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ner of plagues, as oft as they will.' Rev. xi. 5, 6.

Here is thewed, that if any despise the fimplicity of these two witneffes, and offer them wrong because of their bafenefs and contempt in the world, that there is a fire cometh out of their mouth, that is, the fiery and mighty power of the word of God, uttered out of their mouths, which overthroweth and overturneth their enemies; nay, as fire it confumeth them to afhes: for the minifters of the gofpel are armed with ready vengeance against all disobedience,' Therefore they are quite mad, and know not what they do, which oppose themselves against the true minifters of Chrift. For the fword which they fight with flayeth the reprobates in their fouls, though not in their bodies: for the ministry of the word is the favour of death to all unbelievers.

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That which is here fpoken of fhutting the heavens that it rain not; and turning the waters into blood,' Rev. xi. 6. is an allufion to Elias and Mofes: whereof the one by his prayer shut the heavens; the other by his rod turned the waters into blood. Now the faithful minifters of the gofpel are compared to thefe two, not because they should work fuch outward mira cles as they did, but because they should

be furnished with fpiritual power, which is far greater. For moft fure it is, that the invifible and fpiritual power, wherewith the minifters of the gofpel are armed, is very great and glorious, though the world fee it not, nor know it not. For the apoftle faith, The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but fpiritual, mighty through 'God to caft down holds, cafting down the imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of • God,' 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.

'And when they have finished their testimony, the beaft that cometh out of the bottomlefs pit, fhall make war against them, and kill them,' Rev. xi. 7.

Here is fet down the greatest cruelty and bloody tyranny which Antichrift should use against these faithful witneffes of our Lord Jefus. For although they overcome him with the fpiritual fword, which is the fire that cometh out of their mouths: yet for a time power was given to this beaft that cometh out of the bottomlefs pit, that is, the Pope and his adherents to murder God's faints with the material fword: but yet note that Antichrift can do nothing, till the two witneffes have finished their teftimony; fuch is God's care and providence for all his faithful fervants.

And their corps fhall lie in the streets

of the great city, which fpiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord alfo was crucified.' Rev. xi. 8.

By the great city, here is meant Rome; and yet not the city only of Rome, but, all the Roman empire, power, and jurifdictions, as afterward fhall be made manifeft. Now the corps and dead carcaffes, which were murdered and maffacred in all nations by Antichrift's tyranny, are here faid to lie in the streets of Rome, that is, to be caft forth into the open fields, as not worthy the honour of burial, in all places, countries, aud kingdoms within the Roman empire or jurifdiction of Rome, as we read to have been in England, Scotland, France, Ireland, Germany, and Spain. And as the Holy Ghoft faith, The dead bodies of thy fer'vants have they given to be meat to the 'fowls of the heaven; and the flesh of thy 'faints unto the beafts of the earth.'

Moreover, it is to be obferved, that Rome is here compared fpiritually, or by. a trope, to Sodom, and Egypt. To Sodom for filthinefs; for what city ever was, or is more filthy than Rome, the mother of 'whoredoms and abominations of the earth.' Rev. xvii. 5. And to Egypt for idolatry, and keeping God's people in spitual bondage.

Laft of all, it is here faid, that our Lord

Jefus was crucified at Rome, which may feem ftrange, fince all men know, that Chrift was crucified at Jerufalem. But to

anfwer this doubt, we are to understand, that in respect of the place, our Lord Jefus was crucified at Jerufalem: but if we refpect the power and authority that put him to death, he was crucified at Rome: for Christ was put to death by a Roman judge, by Roman laws, by Roman authority, by a kind of death proper only to the Romans, and in a place which then was within the Roman empire: and for this caufe it is here faid, that Chrift was crucified at Rome.

And they of the people, and kindreds, ' and tongues, and Gentiles, fhall see their corps three days and a half, and fhall not fuffer their corps to be put in the grave,' Rev. xi. 9.

Hitherto we have heard of the rage of Antichrift against the two witneffes: Now. further we are to understand of the malice and fury of all his adherents, that is, all Papifts, Atheists, and the rest of the blind people and feduced multitude, which did allow the Pope's cruelty in fhedding the blood of the martyrs; and they do teftify the allowance and approbation of the Pope's fact, and alfo their own malice and madnefs against them in this; that they will not wouchlafe them the honour of burial, but

caft out their dead bodies as carrion, or as the dead bodies of dogs or fwine: thereby fhewing that they esteemed them no better than fuch. Nay, we read that their hellish rage and madness was fo great and outragious, that they poured forth their malice upon the dead bones and carcaffes of God's faints and martyrs. For their bloody and moft malicious minds could not be fatisfied except they digged up the bodies of God's witneffes out of their graves and burnt them to afhes.

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Whereas it is faid,They fhall see their corps; the meaning is, that all the blind people within the Roman empire fhould be eye-witneffes of these things, and not only fo, but even great agents alfo in the flaughter of God's people.

By three days and an half,' which is half a week, he meaneth all the time of Antichrift's reign, and tyrannical government, as before hath been fhewed. For thefe three days and a half, being in prophetical computation three years and a half, fignify the fame things that the two and forty months, and a thoufand 'two hundred and threefcore days as before faid.

And they, that dwell upon the earth 4fhall rejoice over them and be glad, and 'fhall fend gifts one to another: for thefe

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