Divine Essence both in the Eternal Decrees and in the execution of all f Psal 33.6 joyntly in their order concurred and so g John 5.17 with John 14.10 11 16. will do from Eternity through all Times unto all Eternity Secondly that all the glory of God the Father was by the Eternal Decree to be manifest h 2 Cor. 4.6 Heb. 1.3 Joh. 1.3 4 5. in Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son the Lamb slain in the Eternal Decree of the Father i Rev. 13.8 1 Pet. 1.19 20. before the foundation of the world was laid And according to the said Eternal Decree the holy Ghost k 1 John 5.7 one God co-essential and co-equal with the Father and the Son l John 15.26 proceeds from the Father and the Son the m 1 Tim. 2.5 Mediator between God and Man as the sole n Gen. 11.2 John 14.16 17 26. efficacious Worker and Accomplisher of all spiritual good in and for Angels and Men o Jam. 1.17 all real good in all Creatures which in their several p Exod. 20.11 Orders and Natures they were capable of receiving Thirdly Accordingly in the Creation God made the q Prov. 3.19 Prov. 8.27 28 29 30. World by his Wisdom the Eternal Word John 1. the Spirit sitting as it were upon the surface of the Waters then covering the Earth powerfully to produce the Creatures then to be made and so both the Heavens with the Angels as Divines conceive and the Earth were made the first day Gen. 1.1 as all that were made in the whole World afterward in the five following days which the word Elohim in the plural number put with the Verb Barah in the singular number denoting the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of Essence seems to declare whose concurrence in the making of man is likewise very remarkably exprest when God said Let Us make Man after Our own Image after Our likeness Gen. 1.26 Fourthly The making of r Ephes 1.11 Angels in Heaven and Man and all Creatures in the World was in the execution of the said incomprehensibly glorious Trin-Une-Deity in their several Orders Natures Stations and Conditions Fifthly As no other but the holy and good Will and Pleasure of the infinitely glorious and incomprehensible GOD was the reason and cause why they were all made absolutely as they were so that they should be for Himself as Å¿ Prov. 16.4 his Word witnesseth as their utmost End and no other inconsistent Reasons or Ends ought to be given or assigned by men Sixthly As the t Gen. 1.31 whole Creation was all good suitable to the Author of it so the preserving ordering over-ruling and disposing of all Creatures according to his good Pleasure by his infinite Wisdom Power Providence and Goodness u Rom. 11.33 is not to be measured or judged by any scantling of any created Capacity who will notwithstanding be w Psal 51.4 justified in his saying and clear when he is judged there being in such his proceedings so many fathomless depths in respect of Creatures which it is not lawful for any men to search into further then Gods Word doth warrant them but in things not revealed or forbidden x Deut. 29.29 they are not to enquire Seventhly Since God according to his said Eternal Decree and good pleasure of his will at the Fall of our first Parents in Paradise revealed and testified his wonderful powerful Grace That the blessed Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents Head there is sufficient ground y Psa 51.5 for ever to humble all mankind and z 1 Cor. 15.10 for ever to exalt Gods free and rich Grace therein and a Matt. 11.28 Tit. 2.11 12. all men are thereby engaged to use all GOD's means to obtain their part therein Eightly According to the Declaration of that wonderful rich and free Grace of God for the Salvation of his People and for carrying on his great Design therein As the Father Son and holy Ghost by an Eternal Decree had purposed so to be wonderfully glorified in the powerful Redemption and Salvation of b Rom. 8.28 30 33. his elect People in such a way of free Grace so in the creation of all things all sorts of Creatures were made c Act. 15.18 in a capacity to carry on that Design and from that very period of their first being holily and most wisely over-ruled and disposed of d Psal 119.91 in reference thereunto and so ever since have been are and shall be most wonderfully holily and powerfully though many times secretly and unsearchably throughout all Ages by the joynt concurrence of all the said three Persons of the most sacred Trinity in their order of working e Eph. 1.11 Heb. 6.17 2 Tim. 2.19 John 13.18 to the infallible perfecting and compleating of the said Design Decree and Purpose Ninthly That the f Isa 42.2 1 Pet. 1.19.20 John 3.16 1 Tim. 2.5 mannagement and administration of the great work of Mediatorship between God and Man ever since the said promised Seed was revealed to our first Parents hath been committed to Jesus Christ the Son of God who in his Word commands all men g Mat. 17.5 Luk. 9.35 to hear him h Psal 2.12 1 Pet. 2.6 by acknowledging receiving and obeying him Tenthly That the mannagement and administration of Mediatorship between God and Man hath ever since been executed by Christ in his three great Offices wherein He and he onely is to appear most powerful wonderful gracious and glorious to his Church upon Earth as her great i Act. 3.22 Prophet k Heb. 5.5 6. Priest and l Psal 2.6 King Eleventhly Christs execution of the said three great Offices is two ways to be considered 1. More generally for his universal Church in respect of the m Gen. 3.15 Psal 110.1 Rev. 11.15 several seasons wherein in order he was to execute them severally most eminently until his work of Mediatorship should perfectly be accomplished and n 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20 21. full reconciliation made between God and all his elect People his o 2 Cor. 12.12 27. mystical Body the true Church being compleat in all the Members of it and perfect Union and Communion attained with himself as their Mystical Head together with the p 1 Joh. 1.3 Father and the holy Spirit as also with the glorious Angels and one with another in most happy enjoyment of all Good to all Eternity 2. It is again considerable particularly and specially in respect of every truly believing Soul in the particular application of the efficacy of those three great Offices to them by his holy Spirit making good means and ordinances efficacious to every faithful Soul so exhibiting himself to them q Act. 3.22 as their great Prophet inwardly powerfully and savingly teaching them all necessary Truth and Doctrine secondly r Heb. 7.15 as their great High Priest in the like way evidencing
thereof was dryed up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared Ver. 13. And I saw three unclean Spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the false-Prophet Which three unclean Spirits according to Paraeus may be first those Legati a Latere or Plenipotentiaries sent to Princes 2dly Popish Bishops and Doctors 3dly Priests Jesuites c. by a joynt mission 1. from the Devil the old Dragon by instigation 2dly From the Popes Council of Cardinals and their Associats by advice And 3dly from the Beast himself viz. the Pope by his authorized Commission Ver. 14. For they are the Spirits of Devils working Miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World to gather them to the Battel of the great Day of God Almighty Ver. 15. Behold I come as a Thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Ver. 16. And he gathered them into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon Ver. 17. And the seventh Angel poured out his Vial into the Air and there came a great Voice out of the Temple in Heaven from the Throne saying It is done Ver. 18. And there were Voices and Thunders and Lightnings and there was a great Earthquake such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great Ver. 19. And the great City was divided into three parts and the Cities of the Nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of his Wrath. Ver. 20. And every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found Ver. 21. And there fell upon men a great Hail out of Heaven every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the Hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great That probably this Prophecy hath already begun to take place see further in the second Letter dated the 20th of May 1664. But the latter part of the former Prophecy seems again to be decyphered according to Mr. Mede Revel 14.14 to the end which he conceives may be fulfilled in the utter ruine both of Pope and Turk by an immediate hand of Christ at his coming with his glorious Angels at the beginning of the Thousand years Rev. 20. Which great Destruction is set forth by two resemblances of the ripe Harvest of the Earth and the ripe Clusters of Grapes of the Vine of the Earth by the first namely the ripe Harvest of the Earth he understands the Turk with his Adherents in ver 14 15 16. as follows Rev. 14.14 And I looked and behold a white Cloud and upon the Cloud one sate like the Son of man which description he observes alwayes in the Scripture belongs to Christ having on his head a Golden Crown and in his hand a sharp Sickle Vide Joel 2.13 Ver. 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud Voice to him that sat upon the Cloud Thrust in thy Sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the Harvest of the Earth is ripe Ver. 16. And he that sate on the Cloud thrust in his Sickle on the Earth and the arth was reaped This he understands of the Turks ruine then follows the Popes under the resemblance of the ripe clusters of Grapes of the Vine of the Earth ver 17 18 19 20. Ver. 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp sickle Ver. 18. And another Angel came out from the Altar which had power over fire and cryed with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle saying Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her grapes are fully ripe Ver. 19. And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God Ver. 20. And the wine-press was trodden without the City and blood came out of the wine-press even unto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Thus of the Pope and his Adherents likewise though that last destruction is like to be of both Turk and Pope at once as making up in both the whole mystical Antichrist Dr. Homes as another learned man conceives when they are gathered unto the Armageddon-Battel at the great day of God Almighty as before Chap. 16. for they may both be said to sit in the Temple of God the Turk holding the Land in his possession where the material Temple of God formerly stood keeping out the Jews which shall be converted and possess it and yet holds in part the Old Testament and Circumcision though grosly perverting both the other namely the Pope sitteth where the mystical Temple should be glorious but he hides the glory of it and sets up himself there as if he was God being as it were the one Eye one Arm and one Leg making up one half of the mystical Antichrist as the Turk doth the other according to the said learned Authors illustration Or further saith Mr. Mede The Harvest may denote the destruction of the great City and the Vintage of the ripe Grapes of the Earth may set forth the destruction of the Kingdom of the Beast soon after to follow even as the Vintage followeth speedily after the Harvest which seems to be most probable and suitable to Rev. 19. But a third mystical Prophecie as Mr. Mede again observes seems more fully to set out this last destruction of Antichrist in the utmost latitude as follows Rev. 19.11 to the end of the Chapter which is set down after that excellent description of the Jews Conversion Isai 66.8 when that Nation will be born in a day Ver. 7. when there will be such joy and gladness that that Bride especially hath made her self ready for the marriage of the Lamb yet probably with other Gentiles likewise and after those many Hallelujah's both for that and the destruction of Babylon first by much people vers 1 2 3. then secondly by the four and twenty Elders and thirdly by the great multitude vers 6. but in the seventh verse follows the exceeding joy for the great Grace bestowed upon Gods Israel with other Gentiles coming in at that time saying Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready c. But after all these ver 11. begins a peculiar Vision given to St. John in what a glorious manner Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords would come to destroy those great Enemies at that time formerly mentioned with an utter sudden and irresistable desolation Rev. 19.11 And I saw Heaven opened and behold a white horse and he that sat upon him was called
to whom it will belong as being appointed to them by his Father in his own time namely at Christs appearing Here consider that Christ saith he came not to destroy the Law and Paul saith he established the Law and this is necessary to vindicate this Doctrine from scandal and to warn well-meaning persons that they think not upon seeming-fair pretences of good to attempt to do evil God having revealed that he will set up that Kingdom himself and that only in his own appointed time On the other side saith our Saviour He that breaketh the least Commandment and teacheth men so shall be the least that is none in the Kingdom of Heaven As he answered the mother of Zebedees children Mat. 20.23 It shall be given to them for whom it is appointed of my Father appointed as well for the time when as persons to whom These and the like errors being removed from it I think it may have an honourable and comfortable place in matter of true Christian Faith as containing the best times of the most holy Catholick Church upon Earth that we are to believe or hope for and the excellentest Communion of Saints that we are in this world to expect And likewise that we are now specially by our prayers to labour to promote as God of old directed his People when their time of deliverance from Babylon drewon Jer. 39. Then said he they shall call on me and I will answer c. And when Daniel by Books understood the mind of God therein he set himself by fasting and prayer to seek for and help forward if it might be the accomplishment of such revealed Grace So now also that new Babel is abundantly revealed to God's People to be shortly to be thrown down and the New-Jerusalem much more abundantly revealed in Scripture shortly thereupon to be set up The Faith and Prayer of God's People ought in their sphear to seeks to promote it and I observe the Dutch Notes though by men of different Judgments yet in the Preface of the nine last Chapters of Ezekiels Prophecy apply what is there said to some wonderful Glory of a Jerusalem to come of which the former restoring of the Jews from old Babylon was but a Type Besides I observe many Psalms and many passages in many other Psalms more than I reade in Mr. Archers Book to tend so this way that otherwise as such Prophetical-Scriptures besides seem not to have any probable fulfilling but according to Revelation Interpretation as I may call it which I must acknowledge I never did nor ever was like rightly and groundedly to have understood but according to the tenour of that blessed Book And as Israels coming out of Egypt tended to the actual giving of them after forty years space the possession of Canaan of old so God's Peoples coming out of the spiritual Egyptian Antichristian bondage now approaching tends to bring all God's true Israel into the New-Jerusalem that comes down from Heaven Rev. 20. and is it not a main drift of the most if not of all the petitions in the Lord's Prayer to this purpose for when hath Gods Name been so comparably hallowed in Earth as it is in Heaven as then it will be both by Men and Angels in all he is made known by to his People When wil his Kingdom come with such power to any sutableness in Earth as it is and will be in Heaven but when the Kingdoms of this World are the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 And likewise when at the same time Rev. 19. God's People shall so rejoyce when the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth because as it followeth in the next verse his Bride hath made her self ready And consequently when will the Will of God be done in Earth as it is by the blessed Angels in Heaven but when his Subjects are of most obedient hearts and loyal spirits as they will be under such a prevalent reigning of Christ When may daily Bread this day any day be so comfortably and confidently prayed for and expected as when the particular promises of the greatest confluences of Temporal and Spiritual Blessings are to be fulfilled in their proper season to their best purposes c. When may we with such comfort and confidence pray for forgiveness of our Trespasses this day any day as when our hearts shall witness with us we least allow our sins When shall we be so assured of our own pardon as when our spirits are most free and clear in pardoning others in case they offend against us When can we so confidently pray to be delivered from the evil one and evil works with the consequents thereof this day any day as when Satan shall be known to be bound Rev. 20.3 and many great temptations removed and a very great measure of Grace attained and near Communion with Christ enjoyed in this World Yea and will not the following enforcements of Prayer set down by our Saviour be then most clearly applicable when the Kingdom is most manifestly Gods and the Power both to obtain it at his own time and pleasure and so likewise to retain it appears clearly his and consequently all Glory as his due shall be rendred unto him to all eternity Amen Amen And for the Martyrs and Saints to be raised at the entrance of Christ on this his Kingdom to have their part in the New Jerusalem I had the like thoughts before to what I find in other Authors That they should be in a state such as Christ was in after his own Resurrection while he was not ascended to his Father but when I consider the many Prophesies of all those great things in the Old Testament so confirmed in the New and specially applyed in the Revelation to the New Jerusalem not only by allusion but by application of the Spirit of God and Christ himself in a special manner Rev. 10.7 as he declared to his Servants the Prophets And at that time reward is to be given to his Servants the Prophets Rev. 11.18 and to his Saints and to them that fear his Name both great and small as it follows in the same Scripture And it is of main weight in this point that when the Chorus was set about the Throne Rev. 4.1 2 3. c. when Saint John was to receive the Visions of that Book there is a glorious appearance of God described and the Rainbow round about the Throne as doing all to his Church through the Covenant of Grace through the Blood of Christ his only begotten Son and the seven Lamps burning before the Throne deciphering the seven Spirits or the Holy Ghost with his Gifts and Graces as Rev. 1.4 more clearly in Rev. 5. there is a Book in the Hand of him that sat upon the Throne which none was found worthy to open but the Lamb that had been as it were slain having seven Horns and seven Eyes vers 6. which occasioned the four living Wights and twenty four Elders to sing a
Texts of Scripture seem to me fully to evidence it as first that great Promise That they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn with such a penitent Contrition promised to them in mercy Zac. 12.10 compared with Rev. 1.7 with Even so Amen as a great mercy in its time to be accomplished And from St. Peter's Sermon to the Jews when he tells them That the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord at the restitution of all things shall come when God will send Jesus whom the Heavens must contain till then Act. 3.19 20 21. which the Apostle Paul calls Christs apearing at his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.1 and in Dan. 7. after the little Horn the Pope spoken of before verse 9. the Ancient of Days did sit and in verse 21. the little Horn prevailed until the Ancient of Days came verse 22. which is further explained vers 26 27. And Matth. 24. after the coming of the Son of man was described by the Lightning from one part of the Heaven to the other and after the trouble then to be upon the Earth vers 29. it is said Immediately shall appear the sign of the Son of man which is probably conceived to be Christ himself as a sign then to the whole World and the time seems decyphered verse 24. that that Generation shall not pass namely in that the Nation of the Jews was to remain distinguished from all other People for they have been and will be preserved mostly unmixed with others until the appearing of Christ and as 2 Thess 2.8 Antichrist is to be destroyed at the appearance of his coming So likewise Matth. 23.39 Ye shall not see me till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord implying that then they shall see him And in that Parable up-upon the occasion of the time of the appearing of the Kingdom of God verse 11. having before Chap. 17. compared the days of the Son of man to the days of Noah and Lot which latter of Lot seems to resemble the next appearing of Christ and the former namely of Noah his last coming to Judgement those two days of the Son of man Now as Lot and his Family were sent out of Sodom first before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in that particular destruction so the Faithful shall first come out of Babylon and spiritual Sodom before it be destroyed in that partial destruction though like to be very great and terrible And as Noah and his in the general Deluge were carried by the Ark above the destruction of the old World by Water so in the general conflagration of the World at Christs last coming all the Faithful at their great general change shall be caught up to Christ their safe Ark in the Air above the destruction of the Wicked by fire at the Worlds last destruction and as the Rabbins speak from the Prophet Their strength shall then be renewed like the Eagles and be there with Christ in safety as neither lyable nor capable any more of any such misery I say then in the 11th Chapter he speaks of such a coming vers 13. when he will reckon with such as would nor have him reign over them and with the unprofitable Servant at his coming v. 23. and will have those his Enemies then brought and slain before him vers 27. when he shall receive his Kingdom and return as vers 12. and this Parable was particularly spoken by our Saviour to resolve the mistake of such as thought the Kingdom of the Messiah should then immediately appear vers 11. And many of the Prophers expressions import as much which I shall not now insist upon But for how long and in what manner he may be personally present so as Rev. 1.7 he is said to come with Clouds haply to unvail the brightness of his Glory which otherwise mortal Eyes could not endure I dare not say for as the Apostle Paul speaks he dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto otherwise As no man hath seen him so no man can see him 1 Tim. 6.16 and whether after some time of his appearing personally that expression of the Tabernacle of God its being with men as Rev. 21.3 imports some wonderful Glory and Grace upon the New Jerusalem as upon the Tabernacle of his Grace of old or the Glory of God shining upon it as Isa 60.1 whose Sun and Light setteth not day nor night vers 19 20. by some brightness of Glory and Grace shining upon her continually making glad the City of God when the Lamb shall be her Light as Rev. 21.23 or their beholding of him as Stephen did miraculously at his death sitting at Gods right Hand or in what manner the Ark of Gods Testament shall then be seen when the Temple of God is opened in Heaven Rev. 11.19 with many expressions to like purpose or how long that Resurrectio Justorum shall be in finishing which Mr. Mede in one of his Letters seems to conceive may be a great part of the thousand years and according to their order as the Apostles phrase is first of the Martyrs and most eminent Saints and so of the rest successively concerning which and the like as I am in the dark so I must be silent God in his own time will reveal what he knows best for his People in the mean time there is matter enough of Comfort and Rejoycing in respect of both Quick and Dead in the good and blessed Condition of his Church in the said thousand years upon Earth to all such as so wait upon Christ here as the true Followers of the LAMB Rev. 14. that they may be in a capacity of the Happiness reserved for either sort in those times for which the Holy Scriptures give plentiful Evidence if Men will not hide their Eyes from the Light thereof Thus Christian Friend I have as in a Mirrour briefly being led by the Hand of Divine Providence and assisted by his Grace and Spirit according to his Word endeavoured to set before thee these Materials of the New Jerusalem-Doctrine hoping that hence thou mayest with me have gladness put into thy Heart above what men have when their Corn and Wine and Oyl encreaseth Psal 4. I conclude with this Prayer for Thee and my Self That the Knowledge and Faith of these things may be sanctified dayly more and more unto us and may more and more engage our Hearts unto the LORD to whom all the service of our whole Spirits Souls and Bodies is ever due and in the faithful endeavour therein our labour will never be in vain Many other things I should here have added to like purposes but am now forced to defer them till God may afford some further engaging Opportunity In the mean time let us render unto Him the Glory of all we are or have or do or expect which ever of Right will belong unto His Divine Majesty To Glory's GOD all Glory 's due for aye To Him alone This Due let all His pay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The End 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ERRATA In the Title Page for Aurorum read Auroram pag. 26. l. 7. r. they p. 25. l 4. r. cast up p. 31. l 36 r said wings and l. 40. r. fifth Century p. 32. l. 21. add to be expired
Faithful and True and in righteousness he doth judge and make war Ver. 12. His Eyes were as a flame of fire and on his Head were many Crowns and he had a Name written that no man knew but he himself Ver. 13. And he was clothed in a Vesture dipt in blood and his Name is called The Word of God Ver. 14. And the Armies that were in heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linnen white and clean Ver. 15. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron and he treadeth the Wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God Ver. 16. And he hath on his Vesture and on his thigh a Name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS Ver. 17. And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of Heaven Come and gather your selves together unto the supper of the great God Ver. 18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great Ver. 19. And I saw the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his Army Ver. 20. And the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet happily Mahometan as well as Popish however all Antichristian Enemies that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his image These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Ver. 21. And the remnant were slain with the Sword of him that sat upon the horse which Sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the fowls were filled with their flesh Thus largely is explained this conquest of Christ at the Armageddon-Battel when his Enemies shall eminently be made his Footstool as Psal 110.1 Thus having briefly touched on these three approaching Prophecies out of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or little Book given to St. John to eat up Chap. 10. we shall adde one contemporary with them out of the same Prophecie about the end of the Roman Empire and the entrance of Christ's Visible Dominion in the room and place thereof and of all other being a short abridgment of the Seventh Trumpet which there ends all time Rev. 11.13 And the same hour there was a great Earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell and in the Earthquake were slain of men Seven thousand viz. Men of eminent name or note though haply civilly and the remnant were afrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven Ver. 14. The second Wo is past and behold the he third Wo cometh quickly Ver. 15. And the Seventh Angel sounded and there were great Voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Ver. 16. And the twenty four Elders which sate before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God Ver. 17. Saying We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy Great Power and hast reigned Ver. 18. And the Nations were angry and thy Wrath is come and the time of the Dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to thy Saints and them that fear thy Name small and great and shouldest destroy them that destroy the Earth Ver. 19. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament and there were Lightnings and Voices and Thundrings and an Earthquake and great Hail Now as this last Prophecy with all the former speaks terror to the enemies of God in these latter dayes so much comfort to his faithful People to ensue thereupon as likewise did the fore-mentioned first part of the 19th Chapter And therefore upon both considerations let all such as would approve themselves in the number of wise Virgins seriously consider and diligently enquire into the series and order of these Prophetical Predictions the better to discern the seasonableness of the matter contained in them that so they may be enabled to make a due improvement thereof especially by earnest and faithful prayer which is God's Peoples usual prevailing means for obtaining both the removing of evils and the enjoyment of good as Daniel David Hezekiah and others have frequently by experience found In reference whereunto there are part of two Letters with other Papers hereunto subjoyned The one containing some affecting previous apprehensions concerning the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God Chap. 21.10 The other containing some subsequent serious considerations in reference to the order of Revelation-Prophecies and other things the better to set home such due consideration and improvement thereof which are now so much the more necessary by how much the times of any of their accomplishment may be near approaching the one of the said Letters preceding the other occasionally following a Tract intitled A peaceable Consideration of Christs peaceful Kingdom upon Earth in the thousand Years Rev. 20. under or after the seventh Trumpet Unto which are annexed certain Theses or Positions agreeing to holy Scripture and the Analogy of Faith tending to make way for the Doctrine of the said Kingdom of Christ All being apt to be premised before the said Tract I shall here set down these Theses or Positions agreeing to the Scriptures and Analogy of Faith which hold out the Symmetry and fit proportion suiting with the Doctrine of Christs Kingdom upon Earth from the most general and eminent manifestation of Christs three great Offices of Prophet Priest and King in the three great Periods of the World whence are drawn six Inferences to prove the Kingdom of Christ in the Tract called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THe first thing we named to be done was the laying down of those Theses or Positions agreeing to the holy Scripture and the Analogy of Faith that may make way for Doctrines of this nature Which are these that follow First That as the a Job 11.7 8 9. infinite excellencie of the Nature and Being of the Trin-Une-Deity b Deut 6.4 1 Cor. 8.4 6. 1 John 5.7 Mat. 3.16 17. 28.19 was everlastingly c Psal 145.3 incomprehensible in it self saving onely so far as the same Divine Essence hath been pleased to communicate any discovery of it self by d Exod. 3.13 14 15 16. Exod. 34.6 7. Word or e Psal 19.1 145.10 Rom. 1.20 Works or both unto any Creatures in Heaven or Earth so hath the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the
Now when the Spirit of God as seems probable having set forth the Wrath and Judgment upon the very seat of the former Beast in the seasons of the six first Trumpets both East and West where in their order they fell the greatest part contemporating with Antichrists Tyranny both which should be finished at the beginning of the seventh Trumpet whereby the same Spirit of God seems to lead us by the hand as it were to the borders of Christ's glorious Kingdom upon Earth approaching upon the beginning of the seventh Angels sounding chap. 11. 2d General Prophecy Rev. 10. He then in the little book chap. 10. begins again with the affairs of the Church more especially having set forth God's dispensations in respect of the Empire both while it was Draconized and after it had been Christianized Which little Book when John had eaten up he is told by the mighty Angel of the Covenant that he must prophesie again before Peoples and Nations and Tongues and Kings so that they might have advantage to know these Prophecies had they enquired as he had so prophesied for as it was otherwise of them so it was before them and as he had done it in one respect before namely of the Empire wherein the Church had her being so he should do it again in another respect namely of the Church who had her being there but chiefly under Antichrist in his time where there was another 144000 followers of the Lamb to arise chap. 14. Rev. 11 Therefore after the Table of the Times in part of chap. 11 to ver 15. wherein we may see ver 1. a description of the state of the Primitive Times in ver 2. her state in Antichrists forty two months and ver 3. the true Churches state in regard of the most eminent part of it namely of the Two Witnesses her Pastors their thousand two hundred and sixty dayes of years who should feed the Woman in her Wilderness-condition and stand on Christ's part against Antichrist powerfully and successfully till about the time of finishing their Testimony to ver 7. and then what should befal the Beast upon his last War against the finishing Witnesses upon their Resurrection and Ascention after the Beast had killed them to ver 17. where is the ending of the second Wo and thereupon comes in a short abridgment of the seventh Trumpet containing the great Changes of the Affairs of the World of the Church namely evil to the wicked World but happy to the true Church and this excellent Abridgment seemed needful in regard of the great concernment of all sorts to understand this as of main use to the whole Book Again the foresaid Author faileth in not distinguishing between the first War the Beast makes against the Saints and Servants of Christ wherein he kills and prevails whereupon all the World wonder after the Beast and the second War against the Witnesses which is dismal and fatal to himself as Mr. Mede well observes and hence the said Author reckons the Witnesses slain above an hundred years ago and so passeth without taking notice of the last finishing Witnesses as then counting the Beasts forty two months expired reckoning the Vials in the seventh Trumpet before the second Wo be past or almost any thing of the Beasts ruine begun which work the Angels that have the Vials are to begin and finish as Mr. Mede and others judge upon considerable grounds c. But in chap. 12. Rev. 12 is begun the story of the new Prophecy of the true Church in the Primitive Times which is there represented by a Woman cloathed with the Sun and having the Moon under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars whereby was described the excellency of the Primitive Church of Christ which soon contested with the great red Dragon and his Angels till she by Faith and Prayer obtained the Man-child Constantine the reforming Emperour by whose means God cast down the great red Dragon from his heaven upon earth together with his Angels by which means the Woman had two wings of an Eagle given her to flie into the Wilderness for a time times and half a time but before her flight into that retired hidden condition the Serpent cast out his flood of abominable Heresies chiefly against the Persons of the Holy Trinity by Arrius Eutichus Macedonius and others to have carried her away thereby which took up probably almost an hundred years before her time times and half with Antichrists 42 months took place all which time from Constantine the forementioned Author reckons within the date of the Beast and consequently he ends it as much too soon as may further appear and yet for the Earths opening her Mouth and swallowing up of the Dragons flood of Heresies what he objects against the usual opinion to wit That it was not the incursion of the Barbarous Nations because some of them favoured Arrianism the same might likewise be objected against what he sayes of the visible Professing Rulers to be the Earth then opposing those Errors in many Councils though they favoured Superstition and so might be accounted the Earth but to that might be answered amongst them were many in those times good and Orthodox men about the fourth Century and yet perhaps more fitly it might be applyed to the Bishops of Rome and their party that in those times to get to themselves preheminence did take upon them to end differences in Religion and became in a sort famous thereby getting honour and credit among men thereby and being to be the Beast out of the Earth acting for earthly ends the Earth might be said to help the Woman by withstanding errors against the Sacred Trinity yet promoting superstition c. and so might swallow up the flood Concerning the two Beasts in the thirteenth Chapter Rev. 14. the said Author is very excellent full and clear above any I have seen if he had timed their rising rightly onely he seems to confound the number of his Name vers 17. with the number of the Beast vers 18. whereas the first denotes evidently the remotest sort of Antichrists followers that only may be reckoned or numbred amongst his party which were to be in the last dayes as they are described by the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. when others of the Beasts party come in the latter times which forbid Marriage and command to abstain from Meats c. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. But the number of the Beast vers 18. belongs to the Beast himself concerning the Exposition whereof he giveth a probable conjecture of his many errors as the Sober Guess and others produce many more which learned and industrious men have observed and particularly opposing the Beasts number to the 144000 or the measure of the Holy City and I conceive the considering it as numerus Terminans as Dan. 5. may be more considerable then many think as was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another consideration setting out