The two olive trees: or, The Lords two anointed ones, which alwayes stand before Him, the ruler of the whole earth, Zach. 4.: Described also Rev. 11. by the names of [brace] two witnesses, two olive trees, two candlesticks, two prophets. [brace] And shewing what they are in their own true nature, differing from all the new fancied ones, and in what manner they alwayes prophesie. How they are said to finish their testimony. How they were to be killed by the Beast, and when. How long their corps should lie in the streets of the Beasts great citie, dead and unburied. And when the spirit of life from God should enter into them, and they stand upon their feet again. And what great things should follow after the same to the end, and thence for ever. Published according to order.

Vers. 4. These are the two Olive Trees, and the two Candlesticks, standing in the presence of the Lord of the earth.

HEre the Lord now begins to declare unto his servant Iohn, and so unto all the Saints, what his two Witnesses are in their own true nature, in saying, These are the two Olive Trees, and the two Candlesticks standing, &c. The two, as if he had said, the onely two, and the very same two Olive branches, the two anointed ones, or Sonnes of oyle shewed before unto the Prophet Ze∣chary, which stood fructifying continually before the Ruler of the whole earth, not onely in the Prophets time, but also long before his dayes, and since, Zach. 4.14. for so much doe the words clearly imply, shewing that they were not two new ones not yet sprung up, but those that were of old; the Lord re∣ferring us as it were to the testimony of the Prophet, which we are further to consider of.

As first, where he saith, I have looked, and behold a Candlesticke all of gold, with a bole upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps which were upon the top thereof. And two Olive Trees by it, one upon the right side of the bole, and the other upon the left side thereof, vers. 2.3.

So the Prophet having seen these things, desires to know what they were, and the Angel answered him, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by

my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become ••plain, and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shouting, crying, Grace, grace unto it, vers. 3.4, 5, 6, 7. And the word of the Lord came again unto the Prophet, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands shall also finish it, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoyce, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, with those seven, they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth, vers. 8, 9, 10.

Although the Prophet had seen and heard all these things, yet was he not satisfied concerning the two Olive trees, but questi∣ons again, saying, What be these two Olive trees upon the right side of the Candlestick, and upon the left side thereof? vers. 11.

And again, What be these two Olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the oyle out of themselves into the gold? ver 12.

And the Angel answered him, saying, Knowest thou not what these be? And he said, No, my Lord. Then said the Angel unto him, These are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Now the Prophet understood every thing, and accordingly as they were declared unto him, he writ them downe, to the end that other Saints also might understand the same.

And yet (for all this, and notwithstanding all that Christ hath revealed and spoken by his Angell unto his servant Iohn, and hee left written to us) it remaines in doubt, and is still a great que∣stion with many at this day, what the two Witnesses, the two Olive Trees, are.

Some saying they are Enoch and Elias whom they will have to come. Others say, they are Zerubbabel and Iosua. And some say, they are other two men, or more, whom they will have to stand up in these times. And others say, they are the two Churches of the Iewes and Gentiles, and the Ministers of both. And others, that they are the Ministers of the Gospel since Christ; and some say, the Magistracie and the Ministery. And others, the two Te∣staments and the Ministers. And some say, they are the two Te∣staments onely.

Now which of all these opinions is the truth that shall stand approved when all the rest shall vanish like smoake, and come to nothing?

Surely, not to make any further demurring, the Two Witnesses are the Two Testaments of God, without the adding or joyning men or Churches unto them, in that respect. For which of all those o∣ther may be said to empty the pure oyle and light of the righteous∣nesse and justice, grace and truth of God out of themselves, through their golden pipes, into the golden Candlestick, which is the Church of God, but his two Testaments onely, who have the same oyle in themselves naturally, as the Olive trees have their oyle in themselves naturally.

It is true, the Church having received into her seven Lamps, of the pure oyle and light of these two Olive Trees and two Candle∣stickes, (as Christ also calleth them, because they have light in themselves as well as oyle,) may (through the sevenfold Spirit of Prophesie given her of God, those seven eyes which Zechariah saw graven on the head Stone, Zech. 3.9. and were with Zerubbabel, Zech. 4.10. and are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth, spoken of also Rev. 5.6.) The Church I say, having so recei∣ved, and being made partaker of these excellent graces and gifts, may and doth by her Prophets prophesie and hold forth the light of Gods two Witnesses, the two Olive Trees, and two Candle∣stickes) and testifie the same righteousnesse and justice, grace and truth to the world, in all parts and places where they come. For which cause it is said of her, O Jerusalem, which bringest good tidings, lift up thy voyce with strength, O Sion, that bringest good tidings, &c.

And againe, How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of those that bring good tidings of peace and good things unto us!

And St. Paul saith of that holy Citie, that she is free, and is the mother of all the children of God, because she ministers the glad tidings of grace and peace unto them.

Although all this be true of the Church of God, and that she is so neerly united unto his two Witnesses, as that they cannot be di∣vided, nor parted asunder; yet they may and must be distinguished so one from another, as that the Church and her Prophets may not bee the Witnesses, nor part of them, nor the Witnesses the Church: For it can no more be so, then the woman mentioned Rev. 12. which had the two wings given her, (wherewith she might flie into the wildernes) can be the two wings, or the wings the woman; though without them she could not flie, nor be cloathed, nor fed when she was in the wildernesse, as the Text, Rev. 14. im∣plies, (the two wings being also the two Testaments) which con∣tain

in them the word of the Lord, wherewith she is in spirit cloa∣thed and fed, and they are but two, not three, nor foure, nor more, but onely two, which God in those dayes gave unto her (perfectly finished) to be her guide and help every way upon all occasions, and in all places wheresoever she removed, or should bee disper∣sed. And therefore Christ her Lord, who was carefull of her, ad∣vised her beforehand, that then especially, when the time of trouble (which he also foretold her of) should come, shee should betake herselfe unto them, as he also saith, When yee therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the holy place, who so readeth let him understand, then let them which be in Iu∣dea flic into the mountains, &c. Matth. 24.

For this was the very time of the great persecution raised by the Dragon against that admirable woman in her most excellent pri∣mitive estate, described in Rev. 12.1. whereby she was necessitated to flie into the Wildernesse to her place which God had provided for her, to take some breath and live. She was now to read and un∣derstand the written words of his two Testaments, and to betake her selfe to them, and flie (they being the two wings of the great Eagle, even the Lord himselfe, who gave them unto her to that end; and that she might be also nourished by them (in that secret desart) for a time, and times, and half a time, (that is to say, three yeares and a halfe of yeares) from the presence of the Serpent, as verse 14. compared with verse 6. where these three times and a halfe are decribed by 1260 dayes, and are to be understood for so many yeares, it being also the full time of the reigne of the Beast, which was to rise after the Dragons fall. For St. Iohn, as it seem∣eth, wrote this book of the Revelation at the same time when all the Westerne Churches were (by the persecution of Nero, and the rest of those cruell Pagan Emperours) dispersed, and they of Iudea also, Iohn himselfe being now for the word of God, and witnesse of Iesus Christ, in the Isle of Pathmos: onely the seven Churches of Asia remaining in their places undispersed, and that this was the reason why Iohn speaks not a word of any Churchelse, of a∣ny place besides those seven of Asia, unto whom he was appoin∣ted to send the book when he had written it.

And although (notwithstanding that great persecution against all Christians in generall then under the Romane power, the name of Christ, and profession of Christian Religion, increased, so that in short time it came to be very generally entertained; yet did the

true Church herselfe (being, in respect of her Seed, dispersed amongst them) never recover her first and primitive estate againe; but all things grew worse and worse untill the Beast rose, who brought the mystery of iniquity to perfection, and set up the abo∣mination of desolation to the full, (which the Dragon had begun in Ierusalem, and Temple thereof) to stand where it ought not, e∣ven in the Temple of the Christian Gentiles, the seven Churches of Asia being now also by the Easterne Empire, subdued to the Beast, and brought under the supremacie and power of his Church of Rome; and so they wrought and brought to passe by degrees, that the eminent light and beauty of the truly modest, and chast virgin Spouse of Christ, might no more be seen, till the fourty and two months of the Beasts reigne should be expired.

Therefore as Christ said, Matth. 24. Who so readeth, let him under∣stand, &c. So again, Rev. 1. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that heare the words of the prophesie of this booke, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand, verse 3.