a March with pr••••••es, singing, and rejoycing, before ever a stroke is struck, as if they had carried the Field already. So will it be with this remnant at this day, the raging Dragon in his wrath and fury comes on gaping upon them; It is a miracle in reason, if ever they scape his mouth, but against this, to bear up their spirits, they have the glorious presence of the Lamb in the midst of them, this doth so wondrously animate them, that in the mouth of danger they fear none, but march o•• in the very face of the Dragon, harping with their Harps, i. e. praising and rejoycing, as knowing assuredly▪ the Lamb will manifest his power, they shall tread the Dra∣gon under their feet.

Thus much as touching our second particular; from the whole note, That notwithstanding the Witnesses them∣selves are undoubtedly, after their rise, to be esteemed a part of this 144000, yet shall the beginning of this glo∣rious company be not with them, but there where that remnant of the Womans seed shall be found, th•• the Dragon wars against.

I shall here in the close of this Section adde a word or two as touching Daniels Stone, the looking upon this Rendezvouz presenting that to mine eye. The first rise of this Stone we are doubtless to place with the beginn•••••• of the third Vial. My Reasons are,

1 Because it being the Stone alone that breaks the Great Image by smiting him on the Feer and Toes, we

are there to place the rise of it, where the Civil power of Antichrist, in any of the ten Horns (represented by the ten Toes) is irrecoverably broken to peeces. But the doing of this is begun with the third Vial, therefore with the beginning of that are we to place the beginning of the Stone.

2 Because Daniels Stone that smites, Chap. 2. and his Ancient of dayes that sits, Chap. 7. being one and the same, we are to reckon the rise of the Stone from the first day that the Ancient of dayes began to sit, and to cast down any of the Thrones of the fourth Beast. But this work was begun with the beginning of the third Vial, therefore there are we to begin the Stone.

Now let us look upon the work done of late yeers un∣der either of these notions, either as it is a breaking of the great Image, or as it is casting down the Thrones of the fourth Beast, for both are substantially the same, and in∣strumentally wrought by the Stone, and hath it not been done by a despised handful, which worldly powers would not have raised up at first, could they have holpen it, nor continued when raised, could they have had their will; but as the raising, so the continuing hath been from God more immediately, than by the endeavour of hands, i.e. humane means.

But now observe, as God never doth any wonderful work, but in the beginning of it, he puts some death upon it; so the most remarkable work that ever yet was in the world, viz. the Stone smiting the great Image, is no sooner on foot, but presently, even within that very Vial that the Stone begins to smite, comes the saddest blow, the blackest cloud over the work of God, that ever one of them, the world saw, namely, the death of the Witnesses, this stops the work a while, the Stone lyes still, by lying still it seems to moulder; In this extremity God ariseth, ••••kes the Scone into his hands again, forms it more strong∣ly,

by casting out the loose earthly matter, and firmly uni∣ting and cementing the rest, adding withal more matter to it, that so upon its next smiting, it may break in peeces whatsoever stands in its way. This is done in this glorious Rendezvouz, of which we have spoken.