of Popish wordly powers they vanished and new ones came up in their place According to this Text must divers others be understood Isa 66. from the 18. verse to the end of the Chapter the Prophet Treats wholly of this Kingdom In the last verse he bids you look on the carcases of the men that had transgressed against Christ how remarkably and everlastingly they are destroyed In the 18 19 20. verses you have the Calling of the Jews and Nations of the Gentiles In the 21. and 23. verses you have the Ministers and Ordinances of the Gospel set forth and verse 22. all this called new heavens and new earth In the Margent of this Scipture there are divers quotations I would commend two of them to your notice One is Isa 65.17 For behold I create new heavens and new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into my minde That which God will do is so strange so mighty a Work that in comparison of Gods former Works of Providence t is called a Creation of new Heavens and new Earth which cannot be understood concerning the material Heavens and Earth for 't is a Prophesie of something to come that then was not but there was as much yea the very same Heavens and Earth properly taken then as there is now or ever will be there will be no change in the now Visible or Material Heavens Earth but the same Earth Sea Sun Moon Stars to Christs last coming Therefore the Prophet means and calls them new in respect of former ones as t is in the Text the former shall not be remembred Honoris gratiâ The Political Heavens and Earth as I said before of the Pope and Popish worldly Kingdoms these shall pass away and Christ shall set up new Heavens viz. a Heavenly King and Government over all the World Heavenly Officers to rule under him Thy exactors shall be righteousness heavenly Ordinances heavenly gifts and graces shall shine forth heavenly Pastors and Discipline and a new earth of external peace and external plenty the following verses of that 65. of Isaiah will force your thus to understand it The other Scripture the Margent quotes is 2 Pet. 3.12 13. Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God c. Nevertheless we according to promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness q.d. though I bid you look for and hasten to the great day of God wherein all shall be set on fire yet nevertheless take special notice how that word nevertheless v. 13. comes in do not fear that you shall lose that glorious Kingdom upon earth that your hearts are generally so much set upon Act. 1.6 7. Lord wilt thous now restore the kingdom to Israel That the Messias would do it 't was commonly known and believed of all the Jews and by these taken for granted our Saviour denyes not the matter of their Quaere suffering them to go on in their Faith of the thing it self only gives check to their curiosity It is not for you to know the times and seasons the Father hath put in his own hands Fear not say Peter before the great and last burning we groundedly from a promise expect that God will make and give us in our Posterity new heavens and new earth in which shall dwell none of that base ungodliness the present heavens and earth of the Kingdoms of this World are full of but in which shall dwell Righteousness as t is Rev 9 8. He names the chief thing in Christs Kingdom which will bring with it all the rest I have spoken of to you If we that live now who have taken notice of the present state of things might be raised out of our graves and have a full view of the Kingdom Christ will set up everywhere certainly there would be no more spirit in us we should cry out here is noting of that World that was when we were upon earth we see none of the old Kings and Queens old Rulers old Governments old Sins and Sinners old wayes that formerly were all the old things are gone and behold all is become new Here 's a new King and new Officers new kinde of Preachers new Ordinances new Discipline new Saints new Church new State all 's become new Why this is not the World that was when we were alive behold here 's a new World that the Lord Christ Omnipotent hath Created Lastly This Kingdom shall be of no small continuance Surely Christ will not be at all this care cost pain to pull down to set up to make a new World of it and all this but for a day or a year Antichrist had a thousand two hundred and threescore years to play Rex in now indeed 't is pitty Christ should not have as long a Reign in the World at least It is not for us to know the times and seasons the Father hath reserved in his own hands But I le tell you what Scripturer saith to it Isa 65.17 he had promised as I told you to create new Heavens and new Earth and lest you should mis-understand this new Heavens and new Earth what they are he tels you ver 18. I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy that I mean but when shall this be Why ver 19. When the voice of weeping and crying shall be no more heard in her which must needs point at a time after the destruction of the Temple for then there was weeping and crying enough amongst them viz. upon the now so much expected Calling of the Jews and setling of them again in their own Land at which time ver 22. They shall not build and another inhabit as it had been often formerly with them they shall not plant and another eat but they shall dwell in their own houses and eat their own labours But for what space shall this joy and settlement of theirs be It follows Mine elects shall long enjoy the work of their hands they shall enjoy their new heavens and new earth a long time Rev. 20 2 3 4. The angel laid hold on Satan and bound him at thousand years and the Saints lived and reigned with Christ successively generation after generation a thousand years T is very likely this is a certain number for an uncertain but whether it be more or it be less questionless this expression of a thousand years assures us of a very long time Isa 60.15 I will make thee the joy of many generations not a few but many generations I leave it to your judgement what number of years in this case are to be accounted many the Saints shall enjoy this blessed this glorious reign of Christ for many generations But that which goes immediatly before is this I will make thee an eternal excellency speaking of the Church The word eternal here being to be understood comparatively to other great Kingdoms that have been set up and in time fallen must import a duration as great
from them leaving them still to the mercy of Popish racks and torments Know assuredly that Pope and Jesuites by any thing that is in their Religion are not nor can they be but skinners over at the best slight healers of the wounds of Conscience miserable Comforters Physitians of no value the Lord in mercy keep all his own out of their hands Vse 3. The next Use is exhortatory that every one of us would admire and bless the Lord and his goodness that he hath brought us forth in such a juncture of time and cast our lot in such a place that we are not constrained to receive the mark of the Beast in our hands or in our foreheads I desire to bless God every day that God did not bring me forth in Spain or Italy but that I am born an English man and at such a time when Popery is not the Religion of the Nation but the light of the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ shines amongst us and into us Troubles I confess we have seen and felt but put them all together with their utmost aggravations so far as concerns the outward man and they are not worthy to be compared with the exceeding great happiness we enjoy in our deliverances from the Egyptian darkness and bondage of popery especially if you take in the light and comforts of Christs blood and Gospel-truths we walk in What would have become of thee poor soul hadst thou lived in times wherein the Sea of Ordinances were no better then the blood of a dead man The Lord grant every one of us to know our Gospel-happiness and priviledges to rejoyce in the light and work the works of him that sent us while we have the light even comfort and Salvation to our selves glory to Christ advancement to his Kingdom and all this by receiving the truth in the love of it and holding forth the word of life Vse 4. Is the Pope Antichrist and Popery Antichristianism Why then let it not trouble you when ever or where ever you see Christ and his Armies in the greatness of their strength and fury marching out against them The Pope hath long time been Apollyon a destroyer of others even of the Church and People of God but he himself shall be destroyed Filius perditionis the Son of perdition 2 Thes 2.3 That day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the Son of Perdition IN the former Treatise I held forth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also both the Rise and full Growth of Antichrist It remains that I now shew you his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ebbing or declination of that proud Tide the many several paces and degrees whereof from first to last do make up his total ruine and give him his name Filius Perditionis the Son of Perdition Taking him in his largest capacity the Point will be this The Pope and his Kingdom are appointed of God to most remarkable destruction First God hath foretold and threatned it Rev. 13.9.10 If any man have an ear let him hear He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints God hath proclaimed it to all who have spiritual ears to hear that he hath captivity and a killing sword in store for those who have been such cruel enemies to his People And he would have all his Saints act their faith in believing this threat and their patience in waiting the full Execution of it Secondly Christ into whose hands all power in heaven and Earth is committed hath sworn it I say God hath not onely threatned it but Christ hath sworn it Rev. 10.5 6. The Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven And sware hy him that liveth for ever who created Heaven the Earth and Sea with all things that are therein that there should be time no longer The Angel of the Covenant set one foot upon the Sea the other upon the Land Sea and Land you know make up the terrestial Globe whereby is prefigured his throwing Antichrist out of all and taking possession of all the World himself He lifts up his hand the ancient ceremony of an Oath The thing he swears is this That there should be time no more not simply but for the Man of sin to reign havocking and destroying his Church Look upon the structure of the Church of Rome the power and policy of its constitution and Government and who could in reason conceive that Babylon should ever be destroyed Says Christ you have my word for it you have my Oath for it it shall shortly come to pass that the time of their domination shall be no more I will certainly ease you of her God willing more abundantly as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6. to shew unto the Heirs of promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things his Word and Oath in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation in the assurance of Romes headlong downfall Thirdly The Holy-Ghost brings it in as fully performed as either sayd or sworn in the Gross or Lump and also in the Particulars of it First in the Gross and Lump Dan. 12.1 At that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy People and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy People shall be delivered You have a Parallel to this Rev. 16.17.18.19 The seventh Angel poured out his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne saying 't is done And there were Voyces and Thunders and Lightnings and there was a great Earthquake such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great And the great City was divided into three parts and the Cities of the Nations fell and great Babylon came into remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the feirceness of his wrath Such an Earthquake will God raise under them such showers and storms shall God send down upon them as t is in the last verse of that Chapter There fell upon men a great hail out of Heaven every stone about the weight of a Talent that made them curse and blaspheme for the plague thereof was exceeding great I say such terrible Earthquakes and plaguing Storms of troubles will befall them as never any Kingdom in the World felt or heard of Rev. 14 19 20. And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth the Church of Christ is a Vine of Heaven its root is in Heaven all its fruitfulness is from Heaven and for Heaven
feet of his Will Set up as much of Christ and his Kingdom in thy Family as thou canst suppress sin in it as far as thy power will go set up Duties of Religion in it bring all under the power thereof Oh that Magistrates would not stand consulting chiefly what sutes best to the Interest of the State but what sutes best to the Interest of Jesus Christ and will most help on his Kingdom Certainly setting up standing by and countenancing in Spiritual Powerful Ministery not suffering Sabbaths and Ordinances to be prophaned and affronted good Learning and Holiness maintained in the Universities and other inferiour Schools Judgement and Justice executed without respect of persons I say doubtless these things would contribute much towards the enthroning of the great King of kings Oh but some man will say I am a poor wretch I can do noting towards the hastening this Kingdom you speak of That 's strange Canst not thou go into thy chamber or Closet and there lament the Antichristianism that is in the present Governments of the World tell God that he 's Omnipotent and so is able to remove whatsoever stands opposition to the Kingdom of his Son minde him of his many promises that he will do it Ask him if he should fail what would become of his Faithfulness of his great name Jehovah and then cry Lord let thy Kingdom come Lord how long yet Lord when shall it once be Be assured of it God may be stirred up much by fervent praying to hasten his Work You have a very notable place for this Psal 102. ver 13. to ver 19. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof So the Heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. What shall be written for the generations to come what shall the People which shall be hereafter created praise the Lord for Why this that when the Lord shall build up Zion and so appear in the glory of his power and grace as to make the heathen and all the kings of the earth to fear his name he will therein have regard to the prayer of the destitute The word that is here translated destitute signifies arbusculum nascentem in deserto a poor shrub in the wilderness which every beast is ready to bruise or tread upon a poor shrub that is low and mean and despicable When the Lord shall appear in his Glory and build up Zion in its Glory he will do it in reference to the prayers and sighs and wrestlings of such poor shrubs as the weakest and meanest of you are and therefore says the Prophet Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence give him no rest till be establish till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isa 62.6 7. q.d. You that are Saints indeed and make mention of the name of God in prayer follow him hang about him let him not have a quiet day when argument fails yet importunity may do much till he have broken Antichrist and all the powers of this World that stand in the way of the Gospel till he have set up the Kingdom of his Son made his name great and glorious in all the earth You poor of the flock may do more toward this work then you are aware of Wherefore I beseech you stand fast in the faith pray without ceasing quite your selves like men Oh! but I shall not live to see it nor share in the joy of Gods People and glory of this Kingdom My Answer to thee is thus 1. If God take thee to Heaven before thou canst be no great looser by that thou shalt drink there at the Fountain-head of glory when those thou hast left behinde must drink but of the streams of Grace at a far greater distance 2. The News of this Kingdom set up will be quickly brought to heaven and spred all up and down there thou mayest as well enjoy the comforts of it there keep a day of thanksgiving there and sing thy Hallelujahs with the spirits of just men made perfect to Him that sits upon the throne 3. Get upon mount Nebo however and thence look into the Canaan that flowes with milk and hony setting an eye of faith upon the Prospective of Promises thou mayest bring it very near to thee and have a very clear view of it Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen v. 13. These all dyed in the faith not having received the promises i. the matter of them but having seen them afar off were perswaded of them and imbraced them Though the great things promised were far off from them yet by saith and strong perswasions of the truth of them they brought them very near so that they took them in their arms and saluted them as the word in the original imports Abraham though he lived many hundred years before Christ yet he rejoyced to see his day He saw it and was glad Joh. 8.56 he could improve faith and promises to as much comfort and joy of heart as old Simeon did the very taking him up in his arms it applies it self I remember what Jacob when he lay upon his death-bed said to his son Joseph Gen. 48.21 Behold I dye but God shall be with you and bring you to the land of your fathers Thus when thou liest upon thy last bed thy children and friends coming with blubber'd cheeks and heavy hearts to take their leaves of thee thou mayest tell them Behold I dye but this is the support and comfort of my heart God shall be with you God will let you see the good dayes he hath spoken of in his word even from generation to generation I dye and must never see the glory of Jesus Christ in his Churches upon earth yet Posterity shall see it the Saints of God in after-ages shall enjoy the comforts the blessednesse of it and that 's life to me in the midst of death I rejoyce in that and glory in that with joy unspeakable FINIS Reader I Would have thee rest thy heart assured of this That the 21 22 Chapters of the Revelations are a Description of a State of a Church here below yet in allusion to Heaven Amongst many reasons which might be given for it take these three 1. It is called the New Ierusalem coming down from God out of Heaven And behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them chap. 21.2 3. The Church triumphant is taken up from the earth into heaven and the spirits of just men made perfect may more properly be said to dwell with God then God with them 1 Thess 4. Then shall we for ever be with the Lord. 2. It 's said the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it v. 24. Into the Church of Christ on earth for the further completing of the Churches happinesse We all know the glory and honour of earthly Kings is of no esteem in heaven can adde nothing there 3. It is said The leaves of the Tree Rev. 22.2 are for the healing of the Nations meaning the Spiritual sores and wounds of hte Nations But surely there are in Heaven it self neither whole Nations nor persons that stand in need of any healing whatsoever VVherefore it may safely be concluded the 21. and part of the 22 Chap. of that Book are a Description in high expressions and metaphors of the State of a Church here upon Earth E. H. * Thursday Lectures at Horsham in the county of Sussex * Ann. Christi 66. Ann. Neronis 11. In this as also in many other Prophesies Evangelical matters are clad with legal and old terms * Though under Legall terms * Some judgment or destruction that all must acknowledge to be from God
so strongly support him The Second Viall Rev. 16.3 is poured out upon the Antichristian Sea In this God came nearer to him then in the former for the sea is above the land as t is the proper place of the fire to be above the air the place of the air to be above the water so t is proper to the water to be above the earth t is kept from overflowing all by the power of that word hitherto shall thy proud waves goe and no further Upon the pouring out of the first viall finding themselves in a decaying state they lay their heads together how to plaister their soars and heal themselves of the noysom botches and boyls that had lately broken out upon them and were so visible in every ones eye for which end the Councel of Trent was calld where all the streams of Popish doctrine Popish worship and discpiline were brought together the confluence whereof the Holy Ghost there calls Sea Upon this there did appear in the Reformed Churches men of most eminent Godliness and Learning who did abundantly discover this Sea of theirs both by writing and preaching to be a sea of blood the blood of a dead man and no better In the true Gospel Ordinances there is to be had the living purging saving blood of Jesus Christ but Popish Trental Ordinances were not such blood they were a sea of blood of a dead man clotted congealed blood polluting choaking killing blood this is the Best word God affords them and no marvell when the death of souls was all their operation and effect Every living soul dyed in the sea All those who contented themselves to abide and swim in that Popish Sea that had no other life but what was begot and nourished in the Romish religion dyed and perishd eternally This Vial turned their religion inside out and showed it to all the World in its native colours and baseness till this time Every one took it that it was the bad Lives of the Common sort of people and worse Lives of the Parish-Priests that were in all the fault their Religion in itself good enough but now t is made apparent to all that will nor shurt their eyes that even the Religion itself is naught and base and Antichristian all over And this was yet a hotter Vial of wrath and torment upon them The Third Angel Rev. 16.4 5 6 7. pourd his Viall upon the rivers and fountains of waters that is upon Seminary Priests and Jesuites who compass the earth to and fro conveying the salt of Popish Trental doctrines and worship to people nations and languages and they became blood the meaning is they had blood given them to drink Now to give a man blood to drink is to kill him They were executed by vertue of Queen Elizabeths Law enacted with consent of Parliament in the year 1581. as Traitors hangd drawn and quartered A Book entituled Justitia Britanniae was publised in several Languages to clear the Christian equity and justice that was in such her proceedings with them The United Provinces of the Low Countries come from under the Altar of Persecution for Christ and Truth 1. being freed from the fearfull Tyrannies of Pope and Spaniard took at her in the year 1586. and made a Law to the same effect against them That if any Priest or Iesuite whether Forreigner or Home-born should come into any of the Provinces it should be death to them being apprehended and so they said Amen to the Law and Justice of Queen Elizabeth Let it be even so Lord God true and righteous are thy judgements For the Pope to have capital punishment executed upon his Emissaries the supporters and advancers of his Kingdom and Glory could not but be a tormenting vial of wrath upon him as clearly speaking what measure he himself might look for if he should fall into their hands even he that had drunk the blood of others so freely to have his own heart-blood given him to drink with a Satia te sanguine take your fill of blood and murther The fourth Vial is poured out upon the Sun Rev. 16.8 9. Papacy is resembled by an Antichristian world where there is earth sea rivers fountains and a Sun shining gloriously If we take this Mystical and most Illustrious light according to their conceits and fancie then t is the Popes Supremacie in Temporals Papists will tell you The Pope is as far above the greatest Monarch in this world as the Sun is above the Moon and the several glories of the Kings of the earth are but lights derived from him Temporal glory being in the Pope as light is in the Sun But how is the glory of the Popes Supremacy in Temporals everywhere darkened and in many Kingdomes quite put out You do not not now hear in any of the Popish Nations of his Excommunicating Kings Deposing Kings and giving away their Kingdoms since Henry the 8. God hath exceedingly darkened almost quite destroyed that Sun of the Popes Supreme power in Temporals which hath been a scorching Vial of wrath to him and his Clergy and drawn from them sufficient blasphemies But if you understand the Holy Ghost speaking of things as indeed they be then doubtless t is the house of Austria or the German Emperour It is well known that the Emperours before the Pope set up his Kingdom of Temporal greatness were the Sun and glory of the Political world they being the sixt head of the fourth or Roman Beast were wounded deadly by the incursions of Goths and Vandals Rev. 13.3 But the Pope growing up to his height vouchsafed to be their Surgeon his skill failed him not for he quickly healed that deadly wound by setting up an Emperor in France and after that translating the Empire into Germany Taking things as they really are of a certainty this is the earthly Sun that shines most illustriously in the Popes Antichristian world It matters not whether the Pope will own the Emperour as above himself or no we know he set him up instead of the old Emperours or sixt head who were by all mens confession the Sun of the Political world and the Bishops of Rome but Stars Revel 9. God and Scripture have still made the supreme Magistrate in Temporals the greatest lustre and splendor of any State and therefore with very good reason may the Emperour be here pitched upon who hath been the greatest Light and Glory of the Popish world for hundreds of years The King of Sweden was the Angel out of the Temple who poured this Vial upon the Popish Imperial State as if scorching flames of fire had light upon them And here give me leave to insert a discourse concerning Kings I am not ignorant that he who follows truth too near the heels may chance to have his brains dashd out at least may derive a great deal of spight and odium upon himself which a politick wise man would not do but that of Solomon prevails with me The uprightness of the upright
Prophesie But they who shall be so far honoured and blessed of God to be called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb as the expression is Rev. 19. to see this Kingdome drawn forth in all the just parts and lineaments of it set up to the height of its greatnesse and glory I say the least of them will be greater then John the Baptist my meaning is will be far more able to preach forth the excellencies of that Kingdome in all the dimensions of it then were those who were spectators of Jesus Christ when he was but at work upon it Therefore Reader I say again since you ought in reason let it answer your expectation if I set before you only some unpolisht draughts of it The Church of God will have more knowledge of this businesse ere it be long Dan. 12.4 Shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased The context rightly under stood clearly gives it thus That when the time of Antichrists reign and the Jews captivity shall draw towards an end men and matters will be hurried to and fro there will be great stirs in the world but then the sealed Book will be opened the knowledge of the Popes ruine calling of the Jewes the starry lustre of Christs kingdome will break forth increase and shine more and more unto the perfect day Which is the daily and fervent prayer of Your true Friend and Servant in the Lord E. H. The Reign of CHRIST Rev. 19.6 The Lord God Omnipotent raigneth THe four and twenty Elders we read of ver 4. are the Representative of the Church of Iews and Gentiles arising out of twelve Patriarks and twelve Apostles The four Beasts there also mentioned are the Ministerial Embleme who are elswhere said to have the face of a Lion of an Oxe of a Man and of an Eagle that by their special courage laboriousnesse wisdome speed the work of Jesus Christ in its time might be effectually carried on in the four parts of the world These four Beasts and four and twenty Elders something they do and something they say that which they did was this they fell down and worshipped him which sate upon the throne that which they said was Amen Allelujah be it even so as God hath done and praise and honour and glory be given to God Two grounds they lay down for this their posture and carriage the first this that he had judged the great Whore which did corrupt the earth he had pull'd down Babylon the second this he had set up himself as 't is in the text The Lord God omnipotent reigneth There needs but little explanation of the words The Lord God that is the Lord Christ for Christ is truly God 1 Joh. 5.20 This is the true God as might abundantly out of other Scriptures be proved yea the next word makes it good an incommunicable Attribute is given to him Omnipotent the Lord God omnipotent he is elsewhere called the mighty God Isa 9.6 which is of no lesse import then Almighty or Omnipotent Reigneth i. he is King Why was he not King before yes but not so as he is now now he reigns to some purpose The words thus opened and relatively taken afford us this point Vpon the breaking to peeces of the Church of Rome the Lord Christ will reigne and King it so as he never did in the world before Christ hath reigned from everlasting by Gods decree he hath reigned actually since mans fall he hath reigned eminently since his ascension and mission of the Holy Ghost but he will reigne gloriously upon the expiration of the reign of Antichrist The wonderfulnesse of this Kingdome we speak of appears to us many wayes First from those Scripture-epithites and adjuncts of him and his then-government In the very text the Lord God omnipotent reigns Omnipotent such a rule and government shall be set up that all shall be convinced and say Nothing under nothing lesse then the Omnipotencie of the Lord Christ could set it up Rev. 11.17 Thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned then Christs great power will be seen in his reigning Isa 24.23 Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in mount Sion and in Ierusalem and before his Ancients gloriously You remember what I have spoken to the immediately preceding verses there is the great Earthquake v. 18 19 20. see Rev. 16 18. the ruine of the Kings of the earth and of the whole world v. 21. see Rev 16 14.16 the visiting and calling forth of the imprisoned Jews v. 22. the reigne of the kingdome of Jesus Christ v. 23. Take Sun and Moon how you will Politically for the supreme powers of the Nations or literally for the great lights of heaven the Sun and Moon will be ashamed of themselves and confounded as not being the greatest glories and admirations of the world When his Ancients the Jewes shall be fully brought in Christ will reign so gloriously as shall cast shame and darknes into the face of Sun and Moon If you say this Scripture hath been at any time fulfilled I will not deny it but affirm this that a prophesie may have a gradual fulfilling Jer. 31.15 A voice of an old Grandmother raised out of her grave was heard in Ramah lamentation and bitter weeping Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted because they were not This was fulfilled when Israel went captives into Babylon which will be undeniably clear if you read on to the 22 verse and yet when Herod kill'd the children upon his search after him that was born King of the Jewes Mat. 2.17 18. then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet saying In Ramah was a voice heard lamentation c. If Isaias prophesie of Christs reigning before his Ancients hath been at any time fulfilled much more will it be fulfilled in the day may Text points at then it will be fulfilled to the uttermost fulfilled gloriously you see 't is epithited A glorious reign Secondly Christ his then-mannagement of affairs the Holy Ghost sets it forth in such high language to answer the reality of the Kingdom as hath deceived many thousands as if it should be a glorious personal raign 2 Thes 2.8 Then shall the wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming The Lord hath two wayes to bring down Antichrist First He consumes him by the spirit of his mouth i. e. by the ministry of the Word ever since Luther the Pope hath been in a Consumption you might see it in his face The second is by his own coming the brightness of his coming some take it for a personal appearance to give him his deaths wound Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which peirced him and all