who are and fhall be found to be faithful Witnef fes for Chrift. Secondly, It being fpoke in a way of Allufion unto Mofes and Aaron, Elijab and Elisha, Joshua and Zerubbabel, who bore their faithful Teftimony for God and his Truths in their particular Generations, The Lord always had (though never fo few) and ftill will have fome to bear witnefs for him, unto the very Period of the one thousand two hundred and fixty Days. Thirdly, though the People of God are but few in Comdare parifon of others, but few faithful Witneffes for Chrift; yet two is a fufficient Witnefs; by the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word hall be eftablished. 2 Cor. xiii. 1. and it may be, this is further to fhew the Fewnels of thole that shall be found faithful Witneffes for the Lord, at the latter end of thefe Days; or thofe in particular will be but few, who fhall bear an open Teftimony unto the Kingly Office of the Lord Jefus Chrift.

Again, another thing that I would take Notice of in thefe two Witneffes, is the Power which they had during the time of their Prophecy, and that was to fmite the Earth with Plagues as often as they will. Which I understand in this Place, is to be taken in a spiritual myftical Senfe, because it is faid, in v. 8. that the dead Bodies of the flain Witneffes lay in the Street of the great City, Spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified. Now we know Chrift was not crucified (in a proper Confideration) neither in Sodom nor Egypt. And therefore it appears, that here is a Neceffity for a figurative Interpretation, in relation to the two Wit neffes. Wherefore the more faithful any Perfon is in his Teftimony for the Lord Jefus, and bearing

nefs to the Truths of the Gospel, with a holy and becoming Coverfation, the more doth this ftrike a Lread, Terror, and Torment upon the Confcience of a Sinner, which are as terrible to his Mind, as thefe Plagues are to the Body; and feems to be fpoke in Allufion to Elijab's praying that the Heavens fhould not give any Rain for a long time, and it rained not. Again, his praying that Fire might come down from Heaven, and deffroy the Company of Fifties, that was fent to him by the King of Ifrael. Now as Fire fignifies Torment or Mifery; fuch Power thefe Witneffes will have in a fpiritual Refpect, to torment and afflict the very Hearts and Confciences of their Enemies, during the time of their Prophecy.

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Thirdly, The time in which thefe Witneffes are to prophefy, is the time of Antichrift's reigning and the time of the Saints fuffering, while the Woman, the Church, is in her Wilderness Condition. Therefore though the People of God have been, and in all Ages may be faid to be the Lord's Witnees in a more general way; yet the Witneffes mentioned in this eleventh of the Revelati ns, are to be understood more particularly of thofe, who are to prophefy, and to bear witness to the Truth of the Coming, Glory, and Kingdom of Chrift, and what they have prophefied, fucceffively one after another, for the Term of a thousand two hundred and fixty Years, as the Word Days in the Account of Scripture is oftentimes taken.

Fourthly, When they fhall have finished their Teftimony, the Beast (that is the Antichriftian Beaft) who afcended, and had his Rife out of the bottomlefs Fit, fhall make War against them, overcome

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and kill them, their dead Bodies are not to be bu ried, but to lie in the Street of the great City. This flaying of the Witneffes is not a literal, but a myftical Slaying, as the Street where their dead Bodies are to lie, is fpiritually called Sodom and Egypt, Sod for Wickedness, Egypt for Cruelty, where our Lord (not in his Perfon, but in his Men bers) was crucified. Therefore as their Death is a fpiritual Death, fo will their Refurrection be a fpiritual Refurrection, Which I look upon will be in the first Branch, the beginning, or firft breaking out of the fpiritual Kingdom of Chrift. Rev. xi. 7, 8.

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Fifthly, Upon this Account it is, I do humbly conceive, that the Witneffes are not yet flain, and fo confequently the one thoufand two hundred and fixty Days not yet ended. My Reasons are as follow, first because Antichrift is not yet deftroyed, who is to continue no longer than the forty two Months, which ageees to the fame Time of the one thoufand two hundred and fixty Days, excepting the three Days and a half, (after this) in which he is to make War, overcome and flay the Witneffes. Secondly, The Church of God is not yet delivered, who is to continue no longer in her Sackcloth and Wilderness Condition, than the forty two Months or the one thousand two hundred and fixty Days, excepting (as before) the three Days and half, in which he is to be fpiritually flain, fo as not to appear to give an open Teftimony. Thirdly it has never yet appeared unto me, however great Men have writ upon this Point, that the Witneffes have been flain, fo as to lie dead in the Street of the great City. This City is Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots,

and the Abominati ns of the Earth, and therefore by the Street of the great City, must be understood of thofe Nations or Kingdoms belonging to this City; for this great Whore is faid to fit upon many Waters, that is upon many. Kingdoms, or Nations where he reigneth. And iffo, when was it? What Age can be produced, wherein the Witneffes lay dead, as that none of them appeared in any of the Streets of the City, to bear a Teftimony for Chrift, against the Corruptions and Abominations of Rome? Surely there has been always fome, that dil, and will bear an open Teftimony, until the End of the one thousand two hundred and fixty Days

For this flaying of the Witneffes, I look upon it to be a general flaying not in one but in all the Streets of the City, where any of the Witneffes are to be found. Though we read but of one Street in the Text, yet I apprehend that this Street will reach or extend it felf throughout or over all the Kingdoms belonging to the Beaft, as appears plain to me in Verfe the ninth, and they of the People, and Kindreds, and Tongues and Nations fhall fee their dead Bodies, &c. (Pray mind) here is not one Nation, or one Kingdom; but many People, and Kindreds and Tongues, and Nations are to look upon the dead Bodies of the Witneffes; and therefore here muft be more than one Nation or Kingdom, (though the whole is called but one Street) wherein they are to The dead Befides we read that they who dwelled upon rejoiced over them, and made merry and fent Gifts one to another, because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the Earth, v, 18. which fhews that this will hot he done in a Corner, but will be vifible over the whole Chriftian 197-7 World. Fourthly,

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Fourthly, Their Refurrection will be as univer fal, vifible, and confpicuous, as their flaying was, Verfe 11. And after three Days and a half, the Spi rit of Life from God entered into them; and they food upon their Feet, and great Fear fell upon all which fan them. Now if the flaying of the Witneffes be paft, according to the Account of fome; the Refurrection of them is paft alfo; which is a thing that I cannot yet fee into, though I love, value and efteem, what thefe Men have writ in unfolding thefe great Mifteries of the Kingdom. But when was it, that the Spirit of Life from God did re-enter into the Witneffes? When did they arife and ftand upon their Feet? When did they hear a Voice from Heaven, faying, come up hither, as that their very Enemies beheld them? When did those great and wonderful Effects follow their Refurrection, as great Fear to fall upon all that faw them? When was that great Earthquake (which is to be in the fame Hour) as caufed the tenth Part of the great City to fall? When was there feven thoufand Men, or feven thoufand Names of Men flain by the Earthquake? Seven being a perfect Number, and amongst feven thousand Names or Denominations of Men, muft certainly hem, that there will be a difmal Slaughter of the Enemies of Chrift, upon the Refurrection of the Witneffes; the Remnant that escape will be, fo affrighted, as to give Glory to the God of Heaven. Upon this the fecond. Woe being paft, behold the third Woe cometh quickly, in the utter Ruin of all the Antichriftian Power. Then the feventh Angel will foon begin to found, with great Voices in Heaven, faying, the Kingdoms of this World is become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Chrift. As it is in the 12, 13, 14, and 15. Verfes, but this

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