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HAving spoken of the great and notable effect, that followeth the rising of the Witnesses, namely, a great earthquake; with the severall concom∣mitants or consequence thereof; we proceed to the close of this prophesie, ending at the second woe, and sixt Trumpet. In Revel. 8. 13. we read of
three woes, that were to goe forth with the three last Trumpets, which were as it were woe Trumpets, each of them de∣nouncing heavy judgements to befall the earth, such as were wicked idola∣ters, and did worship the beast. These woes bring bitter and sore calamities upon the Inhabitants of the world: and they are divided into three parts, first, second, and third.
The first woe is that which accom∣panies the fift Trumpet, Chapt. 9. and imports thus much, that when the fift Angel should sound his Trumpet, the bottomlesse pit was open, that is, the pit of darknes, of confusion was open, so that the beast, & corrupt flesh might act what they pleased. The Ministers o•• Antichrist came forth like Locusts, and tormented men, by compulsion and tyranny: and though they had fa∣ces like men, pretending humanity, and haire like women, using perswasive flat∣teries: yet they had the ••eeth of Lyo••s, as being fierce and tyrannicall, and as Scorpions come forth with stings in their tailes, poysoning and torment∣ing all those that Iived under the form and power of Antichrist, which had
not the seale of God in their foreheade. Thus the first woe is past.
The second woe, is the middle woe, and is a concomitant to the sixt Trum∣pet. This woe is occasioned by the earthquake, that we spake of in the former verse: The shaking of States and powers, of governments, and do∣minions: The slaying of seven thou∣sand men of name and dignity: the fall of the tenth part of the Citie: the affrighting of the remnant of men, this is the second woe. But looke backe to the sounding of the sixt Trumpet, Chapt. 9. 13, 14, 15, &c. There was loosed foure Angels bound in the river Euphrates. The river Euphrates is the spirit and power of Antichrist, that hath as an overflowing streame, over∣spread the earth, which hath caused darknesse and oppression to fill the world. The foure Angells are foure evill Angells or powers of darknesse; the Ministers of Antichrist, arising from all the quarters of the earth to worke wickedly. These have an houre and a day appointed them to kill the third part of men. These come forth like a com∣pany of horsemen, as ready prepared to
kill and destroy: and out of their mouths proceedeth, fire, smoak, and brim∣stone, whereby they kill the third part of men: that is, by power, oppression, and persecution, they so over-awed the spi∣rits and minds of men, that out of tor∣ment & feare they were forced to wor∣ship Antichrist: thus were the third part of men slaine, by these Angels of dark∣nesse, coming forth in the multitudes and strengths of their Armies, of such that are acted by them. And it's sayd, that the power of this Army is in their mouths and in their tails: noteing by their mouths, their systems and platformes of doctrine and worship, which they enforce upon all. And by their tailes is signified their power and ability to oppresse and tyrannize over those, that by force they slay, by enslaving them to submit to all their wayes and ordi∣nances. This grievous oppression of the foure evill Angels loosed, together with the great earth-quake that fol∣lows, the rising of the Witnesses is the second woe, that's here spoken of: this woe is past at the rising of the Wit∣nesses.
The Third and last woe, comes quickly,
it speedily followeth, and shutteth up the whole mysterie. The death of the Beast is proclaimed under the sixth Trumpet, and in the time of the se∣cond woe, Chap. 10. 6. Time should be no more, in which Antichrist should live and raigne. Then at the sound of the seventh Angel, the mysterie of God should be finished, vers. 7. The mysterie of Antichrist fully laid open, and the mysterie and glory of Christs kingdom fully revealed. This last woe is meant of those calamities, mentioned in the last verse of this eleventh Chapter. And there was lightnings, and voyces, and thundrings, and an earthquake, and great haile. All which doth imply Gods hea∣vy, terrible, astonishing, and irresista∣ble judgements upon the world, hee will plague the earth, as once he did Aegypt with haile, Exod. 9. 25. This is the third and last woe that accompa∣nieth the seventh Trumpet.
Observe, That great and terrible woes befall the world in the three last ages of Antichrist. Here is three woes, but the second that falls at the rising of the Witnesses is the greatest. This second woe is a bitter one indeed; it will fall
like a milstone, and grinde in pieces the inhabitants of the earth. Great are the torments and vexations this woe brings upon the world: all Fa∣mines, Sicknesses, Feares, Warres, and all sorts of evils, weaknesse, a••∣••rightments, strange amazements this woe brings with it. The present cala∣mities upon the world, that are oc∣casioned by the Earth-quake, throw∣ing downe States, Nations, Govern∣ments, Powers, and shaking men of quality, state, wisdome and parts, bringing wars, feares, famines, deaths, &c. These, and the like woes upon the world this day, speak forth the ri∣sing of the witnesses. And as the rising of the Witnesses is a work of time, and is of a graduall product: so also shall this second woe be a lasting woe, and lasting woes are the worst of all. The third woe followeth the second, it comes quickly; this brings it's sting along with it, but 'tis of a shorter dispatch then the former. This last woe, that immediately succeedes the second, comes with the seventh Trumper, and therefore is the last woe that befalls Antichrist.
This last woe is the reason of all those plagues, as death, mourning, famine, fire, that God will destroy Ba∣bylon withall, which shall cause the Kings of the Earth to lament her, and the Merchants to mourn over her; for shee is stript of her gold and silver, of her precious stones and pearles, of her purple and scarlet, of all her sine lin∣nen and cloathing, and in one houre shall be made utterly desolate. Thus we are come to an end of the Prophe∣sie of the Witnesses resurrection and ascention, with the great effects that followes, namely the great Earth∣quake, and the second woe, which is the work of the first Trumpet.
Next followeth that of the seventh Trumpet, and the state of Christs Kingdom after the full and perfect as∣cention of the Witnesses, and the finall downfall of Antichrist.
Observe