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 The moving Cause.

Preparing a way for the Kings of the East.

That the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared. These words render a reason of the drying up of Euphrates, which is to prepare a way for the Kings of the East.

By Kings of the East, We are here to understand, the Jews, who upon the pouring forth of this Vial, shall re∣turn to their own Land, and be converted to Christ: And I take it that the pouring out of this Vial, prepares a way for both, viz. Their possession of their own land again, and their conversion to the Faith of the Gospel; For as the latter shall not go without the former, I mean conver∣sion to Christ, without possession of their land (The Scripture being full and clear in this, that when that Nati∣on

shall be converted, they shall be in possession of their Land again, Isa. 61.7. Jer. 31.17. and 32.41. Ezek. 37.21, 22, 25. Amos 9.14, 15. Zech. 2 12.) so the for∣mer alone without the latter, would be a thing indeed too low and carnal to be accounted the sole moving cause of pouring out this Vial, which this preparing a way for the Kings of the East, is.

Now the Jewes are here called Kings, either for that abundance of riches they shall bring along with them at their return, Isa. 60.9.—To bring thy Sons from far, their silver and their gold with them. Or rather for that great honour and dignity that God will put upon his people, (setting them uppermost in his Kingdom) upon it, Mich. 4.8. And thou O Tower of the flock, the strong hold of the Daughters of Sion, unto thee shall it come, even the first Dominion, the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Jerusalem, Isa. 61.9. Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their off-spring among the people, all that see them, shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed, Zech. 8.23. In those daies ten men shall take hold out of all the languages of the Nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will goe with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

And they are called, Kings of the East (the Greek reads it, from the rising of the Sun) because (as some think) their coming shall be from the Eastern Countries, which though I do not altogether deny, yet cannot I here subscribe to it, as the reason why they are so called, because, as this interpretation adheres too much to the letter, so it is evident, that the Scriptures which speak of their return, do as well mention their coming from other quarters, as from the East, and not one Scripture speaks of their com∣ing from the East alone, Isa. 43:5. I will bring thy seed

from the East, and gather them from the West: I will say to the North give up, and to the South keep not back, bring my Sons from far, and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth, Chap. 49.12. Behold, these shall come from far, and loe these from the North, and from the West, and these from the Land of Sinim. Jer. 31.8. Behold I will bring them from the North Country, & gather them from the coasts of the earth,— Zech. 8.7. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, behold I will save my people from the East Country, and from the West Country, and I will bring them, and they shall dwel in the midst of Jerusalem. But rather following the Greek, Kings from the rising of the Sun. I take it they may be so called, because then they shall come to this great preferment, honor, and dignity, when Christ the Sun of righteousness shall arise, whose rising, that it shall be upon the pouring forth of this Vial (before the last is poured forth) shall appear hereafter.

Now God in his wonderful and unsearchable Provi∣dence will so order it, as that at the appointed time of the Jews return, the power and multitude of the Grand Signeur (who is now the greatest Monarch in the world, and holds their Land in possession) shall be much wasted and consumed, and that in such a way, by such means and instruments, that as the one, viz. The wasting of the Great Turks Power, shall set open a door for the Jews to possess their own Land, so the other, viz. the way, means or instruments by which this shall be done, shall be a special help and furtherance to their receiving of the Gospel, and Christ for their true Messiah; and so indeed the pouring out of this Vial upon the Great Ri∣ver Euphrates shall prepare a way (as hath been said) both for their possession of their own Land, and their con∣version to Christ, both which to take in here is much better (I conceive) and more agreeable to the mind of the

Holy Ghost, than to limit and straiten the same to any one onely.

Now that the Jews are spoken of under this Vial, whose conversion we are to expect before the pouring out of the seventh, is clear.

1 Because the Jews conversion being a thing so remark∣able as nothing more, and this to be in the very last ages of the world, it cannot be thought that in the Vials, (which is a Prophetical History in short, of things to be transacted in the last times) the same should be whol∣ly omitted, which yet in case it be not here spoken of, is,

2 Because in Rev. 19. (which Chapter is but a Com∣mentary upon the two last Vials) the Marriage of the Lamb to his Bride (which Bride can be no other than the General Assembly of the faithful ones, both of Jews and Gentiles converted to Christ, among which the Jews (as elder Sister) are chief, and therefore particularly spoken of, Isa. 62.4 5. and 54.4.5, 6. Hos. 2.19, 20.) is made an immediate forerunner of the battel of Armageddon, as compare ver. 7, 8, 9. with 19.20.21. with which bat∣tel the seventh Vial beginning, (for what is done before the pouring out of the seventh, is onely a preparation to it) the Conversion of the Jews, or the Marriage of the Bride must necessarily be before the seventh Vial is poured forth. He who desireth further light as to this Argument, may at his leasure read over the 37 38, 39, Chapters of Ezekiel, the third of Joel, and the 12, 13, 14, th. Chap∣ters of Zachary, and by comparing Chapter with Chapter, and the whole with this Prophecie, may finde it.

3 Because upon the pouring out of the seventh Vial, a great voyce comes out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne, saying It is done. What is the meaning hereof? Why the phrase is but once more used in all the

Revelations, and that is chap 21.5, 6. He that sate up∣on the Throne said, Behold I make all things new. And he said unto me, it is done; here it is applied to the set∣ting up of the New Jerusalem, noting the meaning of the phrase to be this, Now is the New Jerusalem esta∣blished, and how should this be, in case the Jews the pri∣mary and principal Inhabitants of this new City, were yet to be converted?

Object. If it be said, the words speak not of their Con∣version, but onely preparing a way thereto.

I grant it, the pouring out of this Vial, doth onely pre∣pare the way as to their Conversion to Christ, which Conversion of theirs is to be (for the fore-mentioned rea∣sons) in the Interval of time betwixt the sixt and seventh Vials.

Object. Whereas it is further objected, That the Con∣version of the Jews cannot be until such time as the seventh Vial is poured forth, because Chap 15.8. it is expresly said, No man could enter into the Temple, till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled.

To that I answer, That this doth as well exclude the Conversion of Gentiles and Pagans, all the time the Vi∣als are pouring forth, as Jews, and who will affirm that? so long as daily experience hath, and (blessed be the Lord) doth prove the contrary.

Some other interpretation must therefore be given of this Scripture, to free it from such an assertion and whether doth not this suite the place well, which also serves to for∣ward the work of pouring out the Vials, by putting life and courage into the Angels which are to do it? to wit, That the glorious and powerful presence of God in his Temple, all the time the Vials should be in pouring forth (which is here set forth by smoak, alluding to that cloud covering the Tabernacle of old, Exod. 40.34. and filling Solomons Temple, 1 King. 8.10. which was a sign of Gods special presence then) should be such,

that [no man] that is, none of the Antichristian party, no nor any other (for he speaks not here of men as worship∣pers, as 1 King. 8.11. but of men as enemies to the Tem∣ple, and Gods work in it) [should be able] i.e. by force or power [to enter into the Temple] i. e. to destroy the Templers, and thereby put a stop to the work, Gods power and presence being in the Temple, to assist the An∣gels in carrying it on [until the seven Plagues of the seven Angels should be fulfilled] i.e. never, for if they cannot hinder the work till it is wholly effected, they shall never do it.

Object. Whereas it is further objected, that the whole 21, and 22 Chapters of this Book, which are the events of the seventh Vial, do hold forth this of the Jews con∣version, which therefore seems rather to be an Effect of the seventh Vial, than to go before it.

To that I answer, That the main thing spoken of in those Chapters, is their glory, not their conversion. Now that I readily grant, that their glory (which is a fruit and consequent of their Conversion) shall have a cloud upon it, and not be conspicuous till the battle of Armageddon be over, and the seventh Vial poured out; but their Con∣version shall be before, for Chap. 19.8. tells us that the Bride is in her fine linnen, whilst yet preparation is but making to this battle, and the pouring out of the seventh Vial.

To conclude, The very Argument used by the Reve∣rend Author of these objections (in opening vers. 16. of this Chapter) to prove the Jews conversion from the fing∣ing Hallelujahs Chap. 19. which being an Hebrew word seems to imply the Conversion of the Jews at this time (who together (saith our Author) with the Gentile-Churches praise God for Romes destruction) makes di∣rectly against his own opinion, viz. That the Jews shall not be called till all the Vials are poured out; for the

singing Hallelujahs, Chap. 19. is before, yet preparation is made to the battel of Armageddon, as from the sequel of the Chapter is clear; and this precedency is not only in words, but a precedency in time, for the singing Hallelujahs is instantly upon Romes ruine, whereas the battel of Armageddon (which yet is included within the Vials) is not to be till some yeers after.