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 ...

3 An ADJUNCT.

(Which I so call, rather than an Effect, because properly it is not an Effect) and that is, A Justification of God in these terrible executions of his wrath upon them.

1 By the Angel of the Waters.

Vers. 5, 6. And I heard the Angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou host judged thus:

For they have shed the blood of Saints, and Pro∣phets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy.

The Angel of the Waters, is that Angel who shall be used to pour out the Vial of Gods wrath upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters, called Angel of the waters, be∣cause he hath a power over the Waters, to pour out Gods wrath upon them; Which Angel shall at this day ac∣knowledge, that notwithstanding the things themselves done by this Vial, are strange, and to be wondred at, things unthought of, unheard of; yet being done, that the hand of God in them is marvellously just, and to bee magnified of all his people, being the just recompence of the injuries offered to, and the blood of Saints. How in the midst of those great and wonderful changes, and revo∣lutions that of late yeers have been in England, the hearts of all those who have gone along with God in these his glorious dispensations and mighty works of wonder, have been (notwithstanding the continual offence of others, and of the greater part) carried out to justifie

God, and say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, &c. cannot by them be forgotten.

2 By another out of the Altar.

Vers. 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say, Even so, O Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgements.

The Altar was the place upon which Sacrifices being slain, were laid to be consumed. It signifies a suffering condition, and so is used Rev. 6.9, 10, 11. I saw under the Altar the souls of them which were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cryed with a loud voyce saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge, and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Only with this difference, the sufferings there spoken of were unto death, and martyrdome, and therefore they are said to be under the Altar; but here, though their sufferings are great, yet not to death, and therefore they cry out of the Altar, though they are upon the Altar, yet not so, but that they can still give testimony to Gods work in the world. The second Testimony therefore coming out of the Altar, or from the Altar, denotes the persons bearing this testimony to be such as lye under great sufferings, who out of the Altar, i.e. in the midst of all their persecutions, do yet give testimony that the strange astonishing and unwonted Effects of this Vial, are no other but the true and righteous judgements of God, inflicted upon those, upon whom this Vial is poured out.

How sutable hereunto is that Testimony not long since sent over, by some exiled Bohemians from Lissa in Po∣land, to us in England, written by one of the banished in a little Book, intituled Clavis Apocalyptica, who in pages 1••3, 104. speaking of the great Revolutions in the Isle of great britain, and particularly mentioning that of the Fountain Head becoming blood, he (though yet as one

amazed at the thing) saith thus; We must by vertue of that clear Text, say with the Angel, Lord, thou are righteous, because thou hast judged thus.