any but to such as are very ignorant or prepossessed with much prejudice For this intends not prayers for the Dead according to the superstitious practice of the Church of Rome nor upon such considerations nor to such purposes as when they pray for Souls departed out of this life But the Saints now at rest from their Labours and bodily endeavours having still potentially at least a spiritual Communion with us and we with them as members of Christs Mystical Body and who having as much right as we to what appertains to the eternal Kingdom are no more to be excluded totally out of our Prayers who yet live then we were out of their Prayers and the Petitions of the Catholick Church before we were born it being to me doubtless that their Devotions were then exhibited on our behalf by the Example of Christ our Head of whom it is testified John I7 I9 that when he prayed for his Apostles he said I pray not for these alone but for them also who shall believe on me through their word This Prayer extends also to the preservation of all other Creatures which being as it were the Sons of God by Creation are said to groan together with us Rom. 8. 20. Even they receive benefit with us by this prayer toward their subsistance and perpetuity which is metaphorically signified by daily bread For a natural Instinct inclines them to demonstrate in some sort that which is equivalent with a desire of what is wanting though they neither know what they lack or whence it comes Even the vegetative Plants and Herbs evidence it by their drooping when they have over-much or too little rain or fair weather and by their refreshment with showres or heat so do the Beasts also when none being present to relieve them they bellow and lift up their voices in their kinde for want of meat For these respects the scope which this Prayer hath in my understanding inclines my desire in the use thereof to extend it to all things and persons that were are or shall be for procuring of whatsoever is therein explicitely or implicitely comprehended as having an Universal Relation For Priviledges there are which the Saints Universally enjoy by a Spiritual Communion not heeded by the world which will be demonstrated more at large by my Meditations upon the twelve Articles of our Faith commonly called the Apostles Creed if God gives me time and means to make it publick and if I recover that part of it which was taken from me and being but short notes to bring things to remembrance will be of no use to those who have them 4. By the right use of this Prayer every Member of Jesus Christ is united in his Mediation the whole agreeing with the Head and with each other in all Requests without contradiction whereof I know not how we could have had an assurance save by this Medium For the speaking it in several Languages Times or Places makes no essential difference or material dis-junction nor do the involuntary mistakes or infirmities of the weakest Members render their Sacrifice unacceptable or ineffectual because he to whom their Addresses are made can and doth reconcile such differences and the whole Body being ingratiated by the dignity of that Head the most ignorant and insensible parts thereof if they separate not themselves willfully and maliciously are partakers of that Faith which is in the whole and of whatsoever is imparted thereto or conferred thereupon by the merit and mediation of their Head and Mediator yea as truely as the Inferiour members of our Natural Bodies whilst they continue in their places injoy the benefits to them pertaining and so far forth as they are capable of them as the Tongue Eyes Ears and Heart though the other can neither speak see hear or understand as these do And the knowledge of this may be a great means of consolation to many a poor weak Member of Christ who is sensible of his personal defects It is also by this participation onely that we make good our affectionate desires and verbal ingagements or promises to pray for our Friends or Relations in their several necessities absent or present which we cannot so often and so particularly remember as we would if it were not done by an Universal concurrence in this mode of praying to our heavenly Father before whom that which was but once prayed for in Faith continues always as if we were always praying it and as if it were the joynt-act of the whole Catholick Church for which respect neither should a due application of this Prayer be neglected or the great advantages thereby vouchsafed be unthankfully heeded Moreover by Christs teaching us in this Form of Prayer to say Our Father and not My Father I do conceive that in all our Desires and Petitions we ought to have still heed and regard to the necessities and welfare of others as aforesaid as well as to our own especially of our Brethren relating to the same Father though for the present they be rebellious children and that we should be wary we seek not the advance of a self-interest by a Publick detriments or to the wrong of any private person or to the infringement of Christian Charity the want whereof makes all Prayers ineffectual to them who shall so pray 5. The Father there meant to whom our Addresses are to be made and said to be in Heaven is the first Person of the Holy Trinity the other two Persons to wit the Son and Holy Ghost being implicitely to be understood as one with him in the same Deity and we being a Brotherhood relating to the same Father warrants the fore-going Interpretation God is the Father of all corporeal and spiritual created Beings and by that Appellative we are incouraged to hope and believe that we shall obtain whatsoever we petition for in this Prayer taught us by his best beloved Son even to the utmost extent thereof though we our selves neither know or can minde all that is comprehended in those words because as it is said Rom 8. 26. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities making intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed This Form containeth nothing repugnant to his Fathers Will and Christ hath assured us That whatsoever we shall ask of his heavenly Father in his Name shall be obtained and doubtless it will be no bar to this assurance when we ask according to his own direction yet knowing our infirmities to confirm us in that belief without wavering he hath made it probable by Inferences drawn from our common experience Luke 11. The one from that prevalency which constant importunity hath upon such Friends as have but little sence of our necessities and the other drawn from the good effects which proceed even from our imperfect natural affections who are but earthly Fathers For said he If a Son shall ask bread of any of you who is a Father will he give him a stone If he shall ask Fish will he give
him a Serâ—â—â—… Or if he ask an Egg will he give him a Seâ—â—â—â—… Thereupon he made this Inference If then you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to him that asketh it Yea he having given his only Son for us when we were his enemies why should we distrust that he will give us all other good things being reconciled unto him by his pretious blood For we have not onely this GOD Almighty to our Father by Creation as all other Creatures have which obligeth us relatively both to him and to them but we are his Children also by Adoption admitted thereunto by Grace through his best beloved Son Jesus thereto begotten by Faith in him and he having drawn up a Petition for us taught us how to exhibit it and warranted us to prefer it unto him as our Father what should discourage us from it or what can reasonably incline us to any other Form or Course The tenderness which we know to be in a good natural Father is a strong Argument to preserve us from despairing to obtain any thing in his power which he knows needful But GOD is more truely our Father then our Fathers in the flesh for without his concurrence in our Generation we had neither been conceived nor born into the world or if his providence had not given us shape nourishment and preservation till the birth and he knoweth and still mindeth what he begets whereas our fleshly fathers seldom minde more then the satisfying of their fleshly desires when they beget us and know not what they beget until they see it brought forth Isaith saith 63. 16. unto God Doubtless then art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer and thy Name is everlasting These considerations with the many demonstrations which we have had of Gods infinite Love Wisdom and Power may assure he is neither ignorant of what is best for us nor unable nor unwilling to confer it 6. Though this be sufficiently demonstrated it may be yet further illustrated and ascertained by contemplating this short Preface for to incourage us in this Duty and to increase and strengthen our Faith in prosecution thereof He whom we are to sollicite is said to be Our Father which is in Heaven Not the Father of our Flesh onely the best of which Fathers is both imperfect and partial even in the exercise of natural affections toward his own children neither equally distributing it among them nor able to bestow upon them whom he most loves all those things which he knows necessary nor is wise enough to know what is best for them nor sure of his own being so long as his Children may want his protection or continuing assistance to provide for them whereas Our Father by this Prayer invoked is evidenced by the relative Pronoun WHICH considered with the words next preceding and following it to have an eternal Al-sufficiency to grant whatsoever is asked For this word ART being a Verb of the present Tense comprehending all Time past present and to come denotes that Time if Eternity may be so called which is GODS Time onely and which belongs to none but to him who is Eternity it self For we cannot say truely of or to any other He is or Thou art because before we can speak or think out these words he of whom or to whom we speak is in somewhat changed from what he was though it is not perceived Therefore when Moses asked of GOD what he should answer if Pharaoh demanded who sent him God said Tell him I AM sent thee and when GOD speaketh of himself as GOD the Father in the first Person he said I AM the Lord thy God when he speaketh to his Son the second Person he saith Thou ART my beloved Son c. and when the Holy Ghost the third Person is spoken of it is said He IS the Comforter c. all being in the present Tense which is Eternal This sence being collected by me from the connection of these words in this Preface Our Father which art in heaven much fortifies my Faith in their use and that which I extract from the last word in this Preface adds a little more thereunto 7. For Heaven which is the place of our Fathers residence to whom this Prayer is to be made may somewhat more illustrate his Almightiness and mindes us to approach his Presence with awful reverence though that Appellative may embolden us also in our Addresses Heaven is that Beauty of Holiness Joy and Glory wherein GOD dwelleth It is an Infinite Object supernaturally intelligible whereof I cannot apprehend so much by any natural means to me knowable as by turning my Intellectual Eye into my self to contemplate that unbounded Heaven which appears within me for that receptacle seems to me infinitely more large then that Heaven which I see above me and round about me with corporeal eyes and he who looking that way finds GOD to have therein an habitation shall see more of him and of heaven then by any other prospect whilst he is in the flesh and thereby know more of Hell also if God be not there as in his own place Yet Heaven is improperly conceived to be a circumscribed place the better to suit it to humane Capacities which cannot apprehend Objects beyond the extent of our narrow understandings But so much thereof as is visible may give us intellectual Notions in some degree of his glorious and inexpressible Majesty to whom we pray when we consider That Heaven is his Throne and Earth his Foot-stool as also That the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him and from thence we may infallibly conclude that we can have no secret sufferings oppressions or afflictions whatsoever which he cannot take notice of in his Residency or any Oppressors so powerful or highly exalted that he cannot reach them to deliver us from them in regard he is both Vbiquitary and so Inthroned that neither we or they can be concealed from his Eye or secured from his Hand which is manifested by these words Psalm 139. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I free from thy Presence If I ascend into Heaven thou art there If I descend into Hell thou art there If I take the wings of the morning dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand uphold me If I say darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me c. Which Scripture infers that our Heavenly Father being every where His residence in Heaven is not exclusive to His residence in all other places at the same time For we must not imagine he is so in Heaven as a circumscribed Body is in a finite place as all Created things are or as the soul is in the body which is said to be wholly in the
the king is such is the Kingdom or Government and such will be the people as we find it to have been in all the Kingdoms of the Earth But the King and Kingdom for whose coming we pray are stablished by Wisdom and Power so perfect that no wrongs can be done by the King thereof nor any suffered by those who are under him by any unrighteous Law in that Kingdom and happy are those Kings and the Subjects of those Kingdoms who endeavour to Govern and Obey according to the righteousness of that King and the Constitutions of his Kingdom so near as they shall be able To that end the same Kingdom is partly come into those in this Generation who belong thereunto to shew it forth to Kings and Subjects in the Kingdoms of this wold by their Doctrine Life and Conversation that the Contemners thereof may be inexcusable For though it seems to be a Kingdom not now in being but to come hereafter it is an Eternal Kingdom which now is always was and ever shall be without beginning or ending and is termed a Kingdom to come in respect of that more full manifestation which it shall have here upon Earth and within the Saints who are and shall be sharers therein reigning together with Christ Some call it the fifth Monarchie as it is in relation to those Monarchies prophesied of by Daniel but it is the first that ever was and the last that ever shall be in Heaven or Earth and is such a Kingdom as we are not able in the state wherein we yet be to conceive much less to express in that mode wherein it shall be manifested though we have many metaphorical descriptions of it whereby we may apprehend so much of the Glory of it as may make us believe and expect it with joy 2. The Soveraignty of this Kingdom was eternally in the Deity before all worlds and after the Creation was joyntly and distinctly exercised by the Father Son and Holy Ghost according as the Manifestations thereof were decreed before time and evidenced by occurrences in the progress of Time Thereof I will declare so much as God hath revealed unto me by his Word and Spirit During that intelligible point of Time which was called Beginning being the first of those five Notions wherein I conceive all things to be included to wit Eternity Beginning Time End and Everlasting even in that Moment of Beginning and immediately after the Angels and Adam were created and Fell the Prince of the Spirits elapsed began to Usurp a part of Gods Kingdom by that permissive Power which he still retained and he forthwith practised upon innocent Man on whom God had conferred a Vicegerency under himself over all subcelestial Creatures And Adam being compounded of those Elements which rendred him subject to mutability the Devil prevailing by subtlety drew him to disobedience and rebellion which God foreknowing might had he so pleased either have prevented it or in a moment destroyed the Vsurper with all his Confederates But this consisted not with his Eternal Decree whereby mankinde was to have experience in a natural way of that Good and Evil which our First-Parents desired to know Therefore according to the same Decree God suffered that part of his Kingdom which was to be visible on Earth to be for a while shared between two contradictory Powers the Devil to continue in possession of what he had Usurped and his Eternal Son to whom the whole Kingdom by right appertained to exercise also his Kingly Office therein so far forth as neither his Interest with that which is really good might be totally destroyed not the Devils power so limited that the utmost extent of evil might not be fully known so here hath been ever since two Militant Kingdoms upon the Earth contending for Superiority 3. The Incarnate Son of GOD was first externally inaugurated when it was said that The seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head and the Messiah was then spiritually conceived by Faith in the hearts of Adam and Eve and there began this Kingdom to be first in the earth though the seed of the Serpent did also fructifie by that seminal corruption which he had injected to make entrance for his Kingdom And when their two first Children being born into the world Had attained ability to demonstrate unto which Kingdom they adhered the Contest which hath ever since been maintained between them did presently begin Cain slew his Brother Abel upon that quarrel and the consequence thereof together with Cains male-contented Demeanour gave occasion of GODS declaring somewhat unto him which I conceive to be pertinent to their consideration whose Faith and Patience were to be exercised under tyrannous Governments in all future Generations until his Son shall bring them to an end by assuming the whole Kingdom For before Cain had slain his Brother God said That he should Rule over him and his desire be subjected unto him Moreover after the murther was committed and when GOD had so cursed Cain for it who was the first Tyrannous abuser of his Authority that by the judgement of his own conscience he seemed worthily exposed to slaughter by every one who met him God nevertheless affirmed that whosoever slew him his blood should be avenged sevenfold upon the slayer and it is written that God set a Mark upon him to prevent his slaughter from whence it may be inferred as I think that all Private persons ought to be wary they lay not violent hands upon those to whom God hath subjected them how wicked soever they be lest that Mark be fouud upon them which renders them liable to a seven-fold Vengeance 4. The visible Kingdom of GOD our Father How it was conferred upon his Son What opposition it should have in the world by Kings and Nations The Vanitie of their Reasons of State the fruitlesness of the Plots Counsels and confederacies of the people The establishment of his Throne upon his holy Mountain the spiritual Sion in despight of opposition The proclamation of what was eternally decreed concerning it The Vniversality and powerfulness of his Domion How it will beseem all earthly Kings and their subordinate Judges and Officers to demean themselves under him VVhat will befal to them who shall be rebellious or refractory and the happiness of all those who shall do homage unto him and be obedient as they ought to be All this was foretold in the second Psalm which is a Literal not a Typical Prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ the true David Yet this Kingdom had for a long time a very slow increase was confined to a very narrow circuit and hath been from that time hitherto also of small estimation in respect of the Kingdoms of this World except onely in the days of Enos and Noah for in the days of Enos it is recorded that men began to call upon the Name of the Lord and in the time of Noah this King of kings assumed the sole Government of his
Kingdom into his own hands proclaimed his fore-intended Judgements to all his Subjects for their cruelties and rebellions and at the time appointed executed his sentence of Condemnation to the Destruction of all the Oppressors Tyrants and Kingdoms of the Earth by VVater as he will after Christs last coming by Fire and what will then become of his proud and malicious Enemies it may easily be foreseen 5. A while after the Deluge during the Paternal Kingship of Noah the Kingdom of our Father prevailed but within a few years after the Flood the kingdom of the Devil begun to be again inlarged and that of GOD to be thrust into a little Room and for some Generations to be visible in a few Families onely so obscured that the world took small notice thereof uutil the times of Moses and Josuah in whose days the judgements executed upon Pharaoh and on the Cananites made it evidently manifest that there was a more Powerful King then those who usurped the Kingdoms of the Earth And though this Kingdom was again after that obscured several times by their wickedness who professed obedience thereto yet the power of it appeared more and more especially during the Reign of David Solomon Jehosophat Ezekias and other Kings of Judah yea and was much heeded by the prevalency which it had in some degree upon Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus and Darius three of the greatest Earthly Monarchs who were constrained to confess the power of their Supream Soveraign and it had some other manifestations thereof before the true King thereof appeared in the Flesh But then it began to shew it self in another mode so differing from all temporary Kingdoms that it seemed to the men of the world to have nothing in it like a Kingdom and the King thereof to be nothing less then a King For a mean Carpenter was his reputed Father a poor Virgin was his true Mother when he was born she had no Pallace but a despicable Inne to give her entertainment No Chamber to lodge in but a Stall with Beasts No Cradle under a rich Canopy to lay this King in but a Manger No Heralds but Shepherds to proclaim his Birth and call him a high and mighty Prince as is usuall at the Birth of Kings But that defect was recompenced with a Complement more Magnificent then the Nativity-Ceremonies of all other Kings put together For a glorious Angel brought them a Commission to publish it A Celestial Army celebrated his Birth with a Nativity-Song and the kings of the East came to do him homage and brought him presents being directed unto him by a Star 6. When years had rendred him fit to exercise his Kingship according to what was proper to the Initiation thereof he had no great Pallace to dwell in no not a place wherein to rest his head He had no Princes Dukes Marquesses or Earls to attend him but a few despised Fisher-men instead of a triumphant Chariot he rode through jerusalem upon the silly Foal of an Ass and instead of a Foot-cloth the people put their Garments under him When he came to be Inthroned with his Title in three Languages written over his head his Royal Apparel was a Purple Robe contemptuously cast upon him he was scornfully saluted as King in mockage onely reviled and spit upon To be a Septer they gave him a Reed instead of a golden wreath beset with pretious Stones they Crowned him with sharpe Thorns his Throne was a Cross whereto they nailed his hands and his feet There he gave up his Ghost and having no Sepulchre of his own was buried in another mans Grave This is quite contrary to the mode and pomp of the Kings and Kingdoms of this world yet even then as at his Birth his dignity was extraordinarily evidenced for by the power of his Almighty God-head he to the affrighting of his Enemies obscured the Sun by a a supernatural Eclipse he rent the Vail of the Temple shook the whole Globe of the Earth raised the Dead but of their Graves and himself again to life conquered Death and Hell shewed himself alive to his Disciples ascended up to Heaven in their sight and when the Devil and his confederates supposed his Kingdom to be everlastingly at an end it became so signally powerful in that external weakness and contempt whereby it seemed to be disabled if not annihilated that it destroyed all the sumptuous Temples of the Gentles with those gods which they therein worshipped yea the Temple and Religion of his Crucifiers who boasted and trusted in the holiness thereof and this King and Kingdom will at last utterly root out of the world that mystery of iniquity which hath been raised up since the subversion of heathenish and Jewish Opposers thereof even that great Malignant Kingdom with all the supporters and vassals thereof which hath now tyrannized in several forms over the Saints and Subjects of the King of kings almost six thousand years But notwithstanding all this Christs now pretended Vicar though he calls himself the servant of the servants of God and makes counterfeit shews of humility as many others do is not contented with such a Kingdom and therefore hath reduced his into such a one as makes it apparent he hath accepted of as much as he could get of that offer with Christ refused when the Devil tendered unto him the Kingoms of the world with all the glory of them on condition he would fall down and worship him 7. It seems by what is recorded of the Tribe of Issacher to their commendation 1 Chro. 12. that we are to take notice of what concerns the times wherein we live and perhaps it will not be impertinent to the Kingdom here mentioned to add what I am inclined to express by occasion of Letters and Reports much credited concerning an Army of Israelites repairing toward the Ancient Habitation of their Fore-fathers which was heretofore a visible Province of that Kingdom until the Inhabitants for their Treason and Murther committed against their Soveraign Lord or the greatest party of that Nation were thereupon rejected and scattered through the world to wander as Vagabonds like Cain their Type without any certain abiding place That is the condition of those who at this day are called Jews but whether they are assuredly the Off-spring of the Patriarks Abraham Isaac and Jacob neither I nor they know as I believe For I understand not how they in these parts of the world commonly reputed to be of the Tribe of Judah and of those other Tribes which adhering thereto continued in their own Country until about forty years after the Crucifying of their Messiah can possibly know whether they are Jews or not so considering that throughout Europe as Histories inform us they were not onely banished and expelled from place to place but the Records of their Genealogies taken away also and burnt A great number likewise if not the greatest number of those whom we term Jews are probably such Natives of the Countries wherein
us do suppose him to be Elias though Christ himself hath told us he is come already And some other think him to be that beloved Disciple mentioned in the 21 Chapter of St. Johns Gospel where our Saviour presaging in what mode Peter should suffer and he then asking What that Disciple should do was thus answered If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me Whereupon some inferred that Disciple he should not die though as was then averred in the words following Christ said not so nor as I believe intended it should be so understood yet that interpretation is retained by some to this day and now as I hear made use of to countenance the forementioned Rumour whereof I confess my self incredulous for the reasons afore expressed Doubtless when such an occasion was given to have it explained Christ would not have left that ambiguous which was misunderstood and so l believe of every mysterious expression which is necessary to be known by all men as pertinent to their Salvation unless it be to make us wary by what Spirit we interpret holy Scripture lest that which leads into all Truth may by our negligence or vain curiosity lead us into errors if misapprehended If there be any point mentioned in holy Scripture relating to the Kingdom to come which is topical or national let them look to it whom it concerns for I conceive not that it any otherwise concerns us then as it shall have an Universal Locality upon earth without respect to any Nation or Place in particular as appears to me by the words of our Saviour to the woman of Samaria John 4. 21 22 33. Woman said he believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain or in Jerusalem worship the Father Ye worship ye know not what c. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship in Spirit and Truth c. VVhence I collect that if Place were not essential to the true VVorship of God when Christ first came into the world it will be less essential thereunto at his second coming or to have it limited to a narrower extent then to the whole Earth and all Nations 15. I am not doubtful but that in the last times there will be some extraordinary and eminent transactions and some in the next year after this 1665. and during four or five and thirty years after 1666. in relation to the approaching Kingdom of Christ and to those who have been so many Ages reputed the Off-spring of the Patriarks scattered throughout the world and I believe God will in his own time fulfil all his Judgements threatned for their Apostacies and obstinacies as also his gratious promises made unto their Fore-fathers but when that will be accomplised that or in what manner will be done which is expected concerning the Jews I leave it to Gods good pleasure and unto them to search in what mode it will be who think it concerns them more then I do who am contented with those manifestations which I finde in the Word of God not repugnant to each other or above my understanding There will be such Signs VVonders and Miracles as have been fore-told as also extraordinary preparations by Divine Providence before Christs second Advent which the Elect shall have sufficient means to know and make such use of as most tends to Gods Glory and to preserve them faithful to the end Yet unsafe it may be and an occasion of multiplying needless fears and troubles upon our selves to make such Ideas of Christs Kingdom and Raign upon Earth or such signs of its approach as are not plainly warranted by the VVord of God whose hidden wayes are past our finding out and so much as is revealed will be obscure to them whose unsanctified hearts seek after it in curiosity onely or with more desire to finde them sutable to their own imaginations that they may have somewhat wherein to glory then to make their ways conformable to Gods VVe are much taken with Novelties especially when we our selves first bring them to light and very apt superstitiously to repute things holy or unholy which Have neither holiness or unholiness in them except by our abuse VVe esteem some unholy which are sanctified some other to be holy which have no holiness in them but rather that which is most contrary For Example That is said to be the Holy-land which hath been during many Ages the most accursed of all Lands That to be a holy War which was but a wicked-politick divertisement of Antichrist to prevent the Interruption of his growing Grandeur by the Kings and Princes whom by that Engine he fool'd into an employment far from home That is said to be a holy Nation which hath had a long time no more holiness in it them Judas who betrayed Christ They are invocated and hallow'd as Saints and holy Martyrs who were Traytors both to God and men and whilst they lived not reputed so holy as some of their Neighbours And that Cross whereon our blessed Saviour was crucified is not onely called holy but reputed worthy of Divine honor also and hath many costly buildings dedicated thereunto and the chips of it sold for precious Relicks at dear rates though in truth it is not so holy as the Gallowes at Tibourn because that was intended for the execution of Justice upon Malefactors only though perhaps innocents do suffer thereupon otherwhile while We have many Inventions of our own The Devil hath so many deceitful Wiles also whereby to make false shows that he is promoting Gods VVork with him in every Dispensation that I suspend my belief of new Apparitions until I am fully convinced by a better Light then mine own bearing witness thereunto and therefore have here thrust in such Caveats as came into my heart to be a memorandum both to my self and others believing that whensoever Gods Kingdom comes openly into the world or invisibly into my heart where I feel it to be in some degree it will always evidence it self without delusion For it is the Kingdom of our heavenly Father which we are taught to petition for in this Prayer and nothing like the Kingdoms of this world 16. This is that Kingdom whose coming the Saints have long expected and though I mis-judge not of their so doing who call it the Fifth-Monarchy I think that Title too mean an Appellative in regard it is an Eternal Kingdom having no relation to Earthly Monarchies in respect of their precedency or otherwise but an Absolute Kingdom depending on it self and on him onely who is the Supream King thereof And when it comes into the World it will be little available to those who shall not find it to be in some measure come or so coming into their hearts that they may be made one with it and with the King thereof by Faith and Love This is not a Kingdom like that of the Nations which the Israelites foolishly
the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity and shall be until the King of that Kingdom appears again to personate his distinct Office with the Father and the Holy Spirit who have always an intrinsecal co-operation with him What I further apprehend concerning their joynt-acting in and concerning this Kingdom I will offer to consideration though such speculations may perhaps appear Novelties For sometimes great Fires are kindled by little obscured sparks and my Rush-candle may perhaps occasion the enlightning of many Torches hereafter when my snuff is burnt out There is an Interweaving of many dark expressions in the Apoculypse of St. John concerning this and other sublime Mysteries to him delivered wherein things preceding have relation to things following and some things following to those which precede by way of supplement as I conceive and some also having reference both to what was precedent and subsequent Thus under correction I apprehend and that among such the binding of Sathan for a thousand years is one having respect as well to the restraining of him from setting up his Mystery of Iniquity until the LET should be taken away which was before the Bottomless Pit was opened as a relation unto the time wherein he should be restrained a thousand years from deceiving the Nations after the BEAST the false Prophet and the whole Mystery of Antichristianism should be destroyed by the coming of Christ to personate his Kingship upon earth For it was a thousand years after our Saviours Ascention and after the Roman Empire was at highest and began to decline before the Beast which arose out of it could ascend to his height which consumed all the number of years alotted to that Empire until the Beast last mentioned arose This time was enigmatically presignified by M. the first and greatest Numeral belonging to that Empire the remainder of their Numerals to wit DCLXVI presaged the time alotted to the second Beast the last Relick of that Monarchy mystically represented by that part of Daniel's Image which was composed of Iron and Clay For though I must confess I have no Precedent for what I declare my Judgement to be nor any other warrant but what hath been spoken to my own heart in private I do conceive which I have heretofore published effect upon several occasions that God though it seems they took no notice of it gave that Empire a Mysterious hint in their own Numerals how long it should last after it was at highest both in the main of its first Institution and in that which should arise out of it until the total extirpation thereof branch and root All the said Numerals joyned together in order beginning at the greatest and ending at the least being these M.D.C.L.X.V. and I make one thousand six hundred sixty six The thousand years were consumed before the second Beast which is the Mystery of Iniquity was compleated and then that usurped the whole power of his Predecessor and the remaining Numerals make up DCLXVI which is the number of a Man to wit the Mystical man of sin and will be the whole time limited as I conceive for his wicked Raign after he came to his highest exaltation and as I take it we are to begin to reckon this double number from Christs death and passion or Ascention not from his Birth because the Roman Empire was not at his highest till then and declined not until it had Crucified the Lord of Life And if so we may guess within a short time how long that Mystery may continue if we knew certainly how many years Christ lived upon the earth and if Chronologers have rightly computed preceding times from his Birth till this year 1665 and that time as I have already said may be about four or five and thirty years yet to come I will not so absolutely determine it as once heretofore I did being a little-over heated with Zèal upon occasion given to treat of that time For Christ having intimated that a compleat certainty of it is not revealed to any man in the flesh I wave that peremptory expression though I still believe it will be about that time and perhaps God sometimes permitteth such casual slips when they are not purposed to keep his Children quiet when they desire things before they can be had as we do our Children by suffering them to please themselves with uncertain harmless hopes When the number of the Beast is finished I do believe there will be a space of time in which that which is truely Good shall be as well made known at Evil hath now been almost six thousand years and that the time thereto allotted is that seventh Mysterious Day or Sabbath which the Lord our GOd hallowed when he had finished his six days works and that the Jewish sabbaths of dayes and years were but Types of the great sabbath separated from the other six parts of time and sanctified by GOD for himself and his chosen people to rest in and is called a Day by him with whom A thousand years is but as yesterday it being usual in holy scripture to signifie many years and times consisting of many ages by the denomination of a day or days as in Daniel a time of many Generations then to come by 1335 dayes Dan. 12. 12. and in the Revelation 11 by 1260 days and in the same Chapter by three day and a half and it signifies the whole time of Christs Kingdom upon earth in that place where it is said Abraham desired to see his day and saw it For he fore saw it by Faith 24. Six days of a thousand years apiece as I conceive was alotted for the men of this VVorld to prosecute therein those works which they thought they had to do and were alotted both for their Probation and to acquite as aforesaid that experimental knowledge which was desired by our First-parents And in that space of time both good and evil men who were Vicegerents or Subjects either of the Kingdom of God or of the Prince of this world were permitted to be active for their several Interests according to their distinct inclinations and to pursue them so far forth as that good or evel which was in them would extend But neither the Righteousness which was in the best is sufficient in it self to perfect their desired Kingdom nor the wickedness which is in the worst enongh to establish their Dominion because the restraining power of him who is the Supream Governour of all things would not permit the Adversaries of his Kingdom to be so wicked as they would have been in acting destructively thereunto though the wickedness of their Will wanted nothing to compleat of demonstrate their personal untighteousness of that perfection of Evil which was in them But when the great Sabbaths of years is come in which the supream Kings of both are to manifest and exercise their Powers in another mode then heretofore or at this present to wit during the last thousand years or seventh part of time
we have cognizance thereof or suspect our selves to have been any way faulty VVe shall arrogate nothing to our own endeavours when we have done the best we can but ascribe all the honour and merit of what is performed to our Heavenly Father and Creator his Son our Redeemer and to the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier who are as it were the Triumvirate by whom this Kingdom is governed When we finde these marks upon us the willingness of our hearts will be accepted as a compleat performance of the whole Law and we shall have an undoubting assurance that this Kingdom is in such a measure within us as will ripen to perfection in due time Al this we may finde implicitely contained in those Benedictions recorded in the Gospel with promises annexed by our Saviour to the qualifications there mentioned Matthew 5. 3. c. Blessed are the poor in Spirit for their's is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Blessed are they who are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce then and be glad for great is your reward in heaven so persecuted they the Prophets which were before These are not my words but his even the King of this Kingdom who will make them good and as I said before whosoever shall finde these foresaid marks upon him may be confident that the Kingdom of Heaven is within him The third Petition Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven 1. WHen with perfect assent thereunto in heart as well as in words we can say this Petition our work will soon be at an end for we shall then be called home by our Heavenly Father and there will be no more need of such things as are prayed for in the three following Petitions Let us well consider therefore what we ask for in these words They amount in effect to a true self denial which is the most difficult thing in the world for flesh and blood to submit unto yet may possibly be made easie if it were well considered that it brings with it the greatest advantages that we can Petition or endeavour for by any faculty that we can call our own seeing God who can and doth renew the Will and inclines us thereto when we pray that his VVill may be rather fulfilled then our own hath promised assistance It begins to be easie to a regenerated heart when it knows that GODS Will and Righteousness are one and that our Will and Wickedness also are one as it is meerly our own will and brings us into all the mischiefs which befal both in this world and the world to come if we are swayed wholly thereby In this Petition as in the former we ask together with what tends to Gods glory that which will both prevent our destruction here and procure our eternal happiness hereafter He that knows God as he may do by what he hath manifested of himself and of his goodness toward all Mankinde need never to be afraid to submit his own will to his yea Body Soul and all that is most dear and pretious in his own esteem to be disposed of at his pleasure This knowledge and confidence is ordinarily begotten in most men of understanding by reading and hearing his Word preached but sometimes especially in them whose natural Faculties are defective it is wrought by a spiritual Instinct â—â—isensibly working in the Soul a conformity to the VVill of God which is always the same though to us it seems to change as we are changed He hath not as some say who delude themselves and others by sophisticated distinctions a secret and a revealed VVill contradictory to each other yea so contradictory that they may be rather judged two wills then One This false opinion causes many to be distrustful of Gods good meaning towards Mankinde fearful he will reprobate them when they have done all they can to please him and consequently though they profess the contrary and speak many good words of him blaspheam his goodness imputing that unto him which belongs to the Devil and themselves onely They who make unto themselves such a GOD cannot be better then he and I shall not wonder if they cannot pray heartily that his will may be done 2. To excuse themselves there be some of these who in effect do irreverently say thus unto God in their hearts VVho hath resisted thy VVill Thou knowest that by the sin of our Fathers and by thy eternal Decree of Election and Reprobation the greatest part of mankinde is left in or rather thrown into so sad a depraved condition that we are neither free to will or to do what thou requirest This is impudently to belie and blaspheam GOD For when he said that The seed of the VVoman should break the Serpents head he sanctified the whole humane Nature into a capability of performing so much as he requires absolutely at our hands and hath ever since and will for ever at first or at last so inlighten every man who comes into the world vouchsafing according to his promise such a renewing of the will and such a perpetual co-assistance for askng to perform what shall be accepted for the deed to all them who shall not wilfully malitiously and finally resist his Grace that no deficiency in him can be justly laid to his charge in relation to our misdoings as it will be manifested when all hidden things are discovered at the last judgment Indeed as we are meerly in our depraved Nature we can neither do or will ought that is acceptably good but as we are in grace we may For then to will is freely present with us and our doings perfected by the Merits of Christ yea our misdoings are often by him improved both to his Glory and our Salvation not that we should sin that Grace may abound but that abounding Grace may keep us from sin If we had not a Free will in sufficient measure to do or leave undone to chuse or refuse then were our faculties inferiour to those of beasts which do chuse or leave such means of preservation as are set before them nay were this liberty taken away or quite lost we could not be justly reputed righteous or wicked by our meer personal default in respect of any thing which we will or do or leave undone Wise men do not endeavour to force a Beast to that whereunto he is not naturally inclined much less to that whereunto he hath a Natural Antipathy and destroy him for not doing