and so slaine with the sword that the Fowles were filled with the flesh of them that were slaine chap. 19. verse 20. A strange thing to me if any should dreame these things to be done only Spiritually or in the world to come There proceeded indeed the sword out of his mouth that is Christ bid his Saints to slay them which afore and after yee have explained but they were materially or corporally slaine as the time weapon and their buriall in the bowels of Birds challenge that sence yea marke further the Armies ruine is put in Counter-destruction or opposition to the ruine of their Chieftain or Chieftaines whose destruction was to be cast ALIVE into the Lake therefore the slaying of the Army with the sword to be devoured by the Fowles must signifie a Corporall destruction § 3 Now this destruction Chap. 19.20 cannot be at the ultimate Day of â—udgement for that day is not till after the destruction of Gog and Magog which is long after the destruction of Antichrist vers 8 9 10 11 12 c. of this twentieth Chapter clearly distinguished from that destruction of Antichrist by two notable circumstances including many other particulars of order time place c. ¶ The first Circumstance is That Gog and Magog warre against the Saints whiles they are in their injoyment of their glorious peace after the said Saints had reigned a thousand yeares ver 7.8 when they had been partakers long afore viz. at the beginning of the thousand yeares of the first resurrection as a pledge that they should not dye the second death at the second Resurrection ver 6. after that they had reigned and as Kings and Priests and too with Christ a thousand years in the same sixt verse none of which particulars can consist with supernal ultimate glory when Christ himselfe layes downe all his power 1 Cor. 15.28 And after they have injoyed this condition a thousand yeares then and not till then begins the Gogicall-Magogicall warre upon which comes the destruction on Gogmagog ver 7 8 9. but the warre of Antichrist in the nineteenth Chapter is when the Saints are in great trouble their bloud had been poured out unavenged till then vers 2. the earth corrupted ibid. The Nations are till now to be smitten and to be RVLE'D with a ROD of Iron ver 15. The Wine presse of the fiercenesse and wrath of God Almighty to be trodden ibid. with many the like intimations throughout the Chapter of the different state of the Church now a thousand yeeres before Christ came to destroy Gogmagog as the sequell of the twentieth Chapter makes the compute ¶ The second Circumstance is That after the thousand yeares of Satans binding and Antichrists destruction Satan is againe let loose he seduceth Gog and Magog and then the Devill himselfe Chap. 20.10 is cast into the Lake of fire WHERE WERE the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET which had been cast in there formerly Chap. 19. ver 20. evidently pointing at the destruction of Antichrist as finished long afore the fore-being there of the Beast and false Prophet being made the description of Hell as sometimes the portion of Hypocrites is the description thereof § 4 The next passage in this twentieth Chapter of Revelation is what he saw in ver 4. John saw Thrones and they that sate upon them and judgement was given to them and he saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image neither had received his mark upon their fore-heads or in their hands the meaning of all which you have in the next Chapter viz. the 21. for vers 1. it is said And I saw a new heaven and a new earth little reason to mention earth if it had been to describe a state in heaven above The place is taken out of Isa 65.17 as Peter hints 2 Pet. 3.13 We according to his PROMISE looke for new heavens and a new earth I say out of Isa 65.17 where God promiseth unto the Jewes to build new Heavens and a new earth but with all mentions their injoying of houses and vine yards In the second Verse of the one and twentieth Chapter it is said John saw new Hierusalem indeed that on earth is old but nothing is old in the highest Heavens so that nothing there can be said to be new therefore this cannot be meant of that heaven It is expresse It comes downe from heaven therefore it cannot expresse a state in that supernall heaven even as it followes PREPARED as a Bride which plainly evinceth that it is not meant of ultimate glory where the Church is not prepared that is done in this world but perfected as vers 3. it is said I heard a voyce OVT of heaven to import that it was of things not in the supreame Heaven viz. That the tabernacle of God is with men where God WILL dwell with them which if meant of the supernall Heaven would have been exprest in a contrary phrase viz. The tabernacle of men is with God for there is no need of a promise to assure us that in the highest Heavens God will dwell with us Agreeable to which the fourth verse promiseth that all teares shall be wiped away of which promise as in relation to the supreame Heaven there was not the least need since God made it but knowne to the Sonnes of men that they shall inherit that place all sorts Christians Heathens c. easily know and beleeve that there in that place are no teares nor cause of teares as appeares in the Christians Creed and the Heathens Doctrines of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their Elysian fields Every thing in that Heaven is so good that it cannot be made as in verse 5. new that is better No need there of that in the sixth verse either promise or performance to give unto him that is athirst of the fountaine of the water of life It is enough for God to promise that Heaven as Paul thought it enough to say Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ if we be once there we shall not thirst Even as there according to ver 7. shall be no striving to overcome much lesse to overcome that in ver 8. Feare and unbeliefe c. They in the supernall Heaven have overcome all things therefore all these demonstrate that this Chapter is of a state on earth not of one in supreame glory of such a state on earth it is proper to say as v. 7. He that possesseth it shal inherit all things not only Gods presence but also all things though as yet all things are not subject to Christ himselfe Heb. 2.8 and he shal be Gods Sonne For if we beleeve we now are the Sons of God afore we come to ultimate glory then this promised with a shal be must signifie a suture estate and on earth because of other circumstances as we are now enumerating that
the Apostle declines the word Jews or Israelites and useth a more generall word including Jews and Gentiles that shall beleeve calling them the people of God Observe further that the Apostle expresseth the REST that he asserts yet to remain by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbatisme as we may say a Sabbathisme that is a rest answering to the Sabbath that God appointed to man in the state of innocency For by the Apostles argument God so ordered it from the beginning that one REST should aptly typifie another 2 ¶ These things being premised the maine question hence is what REST is here meant we grant that subordinata non sunt contraria things subordinate will well enough submit unto an agreement in their descending line of order And so no doubt but that the Apostle includes herein as the internall spirituall rest of grace so also the eternall rest in ultimate glory ALL the rests mentioned in Scripture harmoniously typifying one another The rest of the Sabbath should seem by the Apostles method typified the rest in Canaan and that in Canaan another rest yet to come c. But the precise question is what REST most distinctly and more immediately the Apostle here drives at and argues for First For the rest on the Sabbath the Jewes had both past and present therefore that cannot be the minde of the Apostle Secondly For the rest in Canaan that their fore-fathers had long since and in the Apostles time some remnant of Jewes was there as appeares by the History of the Acts Chap. 2. Chap. 15. c. Thirdly For the spirituall rest by grace in the state of regeneration and actings of faith hope joy c. the Jewes to whom Paul writes knew so well that the Apostle needed not to use so many arguments to prove it unto them For they knew it partly by the book of the Old Testament partly by their sacrifices of Propitiation and Peace partly by the examples of many Saints mentioned with fame in their Bible partly by experience in many of them I meane they being converts they felt what was the inward spirituall rest peace and comfort by grace Heb. 6.9 BELOVED wee are perswaded better things of you and such as ACCOMPANY SALVATION 3 ¶ Fourthly therefore at first sight one would be apt to think that the Apostle in this Chapter must mainly minde the eternall rest in ultimate supernall glory But pardon me that I cannot bring my spirit to beleeve that to be the Apostles maine and immediate meaning for these reasons First the Apostle needed not so much to labour as in this Text he doth by severall arguments to prove to the Jewes THAT there is a state of ultimate glory and an eternall rest therein being a thing in the quod sit viz. that there is such a thing in a good measure knowne to the heathen in their doctrine of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Homer brings in the friends of the widows whose husbands were slaine in the Trojan war comforting them with this That their deceased husbands souls were gone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the invisible world of eternal blisse For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned so much by Homer to signifie an happy and eternall rest and of the Elysian fields so oft repeated by their Poets whom they called their Prophets and their Philosophers Treatises of the Immortality of the Soule Secondly none dares say that all the soules of all them whose bodies fell in the wildernesse of which the Apostle speakes went to the Hell of the damned and that none of them went to the eternall rest in Heaven but ought rather to thinke that at least many of them entred into that eternall rest because the Apostle saith precisely Heb. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their carcases he saith not their souls fell in the wildernesse as the Scripture notes it as a marke of Gods favour that though Nadab and Abihu were punished with death by fire yet nor their bodies nor cloaths were consumed Levit. 10.5 And though the good old Prophet were slaine by the Lion for his sinne yet he was not devoured or torne by the Lion 1 King 13.18 Thirdly the great want the Jewes were in at present when Paul wrote to them was that they the twelve Tribes for the most were scattered as Peter expressely shews 2 Pet. 1.1 and James chap. 1. v. 1. more fully into many Countries And hereby they were perplexed from the quiet injoyment in their spirits either spe or re of any sort of rest For an outward rest is the faire opportunity both in hope and hold to enjoy all sorts of rests And therefore the Apostle striveth so much with so many arguments to prove to the Jewes that now after their dispersion so many hundred yeers tenne Tribes continuedly for the space of three Monarchies and the fourth begun and two Tribes by turnes as long there yet remained to them according to all the Prophesies of the Prophets an externall rest yet to come And therefore as most parallel and pat to that hee takes up the comparation collation and parity of the Rest of God after the Creation and their rest on the Sabbath and the rest that many of their progenitors had in Canaan as most apt arguments to hold forth to them being Jewes an external rest which yet did remaine for them according to the said Prophets as a thing yet not fulfilled But when it shall be fulfilled then in it they shall have a fuller enjoyment of their spirituall and ecclesiasticall or Church-peace Just as Peter spake to them scattered as aforesaid not onely touching their spiritual rest and state of grace which he allowes them then to have in actuall possession when he wrote to them by acknowledging their precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 but also of the externall rest they should have for a thousand yeares in a new earth 2 Pet. 3. and bids them stick to the Prophets till Christ the Day-star should arise upon them being now ascended Even so Paul likewise in this fourth to the Hebrewes doth mainly speake to their outward condition in which their Spirituall was involved And this is more fairly probable because the Disciples themselves having seene Christs Incarnation Passion and Resurrection with all his singular Doctrines and transcending Miracles did yet notwithstanding enquire and looke for a visible state of rest Acts 1.6 4 ¶ Upon these considerations there is a strong impression on my spirit that though a relative intimation of internall and eternall rest needs not to be excluded yet the Apostles maine designe is precisely to hold forth the eminent externall rest that the Jewes shal yet injoy on earth being gathered into one Church with the Gentiles injoying thereby spirituall peace so as becomes an exact preface to ultimate glory and for that end the Apostle calls it as we said afore not glory not a state in the highest heavens but a Sabbatisme and Heb. 2. in the inhabitable world and this he saith
generall Judgement because then is a totall destruction not an appearance for conversion of them that are found in unbeleefe Then is the Saints full enjoyment of utmost glory not their striving with the Nations Then Christ layes downe all power 1 Cor. 15. therefore doth not put power into the hands of his people SECT XI The eleventh place in the New Testament is Revel 3.21 To him that over-cometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also over-came and am set downe with my Father in his Throne § 1 VVHat can we make of this Text unlesse we understand the Saints viz. sincere Soules and cordiall Christians that persevere to the end reigning with Christ on EARTH As it is by and by added chap. 5.10 which the foure Animals and twenty foure Elders expresse in a Song of praise to Christ Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall REIGN ON EARTH On which our New Annotations confesse That this may signifie the PROSPEROVS TIMES OF THE CHURCH UNDER CHRISTIAN KINGS AND EMPEROVRS Dan. 7.27 which place as we have largely afore demonstrated * Pag. 126. S. 4. p. 127 c. Again p. 249 Sect. 36. c. doth plainly signifie the glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come Psa 37.11 But the meek shall INHERIT THE EARTH Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall INHERIT THE EARTH Thus they which must signifie a State to come as the expression is in the Future tence and experience shewes us that in past times the meeke have not in the generall INHERITED the earth but in all Ages have been sorely disturbed and distressed That state of Christs Kingdome hath not yet come for it followes in this text deeply to be considered that § 2 It is granted here by Christ himselfe that as he is God and Man he hath not hitherto sate upon his owne Throne but upon his Fathers Throne the highest heaven of glory should seem is the Fathers Throne as it is oft expressed in the Old Testament Psal 11.4 Isa 66.1 c. And there Christ is now Coloss 3.1 but the time is yet to come according to the future expression of the text long after Christs Ascension that Christ must have a Throne of his owne on which together with him those that overcome shall sit § 3 Now this must needs be on earth because after the Judgement Day on earth Rev. 20.11 c. to the end of the chapter Christ layes downe all his power 1 Cor. 15.24 28. SECT XII The Twelfth and last place in the New Testament which we shall urge for this particular under consideration is Revel the 18. 19. chapters § 1 THe Prophesies whereof are not yet fulfilled to this day so long since the Ascension of Christ ¶ 1. Note that ver 2. of the eighteenth Chapter where it is said Babylon is fallen is fallen for whether wee understand New Babylon figuratively so called viz. Rome described by her seven Hils and seven sorts of Government and the ten Kingdoms under the seventh Rev. 17.9 10 11 12. or old Babylon properly so named viz. where the Jewes were held captive neither of them since this Prophesie are so fallen as is described in the following Verses of this Chapter of which by and by but stil the Popish Antichrist possesseth the one and the Turkish the other and both in the ruffe to this very day ¶ 2. Nor is that in the fourth and sixth verses yet fulfilled wherein the People of God are commanded saying Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works and the cup which she hath filled fill to her double for the people of God have not yet rewarded her either old or new Babylon single but as ver 7. Shee glorifies her selfe and lives deliciously yea and oppresseth the people of God ¶ 3. Nor is that yet fulfilled vers 8. That her Plagues have come in one day viz. Death and Mourning and Famine and utter burning But she both elder and younger stands in great glory to this day ¶ 4. Nor is that yet fulfilled ver 9. That the Kings of the earth that have committed Spirituall fornication and lived deliciously with her shal bewaile her and lament for her seeing the smoake of her burning But generally they rejoyce with her and for her glory in which she is at this day ¶ 5. Nor is that yet fulfilled mentioned from verse eleventh to the end of the nineteenth of the mourning of the Merchants over her destruction by fire standing afarre off crying Alas alas But contrariwise they flocke to her trade with her and admire her glory It is true the Gothes and Vandals have conquered new Babylon and spoyled her as we mentioned afore but not she nor old Babylon is yet totally destroyed by fire that there should be no Candle seen or Milstone heard in them ver 20. 22. but both flourish with great glory in their dominion over the people of God ¶ 6. Nor is that in the twentieth verse yet fulfilled that the holy Apostles and Prophets have yet since this Text was penned ever rejoyced in the destruction of either Babylons but both Babylons doe yet triumph in their owne prosperity and power over the Nations and among them over many Saints vers 7. yea the rejoycing of the Apostles and Prophets over Babylons destruction doth signifie one would thinke the triumph of the Church over their enemies on earth at the first Resurrection of which wee have so largely spoken afore For when else possibly can the Prophets and Apostles rejoyce over the destruction of Babylon § 2 ## For so it followes in the nineteenth Chapter and first seven Verses spoken over foure times Hallelujah that is as it is englished in verse the fift Praise yee God which praise is given to God by the foure Animals and twenty foure Elders and of a great multitude Why because Gods Judgements are righteous and true Wherein Because he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the earth and hath avenged the bloud of the Saints at her hand And he the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth and the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her selfe ready ¶ 1. Which last clauses cleerly relate to the first Resurrection wherein all the Saints rise so that the ruine of Babylon and the raising of the Saints immediatly concurre with the sorrow of the one and the triumph of the other But these have not been fulfilled to this day as the contrary face of things gives evident testimony ¶ 2. Nor is that fulfilled from the eighth verse of the nineteenth Chapter to the end of the Chapter of the glory of the Church of the glorious appearance of Christ and of the corporall destruction of all whatsoever that take part against Christ and his Church largely discussed afore more then once out of this Chapter But these things as sure as Christ is the
happinesse then it must not be taken from them by the old misery of death If all the Elect dead and alive must reigne on earth a thousand yeers as we have proved then there must be no death to cut this time shorter They doe not reigne if subject in the thousand yeers to that great enemy Death Nor do any of them live a thousand yeers if by succession they dye in that thousand yeers If there shall be no more sorrow nor cries nor paines as wee heard afore how then can this Man-eater death continue If sinne be gone why should death remaine § 2 But to leave discourses and come to plaine places of Scripture which are divers ¶ 1 Isa 25.8 He i. e. the Lord mentioned in the former verses will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people c. Wee before demonstrated that this place belongs to the glorious time we speake of sc when the Jewes are called And you see how full it speaks to the thing of the removal of death Calvin confesseth that this is under Christs Kingdome and addes under Christs universal Kingdom And sure Christ as Christ hath no Kingdom in heaven after the ultimate judgement nor universal now ¶ 2 Another place is in Hos 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave And I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I wil be thy destruction Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes Which place is evidently spoken to Ephraim the ten Tribes verse 12. therefore this cannot relate to the return of the two Tribes from Babylon And it is as evident that more then a spiritual deliverance of a mans soul from death in sin is meant in that here is joyned deliverance from the grave with deliverance from death And twice a mention of grave But much adoe there is with some that would faine make this Text a continuation of the Prophets minatory speech in the former Chapter But the words are plaine words of mercy and a Prophesie of mercy quoted by Paul not onely that God can doe such a thing as in the Text but that he will do it Again how common is it for the Prophets in their preaching mifericordias cum minis mifcere to mingle mercies with minatories So that they may as well say almost that the 14. Chapter is a continuation of threatnings It is frequent in this Prophesie to make threats and comforts so take their turnes Chap. 1. Chap. 2. c. And to me it is plaine and evident that as it is noted in our English Translation at verse 9. begins a Sermon of mercy and so is continued to the end of the 14. verse It is said in verse 9. O Israel thou not I hast destroyed thy self Thou hast brought thy misery on thy selfe But I will be thy King where is any other to save thee in all thy Cities So plainly according to Heb. And for experience the Lord tells Ephraim that the King they desired and had could not save them And therefore God was their onely saving King and therefore was not pleased in giving them a King and in anger did he take away Kings from them because of their confidence in them but this taking them away would make way for their imbracing God for their King according to that which follows in the ensuing promises As for verse 12. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up and hid Hiding as well sounds of justification and pardon of sin Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.7 as of punishment And for the 13. verse close to the Hebrew thus Sorrows of a woman in travel will come upon him viz. Ephraim He an unwise Sonne * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If vid. Schindl if he shall stay long in the breaking forth of children i. e. in the straitnesse of the womb i. e. If by repentance he doe not help himselfe out of his sorrows But however verse 14. I sayes the Lord if Ephraim be unwise and helps not himselfe yet I the Lord will ransome them c. as aforesaid Sure enough these words are plaine for the point in hand even as both those two places aforesaid are severall times quoted in the New Testament and applied to a state that is to be afore the ultimate day of judgement ¶ 3 For 1. both places seem to mee to be touched in 1 Cor. 15.54 55. As our new notes on the Bible concur with mee For in the 54. verse seems to be quoted Isa 25.8 For the Apostles words are plainly the same with Isaiah Death is swallowed up in victory And in 55. verse seems a quotation of Hos 13.14 For the Apostles challenge is plainly according to Hosea O grave where is thy victory Secondly The Apostle makes application of the fulfilling of these Prophesies to be at the time we speak of sc of the visible glory of the Church on earth For which observe these particulars First The Apostle mentions our restitution to our state in the first Adam by Christ the second Adam v. 49. compared with Psal 8. As Psal 8. with Gen. 1.26 to which end the visible glorious state of the Church is set out by having a Fountain and Tree of life alluding to Paradise Rev. 22. All which import a state upon earth Secondly That the Apostle mentions the time to be at the sound of the last Trumpet importing other Trumpets to sound first so that the last Trumpet is the seventh as John numbers them not hid from Paul Now from the beginning of the sounding of the seventh Trumpet so many things follow as wee have several times demonstrated that there must of necessity be a state of the Churches visible glory before the ultimate day of judgement For when Rev. 11.15 the seventh Angel sounded then First There was an Earthquake v. ibid. Secondly A proclaiming that the Kingdomes of the earth are the Kingdomes of Christ v. 15. Christ shall reign for ages of ages till time be no more ibid. Fourthly Saints sing praise for it v. 16 17. Fifthly Christ takes to him his great power and now reigns v. 17. Sixthly Nations are angry at it v. 18. Seventhly The Saints are raised and rewarded v. 18. Eighthly A destroying of them that destroyed the earth and care is taken of the earth v. 18. Ninthly The Temple of God is opened and the Arke discovered v. 19. Tenthly Lightinings and thundrings and earthquakes and great haile v. 19. All these here beside that in Rev. 20. Rev. 21. Rev. 22. From the beginning of the seventh Trumpet to the end of it Now let any ingenuous man judge by these ten particulars whether they are consistent with heaven above and whether they must not necessarily import a state on earth So that the Apostle here in this 1 Cor. 15. mentioning the raising of the Saints the cloathing of them with incorruption and the changing of them that are alive quoting those two
great things And that this day of ours which is bounded with the rising and setting of the sun doth bear the image of the GREAT DAY which a certain circuit of yeers doth determine After the same manner the forming of the earthly man did carry before it the formation in future of an heavenly people For as when all things were finished God made man last upon the sixth day and brought him into this world as into an house well furnished So now in the GREAT SIXTH DAY the TRUE MAN is formed by the Word of God that is the holy people is figured unto righteousnesse by the doctrine and precepts of God And as then he was made of the earth mortall and imperfect that he might live a thousand yeers in this world He alludes to the Fathers before the flood who lived each of them neer a thousand yeers So now the perfect man is framed of this terrestrial world that being made alive by God he may reigne in this same world for the space of a thousand yeers And saith Lactantius in the fifteenth Chapter of the said seventh Booke As it is in the Scriptures how and for what necessity Israel went down into Egypt there exceedingly multiplyed but oppressed with an intolerable yoke of Bondage God smote Egypt led his people through the red Sea but there drowned the Egyptians endeavouring to pursue the flying Israelites so this famous exploit was a figure of a greater thing to bee which God will bring to passe in the last consummation of times namely that God will deliver his people from the grievous servitude of the world But though God then smote onely Egypt because his people was but one Nation yet now because Gods people are over all the world and every where oppressed by the world God will smite all Nations even all the whole world and deliver his righteous people that worship him And as then there were certaine foresignes by which the the future ruine of the Egyptians was foreshewn So at the last shall bee prodigious wonders by all the elements of the world whereby may bee understood that ruine to all Nations is at hand For so then shall righteousnesse become rate and impiety so multiply that if there bee any good men then extant they shall bee as a prey to the wicked c. Then shall ruine over-run the world The cause of which devastation and confusion shall bee because the Roman authority by which now the world is over ruled MY SOULE saith Lactantius FEARES TO SPEAKE IT BUT I WILL SPEAKE IT BECAUSE IT SHALL COME TO PASSE shall bee taken away from the earth and the EMPIRE shall returne into ASIA and the EAST shall have againe the DOMINION and the WEST shall bee made servile Nor may it be a wonder that so huge and massie an Empire so long continuing and strongly confirmed should fall seeing there is no thing made by man but may bee destroyed by man even as the Emperialty was brought downe from the Assyrians to the Persians from them to the Grecians and from them to the Romans Seneca did not ineptly distribute the times of the CITY of Rome into Ages The first he said was her Infancy under Romulus c. And her first old age was when torne with civil warres she turned to be twy-child c. And if these things be so what remaines but death should follow old age And that this shall shortly come to passe the Sermons of the Prophets under the covert of other names that all might not easily understand doe denounce But the Sibyls doe speak it openly that Rome shall bee destroyed because shee hated the name of God and opposed righteousnesse And Hydospis a most ancient King of the Medes even afore the Trojan race was set up prophesied the same Saith Lactantius Chap. 16. how that shall bee lest any one should thinke it incredible I will declare first the Regality and chiefe power shall bee multiplied into many and cut and minced into crummes Then perpetual civil discords shall bee sowne and never shall bee any quier TEN KINGS shall stand up together who shall not suffer the world to bee ruled but to be ruined Then upon a sudden shall rise up against them a most potent Enemy from the utmost bounds of the North who by meanes of three of that number possessing Asia extinguished shall bee taken into the society of the rest and by them shall bee made chiefe Of them all This man shall domineer vex mingle divine and humane things subvert Lawes establish his owne and shall waste destroy and kill The name and seat of the Empire being changed there shall follow the confusion and vexation of all mankinde And that nothing may bee wanting to the misery of men a Trumpet shall sound from heaven according to that the Sibyl hath denounced giving a manifold lamenting sound whereupon all shall tremble Then from the wrath of God against unrighteous men shall rage sword and fire and famine c. Then according to the Sibyls verses The world shall bee unworlded c. scarce the tenth part of men shall bee left c. But saith Lactantius Chap. 17. I will yet plainlier explain how it shall come to passe The conclusion of times being at hand a great Prophet shall bee sent of God who shall convert men unto the knowledge of God c. And the wicked shall bee destroyed c. which hee shews in many and sundry particulars Then Lactantius in the eighteenth Chapter of the same Booke quotes divers Authors to that purpose As Hydaspes and Hermes and the Sibyls out of which two latter hee doth not onely minde the maine point hee hath in hand but also alleadge out of them that Christ is the Sonne of God And saith Lactantius Chapter 19. of the aforesaid seventh Booke The circle of the whole earth being oppressed at which time humane strength shall bee unable to destroy the tyranny of immense power God moved with the doubtfull power of his people and with their miserable lamentations shall forthwith send the Deliverer Then shall the midst of heaven bee opened in a quiet blacke night so that the light of God descending shall appear over all the world as lightning which the Sibyls expresse thus When as he shall come darknesse in a blacke midnight shall bee as fire c. Of which there is a double reason In the night he was borne and in the night hee suffered death And so after these in the night hee shall receive the * Kingdome of the earth This * is the Deliverer and Judge * the Revenger and King and * GOD which wee call Christ And hee shall descend his Angels accompanying him c. After this saith Lactantius Chap. 20. The places of the dead shall bee opened and the dead shall rise againe and the GREAT JUDGEMENT * shall bee performed by God * Christ concerning them of which Judgement and Kingdome the Erythrean Silyl thus speakes When that DAY shall receive its fatal
by ascention to possesse the Kingdome of glory there to be installed into this on earth That being the originall of this or that being the Emperiality to which this the Tributary or Province Or Heaven being the Metropolis this below the Territories Sure enough expresse it is that he went away into a far Country which can be no other but heaven Christ having never travelled bodily out of his owne Country Secondly that though hee were before his going a Noble-man and had the Regiment or Government over a Royalty he had servants he had the command of imploying them as he listed And had the power of rewarding or punishing as he pleased so that the unprofitable servant that improved not his Talent he cast into utter darknesse where was weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 25.30 All which in that Matth. 25.14 c. is called the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Kingdome of Grace as appears in the former Parable of the Virgins the same in sence v. 1. c. Yet thirdly it is said this Noble-man went into a far Country to receive for himselfe another Kingdome and to returne vers 12. where as his receiving the Kingdome is put before his returning So on the other side it is said He returned receiving a Kingdome vers 15. * Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Arias renders in redire ipsum accipientem regâ—um where his returning is put before his receiving the Kingdome so that both Kingdomes must be here meant viz. Christ receiving the Kingdome of glory afore his returne and his Kingdome of visible power of reigning on earth after his returne For meerly his Kingdome of glory in Heaven cannot be here understood because touching his reigning there it was in vaine unpossible and altogether unlikely for his enemies to send an ambassage after him saying They would not have him to reigne over them And meerly his Kingdome of grace cannot bee here understood because that is otherwise expressed under the comparison of Talents compare Matth 25. And moreover it is here distinctly set downe that he is to goe into a far Country and then actually to receive another Kingdome partly before he returned and partly after he returned even as there is a diversity of actions In that Kingdome of Grace there is mentioned onely the neglect of improving the Talents but in this Kingdome of visible power received after his returne there is an high affront offered they send a message that they would not have him to reigne Again there is diversity of names The former are called Servants The latter are called Enemies Adde that there is a different dispensation of justice The unprofitable servant is put into a darke prison but the enemies must bee slaine AFORE HIM Therefore of necessity here must be hinted the Kingdome of Christs visible power That was it the Jewes expected yea and the best of them viz. the Disciples as we have heard afore and therefore to that Christ here speaks And for that Christ did not set up this at his coming in the flesh delivering them from the Romans therefore his Citizens his enemies hated him and sent a message after him They hated him as in relation of having him to be their visible King or King of visible Dominion when they cryed at his arraignment They had no King but Caesar And they sent an embassage after him when after his death in opposition to that kingly-hood they were angry with Pilate for writing in the Title set over him in Hebrew Greek and Latine THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWES § 5 There are also severall other passages in this Parable for Christs visible appearance and setting up his visible Kingdome of power on earth yet before the ultimate day of judgement As first His giving to the improvers of their Talents to one the rule over ten Cities to another the rule over five Cities And the Talent of him that had improved nothing to him that had improved much all which compared with the preface of the Parable touching the appearing of the Kingdome cannot in any thing well relate to the state of meer supernall eternall glory in the highest Heavens 2 His causing his enemies to bee slaine afore his face suits not to Christs meer Kingdome of grace whose Dominion precisely considered is in the power of the Gospel Nor doth it comport and comply with the ultimate day of judgement when instead of slaying enemies there is a making them alive And instead of punishing them before Christs face there is a sending them away from the presence of the Lord into eternal judgement But these extremely well agree with Christs appearing to set up his visible Kingdome of power For then Christ shall destroy his Antichristian Jewish and Gentilish and mixt Turkish enemies with the brightnesse of his appearance as hath been opened upon 2 Thess 2. in Sect 4. of this second Book And shall slay them corporally Revelat. 19. latter end § 6 Indeed the whole Parable appears to them that can leave the commonr ode of Tradition and wishly minde and ingeniously weigh the passages and preface thereof to aime at Christs next coming to set up such a Kingdome as shall not onely perfect the spirituall deliverance of the Gentiles but also to performe the temporall deliverance of the Jewes from their dispersion and corporall miseries For the naturall current of the Parable runnes thus Christ being neer Hierusalem the Jewes thought the Kingdome of God would immediately appeare Doubtlesse it was far from their thoughts in the captive condition they were now in to expect the appearance of the Kingdome of glory in Heaven For the hundreds of promises of their deliverance from the corporall captivity were not fulfilled And for the Kingdome of grace these men little minded And the better sort viz. the Disciples and Beleevers had seen it appeare already therefore it is the other Kingdome of Christ viz. that of his visible power and rule to deliver them from their corporall enemies that they supposed would immediately appeare Now to this saith Christ It will not immediatly appeare but I must saith he first goe into a farre Country viz. into Heaven and there be instated and Crowned King and after that come againe and actually and visibly reigne the meane while you to whom I have given Talents that is have endowed with gifts must imploy them and at my return as a signe of my visible actuall power I will take account of you and cause mine enemies that oppose my visible reigning to bee slaine afore me § 7 Now at the ultimate day of Judgement Christ receives no Kingdome but resignes all his Kingdome Power and Dominion 1. Cor. 15.28 CHAP. III. Of five places out of the Old Testament to prove the visible appearance of Christ to the Church on earth at the time of her restauration SECT I. The first place is out of Dan. 7.11 to end of the Chapter § 1 THis place we put first because it doth give much light
wherein the Jewes are excluded but a calling wherein the Jewes shall have a share of the greatest glory and to have a preeminence above other Nations when ALL NATIONS SHAL FLOW UNTO THEM and walke in their light for the calling of the remainder of the world which is not yet under Christ is reserved for the solemnizing of the Iewes RESTAURATION This is that calling and that time which hee calls the FVLNESSE of the GENTILES conjoyned with the saving of ALL ISRAEL Rom. 11.25 This is that time whereof he speakes That if the present FALL of the Iewes be the RICHES OF THE WORLD and their DECAY the RICHES OF THE GENTILES how much more shall their FVLNESSE be the fulnesse of the Gentiles This is that glorious time which the Prophesie of this text principally if not altogether intended which is not yet fulfilled While the Roman Iron part of Nebuchadnezzart Image stood a stone was hewne out of the mountaine without hands This is the first call of the world hitherto At length the time of the feet of the Image coming that the stone smote them the wind blowes the Image away wholly and there was no more place found for any part thereof which was no sooner done but the stone which smote the Image swelled into a great Mountaine and filled the whole earth This is the time of the fulnesse of Christs Kingdome the FULNESSE of the Gentiles This is the time when THE MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE shall be established on the TOPS of the MOUNTAINES namely when the small stone of Christs Kingdome which is now in being shall smite the brittle feet of the last remainder of the Romane State now subsisting in the Popedome in whom the divided toes of too many Kingdomes are united c SECT XII § 1 THe second place in Isaiah for our Thesis is chap. 9. ver 6. For unto us a childe is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the GOVERNMENT shall be on his shoulders and his name shall be called WONDERFULL Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Ver. 7. Of the INCREASE of his GOVERNMENT and peace there shall be NO END upon the THRONE of DAVID and upon HIS KINGDOME to ORDER IT and to ESTABLISH IT with judgement and with justice from hence-forth and for ever The zeale of the Lord of Hosts will performe this Of this place we shall speake more briefly § 2 This text is very comprehensive apparently griping within its armes a large tract of Time from Christs Incarnation throughout all the processe of his Government untill the end of the ultimate Judgement as the words from hence-forth and for ever doe expresse therefore the Reader must not hang downe his head poring only upon the Birth of Christ as it is said in the beginning of this text To us a childe is borne but must lift up his eyes to the utmost of this glorious prospect here presented in the close upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdome he shall sit to order it and to establish it c. from henceforth and for ever § 3 It is not worth while for us to content with the late Jewish Rabbins that say this text is meant of Hezekiah we heard but now that the ancienter Rabbins and Talmud and their Targum or Chalde Paraphrase following them are contrary to that interpreting this text of the Messiah as they had an invincible reason so to doe in that the stile given to him here meant is incompatible and inconsistent with any but with God incarnate that is Christ Jesus the true Messiah And as little reason had those later Rabbins to interpret this Text of Hezekiah who was borne a good space of time before the date of this Prophesie yea and divers yeers before his Father Ahaz sate upon the Throne For Hezekiah was five and twenty yeers old at his fathers death whereas Ahaz his father had reigned in all but sixteen yeers 2 Kings 16.2 and chap. 18. v. 2. § 4 Leaving therefore all improbable and impertinent conceits of men let us come to the businesse to finde out the excellent state that shall be set up under the government of the Messiah before the ultimate judgement Our late Annotationists make for me a faire preface meetly conducing to the true sense of the words which we intend That the deliverances say they of Gods people and the pulling downe of such mighty POTENTATES whether SECULAR or SPIRITUALL mark their words may not seem impossible and incredible the Prophet now proceedeth to declare who it is and what manner of person by whom all that hath been said shall be effected even the Messias the eternall Sonne of God whom God shall raise up to be the King and Governour of his Church so they But we have a more sure word to confirme this interpretation Luke 1.31 32 33. And the Angel said unto Mary c. Thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Sonne and shalt call his name Jesus He shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his FATHER DAVID and he shall reigne over the house of JACOB for EVER and of his Kingdome there shall be NO END § 5 Now lay this of Isaiah and Luke together and then read what they spell unto us Namely first That the meaning of this Text is not of spirituals onely but also of temporals The FOR in the beginning premised by Isaiah as a meet inference plainly sounds of a proof in this Text to demonstrate an assurance of the deliverance of Israel as is set forth in the fourth and fifth verses viz. Thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen and the staffe of his shoulder and the rod of his OPPRESSOUR as in the day of MIDIAN * Observe Gideons victories used to signifie this deliverance therefore not onely spiritual c. and it shall be as with battel and blood so with burning and fuel of fire But these words if weighed ** For close to the Hebrew the words run thus For every battle of the Warrier with noise and garments rowled in blood shall be also unto burning and fuel of fire cannot without violence be wrested to signifie only spirituall deliverances as our Annotationists also affirme with us whose words upon the fourth verse are these Having declared the greatnesse of their joy he proceeds to shew the ground of it their deliverance and freedome from the straits and thraldome of their enemies as well CORPORALL as Spirituall Therefore this Text is Gods giving security to his people of deliverance of them from temporall as well as spirituall oppressions troubles c. by Jesus Christ after that he hath finished the workes of his incarnation by passion resurrection ascention and assession at Gods right hand according to Psal 110. of which we have spoken plentifully afore Secondly That Christ was invested with these Attributes and Omnipotentiall Properties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
abide many days without a King and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice and without an Image or Statue and without an Ephod and without a Teraphim Afterwards shall the children of ISRAEL return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the later days § 1 Note in the first place of whom this is prophesied viz. of Israel twice express in the Text as once before vers 1. Therefore the Ten Tribes must not be excluded to which Lyran speaks well Post vocationem c. After the call of the Gentiles is prophesied the FINAL conversion of the Jews in general which will more appear by the following particular As § 2 Next consider the condition this people of whom the Prophet speaks shall be in and how long ere they be delivered viz. 1. They shall many days be without a King and without a Prince i. e. without any Civil Politie either Monarchical or Aristocratical c. of their own Nation Suitably Grotius well notes They shall have not onely no King but no man of their own Nation endowed with any jurisdiction The Sept. therefore rightly render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ruler And the Chalde by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. And without any that takes or undertakes the rule over Israel So that this while they have of and among themselves no State polity at all 2. They shall so long be without a Sacrifice and without a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matizebah which though our English renders Image yet Hierom Grotius and our ordinary Steptuagint render it sihe altari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without an altar To justifie whom therein I have this to say That Mattzebah signifies a Pillar or Stone erected in honor to God as the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies no more but to stand or to make to stand and the Hebrews put onely this difference between it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mitzbach an Altar The Pillar consisted of one stone the Altar of many The Pillar was erected for the offering or pouring out of oyl upon it the altar was for sacrifice And therefore were these Pillars lawful before the settlement of the Law by Moses See Gen. 28.18 22. 31.13 45 51 52. 35.14 20. And the Septuagint there renders this erected stone by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Pillar And to go on with our Text so long the Israelites shall be without an Ephod being part of the High-Priests vestments worn upon his shoulders put here Synecdochically to signifie all his glorious Garments and by them the Priest himself even as the Septuagint renders without an Ephod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a Priesthood and without Teraphim It s plural the singular whereof Taraph in it self signifies no more then an image in general And as Grotius and Calvin consent with me is a word of a middle nature or acception For as it is used to signifie Labans and Micahs images so also to signifie the image Michol made and put in her bed to dissemble Davids being there when he was gone Yea it may here signifie as Hieronymus and Grotius note the Cherubims The Cherubims you know are described Exod. 25. That they had wings and faces and were stretched over the Mercy-seat looking one upon another under which was the Ark from whence was the oracle or answer of God by voice The Septuagint accordingly in some Copies is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without manifests in others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without manifestation And Aquila as Hieronymus asserts translateth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illuminations And the Chalde sutable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without them that declare By all which of this second part of their destitution viz. without a Sacrisice without an Altar or Pillar without an Ephod c. is signified That so long also the Israelites should be without an Ecclesiastical polity a Church polity or Publick Liturgy of solemn worship For I cannot imagine as most do that here is intended any thing that is idolatrous or superstitious for three Reasons 1. Because we see in what a good sence and to what good sence every word may be rendered and improved 2. It is without controversie that some of the things named by the Prophet were in the Old Testament good lawful and commanded as the Sacrifice and the Ephod Now it is no way probable to me that the Holy Ghost would name a mingle-mangle of Piety and Idolatry together 3. Because these words are intended as a threat and as an affliction to Israel for the long time afore their deliverance should come But it would be no affliction nor threat to take away their Idols and Superstitions from them But this would be and hath been an affliction to them that they have lost both their Political state and their Church state and so abide without Civil Government and Church Administrations among themselves § 3 Out of all ariseth a sure Explication of the MANY DAYES wherein they shall be without these and without a deliverance For by this that hath been said it appears That these many dayes must be as Paraeus well observes more then Seventy years of days whiles the Two Tribes called Judah were in the Babylonish captivity To which Jerom himself though our Adversary in our main position to whom we shall shape an answer afterward I say Jerom himself doth rationally concur for he speaks and hints an Argument Judaeorum quidam c. saith he Some of the Jews expound this Chapter of the Babylonian captivity in which for seventy years the Temple lay wast and at lost under Zorobabel it was restored to its former condition But we refer it to a FUTURE TIME SEEING NO OTHER CAUSE CAN BE FOUND why they were forsaken SO LONG A TIME but their PUTTING TO DEATH THE SAVIOUR So Jerom. By which words it appears he understands this place of the time that followeth after our Saviours passion Since which I am sure they never had or owned David or any of Davids loyns or line to be their King But not to shew you men but demonstration 1. In their time of captivity in Babylon they were not altogether without a King of their own Nation For Jehojakim lived many years in the time of that captivity And it came to pass saith the Sacred Story 2 Kings 25.27 in the thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehojachin King of Judah in the twelsth moneth in the seven and twentieth day of the moneth that Evil-Merodach King of Babylon in the year he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehojachin King of Judah out of prison and he spake kindly to him and set his throne above the Kings that were with him in Babylon and changed his prison garments and he did eat bread continually before him ALL THE DAYES OF HIS LIFE And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the King a daily rate for every day all
and female The Rabbins further say that his body was full of light or lightsome and was of a goodly stature Therefore out of doubt when Adam shall rise again for he saith the Rabbi shall be raised first he shall rise according to his first form and stature Yea moreover his body shall then be far more lightsome diaphanous or transparent According to that of the Ancients * In Midras a-Nehelam in Paras Veycra Elau 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. R. Levi saith The soule whiles it is in its glorious estate sustaines it selfe with a superiour light and is cloathed with it when it shal returne to its body in the world to come it shal returne with the same light and then the body shal shine as the splendor of heaven accordinng to that of Dan. 12. They that understand or the intelligent shal shine as the brightnesse of heaven And because saith R. Menasse in that New world SINNE SHALL HAVE ☜ NO PLACE as we shall demonstrate in that which is to follow therefore by good consequence the body shall alwayes remaine in the same glory and splendor and so the whole world to bee restored into the same state wherein it was before sinne entred Mean time note that this renovation of the Lord shall in my judgement differ from the state of the first Creation 1 This world was made of nothing but that to come not of nothing but of the things already created being endowed with a new disposition and better quality 2 At first this world was made in seven dayes But the other shall be new-formed in one day 3 This world began with night the other shall begin with day according to that in Zechary Chapter 14.7 At evening it shall be light There are that wil have all that we have hitherto said to come to passe in the time of the Messiah and to that they think doth belong that saying of the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. prepared to come But if any rightly weigh what the Ancients have said as was afore hinted * Viz. In cha 2. of the third Book of R. menasse is the whole matter at large especially that in Midras a-Nehelam he shall finde that these things are to be understood of the New world which begins with the resurrection from the dead The summe of which matter is this That unto the comming of the Messial say the Rabbins is knit on as immediately subsequent the resurrection from the dead Now it is worth the weighing what space there may be of the former to the beginning ☜ of the latter Observe this In the Sanhedrim Chap. 11. divers opinions are propounded R. Eliezer maketh the space to bee foure hundred yeers R. Elhazar Ben Hazaria maketh it to bee seventy yeers R. Elhazar forty yeers These all differ and yet were not altogether rash in their opinions For R. Eliezer computed according to the time of the Egyptian Captivity four hundred yeers R. Elhazar Ben Hazariah according to the Babylonian Captivity seventy yeers And R. Elhazar forty yeers according to the time of the Jews peregrination in the wildernesse And all three of them each to confirm his own opinion bring that of the 90. Psalm v. 15. Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeers wherein we have seen evil For the Rabbins affirmed afore that after the Jews shall be brought back by the Messiah to their owne land they shall be very much troubled by Gog and Magog of which space of time I conceive is the present dispute among these Rabbins but now quoted In Midras a-Nehelem wee finde it written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. THAT THE CONGREGATING or GATHERING TOGETHER OF THE ☞ CAPTIVE Jews shall ANTICIPATE or PRECEDE THE RESURRRECTION OF THE DEAD THE SPACE OF FORTY YEERS And saith R. Menasse if this last opinion bee received and delivered by the Ancients it may be soundly admitted because it implyes no contradiction nor doth it contain any difficulty * Thus R. Menasse out of the Rabbins But I think that it is neer the matter in the sacred compute of the holy Scripture Dan. 12. v. 11 12. if carefully computed and compared with v. 1. Touching the troubles at the time when Michael shall stand up to deliver his people together with v. ult touching the resurrection of the dead Thus wee hear why R. Menasse would refer the glory afore spoken rather to the New world then to the dayes of the Messiah Now hear him go on in this sixth Chapter and that in a way of condiscention of referring it if any will to the dayes of the Messiah If saith R. Menasse it so seem good to any he may refer the glorious things aforesaid in some sort unto the times of the Messiah because both times are connexed the one on to the end of the other as we shewed afore Again because the end of the resurrection is that the raised may enjoy the happinesse of that age therefore they may be taken for one and the same time Those admirable verses of the Kingly Prophet David Ps 104. do not a little serve to our purpose as they seem to me viz. v. 27 28 29 and 30. All wait or hope upon thee Thou givest them their meat in due season c. Thou hidest thy face they are troubled Thou takest away their breath they dye and return to their dust Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are CREATED and thou RENEWEST THE face of the earth Where the Prophet saith that after death the soule the second time returns to the body and then the earth is renovated ¶ 7 In the 7 8 9 10 and 11. Chapters these questions are put and resolved chiefly 1 Whether then shall be the day of judgement To which the Rabbins answer is out of many Scriptures and allegations of Antiquity That after the world shal be made new and the dead raised then shal be a day of judgement In part God judged afore the living in the war of Gog and Magog EXCEPTING A THIRD PART OF THEM †☞ So that according to the Rabbins also a part of Gog and Magog as was said a little afore are reserved who in all probability are they that shall make head at the end of the thousand yeers Rev. 20. v. 7. And after he shall come to judge the dead 2 Whether then shall be the restauration of the place and parts of worship and a settlement of the fruition of the holy land To which it is answered yea 3 Whether there shall be the use of food and prolification to which Gerundensis answers that then shall be no other then a spiritual life though some other Rabbins are of another minde 4 Whether they that are raised shall dye any more To which the § 4 general answer of the Rabbins is negative Thus far you have heard the opinion of the Jews concerning the glorious state on earth yet to come
what P. Simpson in his History of the Arian and Eutychian Persecution taken out of Sozom. Lib. 1. cap. 14. offers to our consideration It is this The care saith hee that Constantine had to dis-burthen persecuted Christians of that heavy yoke of persecution that pressed them downe so long was not onely extended to the bounds of the Romane Empire whereunto Constantine was Sovereigne Lord but he was carefull also to procure the peace of Christians who lived under SAPORES King of Persia who vexed Christian people with SORE and GRIEVOUS persecution so that within his Dominion more then sixteen thousand were found who had concluded their lives by Martyrdome of whom were divers persons of great ranke which are there named While Constantine was meditating the reliefe of the Christians in Persia the Ambassador of SAPORES King of Persia came to Constantine who granting their Petitions they came about sent them back to their King Sapores with a letter of his owne wherein he intreats Sapores to be friendly to Christians The copy of this Letter Mr. Fox gives us Book of Mart. V. 1. p. 127. in whose Religion on nothing can be found that can justly be blamed And withall wisheth Sapores to consider the miserable life and death of Valerian the eighth Persecutor among the Romans And what good successe God had given him the said Constantine having been a friend to the Christians Now what effect this Letter took in Persia the History mentions not but this is mentioned that a little before the death of this Constantine M. which was about 341 yeers after Christ for he began to reign 310 after Christ and reigned 31 yeers he intended to make warre against Sapores King of Persia and in the way to have been baptized in Jordan but he falling sicke in Nicomedia was baptized at the Suburbs of Bithynia Thus the History of P. Sympson aforesaid By which you may see how well Satan was bound from the time of Constantines suppressing the ten Persecutions supposing that the Doctors narrow distinction of binding Satan had been right viz. onely from seducing to open persecution c. You see how thirty yeers after Constantines beginning to reigne and at least twenty within the beginning of the Doctors thousand yeers of Satans binding as hee affirmes there was fore persecution in Persia A considerable passage enough to overthrow all that the Doctor affirms in this his argument of the thousand yeers and his interpretation of binding Satan Secondly wee come punctually to his particulars ¶ 1 Of the Arians hee saith S. 2. ¶ 1. they seduced not the Nations with open force to root out Christianity c. To this we answer In what did the Arians differ in their manner of persecuting from the heathen Emperours persecution notwithstanding the Doctors nice distinctions of Arians not seducing Nations with open force to a rooting out Christianity but onely by patched deceits they oppressed the Orthodox For take but a taste of the times between the death of Constantine M. about Anno three hundred and forty after Christ to Julian about Anno three hundred and sixty of whom by and by being a distinct head of the Doctors Reply I say take but a taste out of the said History of the Arian persecution and other good Authors and then see what difference you can make between the heathen Emperors persecuting and the persecutions under the Arian Emperors and favourers of Arians Constantinus M. left three sonnes Constantius Constans and Constantinus Junior Constantius governed the East parts of the Roman Empire the other two the West Constantine junior after three yeers was slaine Constans reigned thirteen yeers Constantius five and twenty yeers Now this Constantius was infected with Arian herisie by an Arian Priest a Courtier advanced thither by Constantia the sister of Constantine junior But whiles the other Emperor of the West viz. Constans was yet alive Arianisme could not get that head because when Paulus Bishop of Constantinople and Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria and many other Bishops were unjustly persecuted falsly accused and deposed c. under Constantius tainted with that opinion in the East Constans in the West succoured them But after thirteen yeers Constans being slaine now Arian Constantius rules all Now Arian persecution mounts up I thinke as high for the time as the heathen persecution For Constantius by instigation sutable to his Arian opinion against the Orthodox sends a Commander of Warre with five thousand armed men to surround the place where Athanasius was to the intent to kill him But by disguise hee was conveighed through them away from danger Under this Constantius Georgius an Arian Bishop was seated in Alexandria in the room of Athanasius whom Sebastianus furnishing with armed Souldiers see how hee acts A fire was kindled in the Towne the Christian Virgins were stript naked brought to the fire and commanded to renounce the faith To which when the sight of the fire prevailed not he caused their faces to be gashed c. that their familiar friends knew them not by face Thirty Bishops of Egypt and Lybia were slain in the sury of this Arian persecution And fourteen B. B. more whom Theodoret names were banished in this persecution of whom some dyed in the way others dyed in banishment And forty worthy Christians were scourged in Alexandria with wands because they would not communicate with the Arian Wolfe Georgius some of the peeces of which wands stucke in their flesh and others dyed of their pains The like cruelty the Arians practised in Constantinople Paulus B. thereof being banished to a little Towne in Cappadocia called Cucusus where at length hee was strangled by the Arians Macedonius being placed in his room a notable heretick See also Theo bid saith the story used no lesse cruelty in compelling the Christians of Constantinople to communicate with him ☞ then marke our Historian the like whereof yee have in Socrates Lib. 2. cap. 24. was used of old to compel Christians to sacrifice to the Idols of the Gentiles See how our Historian affirmes flatly contrary to the Doctor Now judge by this little of the rest Was not here violence Was not here extirpation of Religion as much as in the ten heathen persecutions proportion for proportion And is this the binding of Satan Is this the glorious time of the thousand yeers so extolled by St. John Is not here a seducing of the Nations by force For this made the generality of the vast Empire to turn Arians The Orthodox being oppressed yea suppressed in a great part and the rest seduced just as in the ten Persecutions And what difference is there between an Arian and an Heathen save only the Arian is the worse sinning against more light And thus was the state of things for the first twenty yeers yea for the second twenty yeers within the Doctors thousand yeers of binding Satan ¶ 2 Next wee come to the second particular which the Doctor affirmes viz. of Julians
the enemies of the Church in the Gogican War which Papisme the 19. of the Revel concluded as extinct Wee answer to this objection that it is of no consequence whether it be granted or denyed We doe not raise Papisme nor do I know any that doe And though S. John concludes the utter down-fall of Antichrist Rev. 19. that he shall never reigne more yet Chapter 20.9 hee shews that secret hypocrisie of all Nations shall breake out and indeavour to beset the Church and then comes the ultimate day of judgement CHAP. II. Answering Doctor Pareus THus of your Dr. Prideaux his Arguments against our point in answer of whom with the same labour we have answered the maine Arguments of Pareus on Revelation 20. verse 4. For the Doctor did follow and take much out of Pareus Those wee have not spoken to that are most material that the Doctor did not touch upon them we will now touch SECT I. First Objection Rev. 20.5 THat that Resurrection is not a corporall Resurrection but a spirituall And that because it is called the First Resurrection For this cannot bee the first corporal Resurrection because before this there arose corporally the Sonne of the widow of Sarepta raised by the Prophet Elijah 1 King 17.22 The Sonne of the Sunamitish widow by Elisha 2 King 4.35 The Sonne of the widow of Naim raised by Christ Luke 7.11 12. c. The daughter of Jairus raised by Christ Luke 8.55 of Lazarus raised by Christ John 11.44 Those at Christs Passion Matth. 27. Tabitha by Peter Act. 9.41 Eâ—tichus by Paul Act. 20.10 Answer to this thus First by this argument Christ shall not bee the first-fruits of them that sleep Secondly by this argument the opinion of a spiritual Resurrection from Antichristianisme cannot bee here admitted because by the same reason that cannot bee called the First resurrection because many of them afore-mentioned were raised afore Antichristianisme was in being Thirdly that raising of them was no generall Resurrection of any sort of godly or ungodly But this in the Revelation is general of all Saints Fourthly the T. intends that risen they shall reigne and reigne a thousand yeers But the other mentioned by Pareus soon died and did not reigne in Johns sense Fifthly John had marked these out verse 3 that they had had a spirituall Resurrection already SECT II. Second Argument of Pareus TO the First Resurrection is opposed First death But the First death was spirituall viz. Sinne Rom. 5. therefore the first Resurrection meant here is spiritual Answer first spirituall death and life are sinne and grace But these not expressed here but first and second Resurrection living and dying againe The first death is when all dye corporally some naturally some violently as the godly by Antichrists persecution So in Rev. 6.9 the soules under the altar and the beheaded in this 20. Chapter verse 4. And wicked by Gods judgements Rev. 19. two last Now the first Resurrection is of Saints Rev. 20. is here in ver 4. Second of wicked in verse 12. which is their second death as S. John calls it verse 14. The rest of Pareus his objections to this point are upon a false supposition that onely the Martyrs shall rise therefore need no answer Beside we have given much in answer to him afore in the end of the first Book Thus of Pareus next of Mr. Bayly CHAP. III. MR. Bayly his Arguments come next for I put the best disputant first who being answered wee shall have lesse reason to spend time upon the weaker SECT I. Mr. Baylies first Argument HE that remaines in the Heaven unto the last judgement comes not downe to the earth a thousand yeers before the last judgement But Christ remaines in the Heavens unto the last judgement Therefore Christ comes not downe to the earth for a thousand yeers before the last judgement The major saith hee is unquestionable The minor is proved First from the Article of the Creed from that he sitteth at the right hand of God from thence hee shall come to judge the quick and the dead Secondly from Act. 3.21 Thirdly from John 14.2.3 We answer first to the major First we have not yet asserted that Christ shall come downe on the earth But we have shewed out of several texts a very great probability that Christ will at least appear in the clouds that men and especially the Jews may look upon him c. as Zac. 12.10 2 At the beginning of the 1000. yeers is the beginning of the last judgement as we shewed afore 2. To the minor where Mr. B. affirms that Christ shall remaine in the Heavens unto the last day of judgement We answer it is false For after hee was ascended up to the right hand of God he is so neer to Paul that he calls to him saying Paul Paul c. And Paul replies Who art thou Lord And Christ replies I am Jesus whom thou persecutest And Paul replies Lo what wilt thou have me to do And the Lord replies Arise go into the City and it shall be told thee Act. 9.4 5 6. And verse 10. Christ in a vision speaks to Ananias to goe to Paul Ananias objects and Christ replies At last hee goes and verse 17. speaks to Saul thus putting his hand upon him Brother Saul the Lord even Jesus that APPEARED unto thee in the way Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sâ—en of thee And 1 Cor. 15.5 6 7 8. As SEEN of Câ—phas and the twelve c. after the Resurrection so after the Ascension seen of Paul v. 8. Now by the same reason he may appeare againe to convert the Jews for that must be some sudden businesse Isa 66.8 as a Nation borne at once c. before the ultimate day of judgement And Pauls conversion by Christs appearance in the clouds was the first-fruits how Christ would convert the Jews as is Mr. Medes note on 1 Tim. 1.16 Read the place ¶ 1 To the first proof of the minor from that Article of the Creed First we say that Article doth not prove Mr. Baylies intent in that it doth not assert that there Christ shall fixedly sit for ever untill the last judgement but onely that thence he shall come to judge which he may doe if mean while he descends on weighty occasions which finished hee ascends againe and there hee abides till hee descends to the last judgement Secondly we have shewed afore that the day of judgement begins at this one thousand yeers and continues to the end The beginning is the morning of the day of judgement the end the evening of the day of judgement And all the same day of judgement as it is in Peter 2 Epist 3. Chap. And we have also shewed how in this time all the parts of a day of judgement are acted The last day of which thousand yeers wee all along have called it the ultimate day of judgement And how long this ultimate day may be this evening of the Millenary day wee cannot
family in heaven and earth is named There is Bethel even where God in special appears which special appearance is in the person of Christ And lastly where ever Christ is with us wee are with him so as that for that time is heaven to us therefore the Apostle Paul desiring a state in the world to come Phil. 1.23 calls it a being with Christ not heaven So that yet still it remaines to bee proved that Christ shall not appear to his people before the ultimate day of judgement or that Christ hath no place of refreshing his people for a time before the ultimate day of judgement but onely the highest heavens after the ultimate day of judgement SECT II. Mr. Baylies second Argument § 1 AS to his accusation of coyning new and false senses to many Scriptures wee say it is a begging of the Question And we retort it For Mr. B. opinion for many generations hath so allegorised upon all the Prophets speaking of the state of the Jewes and of the universal Church to be on earth afore the ultimate day of â—udgement that I confesse I was thereby for a long time kept in the darke so that I could make no use of the Histories and Prophesies of the Old and New Testament in relation to these things but onely here and there by way of morall observations and allusions § 7 But let us heare his Argument Christ sits at the right hand of God till the last day therefore he comes not to reign on earth a 1000 yeers before the last day To which we say that this argument thus far hath been argued and answered in effect in the first argument yet because there are some fresh proofs we are contented againe to answer it and to discusse them And for answer we deny the Antecedent taking the last day in Mr. Bailyes sense for the ultimate day of judgement But if we take the last day for that day in 2 Pet. 3. which shall be a thousand yeers then Mr. Baily concludes nothing against us But Mr. Baily will prove the Antecedent that Christ doth sit at the right hand of the Father till the last day meaning the ultimate day of judgement viz. the evening of our last day For so I suppose he means his proof is his major Proposition in Ps 110.1 Christ sits at the right hand of God till ALL his enemies be made his footstool Whence he assumes this minor But all his enemies are not made his footstool till the last day For till then Satan death and all wicked men are not fully destroyed therefore c. To this major Proposition out of Ps 110.1 Mr. B puts in a word of great consequence to serve his own turne which in divine arguing from a text is very foule play viz. the word ALL. For as it is not in our English Translation so nor is it in the Hebrew text where it is onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thine enemies indefinitly And the Apostle having an infallible spirit to know the mind of the Scriptures quoting this place Heb. 10.13 renders it that Christ sits there expecting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. putting no ALL in But suppose it be said ALL all his enemies this is sufficiently fulfilled when Christ overcomes all all his enemies are so subdued yea visibly in themselves or in their effects that they shall never hurt the Church more which shall come to passe when the Iewes are settled at the beginning of the thousand yeers as many Scriptures afore shewed And to speake according to St. Iohn in the Revelation then as in Chap. 19. Antichrist and all his adherents shall downe then as in Chapter 20. Satan shall downe then as in Chapter 21 Sinne shall downe And for death this is destroyed Chapter 20. For if all the Saints then live and reigne a thousand yeers then is this a state of immortality of their bodies And for the ultimate day of judgement then is not a destroying of death but a reviving of the worst death sc the second death to the worst of men so that the wicked live onely to dye that death Rev. 20.12 to the end It is said that the last enemy of the Saints that is destroyed is death 1 Cor. 11. Because so St. Iohn names the enemes in order First all the wicked Rev. 19. Then the Devill Rev. 20.1 And last of all death v. 4. and all these orderly at the beginning of the thousand yeers at the beginning of the seventh Angels sounding his Trumpet I say at the beginning thereof And to make all our answer plainer When it is said All shall be under Christs feet the meaning is not that all shall be annihilated For after the ultimate day of judgement there shall be viz. in hell sinne and devils and wicked men and the greatest death viz. the second death i. e. eternall condemnation therefore the meaning must bee that all shall be so under Christs feet that they shall no more mischiefe the Church Satan shall not seduce them Sinne shall not touch them Death shall not dissolve them But at the end of the thousand yeers Satan and the hypocrites in the corners of the world shall begin to make an head and this immediately draws downe Christ to the ultimate day of judgement who raiseth all the dead wicked and takes them and the wicked that are then alive and passeth everlasting condemnation upon them Rev. 20.7 to the end of the Chapter SECT III. Mr. Bailyes third Argument § 1 ALL the godly at Christs comming from heaven doe rise immediately to a heavenly glory ergo none of them doe arise to a temporall glory for a thousand yeers upon earth § 2 Answ We might deny that wee call the Argument you call it the consequence because Mr. Baily doth not say to glory in heaven much lesse the highest heaven For their state on earth a thousand yeers is not onely an heavenly glory but the state is called Heaven Rev. 21.1 c. 2 Pet. 3. But that we shall fix our answer upon will be the denying of the Antecedent and expounding of the proof Mr. Baily brings for proof of the Antecedent 1 Cor. Chap. 15. vers 22.1 Thess 4.14 Matth. 25.31 Joh. 6.39.40.44 Heb. 9.28 ¶ 1 To the two first we answered afore For the third place of Matthew it concludes nothing to the said Antecedent For Christ separates the sheep from the goats notably at the beginning of the thousand yeers when the open wicked then alive generally perish Revelation 19. and all the Saints alive are set in a glorious condition Chap. 20. ¶ 2 To the fourth place viz. in Joh. 6.39.40.44 I will raise it up at the last day We answer this doth not infer any thing in behalf of the Antecedent For lo this thousand yeers is truly the last day For as it is in 2 Pet. 3. before it are the last dayes in which men shall say Where is the promise of his comming And it is after said A thousand yeers
it for a ground that Antichrist shall be destroyed and fully abolished before the thousand yeers begin But saith Mr. B. the Scripture makes Antichrist to continue to the day of judgement 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall the wicked one be revealed and destroyed by the brightnesse of Christs comming which is not before the last day as before is proved See also Rev. 19.20 The Beast was taken c. compare with it verse 7. Let us be glad and rejoyce for the marriage of the Lamb is come Antichrist is cast alive into the Lake at the Marriage of the Lamb. No living men are cast into Hell before the last day And Christs Marriage with his Church is not solemnized with a part of the Elect but with the whole body at the general Resurrection ¶ 2 Ans There is no such thing in 2 Thess 2.8 as that Antichrist shall continue to the day of judgement unlesse Mr. B. agree with us that the day of judgement begins at the thousand yeers whereat indeed is Christs appearing That Master Baily saith Christ shall not come till the last day of judgement that Master Baily hath not yet proved that in 19 of the Rev. v. 20. and in v. 7. wee grant but Mr. B. glosse upon it we have no reason to receive which was this That no living men are cast alive into hell before the last day of judgement This Mr. B. hath not proved we have a text to the contrary even that of M. B. quoting Rev. 19.20 which is at the beginning of the thousand yeers compare Chap. 20.1 2 3. But Mr. Baily faith this was done immediately before the Marriage of the Lamb. An. we grant it And this is in the beginning of the thousand yeers But Christ solemnizeth his Marriage saith Mr. B. not with a part of his Elect but with the whole body Answ We grant it And this shall be at the beginning of the thousand yeers At which time all the Elect shall rise CHAP. IV. § 1 WEE have done with the Objections of Dr. Prideaux and Pareus and Mr. Baily against our Point Next wee should come to answer the Objections of the Book called Christs Kingdome on earth opened according to the Scriptures set forth by T. HAYNE 1645 if they were worthy the writing out Indeed I expected much but found very little for in his first Chapter he hath three Arguments to prove That Christs Kingdome is long since begun But in his stating the Question as he pretends he never distinguisheth of Christs several formes of his Kingdom viz. invisible and visible but speaks of Christs Kingdome as of one onely form whereupon these three inconveniences to himself do follow ¶ 1 That in all his Arguments there is not one conclusion that doth distinctly conclude against our point viz. to conclude as he should therefore Christs visible Kingdome is begun already upon ear◠¶ 2 That his three last arguments conclude in effect that Christ had no spiritual Kingdome in the Old Testament for he saith Christ began to bee King when he sent out his Disciples with that Commission in Mat. 28.20 If then only Christ began to be King then was he not King before that but Christ told Pilate the contrary afore that ¶ 3 That he contradicts himselfe First In this P. 1. he saith That at all times Christ rules hath an absolute Kingdome in the world with many other expressions of the same effect yet P. 4. he by three severall arguments would prove when and what yeer Christs Kingdome began And P. 5. at such a particular time Christs Kingdome was at hand long since Secondly He contradicts himselfe in this that P. 1. He affirmes Christs Kingdome is to be for ever quoting Heb. 1.8 making no distinction upon it and yet P. 2. He confesseth that Christ shall at the last judgement resigne his Kingdome to the Father quoting 1 Cor. 15.24 making no interpretation to explaine or reconcile these By this you may see that his arguments were not worth the writing out much lesse the answering CHAP. V. Containing an Answer to an UNIVERSAL ARGUMENT or to the ARGUMENT OF THE UNIVERSALITY or generality of men that oppose § 1 THere is one knot yet behinde like to have been let slip which is chawed in the mouths of many yea of most Disputants that are contrary minded to rivet it faster as mine ears in part can witnesse The Argument is from 1 Thess 4.16 17. The Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven c. And the DEAD IN CHRIST shall rise first THEN WE which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the CLOUDS to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall be EVER WITH THE LORD Now say they how can this consist with the Saints reigning on earth a thousand yeers For if they must reigne there a thousand yeers what need they be caught up into the CLOUDS or how if they reigne on earth a thousand yeer are they said to be EVER with the Lord especially if there they be as some say subject to mortality at last § 2 Answ Mr. Mede hath so learnedly and appositly discussed this place for our use in this particular that his Dilucidations thereon will suffice for a full answer It is not needfull saith he that the resurrection of those which slept in Christ and the rapture of those which shall be left alive together with them into the aire should be at one and the same time For the words in 1 Thess 4. v. 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first and then or afterwards may admit a great distance of time as 1 Cor. 1.15.23 Everyone or all mankinde shall rise in their order Christ the first fruits that is first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards notes a distance of time of above a thousand and a halfe of yeers as we finde by experience Suppose therefore this rapture of the Saints into the aire be to translate them to heaven yet it might be construed thus The dead in Christ that is for Christ namely the Martyrs shall rise first afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. a thousand yeers after we which are alive and remain shall together with them be caught up in the Clouds and meet the Lord in the aire and so from thenceforth we shall ever bee with the Lord. Thus Tertullian seems to understand it who interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it is in verse 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Martyrs namely such as dye propter Christum for Christ by means of Christ through Christ for Christs sake taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noting the cause or meanes of their death so Piscator expounds the like speech Apâ—c 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est propter Dominum for the Lord Beza qui Domini causa moriuntur which dye for the Lords sake 2 If thus
HARD BONDAGE Observe both to what persons and what time these high expressions relate before largely opened and we shal easily conclude this Text was never yet fulfilled and therefore according to the truth of God must bee fulfilled before the ultimate day of judgement for with that time this Prophesie cannot agree ¶ 6 In Isa 25.8 we have it plenissimè planissimè most fully and plainly That in that day viz. of the great restauration of the Church and ruine of their enemies verse 5 6. The Lord will WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM ALL FACES And the rebuke of his people shall hee take away FROM OFF ALL THE EARTH for the Lord hath spoken it Which was never yet fulfilled and therefore is yet to come at the time we treat off as hath been before demonstrated ¶ 7 Isa 54.13 14. is also very high in expressions Thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children In righteousnesse shalt thou be ESTABLISHED thou shalt be far from oppression for thou SHALT NOT FEAR and FROM TERROR for it SHAL NOT COME NEER THEE You see the expressions are exceeding high and they are evidently spoken concerning external rest as well as internal and wee see it by experience that this place was never yet fulfilled therefore it is yet to come as we have cleered it afore ¶ 8 In Isa 60.14 c. it is thus written The Sonnes of them that aâ—flicted thee shall come BENDING TO THEE and all that despised thee shall BOW THEMSELVES DOWN AT THE SOLES of thy feet Whereas thou hast been forsaken I will make thee an ETERNAL EXCELLENCY violence shall be NO MORE heard in thy land The dayes of thy mourning shall be ENDED Which place relates to our Thesis as is before demonstrated The expressions are far too high for us to acknowledge they have been fulfilled therefore we must expect them yet to come before the ultimate day of judgement for that will be no fit time for this Prophesie ¶ 9. Isa 65.19 is likewise very full to the particular in hand though in few words viz. I will joy in my people and the voyce of weeping or crying shall be NO MORE HEARD IN HER. Let the Reader judge whether this was ever yet fulfilled ¶ 10. Isa tells us Chap. 66.12 Thus saith the Lord I will extend peace to her the Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles as a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream I leave it likewise to the Reader to consider whether hee hath not reason to expect this as yet to come ¶ 11 We come to the Prophesies of Jeremiah Chap. 23.3 4. I will gather the remnant of my flocke out of all Countries c. and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed Which expressions are a great deal too high for our knowledge of Scripture of history or of experience to acknowledge them to have been fulfilled to this day And therefore our faith must be on God for the fulfilling of them and that before the ultimate day of judgement as the nature of the things require ¶ 12 We have in the same Prophet Chap. 30. verse 10. Jacob shall returne and shall be in rest and quiet and none shall make him afraid ¶ 13 Place is in Jer. 46.27 28. to the same effect ¶ 14 Place is in Ezek. 28.24 There shall be no more a pricking briar unto the house of Israel nor any grieving thorne of all that are round about them ¶ 15 Place Mich. 4.1 2 3. The same with Isa 2. v. 2 3 4. It s added here in verse 4. They shall sit every man under his owne vine c. and none shall make them afraid ¶ 16 Place Zeph. 3.13 14 15. They shall feed and lye downe and none shall make them afraid Sing O daughter of Zion rejoyce with all the heart the Lord hath taken away thy judgements he hath cast out thine enemies The Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evill any more This and all the rest have been proved to mean the time intended in our Position § 2 Adde in the New Testament ¶ 1 Matth. 19.29 Shall receive an hundred fold and inherit eternal life of the large opening of this place see before in the third Book ¶ 2 That in 2 Thess 1.7.9 10. To you REST as Heb. 4. when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed FROM HEAVEN his enemies being punished from the presence of the Lord as Chap. 2. and from the glory of his POWER ¶ Rev. 7.16 17 They that are sealed c. serve him day and night in HIS TEMPLE he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more for the Lamb in the middest of the Throne shall feed them and wipe away all tears from their eyes ¶ 4 Rev. 21.4 St. John speaking of the state of the Church in the thousand yeers saith God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more sorrowing nor crying nor paine Every verse of this Chapter shewes it cannot bee meant of everlasting happinesse in the highest heavens Let the close of this Section be to encourage us to patience Patience in perseverance and patience in sufferance Now is Christs Kingdome of patience But anon his Kingdome of peace Twice it is said of the present state of sufferings Here is the patience of the Saints Rev. 13.10 and 14.12 Once it is said Keep the word of patience Rev. 3.10 But after a while comes the Kingdome of peace therefore Christ seales up all the Bible and all the Revelation almost with this Rev. 22.11 12. He that is righteous let him be righteous still He that is holy let him be holy still and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me Then in the last verse save one sc 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Amen Then to that end Iohns prayer closeth all as I close in verse 21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen SECT III. § 1 THus you have seen it is a sorrowlesse condition Next follows it shall be a deathlesse condition The Elect once raised at the beginning of the thousand yeers shall dye no more much lesse those alive and changed For if those alive shall not prevent them that are asleep given by the Apostle as an answer to an Objection against this Resurrection much lesse shall they that are alive being the patterne to whom the dead are promoted bee sent to death as to give place to the Elect dead that are raised And if all the Elect are raised to what end or use shall they dye that are alive If it be the priviledge that the other Saints shall be alive at Christs comming why shall they dye when here in soule and body they may behold him which is a fuller injoyment If this time of Christs appearance at the beginning of the thousand yeers be the Kingdome of Saints the prefacing beginning of their full
the first Adam that if in a sinfull state his age at a hundred yeers was but as it were youth his whole age amounting to near a thousand yeers how much more shall the Saints by means of the second Adam live a thousand in a sinlesse condition ¶ 2 It may bee congruously made out that the Prophet in this Text intends rather the immortality of the Saints then their mortality thus There shall be no more THENCE an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes that the childe youth or young man should dye an hundred yeers old OR the sinner an hundred yeers old should be cursed Thus we read the whole verse to the tune or sound of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THAT as before we rendred it turning our English but in the latter clause into Or the Hebrew being the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Mr. Mede saith being like materia prima capable of innumerable forms of significations may well be so rendred here And then the sense will bee this that at that time of the New creation which St. John saith shall be a thousand yeers there shall be neither he that shall naturally dye in his infancy nor he that shall naturally dye in his riper age before he hath made up his full dayes nor he that shall be a sinner whereby his dayes should be violently cut off ¶ 3 If it may better please some they may read it to this sense That at that time and that glorious estate though the old sinner shall be cut off yet no Saint either young or old shall dye at all All these wayes of reading the text in favour of the immortality of the Saints the word THENCE doth much animate and justisie As if the Prophet should say thus out of this New Creation for the duration thereof there shall no such person be found that shall be mortal though all the transgressors the enemies thereof that are without it shall be cut off at its very beginning even as we have largely amplified afore upon sundry occasions But if wee lanch out into the context as wee intimatedly promised afore to wade into the depth of the precedent and subsequent coherence or dependence of this text our reading of the words and rendring of the sense of it for the immortality of Saints will bee made much more perspicuous First it is said in v. 17. Behold I creat new Heavens and a new Earth alluding no doubt to the first Creation of the world in glorious perfection and Adam in innocency who should never have dyed if he had never sinned And the former shall not be remembred viz. for their meannesse by reason of mans sin Nor as it is in the Hebrew ascend upon you That is the imperfections of the former state of things should not touch them when they should attain this New one of the main imperfections of the former state being mortality it being the sad memoriall and effect of dolefull-sin Therefore the removall of this the Prophet must mainly mind 2. It is said in verse 18. Be you glad and rejoyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 age to age or for ever in that I create which cannot consist with death or death with it which quencheth natural joy which every thing hath in its natural being and morall joy which it hath in the injoyment of its well-being 3. It is said in verse 19. I will saith the Lord rejoyce in JERUSALEM and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be NO MORE heard in HER nor the voyce of crying Now if sorrow must be gone that it shall be no more then I thinke there shall be no more death 4. In the 20. verse it self It is strange that according to our English there should be mentioned the death of Saints and not the death of the wicked of whom it is said onely the sinner an hundred yeers old shall be accursed And what doth this Atheistical creature care for that as long as he may live and enjoy his sinfull pleasure on earth therefore according to our reading in the third and lowest sense at ¶ 2 the sense must be that of the Saints nor young nor â—â—old shall be incompleat in their yeers by death but the sinner at an hundred yeers old which is much for him to live shall be accursed that is he shall dye sc be mortal So first The Antithesis Secondly The story of Gen. 2. The curse was In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye i. e. be mortal liable to death And this thing death is that which strikes a dart through the liver of a wicked man The fear of this to him is worse then that of hell For hee seldome fears hell till he sees death If he were sure he should not dye he saith in his heart a pin for hell Fifthly It is said in verse 22. They shall not build and another inhabit which is whiles mortality reignes marke the reason For as the dayes of a tree are the dayes of my people And many sorts of trees live a thousand yeers It is a promise and therefore to be taken in a favourable sense And surely trees in Paradise at least so long lived as Adam once eating of the tree of Life continuing in obedience But at this time is all obedience and here is the tree of life Rev. 21. And sixthly it followes in this 22. verse of this 65. of Isay And mine elect shall LONG injoy the works of their own hands How doe they injoy them long if no longer then heretofore in the reign of mortality It is a promise and a promise is to be interpreted in favour of the Promisee as a Lease in favour of the Lessee All these plainly to mee justifie my reading of this Text to cast out mortality from the Saints And that I may the lesse seem presumptuous and singular in this and withall adde something for illustration give me leave to shew you other famous Translations to the same tune First The Arabick renders this 65. of Isa 20. thus Neither shall there be any more a young man imperfect in age nor an old man that shall not fulfill his time For the young man shall fill up an hundred yeers But the SINNER that after an hundred yeers dyes shall be accursed Observe This Translation casts out mortality from the Saints and applies it to Sinners onely as it were by not regarding the common pointing of the Hebrew by which points oft-times we suffer much as Arcanum punctationis hath abundantly demonstrated 2 The seventy Greek Translators translate much to the same effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Neither shall there be any more one that is not ripe sc in age nor an old man that hath not fulfilled his time For the young man shall bee an hundred yeers old but the sinner that dyes a hundred yeers old shall be also accursed Observe here as on the Arabick 3 The Chaldee Paraphrase also favours our
reading though it doth a little differ from the Arabick and Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And there shall not be any more an infant of dayes and an old man that fils not his dayes because the youth that offends at the age of an hundred yeers shall dye and he that transgresseth in the age of an hundred yeers shall be banished which reacheth thus far to our purpose to signifie that the sinners not the Saints shall dye at this time of the glorious visible state of the Church But do not I stretch the sense of the Chaldee Paraphrase To answer this and to give you a further account of the sense of that place according to the opinion of the Church at Geneva and of the Rabbins hear the great Critick Ludovick De Dieu his Animadversions on the place bringing in his report of their opinions those things I have before asserted with an addition of his own thoughts upon the place Video Genevenses c. I see saith he they of Geneva doe refer this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THENCE to time translating De la en avant that is From henceforward But Rabbi D. Kimchi refers it to Jerusalem saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THENCE that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Jerusalem whom Vatablus and Junius follow and I thinke ought to be followed * I for more safety according to the Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referred it to both in that both time and place concur to the thing Moreover the Genevenses or they of Geneva translate the rest as if the sense of the Hebrew were this At that time so great shall be the length of mens lives that he that is now an old man shall then be counted as an infant And I see the Hebrews as R.D. Kimchi and Sol. Jarchi in their Commentaries yea and Jonathan in his Chalde Paraphrase to take the sense of this place to be That no man at that time shall be carried out of Jerusalem to burial who is but a boy no nor an old man unlesse he hath filled up his dayes that is hath lived to that length of life WHICH MEN HAD BEFORE THE FLOOD c. Thus far De Dieu his report of others viz. The Genevenses the Hebrews and the Chalde Paraphrase which how closely they concurre with us afore I need not multiply words to open the intelligent eye Next for De Dieu his own opinion upon the place it is true that he looks upon those hopes of the Jewes to use his owne words to be but dreams wherein they do imagine such a marveilous Kingdome of the Messiah and such a most happy life of the Jews AT THAT TIME ON EARTH But whiles he turnes us quite about we are but AS WEE WERE for he speaks but tantamount the same in effect which hath been already affirmed His words are these Nos haec spiritualia esse novimus c. That is wee know that these things are spiritual and so we interpret There shall not exist from thence any more an infant of dayes and an old man that filleth not up his dayes that is At that time there shal be another manner of the state of the world then there is at present For in this world many dye Infants others as it were old men of sixty or seventy yeers of age few finish their just space of life to attaine to an hundred yeers old But THEN there shall be the same condition of all whether of young or old for all shall fully make up their dayes The Prophet proves it For the child shall dye an hundred yeers old that is A childe shall not die a childe but shall fulfill the due space of his life But the sinner an hundred yeers old shall be accursed that is A childe will be happier in the Kingdome of Christ then an old man in the Kingdome of the world For a childe in the Kingdome of Christ SHAL ATTAINE A BLESSED OR BEATIFIED PERFECTION OF LIFE But the sinner in the Kingdome of the world shall be accursed even whiles hee SEEMS to have attained to a perfection of life Thus De Dieu for his own opinion By which supposing our consent to all he saies how far hath he carried us from where we were He saith he knowes these things of the Messiahs Kingdome shall bee spiritual We say so too The efficient the form or manner the end shall be spiritual and the injoyment shall be spiritualized But mens soules and bodies shall not be altered in kind then they were not men And the earth shall be earth or else how is it called a new Earth An earth though renovated And upon this must Christs Kingdome exist for he shall have none in the supreamest heavens after this on earth 1 Cor. 15.24.28 And he confesseth that in the Kingdome of Christ shall be happinesse I say no more let the Reader judge of the rest § 5 Some make another argument out of a Text that speaks no such thing viz. Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye therefore men in the thousand yeers must also die To which wee answer First It is not said to all men but onely to men Secondly All men are not appointed to die So the same Apostle expresly in 1 Cor. 15.51 we shall not all dye that is the meaning of sleep but wee shall be changed Thirdly Note the distinction of times It is true in that 9. of Heb. 27. that before the judgement men ordinarily die But when the judgement comes which begins at this thousand as we proved afore because the living wicked are destroyed and the dead Saints are raised and rewarded I say when the judgement comes there is no more death but changing 1 Cor. 15.1 Thess 4. There is yet behinde one objection sc The last enemy that is destroyed is death 1 Cor. 15.26 as if this Text did argue for death in the thousand yeers but it doth not For we answer Though that be the last enemy yet that is not the last thing done in the seventh Trumpet or thousand yeers but death is destroyed to the Saints at the beginning of the thousand yeers as we have largely shewed afore For verse 23,24 is said every one shall rise in his owne order Christ first AFTERWARD viz. above one thousand six hundred and fifty after they that are Christs AFTER that comes the ultimate end sc after a thousand yeers As he destroyes the death of sinne at the beginning of the sounding of the last Trumpet v. 52. sc the seventh Rev. 11. So after the sound of it many things are to be done afore the ultimate judgement Ibid. sc as afore shewed At the ultimate judgement death is not destroyed to the wicked but re-inforced in a worse kinde or degree Rev. 20.14 SECT IV. THe future glorious state on earth shall be such as wherein there shall be No humane ruling Majesty No Church-censures No superiority of persons No fears
the Creation of the world and the six thousand yeer of the world will end with the 1655 yeer of our Lord. According to the vulgar supputation of yeers the 1655 yeer of our Lord will be the 5604 yeers since the Creation of the World Unto these adde the yeers which either by the Chronologers have been omitted or made too few or left our viz. First ONE YEER whiles the Flood lasted Secondly SIXTY YEERS untill the birth of Abraham Thirdly TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN YEERS of the sojourning of the Children of Israel IN AEGYPT Fourthly ONE HUNDRED YEERS from their going forth out of Egypt untill the building of the Temple of Solomon Fifthly ELEVEN YEERS of Zedekiah the last King of Judah Sixthly SEVEN YEERES in the times of the Kings of Persia Seventhly TWO YEERS which Scaliger Helvicus and Calvisius doe referre to the supputation of yeers since the Birth of Christ all amounting to three hundred ninety six yeers * He demonstrates these 396 yeers to have been omitted or lessened in our common Account thus ¶ 1 The ONE YEER while the Flood lasted by Gen. 7.11 and Chap. 8. v. 14. according to the supputation of Functius Reusnerus Partilius and other ¶ 2 The SIXTY YEERS untill the birth of Abraham because he was not born in the seventieth yeer of Terah for Terah dyed in Haran Gen. 11.32 when he was 205 yeerold Immediately after the death of Terah Abraham departed out of Haran Gen. 12. v. 4. Act. 7.4 being old 75 yeers From thence it doth follow that Abraham was borne when Terah was old 130 yeers ¶ 3 TWO HUNDRED FIFTEEN YEERS of the sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt by that in Exod. 12 v. 4c and 41. where we read these words the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was 430 yeers which common supputation doth derive from the time of Abrahams calling when he was 75 yeers old Gen. 12.4 in this manner following Untill the birth of Isaack Gen. 21.5.25 Yeers Untill the birth of Jacob Gen. 35.26.65 yeers Jacob was old when he went into Egypt Gen. 47.9.130 yeers Which make up 215 yeers But to say The children of Israel dwelt in Egypt onely 215 yeers is against the clear Text which doth not speak of the Fathers but of the children of Israel not of their pilgrimage but of their sojourning and bondage not without and within Egypt but onely in Egypt Abraham indeed went downe into Egypt Gen. 12.10 but sojourned there not long and was not in any bondage Isaac came not at all into Egypt being forbidden Gen. 26 2. Jacob was 130 yeers old before he went downe into Egypt Gen. 47.9 So that those 430 yeers of the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt c. afore recited olt of Ex. 12.40 and mentioned also in Gen 15.13 in these words God said unto Abraham Know assuredly that thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them 400 yeers must begin their supputation from the 130 yeer of Jacob and his entrance into Egypt unto which must be added 215 yeers ¶ That ONE HUNDRED YEERS from the Israelites going forth out of Egypt untill the building of the Temple of Solomon must be added to the common Account is thus demonstrated Aera vulgaris doth reckon in this period of time 480 yeers according to the letter of the Text 1 King 6.1 But by the book of Judges and other books of Scripture it doth appear that they were about 580 yeers which keeping the Doctors owne words and matter I shall set down in a plainer method and manner thus 1 In the grosser summes thus The Israelites were in the wildernesse sorry yeers Deut. 1.3 Act. 13.18 Joshua was seven yeers in winning and dividing Canaan Josh 14.10 Untill Samuel 450 yeers Act 13.20 Under Samuel and Saul forty yeers Act. 13.21 Under David forty yeers 1 King 2. 〈◊〉 Under Solomon three yeers 1 King 6 1. which six summes make up just 580 yeers 2 In particular summes thus Forty yeers Israel was in the wildernesse under Moses Seven under Joshua as we said afore Eight under Cushan Judg. 3.8 Forty yeers under Othniel v. 11 Eighteeen yeers under Eglon v. 14. Eighty yeers under Ebud v. 30 Twenty under Iabin Iudg. 4.3 Forty yeers under Deborah and Barak Chap. 5.31 Seven yeers under the Midianites Chap 6.1 Forty yeers under Gideon Ch. 8.28 Three yeers under Abimelech Ch. 9.22 Three and twenty yeers under Tola C. 10.2 Two and twenty yeers under Iair v. 3. 18 yeers under the Philistimes Chap. 10.8 Six yeers under Iephtha Chap 12.7 Seven yeers under Ibzan v. 9 Ten yeers under Elon v. 11 Eight yeer under Abdon v. 14 Forty yeers under the Philastines Chap. 13 1 Twenty yeers under Sampson Chap. 16.31 Forty yeers under Eli 1 Sam. 4.18 Forty yeers under Samuel and Saul Act. 13.21 Forty yeers under David 1 King 2.11 Three yeers under Solomon 1 King 6.1 All which four and twenty particular summes make up four hundred and eighty yeers ¶ 5 The ELEVEN YEERS of Zedekiah the last King of Judah that are to be added are thus demonstrated The vulgar supputation is reckoned from the buâ—â—â—ing of the Temple by Solomon to the destruction thereof by Nebuchadnezzar 417 yeers But by this Account 11 yeers wil be unjustly cut off because that vulgar account begins the Captivity of Babylon in the last yeer of Iechoniab who was King immediately afore instead whereof it should upon good ground be referred to the eleventh yeer of Zedekiah at which time the Temple was destroyed Michael Mestlinus quest 7. Chronol pag. 67. c. Reusnerus de supput Annorum mundi pag. 38. Iohan. Piscator in suo Chronol Indice pag. 15. with others ¶ 6 THE SEVEN YEERS in the times of the King of Persia that are omitted by the common Account but to be supplied by true Account are SIX YEERS of Cyrus and ONE YEER of Xerxes the second of which sce Mestlinus Quect Chron. pag. 35.38 ¶ 7 And lastly the TWO YEERS added by Scaliger Calvisius and Helvicus he leaves us to them to demonstrate to us I say adde them to the common Account of five thousand six hundred four to be the age of the World in the 1655 yeer of our Lord and it will be manifest the six thousand yeers since the Creation will expire with the 1655 yeer of our Lord. § 3 Thus wee see this German Doctor who ever hee was deales fairly For as he brings the end of the World nearer then our common Account by Three hundred ninety six yeers so he gives his reasons and Scriptures and his particulars of which he makes up his additionall Account of yeers that are expired of which we that have beleeved the common account were not aware § 4 And although some men may be apt to thinke that he may bring the end of the world nearer then he should yet those men