Grave but the smiles of God will bring me to Heaven and therefore it is better to dye in the favour of the Lord then in the favour of men for were I a lover of the World I were an enemy to God I desire to leave the honours riches and pleasures of this world for a better I am willing to leave the glory of this life for I looke for a better for I desire to undergoe all the fury of Hell to have a Heaven My time is but short I desire to bid adiew to the world for what is the world but vanitâ— all the honours are but dishonours and all the riches iâ— but poverty all the joy is but sorrow and all the pleasure is but displeasure and had I no better comfort then what is in this life I were in a sad condition for I live in hope of a better resurrection and so I hope dost thou which if thou dost thou wilt like my workes the better and so farewell Richard Stookes A Second CHAMPION to the TRVTH CHAPTER 1. Of working of Miracles ANd first I shall begin to speak of Miracles which so many dote upon in these dayes waiting for visible signes and some great Revelation and to them I shall say as Christ said unto the Scribes and Pharisees that the Kingdom of God cometh not with observation for they looked that Christ should come with abundance of earthly pompe and glory but Christ tells them they were deceived for the Kingdom of God consisted not of outward glory and excellency for saith he the Kingdom of God is within you it is more of substance then of shew more glorious within then without and the Miracles more inward then outward Miracles of a more spiritual nature to appear in the inward man to the beating down of every strong hold and therefore those outward miracles are swallowed up of inward miracles of a more glorious nature the one being a type of the other as the outward man was a type of the inward man and therefore my work shall be in this Chapter to shew you my reasons why I conceive that Miracles in a visible way aâ—e to cease in that age So that this is my meaning that the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles in a visible way were to cease in that age 1. Because Miracles were to testifie of Christs coming in the flesh and therefore when Christ came he came with signes and wonders as his casting out of Devils Mat. 12. 22. and Luke 11. 17. Of his healing the sick and curing them of their Diseases as you may see Mat. 15. 30. In giving sight to the blind and hearing to the death and speech to the dâ—â—â— making the lame to go as raising up the dâ—â—â— and all this he was to do to manifest himself to the World that he was the Christ Isâ—iâ—â— 35. 5. 6. chap. 61. 1. Mat. 11. 5. And thus 〈◊〉 came to be known of John Baptist as you 〈◊〉 see Mat. 11. 4. 5. Together with the 〈◊〉 of the Holy Ghost descending upon him in the likeness of a Dove Luke 3. 22. John 1. 33. And thus he was manifest to John as to all the World doing such works as never man did whereby he might appear to be the Christ to leave all men without excuse as John 15. 24. in doing such works as were never done from the beginning in opening the eyes of the blind John 9. 32. and in shewing such signes wonders which were not before recorded least the world should take up to much time in the searching thereof and in doteing more upon his acts then upon the end of his coming John 20 30. 21. 25. As also further the Apostles were gifted for the same end to manifest Christ to be come in the flesh working miracles both before and after his ascensioâ— that thereby they might manifest to the World that he was the Christ and for that and they were promised by Christ to receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost Luke 24. 49. which was performed in Acts 2. 1. 2. The gifts of the spirit being powred upon them insomuch that they were able to speak infallibly to work Miracles and to speak with new Tongues and to understand all Languages under Heaven 〈◊〉 2. 6. Even for this very end that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was the Christ both at 〈◊〉 and to the 〈◊〉 paâ—ts of the Earth Act. 1. 8. And thus the Lord granted signes and wonders to be done by the hands of the Apostles to give Testimony to the word of his grace Act 14. â— who did manifest to the world that all the wonders that they wrought were in the name and power of Jesus Acts 4. 10. shewing in their preaching that this was the end for which Miracles were on foote even to testifie of Christ Acts 2. 22. And this was one end for which Miracles were given to hold forth the coming of Christ 2. Miracles were to confirm the Covenant of grace which was to be established as firm as the first for when the first Covenant was given out it was ratified with signes and wonders for all the Mountaine was on fire and there were thunderings and lightnings and voices and so terrible was the sight that it made Moses the man of God tremble So terrible were the signes Heb. 12. 18. 19. 22. And thus you see the first Covenant was ratified with Miracles and so also was the second which is a better Covenant estableished upon better promises Heb. 8. 6. And also more glorious Miracles of a more spiritual nature for the Miracles of the first Covenant were more outward and terrible But the Miracles of the 2. Covenant are more inwardly 〈◊〉 comfortable which did accompany the Appostles in their Ministry confirming the truth by signes and wonders Mark 16. the last Act. 19. 10. 11. And thus did the Lord Jesus Christ himself also confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel with more Miracles then ever any word was before from the beginning of the World so that you may see that the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles wanted not Miracles to confirm it God the Father also bearing witness with signes and wonders and divers gifts of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2. 4. That it might appear the Covenant was the more glorious and more excellent firm and sure being so wonderfully ratified and confirmed with Miracles And thus you see a second Reason wherefore Miracles were on foot even to confirm the truth of the Gospell Now a third reason wherefore Miracles were on foot was this even to confirm the calling and Ministry of the Apostles who were to lay the Foundation both for Doctrine and practise which the World was to follow in after Ages to the end of the World For we are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Eph. 2 20. In being the Authour both of their Doctrine and Practise and therefore you see it was requisite that Miracles should
and the glory that should follow 2 Pet. 10. 11. and thus Christ was promised of long before he came unto Adam and Noah as also to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and to Moses unto whoÌ„ the Father revealed the Son saying I will raise them a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and I will put my word into his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him Deut. 18. 18. Acts 3. and as he was promised to Moses so also to the Prophets and thus to know him in the promise is life eternall 2. To know him as he was begotteÌ„ by the promise is life eternal for thus saith the Lord thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee for the Son was not born after the flesh but after the promise and mind of God and so the seed of grace was springing from the time of Adam till it came forth being begotten by the word of promise 3. To know him in his conception is life eternall being begotten by the immortall word all the promises compassing the Virgine about and the power of the most high overshadowing her Luke 1. 32. and so begat a holy seed Mal. 2. 15. So that that which was begot was a holy man Luke 1. 15. conceiv'd in the matrix or wombe of God being begot by the word of promise and born of the pure Virgin being conceived of the pure nature of God not borne after the flesh but after the Spirit or promise of God for the first man was of the earth earthly his Kingdom and power earthly and therefore his thoughts and mind earthly but the second is a heavenly man whose thoughts are heavenly being without spot or blemish or any worldly care but all for Heaven both in his thoughts words and deeds and therefore he was called the Lord from Heaven being able to conquer all the fleshly lusts and temptations of the world and therefore might rightly be called a Heavenly man and therein did exceed the first Adam And then again the first Adam was called the Image of God but the second Adam is called the expresse Image of the Fathers person whereby it doth appear that the second Adam is of a more glorious nature the first Adam being of a earthly nature the second Adam being of a spirituall nature the first Adam being set about earthly things and the second Adam being set about spirituall things And thus you see that Christ was begotten a pure man fit for all heavenly employment being of so glorious and pure a nature that he was able to aspire or ascend into Heaven for what should hinder him being every way heavenly and no way earthly in his nature and therefore he was able to walke upon the Sea and not be drowned as you may see Mat. 14. 15. and was able to passe thorow dores and stone Walls being so pure a man that there was nothing could hinder him from going into any place And thus it is life eternall to know the man Christ in his pure conception as he was a pure nature 4. To know him as he ascended into Heaven is life eternall for being a pure heavenly man he was able to ascend into Heaven for what should hinder him being a pure nature being a heavenly nature it was more naturall to be in Heaven then to be in earth for it is nothing but this sinfull nature that hinders us from Heaven but Christ having no sinne in his nature there was nothing could hinder him from ascending into Heaven Now that Christ did ascend into Heaven Now that Christ did ascend into Heaven doth appear for saith he No man hath ascended up to Heaven at any time but he that came down from Heaven which is the Sonne of man that was in Heaven and so Christ shows you that never any man did ascend to Heaven but himself but the man Christ went up into Heaven for he saith it and I dare not but believe it for his words are Spirit and Truth no man at any time but the man Christ John 3. 13. And I I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me John 6. 38. For the Father takes him up into Heaven and revealed his mind and his will to him what he would have him to declare to the world and to manifest the Fathers love to all men if they did imbrace his doctrine and so the Father sent him into the world that he that believed in him should not perish And thâ—â— much doth the Sonne confesse when he saith Lâ—â— I came to do thy will O God And I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me And thus to know Christ is life eternall 5. To know him in his life is life eternall what he came to do and what he did First what he came to do and that was to do the will of the Father For thus it is written in the volume of thy book of me to do thy will O God Heb. 10. For the words that I speak are not mine but the words of him that sent me And thus you see the end of Christs comeing to declare the mind of the Father to the world which was a pure heavenly Doctrin all tending to grace and glory his Doctrine being all spirituall and to know him in his life as he was a pure spirituall man for all his thoughts were heavenly and his words and Doctrine heavenly and all his actions heavenly So that it might truly be said he came from Heaven being a man for Heaven and not for earth all his actions tending Heaven-ward being indeed a man for another world Heaven being ready to receive him and the world being weary of him and thus to know Christ iâ— eternall life 6. To know him in his death is eternall life all his life being a life of heavenly trouble 〈◊〉 of heavenly afflictions being in his life a patterne of all heavenly living So that the World had nothing against his person but against his doctrine for their envy against him was not in respect of his person but of his Doctrine for his person might have been free but for his Doctrine for his accuseâ—â— said he is a blasphemer and is worthy to die for he hath said he came from God and that he came from Heaven and that he was the Sonne of God and hath spoke against our Lawes and against Moses and hath said he is greater then Abraham and the Prophets and hath preached blasphemy and therefore he ought and is worthy to die and is not worthy to live and by our Law he ought to be put to death And for these Reasons they sought to destroy him and were never satisfied till they had got him into their hands and so to be revenged on him by smiting of him with their hands and scourging him with whips and rods with their mockings of him and spitting in his face and
man as we are and that this man Christ should be so gloriously exalted by God the Father to be the chiefe in his Councell to declare his mind to the world and that thereby the world might be reconciled to God by the man Christ in preaching mercy to us by a man as we are and in making a man to be a Mediatour between him and us to raise him gloriously from the dead and to give all power into his hands and to make him Lord of heaven and earth to set him at his right hand in glory and to center all mercy and judgement in the Son what greater favour could the Father of mercies shew us which is a sure testimony of our rising from the dead and of our glorification with him at the last day And in the next place I shall endeavour to reconcile some Scriptures that seem to contradict the truth of this Doctrine and the first is in Ge◠1. 26. Let us make man to the which I reply That there the Father speaks of his Word or Spirit by which he made all things For the Spirit of God moved upon the waters the witnesse of two is true as Deut. 17. 6. John 8. 17. And so the Spirit of God in the Scripture is distinct from God as in many places he might speak of the Angels as being familiar with him whereby they might shew their acceptance of that work being the great Counsell of heaven for he could not speak of the Son as in being at that time neither could he really be before he had a being or else the Father might speak in a two-fold relation when he spake of man to wit of the work of creation and redemption and so he might speak of the Son but any otherwise he could not Another Scripture is in John 1. 1. 2. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was that word To the which I reply That in the beginning implies a tearm of time but God was before all time and that word was with God and so it was before it came from him for the word is the mind of God and came from the heart of God and was the power of God for by his word he made all things 〈◊〉 that sense it might be called God for 〈◊〉 a common name in Scripture as Idols are called Gods and men are called Gods as being of note and fame and the word being of that power might be called God though it come from the Father who is the God of all Gods And another Scripture is before Abraham was I am And to that I reply that Christ was before Abraham First he was before him in the promise And secondly he was before him in Gods account for God did account of his Son before Abraham and therefore Christ might well say before Abraham was I am being the Son of God himself And another Scripture is I and my Father are one which is true indeed that the Father and the Son are one both in mind and Doctrine the Son delivering the mind of the Father as I have shewed before but else the Son saith the Father is greater then I and I came to do the work of him that sent me Now another Scripture is this that he being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God and the express Image of the Fathers person and this is true indeed that the Son is said to be the form or likeness Picture or Image of the Fathers Person but you will not say that the Image or Picture of a man is the man for the express Image or Picture of a man is but his form and so Christ is the Image of his Fathers Person that is God by Office but not the Father himself and so the Son is the Image and the Father is the substance from whom all things do proceed being the essence of all things and the originall of all being And thus in a word as time would permit me I have endeavoured to give unto the Father that which is his and also to the Son that which is his the Son being the chief in the Court of the Fathers Majesty I shal desire to honour the Son who is so highly honoured of the Father for it became the Father of whom are all things by whom are al things to make the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 8. 10. Thou hast put all things under his feete in subjection for in that he put all things under him he hath left nothing that is not put under him but now we see not as yet all things put under him Heb. 2. 8. 10. CHAP. V. Of Heaven NOw I shall endeavour to speak of Heaven for that will be the glorious Heaven to arive at at the last day Now the Kingdom of Heaven is called another world when Christ saith neither in this World nor in the World to come and so it is another World for that is a heavenly World and this a earthly that World injoyes the presence of God and this the back parts that World injoyes the substance and this injoyes the shadow that is a World of spirit and this a World of flesh that a World of goodness this a World of wickedness that is a continuing World and this a fading World that is a World and Kingdom not made with hands but eternall in the Heavens And now I shall speak as plainly as I can a word or two of Heaven and first what Heaven is 1. Heaven is a place of glory where the face and presence of God is and where those glorious Angels are and all the heavenly Host above all created Heavens where God the Father was from all eternity and for the probation of this you shal have Dan. 7. 9. 10. Where the Father is called the ancient of dayes being indeed before all time and his Throne prescribed with that glorious heavenly Host that doth attend him for he is the high and lofty one that Inhabits eternity and dwelleth in the highest Heavens for thus saith the wise Solomon If Israel pray heare thou in Heaven thy dwelling-place 1 Kings 8. 39. 43. and Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stooll and Christ saith that in Heaven the Angells do alwayes behold the face and presence of his Father which is in Heaven Mat. 18. 10. and also the Sonne is entred into the very Heaven of glory it self Heb. 9. 24. there to remain till he come at the last day And now I shall shew you reasons that there is a Heaven 1. Reason Is from Gods eternal Being before all time he must be somewhere and his glory must be somewhere even in Heaven a place not made with hands 2 Cor. 5 2. a place of glory before all time and before these visible Heavens and Earth were created he was in glory whereby it doth appear there is a Heaven 2. Reason When he came to create the visible
Heavens and Earth that appeare to us from whence came he but from Heaven and where was he but in a place of glory before these visible Heavens and Earth were made which shewes he was somewhere before in a place of glory that cannot be beheld with mortall eyes and which cannot be comprehended by a finall Creature and therefore it doth appear that there is a Heaven 3. Reason Is because we enjoy but the back parts of God for we can hardly behold his back-parts and how then should we behold his fore-parts how then should we behold him in his glory Again when Israel beheld the back-parts of God in the Mount his glory made them and Moses tremble and if his back-parts made them tremble how then should they behold his fore-parts and where do you think the face and presence of God is with that innumerable Company of Angels and heavenly Host would not the presence of one Angel make you tremble what then would his Host and what would God himself do for no man shall see his face and live Where is his presence his face and fore-parts and that Company of Angels that are allwayes in his presence but in Heaven a place of glory which shewes there is a Heaven 4 Reason When God hath appeared at any time to his People his appearance hath been more glorious then all the glory in the earth they have bin ashamed confounded in themselves as not being able to behold the glory of their maker either in himself or in his Angels whose appearance would darken all the glory of the Earth whereby it doth appear that the presence of God and his Angells must be somewhere the Earth not being able to bear their glory and where should they be but in Heaven a place of glory 5. Reason When the Lord hath spoken at any time to the People his word hath come down from Heaven as when he spake with Noah and with Abraham Isaac and Jacob he spake from Heaven and when he spake with Moses in the 3. of Exod. he spake from Heaven and when the Law was given in the Mount he came from Heaven as also when he spake unto the Prophets he spake from Heaven and also at the Birth of Christ from whence came that glorious Company of Angels but from Heaven and when there came a voice from Heaven saying this is my beloved Sonne and when the Heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost came upon the Apostles as also in the vision of Paul a light and a voice came from Heaven and much more might be spoken on at large if time would permit to shew that there is a Heaven where God is more glorious then he is in Earth 6. Reason That there is a Heaven doth appear from the desire of the people of God who looked upon all things below as nothing with their desires to seek after Heaven and desiring to leave this World and confessed that here they were strangers and had no abiding place but sought for a place in another World with desires to be desolved and to be absent from the body desiring to be clothed upon with their House which is from Heaven with their weariness of this World and desiring to leave it for a better doth make it appear that there is a Heaven 7. Reas The prayers of the Saints doth make it appear that there is a Heaven as in their prayers lifting up their thoughts their eyes and hands and all to Heaven from whence they look for comfort and might I not be very large in this in the practice of all the Saints but a word to the wise is enough 8. Reason The holy walkings of the Saints doth declare there is a Heaven by framing all their thoughts words and deedes in such a heavenly way that so they might be fitting themselves for such a Kingdom 9. Reason The Prophets do declare there is a Heaven in all their writings of which I shall speak a word or two of some as Deut. 3. 24. where Moses saith that there is no God in Heaven or Earth can do such glorious works as the God of Heaven and Solomon saith Lord heare in Heaven thy dwelling-place 2 Kings 8. 31. 34. and thy People pray and supplicate unto thee Lord heare in Heaven thy dwelling-place 2 Chron. 6. 30. and David saith The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the Children of men Psal 13. 2. and the Lord looketh down from Heaven and beholdeth all the Sonnes of men Psal 33. 13. and thy mercy O Lord is in the Heavens Psalm 36. 5. and God looked down from Heaven Psal 53. 2. but our God is in the Heavens Psal 115. 3. and his glory is above the Heavens Psal 113. 4. Thus saith the Lord the Heaven is my Throne Isaiah 65. 2. and thus saith the Lord can Heaven above be measured Jer. 31. 34. and there is a God in Heaven that revealeth secrets Dan. 2. 28. and he it is that buildeth his ascensions in the Heavens Amos 9. 6. for behold the Lord cometh down out of his place Mich. 1. 3. and thus you see the testimony of the Prophets that there is a Heaven 10. Reason Christ and his Apostles do declare that there is a Heaven when Christ taught them to say Our Father which art in Heaven Mat. 6. 9. and that you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5. 45. and how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give them that aske him Mat. 7. 11. and flesh and blood hath not revealed this to you but my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 16. 17. for the Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heaven Mat. 18. 10. And thus you see the Son doth affirm that there is a Heaven in these and many places more that might be brought And now I shall go to the Apostles in saying your Master also is in heaven Ephes 6. 1. and the Throne of Majesty in the heavens Heb. 1. i. and the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven â— Pet. 11. 12. and the voices that came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount 2 Pet. 1. 18. And thus you see the truth of this that there is a Heaven â—â— Reason Christs Ascension doth make it appear that there is a Heaven for where is Christ gone but into Heaven to rest in glory with the Father when he saith I go to my Father and I go to prepare a place for you John 14. 2. 12 and he ascended up into heaven Acts 1. 10. in the appearance of the Beholders whom the heavens must contain Acts 3. 21. being ascended farre above all heavens Ephes 4. 10. and so we look for the Son of God from heaven 1 Thes 1. 10. which at last shall shew himself from heaven 2 Thes 1. 7. even that Jesus that is passed into heaven Heb. 4. 14. and is such a high Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne
host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and all their host shall fall downe as a leafe falleth off from the Vine and as a falling Fig from the Fig. tree Esa 34. 4. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoake and the earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall dye in like manner Esa 51. 6. For behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come in minde Esa 65. 17. And by all this it doth appeare that there shall be new heavens and a new earth for this Prophesie must be fulfilled before the comming of Christ whom the heavens must contain untill the restoring of all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets Act. 3. which the words of Christ seem to clear in Mat. 24. where he saith The Sunne shall be darkned and the Moone shall not give her light and the Stars shal fal from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken And all this before the comming of Christ whereby it doth appeare that the Resurrection will not be untill there is a new heaven and a new earth For the Apostle saith The heavens and the earth which now are by the word of the Lord are kept in store and are reserved unto fire against the day of judgement in which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works thereof shall be burnt up And seeing all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be looking for and hasting unto the comming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat as you may see 2 Pet. 3. 7. 10. 12. And by all this it doth appear that there shall be a wonderfull change before the comming of Christ an alteration in the heaven and in the earth and a purging of all things by fire and the old heaven and earth dissolved as not being fit to entertaine such a glorious judge and such a heavenly host because the heaven and earth are both polluted with sinne and therefore they must be burnt up and all the noysome scents and stinkes and evill vapours of corruption and all noysome scents and all things that are corrupted with sinne shall be dissolved and burnt up as not fit to entertaine such a glorious Judge and therefore there must be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse the first heaven and earth being not able to stand before his presence and therefore there will be a new heaven and a new earth as you may see Revel 21. 1. 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 And all this is a preparation for the great Judge 4. When all these things are come to passe then this shall be the signe of the comming of the Sonne of man which will be apparent to all the world for then will the Lord Jesus Christ appeare from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2 Thess 1. 7 8. For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth even to the West even so shall the comming of the Son of man be Mat. 24. 27. And all the wicked families that are upon the earth at that time shall mourne when they shall see the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and then shall the Lord Christ send his Angels with the sound of a great Trumpet to awaken all the Saints who shall be raised from their sleep by the sound of the great Trumpet and the Angels shall gather together all the Saints from the foure winds from one end of the earth to the other Mat. 24. 31. For those that have dyed in the faith of Christ shall rise first being awakened out of sleep with the voice of the Archangell and with the Trump of God and shall all be gathered together in a moment to meet the great Judge and to rejoyce in his glory and in their glorious deliverance being now to injoy his presence forever with all his glorious Angels and shall now come to be Judges of their enemies and sit down with the great Judge to judge all their enemies and therefore it is that the Saints shall rise first that they may lay open their grievances before the great Judge of all their great wrongs and bring in their evidences against the wicked for all their hard usage and cruel persecution of their enemies and the Saints shall be gloriously honoured at that day having the Judge on their side to their great joy and comfort and to the terror of their enemies 5. The Resurrection of the Saints shall be glorious in being raised out of the new earth and all the corruption burnt up and so are raised out of pure matter For it was sowne a corruptible body but it shall be raised an incorruptible body for as we have borne the image of the earthly so we shall also beare the image of the heavenly for it is sowne a naturall body and it is raised a spirituall body and this 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 1 Cor. 15. 44. 48. 52. For this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality and when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality then shall be brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory and thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord as you may see 1 Cor. 15. 53 54. And then shall we be cloathed with our house which is from heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1. And then shall our vile bodies be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body and we shall be like him as be is And thus we shall be raised in a glorious estate whereby we may be fitted for so glorious a Kingdom and such a glorious company as we shall injoy 6. We shall be raised in our likenesse for though our nature shall be more pure and glorious yet the purenesse of our nature will not take away the being of it as the purenesse of the Man Christ doth not take away his being to be a man nor the glory of his substance make his substance cease to be for the glory of the substance doth not take from but adds to the substance and so the glory of the man adds to the man but doth not take away his being to be a man And so though we shall be raised more glorious men yet we shall be
covenant Now the parties covenanting are the Father and Son for the Father strikes a covenant with the Son that he should teach all men and to do his will in declaring glad tidings to all the sonnes and daughters of men and to manifest his love to the world as you may see John 3. 16. so that if they do imbrace the grace and mercy offered them they may live and this doth appear by the words of the Father himselfe that this is truth for he saith As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that he live Ezek. 18. 32. and doth manifest the same in Isai 49. 6. where he saith That it was a small or light thing that Christ should be his servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the desolations of Israel but I will also give thee a light to the Gentiles and thou shalt be my salvation to the end of the earth to establish the earth and to cause to inherit the desolate heritages that thou maist say to the prisoners come forth and to them that are in darknesse shew your selves Isai 19. 6. 8. 9. And thus you see the Engagement of the Father For it is good and acceptable in his sight that he will have all 〈◊〉 to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3. 4. and consulteth not that any man should perish but that all men should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. And for this end the Father hath inabled the Son with all sufficiency being full of grace and truth and giving all power into his hands whereby he might be the better inabled to do the same and thus the Father frees himselfe in giving all sufficient power unto the Son whereby he might teach all men and to performe the Covenant on his part and thus you see the incomprehensible love of the Father that he should engage himselfe thus unto the world that he would send his Son to be a Teacher to all the world so that this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light And so it doth appear that the Father is not wanting on his part to give light unto the Son that the Son might not be wanting on his part to give light to the world And then in the next place the Son strikes a covenant with the Father for these are the parties covenanting as you may see 1 Tim. 2. â— For there is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who is called the â—â—gel of the Covenant And the Mediatour between God and man who strikes a covenant with the Father saying Lo I come to do thy will O God for thus it is written of me in the volume of thy book to do thy will O God Heb. 10. 1. And so the Son covenants with the Father to do his will For I came to do the will of him that sent me and to declare his mind to the world and so he teaches all men as he himselfe doth declare when he saith When I am ascended I will draw all men unto me John 12. 32. And these are the words of Christ who was never wanting to fulfill his word for he drawes all men as you shall see First By the Works of creation As the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth sheweth forth his handy-worke day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night teacheth knowledge and there is no place where their voyce is not heard for their line is gone through the whole earth and their words unto the end of the world Psam 19. 1. 2. 3. and thus you see Christ drawes all men by the works of creation every creature indeed being a Gospel-Teacher Col. 1. 23. For that which may be known of God is manifest in them even the eternall power of God and the Godhead so that they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 19. 20. so that Christ drawes all men by the workes of creation which are as a naturall eye to see the Sun Secondly Christ drawes all men by Gospel-manifestation and therefore the Gospell is to â—e preached to all Nations Mat. 28. and thâ—â—ery creature Marke 16. And they have not obeyed the Gospel is not for want of hearing for the sound of the Gospel is gone through the earth and their words unto the end of the world Rom. 10. 18. The Gospell being preached to every or in every creature as you may see Col. 1. 29. and therefore Christ himselfe doth declare that the Gospell must be preached to all the world as you may see Mat. 24. 14. for a witnesse to all the world before the end shall come And thus Christ is not wanting to preach the Gospell For as by the sinne of one man death came upon all men to judgement even so by the righteousnesse of one the free-gift came upon all men to justification of life Rom. 5. 19. For this is the command of God that all men should believe in the Son he that doth not maketh God a lyer because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son 1 John 5. 10. And thus you may see that Christ is not wanting on his part to teach all men For this was the end of his coming that all men through him might believe Thirdly He drawes all men by the spirits revelation which was prophesied of before that he would poure out of his spirit upon all flesh Joel 2. 28. and that all flesh should see the salvation of God Mat. 3. 8. 〈◊〉 that grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching them Tit. 2 11. so that all men through him might believe John 1. 7. For he is the light of the world and the true light that lightens every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. And thus he hath promised to do unto the worst of men as to the simple ones and such as delight in their scorning yea unto fools that hate knowledge and would have poured his spirit upon them had not they rejected it as you may see Prov. 1. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. saying Vnto you Oh men do I call and my voice is to the sonnes of men but seeing I have called and you have refused I will also refuse you saith the Lord. And thus you see the truth of this thing now will you say that Christ is wanting to teach any man the way to salvation whereby he might be saved and if he be you will lay the fault in him which he doth deny saying This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and they love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill and will not come to the light John 3. 19. 20. And thus I have shewed you how Christ doth performe his part of the covenant in a word or two which is to teach all men whereby they might believe and imbrace the Gospell and lay hold of eternall life
his Being and for the further probation of this truth I shall come to the Confession of the Sonne who doth acknowledge the Father to be above all when he saith I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent And all things are given unto me of my Father Mat. 11. 25. 27. in doing nothing but by his Fathers appointment Luke 22. 29. and when he said Father into thy hands I commit my spirit Luke 23. 46. as also confessing that the Father sent him John 5. 36 37. doing nothing of himself but as he was taught of the Father John 8. 28. And thus you see the confession of Christ that he did nothing of himself but the Father that sent him gave him a Commandement what he should say and teach as you may see John 12. 49. 50. and when he said Loe I come to do thy will O God And thus you see the Sonne doth acknowledâ—â— the Father to be the onely true God And now I shall come to the testimony of the Apostles to confirme this truth in theâ—â— saying That Jesus when you have Crucified 〈◊〉 God raised up Acts 2. 23 24. and God the Father hath raised up Jesus whereof we are â—â—â—nesses Acts 2. 32. and in doing their 〈◊〉 works in the name of Jesus whom God hath raised up Acts 4. 10. and the God of our Fathers hath raised up Jesus whom ye flew and hanged upon a tree Acts 5. 30. And the Apoâ—â—e doth declare that to confesse the truth of this Doctrine is the way to salvation Rom. 10. 9. And thus the Apostles do acknowledge the Father to be the onely true God saying There are Gods many and Lords many but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is but one God even the Father of whom 〈◊〉 all things 2 Cor. 8. 5 6. And then you have the confession of the Prophets and Christ and his Apostles that the Father is the onely true God which to know is life eternall And now I shall come to the third thing Thirdly It is life eternall to know the Father as he is the God of all being from whom all things do proceed and therefore there is 〈◊〉 like the Father amongst the Gods so wonderfull in power and in glory Exodus 15. 1â— For the Father is greater then all Gods 〈◊〉 in the thing wherein they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is above 〈◊〉 Exodus 18. 11. and therefore there is no God in Heaven nor in earth that can do according to his works nor according to his might as you may see Deut. 4. 24. being Lord of Heaven above and earth beneath and there is none else Deut. 4. 39. All Nations whom thou hast made shall worship thee for thou art God alone Psa 86. 9. 10. In his hands are the deep places of the earth and his hands formed the dry land the Sea is his and he made it and the height and the strength of the Hills is his also Psa 95. 3 4 5. To him alone that doth great wonders who by his wisdom made the Heavens and stretched out the Earth above the waters and that made the great lights of Heaven which is the God of Gods and his mercy endureth for ever as you may see 136. Psa Who is the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel that dwelleth between the Cherubiâ—â— thou art God even thou alone of all the Kingdoms of the earth thou hast made Heaven and earth Isa 37. 16. and before him there was no God formed neither shall there be after him Isa 43. 10. For thus saith the Lord I am the Lord and there is none else for there is no God besides â—â— I girded thee thou hast not known me thou they may know from the rising and from the West that there is none besides â—â— I was the Lord and there is none else 45. Isâ— 5 6 7. And thus he is the true God he is the living God and an everlasting King Jer. 10. 10. that maketh the earth to tremble and the Nations shal not be able to abide his indignation the Gods that have not made the Heavens the Earth shall even perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens and so we have all one father for one God hath created us Mal. 1. 10. and thus you see that the Prophets do acknowledge the Father to be the God of all Being And now I shall shew you the testimony of Christ and his Apostles when Christ saith I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth Mat. 11. 25. and all things are delivered unto me of my Father ver 27. and my Father is greater then I John 14. 28. and my Father is greater then all and I have kept my Fathers commands and abide in his love John 15. 10. and so you see the acknowledgement of the Sonne And now I shall come to his Apostles who do declare that God the Father 〈◊〉 Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and much power for the Father was with him whereof they were Witnesses Acts 10. 48 49. that God the Father made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all things therein Acts 14. 15. ch 17. 14. being Lord of Heaven and Earth and al things therein and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 11. 31. For though there be that are called Gods as there be Gods many and Lords many yet to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things 1 Cor. 8. 5. 6. And thus you see that the Prophets and Christ and his Apostles do acknowledge that God the Father is the onely true God even the God of all Being and thus to know the Father is eternall life And now I shall come to speak of the Son for it is life eternall to know the Sonne as to know the Father the Sonne being the great Prophet of God and the greatest of all the Prophets and the greatest of the sons of men and above all men and Angels next unto God himself and thus to know the Son is eternall life 1. To know him in the promise being promised of long before he came by the Father himself that as he made a Covenant of works with the first Adam he would make a Covenant of grace with the second Adam which should be perfected at the coming of the Some that the love of the Father might be known to all the world the which love and grace was to be declared by the Sonne the chief Prophet of God who was to reveal the mind of God to all men in opening the Fountain of Gods love and mercy and for that cause he was much desired of before he came being the Sonne of the Fathers love in declaring the salvation of God of which salvation the Prophets have enquired searched diligently who Prophecyed of the grace to come searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before of the sufferings of Christ
that commeth judgement and therefore it is cleare that there is a Resurrection 4. Thy conscience will tell thee O vain man that there is a Resurrection for doth not thy conscience tell thee that thou must one day give account for all thy vaine thoughts words and actions and that thou must appear before the great Judge examine thy conscience and it will tell thee and bee as a thousand witnesses against thee thou hast the testimony within thee that will testifie against thee that there is a Resurrection and judge thee one day if thou continuest in that wicked opinion thy conscience will tell thee at thy death there is a Resurrection thou canst not one day stop the mouth of conscience when it shall come and witnesse against thee for all thy wicked acts And thus you see it is clear that there is a Resurrection and now I shall speak a word or two when it shall be 1. But now for the set day or houre of this Resurrection or Judgement it is too high for a finite creature to know For it is not for us to know the times or seasons that the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1. 7. For of that day nor houre knoweth no man no not the Angels nor the Son himselfe till it be revealed to him Mat. 24. 36. And therefore I shall not dare as some have foolishly done to prescribe or set forth the day of this Resurrection or Judgement 2. The Fathers and learned Doctors of the times in former ages have conceived this day of the Resurrection or Judgement to be at the end of six thousand yeares but this is but their judgement and I shal also under the favour of the Learned give my judgement as desiring to see further because God hath promised to manifest more light in the latter dayes and also because I stand upon the shoulders of my fore-fathers and therefore may see further Now I conceive that as God was six dayes finishing the workes of Creation and the seventh day was a Sabbath of rest that there is a glorious spirituall meaning in all this or else God could as well have finished his workes in one day as in six and therefore there must be some other meaning in all this which I conceive to be this That as God the Father was six dayes labouring in the workes of Creation and finished his workes in six dayes and rested the seventh day it holds forth thus much That the sonnes and daughters of men with the creatures also should bee in commotion and hard labour for six thousand yeares and that in these six thousand yeares he will end all war and strife and that within these yeares he will shake all Nations Hag. 2. 7 8. and will overthrow the pride and vain-glory and false confidence of all Nations and will shake them off their fleshly glorying and beat downe all their strong holds and every fenced wal Esa 2. and all Nations shall lye open and naked and shall have their fill of fighting and shal see their vanity and shall desire to be at rest and shall beat all their weapons of war in peeces and there shall be a spirit of love and union established in all Nations neither shall they learn warre any more but every man shall sit under his own vine and under his own fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Esa 2. Mic. 4. and then shall the fulnesse of the Gentiles come in and the Jews shall be called and the glory of the people of Israel shall be set up and they shall injoy their former inheritances to wit the Land of Canaan and all the glory thereof and the Lord will end the hard labour and travell of all Nations and all Nations shall sit downe at rest And this I beleeve the Lord will doe in the six thousand yeares for he hath seen the sore labour and travell of all Nations and of every creature and he doth intend to give them a Jubile or Sabbath of rest and the seventh day or seventh thousand yeares will bee a rest to all Nations and to every creature from that sore labour and travell and all pride and covetousnesse shall be done away in those daies and the desire of all Nations shall come to seek the Lord and to seek the wayes of Sion and the Lord will extend peace to all Nations like a mighty River Esa last Revel 21. v. 22. And the Lord shall speake to the heaven above and to the earth below and all fruits of the earth shall come in abundance and there shall be a fulnesse of all the fruits of the earth for the Winter shall be like the Summer and fulnesse shall be upon all the earth for it is the Lords Jubile or Sabbath of rest to all Nations 3. This Resurrection shall bee at the last day in the last age or generation when the number of Gods account is up and the last generation shall be brought up for that is the number of Gods account when the last generation is on foot For the Gospell must bee preached to all the world for a witnesse to all Nations and then shall the end come Mat. 24. 14. For it doth not appeare that Christ shall not come untill the restauration of all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and that there shall be a new heaven and a new earth and a refining of all things before his glorious appearing with that glorious company and heavenly host whom the heavens must containe untill that time till all things be refined as you may see Act. 3. 20 21. For it doth appeare that the Resurrection shall not be untill the new heavens and new earth and that they shall be refined and come forth of the new earth and that we shall not rise before doth appeare by Scripture which saith That man lyeth downe and riseth not till the heavens be no more or dissolved they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep Job 14. 22. And of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands and they shall perish but thou shalt stand and they shall all of them wax old as a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed as you may see Psal 102. 25 26. For the stars of heaven and constellations thereof shall not give their light the Sun shall be darkned in his going forth and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine Esa 13. 10. For the windows from on high are open and the foundations of the earth do shake the earth is utterly broken downe the earth is cleane dissolved the earth is moved exceedingly the earth shall reel too and fro like a drunken man and shall be removed like a cottage and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it and it shall fall and not rise againe Esa 24. 18 19 20. And all the
men and to this I shall adde Scripture Job saith I know that my â—edeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though the wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall behold for my selfe and mine eyes shall â—ebol 〈…〉 and not â—â—ther eyes though my reines be cons 〈…〉 in me Job 19. 25 26 27. And David doth declare That his flesh did rest in hope for that great and glorious day to wit the redemption of his body Psal 16. And the Apostle saith We shall be judged according to those things that we have done in this body whether good or bad For another body shall not be judged but the same body nor another body shall not be punished but the same body for the same body shall be punished that hath acted wickednesse and this the Apostle doth cleare in the 1 Cor. 15. shewing us that there is divers kindes of flesh but he will give to every body his owne flesh and to every seed his own body to shew us that the same flesh shall be raised up again and not another and so I shall conclude with the words of the Prophet saying 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 Esa 26. 19. 7. They shall appear in the same form and likenesse and fashion as they were in upon earth and shall have the same body and the same stature and proportion with the same likenesse and complexion for their rising shall not change their proportion no way but rather adde to it to make them more like themselves then ever they were before and every man shal be knowne in the same body and proportion as he was upon the earth Adam in his owne likenesse and Abraham Moses Solomon and David in their owne likenesse and every man and woman in their owne likenesse as they were upon earth and so they shal be known every man and woman as they were upon the earth only they shal appeare more glorious but their glorious appearance wil not take away the being of their likenesse and proportion but rather adde to it as the glory and excellency of a man doth not take away his leaving to be a man but rather adds to it and even so the glory of our appearing doth not take away the likenesse of our being but rather adds to it and so makes our likenesse the more glorious 8 The wicked shal also be raised up for Christ shal judge both the quicke and the dead and we shal all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ to give an account for those things that we have done in the flesh whether good or evil for Christ shal sit upon the throne of his glory and all Nations shal be gathered together before him Mat. 25. 31 32. For the time is comming that all that are in the graves shall heare the voyce of the Son of Man and shall comâ—forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of condemnation Joh. 5. 28 29. For it is appointed for all men once to dye and after that commeth judgement Now the wicked I conceive shal not rise like the Saints but every one according to his nature for the Saints shal rise with the nature of Christ upon them for their vile bodies shal be fashioned like unto his glorious body and be cloathed with their house which is from heaven but the wicked shal rise in their corrupt nature and shal be cloathed with their sinne and as the Saints shal be cloathed with their obedience even so shal the wicked be cloathed with their disobedience and this I conceive shal be the distinguishing badge whereby the righteous shal be knowne from the wicked for the Saints shal rise with the cloathing or livery of Christ upon them and the other shal rise with the cloathing or livery of the Devil upon them whereby they shal be known whose servants they are and yet I conceive the Lord wil doe his part for he wil raise them up a pure nature for they shal be most pure and glorious in their nature until they shal be cloathed with their sinne which shal darken their nature for they wil come forth of the new earth and so their natures shal â—e Spirituall incorruptible and immortall whereby they wil be more capable of Sin and Judgement and the more capable of all their sorrow and misery and now I shal speake a word or two where this Judgement shal be 9. Where this Judgement shal be is a great question for some thinke it shal be in the Aire but me thinkes that is but an airie argument for there is no good reason can be given wherefore it should be in the Aire and others thinke it shal be in heaven but that is not likely wherefore it should be in heaven because Christ comes downe to judge and therefore it doth appeare it shal be on the earth for what should the wicked doe in heaven and therefore Christ comes downe upon earth to Judge them for it is most fit that where they have done their wickednesse that there they should be judged and that is upon the earth now the place of Judgement I conceive wil be at Jerusalem about the valley of Iehoshaphat which is the middle part of the earth for there Christ was put to death and had all the dishonour and there he wil vindicate himselfe in that place and have all the honour for in the place where he ascended up into heaven it is likely in the same place he wil discend with his mighty Angels and that is upon the Mount Oliveâ— or the Mount of Olives for thus it is Prophesied of him when the Lord shal come forth of his holy place for behold the Lord commeth forth out of his place and will come downe and will tread upon the high places of the earth and the Mountains shal be molten under him and the Vallies shal be cleft as Wax before the fire and as the waters that are poured down a steep place Mich. 1. 3 4. and at that day his feete shall stand upon the Mount of Olives that is before Jerusalem on the East and the Mount of Olives shal cleave in the midst towards the East and towards the West and there shal be a very great Valley and half of the Mountaine shal remove towards the North and halfe of it towards the South and yee shall fly to the Valley of my Mountaines for the Valley of the Mountaines shal reach unto Azal and those that are there at that day fhal fly as they fled before the Earth-quake in the dayes of Vzzah King of Judah and the Lord my God shal come and all the Saints with him Zach. 14. 3 4 5. and thus you may see how
gloriously the Lord wil come to prepare a place for Judgement and how mighty and spacious it wil be even a mighty Valley which is not able to be expressed so spacious and so large that it might be fit to entertaine such a number that no man knowes but himselfe and thither shal all Nations be gathered to be judged as the Scripture seemes to hold forth saying Proclaime ye among the Gentiles prepare watre wake up the mighty men and let all the men of war come neare let them come up and here the Prophet shewes you what the Lord Christ wil say at that day saying Beate your Flow-shares into Swords and your Pruning-bookes into Speares let the weake say I am strong wherein Christ shews all Nations their weaknesses when they shal come before him to Judgement assemble your selves and come all ye Heathen and gather your selves together round about thither wilt thou cause thy mighty ones to come downe O Lord and thus the Prophet in this Verse holds forth the glorious appearing of Christ with all his Host and then shal all the Heathen be wakened and come to the valley of Iehoshaphat or the valley of threshing for there wil the Lord sit to judge all the Heathen round about for all their wickednesse is at the full Ioel 3. 9 10 11 12 13. for there wil the Lord â—â—ster â—p hiâ— great Army for his campe is very great and multitudes multitudes shal be in the valley of threshing for then the day of the Lord is neare in the valley of division or threshing and then shall the Sun and the Moone be darkned and the Starres shall with-draw their shining for the glory of Christ and his Angels shall darken the Host of Heaven and then shall the Lord the great Judge of Heaven and Earth roare out of Zion and shall utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake for the Lord will number all his forces and then there will be the noyse of a multitude in the Mountaines a tumultuous noyse of the Nations gathered together and the Lord of Hosts himselfe mustereth the Host to see if there be any wanting for he will not misse a man being able to call them all by their names and then shall the Lord at that day sit downe in Judgement and all the Prisoners be shut up together as in a Prison and a wall of fire being round about them with that mighty guard of Angels to attend the Prisoners and after many dayes they shall be visited or found wanting being judged in order after their Ages and Generations and then shall the Moone be confounded and the Sun ashamed at the glory of the Lord his glory darkning all the Host of Heaven when the Lord of Hosts shall reigne in mount Zion and before his ancients gloriously 12. And lastly the question wil be how long this Judgement shal last and how long this great Judge wil be in judging all the world Now some conceive that it shal be in the twinckling of an eye but that is very unlikely to be for then how can Christ be said to sit upon the Throne and to sit in Judgement there can be but a little sitting in the twinckling of an eye Secondly some thinke it to be a naturall day that Christ shal sit in Judgement but that is but a small sitting to sit a naturall day for such a great worke as to judge all the world wil his glory no longer appeare in Judgement then for a day Shall not the great Judge of heaven and earth surmount all the Judges in the world in the time of his Judgement who can counter-pane him in Judgement for the time of his sitting he is no hired Judge he sits at his owne cost and charges and all his mighty company he cannot want any thing in the time of his sitting for all is his and therefore I conceive hee wil sit a longer time for one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day and therefore I conceive the Judgement shal be longer then some suppose even for a thousand yeares and for the proofe of the same I shal give you my Reasons 1. Because one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3. and therefore the Judgement may be for a thousand yeares 2 Because it is called a great and notable day more gloriously noted then other dayes as wel in respect of time as in the great works of it and therefore by this day must be meant a longer time then a naturall day being called the judgement of the great day and the great day of his wrath for if the day was lengthened in the time of Joshua much more shal it be lengthened in the day of Christ Act. 2. 20. Iud. 6. Revel 6. 7. 3. Because the glorious comming of Christ shal darken the Sun and Moone and all the Host of Heaven for what is the light of the Sunne to the light of Christ from whence all light doth proceed and by this it doth appeare that Christ shal sit a longer time then some suppose and shal enlighten the earth with his glory and that all his enemies may see the glory and excellency of his person to the admiration of all the earth 4. Because he is said to sit in the Judgement and on the throne of his Majesty for the ancient of dayes shal sit and execute judgement as doth appeare for saith Daniel I beheld till the thrones were cast downe even all the glory of the wicked when the ancient of dayes did sit whose garment was white as snow and the baire of his head like pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels were like the burning flame a fiery streame issued and came forth before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him and the Bookes were opened and I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of dayes and they brought him neare before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all Nations and Languages should serve him an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away Dan. 7. 13 14. for thus saith the Lord Let the Heathen be awakened and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there wil I sit to judge all the heathen round about Joel 3. 12. and many Scriptures more I might bring to shew you that the great Judge must sit in Judgement to shew unto us that it is a larger time then some conceive by his sitting 5. The comming of Christ being so glorious that it shal darken all the Host of Heaven for the Sun and the Moone shal not give forth light being so glorious a light in place but shal be at a stand as amazed and confounded in themselves and all their light being but
as darknesse in respect of the great Judge for the Judge himselfe shall be their everlasting Light being indeed the great Court of Heaven more cleare then the Sunne for the light thereof doth darken the light of the Sunne and Moone which makes it appeare that this glorious Judge and this glorious Court of Heaven will not be so soone removed 6. The Bookes are to be opened and every man is to be judged according to those things that are written in those Bookes and there must be a time to open the Bookes and a time to judge and examine every matter and every person particularly according to his deeds whereby it doth appeare that the great Court of Heaven will not be so soone removed 7. The pleading of the Prisoners at the Bar doth make it appeare that the Court shall not be removed for the Prisoners at the Bar of Justice will plead and say Lord in thy name we have Prophesied and cast out Devills and done many wonderfull workes And when saw we thee in Prison or in sicknesse or hungry or naked or the like whereby it doth appeare that the pleading of Prisoners and the answerings of the Judge doth hold forth a longer time to us then we suppose to sit in judgement 8. If every Person should not be called to account in particular there might be some excuse in the Creature for then they might say I nor I was not judged but the Iudge will not passe over things so lightly for they are matters upon Life and Death 〈◊〉 upon eternall life and death and therefore â—â—oth appeare that the great Iudge will examine every man to the full with every particular thing and with so many Millions of thousands to be judged in particular doth make it appeare that the great Iudge cannot be so soon removed 9. Christ saith that the Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones and shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel even such as are revolted from Iesus Christ and have rejected grace and mercy offered them in the Sonne and have shed the blood of the Prophets and Apostles through their wickednesse and therefore it doth appeare that Christ will make his twelve Apostles to sit downe upon twelve Thrones and they shall be the great Iury-men of Christ to give in their verdict for life or death and what they doe shall be approved of by Christ for the Iewes being a most wise and subtill people shall have the more able Iudges to deale with them and who are more fit for that worke then the Apostles who shall be the grand Iudges or the grand Iury to give in their evidences to the chiefe Judge against them and the Judge also consenting to their judgement For whose sinnes they remit they shall be remitted and whose sinnes they retaine they shall be retained And this being so it doth appear that the Court shal not be so soon removed Mat. 19. 28. Luk. 22. 30. 10. The Apostles shall judge the Angels and give judgement against them and when will that be but at the great day for they are reserved in chaines of darknesse untill the great day and then shall they appear before the Grand Jury who shall give their Judgement against them and deliver them to the chiefe Judge who shall passe sentence upon them for ever to be cast into the anger and wrath of the Almighty for this is the great day of judgement which hath been spoken of so long before which will not be ended in a small time 11. It is said that the Saints shall judge the world and that cannot be in a small time seeing there is so many millions of thousands to be judged with the examination of every particular action and yet they will not be idle all the time nor rejourne the Court like idle Judges for it shall be no night all the time of the judgement neither will they stir untill they have accomplished that great workâ— for I conceive there will be as much hastening of the worke as may be even round about the Throne and the twelve Patriarchs judging those before the Flood with the twelve Apostles judging those under the Law and the Ministers of the Gospel judging those under the Gospel for it is said The Saints shal judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. And al these great things cannot be done in a small time for all the Prisoners pleading at the Bar on the one side the Judges giving sentence on the other side with their examining of all causes doth make it appear that this great Court will not be so soon removed as some think 12. The Scripture doth declare that after the new heavens and earth are made that the Saints shall reign with Christ in abundance of glory which I conceive must be all the time of the judgement for it will not be before the new heavens and earth as the Scripture seems to hold forth but after the new heavens and earth and then will the Lord Jesus come and all the Saints with him and then shall the Saints reigne in glory even all the time of the sitting of the great Judge which I beleeve will be the account of a thousand yeares and about Jerusalem shall be the Throne of their glory and they shall be filled with the fulnesse of delight in all that time and then will the dwelling of God be with men and they shall be the new Jerusalem being cloathed with their house from heaven and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes For there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor any paine for all their former troubles being passed away for Jerusalem will be more glorious then ever it was in the world before with her gates and wals most glorious and such a glorious City it will be as never yet was seen the glory of which place will enlighten both heaven and earth and shall darken all the host of heaven being a place for the Saints of the most High where they shall rest all the time of the sitting of the great Judge for this will be a new Jerusalem indeed a place of glory untill the great Judge hath finished his worke upon the earth and in this new Jerusalem of the Saints there shall be no Temple nor any worship injoyned for this will be all their work to offer up praises unto him that shall sit upon the Throne for the Father and the Son are the Temple of this glorious City and this City wil have no need of Sun or Moon for the Father and the Son will be the light thereof and all the Nations which shall be saved shall walk in the light of this City and there shal their glory be for the Gates of this City shal not be shut at all by day for there shal be no night and this wil be a glorious rest for the Saints all the fitting of the great Judge Re. 22. And then shall the Lord roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem
and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the harbour of his people and there shall we know that he is the Lord dwelling in Zion his holy mountaine then shall Jerusalem be holy nor there shall no strangers passe through her any more and it shall come to passe at that day that the mountaines shall drop downs new wine and the bils shall flow with milke and all the Rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a fountaine shall come forth from the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim Joel 3. 17 18. For in the middest of this City new Jerusalem shal proceed from the Throne of God and of the Lamb a 〈◊〉 River of water of life in the midst of the street of it and on the other side of the River there shal be a tree of life which shal have twelve manner of fruits and yeelding her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree shal be for healing the Nations of all their spiritual griefe for there shal be no more cryes amongst the Saints but the Throne of God and of the Lamb◠shall be in this glorious City and they shal serve him and there they shal see his face and presence and his name shal be in their foreheads the honour of their glorious profession and in that City there shal be no night and there the Saints shal reign in a glorious manner for it is the great day of the great Judge in which there shal be no darknesse And thus wil the Lord Christ prepare a glorious place for the Saints such a glorious City as cannot be expressed where they shal gloriously reigne in all spiritual pleasure and delight which is not able to be expressed for there wil the great Court of heaven be while the great Judge is upon the earth to shew forth his wonderful glory while he sits in judgement until the great Court shal be broken up for Jesus Christ shal sit upon his glorious Throne and al Nations shal be gathered together before him and he shal seperate the good from the bad and wil set the sheep on his right hand and goats on his left hand and when the great Trial and Judgement is passed upon all the wicked then shall he send them to their place saying Goe ye wicked and cursed ones depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels and then shall they goe into everlasting punishment for ever and ever where the worme never dyes nor the fire never goes out Mat. 25. 41 46. And when Christ hath done his work upon the earth then shall that glorious Court be broken up with glorious triumph and glory which is not able to be exprest and then shal they al return unto the place prepared for them far above all heavens for then shall the great Judge of heaven and earth returne from whence he came with all his glorious heavenly host far above all heavens into the heaven of heavens there to remaine for ever and ever and so the whole Creation shall injoy the footstool Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22 and the Saints shall injoy the Throne for ever and ever And thus I have spoken a word or two as my time would permit me of the Resurrection CHAP. X. Of Visible Worship THe wise Solomon saith That the full stomach loatheth the hony comb his saying is made good in this Age for never was the word of God more plentifull nor never more contemptible then it is in these dayes but what brings a loathing but a fulnesse and what brings contempt but plenty are not many fatted up in these dayes to the day of slaughter they are full but not of goodnesse for that would make them see their wants who is more proud of grace then he that hath least and who is more humble then he that hath most how many in these dayes are rapt up in spirituall pride and boast of more then they have and yet improve not that they have many say they are full that are empty and yet they boast as if they were full who is worse then he that thinkes he is best he saith he knoweth when he is ignorant he saith he seeth when he is blinde he saith he is full when he is an hungry and he saith he wanteth nothing when he wanteth all things he saith he is rich when he is poore And this is the condition of a spirituall proud man It was spirituall pride that brought the Devills from heaven to hell and there is many in these dayes that are sicke of this disease when all the Devills snares faile yet here he takes the Bird the Devill is more subtill then man and yet he makes man more wicked then himselfe for the Devils durst not deny the Scripture but he begets a worse childe then himselfe and when he hath done so he laughs at his folly he talkes of high attainments if they breake the Command they shall be as Gods but he knows when they doe transgresse they shall be as Devils he tells men when they disobey they shall be highest but he knoweth when they disobey they shall be lowest he tells them if they will obey him they shall see but he knows if they doe obey him they shall be blinde he tells them that obedience is nothing but he knows disobedience is something he saith obedience will not save thee but he knows that disobedience will damne thee he saith the Scripture is not true but he knows he is a liar he saies thou needest not serve God but he knows thou shalt be damned if thou dost not he saith thou needest not shew any visible obedience but he knows if thou dost not thou wilt shew a visible disobedience he tells thee that Christ hath done all for thee thou needest not doe any thing but he knows thou shalt not be saved except thou doe something he tells thee thou needs not keep al the Commands but he knows if thou break one thou art guilty of all he tels thee that some Ordinances are carnall but he knows that thou art carnall he tells thee it is nothing to breake some Commands but he knows it is something to breake any Command he tells thee thou art higher then obedience but he knows thou art in the highest disobedience he tels thee that all shall be saved but he knows that the greatest part shall be damned he tels thee there is no glory but in this life but he knows thou shalt finde punishment in another he tels thee there is no heaven but he knows thou shalt find a hell he tels thee there is no Resurrection but he knows thou shalt finde a Judgement he tels thee there is no Judgement but he knows thou shalt finde a punishment he tels thee that God acts all thy actions but he knows thou art a liar he tels thee that God acts all thy good acts and yet he knows thou shalt be condemned for not
attend the Apostles in their Ministry who were to set forth such a way to the world that was never before heard of neither can there be a more glorious way set forth or more glorious Ministers then Christ and his Apostles were to set forth a way to the World to walke in in future ages and therefore the Father even the God of Heaven and Earth did so honour the way of the Gospel with his Sonne and such glorious Miracles that were never acted before since the World stood whereby he did manifest his probation of their way And thus I have shewed you some reasons wherefore Miracles were on foot even to confirme the truth that Christ and his Apostles did set forth Now I shall also shew you reasons and grounds wherefore I conceive that Miracles are ceased which are these First We have received a sure word of prophecy to the which we do wel if we take heed 2 Pet. 1. 19. For a standing Word as the Gospel is is a more surer ground of Faith then all the Miracles in the world that our faith should not be built upon men but upon the Word of God which endureth for ever 1 Pet. 1. 25. For to ground our Faith upon miracles is but a rotteu foundation because when miracles cease our Faith must cease and so we stand at a great losse being built on so uncertaine a ground but it is not so with the people of God who are built upon the Rock and foundation of Christ and his Apostles their way being undeniable and by the which way we must be judged at the last day Secondly Another Reason is this Miracles were to accompany Apostolicall men in those Apostolicall times to set forth an Apostolicall way to the World which they were to stand to being so gloriously confirm'd with miracles by Christ and his Apostles as any way could be confirmed so that now to look for miracles is vaine except you look for a better way and better work-men then the former were which to do is to race the foundation of Christ and his Apostles Thirdly Because it cannot appear that after those Apostolicall times that miracles were on foot or that any after those times did work miracles neither Timothy nor Titus in their ordinary ministery nor any of the Ministers in the seaven Churches of Asia but were to looke unto the forme of sound Doctrine which they had received from the Apostles as you may see 2 Tim. 1. 13. which was the foundation of Christian Doctrine and practise whereon the people of God are to build in every age For other foundation can no man lay then Christ hath laid 1 Cor. 3. 11. And so it doth appear that after the Apostles times there was no looking for miracles for they knew the Gospell was as gloriously confirmed with Miracles as was possible to be Fourthly If we looke for miracles now what do we else but question the Doctrine of the Gospel and fly in the face of Christ and his Apostles to condemn them of insufficiency as not being able to set forth such a way for all men to walk in which is sufficient to save them if they believe in it and also of force to condemn if they do reject it But this is clear where the Apostle saith that Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance against them that obey not the Gospel 2 Thes 1 8. Fiftly If we must have Miracles now to believe then why not Miracles also to confirm our belief and miracles also to keep us in the Faith which if so then we may cast off the Scriptures and build our Faith upon Miracles then if miracles cease we cease to believe and so if there be no Miracle there is no Faith if no belief then no salvation Sixthly If we must build our Faith upon Miracles and nothing be true to us in the Scripture till it be confirmed by a Miracle then how will you discern between a false â—â—racle and a true seeing that a pretender may do the like and so â—ou may take a false miracle for a true oâ— a true miracle for a false and so by the subtilty of the Devill you may be â—â—â— in strong delusions to deny all Sâ—â—pture to your utter damnation Seventhly Whether doth not this Tenent question the State of all our fore-fathers from the Apostles to this present time that their faith was in vaine and their salvation uncertain seeing they wanted miracles to confirme it to them and so were in a sad condition and the like I may say of you that stand so much for miracles what if you die before you enjoy a miracle to confirme the truth unto you and so build upon the sand is not your condition sad that your salvation should depend upon a miracle and so be damned 8. Whether doth not this Tenent set up the Pope and his Adherents who may say by this reasoning that he is in the right way and others in the wrong because they have miracles to confirm their way and thereby prove their Church to be true the Pope working a miracle every year whereby he doth perswade them that his way is right and all the wayes of others false because they have not miracles to confirm their way and therefore the Pope by this may plead that he is right and others wrong and so we shall justifie the generation of the wicked to confirm them in their wickednesse and condemne the people of God because they have no miracle 9. I may say to such as Christ saith to the Scribes and Pharisees under the Law They have Moses and the Prophets if they would not believe them neither would they believe if one should rise from the dead to work miracles and so I say we have Christ and his Apostles and he that will not believe the truth set forth by them confirmed before by miracles neither will he believe if one should rise from the dead and do all the miracles in the world 10. It doth appear that miracles are ceased because the Scriptures do declare that such as should work miracles in the last dayes should be false Prophets shewing signes and wonders and that Satan should come with all lying signes and wonders to draw men from the truth that they might believe a lye that all those might be damned who obey not the truth but obey unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 9. 10. And this I believe is the Divels grand designe in these dayes to make men believe that the Scripture is not true without miracles to confirme it that thereby he may deceive the world and set up his own false miracles in stead of the true and this may be the reason why he puts it into the hearts of men in these dayes that miracles and dreams are above the word that thereby he might have them where he would and so deceive them with a false miracle as he doth the greatest part of the world at this day as the Turks who are
Crowning him with Thornes and doing him all the disgrace that they could who was led as a sheep to the slaughter and did stand up to maintain the Doctrine that he delivered 〈◊〉 the mouth of the Father to his death that it might appear to all the word that that he had delivered was truth and for to indicate his doctrine he was ready to lay down his life and was ready to seale the truth with his bloud and as the first Covenant was sealed and confirmed with the bloud 〈◊〉 â—uls and of goats even so he 〈◊〉 willing â—â—d ready to seal and confirme the Covenant of grace and glory with his own bloud and so the bloud of Christ is called the bloud of the Testament Covenant or Will of God â—â—d thus to know the Lord Jesus Christ iâ—â—â—â—rnall life Seventhly it is life eternall to know Christ in his resurrection from death to life so he became the more glorious in that he conqueâ—â—d all his enemies and destroyed those that thought to have destroyed him for he said unto death I will be thy death and he conquered the grave and he said unto the grave give up he overcame sin the world and the devill for he loosed the powers of darknesse and he conquered principalities powers and made a shew of it openly Colos 2. Yea he conquered proud flesh to the terrour of all â—is enemies and thus Jesus Christ rose from death to life and was more famous in his suffering then before in loosing the pains of death Acts 2. 24. for it was impossible that it should be holden of it the Father having before promised That he would not leave his soule in grave nor suffer his holy one to see curruption Psal 16. 10. being the first fruits of them that sleep and a sure evidence of the resurrection of the dead being raised up by the mighty power of God that as Christ was raised up so also shall we by the same spirit who raised up Jesus who is gloriously ascended up into heaven as a fore-runner for us for he that was made a â—little lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and honour so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confesse him yea those that pierced him being made the Judge both of the quick and the dead to the joy and salvation of his friends and to the destruction of his enemies and thus to know him is eternall life Eightly To know him as he is God is eternall life for when he had done the will of the Father had so gloriously confirmed the Gospell by his suffering and confirmed the truth with his bloud when that heavenly naâ—ure was made subject to anger when 〈◊〉 sweat water and bloud making strong cries and supplications with tears unto him that was able to deliver him and was heard in the thing that he desired and when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and when he said Father into thy hands I commit my spirit and so he suffered as a lamb without spot and blemish in fulfilling all the prophesies that the Prophets prophesied of him to fulfill the Scriptures and the mind of the Father when he said O Father not my will but thine be done that he might accomplish all that was written of him to do that thereby he might finish the glorious work of the Gospell and establish an everlasting Covenant sealing and confirming it with his own bloud being the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 10. 29. chap. 13. 20. and for all those heavenly acts of the Son the Father raises him from the dead For he was raised up by the mighty power of God as the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree Acts 2. 24. 32. chap. 3 13. 15. chap. 5. 33. 31. And thus you see the Father raises him from the dead in a glorious manner and makes him a God and gives all power into his hands as you may see Mat. 28. 18. and so the Son is God by office being the great and chiefe officer of God in being made heir of all things Heb. 1. 1. 2. and this was prophesied as in the Psal 110. 1. where the Prophet saith The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Now Davids Lord was Christ and Christs Lord was God as doth appear in Heb. 1. where the Father saith Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son and again When he bringeth his first begotten into the world he saith and let all the Angels worship him And of the Angels he saith who maketh his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but of the Son he saith Thy-throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of righteousnesse is the Scepter of thy Kingdom for thou hast loved righteousnes and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladnesse above thy fellowes and thus the Father hath exalted him above the Gods saying Sit thou on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Psal 110. 1. For God the Father hath made him the God of all things and so the Father calls him the everlasting Father the Prince of peace and hath put the Government upon him and of his Government there shall be no end for God the Father will perform this Esay 9. 6. 7. The Spirit of God the Father being upon him that he might judge the righteous in mercy and the wicked in judgement Esay 11. 4. And thus the Father hath crowned him with glory and honour for it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell for he is the fulnesse of the Godhead the Father having made him God of all things both in heaven and earth and now the Son is to rule till he have put all things under his feet Now the last enemy is death for he hath put all things under his feet but the Son shall subdue and conquer death and shall reign till he hath put down all rule and all authority and power and then cometh the end when he shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father and be subject to him that so God the Father may be all in all things 1 Cor. 15. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. And thus you see that God the Father hath given all things to the Son and hath made him a God till the end of all things till all enemies are conquered by the Son and then shall he give up the Kingdome to the Father again and be subject to him that God the Father may be all in all and thus to know Christ is eternall life Now the use that I make of all this is this It sheweth the great exceeding love of the Father to us in revealing his mind and will to a
of the Majesty in the heavens Heb. 8. 1. and is entred into the very heaven Heb. 9. 24. And thus you see it is very clear that there is a Heaven 12. Reason The coming of Christ at the day of judgement doth make it appear there is a Heaven for where is he but in Heaven and from whence comes he with that glorious Company of Angels but from Heaven Mat. 25. 31. when the Trump shall sound and the dead shall rise the heavens shall melt and the Earth shall tremble and the Mountains shall flâ—e from his presence when he shall come terribly to shake the Earth so glorious will his coming be from heaven Lastly Doth not the day of Judgement declare there is a Heaven when Christ shall come to separate the sheep from the Goaâ—es and shall say unto those on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father receive a Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25. 34. And what Kingdom is this think you but Heaven and what place is this but a place of glory and Christ saith I go to prepare a place for you that where I am there may you be also Iohn 14. 3. And when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory and when this house shall be dissolved we shall have a Kingdom eternall in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. and our treasure is laid up in Heaven Col. 1. 5. when wâ— shall receive that incorruptible inheritance which is undefiled and that fadeth not away which is reserved in heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. 4. And thus you see it plain that there is a Heaven And now I shall shew you further in a word or two what Heaven is and first it is a place as I shall prove by scripture it is the Throne of God 1 Kings 8. 27. 2 Chro. 6. 18. Isa 66. 1. And therefore he reigns and sits upon the Throne of his holinesse Psa 147. 8. And Behold the Lord cometh forth of his place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth Mic. 1. 3. And Christ saith it is a place prepared Go receive the Kingdome prepared for in my Fathers house are many Mansions John 14. 1. and the Apostle saith it cannot be moved or shaken Heb. 12. 27 28. And thus you see that Heaven is a place Secondly It is a place of glory where we shall enjoy the fore-parts of God that is we shall see him as he is and shall enjoy his face and presence as he is in his glory unspeakable which cannot be exprest with the tongue of men and Angells to shew you that glorious Majesty with the glorious presence of the Sonne being ascended with that heavenly host in glory unexpressable Thirdly It is a place of honour where we shall be Crowned and made Kings to reigne with him for ever and be Crowned with everlasting Crowns upon our heads and enjoy the glory of the highest Majesty being honoured of Angells and all that Heavenly guard and shall be Priests of the most high God to offer up praises to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever for all the honour in the foot-stoole is but a type of the hnour that we shall injoy in the Throne Fourthly It is a place of heavenly riches For eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither can the heart of man conceive the glory of that place all the riches upon the earth being but a Type and shadow of the heavenly riches where the creature shall injoy all the fullnesse of God and shall have more then heart can wish or desire for if God be so rich in his foot-stool what is he in the Throne Fifthly It is a place of joy where is fullnesse of joy for where should we rejoyce but in the presence of God where we shall come to enjoy all the fullnesse of God with joy unspeakable and full of glory to joy in the Father and in the Sonne in Saints and Angells who can expresse that joy but those that enjoy it to enjoy such a company to be in such a glorious condition all the joy in the world being but a Type thereof Sixthly It is a place of peace for there will be no opposition in the Throne What enemy dare appear there Do not all his enemies tremble before him and are afraid to approach into his presence and shall not all his enemies be destroyed before that time when the Saints shall enjoy their rest What glorious peace shall be their peace with God and Christ with Saints and Angells even the peace of God that passeth all understanding Seventhly It is a place of pleasure and delight the desired Haven of the Saints which they have so much longed and sought after to be in the substance of pleasure and delight where is fullnesse of pleasure and joy for evermore being a place of all heavenly glory enjoyment beyond the apprehension of a weak creature to conceive or apprehend Eighthly In respect of that glorious comâ—â—â—y to enjoy the presence of God the Father and of Christ the Sonne with that glorious traine of Angels with Abraham Isaac and Jacob with Moses David and Salomon and in a word with all the glorious Prophets and Apostles and with all the people of God that ever have been or shall be in all ages What a glorious Communion will there be at that time to have fellowship with so glorious a company with sweet knowledge and acquaintance with them and enjoying their company for ever in all spiritual pleasures and delight Ninthly It is a Heaven of glory for ever and ever for the glory shall never end nor their joy shall never be diminished but they shal reign with God for ever ever in the fulness of his glory there to behold his presence to joy and to rejoyce in his greatnesse and in the glory of his Majesty for ever and ever CHAP. VI. Of Hell THere is some that say there is no Hell but they might as well say there is no God nor no resurrection nor Judgement but how will such persons answer this one day before the Judgement-seat of this great God and I may say of such except they trun from this their wicked tenent as Christ said Oh ye Serpents and generation of Vipers how can ye escape the condemnation of Hell for if there be no Hell then we may live as we list but such do in their hearts believe there is no God or else they must acknowledge a Hell and therefore I shall endeavour by the assistance of my God to prove that there is a Hell and I shall use this method first shew what I meane by Hell and then I shall prove that there is a Hell Now Hell is a place of condemnation or a deprivation from the presence of God of Christ and of grace and glory for Christ saith He that believeth not is condemned already and Tophet is
for the Apostle saith In this we groan earnestly and had rather bee absent from the body to be present with the Lord for while we are present in the body wee are absent from the Lord And thus you see that the Apostle makes it cleare that while wee are present in this body there is not fulnesse of glory and therefore he desired to leave this earthly to injoy a heavenly Kingdome which was more to be desired and abundantly more glorious 11. That which we see and injoy here is but temporall but that which we doe not see and shall afterwards injoy is spirituall and eternall glory and therefore there is not fulnesse of glory in this life 2 Cor. 4. 18. 12. When this earthly house of ours shall bee dissolved wee shall have a building of God a house not made with hands but eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. 2. whereby it doth appeare that wee are not in fulnesse of glory 13. We are not cloathed with our house which is from heaven whereby we might be made fit to injoy such a heavenly glory For while we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord and so shall be untill we are cloathed with our heavenly house which will not be in this life 2 Cor. 5. 2. 6. 8. 14. When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall wee appeare with him in glory and then shall we injoy the fulnesse of glory and not before and he gives you the reason saying We are dead and our life or glory is hid with Christ in God but when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we appear with him in glory 15. Christ is in heaven and we are in earth and therefore we are not in the fulnesse of glory for Christ saith And if I goe to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my selfe that where I am there you may be also and while we are absent from Christ who is in heaven in glory it selfe how then have wee fulnesse of glory 16. These vile bodies of ours are not yet changed like unto his glorious body we are not yet made partakers of that divine nature till this mortall shall put on immortality and till this corruptible shall put on an incorruptible and this naturall become a spirituall and then shall we be like him as he is but this will not be in this life and therefore we look for it in anotherlife Phil. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 15. 44. 53 54. 17. We are not in the Throne we are but in the footstool we are not in heaven the fulnesse of glory for Christ is entred into his glory Luke 24. 28. that is into heaven where his glory is Act. 1. 22. Heb. 4. 14. and we also shall bee in heaven for there our glory is Colos 1. 5. having in heaven a better and induring substance Heb. 10. 34. and therefore we desire a heavenly Kingdome rather then an earthly Heb. 11 28. which is reserved for us in heaven 1 Pet. 1. 4. So that you see there is not a fulnesse of glory in this life 18. We are not yet risen from the dead untill the resurrection of the dead and therefore we are not in fulnesse of glory for as we have borne the image of the earthly so also shall we beare the image of the heavenly when these vile bodies of ours shall be raised up and made like unto his glorious body which will not be in this life 19. We doe not yet reign with Christ and therefore we are not in the fulnesse of glory we are not yet entred into our inheritance to be Kings and Priests and to have that immortall Crowne where is that glory that we enjoy are we not persecuted on all sides are we not accounted as the vilest of creatures but the Saints shall reigne in glory and then shall all oppositions be trampled under their feet they shall be Kings and Priests and be crowned and shall live and reigne for ever with God the Father and with Jesus Christ his Son with those glorious Angels and with all the Saints in glory but this glory is yet to come we are yet waiting for it 20. If we were in fulnesse of glory there could nothing be added to our condition for we should be perfect we should not need any thing to make our condition glorious but the best of us finde abundance of Spirituall wants we want Spirituall joy and Spirituall peace we want that Spirituall union and communion with our God we have not that assurance in the Promises but we might have more for we cannot have the fulnesse of glory in this life it is laid up for us in a better life Lastly mortality will tell thee oh vaine man that thou art not in the fulnesse of glory shalt thou not dye and where will thy fulnesse of glory be then that will tell thee thou art not perfect if thou art in fulnesse of glory why dost thou dye why dost thou hunger and thirst why dost thou eate and cloath thee why art thou subject to cold and nakednesse and why dost thou complaine of wanting if thou wast perfect thou couldest not want any thing for diddest thou possesse all things how couldest thou want any thing O thou vaine man thy condition tells thee thou wantest but thy proud heart tells thee thou art full thy condition tells thee that thou wantest all things but thy proud heart tells thee that thou wantest nothing thou sayest that thou art in the fulnesse of glory in this life but death will tell thee that thou wantest glory and dost not thou slight the glory to come when thou sayest here is fulnesse for none but God alone knowes the fulnesse of glory and yet thou dost Oh vaine man I counsell thee to buy eye-salve that thou mayest see thy want of a fulnesse of glory for if thou dost not now thou wilt when it is too late And now in the next place I shall speake a word or two of glory because I know that many have deceived themselves with the word glory Now there is divers kinds of glory for there is a glory of the two Covenants for if the administration of Condemnation was glory here how much more shall the administration of Righteousnes exceed in glory And God revealed himselfe from the glory of the first to the glory of the second from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9 10. There was a glory of Moses for the Children of Israel could not behold his face for his glory 2 Cor. 3. 17. There was a glory of Solomon and yet the grasse of the field passed the glory of Solomon Mat. 6. 29. and a glory of man but all the glory of man is as the flower of the field 1 Pet. 2. 24. There is a glory of the Sunne and of the Moon and Starres for they differ in glory 2 Cor. 15. 41. and glory to him that worketh good and to every man that
these dayes such as hold there is no Resurrection but in this life and such are in but a sad condition whose hope are perished from the Land of the living and goe out of this world worse then they came in for when they came into this world there was some hope in them to receive a better world but now the death of these men is worse then their birth and beginning but the Resurrection is that which is desired of all the Saints hoping and longing for the day for their Redemption to wit the Resurrection of the dead for then the Saints shall enter into their inheritance which was prepared for them from everlasting time and therefore for my owne comfort and for the comfort of the Saints I shall endeavour to speake a word or two of the Resurrection and first I shall prove that there is a Resurrection and then I shall shew how we shall be raised Now the reasons to prove that there shall be Resurrection are these First God doth declare to all the world that he did not intend the creature should dye for ever because he sent his Sonne to declare to the contrary that all men shall rise and that he is the resurrection of the dead John 11. 25. and the first fruits of them that sleepe and that as he was raised from the dead so shall all men be raised by the same power and shall conquer and trample death under their feet 2. There will be a Resurrection that God may manifest his great power to all men in raising them from the dead that thereby it may be seen how glorious he is in all his undertakings in so wonderfull an act as to raise them from the dead by his glorious power which will be manifest at that day 3. That he might fulfill his promises who hath promised that we shall see him as he is and shall injoy his face and presence in the Throne of his glory with that glorious company of Angels that attend his presence to behold his beauty and to joy in his presence where is fulnesse of joy and pleasure for evermore 4. There shall be a Resurrection that hee may give unto every one according to his works and reward the Saints with blessing and the wicked with cursing and to give to every man according to his desert 5. There is a Resurrection because that God hath promised to restore the Creation to its first purity in making a new heaven and a new earth where in shall dwell righteousnesse and to make his power and glory appear as at the first 6. It hath beene the beleefe of the Saints that there shall be a Resurrection Job saith I know that my Redeemer liveth and that hee shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though this flesh be destroyed with wormes yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold him though my reines be consumed within me Job 19. 25 26 27. and then shall the gates of death be opened Job 38. 17. And David saith Thou settest me before thy face for ever Psal 41. 12. And Esay saith Thy dead men shall live together with my dead bodies shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for the dens is as the dens of herbs and the earth shall cast out her dead Esay 26. 19. And the Apostle to the Heb. 11. doth recite a Catalogue of the Saints who all dyed in the faith and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth that they might obtaine a better resurrection as vers 23. 35. 7. If there be no Resurrection then the faith of the Saints is void and all their hopes are perished and their glory is at an end and they all as lost creatures and their condition very sad 8 If there be no Resurrection then the Saints have lost their reward and all their labour is in vain in seeking for a better Kingdome and a better inheritance for if there be no Resurrection then there is no heaven nor no glory after this life then we shall never injoy the presence of God and Christ nor those glorious Angels nor the heaven of glory 9. If there be no Resurrection then the wicked will be in a better estate then the godly for they have had their portion in this life and have glutted themselves with the pleasures of this world and have had all the delights of the sonnes of men and have satisfied their hearts to the full and the people of God have weaned themselves from all the pleasures and delights of this world and have lost all the glory thereof and have been despised of all men in hopes of a better life and all in vain if there be no Resurrection 10 If there be no Resurrection the wicked shall never be punished for all the wickednesse that they have acted against the Lord then they will never bee called to account for all their blaspheming his glorious Name their swearing and cursing their drunkennesse and whoredome with their shedding of innocent blood their wicked pride and basenesse with all their abominations if there be no Resurrection this is the day they looke for then they might commit all wickednesse with greedinesse for what should they feare if there be no Resurrection 11. If there be no Resurrection then the Devills shall not be punished for they are reserved in chaines of darknesse till the great day but if there be no Resurrection then there will be no judgement and so they will never be punished and they would not cease to reigne nor injoy â—â—eir wicked power for ever then what need the Devils feare and tremble if there beâ— no Resurrection they need not fear any judgement to come 12. If there be no Resurrection then we may live as we list and injoy all the pleasures we can in this life to injoy the sight of our eyes and the desires of our hearts and eate and drinke and be merry for to morrow we dye and so all our glory is at an end for then we have onely our portion in this life if there be no Resurrection then all our glory is at an end 13. Those that hold this Tenet to wit that there is no Resurrection whether doe not they question whether there be a God for if there be no Resurrection then they may question whether there be a God or if there be a God yet he is not able to performe his promises for he hath made many large promises that there shall be a Resurrection but he is not able to performe it for there shall be none and what do these men else but question God and the power of God and whether is not this blasphemy think you in the highest nature and whether shall not this great God one day judge such Sadduces as these are 14 Whether doe not those that deny the Resurrection question all the Prophets and Apostles and that which they spake by the
partake of the Supper and walked in a Church way for the fulnesse of the Spirit doth not take away thy obedience but rather makes thee more obedient art thou as full of the Spirit as Christ and yet he walked in a visible way and commanded his Apostles to set forth a visible way of worship to the world to be practised in every Age. Againe hast thou as much of the Spirit of God as the Apostles of Christ and yet they worshipped God in a visible way art thou too good to walk in that way that the Apostles of Christ walked in or canst thou produce a better way then they walked in canst thou finde out a more holy way then they did or canst thou finde out a more soule-saving way canst thou set forth a better Christ and a better Gospel and a more spirituall way produce it if thou canst and we will beleeve thee but if thou canst not finde out a better way then Christ and his Apostles have set forth then what dost thou contend for for a worse way if thou canst not finde a better way then why dost thou forsake this It is a signe thou art weary of serving God who wilt thou serve next but the Serpent and thy selfe thou contemnest the Scripture and the way of the Scripture that thou mightest serve the Devill and thy selfe how dost thou villifie Christ and his Apostles surely thou art not of God but of thy father the Devill for his workes thou dost Canst thou finde a better way then Christ and his Apostles walked in canst thou finde more spirituall men then they were or more precious examples to follow who were patternes of all goodnesse was their way so carnall as thou makes it what carnall honours and riches had they by walking in that way what ptaise had they of the world If their way were so carnall as thou wouldest make it then why did not all the world receive it they are apt enough to imbrace a carnall way for their fleshly advantage thou needest not much perswade them what way is more contrary to all the world then the way of Christ and his Apostles whereby it doth appeare to be a truth because it is hated of all the world Lastly The letter of the Scripture will tell thee there is a visible worship for how couldest thou know what visible or invisible meant but by the letter of the word or how couldest thou tell what worship meant but by the word doth not the letter of the word tell thee all things did God ever speake to thee without a letter then what word did he speak God never spake nonsense but if he spake without a letter then he spake nonsense And thou wouldest be a blasphemer to say so for no word can be made without letters and thou canst compact no word without a letter when God gave Adam a Law he taught him to read it and thou must read thy A B C before thou canst read plaine and must learne thy letters plaine before thou canst speak plain and I think thou hast hardly learned thy A B C for thou canst hardly read plaine and yet thou dost despise the letter of thy Learning for how wouldest thou know that God Created all things in six dayes but by the Letter and how wouldest thou know what God did every day but by the Letter and how couldest thou know that the Heaven was called Heaven and the Earth was called Earth but by the Letter and how couldest thou know the name of the Sun or the name of the Moon and Stars but by the Letter that calls them so and how didst thou know the names of Day and Night without the Letter and how commest thou to know the names of the Creatures both in the Aire as the Fowles of the Aire and the names of the Beasts of the Field with the Fishes in the Sea how commest thou to know the names of all these doth not the Letter of the the Word tell thee or else how couldst thou know their names Againe how dost thou know there was an Adam and Eve but by the Letter and how dost thou know the world was destroyed by Water at Noahs flood but by the Letter of the Word and how dost thou know that Noah and his Family were saved in the Arke but by the Letter and how dost thou know there was an Abraham Isaac and Jacob but by the Letter that there was a Moses and the Law of Moses a people of Israel that were in Aegypt and came into tht Land of Canaan doth not the Letter tell thee this or else how couldest thou know it and here I might be large to teach thee to learne thy Letters and to know the Letter of the Scripture but thy pride will stop thy learning and yet I shall leave thee without excuse How commest thou to know there is a Christ but by the letter of the Word and how camest thou to know that Christ dyed and rose againe and ascended into Heaven but by the Letter of the Word and how knowest thou what Christ dyed for that he came to save Sinners and to open a doore of Salvation to the world and that there is Salvation in him for sinners How camest thou to know all this but by the Letter of the Word and how commest thou to know there is a Gospell and Grace Mercy and Salvation held forth in this Gospell but by the Letter And then againe how commest thou to know that there is a Heaven and a Hell and that there shall be a Resurrection and a Judgement and that thou shalt rise at the last Day How commest thou to know all these things but by the Letter of the Word sure hadst thou learned the Letter better thou wouldest not have despised thy Master it is the Letter of the Word of God that hath taught thee what thou hast and thou art a good Scholler to despise thy Master How dost thou know that there is sinne but by the Letter and that there is a Devill and that the Devill and wicked men shall be punished for ever and that the godly shall be blessed for ever How commest thou to know all these things but by the Letter of the Word thou mayest thank the Letter of the Word for all thy knowledge or else thou mightest have been like unto the East Indians that know not their right hand from their left for it is the Letter of the Word that hath taught thee thy wisdome and the Devill hath taught thee thy pride and yet I wish thee better then thou dost thy selfe for the Letter of the Scripture would faine keepe thee and yet I thinke the Devill will take thee And yet I shall speake a word or two more for visible worship for ought we not to serve God as well with our bodies as with our hearts Can wee â—erve God within and the Devill without sure no man can serve two Masters for out of the abundance of the heart the