The mystery of the two witnesses unvailed: Wherein wee have a description of their persons time acts death and office. manner of prophecie. sufferings. resurrection. With the consequences that follow. Together with the seaventh trumpet, and the kingdome of Christ explained. by John Robotham, preacher of the Gospel in Dover.

VERS. 10. And they that dwell upon the earth, shall rejoyce over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two Pro∣phets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

HEre wee have a farther carriage of the Adversaries towards the dead bodies of the Witnesses: while they lye in the street of the great Citie, and are kept from being interred, or put in graves, the men of the earth, they re∣joyce over them, and make merry, and send gifts one to another, because these two Prophets are tormented, &c. In the opening of these words, observe,

• 1. The persons brought in here act∣ing: And they are they that dwell upon the earth.
• 2. Their actions: They rejoyce, make merry, and send gifts one to another.
• ...

• 3. The reason of this their acting; Because these two Prophets tormented them, &c.

The first of these to be considered is, who are meant by the persons that are here stiled, the inhabitants of the earth: These are meant of worldly Christans, such as serve Antichrist, they are onely earthly and carnall, they are without the Temple of God, they live in the sy∣nagogu•• of Satan. These are said to dwell upon the earth, Rev. 12. 12. And Chap. 13. 8. The Antichristian Church and faction are said to dwell upon the earth, because they are earthly and carnall, in opposition to the Saints, who are said to dwell in heaven. The Witnesses are stiled such as dwell in hea∣ven, Chap. 18. 20. And those that wor∣ship the Beast, being their opposites, are stiled, those that dwell upon the earth. The Saints under heavenly enjoym∣ents, heavenly discoveries of truth and light, these dwell in Heaven, in the glorious Temple, in the holy taberna∣cle of God.

But the Antichristian Church, and all the members thereof are cast out of heaven unto the earth, there they inha∣bite

and dwell; they favour of the earth, having earthly enjoyments, car∣nall delights; their condition, state, worship, and contentment consisting all of earthly things. The earth is their portion, and they make their habita∣tion in it.

Secondly, the carriage of these earth∣ly men, towards the Witnesses dead bodies: they rejoyce over them, make merry, and send gifts one to another. This is an allusion to the practice of the Jewes, when they had procured deli∣verance from the contrivances of Ha∣man, they solemnly feasted, rejoyced, and made merry, sending portions one to a∣nother, Hest. 18. 19. So when the Lord had restored unto the Jewes their land, their Citie, the Temple, and worship; The people went their way to eate, and to drinke, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, Neh. 8. 12. Suitable here∣unto is that of the Prodigall, who when he came home, the Father for joy kils the fatted Calfe, and they rejoyce and make merry together, Luk. 15. 24. So here the inhabitauts of the earth doe so well resent their killing, and over∣coming the Witnesses, as that they so∣lemnly

rejoyce and make merry, even as those that have obtained someemi∣nent deliverance, or that have received some excellent good thing, or as if they had obtained some great and no∣table victory, they set up some Tro∣phies or Ensignes of Conquest. And this they expresse in a feastival manner, They eate, and drinke, and are merry, and send portions one to another.

The summe of all is this; that when the Adversaries shall think upon the dead bodies of the Witnesses, that they maintain and keep them above ground without the true life and spirit, they shall excceedingly triumph, and make feasts in token of joy, as in the old time; and if they doe not this literally, yet they shall as much, and as really re∣joyce, as they that did such things; and not only so, but do what they can to make others rejoyce with them.

3. Consider the reason why they do thus rejoyce, and that is, Because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt up∣on the earth. Wee may read tormented, or had tormented; not that they rejoyced because they were tormented by these Prophets, but because they had over∣come,

and killed these Witnesses of God, that had alwayes tormented them; now they thought they were rid of them, and should not be trou∣bled with them any more, therefore it is, that they of the earth do so great∣ly rejoyce. The Witnesses torment the earth by inflicting just punishment and reward upon those that worship the Beast. Their very witnesse and te∣stimony is a great torment to the world. The wine of Gods wrath, and the cup of his indignation shall tor∣ment the earth: and what is all this, but the powring forth of the Vials, oc∣casioned by the prophesie of the Wit∣nesses: As they turned waters into blood, and plagued the Earth with all plagues, as we heard before, so they torment the earth by their witnesse and prophesie: Good reason hath the world to rejoyce, when they can hin∣der the course of their testimomonie, and keepe their bodies out of graves, to their owne advantage and use. From the words thus opened, take these few Observations.

First, observe, That the people that serve Antichrist are earthly and carnall.

They are a generation that doe arise from the earth, and they are earthly, they neither know nor favour the things of God. Their Church is car∣nall, their Ordinances are but inven∣tions, their Government is but a worldly power, all the whole forme of service and worship is but of an earthly and humane institution. Their wisdome and knowledge is but of the flesh, the wisdome of this world, and of the first Adam, they are not endued with wisdome from on high. All their parts and gifts are but acquired, and made up by art and science, they are not the pure gifts of the spirit, but of a false annoynting, of a common spi∣rit. Indeed these may cause fire to come downe from heaven in the sight of men, as it's said, Chap. 13 13. pretending they have the spirit of God, when they have but a false and seducing spirit, to draw Proselites to themselves. So that all the things these enjoy, are but carnall Churches, invented Ordinances, hu∣mane gifts, worldly governments, all proceeding from the earth, are earthly, and shall be cast forth into the Earth againe.

Secondly, observe, That the greatest joy that Antichrist hath is over the dead bodies of the Witnesses. The greatest ex∣pression of the joy and rejoycing of earthly people, is in slaying of the Witnesses, when they can overcome and trample upon their Testimonie, when they can suppresse the spirit of God in them, and stop them in the course of their prophesie, then they will rejoyce over their dead bodies, and make their Carkasses their very life and glory. These of the Earth have no quiet or peace in themselves, untill by their power and wickednesse they have crucified the very apperance of God in these two Prophets; and when having slaine their testimonie, and set up their Carkass as their form of Religion, then they rejoyce, they stir up one another to triumph, and exult, they comfort one another in this great victory. Oh what great rejoycing hath there been in all ages, when the world and men of the earth could at any time suppresse these Wit∣nesses, it hath been their greatest aime and ambition; and when they have ac∣complished it, it hath been their great∣est joy and rejoycing.

Thirdly, observe, That the Witnes∣ses by their prophesie doe most of all torment the men of the earth. The Earth, and the Inhabitants thereof could rejoyce in their earthly enjoyments, in all their carnall actings, and humane in∣ventions, were it not for the testimo∣ny of the Witnesses, these continual∣ly vexe and trouble earthly Christians, and worldly Professors. The men of the Earth would take much comfort and contentment in all their fleshly worship and formality, but that these Witnesses are always giving in their te∣stimonie against their falsenesse and emptinesse of all their performances: But when these come and say, this is Antichristian, to tell the world their Church is carnall, their Ordinances invented, their gifts and abilities are but humane, and their government but worldly; this doth exceedingly enrage and torment the men of the earth. Thus they turn their sweete waters into blood and contention, as we heard before, and plague the earth with all plagues; they pour out whole vials of wrath upon all the worships and ways of Antichrist. Thus we see,

as the men of the earth doth overcome and slay the Witnesses: so these Wit∣nesses make their part good against their Adversaries. They reward Baby∣lon as she hath rewarded them, and in the cup wherein she hath filled, they fill to her double, Revel. 18. 6. And as she hath glorified her selfe, and triumphed o∣ver the Witnesses, so great shall be her torment, her punishments shall be an∣swerable to her pride and tyranny. Therefore when the Witnesses shall by the word of their testimonie, cause vi∣als of wrath to fall upon Antichrist, then shall the men of the earth be scor∣ched with great beate, and shall gnaw their tongues for paine, and blaspheame Grd, be∣cause of their soares and their paines, Rev. 16. 9, 10, 11. Their hearts shal be en∣raged with rancour and malice, as burning with fire they shall speak e∣vil of God, and gave their tongues for anguish, and vexation of spirit. Thus do the witnesses by their pro∣phesie vexe and torment the Inhabi∣tants of the earth.

Notes

• 1 Observ.
• 2 Observe
• 3 Obser.