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 ...

The Epistle Dedicatory.

To all those who love. and patiently wait for the Appearing and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, Grace and Peace be multiplied.

Dearly beloved in our Lord,

IT is reported of the Primitive Saints, that these words, the KINGDOM OF CHRIST, the KINGDOM OF CHRIST, were so frequent in their mouths, that their malicious Adversaries (willing to mistake the simplicity of their meaning and in∣tention) did make the words matter of Fact, charging them hereupon with Treason, as if they had driven on some design to get for themselves the Kingdom.

Whether the simplicity of the Saints in the age we live in, who being come to the very dawning of the day, and beholding the Lord going up to his Kingdom, cannot hold their peace, but must cry out HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID, HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST, may through the subtlety of the old Ser∣pent have any such abuse put upon it, or no, I wave at present. But this I am sure of, the first ages had not the Kingdom of Christ so much in their mouths, but after ages had it as little; their hearts were not so warm to it, but the generations since have been as cold. And indeed

it was necessary it should so be; for the Beast Antichrist being to rise in the world, who after his rise must continue to reign two and forty months, Rev. 13.5. it was needful therefore, to the end he might be revealed, that there should be (as the Apostle tels us 2 Thes. 2.3.) a falling away, which falling away above all things was necessary, that it should be in the Truths of Christs Kingdom, no Truths being so diametrically opposite to Antichrist as these; others shake off his leaves, these pluck him up by the roots. If therefore the policy of the Dragon had not found out a way to brand these Truths, and by making them odious, to hold them down, his Kingdom must have fallen many ages since, for he should have had no Beast to resign his Power, Seat, and great Authority to. It stood him greatly in hand therefore by some means to cloud these, which by continuing to shine, would have nipped Antichrist in the bud; and this the wisdom of God permitting, to ac∣complish thereby in the end a more glorious design, which he effectually did.

Hence within the fourth Century (at the end of which the Beast arose) the Truths of Christs Kingdom (before generally received) began to be condemned, and to go un∣der the odious name of Heresie.

Hence also we finde not in the Revelations any mention made of Christs Kingdom, nor any noyse of such a thing in the world all the time of the Beasts reign; but the great cry of the dwellers on the Earth is, The Beast, the Beast, who is like unto the Beast? yea the whole world wonde∣reth after the Beast, Rev. 13.3, 4.

But now in the latter days, as the Beast begins to go down, so do the precious Truths of Christs Kingdom a∣gain begin to revive, and have a resurrection.

Hence we finde that as the world by degrees gets rid of the Beast, so is the cry in it still louder and louder of Christs Kingdom.

First, Amongst the Saints in the world, who no soo∣ner have got so much footing as to stand and face the Beast, which before trod them down, and trampled upon them, but presently they make the world ring again, with the noise of Christs Kingdom. Rev. 15.2, 3, 4. And I saw them that had gotten the victory over the Beast, and o∣ver his Image, and over his Mark, and over the num∣ber of his Name, stand on the Sea of glass having the Harps of God, And they sing the Song of Moses the servant of the Lord, and the Song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Al∣mighty, just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints; Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorifie thy name, for thou onely art holy? for all Nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgements are made manifest.

Secondly, After this the Beast having received a more fatal blow, the cry of Christs Kingdom, that was be∣fore among some Saints onely, is now more general, and runs among the multitudes, yea, the great ones too (of whom till this day we hear little) as Rev. 19.6. And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude, and as the voyce of many waters, and as the voyce of mighty Thunderings, saying, Allelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Thirdly and lastly, Yet after this, upon the sounding of the seventh Angel (when Christ comes to take his Kingdom) it is then openly proclaimed with a great voyce, Rev. 11.15. The Kingdoms of this world are be∣••ome the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and ••e shall reign for ever. And as an echo to this voyce, ••he hearts of Gods faithful ones reply, v. 17. We give thee ••hanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wert, and ••rt to come, because thou hast taken to thee this great ••ower, and hast reigned.

Thus the noyse and cry in the world towards the latter end of Antichrists reign, is very different to that which was in the time of his reign, then the cry was, The Beast, The Beast: now the old cry is up again, The Kingdom of Christ, The Kingdom of Christ.

Yet, notwithstanding the cry of Christs Kingdom shall at this day be so loud, shall not the ears of all, no not of the Saints themselves, be open to hear it; but some of them (as well as others) shall be so deeply wedded to the sweetness of Antichristian wordly interests that (to main∣tain these) they shall rather choose to sit by the waters of Babylon, than with the loss of them to stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion; else what need would there be of any such Proclamation to be made, as we read, is im∣mediately before Romes ruin? Rev. 18.4. Come out of her my people, that yee be not partakers of her sins, and that yee receive not of her plagues.

And these who thus shall do, are not to be reckoned among those who in this great business followed not the Lamb at all, but among those who followed the Lamb some part of the way towards Mount Sion, but upon some turn, or falling in with some worldly pleasing interest, by the way did quit his company, before they came thi∣ther.

For this cause the hundred forty and four thousand, which stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion, Rev. 14.1, 2, 3, 4. are differenced from others, not in this, that they were Saints, and others not; nor in this, that they fol∣lowed the Lamb, which others did not; but the differ∣ence is made to lye in these two things:

1 They were Virgin-Saints, which had not defiled themselves with women, i.e. were not espoused to any worldly interest, the desire of which is as natural to the hearts of men, as the desire of women; and particularly, they had never any thing to do with the interest of that

Whorish woman, spoken of Chap. 17. And this to be the meaning of the phrase the foregoing words do give it, which by a parallel phrase, setting forth the same thing, cals them the Redeemed from the earth, i. e. from earthly interests, as outward glory, honor, riches, &c.

2 They were such who follow the Lamb whetherso∣ever he goes, Vers. 4. If the Lamb will go in strange untrodden paths, making his way over the necks of the Kings, and Princes of this world, they will follow him there. If in unpleasing paths, turning about in a manner upon themselves, and treading under feet their beloved in∣terests, dear, and near Relations, taking from them their outward glory and ornaments, yet they will make a turn with him, and follow him there: for they are such as will follow the Lamb whethersoever he goes. Now although there may be many besides these at this day, who may come under the more general Character of Saint-ship, and fol∣lowers of the Lamb, i.e. for some time, yet shall they be found short of these particular Characters, viz. of being Virgin-Saints, un-espoused to worldly interests, and followers of the Lamb not onely here, and there, but whi∣thersoever he goes.

Hence we have it specially noted of these, that they sing as it wert a new Song, before the Throne, which no man could learn, but onely the one hundred forty four thou∣sand which were redeemed from the earth, vers. 3. Why doth the Holy Ghost say, As it were a new Song, and not rather a new Song? The reason I take to be this, be∣cause the Song for the matter of it in general, is the old Song, i.e. the same Song still, that all the children of Sion sung together upon their first coming out of Babylon. But now the Lamb their Leader, having upon his march to∣wards Mount Sion, taken some strange, rough, untroden, unexpected paths, which they upon their coming out did not so much as dream of, many of those who upon his

first march set forth with him, with as loud a cry as the rest: begin now some to draw backwards again to Babylon, some to lag behind their Colours; and now they can sing with the rest no longer, i.e. they cannot now any longer own his Appearances and workings, praise him or magnifie his name for them; yet for all this, even at this time when many fall off offended, the One hundred forty four thou∣sand redeemed from the Earth, they march on with the Lamb, singing still, owning, approving his works, resol∣ving to keep him company whethersoever he goes. Now in this respect the Holy Ghost doth not term it a new Song, but as it were a new Song, because it puzzles most of the old Singers, seeming akogether new, and another to them, though yet indeed it is the same, the change being more in them, than in the Song, and the One hundred forty four thousand can sing it still.

Hence likewise this One hundred forty four thousand are spoken of as being a select and picked party called therefore, vers. 4. The redeemed from among men, be∣ing the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb, i. e. they are (if I may so say) for the choyceness of their spi∣rits above others in adhering to the Lamb their Leader, the very cream of men, such as the Lamb accounts his first fruits, i.e. makes more store of than of others, who yet may bee of his Corn, and a part of his Harvest too.

And as that which is not here impertinent, we may observe, that as the coming out of Egypt was in Old Testament times one eminent type of the Saints deli∣verance from Spiritual Antichristian bondage, for which cause the Antichristian State is spiritually called Egypt, Revel. 11.8. and the comming out of Babylon after∣wards, another; for which cause Rome in the Apoca∣lyps takes denomination from Babylon: So is it a thing worthy to be noted, as touching both these Types, that

that Generation which by stirring set the work first on foot, did afterwards prove the greatest (I may say the onely) retarders of it. For as touching the first, WHO hankered after the Flesh pots of Egypt, but that Gene∣ration? WHO though come out, yet had been brought up there: WHO moved the returning back again? but that Generation that came thence: WHO made light of the great things God did in the Wilderness? but that very Generation, who from the first had seen his mighty Wonders in Egypt.

As touching the Second, WHO are they that cry out, The time is not come, the time that the Lords house should be built? Hag. 1.2. But that very Generation who came out of Babylon with great hearts at first to do the work; but were afterwards engaged in particular concernments, and private interests, building seiled houses for them∣selves, vers. 4. hereby letting the work of their Generation lie waste.

And truly it is that which I have verily thought with my self, and that some time, namely, That it would be∣fall us in this Age, coming out of Antichristian Baby∣lon, even as it did them coming out of Egypt and Ba∣bylon of old, i.e. we should see those very persons who leading us out of Babylon at first, did cry, Christs King∣dom, Christs Kingdom, either by hankering after the Egyptian Flesh-pots of Honor, Profit, &c. (which once having tasted they cannot lose the rellish of) wholly to quit their first principles and affections, and so set their faces back again to return into Egypt; or if not so, yet at leastwise (as the commers out of Babylon did, who were somewhat the better of the two) finding difficulty in going on, make a stand on the way, there building seiled houses for themselves, i.e. advancing their own particular interests instead of helping forward the work of Christs Kingdom.

What shall I any further enlarge upon this uncouth Theam, harp any longer upon this unpleasing string? It was without doubt an ill Omen to Barnabas when he chose Marke to go with him to the work, who had before deserted it, that he should do but little in it. And indeed the Event proved it; for as by that act he lost the hearts of the Church, who recommended Paul and Si∣las to the Grace of God, but take no notice of Bar∣nabas and Mark; So also is it observable, that from that very day, he who was so active before, we hear no more of him. True, he had this to plead, Mark was a good man, but Paul whose eyes were more open, saw, that notwithstanding his goodness, yet having once at a pinch deserted Christs Cause, he was not a man likely afterwards to thrive with, in carrying it on; and therefore wife, wary Paul, if there be no other way to clear his hands of him, for the works sake, rather than he will run the hazzard, he will bid farewell, even to his old beloved preaching, suffering Companion, Barnabas him∣self.

And now as for you (dearly Beloved) to whom I dedicate these Lines; I onely say, The Book it self is yours, and whatsoever of the mind of Christ is discovered in it is yours. I shall therefore close up this my Epistle with the words of the Holy Ghost, Isa. 2.12, 13 &c. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low. And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the Oakes of Bashan. And upon all the high Mountains, and upon all the Hills that are lifted up. And upon every high Tower, and upon every fenced Wall. And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and up∣on all pleasant Pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the herghtiness of men shall be

made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the Idols he shall utterly abolish, Ezek. 17.24. Then all the Trees of the field shall know that it is the Lord that hath brought down the high Tree, and hath exalted the low Tree, hath dried up the green Tree, and made the drie Tree to flourish. Isa. 9.3. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.

So beleeves he, who is, A poor unprofitable Servant in his Masters Work, JOHN TILLINGHAST.