rage comes now to have a Spirit of Life from God enter into them enabling them to stand upon their feet And then a voice from Heaven or the Orb of Government and Rule for so Heaven here and in the Rev. 12.7 is to be taken calls them up thereto alluding hereby to Christs dead body that was killed raised and ascended into Heaven And so the Prophet Isa 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Awake and Sing ye that dwell in the Dust for thy Dew is as the Dew of Herbs and the Earth shall cast out the Dead And parallel to this Hosea 6.2 After two days he will revive us in the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his sight His mistical body the Church being in a mistical way to conform and suit in a figure to the Death Resurrection and Ascension of his real Body The Prophet Hosea also in the 13 14. ver foretelling this promised restauration to the Church in this mistical manner doth it in terms alluding to the Corporeal Resurrection to which also the Apostle refers 1 Cor. 15.55 when he asserts that Doctrine of the Resurrection I will ransom them from the power of the Grave I will redeem them from Death O Death I will be thy Plagues O Grave I will be thy destruction Repentance shall be hid from my Eyes And again by the Prophet Isa 25.8 Speaking of this very time He will swallow up Death in Victory and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the Earth for the Lord hath spoken it Which very words of the Prophet are repeated by John and applied to this very time Rev. 21.4 Rev. 7.17 Now as is the Death so must the Resurrection be to the Spiritual Death there is a Spiritual Resurrection to the mistical Death a mistical Resurrection to the Corporeal Death a Corporeal Resurrection To this the Assemblies Annotations upon this place seem to concur also Rev. 20.5 6. After Antichrists destruction there will be such a new face of the Church as if the Saints were all raised up again This Resurrection is not of particular persons but of whole Churches and Nations as Rom. 11.15 alluded to in the raising of dead Bones Ezek 37. in which they are said to have part And that the Corporeal Resurrection of the Saints cannot be understood in this place further appears First Because the Text in the Letter of it speaks not of their Bodies but Souls and of the Souls only of them that were beheaded as Rev. 6.9 And I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the Word of God c. Now it is no where said that Souls in a proper sense revive and are raised because they never dye being Immortal and so not capable of Resurrection necessitating therefore another sense Secondly Because if we are here to understand a bodily Resurrection of the Saints Martyrs only being here mentioned and beheaded Martyrs too taking in no other Saints and only such too that suffered under Antichrist then will Christ have but a small Kingdom And then only such Martyrs partaking of that first Resurrection are to share of happiness and freedom from second Death excluding all but such both from happiness and exemption from such a curse contrary to the Analogy of Faith and whole current of Scriptures for what by such Doctrine will become of all the Saints from Abel to this time that were not Martyrs under Antichrist Thirdly Because this will hold out an absurdity of a two-fold Resurrection a thousand years distant each from other of bodies contrary to John 5.28 The hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done Good to the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil to the Resurrection of Damnation The state of the Resurrection being there held forth by Christ to be general and universal relating to Good and Bad and to be at one time the hour So in John 6. four several times he refers the Saints Resurrection to the last day verse 39.40 44 54. The professed Faith of the Saints in that day John 11.24 And Martha said unto him I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day So 1 Cor. 15.51 52. Behold I shew you a mistery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a Moment in the twinkling of an Eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed Joh 19.25 26. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth 26. And though after my skin Worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God So Job 14.12 Man lyeth down and riseth not till the Heavens be no more c. By which two Scriptures in Job the last day and time of the last Trump is explained and limited to Christs personal coming and end of the world or dissolution of the Heavens and the Earth as 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12. Rev. 20.11 Fourthly Because this opinion holds out this to be the first bodily Resurrection contrary to what the Scripture speaks of nine going before it As first the Widow of Sarepta's Son 1. Kin. 17.22 2ly The Son of the Shunnamite 1 Kings 4.35 3ly The man that was raised by the touch of the Prophets Coffin 2 Kings 13.21 4 y The Widow of Naim's Son Luke 7.15 5ly The Daughter of Jairus Luke 8.55 6 y Lazarus John 11.44 7ly Those many that came out of their Graves accompanying Christ at his Resurrection 8ly Tabitha Acts 9.41 9ly Eutichus Acts 20.16 By which several instances it must appear thar either this is not a Corporeal Resurrection spoken of or these nine mentioned were not so for this cannot be said in truth to be the first Corporeal Resurrection when nine went before it but the Tenth Resurrection rather Fifthly The Bodily Resurrection cannot be here meant because that is not to be till a thousand years after this as in this Chapter when all the Elements must give up their Dead Rev. 20.12 13. Sixthly This cannot be the Corporeal Resurection of the Saints for that cannot be till Christs personal coming and appearing and day of Judgment 1 Thes 4.14 Them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Cor. 15.23 Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming 2 Tim. 4.1 Who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom And as before Christs personal coming is proved by many arguments not to be till after the thousand years And 't is as clear that the Judgment day is not till after the thousand years and destruction of the Gog Magog Army Seventhly This cannot be the Corporeal Resurrection of the Saints because it inverts Christs
and having on the white Robes the pure fine Linnen which is interpreted to be the righteousness of the Saints in allusion to the linnen Ephod of old do stand at the Altar with much incense in the Golden Censer offering it with the Prayers of all Saints Rev. 8.34 and so serve him day and night in his Temple Rev. 7.15 And this to fulfil what Christ himself affirmed to the Woman of Samaria John 4.23 24. That the hour was coming and then was that the true Worshippers should worship the Father in Spirit and Truth and that he sought to worship him and that in opposition to their going up to this or the other Consecrated and Dedicated place of worship as Samaria or Jerusalem Holding out hereby the truth purity and spirituality of Gospel worship that by the Lords Ministry according to his own order and appointment shall now be performed that will make it like the figure of Heaven it self as before The quit contrary is true concerning Babylon for there is a Temple to be seen in her yea and such a Temple too that is afteâ— the old pattern which is as great a demonstration as any of her Apostate state and that she is old Ierusalem not new the Harlot and not the Bride for have you not there the Cathedral that is just built after the figure and pattern of the Temple with the Porch the Holy and most holy Place with solemn dedication and consecration to Divine worship with all the holy ground it stands upon and is surrounded with and richly adorned with gold and silver and precious stone having also its holy Water Oyl Incense and rich Perfumes Lamps Tapors Candelsticks and Instruments of Musick c. And is their not a Priesthood belonging thereto after the pattern of Aaron to serve at the Altar for have you not a Higst-priest the Pope and chief Priests the Cardinals Bishops Deans Abbots as well as an inferiour Priest-hood like the Levits consisting of several orders and ranks distinguished by their names and Vestments as Parsons Vicars Curates Cannons petty Cannons Bural Deans Choristers Musitians singing Nuns Monks and Fryers of diverse Orders Votaries unnumerable who serve at this Alter day and night and have their tenths first Fruits Oblations to support and maintain the same with their Jubiles new Moons Feasts Fasts and Saints days and a hundred Heathenish additions and inventions to make this their Temple compleat Babylonish and for none of which is their the least sylable in Christs Gospel concerning his new Testament Temple and service Fully demonstrating and fulfilling what the Apostle Paul foretold 2 Thess 2. Concerning this mystery of iniquity and man of sin that shall thus sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God who by his thus changing times and Laws Dan. 7.25 Esa 24.5 shall oppose and exalte himself above all that is called God and worshipped And who hereby is truely said Rev. 13.6 To open his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and to tread the Holy City under his feet Rev. 11.2 Of the Kings of the Earth that bring their glory to it And the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour into it 21.24 AS it was in old Ierusalem the Type in Solomons day when it was said 2 Chron. 9 23.24 That all the Kings of the Earth sought his presence and brought every man his present Vessels of Silver and Vessels of Gold and Raiment Harness and Spices Horses Mules a rate year by year So must it be in the new Ierusalem there shall be a coming up of the Kings of the Earth with their glory and honour which are to be understood either such Kings or Rulers that are converted to the faith that being instructed become wise do kiss the son Serving the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Ps 2.11.12 Whilst others are broken to pieces in their opposition or of such that being holy and gracious are made Rulers and Governors for only such that are men of Truth and fear God are to be intrusted therewith And these Kings in the Text that come in to the City can be understood no other for we cannot suppose any wicked unconverted persons have their admission because it is said Rev. 21.27 That in no wise there shall enter into it any thing that defileth or that worketh Abomination or that maketh a lye or that are not written in the Lambs Book of Life And in such a sence that these following Scriptures be fulfilled viz. Beeause of thy Temple which is in Jerusalem shall Kings bring presents to thee the Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents to thee the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall Offer gifts yea all Kings shall fall down before him and all Nations shall serve him the Kings shall see and arise and Princes shall worship because of the Lord c. The Kings shall come to thy Light and Princes to the brightness of thy rising the Kings shall see thy Righteousness and all Kings thy Glory All the Kings of the Earth shall praise thee O Lord when they hear the words of thy mouth yea they shall sing in the ways of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord Ps 68.29 Es 49.22 23. Ps 72.10 11 12. Isa 47.6 7.60.2 3 4 5.62.2 Psa 138.44 It is true Babylon indeed hath had the Kings of the Earth bringing glory and honour into her whereby she hath gloryfied her self at that monstrous rate saying therefore she shall sit as a Queen and see no sorrow the ten Kings having to fulfil Gods words given their Power Strength and Kingdom to her Rev. 17.4.17 â—ut what Kings are they not such Kings as are before mentioned but such as being made drunk with the Whores Cup commit leudness and fornication with her Rev. 18.9 But yet thus much for her comfort let her know that the day is hastning when the Nations that have supported her shall fall off from her and the ten Kingdoms that by their Power or Horns have born her up shall by their Horns also push her down yea they shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire when those other words of Prophecy shall be fulfilled The delicates that thy soul lusted after thou shalt find them no more at all and Babylon the glory of Kingdoms shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah Isa 13.19 20. And God will be avenged of thee and will not meet thee as a man Isa 47.1 When all that knew thee amongst the people shall be astonished at thee thou shalt be a terrour and never shalt thou be any more Eze 28.12 to 20. And when thou art spoyled what wilt thou do though thou cloathest thy self with Crimson though thou deckest thee with Ornaments of Gold though thou paintest thy face with painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair
presence and co-habitation and not personal and proper which I think will be easily granted by them especially that acknowledge the thousand years inconsistent with the personal presence the Analogy of Faith being to be kept in all our interpretations and expositions But secondly neither is there any thing exprest in these Scriptures that necessitates literal understanding so as to inforce a personal presence much of the same being exprest elsewhere relating to Gospel days of the vertual presence as 2 Cor. 6.16 for ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them Rev 2.1 Christ is said to walk in the golden Candlesticks or Churches and the great priviledge of Saintship is to hold Communion with God to maintain fellowship to walk with him to enjoy the light of his Countenance and to see his face The Scriptures I need not quote being so well known Thirdly That the personal presence cannot be in the new Jerusalem state as granted it cannot be in the thousand years I refer you to those many Arguments Reasons and Scriptures given in the former part The fourth Objection is from the duration of the new Heaven or new Jerusalem which is said to be set without date and to be for ever and ever Chap. 22.5 and to remain before God as an immoveable pillar Isa 66.22 and Daniel calls it an everlasting Dominion which a Kingdom expresly bounded with a thousand years cannot be called To which I answer that there is no concluding Argument in this neither for what is more frequent in Scripture than by the terms ever yea ever and ever and everlasting to mean some space of time yea and that sometimes a term short of a thousand years too Is not the Covenant of Circumcision called a perpetual and everlasting Covenant Exod. 31.19 Gen. 17.13 The Priest-hood an everlasting Priest-hood Exod. 40.15 The Temple is said to continue for ever 1 Kings 8.13 with everlasting Gates Psal 24.7 9 The servitude of the Israelites till the Jubile for ever Exod. 21.6 Deut. 15.17 Lev. 25.39 c. The Land of Canaan was given the Children of Israel to inhabit for ever and ever Jer. 25.5 The seventy years Captivity is called perpetual Jer. 25.9 Therefore I conclude that there is no Ground or warranty at all upon such niceties to draw such singular conclusions and not only to slit separate and divide these States but to set them at such a vast distance a thousand years at least which indeed makes a wide breach in the Prophecie and run upon that Rock of setting the thousand years so far off as to be past already which I conceive is not to be reconciled either with the spirits interpretation in this Book the scope of the place or other Scriptures and necessarily runs upon a thousand inconveniences The fifth Objection is that out of the Rev 20.11 where because it is said the Earth and Heaven fled away at Christs appearance so as there was no more place for them therefore it is concluded that it is the same Heaven and Earth viz. that in the 21.1 is said to have past away as the first Heaven and Earth to make way for the new Heaven and Earth or new Jerusalem But I conceive they are as different in their Natures as they are in their times being a thousand years distant at least from each other the one Rev. 21.1 being the mistical Heaven and Earth outward visible Rule Dignity and Soveraignty such as the Dragon Beast and false-prophet have exercised in the fourth Monarchy as is before largely proved not only from the scope of the place and many Scriptures of the Prophets but from the excellent observation of Mr. Mead Assemblies Annotations Mr. Bernard c. in this place for now the old Heavens and Earth in the fourth Monarchy being past away in order to its Antithesis taking place the new Heavens and Earth or new Jerusalem Saints Reign or fifth Monarchy in the thousand years which the 65. Isa 17. c. fully demonstates evincing it to be a state wherein there is to be Building Planting Marrying and giving in Marriage enjoyment of peace and plenty by the Saints and Elect which are utterly inconsistent to the personal Reign of Christ after the erecting of the white Throne in the Judgment day The other in the 20.11 is the material old Heaven and Earth that at Christs coming and personal appearing pass away as 2 Pet. 3.10 where it is said that the day of the Lord shall come as a Thief in the night in which the Heaven shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with servent heat the Earth also and the works therein shall be burnt up and the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and that this intendeth the material Heavens and Earth beyond all dispute the seventh verse tells us that as the former Heaven and Earth viz. the old world was by Gods Word destroyed by Water so the Heaven and Earth that is now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men and this in order to those material new Heavens and Earth that in this time of restitution of all things must take place wherein Christ and all his Saints in the general Resurrection and Judgement as this Rev. 20.11 in that his misphatical Kingdom after his Davidical or Monarchical kingdom is over shall Reign and Judge Now the same Heaven and Earth that Peter saith shall at Christs presence pass away with a great noise John saith here The Earth and the Heaven fled away at his presence or from his face erecting now his white Throne where he will judge the wicked and ungodly The sixth and last Objection that is to be spoken to and indeed is significantly urged is this viz. that if this thousand years ought to be esteemed the new Heaven and Earth how then can it bring forth such Vipers and Monsters as Gog and Magog who must either be of the first or old Heaven and Earth or of the new Not of the new for they must remain Isa 65. And if of the old how then are they past away To which I reply that this new Heaven and Earth viz. the Monarchical Rule of Christ in the hands of the Saints over the Nations of the Earth hath its date and lasteth but a thousand years during also which time Satan is bound viz. all worldly Empire put down no Government in the hands of any but Saints and the Nations all in perfect subjection But it is according to the decree of Heaven that at the expiration of these thousand years Satan shall be loosed and then the Heathenish Nations instead of subjecting to Christs Rule will universally rebel and conspire against it because they are only under and in subjection to the Government of the new Heavenly state but never of it none of those that ever entred the holy City and so
his own Blood And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Daniel 7.17 These great Beasts which are four are four Kings which shall arise out of the Earth viz. the four Monarchies as interpreted Chap. 2.18 But the Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever 2â— And judgment was given to the Saints of the most high 26. And the judgment shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and destroy it to the end 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him Which is the very same spoken of Dan 2.44 and in the days of these Kings viz four Monarchs typed out by the Image the God of Heaven shall set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Psal 110 2. The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength viz. his Septer or Ensign of Rule and Dignity out of Zion the new Testament Church Rule thou in the midst of thine Enemies Mica 4.8 And thou O Tower of the Flock the strong hold of the Daughter of Zion unto thee shall it come even the first Dominion the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Jerusalem Rev. 2.26 27. And he that overcometh and keepeth my Works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron as the Vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to pieces even as I have received of my Father and I will give him the Morning Star Which glorious reign is held forth to us in the particulars following viz. First In the Great Extent Secondly in the Glorious Administration which is first in dispensing Laws 2ly Administring judgment both punishing the Evil and rewarding the Good to the encrease of 1. Peace 2. Plenty and 3. Protection Sixthly the great conversions both of Jews and Gentiles Seventhly the encrease of holiness Eighthly Freedom from sorrow Ninthly Restauration of the Creature First The extent of this Kingdom is no less than the bounds of the Beasts and Dragons Territories even the whole Earth Rev. 16.14 No less than the limits of the four preceding Monarchies as Dan. 7.27 And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him So Dan. 2.34 35. The Universality whereof is confirmed also by these following Scriptures Isa 60.11 Thy Gates shall be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and that their Kings may be brought 12. For the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish Yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted Isa 2.2 And it shall come to pass in the last deays that the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow thereunto Agreeable to the first promise to Abram Gen. 12.3 And I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee and in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed Ratified also by an Oath Gen. 22.16 17 18. By my self have I sworn saith the Lord that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea Shore And thy seed shall possess the Gate of his Enemies And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Rev. 11.15 And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever So Psal 2.8 Psal 29.10 Isa 19.23 25. The glorious Administration consists First in dispensing the Righteous Laws of the Lord in opposition to the Laws of the Nations the Statutes of Omri the Lord alone being the Law-giver Mica 4.2 And many Nations shall come and say Come and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths for the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Therefore it is said Isa 51.4 Hearken unto me my people and give ear unto me Oh my Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people 5. My Righteousness is near my Salvation is gone forth and mine Arms shall judge the people the Isles shall wait upon me and upon mine Arm shall they trust Therefore verse the 7th Hearken to me ye that know Right the People in whose heart is my Law Fear not the reproach of men c. Isa 42.2 He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgment in the Land and the Isles shall wait for his Law Verse 21 The Lord is well pleased for his Righteousness sake He will magnifie the Law and make it Honourable And further as a precept for the day Mal. 4.4 Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments Ezek. 44.23 24. Secondly In Administring Justice and Judgment and Righteousness to the encrease of Peace and plenty and protection the blessings of good Government Isa 1.26 And I will restore thy Judges as at the first and the Councellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness the faithful City Ps 72.7 In his days shall the Righteous flourish and abundance of Peace so long as the Moon endureth Verse the 2. of that Psal He shall judge thy people with Righteousness and thy poor with Judgment Verse 11. All Kings stall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him 12. For he shall deliver the needy when he cryeth the poor also and him that hath no helper 13. He shall spare the poor and needy and save the Souls of the needy 14. He shall redeem their Soul from deceit and violence c. Isa 60.17 18. I will also make thy Officers peace and thine exacters Righteousness 18. Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land wasting and destruction within thy Borders But thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy Gates praise 21. Thy people also shall be all Righteous they shall inherit thy Land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands
that I may be glorified Isa 62.2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness and all Kings thy Glory Isa 11.4 With righteousness shall he Judge the Poor and reprove with Equity for the meek of the Earth and he shall smite the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth and with the breath of his Lips shall he slay the wicked 5. And righteousness shall be the Girdle of his Loins and faithfulness the Girdle of his Reins 6. The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and c. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my Holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Isa 2.4 And he shall Judge among the Nations and rebuke many people and they shall beat their Swords into Plowshares and their Spears into Pruning hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more Isa 32.16 17. Then Judgement shall dwell in the Wilderness and righteousness remain in the fruitful Field and the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever and my people shall dwell in a peaceable Habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places Isa 33.5 He hath fill'd Zion with judgement and righteousness 6. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times Isa 66.12 I will extend peace to her like a River and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream c. Joel 3.18 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Mountains shall drop down new Wine and the Hills shall flow with Milk and all the Rivers of Judah shall flow with Waters and a Fountain shall come forth of the House of the Lord and shall water the Vally of Shittim Then Egypt shall be a desolation Amos 9.13 Behold the days come saith the Lord that the Plowman shall overtake the Reaper and the treader of Grapes him that soweth Seed and the Mountains shall drop sweet Wine and all the Hills shall melt Ezek. 34.26 And I will make them and the places round about them my Hill a blessing and I will cause the Shower to come down in his season there shall be Showers of blessing 27. And the Tree of the Field shall yield her fruit and the Earth shall yield her increase and they shall be safe in their Land c. 28. And they shall no more be a prey to the Heathen neither shall the Beasts of the Land devour them but they shall dwell safely and none shall make them afraid Isa 51.3 He will make her Wilderness like Eden and her Desert like the Garden of the Lord So Ezek. 36 35. Isa 49 10. They shall not hunger nor thirst neither shall the heat nor Sun smite them for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them even by the springs of Waters shall he guide them 12. Behold these shall come from far and lo these from the North and from the West and from the Land of Sinim Isa 65.21 And they shall build Houses and inhabit them and they shall plant Vineyards and eat the fruit of them 22. They shall not build and another inhabit they shall not plant and another eat for as the days of a Tree are the days of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands 23. They shall not labour in vain and bring forth for trouble For they are the Seed of the blessed of the Lord and their Off-spring with them 25. The Wolf and the Lamb shall feed together and the Lion shall eat Straw like the Bullock And dust shall be the Serpents meat They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my Holy Mountain saith the Lord spoken of the New Heaven and New Earth State as Verses 17 18. Which golden Age is further described Psal 72.11.15 Isa 60.17 For Brass I will bring Gold and for Iron Silver and for Wood Brass and for Stones Iron To which peace and plenty is added the eminent protection that is vouchsafed in this day Isa 4 5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her assemblies a Cloud and smoke by day and shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the Glory shall be a defence 6. And there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat and for a place of refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain Zach 2.5 For I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her The blessing also of which blessed reigning day consists much in the great Conversions that shall be effected both among the Jews and Gentiles by the publication of the Gospel Gentiles Conversion Psal 87.3 4 5. Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God Selah 4. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia This man was born there 5. And of Zion it shall be said this and that man was born in her and the highest himself shall establish her Isa 1.27 Zion shall be redeemed with Judgment and her converts with Righteousness Isa 11.10 And in that day shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious 12. And he shall set up an Ensign for the Nations and shall assemble the out casts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the Earth Isa 60 5. Then thou shalt see and flow together and thy heart shall fear and be inlarged because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee 6. The multitude of Camels shall cover thee The Dromedaries of Median and Epha all they from Sheba shall come they shall bring Gold and Incense and they shall shew forth the Praises of the Lord. 7. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee the Rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee They shall come up with acceptance on mine Altar and I will glorifie the house of my Glory 8. Who are these that fly as a Cloud and as the Doves to their Windows 9. Surely the Isles shall wait for me c. 10. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls Isa 35.1 2. The Wilderness and solitary place shall be glad for them and the desert shall rejoyce and blossom as a Rose 2. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoyce even with joy and singing the Glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it the excellency of Carmel and Sharon They shall see the Glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God 5. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstoped 6. Then shall the Lame man Leap as an Hart and tongue of the dumb sing for in the
Wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the Desert Amos 9.11 In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it as in the days of old 12. That the may possess the Remnant of Edom and of all the Heathen which are called by my name saith the Lord that doth this which is interpreted Acts 15.16 the Conversion of the Gentiles to Christ Jesus Isa 19.24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Aegypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the Land 25. Whom the Lord of Hosts shall bless saying Blessed be Aegypt my people and Assyrya the work of mine hands and Israel mine Inheritance Zechar. 8.23 Thus saith the Lord of Hosts in those days it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Rev. 21.24 And the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour into it 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of life Zech. 12.10 And I will pour upon the House of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his first born Amos 9.10 And in that day I will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen c. Rom. 11.15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the World what shall the receiving of them be but life from the Dead So the 23. And they also if they abide not still in unbelief shall be graffed in for God is able to graff them in again 24. For if thou wert cut out of the Olive Tree which is wild by nature and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good Olive Tree how much more shall these which be the natural branches be graffed into their own Olive Tree 25. For I would not Brethren that ye should be ignorant of this Mystery least you should be wise in your own conceits that blindness in part is hapned to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in 25. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away Vngodliness from Jacob. 4. The abounding of Holiness Isa 35.8 And an Highway shall be there and away and it shall be called the way of Holiness The unclean shall not pass over it but it shall be for those Joel 3.17 Then shall Jerusalem be Holy and there shall no stranger pass through her any more Zech. 14.20 In that day shall there be upon the Bells of the Horses Holiness unto the Lord and the Pots in the Lord's House shall be like the Bowls before the Altar 21. Yea every Pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be Holiness unto the Lord of Hosts and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the House of the Lord of Hosts Hos 9. Ezek. 44.9 Rev. 21.1 Isa 60.21 Thy people shall be all righteous Zeph. 3.13 The Remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lyes neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths 2 Pet. 2.13 New Heavens and new Earth wherein dwells righteousness Rev. 21.1 And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth 2. And I John saw the Holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven c. 3. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men c. 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth c. but they that are written in the Lamb's Book Outward and visible acts of Worship Rev. 88. Rev. 21. Freedom from Sorrow Pain and Sickness Isa 25.8 The Lord will in that day wipe away all tears from all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the Earth for the Lord hath spoken it Isa 54.13 14. Thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children In righteousness shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear and from terror for it shall not come near thee Isa 60 15. Whereas thou hast been forsaken I will make thee an eternal excellency violence shall be no more heard in thy Land the days of thy mourning shall be ended Isa 65.19 I will joy in my people and the voice of weeping or crying shall no more be heard in her Rev. 7.16 17. They shall hunger no more For the Lamb in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 21.4 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more sorrowing nor crying nor pain Ezek. 28.24 Jer. 30.10 Superabounding pouring forth of the Spirit Joel 2.28 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophecy your old Men shall dream Dreams your Young-men shall see Visions 29. And also upon the Servants and upon the Hand-maids in those days will I pour out my Spirit Isa 32.15 Lastly The restauration of the Creature Isa 65.17 For behold I create a new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred no come into mind 25. The Wolf and the Lamb shall feed together c. Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us 19. For the earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God 21. Because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God c. This glorious and happy state of the Church in this your Rule Dignity and Soveraignity is called in Scripture the Kingdom of Christ and is so spoken off as if he was personally present with them in all this work before mentioned both in the conquering as well as peaceable part of the Kingdom First As to the Conquering part or as by way of distinction called the Kingdoms of the Stone it is called his Kingdom and spoke of as if he were personally present Dan. 2.44 And in the days of those Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people c. The interpretation of Verse 34. Thou sawest till that a Stone was cut out without hands which smote the Image upon his
feet that were of Iron and Clay and brake them to pieces Interpreted to be the fourth or last Monarchy Chapt. 7 and Verse 40. of this Chapter 35. And the Stone that smote the Image became a great Mountain and filled the whole Earth Rev. 17.14 These viz. the ten Horns ten Kingdoms or ten Toes of this Image make War with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful Spoken as though personally present in the work and parallel to this Rev. 19.11 And I saw Heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge and make War 13. And he was cloathed in a Vesture dipt in blood taken out of Isa 63.2 c. And his name is called the Word of God 14. And the Armies which are in Heaven followed him upon white Horses cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean 15. And out of his Mouth goeth a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall Rule them with a Rod of Iron and he treadeth the Wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God 16. And he hath on his Vesture and Thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords And then there is an invitation to the Fouls of Heaven to feast themselves with the flesh of Kings Captains and Mighty Men in the Supper of the great God And in the 45 Psa a Prophecy of the Kingdom Verse 3. Gird thy Sword upon thy Thigh O most Mighty with thy Glory and thy Majesty 4. And in thy Majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things 5. Thine Arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies whereby the people fall under thee And then after this Conquest as though in it in person 6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter c. So Psa 66.3 Isa 42.13 Haggai 2.22 As in Page 23. Isa 35.4 Secondly The Peaceable part of the Kingdom or the Kingdom of the Mountain so spoken of as if Christ was personally present Ps 72.1 Give the King thy judgement O God and thy righteousness unto the Kings Son 2. He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgement 3. The Mountains shall bring peace to the people and the little Hills by righteousness 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth 8. He shall have dominion also from Sea to Sea and from the River to the ends of the Earth c. 11. Yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him c. Dan. 7.14 And there was given him viz. the Son of man Christ Jesus Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve him Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute justice and judgment in the Earth 6. In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall called the Lord our righteousness Ezek. 34.23 24. And I will set up one shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them he shall be their shepherd 24. And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it Jer. 39.9 They shall serve the Lord their God and David their King whom I will raise up unto them Luke 1.32 He shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end And so again upon the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever And again Rev. 20.4 And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Rev. 22.3 Object But why then should not we so take it as the Scripture represents it and so plainly lays it down will you be wiser than what is written why should we not so receive and believe it Answ First it must be taken for granted that as the Beasts Kingdom is a mistery so is the Kingdom of Christ no less and threfore is the mind of wisdom called for to reach into the one as the other And as the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.16 speaking of these things in which as he saith there are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest unto their own destruction Which therefore calls for great sear caution and circumspection in our conversing about these great mysteries Secondly It must be taken for granted that in the speaking to these things no sense ought to be given that denyes received fundimental principles nor thwarts the Analogy of Faith nor crosses the current of Scripture Thirdly That it is the genuine sense true scope and intent of the Scripture comparing Scripture with Scripture and spiritual things with spiritual and not only the litteral reading in some places for otherwise the Racovian Catechisme asserting Socinianisme shall go for good pay Nay what Heresie upon that account may not be asserted and proved And therefore Maton well saith whatsoever Text of Scripture is expounded any other ways than god meant by it it is according to its interpretation the word of man and not of God and consequently in adhearing to such interpretations we believe not what God saith but what man doth make him say Lastly That we cannot receive these Scriptures in the sense that many give of them that thus seem to assert Christ personally to be present either in the smiting or peaceable part of his Kingdom during these thousand years Take these following Reasons and weigh them in the fear of the Lord in the true ballance of the Sanctuary wherein we shall first shew why they cannot so be received Secondly In what sense truly according to the mind of Christ they may and ought to be received First That Christ Jesus cannot properly be said to be personally present in the smiting part besides the five Reasons to this thing Page â—5 26 27. Because it is expresly said Psal 110.2 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou
Heaven must receive untill the times of Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his Holy Prophets since the World began Hebr. 9.28 To them that look for him will he appear the second time without sin blotting out the sin to Salvation 1 Thess 2.9 For what is our hope or joy or Crown of Rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall we appear with him in Glory 1 John â— 2 Now are we Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but when he shall appear we shall be like him Phil. 3.20 For our consolation is in Heaven from whence also we look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like his glorious body 1 Pet. 5.4 And when the chief Shepheard shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away By which Scriptures it fully appears that Christ's personal coming and appearing is not till the general Resurrection and general Judgement which are after this thousand years Reign Fourthly From those Scriptures that assign the dissolution of the Heavens and the Earth to be at his personal coming and appearing 2 Pet. 3.10 The day of the Lord shall come as a Thief in the Night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat The Earth also and the work therein shall be burnt up 12. Wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved Rev. 20.11 From whose face the Heavens and the Earth fled away with Mark 13.24.25.26 By which it is further manifest that the thousand years Reign must be before Otherwise where will be that Building Planting Rule Government in this World when the Earth and all its works are burnt up Therefore of necessity must these things precede the personal coming and appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ In the next place Christs personal coming and appearing cannot be at this time from arguments taken from his high Priesthood and work of Mediation We read Hebr. 9.7 That the High Priest alone once every year not without blood did enter into the Holy place to offer for himself and the errours of the people c. But Verse 11 Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this Building 12. Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the Holy Place having obtained eternal redemption for us 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament c. 24. For Christ is not entered into the Holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us c. Hebr. 4.15 And there as our High-priest is he touched with the feeling of our infirmities being in a l points he was tempted like as we are yet without sin To encourage us to hold fast our profession and to come boldly to the Throne of Grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of our need who can have compassion on the ignorant and them that are out of the way Heb. 5.2 For if any sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the propitiation for our sins c. 1 John 2.1 Who was in all things made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that he himself suffered being tempted he is also able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.17 18. And an High-priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck Heb. 5.6 Who ever lives to make intercession for us and to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Hebr. 7.25 And this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost c. For such an High-priest became us c. Heb. 7.24 25 26. So that whilest sinners are to be converted Saints are liable to sin suffering and temptation and have need to pray and be found in the use of Ordinances Yea whilst they have any thing to do with God short of eternal Glory they will stand in need of an Advocate Mediatour an Intercessour a Days-man But this is needful to the end of the World in and after the thousand years Therefore there is a necessity for the continuance of Christ's Mediation at the right hand of the Father whilst Sin Satan evil World and Death remain and till the Saints be safely entered into Eternal Rest Neither can he any more come off from that work till he hath completed it then the High-priest was to come off from within the Vail till he had perfected the work for which he entered the Holy Place Therefore it will be very dangerous to hold out any Doctrine that may entrench upon this great office of the Mediatour Again neither can Christ personally appear with all the raised and glorified Saints in the thousand years Reign from the consideration of the special work that is to be transacted therein altogether unsuitable for Glorified Angelical Spiritual Bodies viz. To fight and wage War with material Swords To dispense Laws to manage humane policies in the administration of Judgement and Justice amongst men as well in the execution of Justice upon Transgressours as to encourage the Well-doers to build to plant c. To share of worldly peace and plenty To Preach the Gospel dispense and partake of Ordinances or to partake of the great Spiritual blessing in the pouring out of the Spirit proper onely for natural bodies and humane capacities and how incongruous it is for mortal and immortal glorified and unglorified Heavenly and Earthly bodies to converse and transact together is already manifest Upon which considerations we cannot suppose that Christ can personally be present in either part of the Kingdom necessitating therefore some other sense to those former Scriptures seeming to hold out the same more agreeable to Truth and current of Scripture Object But you will say in what sense can you suppose Christ to be said to come to be with his people to fight against enemies to Reign and sit upon a Throne if not personally To the first concerning Christs coming it is necessary that we should take notice of a fourfold coming of Christ in the Scriptures viz. A Personal a Spiritual a Mystical and a providential coming each of which may also be used in a double sense First He is said to come in person when he came in the flesh to take our Nature upon him 1 John 4.2 and Heb. 10. and also when he comes the second time without sin to
like manner also doth the Glory here return to Jerusalem and that in so visible a manner that all are enlightned by it to fulfill the words of the Prophet Isa 60.1 2. Arise shine for thy light is come and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee for behold darkness shall cover the Earth and gross darkness the people but the Lord shall arise upon thee and his Glory shall be seen upon thee c. and which will be so splendid and shine to that perfection that to follow the simile Rev. 22.5 there shall be no night there and they need no Candle neither light of the Sun 21.23 compared with Isa 60.19 And again The Gentiles shall see thy Righteousness and all the Kings of the Earth thy Glory Isa 62.2 And then shall also be accomplished what is further said Isa 52.9 10. The Lord shall make bare his holy name in the eyes of all Nations and all the ends of the Earth shall see the Salvation of God So that not only the Glory of his presence and the Glory of his Grace but the Glory of his power shall be manifest for his people to the fulfilling also that word Isa 4.5 And the Lord will Create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a Cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon or above all the Glory shall be a defence alluding to the presence and Glory of old the type hereof that came up with them out of Aegypt Exod. 13.21 that was with them in the Wilderness Exod. 33.9 10. which was so to be their guide that without it they must not stir Numb 9.15 Exod. 33.15 that accompanied the Tabernacle Exod. 40.34 and both the Temples 1 Kings 8.11 Hag. 2. 6 7. in the enjoyment whereof consisted their Counsel Comfort Blessing Protection Strength and therefore must the High-Priest begging that Mercy bless the people Numb 6.23 and in the loss whereof the contrary attended viz. all misery and mischief But so eminently shall this new Jerusalem be blessed herewith that her name shall be called Jehovah Shamah viz. the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 whilst it may truly be said of her Opposite that other City that by the smoke that cometh out of the Bottomless-pit and by the indwellings of Satan whose Throne and Seat is therein that darkness incompasseth her as a Cloud and thick darkness as a covering that the height of her Glory is but in her own shame which will hasten her inevitable ruine and utter confusion and for whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever Of the Wall And had a Wall great and high and had twelve Gates and at the Gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel 12. On the East three Gates on the North three Gates on the South three Gates on the West three Gates 13. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. 14. And he that talked with me had a Reed to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the Wall thereof 15. And he measured the Wall thereof a hundred forty four Cubits and the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper c. HAving spoken of the City in general he comes to speak of her strength and splendor being a City compact together and the first thing he begins with is the Wall A Wall is for safety security and defence as well as for Ornament and Beauty It is said The Canaanites had Walls reaching to Heaven Deut. 1.28 And that Babylon had a great broad Wall Jer. 51.58 That Jerusalem after the Captivity had a Wall with twelve Gates And so had Ezekiels City also lying four-square and upon each quarter three Gates In allusion whereto the new Jerusalem is here described to have a four-square Wall and twelve Gates therein but such a Wall that in all respects transcends all that ever was heard or read of in the world Which in its constitution several parts dimensions and proportions you have thus laid down viz. 1. In its regularity laid out by the Golden Reed in the Angels hand 2. In its materials of which it is built all of Jasper stone 3. In its foundation viz. twelve precious stones garnishing the same 4. In its figure Quadranguler four square lying upon the four Quarters East North South West 5. In its breadth 144 Cubits 6. In its heighth which if agreeing with the City is twelve thousand Furlongs or 1500. Miles 7. In the number of the Gates which according to the number of the Patriarchs and Apostles as the Gates of Jerusalem of old are twelve 8. In its Emblematical inscription twelve Tribes names upon the Gates and twelve Apostles names upon the foundation-stones 9. In its Porters assigned to keep the Gates twelve Angels 10. In the admirable and wonderfull matter of the Gates twelve entire Pearls In all which no question singular Mysteries are intended which for want of light we may come very short in the understanding of yet according to what we have attained you may upon the whole take these following general hints from whence light may be fetcht to look into the particulars viz. 1. By the exact mensuration of both Wall Gates and City it self in all their dimensions We may understand that as of old both in the Tabernacle Exod. 25.4 as in the Temple first 1 Chron. 28.19 and second Zach 2.1 2 3 c. Ezek. 43.11 12. all things relating to the worship and service of God was to be exact according to Rule even to the very Pins and Nails of the Temple c. So also in this Glorious state of the Church how large and extensive soever yet is she not it seems in an arbitrary way to order and regulate her affairs either relating to the worship and service of God or to her whole Oeconomy of Rule and Government but must in all lie truly level to the square and even to the pattern of the Golden Reed of Gods Word which must try both Members Doctrine Worship and Manners 2. By this wonderful great and high Wall that is said thus to encompass this glorious City we may conclude that the Protection Salvation and defence of the Church shall be very singular and that then that Word of the Prophet shall be fulfilled Violence shall no more be heard in thy land nor wasting and destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy Gates Praise And that when Gods encompassings and encampings shall be so visibly without as Isa 4.5 Zach. 9 8. 2 Kings 6.16 17. And his co-habitation within as Rev. 21.3.22 23. Chap. 22.3 Then may the Church safely conclude that Song may seasonably be Sung Isa 26.1 We have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks 3. That the matter of the Wall being of the same glorious substance that the
in Torment Beast and False-prophet 4. By the extremity and endlesness of it And shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Then what follows the damning of the Dragon viz. The general judgment wherein is to be considered 1. The Majestical Enthronement of the Judge upon his Tribunal or Judgment seat partly by the glory thereof partly by the power of his presence And I saw a great white Throne and him that sat upon it from whose face the Earth and Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them 2. The order and manner of his judicial proceeding 1. By his conventing all before his Tribunal that were to be judged And I saw the Dead both small and great stand before God the Sea giving up the dead which were in it and the Graves delivering up the dead which were in them 2 By his final dooming or sentencing of them wherein note 1. The matrer of fact 2. The evidence produced for coviction And the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works 3. The Exccution of the judicial sentence both upon Things and Persons 1. Things And Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire This is the second Death 2. Persons And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire Having thus laid down the parts the next thing to be considered and enquired into is the meaning of the Spirit and what is held forth to us by this Parabolical and misterious Prophecy For this Book of the Revelations as Mr. Mead well observes is not usually to be taken accoridng to the Letter only as of a certain bare History of things done but as a Prophesie involved with Mysteries Allegories and Types Therefore must we labour to get a right discerning of the meaning of those Parables and Prophetical Misteries which for the most part are Figurative and Tropical and in part borrowed from the Condition of affairs under the Old Testament And that it is alike injurious to truth to take a misterious Allegory in the Letter as to make an Allegory of the plain Scripture to Litterize the Allegory as to Allegorize the Letter Bernard p. 130. As it is composed of similitudes so the words are Figurative the whole Prophesie full of Metaphors and almost altogether Allegorical so as we must take heed that we look further than into the Letter and naked Relation of things as they are set down Otherways the book should be full of absurdities impossibilities falsities and flat contradictions unto other truths of Scripture which are far from the words of Gods holy Spirit which are ever holy and true For who can believe a Lamb to have seven eyes a mountain burning to be cast into the Sea and this thereby to become in a third part blood a star to fall from Heaven Locusts to be of so monstrous a shape as is set down in Chapter 9 h and Horses with Lions heads fire smoke and brimstone coming out of their mouths Dragon and Beast with seven heads and ten horns c. Therefore we must not stick in the Letter but search out the Historical sense which is the truth intended Also we must note this carefully that all this whole prophesie is framed after the state and condition of the antient people of God the Jews and after the words and visions of the antient Prophets as we may see by comparing the words and visions of this Book with Moses and the Prophets First to their sufferings under their three Enemies as Pharaoh in Aegypt called a Dragon 2. By Babel and the Beasts noted in Daniel 3. By Gog and Magog 2. To their whole state viz. By the twelve Tribes the Wilderness Thunder Lightning Earthquake to the Tabernale the Ark of his Testament the Priests to white Raiment a Golden girdle about the paps the Altar Incense Odours Lamps Candlesticks Golden Censer Temple Singing Instruments of Musick smoke filling the Temple to the Trumpets To Jerusalem Kings Thrones Crowns Elders c. Therefore for our better guide herein these known necessary and approved Rules are laid down to be observed in the Exposition of the difficult things in this Chapter viz. That taking it for granted as previous to all there is an absolute necessity of a James 1.17 1 John 1.20 27 Prayer b Rev. 1.3 Acts 8.28 29.30 Reading c Psal 1.12 Meditation d Dan. 12.4 8 13. Conference e Rev. 1.3 Psal 119.98 99. John 7.17 Dan. 12.3 Practise we must diligently observe Rule 1. First to compare any obscure passage or phrase with other Scriptrues and Prophesies alledged or alluded to whereby much light will be gained to many dark places in this book and so Scripture shall expound Scripture which is the best Interpreter as for instance Rev. 11.4 5 6. Wherein the two witnesses are compared to Moses and Aaron Numb 16. to Elijah and â—lisha â— Kings 1. to Zerubbabel and Joshua Zach. 73.11 12 14. The Song of Moses Rev. â—â— 3 with Exod. 15.1 Psal 145.17 mistical Babylon Rev. 17.24 with litteral Babylon Jer. 51.7 To seperate from her Rev. 18.4 with Jer. 51.6 her destruction Rev. 18.7 8. with Isa 47.7 8 9. To rejoyce at it Rev. 18.20 with Jer. 51.48 Saints coming forth in vengeance Rev. 19.13 Isa 63.2 Rev. 19.15 with Psal 29. Isa 63.3 New Heavens and Earth Rev. 21.1 with Isa 65.7 2 Pet. 3.13 c. Rule 2. Secondly To consider what vision or obscure passage the Holy Ghost hath interpreted in the Revelation it self For of all such the Exposition is undoubted and infallible and so will the Revelation be the best Expounder of the Revelation and from those Expositions proportionably borrow light for the discovering of other obscure passages depending thereupon relating thereto or contemporaneous therewith As for instance Rev. 1.20 The mistery of the seven Stars in his right hand and of the seven Golden Candlesticks interpreted by Christ viz. The seven Stars are the Angels of the seven Churches and the seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches So Rev. 17.7 The mistery of the Woman and of the Beast that carryeth her which hath the seven heads and ten horns and of the waters she sat on explained and expounded by the Holy Spirit The Woman is interpreted to be the great City that then reigned over the Kings of the Earth And the waters where the Whore siteth to be People Multitudes Nations and Tongues The Beasts seven heads to be seven Mountains and seven Kings Ten horns to be ten Kingdoms concerning which interpretation Mr. Mead hath this Remark viz. This is singular in this place nor to be passed over with a slight observation That this vision concerning the great Whore and the Beast bearing her is opened to John and to us by the Angel contrary to his wonted manner with a most plain
six of those heads was in Johns time and the seventh afterwards to come and they also signified seven hills interpreted to be that City that then ruled over the Kings of the Earth which was no other than Rome the seat and Metropolis of the Empire as it was then standing upon seven Mountains So that the seven headed red Dragon and seven headed scarlet coloured Beast his Image and Successour in that part of the World Europe was no other by this interpretation than the Soveraign Empire and Rule that first was exercised in Rome Heathen that drew the third part of the Stars of Heaven or powers or potentates of this world during the Dragonical state and in Rome Antichristian during the Beastly state And further it appears that by Dragon we are to understand here the heathen Empire from the extent of his power and jurisdiction For it is said Rev. 16.13 14. that the emissaries of the Dragon Beast and False-Prophet go forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole world to gather them to the Battle of that great day of God Almighty The Beast and False-Prophets power extend no further than the ten Kingdoms But it is the Dragon that commands the rest of the world deceiving the nations and whole world Rev. 12.9 Therefore it is said of him after he is loosed again 20.8 that he goes out again to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog which great army the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea is said to come up upon the breadth of the Earth and to compass the Camp of the Saints so that it appears plainly to be that power that influences and commands the greater part of the world And again it appears to be the Heathen Empire or State of Government because it is judged to the same ruine and destruction that the Beast and False-prophet were they who were interpreted Rev. 7. the ministerial and magisterial part of Antichrist and said to be taken and cast alive into the lake of Fire und Brimstone viz. that frame of Rule and Government as utterly to be cancelled reverst and vacated and never any more to appear in this world so is the Dragonical Satanical state being adjudged to the same lake of Fire and Brimstone with the Beast and False-prophet utterly also damned and destroyed never any more to appear in the world And again it appears to be no less if you examine thr scope of the place and order of the Prophesies The scope of the Book is to shew as the rise and rage so especially the ruine of the Enemies of Christ and his Church in order to their triumph and Glory which is excellently held forth by Mr. Thomas Goodwin in his Interest of States and Nations in that brief Epitome he gives of the Revelations Which Book saith he is a Tragi-comedy beginning with a Kingdom given to be won by conquest Rev. 6.8 and ending with a Corronation of a King and the Marriage of his Bride and all between is but the removing of all such lets and impediments as stand in the way Now the principal Enemies that Christ and his Church hath to deal with are held forth under the types and terms of a Dragon Beast and False-prophet The Dragon acts two parts one before the rise of the Beast and another presently upon and after the Beasts fall The twelfth Chapter gives an account of the victory that Michael obtained over him when he was cast out of Heaven into the Earth upon which he resigned up his power seat and authority unto the Beast viz. in those territories for 42. Months or 1260. days or years At the latter end of the Beasts or Antichrists Dominion viz. under the sixth Vial there is a confederacy and combination of Dragon Beast and False-prophet to gather the Kings of the Earth and whole world to the Battle of the great Day of God Almighty Accordingly they are assembled and ingage Battle with Christ and his followers not that we are to suppose that all the world viz. Europe Asia Africa and America are to be gathered into one place But holding out the Universal enmity and opposition that with mutual consent shall be made in the powers of the Earth against Christ his people and Government but with what success this Hostile league and confederacy is struck you have already heard Their powers are broken their Authority is dissolved The Beast and False-prophet viz. the ministerial and Magisterial part of Anti-Christ is taken and cast alive into the lake of Fire and Brimstone They are wholly gone off the Stage with a stink who have so long Lorded it in those ten Kingdoms of Europe And then also is the Dragon taken and bound and imprisoned in order to the taking place of Christs Kingdom not only in Europe but over the whole world throughout the whole Earth which was the Dragons or Devils dominions or that Heathenish Empire and Rule that extends all the world through both Asia Africa and America in distinction from the Beastly state that hath been visible in the Europian Territories Now during the time of the Dragons binding the Church hath peace rest and rule over the whole world but after he is released and that Empire permitted to perk up again fresh disturbance will be given to the Church called the Camp of the Saints or the beloved City all the world through till the Dragons total doom and judgment which then immediately follows In further confirmarion hereof take these following instances The Assemblees Annotations upon Rev. 12.3 A great red Dragon viz the Heathen Roman Emperours succeeding one another who did the Devil service as in other things so chiefly in persecuting the Church Psal 74.13 14. Isa 27.17 18.51.9 Ezek. 29.3 He is great because of his large Empire Red that is bedewed with the blood of the Saints as if dyed with it seven heads sitting on seven hills Chap. 17.9 Ten horns ten Provinces the strength of it as horns are of Beasts Dan. 8.3 4 5.6 Seven Crowns seven kinds of Governments one after another on her seven hills Rev. 17.10 on his heads not his horns for the Supreme Authority was in Rome on the seven hills not in the Provinces as after His tayl drew the third part of Heaven he subjected the third part of the Provinces of the world Did cast them to the Earth viz. Put down these Princes whom he subdued from the Royal Authorities And upon Rev. 20.2 Dragon the Pope being destroyed the Devil would bring in the Turk who seemeth yet to stand or some other Enemy like the Heathen Emperour called the Dragon before Rev. 12.3 to persecute and war against the Christians but God will not permit it till the thousand years of the Churches prosperity be done and upon the 10th verse The Devil viz. the Turk the Devils new Agent another Dragon like the Heathen Emperour or some other Enemy no Christian by Profession shall be
sent to Hell to keep the Pope and Popish Emperour company Here it may be noted that the foes of the Church that profess not the name of Christ as the Heathen and Turkish Emperour are in this Book compared to Dragons and Serpents and to the Devil himself so the Popes and Popish Emperours who profess Christianity are eompared to wild Beasts And Mr. Mead in his Comment upon the Rev. Chap. 12.3 4. A wonder or representation of Rome Heathen whose marks are every where seven heads and ten horns seven heads indeed as well for the seven hills upon which the City was built as also for the seven sorts of Governours who were successively to Govern that City The ten horns for the ten Kingdoms which were to arise in the time of the last head to which they were to grow Which interpretation is not mine but the Angels Chap. 17. In the mean time another Character of the Roman Emperour is added to these Whereas it is said He drew the third part of the Stars of Heaven with his Tail and did cast them to the Earth that is he subjected the third part of the Princes and Rulers of the World to his Empire For even so much viz the third part of the known world in John's age the dominion of Rome did comprehend within its Limits Add here Bernard upon Rev. 12.3 p. 208. This is expounded to be the old Serpent the Devil and Satan vers 9. by an allusion to Gen. 3. but yet so understanding him as hereby be understood also the special ministry of his fury viz. the Heathen persecuting Emperours of Rome For this prophesie â— of things to be done here on Earth by men Also the Woman noteth out a company here in this world and so must the Dragon note out in like sort such here as be her Adversaries Again the description of this Dragon cannot agree properly to the Devil himself but is indeed the Arms of Rome when it was Heathen and had Heathen Emperours ruling there who worshiped the Devil 1 Cor. 10.20 and were led by him as all the wicked be Eph. 2.2 He persecuting Christians for the very name of Christ so as the battle was against Christ Jesus himself No marvel then that they be called the Dragon that is the Devil who is put for his Instruments Chap. 2.10 As here his Instruments for him Of the Dragons taking or apprehending ANd he laid hold or took A Metaphor borrowed from the seizing of a Prisoner at war and so improved here It is said in the former Chapter he was fought with and vanquished and in this Chapter laid hold off or taken implying a compleat conquest for when a chief General after Battle is taken the business is over Which holds out no less than the absolute victory that Christ and his followers have obtained in pleading his kingly right to the Governments of this world over the Beastly and Dragonical powers of this world who have usurpt and a long time posses'd the same and having not only subdued but absolutely dismissed cashier'd and damned the Antichristian state in both parts of it both Civil and Ecclesiastical even to that degree that they shall never appear to do mischief any more no more than two wicked wretches that are cast alive into Hell fire can ever expect to come forth to act villany any more in this world so now also is the Heathen Pagan state so vanquish'd and brought down and as much out of a capacity to do any more mischief for the season intended then a Baffled Conquered enemy that is apprehended and taken prisoner And that such a season shall be wherein Christ Jesus who hath right to the worlds Government not only by gift purchase covenant and inheritance must yet plead and obtain the same by war and conquest also appears in part from these following Seriptures Numb 24.8 He shall eat up the Nations his Enemies He shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows 9. He couched he lay down as a Lyon Who shall raise him up Isa 41.2 Who raised up the righteous man from the East called him to his foot gave the Nations before him and made him rule over Kings He gave them as the dust to his Sword and driven Stubble to his Bow Speaking of Abraham Gen. 14. in his subduing the four Kings Types of the four Monarchies Who hath wrought and done it calling the Generations from the beginning I the Lord the first viz. he that was with Abraham in the Type in the beginning at the first and with the last I am he will also in the conclusion be with the seed of Abraham in the same work in subduing and taking their Antitypes the four Monarches eyes themselves Isa 42.13 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man He shall stir up jealousie like a man of War He shall cry yea roar He shall prevail against his Enemies 14. I have a long time holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self Now will I cry like a Travelling Woman I will destroy and devour at once 15. I will make wast Mountains and Hills and dry up all their Herbs and I will make the Rivers Islands and I will dry up the Pools c. Haggai 2.22 And I will overthrow the Throne of Kingdoms and will destroy the strength of the Kingdoms of the Heathon and I will overthrow the Chariots and those that ride in them and their Horses and their Riders shall come down every one by the Sword of his Brother Rev. 17.14 These shall make War with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called chosen and faithfull Rev. 19.13 c. And he was clothed in a Vesture dipt in blood and his name is called the Word of God And the Armies which are in Heaven followed him upon white Horses clothed in fine linnen white and clean And out of his Mouth goeth a Sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations And he shall rule them with a rod of Iron And he treadeth the Wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God And he hath on his Vesture and on his thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords So also Psalms 2.8 9 c. Dan. 2.44 45. Psal 45.3 4 5. Psal 66.3 c Psal 72. 9 10. Isa 24.19 20 21 22. Ezek. 21.26 27. Rev. 14.19 20. Isa 63.1 2 3 4 6. Which dispensation is no other than the pouring out the Vials Chap. 16. The Earth-quake Desolation and Slaughter that attends the Resurrection of the Witnesses Rev. 11. Typed out by Abrams Conquest of the four Kings as before the overturning of Pharaoh and his Host the subduing the thirty one Kings in Canaan by Joshuah in order to give rest to the people in the promised land the destruction of all Enemies by David in order to Solomons quiet and peaceable Reign And this work as in the
Types is to be performed gradually First the Antichristian powers and Interest afterwards the Heathenish and pagan Governments in order to the subduing and bringing the whole world under the Dominion and Soveraignty of Jesus Christ who must have the Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and must rule from Sea to Sea from the River to the end of the Earth Of the Angel that lays hold on or apprehends the Dragon And I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the Bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold c. THe word Angel both in Greek and Hebrew signifies a Messenger taken therefore sometimes for Heavenly Spirit Heb. 1.7 Psal 103.20 Sometimes a Minister of the Gospel or Elder 2 Cor. 5.20 Rev. 2.1 Sometimes for Christ Jesus himself the Archangel So sometimes by an Angel though exprest in the singular Number is meant the whole Eldership or Ministry as Rev. 2 1. So the Angel of the Church of Ephesus is to be understood more than one because they had Elders more than one Acts 20.17 So the Angel is said to pour out the Vials Chap. 16. By it is to be understood those Ministers of Gods wrath that are to execute his judgments upon Babylon And by the Angel in the 14th Chapter that is to Preach the Everlasting Gospel we are to understand the whole Ministry that is then called thereto Which I take to be the import of Angel here viz. the vertue power and authority of Christ the Archangel put forth in and by his Church and people clothed with authority to perform this great service having the Key and Chain Emblems of power and authority put into their hands Christ being their head and representative and the rather so because it is a power and authority in opposition to the Dragon who is a mistical representative of all the Enemies of Christ it being no new thing to represent a whole party by the head and chief that influences them As to say such a King vanquished such a King when neither of the Kings are personally present but vertually so by their commissions impowring their Generals and Armies So Michael and his Angels are said to fight Rev. 12. on the one side and the Dragon and his Angels on the other when neither Christ nor the Devil are personally present but their Agents and Instruments Constantine and his Host in the behalf of the Woman and Man child on the one side and Maxentius and his crew seeking to devour the one and the other on the other side So are the Bloody Tyrannous Antichristian powers that for 1260. years are to oppose the Church represented by a Beast And the filthy Idolatrous Church by a lewd filthy Strumpet a whorish Woman and the true Church of Christ by a Woman Object But is it not said that the Angel comes down from Heaven Therefore it must either be Christ himself in person or some mighty Angel that descends from him out of Heaven to perform his great Service In answer whereto I shall first shew you that by this Angel we cannot understand the person of Christ here descending and coming from Heaven and secondly shew you what we are understand by Heaven First By this Angel we cannot understand the person of Christ First Because this is not the time of his personal coming and appearing which will not be till a thousand years after for this action is but at the beginning of the thousand years His personal coming is not to be till the Judgment day It being said that he muâ—â— judge the quick and dead at his appearing and Kingdom which is not to be till after the thousand years and after the Battle of Gog and Magog Secondly Because when he comes in person it iâ— not to such work as this not to fight and subdue Enemies with material Swords nor to put his people as the Lambs Army and followers upon any such service at that time being then all to be in the Resurrection and glorified state made like himself in glory and as the Angels of God Neither will any of his Enemies be in a capacity to make resistance or opposition who in their own persons shall be destroyed by fire and the very earth they inhabit and all its works burnt up and consumed at whose presence the Earth and Heaven flye away Thirdly Because such an apprehension would make three personal comings of Christ whereas we read but of two Heb. 9.28 who will appear the second time without sin to Salvation Because it is expresly said He sits at the right hand of God till his Enemies be made his footstool Fourthly This conquering fighting work is not by Christ in person at this time of his glorious and terrible appearing because the Execution then upon the Enemies will be sudden and speedy like travail upon a Woman with Child as a Thief in the night like Lightning as it was in the days of Lot and Noah with sudden destruction and as a snare will he come upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth Whereas this work as you have heard is a work of time gradually to be performed The stone smites not the Image all at once but gradually and after smiting beats him to powder and blows it away Then by degrees doth that little stone increase to be a great mountain and to fill the whole Earth first the ten Kingdoms in Europe where the Beast hath ruled must be overcome in order to Whores judging for which there is Hallelujah aad Praise by all the Saints After that is the Dragon to be dealt with viz. The Heathen power and rule all the world through for all the Kingdoms of this world are to become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ this therefore asks time the other is done at an instant suddenly at the sounding of a Trump in the twinkling of an eye Fifthly Neither can Christs personal appearing be at this time because then it must be supposed that Christ being in the Camp of the Saints and beloved City shall suffer himself and all the Glorious Angels and glorified Saints to be besieged and streightned by the Gog-Magog Army Therfore must this be done by his virtual presence power and spirit though spoken as if he did it in person and these great Conquests effected as in the foregoing Chapter is expressed by the Sword coming out of his mouth viz. by his word commission in his name and by his authority But by what ways will the Lord effect this work upon the Enemy Various will be the ways and means that this great work of removing this opposition and subduing these Enemies be brought to pass as the Scripture plentifully makes mention viz. First Sometimes by appearing against them in some extraordinary way of his providence either after the manner of Aegypt by ingaging the Host of Heaven and Stars in their courses against them by Hail-stones and Coals of fire
as at Mount Perizim or as in the Vally of Gibeon Or Secondly sometimes in an ordinary way by confounding dispiriting dividing them ingaging them one against the othet as Isa 19.2.14 Jer. 51.46 More especially by raising spiriting and ingaging his own people in the service to the fulfilling of divers promises and prophesies as Gen. 22.17 Psal 110.2 Psal 76. Jer. 51.19 to the 25. Obad. 21. Zach. 13.14.12.3 Mal. 4.4 Rev. 17.14.18.4.19.14 And the fore is the spirit promised to be poured out in the latter day to this as one end Isa 28.6.10.27 Zach. 12.6 Isa 32.15 16. And as Satan inspires and influences his Instruments in an invisible spiritual manner so the Lord Jesus directs guides governs and spirits his Saints and followers And his special presence as of old to accompany his in such great service Joshuah 5.13 14 15. Numb 10.35 36.14.42 Exod. 33.15 Psal 68.1 Isa 51.9 10 11. Mica 2.12 13.7.15 Zeph. 3.8 And why should it be thought more strange to have the work of God in the hands of his Saints in binding and keeping under their Enemies to be represented by an Angel dealing with a Dragon then to have the work in the hand of Constantine against the Pagan Roman power in the behalf of the Man-child the type hereof to be represented by a contest betwixt Michael and the Dragon It being said that Michael and his Angels fought and the Dragon and his Angels when Constantine and his followers in the behalf of Christ fought with and overcame Maxentius and his Heathen crew though both of them influenced no doubt by both the heads and principals as it may be also concluded in this place This contemporizeth with the witnesses rising and Earth-quake Vials out of the Temple the Lambs war and the retaliating of Babilon Of Heaven BY Heaven properly is to be understood either the out-spread Firmament which God called Heaven Gen. 1.8 wherein are the Birds of Heaven Mat. 13.32 the Winds of Heaven Dan. 4.12 the Clouds Rain and Dew of Heaven Or the starry Heaven Gen. 1.17 Or that Heaven of heavens the third Heaven the place of Gods principal Seat Mat. 16.9 2 Cor. 12.2 Figuratively sometimes for the heights and places above us sometimes God himself Luke 20.21 I have sin'd against Heaven Sometimes the Church is called the Kingdom of Heaven and often so represented in this Book Sometimes for Rule Dignity and Soveraignty in the world the place of the Rulers or the Gods Rev. 12.11 States and Kingdoms in the World political are as Mr. Mead observes upon the place much answerable to the condition of the world natural and accordingly represented in Scripture for as the world natural consists of Heaven and Earth and in the Heaven Sun Moon Stars so in each State and Kingdom by Nobility and Laity and Diversity of Orders and degrees in Rule and Government there is the semblance of them which interpretation Dr. Twist highly applauds convincing saith he the Reader of the sense and meaning of the Text which is delivered by him even to admiration wherein he excels greatly in his Preface upon the Key of the Revelations And therefore it is familiarly express'd in Scripture when great desolations happen to a State or Kingdom in subversion of their Rule and Government that the Sun is darkened Moon eclipsed Stars fall from Heaven As Isa 13.10 Vpon Babilons threatned destruction Ezek 32.7 Vpon Aegypts desolation And so the Catastrophe that befalls the Kings and great men of the Earth under tho sixth seal Rev. 6.12 13 14. set forth by like Metaphors by Sun being darkned Moon becoming blood Stars of Heaven falling to the Earth Heaven departing as a Scroll and Mountains removing out of their places Which I take to be the true meaning of Heaven here viz. the seat of authority that the Church was now ascended to after the Victory obtained against her Enemies who now by her Rulers that come forth in Christs name by the righteous Laws which are the cords and Chains of Christs Kingdom and by the visible power and authority in their hand bind and chain up their Enemies new Heavens Isa 65. importing the same Of the Dragons Binding Imprisoning shutting up sealing And bound him and cast him into the botiomless pit and Shut him up and set a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more THis Binding Casting into Prison shuting up and sealing are all terms of securing as Dan. 6.16 17. Mat. 27.64 65 66. And are Metaphorical expressions taken from the Nature of restraining and safe keeping some notorious desperate Villane from doing of mischief As when some cruel murderous desperate wretch is taken they use to fetter him with heavy Chains cast him into the Dungeon lock the door fast upon him not only to preserve the peace and quiet but to see him forth-coming to the Law day Which here holds out not only an absolute Conquest and subduing of Enemies as before but as much quiet and peace to the Church of God by this their close imprisonment and restraint as the neighbourhood may expect safety and quiet when the murderous Thiefs and Robbers are in Irons in the Dungeon or as the Lamb may enjoy freedom and ease while the Foxes Wolves and Dogs are in Chains As the good Dutchess said to the bloody Gardiner looking out of his prison in Edward the sixt his days that it was well for the Lambs when the Foxes were in Chains For such a righteous Rule by the Laws and Government of Christ shall take place that shall be as Chains Bonds and Cords to all the wicked tyrants and oppressors that they shall have no more liberty and power to domineer and exercise their wonted cruelty over the Saints then as so many men in Fetters and Chains And that such a state of ease peace quiet and rest is to be the portion of the Church after all their trouble disturbance and vexation they have met with from the bloody tyrants and beastly oppressours by this eminent restraint that is to be put upon them appears from the following Scriptures Isa 10 9 10. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Seas 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek and his REST shall be glorious Isa 32.17 And the work of Righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever 18. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places Isa 60.17 18. I will also make thy Officers peace and thy Exactors righteousness Violence shall be no more heard in thy Land wasting and destruction within thy Borders but thou shalt call thy Walls Salvation and thy Gates praise 21. Thy people shall be all righteous Isa 2.3 4. Out of Zion shall go forth the
Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem 2. And he shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke many people and they shall beat their Swords into Plow shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any mere Isa 33.20 Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the Stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the Cords thereof be broken Psal 7â— 3 The Mountains shall bring peace and the little hills by righteousness 4. He shall judge the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppresscur 7. In his days shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Mâ—on endureth So Ezek. 34.12 to 16.27 28. Jerem. 50 6. Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Rest or keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God This is to be the state of the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein righteousness shall dwell when Jerusalem shall be a rejoycing and her people a joy in whom shall no more be heard the voice of weeping nor crying when the Elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands c. This is the new Jerusalems state Isa 65.17 18.66.22 Rev. 21.3 The beloved City now takes place in the ruine of the great City Babilon Rev. 20.9 Now comes the Bride the Lambs wife after the destruction of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations And the Palme bearing multituâ—e now appears Rev. 21.9 10 11.79.10 c. Typed out by Canaan the Land of rest and promise by Solomons reign a time of peace all the Enemies being subdued and brought under Of the Bottomless pit that the Angel casts the Dragon into upon his binding ANd cast him into the bottomless pit The word here rendred bottomless pit is from the Latin Abissus taken from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from α and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Cover for the deep is covered with waters sometimes therefore translated the deep 2 Cor. 11.25 a night and a day in the deep So the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for depth of the Sea Isa 51.10 Psal 42.7 Or for Chaos Gen. 1.2 and so taken herein this Book For the Beast that is said to come out of the Abyss or bottomless pit Rev. 11.7.17.8 is said to rise up out of the Sea â—3 1 compared with Dan 7.1 2 Sea is so called from the gathering together of Waters Gen. 1.10 and Waters in this book are interpreted to be multitudes of People Nations and Tongues Rev. 17.15 Metapharicolly also put for Hell Luke 8.31 Rev. 9.2 So that as the Dragon Chap. 12. was cast by Michael from Heaven viz. from the Rule Dignity and Soveraignty that he enjoyed in the Empire into the Earth as Mead well interprets Heaven here for in no other sense could the Dragon be in Heaven or cast out of Heaven being neither capable of the material Heaven nor the Spiritual Heaven the Church therefore no other but the figurative or metaphorical Heaven in which he resided and out of which upon Michaels cornbate and overthrow he is thus cast out so is he here not only deposed and dethroned but so kept down during the thousand years reign as if he was shut up a close prisoner in a Dungeon or pit And in this sence Earth Sea Deep bottemless pit are much of the same signification the Earth being founded upon the Sea In the 12 Chapt. upon the Dragons casting upon the Earth there is a Woe to the inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea The first Beast Chapt. 13 rises from the Sea and the second two horned Beast comes from the Earth and they are the Earth dwellers that succour and support him wander after and worship him He was in the 12 Chapt. cast into the Earth though no restraint upon him for he makes reaks there deceives the nations still and by his Vicegerent the Beast to whom he gives power seat and authority casts flouds against the Church still and ingages afresh to their disturbance as Revel 16. But here being cast into the Abyss he is bound an absolute restraint is upon him for this thousand years For during the said term all Empire and Rule is taken from him and he is not onely cast into the Lump and Mass of the people the Earth dwellers from whom he came out but such a restraint laid upon him during Christs Kingdom that the Nations shall know no other Rule or Soveraignty either in Civil Military or Ecclesiastical but Christs only and to which the whole world must be subject will they nill they The mystical Dragon is cast into the Sea Abyss great Waters or into the Earth or among the Earth-dwellers that through the Devils influence he should not deceive the Nations to Idolatry and murderous slaughter and persecution by his tyrannous Rule and Government The Spiritual Dragon influencing in the mean time put into his restraint all that time as if chained in Hell Of the thousand years COncerning the thousand years so often expressed in this Chapter we shall make this three-fold enquiry First How we are to take it whether definitely or indefinitely Secondly If definitely whether only one space of time is intended where a thousand years is so expres'd six several times And Thirdly If so when those thousand years are said to begin and end First whether to take that number of years indefinitely for a great space of time as Psal 91.7 A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand So Psal 90.4 A thousand years are in thy sight but as yestarday when it is past as a watch in the night for a great while 1 Sam. 18.7 Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands that is David many more than Saul not just so many Or definitely for the certain express time as here mentioned I conclude the latter for these Reasons First Because that when there is no necessity to take a Scripture in a figurative sense we are to receive it in the Letter but neither the scope of the place Analogy of Faith or other Scriptures lay any such necessity upon us therefore so to take it Secondly Because this same space is so often repeated by the spirit to which we should take the more earnest heed as matter of instruction and information for thrice it is said Satan was bound a thousand years and afterwards loosed 2. 3. 7. Twice it is said the Saints shall reign a thousand years verse 4.6 Once that the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years finished verse 5. There being a thousand years of Satans Captivity and the Rest of dead and a thousand years of the Saints Reigning with Christ If so then Secondly Whether these intend one and the same space of time or
no That one and the same space of time is hereby intended is manifest as Pareus well observes Because in verse 2. and 6. the thousand years are without an Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But four times afterwards with an Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these thousand years emphatically As if he should say Satans imprisonment shall continue a thousand years and during these thousand years the Martyrs shall live and reign with Christ and afterwards he shall be loosed The parts to which this number is applied are so cemented together as Cause and Effect distinction and opposition that they very much strengthen and prove that just account of a thousand years viz. Satan is bound a thousand years that he should not deceive the Nations till the same thousand years be fulfilled Then the Saints lived and reigned a thousand years with Christ that same thousand years But the rest of the dead lived not again untill these thousand years were finished whilst the holy ones as their happiness made Priests of God and of Christ Reign with Christ a thousand years And as to the third when these thousand years begin and end we have this general account That it is the space of time that is bounded with two Wars that of the great Battle of God Almighty before it begins And that of the Battle of Gog and Magog after it is ended being a time of ease peace and rest as before A space of time that hath the Beasts destruction and judgment the Dragons overthrow binding and imprisonment going before and the dragons release and final doom and judgment going after A space of time containing the sounding of the seventh Rev. 11.15 Trumpet the new Jerusalem the Bride of the Lamb 21 â—â— the new Heavens and the new Earth the Palme-bearing multitude out of all Nations Tribes People and Tongues Rev. 7.9 till the War and judgment of Gog personal coming of Christ dissolution of Heaven and Earth general Resurrection and judgment A space of time bounded with two Resurrections viz. the mistical or figurative Resurrection of the Church out of her death and slaughter called the first Resurrection and the Corporeal Resurrection at the lest day And with two deaths viz. that mistical death of the Rest of the Dead viz. the wicked that live not all the thousand years and the Eternal death which will be their doom after the thousand years with two Lifes the mistical of the Church in the thousand years and the Eternal Life and Glory to be their portion at Christs personal coming after the thousand years And with two judgments that of the Beast and False-prophet with their followers before and that of the Dragon and his followers with all the wicked after But when particularly as to precise time these thousand years shall begin is yet a secret the Lamb hath not discovered contained in the sealed Book all being as yet at a loss as to the certain Epocha of the Apocalyptick numbers either as to the forty two Months or 1260 days or years of the Beasts Reign or the Churches entring the Wilderness which God in his due time will discover Of the living of the Martyrs or first Resurrection And I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the Word of God and which had not worshiped the beast neither his Image neither had received his Mark upon their fore-heads or in their hands And they lived c. IN the interpretation of this mistry of the living of the Martyrs Writers and Commentators much differ some judging this to be a Corporeal Resurrection others and they not a few conceive it to be a spiritual Resurrection a renewing and reviving of Soul the effect of Christs Spirit upon the heart of Believers and faithful Witnesses and a leaving others to a state of sin and death But it is humbly conceived the mind of the Spirit here it is a mistical Resurrection or civil life they are said to live as most consonant to Truth sound Reason and the scope of the place They lived Living and dying in Scripture is variously taken sometimes litterally for the natural spirit or Eternal life and death sometimes figuratively for a civil or mistical life and death consisting either in a freedom from misery and diâ—â—ress in this life the lying under which is called death Isa 52.2 Isa 26.19 Luke 2.34 2. Chron. 19.10 And freedom therefrom into a prosperous state Resurrection and Life Resurrection Isa 52.2 1 Sam. 2.7 8. Isa 26.14.19 Rom. 11.19 Life Job 21.7 Psal 38.19 Hosea 6.2 The not freedom therefrom an unraised state Psal 140.10 Isa 2â— 14 43.17 Amos 8.14 This therefore holds out under these terms of living or first Resurrection-state the beginning of the Churches glorious happy and peaceable condition whereof all the Prophets speak after her long sorrow and suffering her Enemios being now conquered and brought under alluding to the Corporeal Resurrection for as the Saints cannot enter into Glory and triumph till the bodies be raised out of the Dust and revived and Resurrection power passes upon them No more shall the Church enter into its promised Rest foretold to be enjoyed by her in this life till this mistical Resurrection or reviving passeth upon her before which under the Beasts Dominion they are but as so many slain and dead men Rev. 11.7 8 9 10.6.9 They are so in a natural sense because they worship not the Beast Rev. 13.15 Dan. 3.6 Being killed all the day long Rom. 8.36 viz. in purpose and decree and by sentence of the Antichristian Laws multitudes also feelâ—ng actually the force of them under the bloody Beast and Scarlet coloured Whore much-more in a civil sense thrust down from the exercise of all power dignity and Soveraignty in the behalf of Christ either in Civils or Ecclesiasticks So was it with Israel in Babylon in these respects as persons put into their Graves Ezek. 37.12 as so many dead men But now is the time come their Mortal deadly Enemies being brought down by an high hand that they shall not only have all the bloody Laws and Decrees reverst and cancelled and so be freed from all danger or damage that may come to their persons But be revived to a civil life and put now into a capacity to come into the exercise of power dignity and Soveraignty both in Church and State for as is the Death so the Resurrection Therefore is it said that when Israel were to come out of Babylon and restored to former priviledges in their own Land the Lord opened their Graves caused Bone to come to its Bone Sinew to its Sinew put a Spirit of Life into them set them upon their feet to their becoming an exceeding great Army whereby they came again to the exercise of their former Jurisdictions in Rule and Government among themselves And so a parrallel place to this Rev. 11.11 The Church having passed the State of Death Slain Slaughtered Witnesses during the Beasts reign and
Scriptures following Mat. 16.28 There be some standing here that shall not tast death till they see the son of man coming in his Kingdom Which in a figure is performed in the next Chapter Mat. 17.2 And was transfigured before them and his face did shine as the Sun and his Raiment was white as the Light c. Compared with Rev. 1 13 14 15. 2 Pet. 1.16 For we have not followed cunning devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eye Witnesses of his Majesty viz. They had a vision of that power and glory that Christs Majesty shall have when he come in his Kingdom Mat. 19.28 Ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me upon my Throne even as I also overcome and am set down with my Father on his Throne 1 Cor. 15.50 Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Therefore 51. Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed Holding out the necessity of the changed immortal incorruptible estate to qualifie them and make them capable to partake of the blessings and benefits of that Kingdom of God which Christ enters upon at the sounding of this last Trump and the general Resurrection and Judgement 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee before our Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and Kingdom Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out 29. And they shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God Math 25.31 32. When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divideth the Sheep from the Goats c. Which fully states and clears up the thing 1. That Christ shall come in his Glory with all the Holy Angels with him 2. That he shall then in his Kingly state as Verse 34 Sit upon the Throne of his Glory 3. That this shall be at the general Resurrection For all Nations good and bad are gathered before him 4. That this shall be at the general Judgement For now is the Judgement and Sentence to be pronounced c. Secondly This shall be upon the Earth Job 19.25 26. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my Reins be consumed within me 1 Thess 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord viz. Not to remain with him in the Air but to meet him to come with him to the Earth For so Acts 1.10 11. And while they looked stedfastly towards Heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white Apparel which said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven With Zach. 14.4 And his Feet shall stand in that day upon Mount Olivet c. Thirdly The manner of his coming to his Throne it shall be first Visible secondly Glorious thirdly Terrible also 1. Visible Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him c. Matth. 27.30 And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory Acts 1.11 He shall come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven 2. Glorious And therefore well called the Kingdom of Glory Mark 13.26 And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds with Power and great Glory Which great Glory appears First Because it is in the Fathers Glory Mark 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful Generation of him also shall the Son of Man also be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels Secondly In his own Glory with the Father Luke 9.26 Of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his own Glory and in his Fathers c. Thirdly In the Glory of all the Holy Angels Matth. 25.31 When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him 2 Thess 1.7 And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels Fourthly In the Glory of all the Saints as is already largely proved from Zech. 4.5 1 Thess 4.14 17. 1 Cor. 15.51 52. Luke 13.28 Luke 2.36.2 Thess 2.10 There vile bodies being now raised changed made from Earthly to bear the Image of the Heavenly is to be made glorious like Christs glorified Body 1 John 3.1 2. Phil. 3.21 1 Cor. 15.43 44 49. 3. Terrible also With a shout great noise voice of the Archangel with the Trump of God the last Trump with the dissolution of Heaven and Earth as 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thess 4.17 Math. 24.31 Math. 24.24 2 Pet. 3. Rev. 20. Rev. 22. 4. What shall be done in this Kingdom 2 Thess 1. Christ shall be glorified and admired and praised Saints shall be glorified and rewarded Wicked Men and wicked Angels shall by Christ and the Saints be Judged and Sentenced according to their deeds and demerits Of being Priests of God and Christ But they shall be Priests of God and Christ THis is another part of the Saints Priviledge this thousand years not only to Reign as Kings but be Priests too as Rev. 1.6 â—ev 5.10 And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall Reign on the Earth Alluding hereby to that Dignity and Priviledge of the Priesthood under the Law who were said to draw nigh to God in a more special and peculiar way in his worship which was First Patriarchal or the Priesthood belonging to the first born Num. 63.12.41.45.8.16 17. Secondly Mosaical or Levitical Numb 3.18.7.22 Exod. 28.1 1 Chron. 6.49 Of whom First High-Priest 1 Chron. 6.14 15. Secondly Chief Priests Numb 20.26 Thirdly Ordinary Priests of the same line Lev. 6.29 Which were
of the Land of Magog the head of Mesheck and Tubal the enemy of Israel Gen 10.3 Ezek. 38.39 For this came out of the North parts ours from the four corners of the Earth This appeared at the beginning of Israels Restoration ours after the 1000. years of the Kingdom of the Saints following the Restoration of Jerusalem This before Christs coming in the Flesh ours before his coming to Judgement But another Gog the enemy of the Church of the Gentiles to come immediately before the Resurrection of the Dead and farther it is plain that this Gog and Magog bear not the room of a subject but a convenient Title by which those Nations of the four Quarters might be declared as if he would have said the Nations in the four Quarters Spiritually called Gog and Magog Of the Camp of the Saints and Beloved City THose terms of Camp and City are allusions to Israels twofold state under the Tabernacle and Temple dispensation Of the order of Israels Camp state we read Numb 2. Wherein the Tabernacle of God with the 24 Courses of the Priests and Levites were placed in the midst all the Tribes under their four Standards pitching their Tents round about it Which is alluded to Rev. 4. And may greatly help the explanation thereof Then the City State was under Solomon after the erecting of the Temple to which glorious and beautiful condition this alludes Rev. 21.10 c. Holds forth the excellency it being câ—lled the great City the Holy Jerusalem where it is described in all its â—lory and Dimensions called here the Beloved City In opposition to the City of the Nations the great City Babylon containing the â—nti-Christian nay whole World in their Policies and Governments So here the Extent of this City and Camp of the Saints is held forth to be no less then the whole Earth as large in extent as the City of the Nations Christ's Government extending all the World over from Sea to Sea Ps 72.8 Isa 44.6 Of the Fire from Heaven that destroyeth Gog. And Fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them THis destruction as typt out in the Gog Magog destruction Ezek. 38. Is here alluded to That as fire came down from Heaven to destroy them So is it here for now is the time that Christ shall come in flaming Fire taking vengeance of his enemies destroying the Heavens also and the Earth and all its works by fire and this in order to the next Scene to be acted viz. The Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgement Of the General Judgement AFter the Saints Reign the Gog Magog gathering and destruction Now in order comes the Lord Jesus in person in the Glory of the Father the Saints Glory and in the glory of all the Holy Angels with the sound of the Trumpet and Voice of the Archangel The Sea Grave and Death giving up their Dead that there may be a general Resurrection of the Just and Unjust And then the preparing of the Throne the sitting of the Judge the opening of the Books the producing of the Witnesses in order to the general Judgement of great and small who are to be judged according to their works by Christ who Judges the quick and dead at his appearing and Kingdom A Paraphrase upon the 20. of Revelations THe Powers and Potentates of the whole World 1. And I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the bottomless Pit and a great Chain in his hand whether Heathen or Antichristian being thus vanquished by Christ and his followers under the terms of fighting with and overcoming a Dragon Beast and false Prophet with the Kings of the Earth and whole World in the great Battel in the former Chapter and the Authority consequently now in the hands of the Saints John here in a Vision hath represented to him the Churches Soveraignity in a figure viz. By the Emblematical Representation of a Chain and a Key ensigns of Power in the hand of their Mystical and Spirirual Head though in this Vision their Representative the Lord Jesus is called here an Angel as Rev. 10.1.12.17 2. And he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a 1000. years And having judged and utterly razed the Antichristian state both in its Magistracy and Ministry by the figurative Representation of taking a Beast and false Prophet and casting them alive into a Lake of Fire doth here for the better securing the Churches quiet and peaceable Rule 3. And cast hâ—m into the bottomless Pit and shut him up and set a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nâ—tions no morâ— till the 1000. years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season wholy cancel and vacate the Heathen Empire also for a thousand years as in the Vision is set forth by the taking a Dragon and casting him bound into a bottemless pit and shutting him up and Sealing him therein the proper Emblem of the now ruined Pagan State the Dragon or Devil being also the Spiritual or Mystical head thereof and here in the Vision their representative As in 12. Chapter by an Angel fighting with overcoming and casting to the Earth a Dragon is held forth the Victory the Church at that day gets over the Heathen Roman Empire So here by the Angels binding him in a pit is the utter extinction of that Power a thousand years the time limited plainly discovered 4. And I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Judgement was given to them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshâ—pped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his mark in their Foreheads or in their right hand and they lived and Reigned with Christs a 1000. 5. But the rest of the dead lived not again till the 1000. years were finisht This is the first Resurrection 6. Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall Reign with him a 1000. years The enemies of the Church thus casheired and turned off the Stage John hath a further discovery of their setled and happy Rule and Authority by the Vision of the Resurrection of a company of dead and Martyred Saints the proper Emblem of the Church during the Antichristian Tyranny who for witnissing to Christ and not Worshipping the Beast cannot in a civil sense at least be esteemed other ascending Thrones of Judgement And as blessed and holy ones freed from the second Death Reigning with or under the Lord Jesus as Kings and Priests whilst their enemies the Worshippers of the Beast are now as so many dead men at their feet during this space of a thousand years which is called the first Resurrection viz. The mystical general Resurrection that in order of time
is to proceed the Corporeal general Resurrection Upon the Expiration of the said thousand years 7. And when the 1000. years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his Prison 8. And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to Battle the Number of them is as the sand of the Sea 9. And they went up on the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City And fire came down from God oâ—t of Heaven and devoured them the Nations revolt from the subjection under Christ's Rule in the hands of the Saints annoying and disturbing them all the World over for a Season though to their own utter ruine and overthrow under the figurative terms of loosing the Devil their Representative out of Prison to deceive the Nations and to gather them in an huge numberless Host called Gog and Magog to besiege a Camp and City an Allusion to Israel of old holding out the Saints politick and setled state by which Emblem of a City is represented also the Enemies setled condition all the world over and holds out their mischievous purpose to ruine the Interest of Christ and to root it up from off the Earth Upon this rebellious design of the Nations in this their treasonable and murderous attempt they are upon the personal coming of Christ to Judgment destroyed by fire who comes in flaming fire rendring Vengeance upon them foretold in the typical destruction of Sodom and Gog and Magog their perfect Types and Predecessors 10. And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Beast and the False-pâ—ophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever And now is the time come that the Devil in a litteral sense who hath been the Mistical head of the Pagan state is to be cast into the lake of fire there to remain for ever But Mistically and Metaphorically is all Heathenish and Worldly Rule and Authorities now utterly destroyed and vacated as the Antechristian Dominion was by casting the Beast and False-prophet into the lake of fire or as when the Devil himself is thither sentenced never any more to come out thence And then in order and according to the whole current of Scripture and scope of it 11. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose face the Earth and the Heavens fled away and there was found no place for them 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works 13. And the Sea gaxe up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead that were in them and they were judged every man according to their works 14. And death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire This is the second Death 15. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of Fire comes the Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgment in the Order and Method as here laid down to be understood in the Letter from which there is no necessity to depart or to conceive it Allegorical Wherein we have Christ the Judge appearing upon the Throne of Judgment the Heavens and Earth departing at his presence The Dead small and great standing before him the Books opened and Dead judged out of the Books according to their Works c. XXI CHAP. Of the Revelation ANd I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea 2 And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband 3 And I heard a great Voice out of Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away 5 And he that sat upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithfull 6 And he said unto me Is it done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is a thirst of the Fountain of the water of life freely 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son 8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 9 And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven Viols full of the seven last plagues and talked with me saying Come hither I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high Mountain and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God 11 Having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a jasper stone clear as Crystal 12 And had a wall great and high and had twelve gates and at the gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel 13 On the East three gates on the North three gates on the South three gates and on the West three gates 14 And the wall of the City had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the City and the gates thereof and the wall thereof 16 And the City lieth four square and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the City with the Reed twelve thousand furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal 17 And he measured the wall thereof an hundred and fourty and four cubits according to the measure of a man that is of the Angel 18 And the building of the wall of it was of Jasper and the City was pure gold like unto clear glass 19 And the foundations of the wall of the City were garnished with all manner of precious stones The first foundation was Jasper the second Saphire the third a Chalcedonie the fourth an Emerald 20 The fifth Sardonyx the sixth Sardius the seventh Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Jacinct the twelfth an
Amethyst 21 And the twelve gates were twelve Pearls every several gate was of one Pearl and the street of the City was pure gold as it were transparent glasse 22 And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it 23 And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof 24 And the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour into it 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they which are written in the Lambs Book of life CHAP. XXII Vers 1.2 3 4 5. And he shewed mea pure River of water of life clear as crystall prodeeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it and of either side of the River was there the Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yeelded her fruit every Moneth and the leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the Nations 3. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him 4. And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads 5 And there shall be no night there and they need no Candle neither light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall Reign for ever and ever The City of God or Kingdom of Christ in the thousand Years Reign further asserted from the 21th and part of the 22th of the Revelations THis portion of Scripture viz. the 21. Chap. to the 6. verse of the 22 doth very elegantly hold forth the happy and Glorious condition of the Church in the thousand years upon her deliverance from her Enemies by their just ruine and destruction wherein the Angel gives John a larger and fuller discovery of that blessed state whereof he had given him some hints and glimpses in the foregoing Chapter so that what he called an enthroning verse 4. and a City state verse 9. he here declares to be no less than a new World a new Heaven and a new Earth Babylons old World her old Heavens and Earth viz. Sun Moon Stars Sea being burnt up and consumed and no other than the taking place of the New Jerusalem that holy and beloved City after the ruine and destruction of that filthy and bloody City or the coming forth of the Spouse the Lambs wife in all her beatiful array prepared for her Husband after the desolation ruine and destruction of that beastly filthy Strumpet that gaudy painted Harlot For you will find it naturally linkt to the foregoing story of the thousand Years and belonging to the State of Grace before the Judgement and not because it is put down after the Vision of the Judgement therefore it must so in order be reckoned and then consequently to belong to the State of Glory as most Interpreters judge For you will find nothing more frequent in this Book then to give brief hints of things in one Chapter and then to prosecute them more fully in the next several occurrences of after dates intervening and coming betwixt As for instance that passage in the eleventh Chapter where he mentions first the slaughter of the witnesses by the Beast then of the Witnesses Resurrection enemies Destruction and Christ's Kingdom yet afterwards in the 13th Chapter returns again to the Beast and gives an account of his rise and rage which must not therefore be supposed to be a Beast rising up after Christ's Kingdom takes place because it is mentioned after it but a further and larger account of that Beast that he had but briefly hinted at before in the eleventh Chapter And that we are not mistaken herein Let first the Prophet himself from whom the Prophecy is fetcht about these new Heavens and new Earth and new Jerusalem which are both one be the Judge For you will find the time when he foretells such a state to take place is not to be in a state of immortality and glory but in this World short of the Resurrection and Judgement because he saith in the 21 22 23. Verses of that 65. Isa It must be in a time when Building Planting and Procreating will be proper which cannot possibly be in the State of Glory and Immortality as our Saviour himself hath over ruled Luke 20.34 35. And Secondly Let it be considered that this new Jerusalem or beloved City was in the thousand Years otherwise why should it be said upon the expiring thereof in the 9th Verse of the 20th that the Gog-Magog Army encompassed the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City And Thirdly Consider that the Church is called here the Spouse the Lambs wife only prepared and made ready for her Husband and not following the Allegory yet in that full enjoyment and fruition which the state of glory brings her to And Fourthly It may be considered that in this state God is said to Tabernacle and dwell with Men which discovers it to be a state of grace here and not in that state when they shall always be with God in the state of glory And that we are not alone herein you have Mr. Forbs upon the 21. Rev. delivering himself thus viz. All the dispensation of God towards this City being committed to the Lamb the Mediatour bespeaks it to be accomplished in this World because in the World to come he gives up the Kingdom to God that he may be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 And further That nothing is here so magnifickly spoke which the Prophets before have not almost in the same terms uttered of the state of the Church here in Grace we will easily perceive that no such thing is here meant as whereto most part of interpreters have drawn it But even by this amassing together of all the goodly promises in the Prophets of the Churches graceful and peaceable state to let us see that all this time shall be the full performance never any more to be disturbed and so therein the Mystery of God to be finished nothing now resting to be either expected or wished but that the Lord Jesus come quickly And the Assembly in their Annotations upon Rev. 21.1 viz. As the Church is altered so must her dwelling it may be spoken of a Glorious Church on Earih and then the day of Judgment is set before it in the former Chap. That the downfall of the Enemies of Gods Church might be set down altogether and then the Churches felicity after the destruction of the Whore Beast Dragon and
all covert and open Enemies which new state will abide till Glory come Bringing in of Eastern Kingdoms may well be called a new world And Mr Mede further very significantly to this point upon his sixth Synchronysme in his Clavis Apoc. p. 24. gives the following four substantial Arguments to enforce the same viz. First The Marriage of the Lamb and that Imperial Kingdom of the Almighty Lord God both begin after the destruction of Baâ—ylon where the seventh Trumpet beginneth this appeareth out of the Hymn of the Elders and Beasts which in the former Synchronisme we have commended out of the Nineteenth Chapter verse 6 7. Hallelujah for our Lord God Almighty Reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready Put the New Jerusalem is that Bride of the Lamb aborned and prepared for her Husband Chapter 21. verse 2. And I saw saith he the Holy City new Jerusalem coming down from the God out of Heaven as a Bride adorned for her Husband and verse 9. Come and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife c. Secondly Jerusalem is the beloved City but that beloved City forthwith after he thousand years are ended is said to be compassed about by those Troops of Satan then let loose Chapter 20. verse 9. And they compassed the Tents of the Saints and the beloved City therefore it must needs have been extant before while Satan was yet bound Thirdly The seventh Vial being poured out wherewith the Beast is dispatcht and abolished there came a loud voice from the Throne saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is done Chapter 16. verse 17. So also he that sate upon the Throne saith to John beholding new Jerusalem descending from Heaven Chapter 21. verse 5 6. Behold I make all things new 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is done I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End therefore new Jerusalem the Bride of the Lamb begins at the last end of the Vials 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Whore being already dispatcht and so it contemporizeth with the space of time which ensueth the destruction of the Beast â—ourthly One of the Angels of the Vials Chapter 17. doth shew unto John the Condemnation of the Whore even while the Vials are in pouring out and at least by one of them to be executed And the same Angel of Vials Chap. 21. verse 10. sheweth to the same John the Bride of the Lamb the great City Holy Jerusalem to become Glorious even when the Vials are now ended that is the Beast and Babylon being destroyed In treating whereof we shall first give you a brief Analysis then a short Explanation of the most material and difficult things in the Vision The Analysis or Parts of the Chapter In this description of the glorious and happy state of the Church we have First A more brief and general account which is given partly by Vision partly by Voice from the first to the ninth Verse Secondly We have a more particular and larger account which is visionally expressed from the ninth of the twenty first to the sixth Verse of the twenty second In the briefer Account we have First By Vision the Churches happiness represented and that First In respect to a new World And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and Earth was past away Secondly In respect to the evils of Commotion and trouble that are to be removed thence And there was no more Sea Thirdly In respect of the new Jerusalem Described by 1. Her Holiness in opposition to the unholy City that was removed 2 Her newness First In respect to old Jerusalem the Type Secondly In respect of her new state and happiness 3. Her Heavenliness or Divine descent 4. Her Bridelike preparedness Verse 2. And I saw the Holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband Secondly By Voice Tending to explain and confirm the former Vision which is twofold 1. From Heaven 2. From the Throne 1. The Voice from Heaven declares the Churches happiness First Respecting the enjoyment of all good consisting in the enjoyment 1. Of Gods Covenant relating to them 2. His Co-habitation by his presence with them And I heard a voice out of Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Verse 3. Secondly Respecting the removal of evil by the passing away of former things viz. Distresses Persecutions Slaughters as Rev. 12.2.13.7.14.13 Which shall trouble her no more And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are past away Verse 4. 2. The Voice from the Throne which is thâ—â—e-fold from God himself confirming this happy state 1. Proclaiming himself the Author of this new Fabrick And he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new 2. Commanding John to Write and Record these words as infallible And he said unto me write for these words are true and faithful Verse 5. 3. Declaring the consummation of this happy state according to Prophecy And he said unto me It is done confirm'd from his Omnipotency I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End described by the nature and excellency of this happiness I will give unto him that is a thirst of thâ— Fountain of the water of Life freely He that over cometh shall inherit all things And I will be his God and he shall be my Son Verse 6 7. Which happy state is illustrated by the contrary miserable condition that must attend the Worshippers of the Beast and Vassals of Anti-christ who are ranked in eight several sorts describing their corruptions But the fearful and unbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Secondly In the larger Account by Vifion to John we have 1. The preparation of John for the Vision 2. The description of the Church and her happy estate as represented in the Vision First The Preparation of John for perceiving and beholding this Vision wherein may be observed 1. Who prepared viz. one of the seven Vial Angels 2. How prepared him partly by words And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials full of the seven last Plagues and talked with me saying come hither I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife And partly by action And he carried me away in the spirit to a great high Mountain Verse 10. Secondly The Churches Description And she is shewed here in the height of magnificency and stateliness transcending all the glory of the Kingdoms of
Glory it self and chief Corner Foundation-stone is of viz. the precious Jasper as clear as Chrystal denotes that the Churches Foundation Glory and Salvation is Jesus Christ for he is the Elect and precious Corner-stone and other Foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ who is also their Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 4. That as the twelve Gates standing upon the four quarters within Jerusalem the Type were places through the Wall that gave entrance into the City to the twelve Tribes coming up out of all the World to worship and to partake of the Priviledges that belonged to the natural Seed of Abraham as saith the Psalmist Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem Jerusalem is builded as a City compacted together whither the Tribes go up The Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. So here these twelve Gates serve for entrance in the new Jerusalem to all the Elect who are the Spiritual Seed of Abraham for they that are Christs whether Jew or Gentile are Abrahams Seed according to promise even those who are built upon the foundation o the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone and so entering in by Christ the door they have admission by the Angels or Ministers of Christ into the rights and priviledges of this Holy free City the Mother of us all and are to be esteemed as the true Isaacs the children of Sarah the free Woman the marked sealed number belonging to the twelve Tribes Spiritual For as the twelve Tribes of old in the Type comprehended all the natural Seed of Abraham so under the denomination of the twelve Tribes are comprehended in allusion thereto all the Seed of Abraham Spiritual as Mead well observes from the sealed Tribes the 144000 mentioned in the seventh Revelation which you may read at large in his Coment upon the Seales Page â—9 Whereas the security and strength the broad and high Wall that encompasseth Babylon the false Church and wherein she trusts for Salvation and hath boasted saying She shall sit therein as a Queen and see no sorrow Is her wisdom beauty riches and strength her Sorceries and her Witchcrafts wherein she hath laboured from her youtâ— Isa 47. To the enchanting of the Nations and the Kings thereof and whereby the Waters have been gathered about her for her security for she sits amongst the Rivers Nah. 3.8 viz. In the midst of the people Rev. 17.15 Whereby she hath been enabled to impose and establish her Idolatry by blood and cruelty incompassing her self with violence and spoil For in her is found the blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth Rev. 18.24 Witnesâ— her blasphemous murderous Edicts her bloody cruel Inquisition her Gibbets Halters and Stakes But her Walls will totter and fall her Sea will be dryed up her wisdom and beauty wherein she hath trusted will fail her and all her Inchantments will be ineffectual when all her violence must return upon her The ten Horns or Kingdoms that have supported her will eat her Flesh and burn it with Fire and by how much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow must be meted out to her when Plague Death Mourning Famine and Fire shall be her portion for strong is the Lord God that will judge her Of the Cities foursquare Cubical Figure And the City lyeth foursquare and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the City with the Reed twelve thousand furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal THis Cubical Figure is just answering to the form of the Holy place for as that was just twenty Cubits high and twenty Cubits long and twenty Cubits broad and the length and the breadth and the height of it equal and overlaid with pure gold 1 Kings 6.20 2 Chr 3.8 Ezek. 41.4 And which is represented to be the figure of Heaven it self Heb. 9.24 So this is just twelve thousand furlongs or fifteen hundred miles high fifteen hundred long and fifteen hundred broad the breadth and height and length being just equal not onely overlaid with gold but all of pure transparent gold which great mystery may hold out thus much to us 1. That all things relating to the City or Church of God in this glorious state will exactly hold proportion with the word and lye even every way to the golden Reed 2 That the Church in purity answering Rule is even Heaven upon Earth the very figure and pattern of Heaven where the Lord himself dwells and is enthroned Whereas Babylon is without any regularity or order of Gods appointment being a City of confusion for as is her name so is she and as she is the strong hold and habitation of Devils and unclean Spirits and the figure of Hell coming indeed out of the bottomless Pit and ordered by the wisdom from beneath So thither must she go both head and members as Rev. 19.21.22.8.20.14 Of the precious Materials And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper and the City was pure gold like unto clear glasse And the foundations of the wall of the City were garnished with all manner of precious stones The first foundation was Jasper the second Saphire the third a Calcedonie the fourth an Emerald the fifth Sardonyx the sixth Sardius the seventh a Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysophrasus the eleventh a Jacinct the twelfth an Amethyst And the twelve Gates were twelve Pearls every several gate was of one Pearl and the street of the City was pure of Gold as it were transparent glasse Rev. 21.18 19 20 21. GReat was the splendid glory of the Tabernacle whereof we read Exod. 25.26 27. Chapters And greater that of the Temple and City in Solomons days as 2 Chron. 1.2 3 4 5.9 Chapter when it was such a golden Age that silver was little regarded but was as the stones in the street 2 Chron 9 27. And both of them herein Types of this our City and Temple Great also was the riches of Tyre as Ezek. 27.28 Chapters especially in those remarkable precious stones Ezek. 28.13 Like those in the Brest plate Exod 25.15 16 17. And these mentioned here who was a Type of the man of sin or mystery Babylon And greater was the beauty and splendour of mystery Babylon its Antitype whose City was clothed in fine Linnen and Purple and Scarlet and deckt with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls c. Yet all this put together falls unspeakably short of the incomparable Riches and Glory of this famous City here delivered Whose City it self is pure Gold Whose Wall is built of the precious Jasper stone Whose street is Paved with transparent Gold Whose twelve gates are each of them of one intire Pearl Whose foundations are garnished with all manner of precious stones even with such as
and Glory and Blessing And then every Creature in Heaven and Earth is heard saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever To which the Church again Echoes by their representatives saying Amen and falling down and worshipping Him viz. the unity of the Godhead that liveth for ever and ever 6. You have also an evidence of this great truth out of the Mouths of the enemies themselves even Babylon that is to be destroyed Rev 6.15 16 17. And the Kings of the Earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every Bond-man and every Free-man compare Rev. 19.18 said to the Mountains and Rocks fall upon us and hide us from the Face of the him that sits upon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of wrath is come by way of unity and conjunction and who shall be able to stand 6. That as Christ God was King Lord and Law-giver of old unto his Church and People ruling and governing them upon that Throne in all things respecting both Ecclesiastical Civil and Military affairs So is he in all those respects upon his Throne here who after he hath as Lord of Lords and King of Kings judged the great Whore and subdued the Beast Rev. 19. And destroy them that have destroyed the Earth Rev. 11.18 Will then in a more visible way take to himself his great power and Reign Rev. 11.17 When that voice shall come out of the Throne praise our God all ye his Servants and ye that fear his name both small and great and when the Eccho shall be with a joynt consent with great acclamation Alleluja for the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him Rev. 19.5 6 7. And when gathering round about his Throne they shall fall down upon their faces and worship him ascribing Salvation Glory Blessing Wisdom Power and Might unto him Rev. 7.9 10 11 12 To the fulfilling such blessed Prophecies as these viz. Isai 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he shall save us c. Luke 1.32 33. And he shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall Reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Isai 9.6 And the Government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour to the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the encrease his Government and Peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it from hence forth even for ever the Zeal of the Lord of Host shall perform this that as David of old Ruled the natural Seed so will our David govern all the Spiritual Seed And not only so but the Kingdoms of this World must become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Reign for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 When the whole Universe will submit to his Scripture and as the desire of Nations that his Government be imbraced Hag. 2.7 And when all Creatures with universal consent shall ascribe Blessing Honour Glory and Power to him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Rev. 5.13 When all Kings â—â—all bow before him and all Nations shall serve him Ps 72. When at his name every knee shall bow and every Tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2.10 Secondly You have the other Throne on which the Lord was said to sit of old hinted at here also viz. that Throne on which the Judge or Elder of old sat wherein the Lord was said more ordinarily to sit and it was called the Throne of the Lord. And not improperly 1. Because the Lords Ordinance of Magistracy was managed thereon 2. Because the Lords Law was to be the rule thereof 3. Because the Judgement thereon given was said to be the Lords 4. Because the Lords Servants men of truth and such as feared his name were only to be intrusted therewith 5. Because the Lords special presence was intayled thereto concerning which you have a particular and brief account in that most excellent charge that good Jehoshaphat give his Judges 2 Chron. 19. respecting the Duty Dignity and Law of the Throne worthy to be written in letters of gold upon every Throne of Judicature Where he chargeth them after this manner viz. Take heed saith he what ye do for ye judge not for men but for the Lord who is with you in Judgement Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts and he charged them saying thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart and what cause soever shall come to you of your Brethren between blood and blood between Law and Commandment Statutes and Judgements ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the Lord and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren this do and ye shall not trespass deal couragiously and the Lord shall be with the good And to which may be added that of the Apostle Rom. 13. Holding out the great end of the Thrones erecting viz. for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well And which Throne of Judgement is here also intended and included and on which the Lord will sit in this his day to the making his Crown to flourish For the Text saith when that Throne of the Lord and of the Lamb shall be in it that his Servants shall serve him viz his Saints and people shall be subservient to him in this great ministration of managing the Throne viz. they are especially to ascend the Thrones and Judgements as Rev. 20.4 And I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Judgemene was given unto them c. And in 4.4 And round about the Throne were twenty four Seats or Thrones and upon the Seats I saw twenty four Elders sitting clothed in white Raiment and they had on their heads Crowns of Gold being as Rev. 5.10 Made by Christ Kings and Priest viz. Royal Priesthood l. p. 2. 9. To Reign with and for Christ and as his substitutes in his Name and fear to his praise by his Law through his Spirit with his presence are they to execute the judgement of Truth in continual subjection and subordination to him and therefore are said 4.10 to cast their Crowns at his Feet before his Throne ascribing the Honour Glory and Power to him Whereby that Sovereign Ordinance of Magistracy that was ordained for the blessing and benefit of
Mankind shall now be restored to its primitive luster and purity when there shall be to accomplish the word of promise Judges restored as at first and Counsellours as at the beginning that the City may be called the City of Righteousness the faithful City Isa 26. When her Officers must be made Peace and Exactours Righteousness Isa 60.17 When their Nobles shall be of themselves and their Governours shall proceed from the midst of them Jer. 30.21 And Princes shall no more oppress Gods people Ezek. 45.8 Nor any oppressed shall pass through them any more then may we expect that the Lords Law will be magnified and made honourable Isa 1.42.21.23 And the Law must go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Mich. 4.2 Then Righteousness Truth and Peace shall kiss each other Psal 45. And the people shall be judged with Righteousness and the poor with judgement when there shall be a Spirit of judgement to them that sit in judgement and strength to them that turn the battle to the Gate Isa 28.56 For the Spirit of the Lord must then eminently be given to Rulers and Judges who must be annointed for the due execution of that great Ordinance as the 70 of old Numb 11 17.27 Numb 27.18.20 21. as the Joshua's Deut. 34.9 the Othniell's Jud 3.9 10. the Sampsons Jud 14.6 the Samuels 1 Sam. 3.20 the Davids 1 Sam. 16.13 14. when the feeble shall be as David and the Davids as Angels Zach. 12.8 When righteousness shall run down as a mighty stream and peace shall be extended like a River Isa 66.12 And Wisdom and Knowledge shall be the stability of these times Isa 33.6 And this shall be the season when there shall be no more Curse as the Text saith when the Throne of the Lamb shall thus take place intimating that the abuse of the Throne has brought in a Curse which is a great truth for righteous Rulers are not more to be esteemed a blessing than evil and wicked Rulers are esteemed a Curse which are given therefore as a judgment and Curse for sin as well as to be a Curse as Lev. 26.17 Judges 2.14 Deut. 28.47 48. 2 Kin. 17.19 Isa 10.5.42.24 Isa 3.4 Eccles 10.16.4.13 14 Isa 3.4.13 Thus have we taken a view of that Throne of God and the Lamb that is to be in new Jerusalem the City of God We shall also observe to you that Babylon hath a Throne in her also but it is the Throne of the Devil Rev. 2.10 The Throne of the Beast Rev. 16. even that Seat or Throne that the Dragon gave him Rev. 13 who resigned to him his Power Seat and Authority Rev. 13.2 A throne of Violence Mischief Blood and Iniquity from whence has proceeded all manner of unrighteousness they having thereon established mischief by a Law and because it hath been in the power of their hands therefore have they exacted it with all manner of cruelty and oppression for in her is found the Blood of the Prophets and of Saints and of all that are slain upon the earth Rev. 18.24 And therefore has the holy Spirit portraied the Beast and where the Chief Rulers upon this Throne are to have their Garments all stained with Blood of a Crimson and Scarlet Colour and to be drunk with Blood Blood within and Blood without a Scarlet Whore riding upon a Crimsom Coloured Beast and therefore is that cry under the Altar How Long ere thou avenge our blood at her hand But the day is hastening when Inquisition shall be made after this Blood Psal 9.12 And when the Earth shall disclose her Blood and no more cover her slain Isa 26.21 When the Righteous Sentence shall go forth from the Throne give her Blood to drink for she is worthy Rev. 16.6 with the reason of it for they have shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets Fill her double in the Cup she hath filled when that Song shall be Sung even the Song of Moses the song of the Lamb viz. Great and Marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy holy Name for thou only art Holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest And again Allelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and power unto the Lord our God for true and Righteous are his Judgments for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the Flood of his Servants at her hand And again they said Allelujah Rev. 19.1 2 3. If you desire better information into the Idolatries Hypocrisies Treasons and cruel Butcheries of the Popish Antichristian Generation if you have forgot the Amarian Cruelties the Bloody Irish and Peidmont Massacres with the burning of London read two late pieces writ one by Dr. Stillingfleet and an other giving you the History of these things out of their own writing by Mr. Foulis A Paraphrastical Exposition JOhn having seen a Vision of the Destruction of Babylons old World viz. in the passing away of her old Heaven in her Whorish Ministry or Church state and her old Earth in her Beastly Magistracy or Civil state has now a Vision of Jerusalems new World wherein all things are made new viz. In her new Heaven-Bride-like ministry or Church state and in her Lamb-like Magistracy or Civil state and which in Conjunction is discovered in the emblematical representation of a Glorious City hereafter expressed 9. And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials full of the seven last Plagues and talked with me saying come hither I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs Wife And there was one of the seven Angels that having shewed me the destruction of the false Church by the burning of a gaudy Whorish woman Rev. 17. shews me here the exaltation of the true Church by the representation of a Beautiful comely Virgin prepared and trimed as a Bride for her Husband And then me thought I was carryed unto the top of a great Mountain and had spiritual discoveries of the new Testament Church that is built upon a Hill Mat. 5.14 10 And he carryed me away in the Spirit to a great and high Mountain and shewed me that great City the Holy Jerusalem discending out of Heaven from God And as the Angel had discovered to me Babylon the false Church in the figure of a great City was pleased by the emblem of a famous City to shew me new Jerusalem the true Church and by the situation grandeur beauty and excellent descent of the one would have me to understand the Divine original perspicuity stability greatness and holiness of the other And then by observing to me that Divine Glory 11. Having the Glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a Jasper stone clear as Chrystal Ver. 23. And the City had no need of the
Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Ver. 25. For there shall be no night there Chap. 22.5 And there shall be no night there and they need no candle neither light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever which by a continued light as bright as the Jasper and clear as Christal so shined upon it day and night that there was no need of any other light either Candle Sun or Moon to lighten it would have me understand that eminent and glorious presence of Christ that should now rest upon the Church transcending the Glory that shined about the Sanctuary when of old he Tabernacled with men and to which he alludes and by vertue whereof the Christian Doctrine and Grace shall be so splendid and glorious 12. And had a Wa l great and h gh and had twelve Gates and at the Gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel 13. On the East three Gates on the North thâ—ee Gates on the South three Gates on the West three Gates 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them the namer of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. 25. And the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there The next thing that came to be observed in this glorious structure was an illustrious regular and well fortified Wall planted to the four Quarters and accommodated with proportionable Gates and Guards Giving me to understand hereby the salvation stability and security now attending the Church in her freedom from all danger both from within or without being not only incompassed with an infinite Arm and all-seeing Eye founded and invironed with invincible Apostolical and Prophetical Doctrine and Truth but richly furnished with an Angelical faithful Ministry to defend and keep the same who are continually at the open Gates as to receive and imbrace the faith from every Quarter so as vigilantly to keep out and reject whatever may defile Afterwards the same Angel with a Golden Reed in his hand did measure 15. And he that talked with me had a Golden Reed to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the wall thereof and give me the exact Demensions and Symmetry of the City Gates and Walls Giving me to understand thereby the exactness of Rule and holy Order that the Church will faithfully observe in all her Ministrations who in every thing both as to Doctrine Worship and Manners will lye level to the square of Gods Word that Golden Met wand And that the Cubical square thereof so well answering the Figure of the holy place in the Temple bespeaks the Church in its now conformity to Divine appointment even no less then as a Heaven upon Earth The next thing that so signally called for observation and remark 18. And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper and the City was pure Gold like unto clear Glass 19. And the Foundations of the Wall of the City were Garnished with all manner of precious Stones the first Foundition was Jasper the second Saphir the third a Chalcedony the fourth an Emerald 20. The fifth Sardonix the sixth Sardius the seventh Chrysolite the eighth Beril the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrisoprasus the eleventb a Jacinet the twelfth an Amethist 21. And the twelve Gates were the twelve Pearls every several Gates was of one Pearl and the street of the City was pure Gold as it was trnnsparent Glass was the precious materials and the glorious Garnishings of it which was most manifest in that magnificent Jasper Wall astonishing Golden City and street the most illustrious Pearl-Gates and those wonderful precious Stones that bespangled the Foundations Discovering to me no less than the incomparable excellency of Jesus Christ in his Name Nature and Offices the incomparable precious head of their Glorious body together with his pure and precious Doctrines and the inestimable Gifts and Graces of his spirit as manifested in the Hearts and Lives of the Saints 22. And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it The City in all its parts being observed the Accessories to render it accomplished in all respects are nextly taken notice of the first whereof is the extraordinary Temple that was in it God and Christ being the Temple thereof which instructed me that it was no litteral and material but a mystical and Spiritual Temple Christ Jesus God Man 24. And the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour unto it 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it the living precious foundation corner stone and the Saints as living precious stones built upon him making up together this mystical Temple as 1. p. 2. 5. 2 Cor. 6.16 The next thing that heightens the glory and encreaseth the Grandeur of this famous City is the conflux and great resort of the Nations and Kings of the Earth with their riches and honour into it in allusion to Solomons dayes as exprest 2 Cron. 9.22 Intimating that in those days Christianity shall be esteemed the greatest Honour Grace and Godliness and the presence of Christ will be most prized and regarded When there shall be such Kings that will value Christ more then their Crowns as Rev. 4.10 When goodness shall go for true greatness and Godliness for the best gain 27. And their shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs Book of life Then are the Characters of those given that shall have the honour to be admitted into this famous place 1. Negatively viz. no Pagan Idolaters nor Anti-christian lyers that belong to the Beasts Catalogue But 2. Affirmitively such only as by the Lambs Register ought to have entrance Intimating that how ever there shall be such flocking into the Church of Christ and that it shall so wonderfully increase as Isa 54.1 2 3 4. Yet will she not greaten her self as Babylon used to do by taking in good and bad and letting in the World into the Church No there shall be no such admissions but onely such must enter therein as answer the qualifications laid down in Gods Word or Lambs Book that do by living fruits of Faith and Repentance witness Saintship and testifie thereby that they are called chosen and faithful and so entering the Gate Christ do pass by the Watch-men the faithful ministry to share and partake of the Priviledges of the Church The next blessing and benefit accrewing Chap. 22. 1. And he shewed me a pure River of water of life clear as Crystal proceeding out of the
Throne of God and of the Lamb. 2. In the midst of the street of it and of either side of the River was their the Tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yâ—ilded her fruit every moneth and the leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the Nations is the plentiful rich provision that is provided for the supply both for necessity and delight comprized under the Water and Tree of Life alluding to the Tree of Life in the Garden and Ezekiels River Ezek. 47. Intimating that the glorious presence that had so inricht the Church should by a plentiful rich supply of Spiritual grace flowing from the Throne of Grace so maintain the same continually that each shall have such store that out of their bellies shall flow Rivers of living water Jo. 7.38 Lastly 3. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him 4. And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their Foreheads To Crown this blessed and glorious state there is a Throne erected as well as a Temple wherein his maked servants shall see his Face that serve him Intimating that Satans Seat Rev. 21.13 And the Beasts Throne Rev. 16. That brought the curse being removed the Lambs Throne instead thereof is erected wherein his Servants that are his Sealed ones Eph. 1.13 2 Tim. 2.19 And that by a visible Holy profession bear the Lambs Name in their Foreheads and injoy his presence shall serve him therein and shall as his Substitutes and Vice-gerent manages the affairs of his Kingdom and Soveragnity to his glory and praise as Satans instruments and servants did before order and dispose in the Beasts Kingdom Amen Allelujah The First Question necessary to be spoken to for the better clearing what hath been before asserted relating to the thousand years Reign is WHether the thousand years Reign is not yet past as Brightman Napier Fox c. formerly Hamond Durham Harvey and others more lately do assert from such like reasons as these that follow which I have gathered out of their writings viz 1. Because as they suppose the Dragons casting down to the Earth in the 12th Chapter is one and the same with his being bound and cast into the bottomless pit in the 20th Chapter and therefore must the Epocha of the thousand years of the Saints Reign mentioned Rev. 20. be reckoned from the fall of Heathenism in Constantines time and so is expired many years since 2. Because of the Order of the Prophecy as exprest in the 20th and 21th Chapters the new Heaven and the new Earth and the new Jerusalem containing a visible Kingdom on Earth is so long after not contemporaneous with the thousand years 3. Because Christ is personally to appear in the new Jerusalem so inconsistent with the thousand years state 4. Because of the duration of the new Ierusalem so much beyond the thousand years one being limited the other for ever 5. Because of the agreement of the Heaven and Earth passing away viz. the matteriall Rev. 20.11 with Rev. 21.1 6. Because the Gog-Magog Host cannot come out of the new Heaven To which I reply speaking to them in Order And therefore in answer to the first Reason I say That the subduing of the Dragon with seven Heads and ten Horns with the Crowns upon his Heads and casting him out of Heaven to the Earth by Michael Rev. 12.8 9. Is not nor cannot be the same with his apprehending casting into shutting up and sealing in the bottomless pit for a thousand years by the Angel that comes from Heaven which I prove from these four essential differences 1. From the point of time when each casting down was 2. From the different places where done 3. From the different actions and circumstances in each 4. From the different ends in both First From the difference of time when these two castings down were which may appear in the particulars following viz. 1. That in the 12th Chapter was before the Beasts rise that in the 20th after his ruine 2. That in the 12th was before the 42 Months or 1260 days and that in the 20th after 3. That in the 12th was upon the treading under foot the Holy City and that in the 20th upon the erecting or restoring it 4. That in the 12th takes place under the sixth Seal and that in the 20th not till the seventh Trumpet which is no less then 1260. years difference in time Now that the Dragons casting to the Earth in the 12th was according to these forementioned characteristical notes viz. before the Beasts rise or 42. Moneths taking place when the City was troden under foot and in the time of the sixth Seal is fully owned and asserted And that this binding was not till the Beasts ruine end of fourty Moneths the restoring of the City and the seventh Trumpets sounding I thus prove If the Dragon was not bound but free under the first six Trumpets of the seventh Seal it remaines he must be bound under the seventh and so consequently at the end of the 42 Moneths and Beasts ruine and restoration of the City which are all as contemporaneous as the other four But that he was not bound under the first six Trumpets I thus prove 1. Not under the six first Seals for then he wore the imperial Crown upon his head and so fought Michael under the sixth Seal Chap. 12. 3 7. Chap. 6.12 c. 2. Not under the Six first Trumpets for then was the time of the womans being in the Wilderness wherein the Dragon is so far from being bound that he casts flouds out of his mouth after her and makes War with the remnant of her seed that keep the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus Rev. 12.13 15 17. 3. Neither under the Beasts Reign for they that follow the Beast worship the Dragon Rev. 13.2 3 4. The false prophet also being one of his Leiutenants and delegates works wonders and deceives the Inhabitants of the Earth And how can he be said to be bound and so bound too that he shall not deceive them at all during tha this binding as Rev. 20.3 when he all along this time aforesaid plays such Rex not only by himself but substitutes 4. That he was 〈◊〉 at liberty till the destruction of the Beast which is one and the same time with the six Trumpets appeareth for upon the pouring out of the sixth Vial there is a confederacy combination and conjunction in preparation to the great Battle by sending their Emissaries to the Kings of the Earth to gather them thereto and accordingly we have these three great Leaders with the Kings Captains c. gathered to Armageddon Rev. 16.16 and the success of the Battle Chap. 19. viz. the routing and destruction of the Armies the taking of the three Generals and the Sentence that was past and executed upon them viz. the Beast and false-prophet to
be cast alive into the lake of fire and the Dragon to be bound and cast into the bottomless pit as a close prisoner for 1000. years and afterwards to be cast into the lake where the Beast and false prophet were cast a thousand years before being all one and the same story By which it manifestly appears the Dragon was at liberty and unbound till the Beast and false-prophet were ruined and destroyed Mr. Fox himself doth in p. 130. of his first Book calculate the 1000. years to succeed the 12â—0 days or 42. Months and the Witnesses death and resurrection But withall it is true doth conclude those mistical Numbers to contain no more than 294. years viz. from the Death of John Baptist to the end of Maxentius and Licinius and the 1000. years to commence from Constantine Secondly As these two Actions differ in point of time so also in point of place viz. that of the 12th appears upon the War in Heaven to be a casting down from thence by Michael and his Angels that subdued him But this in the 20th seems to be a Scene acted in another place viz not in Heaven but by an Angel coming down from Heaven viz. to the Earth where the Dragon was and in the Armageddon rout apprehends him upon the Earth and casts him not out of Heaven to the Errth as before but out of the Earth as it were under the Earth into the bottomless pit The one being a casting him out of that Empire he possessed in the Roman world when Constantine as a type of the man-child that must rule the Nations did vanquish Maxentius in the West and Licinius in the East to the possessing their Dominions with his own which extended over a good part of Asia and Africa and over the greatest part of Europe with the Metropolis and principal seat Rome it self The other a casting him out of the Empire he shall enjoy at the Armageddon Battle which will comprehend no less than three whole parts of the world yea all that the ten horned Crowned Beast possesseth not the Dragons circuit then containing Asia Africa and America whether Turk Mogul Emperours of Persia China India Prester John or America north or South the Beast bearing way in the European Territories only the whole Heathenish Rule being then called Dragon in distinction from the Beast or Antichristian powers and yet both together doth but make up that fourth Monarchy that extends it self to the four parts of the world for they in conjunction as you find Rev. 16.13 14. command and influence the whole world which Christ is to vanquish in the fifth Monarcy that the Kingdoms of this world may become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and the City of God be of as large an extent as the City of the Nations which Constantines Dominion heretofore was not for he had no part of America but part of Asia and Africa and not all Europe and of far less extent is the Turkish Territories supposed to be the Dragon And so upon the Dragons second foil he is neither to have place in Heaven viz. in the Roman world or European Territories the principal part thereof that was possessed by the Beast nor yet in the Earth viz. in the heathenish Rule and Soveraignty all which is to be in the hands of the Saints during the thousand years and the Dragon as far from either as a person that is shut up and fettered and chained in a Dungeon Thirdly From the different Actions and Circumstances relating to the one and the other as exprest in each Chapter nothing related in the 20th appearing to be in the 12th nor any thing in the 12th to be transacted in the 20th In the 20th there are four things related of the Dragon 1. That he was apprehended by an Angel descending from Heaven 2. That he was bound or chayned by the said Angel 3. That he was cast into the Bottomless Pit 4. Shut up and sealed therein for a Thousand years but none of these in the 12th Chapter Neither is that Fighting in Heaven nor casting down of the Dragon from Heaven to Earth as exprest in the 12th once so much as named in the 20th but the contrary as before Fourthly From the different end of the Dragons dealing with in one place and the other Because 1. In the Twelfth Chapter he is cast out into the Earth not there to be bound but to wander up and down at his pleasure which further appears Because he was 2. To torment vex disturb and deceive the Inhabitants of the Earth and therefore is Wo pronounced to them because of that great wrath he comes down to them in verse 12 3. To annoy the Church by persecutions stirring up of War casting Flouds out of his mouth against her as being full of wrath against the woman and the remnant of her feed that keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Whereas in the 20th it is expresly laid down as one essential reason of his binding and casting into the Pit for a Thousand years That he should deceive the Nations no more till the Thousand years were expired And the Church was to be so far from annoyance and disturbance by him or any of his accomplices that they are said to sit upon the Thrones in a Reigning peaceable posture and all enemies under their subjection which state doth not possibly admit of such Satanical disturbances These things being so it then appears that there is a manifest mistake in that first Reason urged And that the Epocha that is made of the Thousand years in Rev. 20. must not be reckoned from Constantines casting down Heathenism in the downfall of the 10 horned Imperial Dragon which was before the 42 months under the Sixt seal during the treading under foot the holy City before the rise of the Beast But at the binding and restraint of those Heathenish Governments influenced by the Devil that shall be exercised all the World over in distinction from the Beastly or Antichristian powers and at the end of the 42 months the finishing of the Beasts reign the building of the City or new Jerusalem and the sounding of the seventh Trumpet But now in answer to that Objection What Kingdom of Christ in the hands of his Saints could that be that during the Thousand years was so exposed to the Dragons and Beasts rage wrath fury persecution so shut up in the Wilderness so hunted slaughtered and destroyed It is said in answer that it is only an invisible and spiritual Kingdom that is there intended But that it cannot so be understood let the Text it self be the Judge which First assigns Resurrection and Life to be the undoubted marks and characters of the Church of Christ in this their Reign as death and not life to be the mark writ upon Antichrists Church the Antithesis For as durcng the Dragon and Antichrists Reign the true Church was in a state of Death and Bondage viz.
the mystery of God and therefore properly applyed to them but short of them can in no sence be either pertinent or true To the second Objection as to the order of the Prophecy I think I need do little but return that Observation for the Solution viz That for the order of things to be done whereof the Revelation speaketh we must search that in the Seal-prophecy which ends with the 11th Chapter all that follows being only a more plentifull declaration of things hinted before and so the order is not so much regarded in this latter prophecy that viz the Order being to be fetcht out of the former Which is true For you will find in this latter Systeme of Prophecies from the 11th Chapter that the former part of the 12th takes place before much of the 11th and the former part of the 13th the latter part of the 12th And good part of the 11th contemporizeth with if not precedes much of the 14th The 18 19 and 20th is an explanation of the 17th or rather all from the 11th Chapter to the end is but an enlargement and exposition of what is epitomized in the 11th where under the witnesses prophecy Death Resurrection and Ascension is held forth the Beasts rise rage and ruine and the taking place of Christs Kingdom which the mind of wisdom warily observing the parallel of Synchronisms must get the distinct knowledge into each as laid down mixedly from the 11th to the end And that no such order as is suggested is to be observed nor any such distance betwixt them as imagined But that the New Jerusalem beloved City new Heaven and Earth or City of God is one with Christs Kingdom in the thousand years may appear from these following considerations viz. First Because upon the destruction of the fourth Monarchy viz. the Whore and Beast or the Magisterial and Ministerial part of Antichrist the thousand years Reign of Christ and the Saints begin or the marriage of the Lamb or new Heavens-state being both one as Rev 19.7.21.2 takes place and therefore are the Hallelujahs sung by the Church for the Salvation Glory Honour and Power that Jesus Christ takes to himself thereupon Rev. 19.6 7 8 9. Secondly Because it is fully manifest that the beloved City is in being during the thousand years For upon the Dragons release he stirs up the Nations against the City of God and accordingly is the Gog-Magog design to besiege and encompass it which is no less in circuit than the whole Earth being the Antithesis to great Babylon the City of the Nations for as one goes down the other goes up in the beginning of the thousand years by which it is undenyable that during the thousand years the beloved City had a being and for better satisfaction herein you may see Mr Mede p. 24. upon his 6th Synchronism Thirdly Because of the Harmonious marks and Characters that accord with both in their taking place in the World viz. 1. Doth the new Jerusalem enter when the seventh Trumpet Soundeth and the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 18. So doth the thousand years Rev. 20.4 6. comparde with 19.6 2. Doth the new Jerusalem take place upon the pouring out of the Vials and finishing the mystery of God Rev. 10.7 when the Angel of the Vials saith it is done Rev. 21.6 So upon the pouring out of the seventh Vial upon the destruction of the Beast when the thousand years begin as Rev. 19.21 22. Rev. 20.1 It is also said It is done Rev. 16.16 17. 3. Is one the beginning of Christs visible Kingdom upon the Earth so is the other Rev. 20.4 6.19 6. 4. Is one the time of the Marriage of the Lamb with his Church and people Rev. 21.3 9. so is the other Rev. 19 6 7. 5. Is one the time of Jacobs rest from his sorrow and from his fear and from his hard bondage wherein he was made to serve Isa 14.2 So is the other that seventh day or seventh thousand years or great Sabbatism Heb. 4.9 When all enemies Kings of the Earth and their Armies are brought down and Satan bound and Saints as Kings and Priests ascend the throne and peaceably Reign Rev. 20 4 6. 6. Is there to be building planting marrying and giving in marriage procreation enjoyment of Liberty Peace Ease plenty in the new Jerusalem new Heaven and Earth-state as is affirmed from Isai 65.21 33. So also must be the thousand years where Christs virtual presence is in that mystical Resurrection-state For neither before nor after the thousand years shall there be such a state to the Church therefore it must be in the thousand years After the thousand years is the Judgment day Corporeal Resurrection and personal coming of our Lord Jesus as I have at large proved elsewhere when all the Saints are in glorified bodyes as 1 Joh. 3.20 21. Phil. 3.20 21. 1 Thes 4.15 16 17. 1 Cor. 15.51 52. And that as well the changed as raised Saints in which state it is expresly said Luke 20.34 That they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection from the Dead Mark that not onely the raised Saints but whoever shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World taking in the changed also neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they die any more for they are equal to the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection so that this above all contradiction asserted that they which partake of the Angelical glorious state in the World to come are not capable of such sensitive enjoyments therefore of necessity must it bee before in this new Heaven new Jerusalem or 1000 years state 7. Is the new Jerusalem or City of God extensive over the whole Earth as great Babylon the City of the Nations was So is the Reign of Christ in the thousand years Rev. 20.9 8. Is this glorious City made up of living not dead stones and materialls so is the Church of Christ in an especial manner during the thousand years Rev. 20.6 Eph 2.19 The third Object against the Harmony or oneness of these two states is because of those Scriptures that so positively in their apprehensions assert Christs personal presence in the new Ierusalem-state so inconsistent with the 1000. years after which is to be the Gog. Magog attempts The Scriptures usually mentioned are Rev. 21.3.22.22.3 The Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and God himself shall be with them The Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face c. To which I would say in the first place that if I have reasoned right in answer to the former Objection about the order it necessarily and undeniably follows that these Scriptures that speak of Gods Tabernacling and dwelling with men and men beholding his face must be understood of a vertual
in order to the fulfilling of Prophecie to the dissolution of the old material Heavens and Earth and bringing on the new and to the introducing the misphatical Kingdom All these wicked Rebels must not only by Christs appearing be destroyed by fire who cometh in flaming fire to take vengeance of all that know not God nor obey his Gospel but also with the same fire will the material old Heaven and Elements as before melt with heat and pass away the Earth also and all its works be burnt up that the new Heavens and new Earth according to promise may come on And so will the Lord Jesus and the Saints continue therein to judge the quick and dead in that his misphatical Kingdom till he deliver all up into the hands of the Father that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15.24 28. The second Question WHether the natural Jew is not concerned in the latter day Promises and Prophecies and particularly in those that relate to the pulling down Babylon and building of Zion as Maton and Holmes and others affirm Because as they intimate the promises seemed chiefly to be made in their names and for their sakes viz. to Israel Judea Jacob Ephraim Benjamin and their seed and who by promise are to return to their own Land under one Head Shepherd King to enjoy their Liberty and Priviledge their enemies being all subdued and then the Nations are only to expect good and blessing in and from their happiness to whom must be the first Dominion Mica 4.8 and the Tents of Juda to be saved first Zach. 12.7 and therefore all other hopes expectations and attempts for deliverance short of theirs to be vain fruitless and ineffectual Answ It is true the Prophets do seem in express terms so to carry it in many places which therefore giveth the natural Jew yet at such a distance and enmity to Christ having the Vail before their faces so much confidence to boast of their natural Priviledges looking only at the bare Letter and not at the Gospel mystery contained therein I shall therefore for your better information into this seasonable enquiry do these two things First lay down some certain plain Rules and Principles to help us in the right reading and true understanding of the Prophets relating to the Jews and those good things promised in their names c. Secondly From them draw some sound and safe Conclusions and inferences for the better clearing of this great Question and whereby it will appear I doubt not who are most concerned in the promises the natural or spiritual Jew 1. Rule THat no promise prophesie or precept of the Scriptures be interpreted contrary to the Analogy of Faith and the plain Principles asserted in the New Testament Rom. 12.6 Gospel Principles to be observed concerning the Jews 1. Principle THat Jesus Christ by his death hath broken down the middle Wall of partition and of twain hath made one new man so that the believing Gentile hath the same priviledge with the believing Jew being both built upon the same foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the chief Corner stone Eph. 2.14 to the end insomuch that now under the Gospel neither Greek nor Jew Circumcised Barbarian Scythian Bond or Free but Christ is all and in all Col. 3.11 and so he puts no difference betwixt any whose hearts are purified by Faith Acts 15.9 Rom. 3.22 Rom. 10.12 The inward Christian Jew being now the only true Jew Rom. 2.28 29. Rev. 2.9.3.9 Jer. 9.25 26. 2. Principle That the Jewish priviledges of being 1. of the fleshly seed of Abraham 2. Belonging to this or the other Tribe 3. Relating to their holy City or Nation 4. Concerned in their Priest-hood Temple Altar Sacrifices were all Typical and by the Gospel esteemed Carnal and Fleshly and were all done away in Christ Col. 2.17 as may more particularly appear by the following Scripture instances First As to the Natural seed of Abraham Mat. 3.9 Say not within your selves we have Abraham to our Father but bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance and amendment of Life Compared Joh. 8.37 38. and do the works of Abraham otherwise you are of your Father the Devil ver 44. Abrahams true seed which are esteemed the seed of promise is the believer whether Jew or Gentile for if they are Christs they are Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise Gal. 3.16.29.4.28 Therefore whether to introduce a natural seed of Abraham to any Gospel Priviledge out of Christ doth not deny the authority of these Scriptures and thwart the new Testament is submitted to consideration Secondly The distinction of Tribes was also Fleshly and Typical Phil. 3. If any other man thinketh he hath whereof he may trust in the Flesh I more Circumcised the eighth day of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews which he esteemed but dung and dogs meat for the excellency and Knowledge of Christ And therefore the same Paul 2 Cor. 5. saith That henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more The only Tribe now is the Tribe of Judah into which the Kingship Priest-hood is transferred the believers being Kings and Priests the true Jew that is only of that Tribe of Iudah being the inward Spiritual heart Circumcised Jew therefore whether to hold forth any Principles or interpret any Scriptures to uphold a distinction of Tribes in this new body and Corporation under the Gospel whereby the natural fleshly typical seed was distinguished of old is not to thwart Gospel-principles and no less than to deny Christ to be come in the flesh Thirdly The City Ierusalem which under the Law was called the holy City was typical and so reputed Carnal under the Gospel and therefore as belonging to Hagar the Bond-woman was to be done away and is therefore put in opposition to Ierusalem which is above viz. the new Ierusalem which is the mother of us all Gal. 4.25 26. Heb. 12.12 compared with Esay 54. being an explanation to each other Therefore whether now for any to interpret any Scriptures in the Prophets speaking of Jerusalem a holy City to be meant a material City that is to be rebuilt and to become a Metropolis again amongst the Nations and to be esteemed a holy City is not certainly to advance again Mount Zina above Mount Zion is not to set up Hagar above Sarah to bring in the City of Bondage again to the defacing the free City the new Jerusalem which is above all and the mother of us all from whence alone the free Denizens the Believers whether Jews or Gentiles are to fetch their freedoms and Liberties Fourthly That Territory called the Nation of Iudea whether the lesser contained betwixt Iordan and the West Sea and from Dan to Bersheba or the greater from Sea to Sea viz. Mediterranean Aegyptian and Persian and from the River viz. Euphrates to the end of the Earth taking