are inconsistent with glory in the highest Heaven In like manner the residue of this one and twentieth Chapter shewes that the meaning is not of supernall eternall glory according to former common opinion of divines as ver 9 10. An Angel shewes John the Bride the Lambes wife viz. the great City holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God which cannot possibly be meant of a state in the highest Heaven no Angel need tell John or he us that the Church shall bee seen in that Heaven when there it shall be seen without shewing by all the inhabitants there Nor is this a direct but a crosse phrase to expresse the state of the Church ascended by its descending out of heaven from God The soules of the elect must descend to be united to their bodies on earth there for a time to inherit all things as said afore before their ultimate glory And for that description of New Hierusalem by measures c. from ver 11.22 can it meane the spanning of Heaven or the measures of the place of ultimate glory The parts and particulars are all too short and to no purpose wee beleeve more then all in this Text without this Text doubtlesse this Geometricall and Architectonicall Iconiâ—me or description is taken out of Ezekiel from Chap. 39. to the end of the Book in all the Prophet importing thus much that Gog the enemy of Israel shall be destroyed and they themselves shall bee gathered from their captivity and measures out to them their New Testament estate that it shall be more goodly and glorious then all their Old Testament state and therefore when John hath this given to him in Rev. 21. as an exposition of Ezech. 39.40 41 42 c. Chapters it would be but a darke dreame to apply it to supernall eternall glory which many circumstances forbid for if it be meant of that glory why ver 14. are only the names of the twelve Apostles to be inserted in the twelve foundations and not the names also of the twelve Patriarchs of the twelve Tribes What need was there to tell us ver 11. that the place spoken of here hath in it the glory of God and a light like a Iasper cleare as Chrystall or to minde us ver 17. that the cubits were according to the measure of a man or to warn us ver 22. that John saw there no Temple and for that in ver 23 24. That God and the Lambe are the light of New Hierusalem â—nd they that are sazed shal walke in it and Kings shal bring their glory and honour unto it I aske any ingenuous man whether he can keeping his reason with him apply these things to ultimate happinesse in the highest Heaven Is there a walking or conversation of life in spirituall light Is it not a quiet injoying and beholding the unspeakeable manifestation of Gods speciall presence Doe Kings and Princes there goe and come and bring their honour and glory to heaven Or doe they bring as ver 26. the glory and honour of Nations unto it Thus take altogether quarrell not peecely with this or that fragment but take the whole entirely and then tell me ingenuously whether this one and twentieth Chapter can meane any thing but a glorious state on earth before the ultimate Judgement at which time is rather a destruction then an extruction or building and therefore this Chapter clearly containes the admirable state of the Church of Jewes and Gentiles for the space of that thousand yeares in the twentieth Chapter the exposition whereof is the work now in hand to which we returne § 5 The third passage in this twentieth Chapter of Revelations is that the Saints reigne with Christ a thousand yeares or the thousand yeares This number of yeares is expressed six times in the first seven verses twice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and foure times with an emphaticall Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can any judicious man take this meerly Allegorically and not Historically and litterally Can he upon good grounds make it to signifie lesse then a thousand yeares It is true a thousand yeares in Gods account 2 Pet. 3. in regard of his present knowledge of all things or knowledge of all things as present and his eternall entity before and beyond all things are but as one day but still a thousand yeares are a thousand yeares in themselves how ever they be as nothing in comparison of God But can man make a long time and a short time all one Are a thousand yeares to him but as one naturall day or to the Saints here reigning surely then the Saints priviledge of reigning or the binding of Satan for their sakes will amount to a very small matter Then on the morrow Gog and Magog shall rise against the Saints for at the end of the thousand yeares they shall rise against them Or can any considering man make these thousand yeares to signifie more then a thousand yeares viz. eternity the Scriptures have no such phrase that I know And divers of the Fathers afore the Floud though in a worse life-cherishing state lived within a few yeares of a thousand Is there not a notorious eminent punctum or point of the beginning and period of the ending of these thousand yeares They begin with the fall of Antichrist the destruction of his Army Rev. 19.19 20. and the wonderfull binding of Satan chap. 20. ver 2. And they end with the loosing of Satan and the warre with Gog-Magog Is it possible now that any should referre this to the eternity of supreame glory therefore as ver 4. it must needs be meant of reigning with Christ on earth at least a thousand yeares properly understood as it is expounded Revel 5.10 for all the Saints that are found on earth at Christs next coming never reigned with Christ in heaven and after the last Judgement Christ doth not reigne as Christ but layes downe all 1 Cor. 15.28 § 6 Let us in the next place take some maine particulars of this twentieth Chapter and compare the mystery of the things with the history of times Johns science with our experience and see whether we can make these all hold together unlesse wee understand them of a glorious Kingdome of Christ on earth before the ultimate day of judgement We will cull out but three particulars 1 The resurrection of the Saints vers 4 5. They must so live as the dead wicked that while did not live But the dead wicked did live that while in soule therefore the Saints must live more then so viz. must live that while in soule and body too Againe the Saints must so live at this first resurrection as the dead wicked shall at the second resurrection But the dead wicked shall live in soule and body at the second resurrection therefore the Saints at this first resurrection live in soule and body Let the Reader piercingly weigh the Text and he shall finde these syllogismes little lesse then demonstrations As for the difference
if the Apostle should have said The poore Jewes at present are blind-fold for the generall with a double vaile as afore explained as they are to this day But when they shall bee converted those vailes shal be taken away though to this day they are not Now the Lord is that Spirit and where-ever he is in any of our hearts whether we be Jewes or Gentiles there is liberty liberty of spirituall sight and liberty of Gospel worship freeing us from the numerous burthensome Leviticall considerations and observances and performances so that we doe see Jesus Christ the summe spirit and quintessence of all divine Lawes And or furthermore we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord we are transformed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord or as the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well beares and our Translators assent in the Margin by the Spirit the Lord as if the Apostle speaking of an higher matter would speake in an higher phrase meet to correspond to that matter Now as the two former verses are not yet fulfilled to the Jewes as to conversion so nor is this last to Jewes or Gentiles though converted as to that transformation it here expresseth meaning at the great restauration to which this text hath I conceive a speciall eye § 3 We will argue it first from the coherence of this verse with those going afore which plainly is this that whereas the whole precedent discourse of the Apostle is concerning the generall call of the Jewes from under that universall vayling that was upon them mentioning the liberty they should attaine to which liberty is a word so comprehensive that it is used by the Apostle in part Rom. 8.21 to describe that great state of the restitution of all things the Apostle cannot be conceived to contradict that discourse or to detract from it but rather to heighten it Even as it is agreed on all hands that confesse the generall call of the Jewes that then will be a most glorious time on earth And accordingly the Apostle mentioning afore liberty in the seventeenth verse here in this eighteenth verse he addes to it glory and in relation too unto the Sons of God so as to make up that glorious liberty of the Sons of God which the Apostle gives forth in that Rom. 8.21 as the description of the restitution of all things § 4 Secondly we will argue from the substance of the text scanning it almost terme by terme which though we deny not includes conversion and sanctification by way of a necessary supposition yet it transcends higher into a large prospect of the great Restauration For ¶ 1. There is a great emphasis in the WEE ALL even as the Apostle Rom. 11.26 having said Blindnesse in part is happened to Israel concludes but all Israel shall be saved So here having said ver 13. The children of Israel could not stedfastly looke to the end of that which is abolished now he asserts but we all with open face beholding the glory of the Lord c. are changed c. For it were wonderfully strange if the Apostle wholly discoursing afore of the conversion of the Jewes should make his conclusion an exclusion of the conversion of the Jewes As on the other side as we said the Apostle writing this to the Gentil-Corinthians and at last drawes up all into an ALL WE must needs include all converted Gentiles and so the time of conversion of the generality of both must imply a glorious time according to all the Prophets afore opened ¶ 2. Although the word to behold be in the present tence yet it is in a participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beholding noting a continuance of time and action in that time and so in effect signifies a future Even as in common speech in our and other vulgar Languages wee expresse a future by a present v. g. we are now say we miserable but dying in the Lord we are happy ¶ 3. Beholding as in a glass The Greek is all but one word expressed immediatly afore to signifie beholding and beholding in a glasse and therefore seeing our Translators were pleased to be so over-punctuall in following the composition of the word so close the Apostle intending only an open cleare sight as the next words with open face shew as the use of the word is to signifie the apprehending of a thing with a full imagination they might have dealt fairely to have expressed what glasse the composition of the word signifies which is there as much expresse as glasse for surely glass is not here intended as a sight-darkning glasse as a glasse window is some darkening to our eye in looking through to the object Cant. 2.9 but a light reflecting or a bright-representing yea lively presenting glasse as Spectacles Perspectives and Looking-glasses manifest the object more plainly And if we should pursue the Metaphor in the notion of a Looking-glasse which is most ancient and more to the proper Idiom of the composition of the word it would rather brighten then obscure the state the Apostle meanes and we expect for first a Looking-glasse infallibly supposeth the person neerly present 2. It represents the person plainlier 3. By reflection and refraction it makes all shining glory as that of the Sunne Fire Diamonds c. the more to returne their radiation upon us with a sparkling glare All which notably suit to set forth Christs presence and our extraordinary beholding of him in the time of the Churches glory on earth as the cause thereof We cannot see then perhaps the Deity immediatly but we shal then Behold that Suu of the God-head Psal 84. 11. in the glorious Body of Christ as the Apostles phrase is as in a Chrystall Lantern If Moses face so shone by his standing forty dayes and nights under the beames of a vision of God Exod. 34.29 how much more gloriously shall the Body of Christ radiate not only by his presence with God in the utmost glory above one thousand six hundred and fifty yeares but principally by his Hypostaticall union with God himselfe the time being then fully come for him fully to radiat Malac. 4.2 according as his transfiguration had prefaced Matth. 17. how glorious it should be If Stephens elevated soule through the operation of God saw he being now on earth the Sonne of God in heaven standing at Gods right hand to give way whereunto the heavens were made to open and Stephens face appeared like the face of an Angel Acts chap. 6. chap. 7. how gloriously shall Christ shine and we be radiated upon into a glorious aspect and hue or unto transformation into glory at the time wee contend for At present we see darkly through the glass of materiall Ordinances and the dimme eyes of imperfect and mixt graces 1 Cor. 13.12 though in comparison of Moses vailed God may be said now as in 2 Cor. 4.6 to shine upon our HEARTS in the
distinct as that the Apostle makes them opposite 2 Cor. 5.7 Heb. 11. oft Therefore every eye seeing him cannot signifie a sight of faith onely There needed not any expression of EYE or of his being in the Clouds to signifie a sight by faith Wee can now see him in Heaven by faith It is a question whether every eye that is said here to see him shall at first sight see him by faith For EVERY EYE must see him and ALL KINDREDS of the EARTH shall mourne Sure his Antichristian enemies generally shall not see him by faith whom he destroyes at his coming Rev. 19. last 2 Thess 2. to make way for the reigning of the Saints Rev. 20. EVEN SO AMEN John did believe saw Christ by faith but for that sight of him in the Clouds to be visible to him and all the Kindreds of the earth he prayes and raiseth up his faith with an hearty Amen that so it shall bee So that by all these things it is most evident that of a time and state following Christs Ascention John speakes here Nor on the other side can this Revel 1.7 bee understood of the ultimate day of judgement 1. Because it is the same with Zech. 1.10 and so for the same reasons cannot bee meant of that day of judgement 2. Because this is set here as the maine and generall Proposition to the Book of the Revelation in which the Master-peece is to set forth Christ to come and set up his Church into a most glorious estate on earth before the day of judgement as wee shall see abundantly afterwards and to make her reigne with him on earth 3. It were very incongruous for John in the last clause of verse 6. to applaud Christs DOMINION as to continue FOR EVER that is while times and ages last as the Greek imports and in the next breath in the first clause of the seventh verse to say he cometh to make an end of his Dominion For the ultimate day of judgement is the last act of Christs Dominion which done Christ layes downe all his Dominion that God may bee all in all 1 Cor. 15.24.28 Wee may not imagine such incoherencies in Johns expression now most eminently filled with the Spirit Therefore I must needs conclude that there is no such likely time of such an eminent coming of Christ and appearing to his Church as this at the time of Restitution of all things Something of this place will be more plain by that in the next Section § 4 But before wee come to that let us collate and lay together the two precedent places of Zech. 12.10 and Revel 17. and out of both containing the same sense and in the same words let us draw this argument as the summe of both Zechary the Prophet and John the Apostle both prophesie in the aforesaid places of one and the same personall appearance of Christ visibly to the eyes of men on earth after his Ascention But this cannot bee understood of his appearance at the ultimate generall judgement because they speake of his pouring out of grace and giving repentance to the families of the Jewes and of his Dominion thence to continue for many ages to the ultimate end of the world Therefore the said visible appearance of Christ is yet to bee before the ultimate day of judgement Which when should it bee but at the conversion of the Jewes and the throwing downe of his apparent obstinate Antichristian enemies as the circumstances of the said places before hinted doe cleerly evince SECT III. OF THE third PLACE OF SCRIPTURE for Christs Personall Appearance at the great Restauration of the Church viz. Matth. 24. v. 30. And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory § 1 OBserve distinctly every clause and word 1. Then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man that is the Sonne of man shall appeare for a signe that great things are at hand as it followes in this verse they shall see the sonne of man and mourne 2. The signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven He was before in the highest third Heaven but now in the lowest first Heaven namely of the Clouds as it follows also in this verse 3. And then shall all the TRIBES of the EARTH intimating Jewes as well as Gentiles mourne Why They shall see the Sonne of man that is as man How mourne Doubtlesse Christ meanes as Zechary meant and John meant namely the Jewes with godly repentance and his obstinate open enemies with desperation for the ruine that is coming upon them 4. Coming IN the Clouds or UPON the Clouds See now what was Johns meaning Rev. 1.7 when he said Christ should come WITH the Clouds To this matter with and in is all one And which is considerable our New Translators concur with us as by quotation in the Margin to make this and Rev. 1.7 to be parallel places tending to the same thing § 2 Now Christ spake this before his Ascention and going away above the clouds Therefore it must needs be that this must bee fulfilled after he hath attended above the Clouds Then and not till then will it be rightly said and properly fulfilled that he comes in the Clouds So the Angels at Christs Ascention Act. 1. After that in v. 9.10 He was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight the Disciples looking stedfastly towards heaven as he went up they say unto them This same Jesus which is TAKEN up from you into heaven shall SO COME It must needs be improper to say he shall COME IN the Clouds before hee be gone above the Clouds Before hee came at incarnation in the Virgins wombe and in a Manger But now after his Ascention above the Clouds hee shall come in the Clouds § 3 Nor can this his coming and appearance in the Clouds be here understood of his coming at the ultimate day of judgement because of that but foure verses after namely v. 34. which Christ affirmeth with grand asseveration namely Verily I say unto you THIS GENERATION shall not passe till ALL THESE things bee fulfilled And then hee seales it and binds it up in the next verse viz. v. 35. Heaven and earth shall passe away but my words and particularly those words aforegoing shall not passe away A seale doth sometimes represent the Writer as well as the words of the writing This doth something also explaine the former passages of this Chapter That heaven and earth shall passe at Christs coming that is in quality not in substance saith Oecumenius on the 21 of Revel there shall bee a new heaven and a new earth the old passing away as Isa 65.2 Pet. 3. Rev. 21. but Christs word for his Personal appearance to his people before the ultimate day of judgement shall not passe For this appearance of Christ in the
and he shall be to me a SONNE But when AGAINE to give it you as afore in termes and order of words close to the Originall * Thus Arias doth order them When the Apostle would say And againe he saÃd in verse 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in this sixth verse he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which last word is in the second Aâ—rist in the subj mood which sounds future and so the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But againe He SHALL bring his first begotten Sonne into the INHABITED world he saith let all the Angels worship him The sense is obvious That God never owned any one of the Angels to be his only first begotten Sonne but when againe he shall bring his first begotten Sonne into the world he hath given command that all the Angels shall worship him as his only begotten Sonne That this text speakes of Gods bringing his first begotten Sonne againe into the inhabited world now after Christs ascention when the Apostles wrote that we have afore largely discussed Book 3. chap. 2. Sect. 4. § id est sectiuncula 4. I only adde be heedfully mindfull of the Apostles expression in the future now after Christs coming in the flesh and that after the generall Iudgement Christ as Christ shall lay downe all his dominion over Angels and men and therefore it must be of some middle time between our present generation that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered here Angels must give Christ whiles he is Mediator a more ample and apparent homage then ever they have done according to the glorious state of Christ and of things at that time on earth 3 ¶ For this place of the Hebrewes Let all the Angels of God worship him is quoted by the Apostle out of Psal 97.7 which word for word according to the Hebrew * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Bow downe to him all yee Gods which as we said afore comprehends as all Angels so all Kings Potentates and Magistrates called by God himselfe Gods Psal 82. ver 1. ver 6. and so applied by Christ Joh. 10.34 Jesus answered them Is it not written in your Law I said YEE ARE GODS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he called them gods to whom the Word of God came c. And indeed they can properly bow or crouch downe as the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precisely signifie as the Angels can doe it only vertually And on the other side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angel is oft used in Scripture to signifie eminent men in Office Mal. 4.1 Rev. chap. 2.1 chap. 2. chap. 3. But granting that the Apostles designe being to prove Christ to be above Angels doth render the Hebrew Text according to the Septuagint Greek then a common Translation in frequent use throughout the world since the late Greek Monarchy over all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship him all yee his Angels yet this is as true that as the Apostle closeth that his discourse in that first of Hebrews with a touch of Christs future dominion over all Angels and men on earth saying To which of the Angels said he at any time quoted out of Psal 110. sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole so that 97. Psalm doth really include and intend our position in hand viz. Christs visible glorious Kingdome over all the world yet to come For in the first verse of that 97. Psalm it is said The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof Or the Lord reigning the earth SHALL rejoyce and the many Islands SHALL * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be glad ** 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This LORD is Christ as the Apostle applyes it Heb. 1.8 9. Now Christ had reigned in his ordinary providence and power from the creation to the Psalmists time c. as appeared in overthrowing his and his peoples enemies and preserving his people in the flood in the fire on Sodome in his miracles in Egypt Wildernesse and the Red-sea in his victories over the several Nations in Canaan c. And after the last judgement it is improper to say Christ reignes in glory 1 Cor. 15.28 And Christ never yet so reigned as is described in this first verse of this 97 Psalm That ALL the EARTH without limitation shall rejoyce at that his reigning and the multitude of Isles shall be glad By Isles according to an ancient usuall Hebraisme and Jewish phrase is meant all the Nations of the GENTILES Isa 41. v. 1. Keep silence before me O ISLANDS and let the PEOPLES or NATIONS renew their strength * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And v. 5. The Isles saw it and feared and the ENDS OF THE EARTH were afraid Chap. 42. v. 4. The ISLES shall wait for his Law and so nine times in this Prophet three times in Jer. 9. times in Ezek. in Zeph. once viz. Chap. 2. v. 11. The Isles of the Heathen or Gentiles * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Gen. once Gen. 10.5 The Isles of the Gentiles The reason of the phrase is because the Jews dwelling in the continent of Asia they counted all the world Islanders that were divided from them by the Mediterranean Sea Whence is that phrase of Isles of the Sea Ester 10.1 Ahasuerus laid a taxe or tribute upon the land and upon the ISLES OF THE SEA And Isa 24.15 Glorifie the name of the Lord God of Israel in the ISLES OF THE SEA And Ezek. 26.18 Now shall the Isles tremble in the day of thy fall yea the ISLES THAT ARE IN THE SEA shall be troubled yea to make all yet plainer it is twice said viz. Jer. 2.10 Ezek. 27.6 The Isles of Chittim By which Chittim is oft understood the Roman Monarchy as Dan. 11.30 for one instance So that according to this sense of this 97 Psame vers 1 All the world of Jewes and Gentiles must be glad and rejoyce at the reigning of Christ as it follows in the sixth verse The Heavens declare his righteousnesse and ALL the people see his glory ALL without exception which two clauses cannot be aptlier applyed and expounded then by that Rev. 1.7 Rev. 20.1 Rev. 21.1 Christ comes in the clouds and every eye shall see him Christ as the great Angel descending from heaven binding Satan and causing his Saints to reigne on earth New Jerusalem a New Heaven and a New Earth being brought downe from Heaven wherein as Pet. 2 Ep. 3. chap. enlargeth dwelleth righteousnesse But ALL PEOPLE yet never saw that his righteousnesse and glory ALL the gods as in v. 7. all Kings and Princes Potentates Magistrates and Powers never yet worshipped him as Christ but generally in all ages from the Creation to this day have opposed him as such both of Jewes and Gentiles 4 ¶ But all must ere the last judgement either sincerely or seemingly worship him Psal 22.27 28 29. which Psalme is concerning
Christ but anon Arianisme arose then Papisme mounted up then the Beast did arise The Church is put into a Wildernesse-condition the witnesses prophesie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty yeares which are not yet expired for they have not yet laine dead in the Grave three dayes and an halfe 5 ¶ Nor is that in the 18 19 20. verses yet fulfilled That all Idols are abolished that God hath so shaken the earth that he hath made the inhabitants thereof to cast away all their Idols and to hide themselves for feare The Territories of the Papacie extending over France Spaine Italy part of the Low Countries part of upper Germany part of Polonia part of the Indies c. are full of Idols and doe openly worship them as they say in the sight of the Sunne The great shake of these is not till the Witnesses have laine dead in the Grave three dayes and an halfe Revel 11. and then is the great fall ibid. ver 11. and when those things are shaken downe then the things that cannot be shaken viz. pure worship purely Spirituall and pure Saints shall remaine unmoved Heb. 12.27 § 6 Nor can it be rationally imagined that these things shall not be done till the ultimate day of the generall Judgement for then there is no time of establishing of the mountaine of the Lords house upon the top of the mountaine no proceeding of the word out of Zion no running and hiding from the presence of the Lord for the Sea and Grave c. shall give up their dead And all good shall be turned into an eternity of absolute glory Therefore the time of fulfilling of the Prophesies and Promises of this second of Isaiah is yet to come afore the ultimate day of the last generall Judgement * The Diatribae pars 4. of Mr. Mede lately coming forth and come to my hands since I penned this eleventh Section I thought it convenient to insert into the Margine at least his judgement of this second of Isaiah ver 2 3 4. which I will give you in his owne words HILS or MOUNTAINES saith he are States Kingdomes or Societies of men which consisting of degrees rising unto an height one above another are compared unto Mountaines raised above the ordinary plaine and levell of the earth The MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE is that State and Society of men which is called the Church and People of God REGNUM CAELORUM the Kingdome of Heaven i. e. a Kingdome whose both King and Kings Throne have their place and residence in the Heavens These words therefore are a Prophesie or Propheticall promise of the GLORIOUS EXALTATION WONDERFULL ENLARGMENT and UNHEARD-OF-PROSPERITY of this Society of men called the CHURCH above all States and Societies of men whatsoever The glory and EXALTATION is expressed in the word THE MOUNTAINE OF THE LORDS HOUSE SHAL BE ONE DAY EXALTED yee mounted not only above the lesser hill but above the highest mountaine though at this time it were depressed and trampled under foot by the proud enemies thereof The ENLARGMENT is in the word ALL NATIONS SHALL FLOW INTO IT i. e. though at the time of this Prophesie it were reduced to a small remnant yet the time was to come when it should not only consist of one Nation of the Jewes as then it did but of all Nations under the whole Heaven The PROSPERITY thereof begins to be described from these words ver 4. THEY SHAL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOW-SHARES c. i. e though the greatest part of JACOB were already captive and Judah and Jerusalem in a continuall feare and no lesse danger of the Armies and invasion of the King of Babel yet the time should one day come that the People or Church of God should not only be the most exalted state upon the earth and the most ample and universall Dominion that ever was in the world but the most peaceable quiet and flourishing State that ever was since man was FIRST CREATED This is the Prophesie But now comes the Question Whether this as we have described it be and hath already been fulfilled or whether if already any wayes fulfilled whether it be not in part only performed and the full accomplishment reserved for time to come c. For here the Church is to be established on the tops of Mountaines c. so that no other State shal over-top or over-looke it much lesse trample it under feet Now whether there was ever such a time when this was compleatly fulfilled c. I leave it to any mans indifferent judgement who can compare the description of the Prophet with the stories of fore past and present times In the times immediatly after Christs PASSION I think any man will grant the Church then was neither VISIBLE nor GLORIOUS In the time of the PERSECUTING EMPEROURS when the Church had taken foot among the Gentiles and the Nations began to flow unto it it was a Society indeed VISIBLE but not GLORIOUS I am sure it was not in the TOPS of the MOUNTAINES but the Imperial Mountaine of ROME not only over-topped it but over trampled it under their feet In the time of CONSTANTINE and thereabouts after three hundred yeares cruell persecution the Sunne seemed as it were to breake forth of a Cloud but presently that glory was eclipsed and even the visibility of the Church in a manner covered with the thick and a Universally overspreading cloud of ARYANISME This ARIAN cloud was no sooner blown over but another great cloud of that fore-prophesied APOSTASIE of the Church begun to arise whereby the Churches glory was not onely eclipsed but at length againe the visibility thereof wholly overshaddowed with the thick darknesse of Idolatrous ANTICHRISTIANISME untill after a long day of darknesse it pleased God of late somewhat to dispel the cloud c. and we hope when the cloud shall be wholly consumed by the beams of the Sun of the Gospel the Church shall become not more visible then yet it is but far more glorious then ever hitherto it hath been WHEN THE FULNESSE OF THE GENTILES as St. Paul speaks SHALL COME IN. For we shall finde in the Prophesies of the Scriptures that there are two sorts and times of the CALLING OF THE GENTILES First that which should be in the REJECTION OF THE IEWS as St. Paul saith to PROVOKE THEM TO IEALOUSIE Such a calling as should be in a manner occasionall that God might not want a Church the time the Iewes were to be cast out So Rom. 11.15 The CASTING AWAY OF THE IEWS is the RECONCILING OF THE WORLD i.e. The CALLING OF THE GENTILES Whence we may see that the Apostles were not to preach Christ to the Gentiles untill being first offered to the Iewes they refused him And this is that calling of the Gentiles which hitherto hath been many yeares But there is a second and more glorious calling of the Gentiles to be found in the Prophesies of Scripture not a calling as this is
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usurpatum de Solâ—o invenies apud Chald parâ—p Jerem. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi in Hebr. est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely for the Senators to sit upon not throwne down as we of late have it And the ANCIENT OF DAIES Pater Consistorii did sit c. and subaudi I BEHELD TILL THE JUDGEMENT WAS SET that is the whole Sanhedrim and the books were opened Here we see both the forme of judgement delivered and the name of judgement expressed which is afterwards twice more expressed 1. In the amplification of the Tyranny of the WICKED HORN ver 21 22. which is said to bee continued TILL THE ANCIENT OF DAIES CAME and judgement was given to the Saints of the most High i. e. Potestas judicandi ipsis facta And the second time in the Angels interpretation verse 26. But the JUDGEMENT SHALL SIT and they shall take away the dominion to consume and to destroy to the end Where observe by the way that cases of DOMINION of BLASPHEMY and APOSTASY c. belonged to the jurisdiction of the great SANHEDRIM From this description it came that the Jewes gave it the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Day of Judgement And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The day of the great Judgment Whence in the Epist of Jude v. 6. it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the judgement of the great Day From the same description they learned that the destruction then to bee should be BY FIRE because it is said verse 9. His throne was a FIERY FLAME and his WHEELES BURNING A fiery streame issued and came forth before him And ver 11. The Beast was slaine and his body destroyed and given to the BURNING From the same fountaine are derived those expressions in the Gospell where this day is intimated or described THE SON OF MAN SHALL COME IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN The son of man shall come in the GLORY OF HIS FATHER WITH HIS HOLY ANGELS as it is said here thousands ministred unto him c. And that Daniel saw one like the sonne of man coming with cloudes of Heaven and he came to the ancient of Daies and THEY brought him or placed him neare him c. Hence St. Paul learned THE SAINTS SHOULD JUDGE THE WORLD because it is said that MANY THRONES WERE SET and ver 22. by way of exposition JUDGEMENT WAS GIVEN TO THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH Hence the same Apostle learned to confute the false feare of the Thessalonians that the day of Christs second coming was then at hand because that day cannot be till the MAN OF SIN WERE FIRST COME and should have reigned his APPOINTED TIME for as much as Daniel had foretold it should bee so and that his destruction should bee at the SONNE OF MANS APPEARING IN THE CLOUDES whose appearing therefore was not to bee till then This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Paul the appearance or brightnesse of his coming Which man of sin saith he Christ shall destroy at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appearance of his coming Daniels wicked HORN or the BEAST acting in the wicked horn is St. Pauls MAN OF SIN But to go on whiles this Judgement sits and when it had destroyed the FOURTH BEAST the sonne of man which comes in the cloudes receives DOMINION AND GLORY and A KINGDOM THAT ALL PEOPLE NATIONS and LANGUAGES SHOULD SERVE and OBEY HIM ver 14. which KINGDOM is thrice explained afterwards as ver 18. These foure BEASTS saith the Angell are foure KINGS which shall arise But viz. when they have finished their course the Saints of the most High shal take THE KINGDOME Againe verse 22. The wicked Horne prevailed UNTILL THE TIME CAME THAT THE SAINTS POSSESSED THE KINGDOME Againe verse 27. when the fourth Beast reigning in the wicked Horne was DESTROYED THE KINGDOME and DOMINION and the GREATNES OF THE KINGDOME UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN SHALL BE GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH c. These grounds being laid I argue as followeth The Kingdom of the son of man and of the Saints of the most high in Daniel begins when the great Judgement sits But the Kingdome in the Apocalyps wherein the Saints reign with Christ a thousand yeares is the same with the Kingdome of the sonne of man and Saints of the most high in Daniel Therefore it also begins at the great Judgement * Mr. Mede saith not at the ultimate generall Judgement but at the great Iudgement speaking as Daniel and other Scriptures aforesaid and the Hebrew Rabbins calling al the thousand years the great judgement And the begâ—nning of them the beginning of the day of judgement See after at the next ☞ That the Kingdome in Daniel and that of the thousand years in the Apocalyps are one and the same Kingdome appears thus First Because they begin ab eodem termino from the same terme at the destruction of the fourth Beast That in Daniel when the Beast then ruling in the wicked horne was slaine and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame Dan. 7 ver 11.22.27 That in the Apocalyps when the Beast and false Prophet the wicked horne in Daniel were taken and both cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Apocal. 19.20 21. Secondly Because Saint John begins the Regnum of the thousand yeares from the same session of judgement described in Daniel as appeares by his parallell expressions borrowed from thence Daniel sayes chap. 7. Ver. 9. I beheld till the Thrones were pitched downe and the Judgement i. e. judices the Judges set Vers 22. And judgement was given to the Saints of the most high St. John sayes chap. 20. Vers 4. I saw thrones and they sate upon them And the Saints possessed the Kingdome viz. with the Sonne of Man who came in the cloudes And judgement was given unto them And the Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Now if this be sufficiently proved that the thousand years begin with the day of judgement ☜ it will appear further out of the Apocalyps that the Judgement is not CONSUMMATE TILL THEY BE ENDED For Gog and Magogs destruction and the UNIVERSALL RESURRECTION is not till then Therefore THE WHOLE THOUSAND YEARES IS INCLUDED IN THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT Hence it will follow that whatsoever Scripture speakes of a Kingdome of Christ to be at his second appearing or at the destruction of Antichrist must needs be the same which Daniel saw should be at that time and so consequently be the Kingdome of the thousand years which the Apocalyps includes between the beginning and consummation of the great Judgement Therefore that in Luk. 17. vers 20. to the end where the Pharisees demand of Christ when the Kingdome of God should appeare And Christ answers that it comes not with observation but as the lightning that lightneth out of the one part under heaven shineth unto the other c.
shall not If we might be tempted this were not a sorrowlesse condition It was a part of Christs great humiliation that he was tempted though he could not be prevailed against If wicked men the instruments shall not be neer to tempt them then nor Satan the Author So the Text Rev. 19. The wicked are removed Chap. 20. Satan is removed bound up that he should not seduce the Nations any more which phrase would be weighed more then it is I have before shewed in our answer to Doctor Prideaux That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies any the least temptation And now I adde that for ought I know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may fitly be rendred Satan shall not to that end wander up and downe among the Nations The Greek may beare it And the context speaks for it For were all those expressions and acts sc laid hold on and bound him cast him into the pit and sets a seale onely to that end that he might not seduce If God had onely laid his command it had been enough to restrain his acting as when Christ commanded him out of the possessed Rather therefore the meaning is that hee might not have so much as the liberty to peragrare Gentes to wander up and downe over the Nations It must not be with him as in the dayes of the Churches afflictions Job 1.7 and 1 Pet. 5.8 Now he is held chained cast down sealed that he may not wander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the active is to wander as planets that compasse the Earth And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the middle voice signifies to wander from place to place viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Criticks give instance obire multa loca to travel over much ground And Christ saith Now is the houre of temptation and the Kingdome of patience Then the Kingdome of perfect peace purity and exultation Rev. 11. Rev. 20. Rev. 21. The Serpent then shal only eat his dust Isa 65.25 in opposition to Gen. 3.14 And the devill that abused his body shall be shut up Now shall be fulfilled that promise Rom. 20.16 The God of PEACE mark Gods title shall tread Satan under your feet c. Now that Satan is in the pit he must be under their feet while the Saints stand on their feet on earth Satan must be under them As all things under Christs feet Heb. 2. As for Satans utter prevailing that was subdued when the Apostle spake those words For this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.8 Observe it is said works c. therefore now Satan himselfe must be under their feet as that text speaks Rom. 16.20 now is to bee fulfilled perfectly that Heb. 2.8 c. All must be subject to Christ And he must destroy death AND HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH WHICH IS the Devil verse 14. So that that time that is a Deathlesse condition is a Devil-lesse a Satanlesse time And as in Rev. 20.7 the letting loose of Satan and Satans tempting go together so by an Antithesis Satans binding and his Non-tempting goe together verse 3. Indeed it is said so frequently in the Revelation that at the seventh Trumpet at this first Resurrection when Christ reigns and the Saints with him on Earth that their businesse shall be to joy praise triumph and sing Hallelujahs Rev. 5. Rev. 7. Rev. 14. and Rev. 19.5 or six times in the beginning of that Chapter that it cannot enter into the thoughts of the purest reason that there should be any sad songs of Satan sung to the ears of a Saint Sin and temptation are more sad then death to a Saint and therefore if the lesser sorrow and death shall be gone at this time then much more temptation If nothing that defileth shall enter into this state then not the unclean spirit as Christ calls him O glorious time when there shall be no disposition within nor temptation without to sinne but so full of God and happinesse in manifestation of Christ that there shall be no thoughts but in relation to him The souls of the Elect shall not returne to their bodies to be tempted that were their losse And the living Saints are changed therefore to a state of grace beyond that now which at present is liable to Temptation SECT VI. The next Quality is the RESTAURATION OF ALL THE CREATURES AS Isa 65.17 it is said there must be New Heavens sc a New Church-state so a New Earth a New naturall politick state of persons and things For there is mention of plantings and injoying of them And verse 25. of the Wolfe dwelling with the Lamb c. and that dust shall be the Serpents meat no devouring or hurting So the close They shall not destroy nor hurt in all the holy Mountaine Of this of the Wolfe c. we spake once afore largely on Isa 11.6 7 8 9. which Lactantius takes litterally See before and after the Text it is intended for the time we speake of And the reason of all is For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Knowledge signifies oft all spirituals and here imports that there shal be such an abundant manifestation of Gods presence that all whether taken litterally or metaphorically shall be as in Paradise before Adams fall So Psal 8. makes Gen. 1.26 A Prophesie or Type or both of what man shall injoy in after times And Heb. 2. applies Psal 8. to the time we speak of And Heb. 4. applies Gods resting the seventh day to a Sabbatisme on earth yet to come So the 2 Pet. 3. and Rev. 21.1 apply the New Heavens and New Earth to the said time and call it the New Jerusalem comming downe from God out of Heaven And the addition to the glory of this New Jerusalem shall be a lustre of all creatures materials of building shall be like all manner of precious stones and men shall be like Angels Kings honouring the Church No sea sc to devoure but adorn and comfort man if it be not in a great part crusted into a chrystal body like heaven above consolidated for men to travel upon and come together and to shine to adde an inlightning to the earth for more glory Adde to all this that of Rom. 8.18 As vox naturae THE VOYCE OF NATURE for our point full to our purpose though it may be not heeded for this purpose For Peter gives us a good item when being about to speak of the New Heavens and New Earth 2 Pet. 3. He tels us in v. 3. That before that shall be scoffers and slighters of this opinion of Christs comming they will be as heedlesse as men were before the renovation of the world by Noahs flood Chap. 2. And then having spoken of the New Heavens c. according to Gods promise verse 13. then in the 14. verse he exhorts men to be diligent to bee found blamelesse
glory as the Objecters grant Well if the Saints were now corporally dead immediately before these thousand yeeres then the REST of the dead the dead wicked also were then dead corporally to which the context speakes further saying they lived not againe now this thousand yeers as they lived againe at the end of the thousand yeers vers 12. at which time the Text is plaine they lived againe corporally Why then doe any doubt in the least to understand that the Saints said to bee alive these thousand yeers by way of Anthesis and Emphasis for distinction from and prelation and priviledge beyond and above the rest of the dead wicked ones are alive corporally The Saints are really alive in body in the thousand yeers as really as the rest of the dead wicked are dead in body before and in the thousand yeeres and alive in body after the thousand yeeres are ended The Rest imports a remnant of the same lumpe or a kinde of the same generall The Lumpe or Generall is that many are dead both Saints and wicked afore the thousand yeeres began But when the thousand yeers were begun all the one kinde viz. the Saints then found alive and all the dead Saints raised to life reigne with Christ of which by and by but the Remnant or other kinde of the dead viz. all the dead at the beginning of these thousand yeeres whereof thousands were newly killed for their opposition against the Saints in the last verse of the nineteenth Chapter immediately afore lived not again all the said thousand yeers but still lay corporally dead as the Saints were corporally alive no Satan to molest them all that while as formerly 9. For that also is deeply to bee meditated in relation to the particular in hand That it is evidently added as an improve ment of the Saints condition these thousand yeeres of which wee speake that Satan is bound all that thousand yeeres v. 2. â—hat he should not deceive noâ— stirre up the Nations against the Saints till the thousand yeers were expired v. 3. v. 7. Now if the true meaning of the Saints living a thousand yeeres were the glorious condition of their SOULS IN THE HIGHEST HEAVEN what need was there in the least of any mention of chaining up Satan and from deceiving the Nations and just to that thousand yeers the Saints if in glory that thousand yeers being farre above the reach of Tumultuating Nations yea and Tempting Devils 10. But in as much as it is added here v. 7 8 9. That after the thousand yeers are expired Satan shall bee loosed and shall deceive the Nations and gather them together from all quarters and they shall encomposse the CAMP of the Saints and the BELOVED CITY i. e. New Hierusalem Rev. 21. it most necessarily follows beyond all gain-saying that those Saints that are here said to live the thousand yeeres did live that while on earth And seeing many of them at least that are said here to live this 1000 yeers are said to be such that had been beheaded for the witnes of Jesus and this their life is their recovery from that beheading let them that can without blushing deny that they were not raised from the dead with a physicall resurrection for I cannot If they hope for any helpe for their deniall from the word Soules it will prove but vain as we shal see after when we come to canvasse this place again in answer to objections in the fourth Book if not afore on other occasions here and there For all wee say now is but an Essay or entrance SECT I. Analecta de sanctis in terrâ VIVENTIBUS mille annos § 1 PRiusquam pro distinctâ nervosiori Thesis demonstratione eam in duas sejung amus partes minutulae quaedam dilucidationes de illius toto è Textu unico alterove sunt praemittendae Ex iis quippe nos tanquam jubarum scintillationibus per rimam subsentientes simile quid juxta ac Thesin hanc alicubi in sacrâ paginâ extare propensiores multò solem versus orientem tetenderimus mens Scripturarum systematis illam demonstraturi sagaciùs subolebitur § 2 2. E vicesimo Apocalypsis Capite vers 4. hoc aurorat jubar VIVEBANT § 2 Sancti nimirum quos nuper characteristicè inspeximus regnabant cum Christo mille illos annos § 3 3. Qui primùm dicitur VIVEBANT An sensus adâ—ò improbabilis § 3 obtrudi possit quo beatitudo sola animarum immortalium in Empyraeo obtendatur Minimè Nequaquam opus erat Johanni haec Dei servis sanctisque Ecclesiarum revelanti cap. 1. v. 1. v. 4. illos visione edocere quod Ethnicis vulgò innotuit inque Philosophiâ edoctum est Quippe animas hominum esse immortales bonorumque de bene meritis interemptorum in futuro seculo fore beatas documenta cùm Poetarum tum Philosophorum tam Latine quà m Gâ—aecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deque Elysio eò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sublimitatis perspicaciter ascenderunt Tam ignota est praeterea phrasis per Mille annos toties repetitos plus quà m mille annos designari quà m bene nota est haec computatio nempe jam sesquimille annos a Johanne desuncto imò mille trecentos ab ultimâ decem persecutionum plures elapsos fuisse Si verò muliò inferius per persecutiones subinde insequentes Arianam primo Papalem deinde deducatur computus â—ubi miror bipes ratiocinii circinus figatur intra cujus ambitum Sanctos inveniamus in Caelis MILLE solos ante resurrectionem annos justissimâ computi ratione non PLURES Quippe quod ut supra de sanctis in genere idque post totalem Antichristi occasum fore prophetatur § 4 Verò enimverò si ex imâ edicam conscientiâ radianti juxtà lumine VIXERUNT hic loci pro REVIXERUNT subrogari constat Utpote Apocalyps 1. v. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subtitui pro 'A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictat cum Textu experientia ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquit Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. ita hoc in loco ' E 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficitur pro A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut comprobat Antithesis Reliqui verò ex mortuis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non revixerunt donec consummati fuerint illi anni mille v. 5. Quis qui dicta librat accuratâ rationis bilance hinc minus hoc inferre poterit Sanctos v. 4. Mille istos annos REVIXISSE in QUIBUS improbi v. 5. nequaquam REVIXERUNT Beatique fuerunt in primâ illa RESURRECTIONE v. 6. in QUA impii non beatificantur Indies interfecti â—uissent Physicè hi Caelites v. 4. vivente Abaddonapolyonte Antichristiano cap. 18.24 Interfectore tandem ISTO essusâ in thronum ejus irarum phiolâ cap. 16. v. 10. interfecto cum suo impiorum satellitio cap. 19. v. duobus ultimis REVIVIâ—CUNT sancti caelites REDIVIVI cum Christo mille
both in the representation in the first eight verses and in the Song the summe of all the Revelation and state of the Church as some most learnedly observe in the tenth verse the Saints sing praise to the Lambe that Hee makes them unto God KINGS and PRIESTS AND that they shall REIGNE on EARTH the selfe same words as in Rev. 20. v. 6. onely the thousand yeers are not in Chap. 5. and on EARTH not expresse in Chap. 20. Reigning in both places is brought in with a copulative AND as an additionall to Kings and Priests to God I onely alleadge these Scriptures now but to give you an hint of the Saints most eminent reigning in the thousand yeeres in Scripture-language rather then in mine owne words I shall after Christ assisting in a more proper place of this Treatise amply discusse these Texts to your content Meane while the Reader cannot but see if he observe well and hee must observe the Scriptures more accurately then ever if hee will see this truth now in hand that these places hold forth a GLORIOUS REIGNE of the Saints on earth over the whole earth in soul and body upon the fall of the fourth Monarchy and its two limbs of seven and three Hornes Dan. 7.24 Pope and Turke Rome and Babylon And by this a meditating minde may presently divine much of the preeminence of the Saints state on earth yet to come above former conditions SECT II. Analecta de Sanctis hos mille annos in terrâ REGNANTIBUS § 1 1 SAncti dicuntur Apocal. cap. 20. v. 4. non solum Vivere verum etiam REGNARE mille illos annos ad distinguendos palam impios illo tempore non mortuos religione Hypocritas candorem simulantes ob latum Ecclesiae imperium in toto terrarum orbe cujus vel gloria eorum oculos vel â—ama aures tremore intus occupante obtundit HI dum VIVUNT haud REGNANT cùm totum illud MILLENARIUM serviant peccato Ecclesiaeque sint mancipia § 2 2. Sancti verò ità eodem tempore REGNANT ut praesens eorum conditio omnes supereminet ante MILLE annos transactas Cujus faelicitatem hic tangere solùm licebit cùm pleniorem de eâ tractatum in quintum librum ut proprium illius subjectum detulimus Regnabunt summatim dicere hos MILLE annos tum animâ tum corpore in terris gloriosissimè Hanc summam per partes è quatuor Scripturarum loc is habemus absolutam quas jam recensere sufficiet Dan. cap. 7. v. 26. Sed judicium considebit dominatus EIUS quartae nimirum Monarchiae auferetur profligando perdendo uâ—que in finem REGNUM autem DOMINATUSQUE amplitudo REGNI sub TOTO CAELO dabitur POPULO SANCTORUM excelsorurn cujus REGNUM erit perpetuum omnes DOMINATIONES EI SERVIENT AUSCULTABUNT Cujus testimonii verba phrases ordo locus tempus observanti animo rem nostram facilè comprobabunt Apocalyps 7.9 ad finem Turba multa ex omnibus gentibus tribubus Lingus quae unica est in Caelis amicti stolis albis PALMAE in manibus eorum quarum vel similium in Empyreo nullus planè usus clamabant voce magnâ Salus a Deo nostro c. Tum me compellavit unus ex illis SENIORIBUS quam relationem ignorant Caeli isti amicti qui sunt undeque venerunt quos in Caelo si vidisset Johannes inutilis fuisset quaestio Hi colunt Deum die nocte in Templo ejus qui proteget eos umbraculo sic Beza Grecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phrases ad beatitudinem Caelestem depingendam ineptae Non esurient nec sititient amplius c. Agnus pascet eos ducetque eos ad vivos aquarum fontes abstersurus omnem lachrymam Quarum rerum quod ad ipsum Caelum haud opus fuit Johanni pignore aliquo vel narratione Apocalyps 14. v. 1. c. Agnus stat super Sion cum eo centum quadraginta quatuor millia habentia nomen ejus patris ejus scriptum in frontibus sancti proculdubio sunt bene noti in Caelo sine notis Hi sequuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agnum quocunque eat ideò non sunt in Caelo sunt primitiae Deo Agno ergo Massa in Empyreo adhuc est peragenda Deinde Evangelizatur terrae incolis tribuite Deo gloriam nam venit hora JUDICII SUI alius Angelus sequutus est cecidit Babylon c. Trahat haec qui poterit ad ultimum Christi judicium statumque beatorum defendatque si queat Babylonem urbem illam magnam ante illud tempus non ruituram Denique Apocal. c. 5. tum typo tum cantico Doctorum observatione quoddam totius libri summarium Ecclesiaque restitutae status exemplar infert v. 10. eodem pene cum v. 6. c. 20. Sanctos laudantes non tantum quod Christus fecisset eos Deo Reges Sacerdotes sed etiam quod REGNATURI SUNT idque in TERRA SECT III. Something of the Saints Reigning WITH CHRIST this time of the thousand yeers THis REIGNING of the Saints those thousand yeers is emphatically expressed to bee WITH CHRIST Rev. 20.6 as in Rev. 5.10 The Saints are brought in applying it to themselves in faith with joy Thou O Lamb hast made us Kings and Priests TO OUR God and wee shall REIGNE on earth So here in this 20. Chapt. v. 6. it is further Prophetically represented and promised That they shall bee Priests OF GOD and OF CHRIST and shall REIGNE with HIM a thousand yeeres The Booke as I may say exactly answering to the Preface 2. Now as Christ is said to Reigne in that speciall manner after the full fall of the fourth and last Monarchy body and limbes as if in comparison afore that he did not reigne so proportionably the Saints reigning with him at this time their reigning is so glorious as if before that all their reigning was no reigning 3. Let us see a small Landskip of all this together in a Scripture or two alleadged more briefly For wee must adjourne the large discusse of them till after unlesse I should weary my selfe and the Reader with repetitions and disorder Dan. 7. v. 9. c. to v. 15. The Thrones were SET so the original and the Ancient of dayes did sit with a most numerous multitude before him and the judgement or Judicature was set And I beheld then because of the great words which the Horne spake And I beheld even till the Beast was slaine and his body destroyed c. and I saw in the night visions and behold one like the SONNE OF MAN that is CHRIST came with the clouds of Heaven and came to the ANCIENT of DAYES namely GOD the FATHER that hee might be set before him And there was GIVEN to him namely to CHRIST THE Dominion THE Glory and THE Kingdome so the Greeke gives it in emphatically and the intent of the
Prophet is to point out that Dominion and that Glory c. which the other foure Monarchs had And ALL PEOPLES and NATIONS and LANGUAGES should SERVE him whose dominion is for ever c. that is as long as the world below lasts all which manifestly relate to a Kingdome of Christ on earth compare v. 23 and v. 27. Thus far the Kingdome is given to Christ as if in comparison hee had none afore The vers 17. c. it is said to be the Saints Kingdome in these words These great Beasts which are foure are foure Kings that is foure Emperial Monarchies under foure races of mighty persecuting Monarchical Emperours of foure several sorts namely First Assyrio-Chaldean Secondly Medo-Persian Thirdly Grecian Fourthly Roman which shall arise out of the EARTH that is by violence succeed one another in that inheritance of the world But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdome that is that very Kingdome of the world that the other foure former Monarchs had and possesse the Kingdome for ever and for ever and ever that is in all ages as long as time shall bee as the original signifies adding v. 23. c. to the end of the Chapter The fourth Beast shall bee the fourth Kingdome upon earth that is the Emperour of the Roman Empire which shall bee divers from al the Kingdomes namely in Rule in Conquest and Cruelty and shall devoure the whole earth and shall tread it down and breake it in peeces meaning that the Romans shall conquer the whole world utterly defacing all Kingly dominion in the same And the ten Hornes out of this Kingdome are ten Kings that shall arise to wit the Roman Empire at last is divided into ten Kingdomes as John hath it severall times in the Revelation as a tendency to the ruine of that Empire for it follows here And another shall rise after them and he shall bee divers from the first and he shall subdue three Kings That is the Easterne Saracen-Arabian Turkish power ascending to a monstrous height of strength differing from the former in Nation Religion and Tyranny shall take away three of the said tenne Kingdomes And he shall speake great words against the most High see the Turkish Alcoran and shall weare out the Saints of the most High that is in a great measure slaying so many Christians at one battel as the tippes of their right eares filled nine sackes and thinke to change Times and Lawes that is those of divine institution as appeares also in his Alcoran and they shall bee given into his hand untill a time and times and dividing of times meaning that the Saint◠shall by divine permission fall under the Turkish power three hundred and fifty yeers from his first invading the Jewish Countries to his full and finall fall But saith the 26. v. c. to the end of the Chapter The judgement shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it to the end that is to say The Ancient of dayes as fitting in judgement judgeth to vindicate the Saints and so gives them opportunity and virility to deprive the Turke of his Kingdome and utterly to consume his power and strength And so in the 27. verse The Kingdome and Dominion UNDER the whole HEAVEN shall bee given to the people of the Saints of the most High c. That is the same Dominions of the whole world below that the former tyrannicall Monarches usurped shall now be given into the hands of the converted Jewes and holy Gentiles adhering to them to reigne on earth with Christ to whom these Dominions were delivered in the former part of this Chapter This place of the seventh of Daniel hath beene so large touching the Saints reigning with Christ on earth that we shall adde but one or two places more and that very briefly Revel 11.15 c. The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdomes of the WORLD are become the Kingdomes of our LORD and of his CHRIST or of him as CHRIST and hee shall REIGNE for ever and ever that is throughout all AGES from hence forward over the Kingdomes of the WORLD as if hitherto he had not in comparison reigned over them And the foure and twenty Elders c. fell upon their faces c. Saying we give thee thanks O Lord c. because thou hast TAKEN TO THEE THY GREAT POWER and hast REIGNED and the Nations were ANGRY which shewes this was not at the ultimate day of judgement and the time of the dead that they should bee judged is come that is the Saints should bee vindicated for so it presently followes that thou shouldest give rewards to thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that feare thy name which what should it bee but to reigne on earth as it is both before expressed in the Preface Rev. 5.10 and after in the Catastrophe Revel 20.4 in regard of which reigning on earth they may bee said to bee the FIRST-FRUITS to God Rev. 14.4 because this is but the beginning of Gods worke of glorifying his Saints Let us close this Paragraph with Heb. 2.5 c. to 10. The world to come the Greek is the INHABITED world to come must be put under man though not under Angels according to Psalme 8. quoted there by the Apostle which Psalme relates to Gen. 1.26 where God gives Adam dominion over all the Creation But saith the Apostle in his time Wee see not yet all things put under him onely Jesus as the pledge is crowned with glory Therefore say I there is such a thing yet to come Let not the Reader if I may intreat so much despise the allegation of these Texts for the present purpose which are little more then barely alleadged onely to hint the Saints reigning with Christ on earth I desire to ingage him upon this request but for a time till I come to critically scan if I may assume so much confidence to my selfe these and many other places of Scripture And then upon his serious joynt view of all all together if he can bee of another minde different from mee let him for mee abound in his owne sense § 4 But to wheele about from this digression to our owne post and businesse in hand viz. the Reigning of the Saints WITH CHRIST at this time and in this place aforesaid Before they reigned but sometimes over their corruptions and Satans temptations but never over men but now totally and finally over Sinne MEN and Divels as wee shall demonstrate afterwards Their living must be after a RESURRECTION as the word is twice mentioned in this 20. of Revelation Though they bee made but spiritual Kings and Priests as the Objecters will have it in those words Rev. 5.10 Hee hath made us Kings and Priests to God yet how shall the next words be figured off from their proper sense where the Crowne of Dignity is put upon the head of REIGNING UPON EARTH Hee
TIME NO LONGER but in the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angel the Mystery of God should bee FINISHED 2 This time or times are said to be spoken of by all the Prophets § 3 since the world began they therefore that pretend to be skilled in the Prophets shame themselves in denying that maine thing which is in all the Prophets Now all the Prophets since the world began have not spoken of the last Day of Judgement but of the Kingdome of the Messiah they all have spoken and so much and so plainly that the Apostles mindes did much run out upon it even at the first appearance of Christ in the flesh besides their Doctrines afterwards in their Epistles c. concerning it So it seemes by Matth. 20. ver 20. in the request of the Mother of Zebedees Children that is two of the twelve Disciples ver 24. intreating Christ that her two sons might sit the one on his right hand the other on his left hand in HIS KINGDOME and by the strife among the twelve Luk. 9.46 who of them after Christs Passion should be the greatest The same wee have Luk. 22.24 when Christ was ready to suffer And by the question of the Apostles Act. 1.6 touching Christs restoring the Kingdome to Israel in all which places Christ doth not in the least hint any negative to the thing it selfe And the Jewes yet much expect the coming of the Messiah to restore them now not long after one thousand six hundred and fifty Insomuch that one ancient learned Rabbin on his Death-bed exhorted the Jewes that if the Messiah did not come about that time they should imbrace the Christian Messiah as the true Messiah And you heard afore in the first Book the hope of the learned Jewish Rabbins concerning that thing with their quotations of the Prophets upon which they grounded that their hope And to this day that is a stumbling block to the whole dispersed of the Jewes that Christ is not yet come because he yet takes no care as they thinke to restore and settle them according to the many Prophesies and Promises of the Old Testament For this cause therefore Christ will appeare at lest for a time in the clouds personally to convince and convert and settle them 4. One would wonder to see how many of the Prophesies and Prophets of the Old Testament godly and learned Dr. Alsted and § 4 others doe cleerly alleadge for this Kingdome of which we speake And therefore it must needs be our ignorance if we make a wonder at this point questioning whether there be any such thing in the Prophets 5 Peter also speaking to the Jewes in his 2 Epistle doth severall § 5 times quote the Prophets and their Prophesies for this state of the Church which we speake chap. 1.19 We have a more sure word of PROPHESIE whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as to a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day star arise in your hearts Now that the Lord Christ had come in the flesh finished our redemption the effusion of the Spirit had been abundantly fulfilled the Gospel openly promulgated to the world and in part they to whom Peter writes converted v. 1. and Christ ascended the Apostle calls it a darke time in comparison of the rising of the Day-star that is the Sonne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. in their hearts which cannot be meant of eternall glory after the last judgement to which the Prophesie of Old Testament doth lead them to wait for it till it be fulfilled And chap. 3.13 Wee according to his PROMISE looke for new Heavens and a new Earth c. which promise is Isa 65.17 And by the context there of inhabiting the earth cannot be understood of supernall glory after the last judgement § 6 But what is particularly here mentioned in this third of Acts that these Prophets speake of There are foure notable things 1 That there is now so long since Christs ascension a time of refreshing to come for the Jewes to whom these words were spoken as well as for others At which time their sins should be totally blotted out For the state of the Church we speake of by all we can gather from Scripture shall bee a sinlesse time as to the Church 2 That this time of refreshing shall be as proceeding from the PRESENCE or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the FACE of the Lord which evidently signifies a sight of Christ 3 That God shall send Jesus which was before preached to them He had sent him already by Incarnation But yet notwithstanding God will againe send him The Jewes had yet many sorrows therefore he shall be sent againe for their refreshing And they had their spirituall condition in part restored but God will send againe for the restitution of all things 4 It is said Christ comes for the restitution of all things Therefore this cannot signifie Christs coming for the destitution or dissolution of all things And therefore it altogether sounds of an happy time before the all-destroying last judgement Restitution signifies restoring Restoring signifies an attainment of that perfection that was lost viz. in lapsed Adam either in men or things Rom. 8.21 c. The CREATURE it selfe ALSO shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God For the whole CREATION GROANETH c. untill now and not onely they but we our selves also c. that have the FIRST FRUITS of the SPIRIT waiting for the Redemption of our BODIES Lay all together that both men and things groan after this estate And that the Creatures shall share in it as it relates distinctly with an emphasis to the bodies of the Saints and then meditate whether it be likely that a supernall state of glory in the highest Heavens is here meant No the New state of things below the New heavens and the New earth which Peter speaks of 2 Ep. Chap. 3. v. 13. quoting it out of the Prophet Isa 64.17 is the meaning of this Rom. 8. The Heavens above need no making New Nor have they earth in them The New Hierusalem to which the Kings shall bring their honour comes downe from heaven Rev. 21. So that it is a new state of glory below § 7 This also would be well weighed in this place of Act. 3. that in as much as it is said Until the restitution of all things the state of things here meant must of necessity be before the ultimate end of the world as our opponents conceive of the end of the world Because at the end of the world according to their opinion shall be the dissolution of the earth and no need of the Heavens If then shall be the restitution of some men namely the Elect to supernall glory yet that will not amount to the phrase in the Text viz. the restitution of ALL THINGS But the Apostle tells us as wee touched but now in Rom. 8. That all the Elect and all the Creation
expect a restitution of all things before the finall and totall end of all things § 8 Moreover it is said That the Heaven must containe Christ untill the restitution of all things which cleerly infers that Christ must come out of Heaven when hee shall restore all things At the ultimate day of judgement is the destruction of Gog and Magog and ten thousands of the wicked Revel 20. Again after the ultimate day of judgement he is not the Magnus Restaurator the Great Restorer but is Subditus he is himselfe subject 1 Cor. 15.28 Therefore before that he must come out of Heaven to restore all things And how even as it is expresse in Act. 1.11 spoken by Angels and attested by Saint Luke there This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall SO COME in I LIKE MANNER as yee have seen him GOE IN TO HEAVEN SECT VIII Of the eighth Scripture for the Personall appearance of Christ at the great restauration of the Church Matth. 23.38 39. Your house is left unto you desolate for I say unto you yee shall not see me henceforth till yee shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. THis cannot be meant of Christ coming after his resurrection for it is plaine that between the time of Christs speaking this and his coming with that acclamation Blessed is he that cometh c. there must be a desolation their house or habitation to whom he speaks must be left desolate § 2 This speech is directed point blanke to the Jewes and more keenly to them inhabiting Jerusalem So the connexion O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and yee would not behold marke the connexion or inference YOVR house is left unto YOV desolate For I say unto YOV YEE shall not see me c. Luke inserts Chap. 13.35 Christs great asseveration VERILY I say unto you yee shall not see me And expresseth it more fully that this well-coming of Christ was not hard at hand as at his resurrection in that Luke saith Yee shall not see me UNTILL THE TIME COME when yee shall say Blessed c. And Luke as well as Matthew gives us the Jewes not seeing of Christ till that time with the emphasis of a double negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is yee shall by no meanes or manner see me till that time which was verified in that only the Disciples or Brethren saw him at his resurrection 3 What this leaving of their house desolate is our Saviour expounds § 3 presently for having spoken in the last two verses of Mat. 23. Your house is left desolate for I say unto you yee shall not see me henceforth c. presently in the next sentence he is recorded to speake in the twenty fourth Chapter vers 1.2 Chapters being of late invention nonein the ancient bookes either in Greek or other Languages is that of the buildings even of all they behold that is of the City and expresse of the Temple there shal not be left there one stone upon another that shal not be throwne downe so that as Christ pursues the discourse vers 15. They should see the abomination of desolation set up in the HOLY PLACE expounded Luke 21.20 to be the compassing about Jerusalem with Heathenish Roman Armies And Luke 19.43 Thine enemies shal cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keep thee in on every side and shal lay thee even with the ground And in the sixteenth verse of that twenty third Chapter of Matthew They in Judea should fly to the mountaines and he that is in the field shal not turne backe to take his cloathes So that the leaving their house desolate is the destroying of the place and face of worship in the Temple and the grace and place of the City for to that at last it amounted in two steps whereof this was the first by Titus the Roman Emperour about seventy yeares after the birth of Christ destroying the Temple the second by Adrian the Roman Emperour about the one hundred thirty fourth yeare after Christs birth destroying the City so that the Jewes never sacrificed there any more * Buchole Ind. Chron. Ad anuum 134 ut inquit Bucholceâ—us intelligeretur Romanae potestati Indaeoâ— subjâ—cere politiam Mosaicam cum Metropolis suae ruina redactam esse in niâ—ilum effusâ jam super eam finali perpetuâque vastitate arque ita sciretur spem omnem Judaeoâ—um DE MESSIAE ADVEN TV quam Barcochebas id est stellae filius juxta ut simulareâ—ur prophetiam Balaami iste Pseudo-Christus causa rebellionis hujus in Romanos inducentis cladem pâ—iâ—â—s indiderat extinctam Hierosolymaeque ruderibus obrutam ac sepultam esle Adrianus Christianis aliis Gentibus urbem Jerusalem inhabitandam dedit mutatâ veteri appellatione de suo nomine Aeliam nominavit 4 The word in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used here in this twenty third of Matthew ver 38. to signifie left is in it selfe of a mild signification as in Latine missum facere and in English to lay aside a thing so that it doth not in its owne nature signifie an utter forsaking but only a leaving for a time as the couched Antithesis shew us viz. left desolate UNTILL and therefore the same Christ that is now going shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming and whiles hereafter he is coming these Jewes of Jerusalem and of Iudea that before had been angry with them that had cryed Hosanna to him Mat. 21.9 to 16. and anon cry Crucifie him should in time to come welcome him with this acclamation Blessed is he coming so the Greek in the name of the Lord. § 5 Now this place of Scripture and this performance cannot be reserred either to the time between Christs Resurrection and Ascention or to the ultimate day of Judgement and therefore must of necessity relate to a time since his Ascention yet to come before the generall Judgement § 6 Not to the time between his Resurrection and Ascention because this is spoken as we have demonstrated to the generality of the Iewes * Mat. 23. ult Christus Judaeos ingratos ita alloquitur Dico enim vobis nequaquam me videbitis ab hee tempore usque dum dicatis benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini Quibus verbis Christus indicat Judaeos upsum â—andem aliquando visuros non equidem in ultimo judicio sed ante illud quia non in ultimo judicio acclamabunt ipsi Benedictus c. tum enim trepidabunt qui non fuerint conversi ad ipsum sed illo tempore quo se ipsis ostendet ut convertat ipsos ad veramfidem Alsted in locum in Diatr De Milâ—an who had killed the Prophets and stoned them that were sent unto them ver 37. whose
he that shall endure to the END the same shall be saved Of the other signes he said they did not signifie that the END was immediately at hand vers 6. These signs shall be saith Christ BUT the END is not YET But now hee comes to speake of the signe of the End of the world viz. that this Gospel of the KINGDOME shall be preached in all the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 published as by an Herauld And THIS Gospel of THE KINGDOME as pointing at this particular of the good newes of the Gospel that Christ should after all these darke clouds of the reigne of wickednesse have a Kingdome on earth And then saith Christ shall the END come which must of necessity import one of these ENDS and one of these wayes must be signified by the publishing of the Gospel in all the world That either the Gospel should be published in all the world to Jews and Gentiles as a signe immediately before the End of THIS present world that is before the thousand yeers of the great Restauration Or that the full and effectuall manifestation of the Gospel should be in the time of that Restauration in those thousand yeers which Paul calls Heb. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That inhabited world that is to come of which place much after as a fore-running signe of the ultimate generall end of the whole world Let the Reader take which he pleaseth For either of them concludes for us that after this signe according as we interpret the sequel shall be the beginning or ending of Christs visible appearance to us on earth As it follows vers 29. Then shall appear the signe of the Sonne of man not for a meer short sentence of judgement but to gather his elect from the foure quarters of the earth Of which place much in Sect. 3. of this 2 Book § 4 To gather all into an apparent argument the summe and signes of all is this If Christ in shewing the signes of his coming the second time doth clearly distinguish between his next coming and visible appearing and the end of the world and for that end gives distinct signes of both then Christ must come before the end of the world and visibly appeare But so doth Christ clearly distinguish and distinctly signifie those two as we have shewed Therefore there is yet a time wherein Christ will come and visibly appeare before the end of the world At first we know by the Gospels he came in a state of humility for salvation to sinners that should believe The next time he comes in glory to reigne visibly to the comfort of them that doe beleeve Rev. 20. first six verses Third and last time for terrour to the wicked vers 12. Of that second coming the thing now under consideration Christ having given signes as hath been shewed he concludes in verse 30. They shall see the Sonne of man in the Clouds of heaven with great power and glory which cannot be meant of the finall sentence of the ultimate judgement because of that in the 34 verse bound with an asseveration and attestation before and behinde Verily I say unto you this generation shall not passe till all these things be fulfilled Heaven and earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away Of which 34. vers much afterward SECT X. Of the tenth Scripture for Christs visible appearance at the great restauration of the Church Luke 19. ver 11. to 28. He added and spake a Parable because he was nigh to Jerusalem and because they thought that the KINGDOME OF GOD should immediately APPEARE A certaine noble-man went into a farre Country to RECEIVE FOR HIMSELFE A KINGDOME and TO RETURNE and he called his ten Servants and delivered to them ten pounds and said unto them occupy till I come But his Citizens hated him and sent a Message after him saying we will not have this man to reigne over us And it came to passe when he was returned HAVING RECEIVED THE KINGDOME then he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he gave the mony c. Then came the first saying Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds And he said unto him well thou good servant because thou hast been faithfull in a little have thou authority over ten Cities and so proportionable to the rest But those mine enemies that would not have me reigne over them bring them hither and slay them before me § 1 THis Parable was spoken a little before Christs suffering as appeares by the order of the Story here and in Mat. 25. It is pend by Luke who wrote the Acts where he carefully reports Christs coming againe just as they saw him ascend in relation to the restoring of the Kingdome of which Christ spake and the Disciples enquired after Act. 1.3 4 5 6 c. to 12. only saith Luke Acts 3.21 The heavens must receive him for a time and then he shall come from heaven and cause the restitution of all things as hath been opened § 2 The Preface to this Parable is a golden key to open the curious Cabinet of the meaning of this Parable that we may not relye upon a meere Allegory Christ spake this Parable because he was night to Jerusalem and because they thought that the Kingdome of God should IMMEDIATELY APPEARE It doth not deny the appearing of the Kingdom Christ is for it only he is against the immediate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the suddaine appearance of it he must afore that as is the maine sence of the Parable goe away into a farre country viz. to Heaven and leave talents in trust with his servants giving them time to imploy them and to be so long absent that his enemies grow so bold as to send after him with this high affront they would not have him to reigne over them that is according to the direct sence Some seemingly professours by his long absence should grow quite carelesse of improving the talents or gifts of endowments to his honour and others by his delay as they counted it should become professed enemies against him § 3 But whatever these mistakers dreamed the truth was that as the diligent Talenters expected and accordingly acted Christ went away to Heaven not to returne no more but went thither to take to himselfe a Kingdome which phrase viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must signifie a Kingdome peculiar to himselfe as he is Christ else how doth he take it or receive it to himselfe And being installed into it he is to returne He had his Kingdome of grace before he went away as he oft mentioneth it in his Parables and Sermons adding that that his Kingdome was not of this world And he had the Kingdome of glory as his triumph over his Kingdome of grace having finished his conquest on the Crosse So hee needed not to returne to receive either of these Kingdomes It remains therefore that it is the Kingdome we speak of that he returnes to receive He went to Heaven
conceived by the most learned through the Red Sea So when Israel was to re-edifie the Temple and to settle in their owne land after the captivity Christ appears as a Commander of an Army on horse back with troops behinde him Zech. 1. And as the Sonne of man sitting in judgement as a King Dan. 7. Some will perhaps say these were types of his incarnation If that so in some generall semblance yet these did more distinctly set forth his visible Monarchy to come And therefore his incarnation is made a type or platforme of his coming as a Monarch Act. 1.11 And therefore as the Prologue to his visible appearance againe as a Monarch to reigne as Revel 20. he appeares as a glorious King Rev. 1. with all circumstances to set forth the glory of his Royalty much more therefore in consideration of all that Christ hath said and done in relation to that in the New Testament may we expect him to come and visibly appeare at the setting up of his Monarchy He tells Pilate he was borne to be a King and therefore must be a King But he would not set it up yet afore his ascention Act. 1. Hee must first goe into a far Country and after that receive his Kingdome as wee heard afore out of Luke 19. Chap. 1. Sect. 7. of this second Booke Hee must first ascend up on high and then hee leads Captivity captive spiritually as a Preface to his visible appearance to make the Church spiritually and Corporally glorious which the Apostle immediately hints in that fourth of Ephes Untill wee come to a perfect MAN unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ which by and by after that in the same Chapter hee calls THE NEW MAN WHICH AFTER GOD IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESSE and HOLINESSE As alluding to the state of innocent Adam And therefore as the first Adam did visibly appeare as a glorious Monarch over the visible world so shall the second Adam according to the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine in Psal 8. Hebr. 2. being divine Commentaries on Adams Monarchy Gen. 1. vers 26 27 28. Of which place God assisting you shall heare abundantly in the next BOOK FINIS LIBRI SECVNDI THE THIRD BOOK PROVING That there shall be a most glorious state of the Church and of all things in relation to the Church and that on earth yet before the ultimate day of Judgement CHAP. I. The partition of the ensuing Discourse HAving cleared the visible appearing of Christ personally In the second place we proceed to the proof of his reigning in this visible Kingdome on earth by his mysticall body his members the Saints Wherein we have two things to doe 1 To prove That there is such a Kingdom yet to be on earth as aforesaid in the generall Proposition 2 What that Kingdome will be in the particulars We shall manage the first by foure meanes 1 By Texts of Scripture 2 By Arguments drawne from Scripture 3 By the common consent of all sorts of men as if a law of nature 4 By solution of all the maine objections against it CHAP. II. Containing the Scriptures to prove That there shall be yet on earth before the last Judgement such a Reigning such a visible Kingdome of Christ such a glorious state of the Saints and of all things as is before propounded THE drift scope and sinues of strength of all which places fall into this demonstrative Syllogisme Those things which are prophesied in the word of God and are not yet come to passe must bee fulfilled But the great sensible and visible happinesse of the Church on earth before the ultimate day of judgement is prophesied in the word of God both in the Old and New Testament Therefore it must be fulfilled that such a state be extant upon earth before the ultimate day of judgement The major is granted by all that beleeve the word of God The minor is proved by the ensuing Scriptures SECT I. The twentieth Chapter of the Revelation fully discussed with a demonstration of the true meaning of the one and twentieth Chapter being the exposition of the twentieth § 1 BEfore we take all the choice places of the whole Scriptures in order as they lye in our English Bibles I shall pitch the foot of my Compasse to draw a right and clear circle upon the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation It being the manner and method of the Holy Spirit to declare things especially of this nature gradually as the Church is meet to heare the state thereof requires and the time of fulfilling it drawes neerer and â—o speaks most and plainliest at last Many other instances might be given but that the subject under hand is vast enought of it selfe All these advantages falling to the share of this twentieth Chapter of Revel touching the point in hand as the Catastrophe result and designe of all that God hath spoken before in the Old and New Testament it makes this twentieth of Revel no lesse then a golden key to unlocke the Bible especially the Old Testament that we may look further into other places of Scripture then meerly to make morall observations out of them and mean while doe over-looke the Prophetical intent of God in them § 2 In this twentieth Chapter of the Revel vers 1. it is said AND I saw an Angel come downe c. which AND or as the Translator of the Arab. furthermore or as in sense it oft signifies then imports that John saw immediately afore something in order to this what was that even that which our late invented distinction of Chapters and verses puts in Revel 19. v. 19. I saw saith John the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies gathered together to make warre against him that sate on the horse and against his Army namely against Christ and his members or Saints vers 11 12 13 14. And what was the issue of the War That John goes on to tell us in the twentieth verse of this nineteenth Chapter And the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that is the Antichrist either under the notion of humane Imperialty or of Ecclesiasticall Prophesie or Teaching were cast alive into the lake c. And the remnant were slaine with the sword of him that sate upon the horse AND saith John in this twentieth Chap. vers 1. after this I saw an Angel come downe from heaven having the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devill and Satan and bound him a thousand years c. which can meane no other thing but Christ and his Saints conquest over the Beast and the false Prophet and their Armies on earth notwithstanding all the power and policy of their seducing Generalissimo the Devill Here then in all is Christ and his Army and Anti-christ and his Army conflicting and they conflict with the Sword and Antichrists Army is slaine with the sword
and so slaine with the sword that the Fowles were filled with the flesh of them that were slaine chap. 19. verse 20. A strange thing to me if any should dreame these things to be done only Spiritually or in the world to come There proceeded indeed the sword out of his mouth that is Christ bid his Saints to slay them which afore and after yee have explained but they were materially or corporally slaine as the time weapon and their buriall in the bowels of Birds challenge that sence yea marke further the Armies ruine is put in Counter-destruction or opposition to the ruine of their Chieftain or Chieftaines whose destruction was to be cast ALIVE into the Lake therefore the slaying of the Army with the sword to be devoured by the Fowles must signifie a Corporall destruction § 3 Now this destruction Chap. 19.20 cannot be at the ultimate Day of â—udgement for that day is not till after the destruction of Gog and Magog which is long after the destruction of Antichrist vers 8 9 10 11 12 c. of this twentieth Chapter clearly distinguished from that destruction of Antichrist by two notable circumstances including many other particulars of order time place c. ¶ The first Circumstance is That Gog and Magog warre against the Saints whiles they are in their injoyment of their glorious peace after the said Saints had reigned a thousand yeares ver 7.8 when they had been partakers long afore viz. at the beginning of the thousand yeares of the first resurrection as a pledge that they should not dye the second death at the second Resurrection ver 6. after that they had reigned and as Kings and Priests and too with Christ a thousand years in the same sixt verse none of which particulars can consist with supernal ultimate glory when Christ himselfe layes downe all his power 1 Cor. 15.28 And after they have injoyed this condition a thousand yeares then and not till then begins the Gogicall-Magogicall warre upon which comes the destruction on Gogmagog ver 7 8 9. but the warre of Antichrist in the nineteenth Chapter is when the Saints are in great trouble their bloud had been poured out unavenged till then vers 2. the earth corrupted ibid. The Nations are till now to be smitten and to be RVLE'D with a ROD of Iron ver 15. The Wine presse of the fiercenesse and wrath of God Almighty to be trodden ibid. with many the like intimations throughout the Chapter of the different state of the Church now a thousand yeeres before Christ came to destroy Gogmagog as the sequell of the twentieth Chapter makes the compute ¶ The second Circumstance is That after the thousand yeares of Satans binding and Antichrists destruction Satan is againe let loose he seduceth Gog and Magog and then the Devill himselfe Chap. 20.10 is cast into the Lake of fire WHERE WERE the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET which had been cast in there formerly Chap. 19. ver 20. evidently pointing at the destruction of Antichrist as finished long afore the fore-being there of the Beast and false Prophet being made the description of Hell as sometimes the portion of Hypocrites is the description thereof § 4 The next passage in this twentieth Chapter of Revelation is what he saw in ver 4. John saw Thrones and they that sate upon them and judgement was given to them and he saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image neither had received his mark upon their fore-heads or in their hands the meaning of all which you have in the next Chapter viz. the 21. for vers 1. it is said And I saw a new heaven and a new earth little reason to mention earth if it had been to describe a state in heaven above The place is taken out of Isa 65.17 as Peter hints 2 Pet. 3.13 We according to his PROMISE looke for new heavens and a new earth I say out of Isa 65.17 where God promiseth unto the Jewes to build new Heavens and a new earth but with all mentions their injoying of houses and vine yards In the second Verse of the one and twentieth Chapter it is said John saw new Hierusalem indeed that on earth is old but nothing is old in the highest Heavens so that nothing there can be said to be new therefore this cannot be meant of that heaven It is expresse It comes downe from heaven therefore it cannot expresse a state in that supernall heaven even as it followes PREPARED as a Bride which plainly evinceth that it is not meant of ultimate glory where the Church is not prepared that is done in this world but perfected as vers 3. it is said I heard a voyce OVT of heaven to import that it was of things not in the supreame Heaven viz. That the tabernacle of God is with men where God WILL dwell with them which if meant of the supernall Heaven would have been exprest in a contrary phrase viz. The tabernacle of men is with God for there is no need of a promise to assure us that in the highest Heavens God will dwell with us Agreeable to which the fourth verse promiseth that all teares shall be wiped away of which promise as in relation to the supreame Heaven there was not the least need since God made it but knowne to the Sonnes of men that they shall inherit that place all sorts Christians Heathens c. easily know and beleeve that there in that place are no teares nor cause of teares as appeares in the Christians Creed and the Heathens Doctrines of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their Elysian fields Every thing in that Heaven is so good that it cannot be made as in verse 5. new that is better No need there of that in the sixth verse either promise or performance to give unto him that is athirst of the fountaine of the water of life It is enough for God to promise that Heaven as Paul thought it enough to say Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ if we be once there we shall not thirst Even as there according to ver 7. shall be no striving to overcome much lesse to overcome that in ver 8. Feare and unbeliefe c. They in the supernall Heaven have overcome all things therefore all these demonstrate that this Chapter is of a state on earth not of one in supreame glory of such a state on earth it is proper to say as v. 7. He that possesseth it shal inherit all things not only Gods presence but also all things though as yet all things are not subject to Christ himselfe Heb. 2.8 and he shal be Gods Sonne For if we beleeve we now are the Sons of God afore we come to ultimate glory then this promised with a shal be must signifie a suture estate and on earth because of other circumstances as we are now enumerating that
seats were put And so the last and best Low-Dutch Stoclen gesetteâ— werden So that by all it appears that this was a vision of material Thrones and of them set up set or setled for Divine power to sit upon which is exceedingly confirmâ—d by verse 10. and 26. where wee have the sitting of the Judgement or Judicature and the Ancient of dayes did sit and I saw 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 neer before him And there was given him dominion and glory and a KINGDOM c. And the Kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven was given to the Saints of the most High c. Let us for the advantage of the generall worke in hand and the particular point now under consideration weigh these two places together in the semblance of both Visions in the circumstances of both and in the samenesse of intents in both ¶ 1 In the semblance or likenesse of both Visions in sundry particulars 1 Semblance I beheld till the Thrones were set And why Thrones in the plurall And for whom These many Thrones were set in the Vision ONE for the Ancient of dayes whose Throne was like a siery flame v. 9. ANOTHER for the SONNE OF MAN who came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome and all people Nations and Languages to serve him v. 13 14. THE REST for the TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSANDS THAT STOOD BEFORE HIM verse 10. viz. The PEOPLE OF THE SAINTS to whom the Kingdome and dominion c. under the whole heaven was given under Christ the aforesaid Son of Man vers 27. So Rev. 20.4 I saw Thrones The Second semblance is that in Dan. 7. v. 10. where it followes The Judgement or Judicature was set which confirmes that our reading of the former verse That is the Judges sate as in the great Sanedrim as after in vers 26. and 27. The judgement sitting the Kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven is given to the people of the Saints of the most high In like manner in Rev. 20.4 it is said by John I saw saith he those that sate on the Thrones viz. those that had been beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and those which had not worshipped the beast c. nor received his marke c. Third semblance is in Dan. 7.22 Iudgement was given to the Saints of the most High and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdome In like manner Rev. 20.4 it is said Judgement was given to them viz. to the Saints aforesaid that having opposed Antichrist sate upon the Thrones As Paul saith 1 Cor. 6.2 The Saints shall judge the world Fourth semblance in Dan. 7.22 it is said The Saints possessed the Kingdome viz. under Christ to whom it is first in order given vers 14. which cannot be at the ultimate day of judgement when hee resignes all and therefore the Saints then have no Kingdome subject to them Just so it is said Rev. 20.4 The Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeers which must be before the ultimate day of Judgement at which time Iohn saith Time shall be no more and Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. there is no more reigning by any but by God alone that then must be all in all Thus of the Semblance ¶ 2 The next thing is the Circumstances viz. 1 The signall or note when this shall be namely when the Sonne of man shall come in or with the clouds Dan. 7.13 In like manner the signall or note is in the Rev. Chap. 1.7 where it is said as the general proposition to the whole Prophesie Christ shall be seen in the clouds at his coming to set up this Kingdome which is explained according to our sense Rev. 20. v. 1. That Christ comes down from heaven when he restraines Satan and gives this honour to the Saints of reigning with him 2 The time it self The time is saith Dan. 7.25 after a time and times and halfe a time of the powerful prevayling of Antichrist whether ye understand one limb viz. the Iewish Eastern the Turk called vers 24. that same ANOTHER that ariseth and subdueth three of the ten Kings or both viz. the Western the Christians Antichrist also viz. the Pope expressed in the ten hornes or Kings of his Kingdome v. 24. it makes no matter if we minde our large discourse afore of the identity of both And sutably in the Revelation 11. it is said that after the witnesses have Prophesied in sackcloath one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes because the Woman the Church was persecuted by Antichrist Rev. 12.6 for the space of one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which in vers 24. is called A time and times and halfe a time because Antichrist had power so long to prevaile viz. two and forty months Rev. 13.5 which is all one with the one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes or time and times and halfe a time as here meant in the Revelation I say after this time and times and halfe a time it is here said in that Rev. 11.15 That the KINGDOMES of this WORLD were become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ and of the Saints sharing in this Reigning vers 18. The third circumstance is the order of things in this time viz. That in Dan. 7. v. 3. c. to v. 9. There must be foure Beasts come up from the Sea 1 A Lyon 2 A Bear 3 A Leopard 4 A terrible one with iron teeth and ten hornes and out of the ten one little horne that brake off three of the ten The foure Beasts saith Dan. v. 17. are the foure Kings or Kingly-hoods Royalties Emperialties or Monarchies of the world vers 23. as by severall characters they are described in that Chapter The ten hornes of the fourth Beast are saith Dan. v. 24. ten Kings that is ten Kingdomes under him All these foure Beasts fall as the maine of the first by the second and of the second by the third so the maine of the third and the remainder of all the three former by the fourth Dan. 7.19.23 The meaning is that as the first the Assyrio-Chaldean Monarchy whereof Nebuchadnezzar was the Golden-head in Daniels time Dan. 2. was broken by the second the silver Medo-Persian so this second by the third the brazen Grecian and this Grecian and the remainders of all the other were utterly subdued by the fourth the iron Roman Monarchy From this Roman at the time when it was something weakned by a dividing of it selfe now the third time which was about An. Chr. 799. into the Easterne and Westerne Empire Constantinople being the Royall Seat of Metropolis of that and Rome of this the little horne that sprang out of the ten and became diverse from the rest
brake off three of the ten Dan. 7. v. 20.24 that is about the yeer one thousand * Bucholc Ind. Chron ad an 1009. Periodus Judaica inquit Helvic ad an 950. circiter after Christ the Saracens tooke Hierusalem and have held it to this day And about the yeer after Christ one thousand foure hundred and fifty Mahomet alias Mahumete took Constantinople where Constantinus Palaelogus the last of the Grecian Emperours was utterly overthrown ** Bucholc Ind. Chron. ad an 1453. inde inquit orientis imperium penes Turcas fuit Sic Helvic in Chro. Atque hinc inquit imperium orientis prorsus ad Turcas tranâ—rit So that the Turke plucked up by the roots that is wholly subdued to him three of the ten Roman hornes or Kingdomes to wit Asia Graecia and Syria of which Jury was a part and became absolute Emperour of all the Easterne Empire *âŽ* Vid. Huet in Dan. 7. v. 8. But as for the rest of the ten hornes of the fourth Beast the Roman Empire being the fourth Kingdome upon the earth and diverse also from all the Kingdomes it is said it devoures the residue of the whole earth v. 23. and shall tread it downe and break it in peeces And thus the seven Roman hornes and the one Turkish Horn subduing three of the ten shall go on in their dominions to enslave the generality of the whole earth blaspheming God and making war with the Saints untill a time and times and halfe a time be finished v. 24 25. And then v. 26. the Iudgement shall sit and they i. e. the aforesaid judgement Iudicature or Sessions shall take away the said dominion and shall give it v. 27. to the people of the Saints of the most High Sutable to this Circumstance of order in Rev. 13. 1. c. There is a Beast rising out of the Sea that is the Roman Emperiality or Empire Antichristed or Papized that answers to all those foure Beasts in Daniel 7. For this Beast is like a Lyon in his mouth like a Beare in his feet like a Leopard in his adorned shining skin or faire outside And for his head it is sevenfold with ten hornes which ten hornes say the learned grew all on one head viz. the last of the seven heads said to have ten hornes because so at first as we said but now upon Dan. 7. but it hath for continuance but seven hornes because the Turk the King of the bottomlesse pit Rev. 9.1 to 12. brake off three Againe as the Beast aforesaid in Dan. 7. must hurt but for a time and times and halfe a time or dividing of times So this Beast in this 13 of the Revelation that contains all foure Beasts in Dan. 7. because it hath the evill qualities and Tyrannicall power of all those foure And from this one ariseth the other with one horne breaking off three of the others ten must continue and have power to doe mischiefe two and forty months vers 5. of this 13. of Rev. which two and forty months is made all one with a time and times and halfe a time Rev. 12.14 ¶ 3 The last thing wherein the seventh of Dan. and Rev. the twentieth agrees is in intents viz. to set forth that the Saints shall yet have a glorious Kingdome on earth over which they shall under Christ there reigne For seeing both visions agree in forme and matter and sense who can doubt but they must intend the same thing In that seventh of Dan. it is oft mentioned and hinted in sundry passages that the SONNE OF MAN must have the same Kingdome or dominion which all the foure Beasts had successively and he must give it to the Saints vers 13 14. I saw one like the Sonne of Man and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all People and Nations and Languages should serve him His dominion is an everlasting Dominion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seculi saith Arias and oft signifies but for a long time expounded presently everlasting that is shall not be destroyed that is by any other earthly Monarch as the other foure destroyed one another vers 17 18. The foure great Beasts are foure Kings expounded here and verse 24. Kingdomes which shall arise out of the earth But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdome and possesse the Kingdome which the other foure Beasts had successively v. 19 20 21. the same is repeated againe with applications of the type or vision v. 23 24 25 26 27. All which was never yet fulfilled nor can the ultimate judgement be a time for it In like manner Rev. 20. Christ comes DOWN from heaven v. 1. and chaines up the Devil and for a thousand yeers To what end Not for a state of glory in the highest heavens above as all those passages testifie But that the Saints may rise and reigne with Christ a thousand yeers on earth as it is expresse Rev. 5.10 as a part of the proposition to the whole Revelation that and Chapter 1.7 making up the whole I say to reigne in New Jerusalem which to that end also comes down from heaven Chapter 21.1 and so long to reigne as till Satan bee let loose againe to seduce the Nations that the ultimate judgement begins verse 7. to the end of the Chapter So that what dominion the King of the bottomlesse pit had Rev. 9.1 c. to hurt for five months and what dominion the Beast had for two and forty months Rev. 13. and both under Satan while he was loose that very same in pure substance though not in the evill quality the Saints must have under Christ So that where the Saints were hurt beheaded and persecuted even there they must rise and reigne under Christ a thousand yeers v. 4. of this 20. of Rev. § 6 Thus you see there is great reason why we should looke into the Old Testament as well as into the New for this glorious estate of the Church yet to be on earth Where note for conclusion of this third Section That as God gave the Church in the Old Testament a glorious temporal estate on earth as well as a spirituall viz. That in Paradise on earth so by the like reason he will give both to the Church of the New Testament on earth described in Revel 21 c. as a second Paradise on earth For the New Testament must not be inferiour but rather better then the Old only with this difference The Old Testament-Church being then but in its infancie had the temporall first as a type of the Spirituall The New Testament Church must have the Spirituall first and the Temporall last being then made compleatly up and unto a perfect man according to the stature of Christ Ephes 4. SECT IV. Wherein the Promise to Adam Gen. 1.26 27 28. paralleled with Psalme the eighth as the eighth Psalme with Heb. 2.5 fully opened to prove our maine Position that there is yet to be on earth
we see him for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour which is not a subjection of the INHABITABLE WORLD TO COME unto him much lesse of ALL THINGS therein The Angels are in Heaven as well as he and so in place they as well as hee are above the things below But Christ must have the inhabited world and All things so subject to him and ' under him as they shall not be to Angels So that if we heed the Text and that which followes the Apostle tells us that in one way and sense Christ is exalted above all viz. in his possession of the highest Heaven through sufferings But withall this is in another place then the inhabited world to come viz. the world on earth yet to succeed and upon another account then the precise formall dominion over it viz. to taste of death for every man And it was in prosecution of a designe verse 10. viz. to bring many sonnes to glory not a perfecting of a thing finished viz. of the atchievement and attainment of his absolute dominion on earth over Turkes Jewes Papists and Heathens c. But this must be Christ and his members must have absolute dominion over the world below in that estate of it that is yet to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the habitation of the world is not to be subjected to the Angels Heb. 2. v. 5. They are but the Churches servants It is an estate that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come after Pauls time though Christ had before ascended But it must be subject to MAN and the SONNE OF MAN v. 6. God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made him a little lower and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a little time Christ or Christians were not lower at all then Angels in nature or spirituall condition but onely in outward dominion and state of life Phil. 2. Heb. 2. and that but for a little time till the time of that world to come on earth which must be before the last day of judgement for then is not any subjection of any thing to Saints or Christ but he and so they to lay down all dominion 1 Cor. 15.28 SECT V. Wherein the Promises God made to Abraham Gen. 12.1 2 3. Gen. 15.4 5 6. Gen. 17.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Gen. 18.18 Gen. 22.18 paralleled with other promises to his posterity Gen. 26.4 Gen. 48.19 v. 26. and with the Apostles explications and applications of those Promises Rom. 4. v. 3. to v. 25. Gal. 3. v. 6. to 17. Heb. 11. v. 8. to 17. are discussed for the cleering of the said generall Position Gen. 12. v. 1. Now the Lord had said unto Abram Get thee out of thy Country c. Verse 2. And I will make of thee a great Nation and I will blesse thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing Verse 3. And I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thee all families of the earth shall be blessed Gen. 15. v. 4. Behold the word of the Lord came to Abram saying This shall not be thine heire but he that shall come forth out of thine owne bowels shall be thine heire And he brought him forth abroad and said Look now toward heaven and tell the Starres if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy seed be Vers 6 And he beleeved in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousnesse Gen. 17. v. 1. The Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the Almighty God c. Verse 2. And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly Verse 3. And God talked with Abram saying Verse 4. As for me behold my Covenant is with thee and thou shalt be a Father of many Nations * In the Heb. it is both in the 4. v. 5. vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A Father of a MULTITUDE of Nations Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram but thy name shall be Abraham for a Father of many Nations have I made thee * Verse 6. And I will make thee exceeding fruitfull and I will make Nations of thee and KINGS shall come of thee V. 7. And I will establish my Covenant between mee and thee and thy seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant Verse 8. And I will give unto thee and thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger all the land of Canaan for an EVERLASTING possession and I will bee THEIR GOD. Gen 18.18 Abraham shall surely become a great and a mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him Gen. 22. v. 15 16. The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham c. by my selfe have I sworne that in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the starres of Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea-shore and thy seed shall possesse the gates of his enemies ver 18. In thy seed all the Nations of the earth shal be blessed Gen. 26.4 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said I wil make thy seed to multiply as the Stars of Heaven and wil give unto thy seed all these Countries and in thy seed shal all the Nations of the earth bee blessed Gen. 48. ver 19. And his father Jacob refused and said I know it my Sonne I know it that Manasseh is the first borne he also shal become a People and he also shall be great but truly his younger brother Ephraim shall be greater then he and his seed shal become a MVLTITUDE of NATIONS * Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is THE FVLNESSE OF THE GENTILES whence the Apostles phrase Rom. 11.25 The fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come ver 20. And he blessed them in that day saying In thee shal Israel blesse saying God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh and he set Ephraim before Manasseh Gen. 49. ver 26. The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above the blessings of my Progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills they shal be on the head of Joseph and upon the crowne of the head c. Rom. 4. ver 11. And Abraham received the signe of Circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that beleeve though they be not circumcised ver 13. For the promise that hee should be the Heire of the world was not to Abraham and his seed through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith ver 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the FATHER OF US ALL. ver 17. As it is written I have made thee a father of many
the whole of Christs passion as it is plaine First by the Title which is of the Canonical Hebrew Text. A Psalme * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning A jieleth Shahar that is the hind of the morning Christ being shut in the grave escaped away in the morning rising from death Secondly by the application of severall passages to Christs passion by the Evangelist Matth. 27. As that of the DESERTION My God My God why hast thou forsaken me v. 1. That of DERISION ' He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him v. 8. That of PIERCING They pierced my hands and my feet v. 16. That of division of his garments They parted my garments among them and upon my vesture cast lots v. 18. Now this Psalme touching Christ though in the first Scene sets forth Christs humiliation yet in the second holds forth his exaltation vers 22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren which the Apostle applies Heb. 2.9 10 11 12. to Christs manifestation of his samenesse of nature with the sonnes of men even as in that nature he tasted death for every man and at last would declare that salvation to all the world which clearly tends to our point And v. 27 28 29. we have the effect of his declaring Gods name to the world viz. ALL THE ENDS OF THE WORLD shall remember and turne unto the Lord and ALL THE KINDREDS OF THE Nations or GENTILES * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall worship before him For the Kingdome is the Lords and he is the Governour among the Nations or GENTILES All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship In all which we see the effect effectuall conversion The Generality and Universality in many ALL 's The time in generall viz. It is to be after Christs suffering upon the crosse The characters eat and worship which cannot be understood of the highest heavens And it hath not been fulfilled on earth according to that effect universality and character from Christs passion to this day Therefore it is yet to be fulfilled on earth 5 ¶ According to Psalme 86.9 ALL NATIONS whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and glorifie thy name A place mightily considerable So that so great a promise and prophesie as this by so great a Prophet as this with such a shrill emphasis in the ALL and in the Act worship and in the degree of the effect to glorifie his name must not bee ended with flams of humane glosses but must be really and truly and fully accomplished though as yet it was never compleatly fulfilled as it will be too late to think of those things at the ultimate judgement when Christ comes not for conversion but destruction Therefore yet before that finall Day of Doome this ALL must bee brought to ALL THAT of Worshipping and Glorifying Gods Name 6 ¶ Just as we have it in that little Psalme the 117. but greatly Prophetical Praise yee the Lord ALL NATIONS praise him ALL YEE PEOPLES * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How shall all these do this unlesse Christ convert all them but those refractory ones whom he confounds Surely therfore this is a Prophesie that God will in time before the ultimate day of judgement convert generally all Nations as Paul extends it Rom. 11.10 11 c. to the coming in of the fulnesse of Jewes and Gentiles rejoycing together as one Church Therefore according to Paul David had a most comprehensive and extensive sense when he spake these things and therefore shall be fulfilled according to its true latitude and elevation without the mincing distinctions of mens braine For a seale of assurance whereof the close of the Psalme hath three weighty clauses First That the MERCIFULL KINDNESSE of Jehovah to the sonnes of men is great Secondly The TRUTH of the same Jehovah is for ever 3 That by faith and hope in that mercy and truth to see these things fulfilled we should PRAISE that JEHOVAH with Hallelujah which is the word of praise all along the Revelation § 2 Having done with the first head contained in the Psalmes touching the universal power Christ shall have over the whole world afore the last judgement though most yet rebell against him Next wee come to the second head viz. The just time when Christ shall attaine this 1 ¶ That place Psal 97.7 Worship him all yee gods the Apostle tells us Heb. 1.6 shall be fulfilled When God shall bring again his Son Christ into the world which place though our Translators render it And again when he bringeth c. as if it were meerly a new proof of Christs superiority above Angels is most truly rendred according to our reading afore set downe againe and againe with reasons to justifie it so that in words and sense it is an Antithesis and Auxesis to the fifth verse thus He saith not to any Angel thou art my Sonne this day I have begotten theee but instead thereof he speakes a thing that doth much lessen the dignity of Angels and more dignifie Christ above them Let all the Angels of God worship him so that the first And must be turned into But proper to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as there placed and that same Againe is not to signifie another proofe of Christs superiority above Angels but to signifie the time when that of ALL the Elohim Angels and Potentates whether of the Spirits in Heaven or men on earth both Angels and Elohim signifying both worshipping of Christ shall be fulfilled For this hath not yet beene fulfilled as to the ALL of the Magnificents and Great-ones of the earth who contrariwise for the generall have despised if not opposed Christ even as it will bee too late and an unseasonable time for them to do it at the ultimate judgement when no adoration or worship is then received from Christs enemies but sentence is given by him upon and against them The time therefore when this shall bee fulfilled is saith the Apostle in this first to Heb. penned after Christs ascension When God shall bring his first-begotten Sonne AGAINE into the INHABITED WORLD When he brought him into the world the first time by incarnation ALL the Potentates and Angels of men The Scribes and Pharisees Herod and Pontius Pilate the Roman Emperours and Senate of Rome did not worship him but refused him and persecuted him and his members most bloodily for neer three hundred yeers after whom the Arians and next to them the Papacy took their turnes to maintaine that stream of blood running downe to our times But when he shall bring his first-begotten Sonne againe into the world in his visible royal exaltation then they all shall worship him I say as the Text sayes ALL but they that are ruined for their refractorinesse The phrase When he bringeth againe if the Greek word were not of a future sense imports a future thing as the Hebrew imperative Psal 97.7 Worship ye
him all ye gods and the Greek imperative Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him in sense is future that is They all shal worship him as the Epistle to the Hebrews in the Hebrew copy expressely renders it in the future * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall adore or worship him As the Angels of heaven do and ever have done and shall more eminently when they shall be more apparently his Ministers and servants to dispense his mercy and justice in that sudden great work sudden in regard of the greatnesse of setting up New Jerusalem the great restitution of all things so the Kings Princes Emperours Potentates Powers and Angels of Churches SHALL WORSHIP HIM They shall they must doe it afore Christ layes downe his power at the ultimate day of judgement 1 Cor. 15.28 and afore they be condemned men when nothing wil be accepted from them They must do it as a sign they are brought into Christ as the intent of this Epistle is to win the Jews to him 2. ¶ To this of the time of Christs universall visible power over the whole world the one hundred and tenth Psalme sings excellent harmony a Psalme so eminent that it is quoted no lesse then seven times in the New Testament and so apt for our purpose that as the two and twentieth Psalm is of the Passion of Chirst so expounded Mat. 27. The sixteenth Psalme of Christs Resurrection so expounded Act. 2. the sixty eighth Psalme of Christs Ascention so expounded Eph. 4. So this 110 Psalme is of Christs Assession or sitting at the right hand of God till all the world be made subject to him Every verse of it almost hath something in it of this as the Chalde Syriack Arab. Rabb well expound * The Chalde on those words The Lord said to my Lord saith the Lord said to HIS WORD which is the stile of Christ in S. Job phrase but some Syâ—iack thus It is a Psalme concerning Christ and his victory over the Devil who rules in the children of disobedience and gathers the Nations together to oppose Christs Kingdome And upon those words v. 2. Rod of thy strength â—oth say An iron rod to break the enemies of the Gospel Moses with the rod of God being a type of the Mesria Some Arab. thus In the day of thy power in the beuaties of holinesse That is Thou Christ art King of thy holy and beautifull Church and of thy Princedome over the Saints shall be no end that is as Daniels phrase is oft After Christ no Monarch on earth shall succeed Christ in that respect also is Alpha and Omega the first Monarch spirituall and the last visible And upon those words Womb of the morning thus Thou wast before the wâ—mb of thy mother which can be said of no Propher but Christ of whom it is said â—s 72. Thy Name is before the Sun R. Isaak Arama in Gen. 47 apud Nebiens dicit Before the morning star that is he was begotten before he shone in the world in the Gospel Suirably other Rabbins Ex Ab. Ezra in Ps 110 Rabbo expoâ—unt de Melchisedech Abraham sed dumum est Sion de Abraham explicare And upon those words The Lord hath sworn Iuravit Deus cum Davide semine suo Ex. R. Osâ—ad in Psa 110. De Christo Sedeas quia non adhue est tempus revelationis tuae And upon the word Priest Messias fililus Ioseph qui erat occisus Now we know the Apostles quotes this Psalme oft after Christs ascention ver 1. The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole c. By the LORD is meant JEHOVAH as it is expresse in the Hebrew By my Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant Christ who according to his humanity is Davids Sonne but according to Deity is Davids Lord as Christ himselfe expounds it Matth. 22.44 Mar. 12.36 Luke 20.41 Accordingly the Chalde calls Christ by the same title John doth Chap. 1. v. 1. In the beginning saith John was the WORD And saith the Chalde on this Psalme The Lord said to his WORD And because Christ is Davids Lord therefore tho Psalmist David himselfe infers that he must rule over Davids poesterity though now for present with many others they be enemies Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole Which phrase cannot with any congruity be meerly spiritually understood For how can we say Converts are enemies or if by conversion his friends how can it be said they are his footstool Christ is upon other termes with men when once made beleevers as that they are one with him Ioh. 15. Ioh. 17. Therefore the plain meaning is that Christ must so rule over all that his very enemies must corporally and visibly be subject unto his power And this is prophesied and promised for future after his ascention and after his first sitting at the right hand of God But to this day now after 1600 yeers since that time Christ hath not ruled over the generality of the Iews either the ten Tribes or two Tribes either corporally or spiritually besides Indians Turks c. so as to bring them into any outward acknowledgement of him And therefore as yet All his enemies are not made his footstool but it remaines to be done before the full and finall destruction at the ultimate day of judgement 3 ¶ Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool is like that Act. 3.21 whom the Heavens must receive untill the times of the RESTITUTION he saith not DESTITUTION of all things And that Rev. 19. last Rev. 20.1 He shall slay his incurable Antichristian enemies and shall descend from Heaven 4 ¶ The Apostle doth yet much more give us light in this thing Heb. 2.8 9. In putting all things in subjection under him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he left nothing that is not put under him Now saith the Apostle We see not yet all things put under him though the Apostle there confesseth that Christ was already ascended So that Christ must sit in Heaven till his enemies be put in subjection under him which cannot be at the ultimate generall judgement For before that Christ at his next coming must receive a Kingdome Luke 19.11 c. which hath been largely cleared afore 2 Book Sect. 10. hee must in order of nature at his next appearance first have a Kingdome and then judge 2 Tim. 4.1 which also hath been abundantly opened afore 2 Book Sect. 6. For upon the ultimate day of judgement he layes downe all his authority 1 Cor. 15.28 5 ¶ The Apostle addes further light to this in his quotation of this of the 110. Psal in Act. 2.32 33 34 35 36. This Iesus hath God saith the Apostle Peter raised up c therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this as
20 21. Assemble your selves and come draw neer together yee that are ESCAPED of the Nations Tell ye and bring them neer Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth c. as it follows in the words above described at large So that by the connexion it is evident that the words above quoted concerne both Jews and Gentiles § 2 The words are not onely a prescript and precept to all the ends of the earth which must needs include Jewes and Gentiles but also a Prophesie and Promise that all the ends of the earth shall look to the Lord for salvation expresse in saying Be ye saved And in the 23 verse I have sworne by my selfe unto me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall vow surely shall each one say in the Lord have I righteousnesse c. which is the plaine language of a promise and is confirmed in manner of a promise with that great confirmation Gods oath § 3 First for the two former verses viz. the 22 and 23 of looking to God and bowing the knee to him the Apostle applies them twice in the New Testament to that future submission and subjection that all the world shall yeeld to Jesus Christ long after his ascention 1 ¶ The first time is in Rom. 14. v. 8 9 10 11. Verse 8. Whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords 9. For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living 10. But why dost thou judge thy brother c. wee shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ For it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse to God In which words 1 It is plainly held forth that the Apostle proves Christs Lordship or Kingly-hood over ALL both dead and living by this place of Isa That every knee shall bow to the Lord. And that as God made Christ a Priest by an oath Psal 110. emphatically urged by the Apostle Heb. 7.20 c. so he makes him Lord and King by an oath in this place of Isaiah and so applied by our â—postle in this 14 of Rom. to signifie the certainty of the thing 2 That being delivered in the future tense it must signifie more then Christs spirituall Kingdome which he then had when Isaiah prophesied 3 That the Apostles mentioning after Christs ascention his Lordship over the dead and our standing at his judgement seat must signifie a state now after Christ is in heaven yet to come For he is not God of the dead but as they are living in soule in order to a resurrection as Christ himselfe expounds in the Evangelist 4 That this must be a state on earth before the ultimate Doom in that the Apostle out of the Prophet asserteth that all must bow to him either sincerely or at least seemingly which cannot be so cleerly understood to be feisable at the ultimate day of judgement which is the finall destruction of all not sincere to Christ and the time of Christs Resignation of all his power 1 Cor. 15. For the wicked to submit and perish in the same houre were little honour to Christ and a short time for all the world to confesse to him 5 That this is a kind of day of judgement that is the beginning or preface to the great and ultimate day of judgement at the beginning of the thousand yeers when Christ destroyes all the open obstinate wicked and sets up the Church into a glorious estate Rev. 19. latter end And Rev. 20. first six verses compare v. 8.9 c. And at this beginning or preface do all believers stand at the judgement seat of Christ Revel 11. v. 15. v. 18. Rev. 20. first six verses where they receive honour and rewards of grace and favour For according to our Apostle this bowing c. must be at SOME day of judgement But it cannot be at the ultimate finall and therefore afore at the beginning of the day of judgement viz. at the beginning of the thousand yeers 2 ¶ The second time of the Apostles application of this of Isaiah touching bowing to the submission of all unto Christ is Phil. 2 v. 8 9 10 11. Ver. 8. Being found in fashion as a man hee humbled himself and became obedient unto the death c. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in EARTH and things under the Earth 11 And that every tongue should confesse that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of God the Father 1 By the quotation of the place out of Isaiah it is evident that the meaning of bowing the knee at the name of Jesus is to submit to the Lordly and Kingly power of Christ 2 Every knee both of things in heaven that is of Angels as they shall in speciall bee imployed in gathering the Church and setting up the glorious state thereof Rev. oft and in earth that is of all men and under the earth that is at Christs pleasure there shall bee no sea Rev. 21.1 must needs import a state on earth Which in the third particular is more confirmed That every tongue shall confesse that Jesus Christ is the LORD to the glory of God the Father § 4 Now this of Isaiah intended for salvation of Jews and Gentiles and as explained by the Apostle touching submission to and glorifying of Christ cannot comport with the ultimate doome As they were never yet fulfilled but rather most knees and tongues as of Turks Papists Heathens Socinians and all prophane persons whatsoever are against Christ to this day And therefore these things must have a time on earth before the ultimate judgement to bee fairely and effectually fulfilled § 5 As for the two last Verses of this 45 of Isaiah Viz. v. 24 and 25. I need no more but aske the question was that ever fulfilled which is there spoken that every knee and tongue shall come and say for so is the connexion especially according to the Hebrew Text surely in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength Or that fulfilled there also expressed That ALL that are incensed against the Lord shall bee ashamed Or that fulfilled which is the close of all That in the Lord all the seed of Israel shall be justified and shall glory I say when ever were these fulfilled You have seen that the persons spoken of are Israel and Jacob comprehending all the seed of the twelve Tribes and all the ends of the earth of Gentiles and that the Apostle expounds The Lord by the Lord Christ Therefore I may boldly aske when ever were these fulfilled Surely to our sorrow that are Beleevers wee see the contrary of all these in the generality of all men Turks
glory to shew favour to you if we have not done well in casting you out yet the Lord should appear to their joy that had been so hated and cast out for his name sake and those their false brethren should bee ashamed § 2 In the seven and eight verses most evidently the Prophet setteth forth the manner of the conversion of the Jews I say conversion their settlement will cost longer time as it seems Dan. 12. the three last verses viz. their conversion shall bee as the birth of a child before the mother is in pain as the birth of a Nation at once which well may bee being to bee done by the appearance of Christ in the Clouds § 3 In the 10. and 11. verses All Nations must rejoyce with Jerusalem because they shall suck the breasts of her consolations that is share in her comforts ## § 4 In the twelfth verse The Lord will extend peace to Jerusalem like a River and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream See a glorious conjunction of Jews and Gentiles § 5 In the 13 and 14 15 16. verses is set forth the sensible comforts of the Church and the corporall destruction of their enemies As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem and when ye see this your heart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herb and the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants and his indignation towards his enemies For behold the Lord will come with fire c. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many Illustrated vers 24. They shall go forth and look upon the carkasses that have transgressed against me for their worm shall not dye nor their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh Which in the generall to bee taken literally is confessed both by Jews and Christians Consult our new Annotationists upon the place See Sect. 41. § 5. ¶ 2. § 6 In the 18 19 20 and 21. verses is held forth to us the congregating of all Nations both Jews and Gentiles into union of true religious worship and beholding of the glory of God and that as the Jewish Doctors expound it in his destruction of the enemies of the Church in the dayes of the Messias In the 22. verse we have the height and length of this glorious estate of the universall Church of Jews and Gentiles on earth It is no lower then a state of a new Heaven and a new Earth And it is to be perpetuated It is to remain unalterable continue say our new Annotationists for ever § 7 Now these things were never yet fulfilled according to the phrases and circumstances of the place as to the Gentiles nor in the substance as to the Jews who remaine totally unconverted to Christ and are dispersed and despised to our sorrow throughout the world But God must be true therefore these must be fulfilled and on earth before the ultimate judgement as every verse doth hint unto us And therefore St. John in the Revelation Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 and Chapter 21. doth apply these in a way of Prophesie to the glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come at the fall of Antichrist I shal give you them in summe and short because I have before so often made particular applications of them Babylon the great is fallen is fallen How much she hath glorified her selfe so much sorrow and torment shall be given her Her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire Rejoyce over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her And after these things I heard a great voyce of much people c. saying Allelujah salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are thy judgementss for he hath judged the great Whore that hath corrupted the earth and hath avenged the blood of his Saints And again they said Allelujah And the foure and twenty Elders said Amen Allelujah And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty thunderings saying Allelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth And the beast and the false Prophet were taken and cast into the lake fire And the rest were slain with the sword But the Saints reigned with Christ a thousand yeers in the new Heavens and new Earth to whom the Kings of the earth and Nations of the world bring their honour § 8 Now let him that readeth understand and consider whether he were best to beleeve his owne phantasie or the opinions of men rather then St. Johns series and system of Visions and Prophesies so aptly in phrase and matter expounding the Prophet Isaiah of a future glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come Thus of the Prophet Isaiah SECT XXVII NExt we come to the Prophet Jeremiah The first place for our purpose is in Chapter 16. verse 14 15. compared with Chapter 23. verse 3. c. to verse 9. The words of that in Chapter 16. verse 14 15. are Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that it shall be no more said The Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt But the Lord liveth that brought up the children of ISRAEL from the LAND OF THE NORTH and from ALL THE LANDS whither he had DRIVEN THEM and I will bring them againe into THEIR LAND that I gave unto their Fathers § 1 The Prophet calling these of whom he speaks by the name of Israel and in relation to their returne out of the Land of the NORTH and out of All Lands whither they had been driven must needs comprehend as well the ten Tribes as the two And the more cleerly to hint to us that his meaning is not onely of a reduction of them to their own Land but of their conversion unto their God and this not at a petty call of a few of them but at the great call of the generality of them all he subjoyns the bringing in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles verse 19. The Gentiles shall come unto the Lord from the ends of the earth and shall say surely our Fathers have inherited lyes c. At which time of the coming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles as their coming from the ends of the earth fully expresseth All Israel saith the Apostle Rom. 11.25 26. shall be saved § 2 Now let us parallel this with that in the 23. Chapter verse 3 4 5 6 7 8. wherein wee have the same expressions with further illustrations and explanations to confirme the same The words of the Prophet there are verse 3. I will gather the remnant of my flock out of ALL Countries whither I have driven them and will bring
FEET and consequently before the Image was DISSIPATED And therefore that the KINGDOME typified by the STONE while it remained a STONE must needs be within the TIMES OF THOSE MONARCHIES that is before the last of them viz. the Roman should expire Wherefore Daniel interprets vers 44. of this second chapter That IN THE DAYES of these Kingdomes not after them but while some of them were in being the God of Heaven should set up a Kingdome WHICH SHOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED nor LEFT as the other were to another people but should BREAKE IN PEECES and CONSUME ad those Kingdomes and it selfe should stand for ever And all this he speaks as the INTERPRETATION of the STONE FOR AS MUCH saith he AS THOU SAWEST THAT A STONE WAS CUT OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN WITHOUT HANDS AND THAT IT BRAKE IN PEECES THE IRON THE BRASSE THE CLAY THE SILVER AND THE GOLD Here make the full point for these words belong not to that which followes as our Bibles misse-distinguishing seem to refer them but to that which went afore of their interpretation But the STONE becoming a Mountaine he expounds not but leaves to be gathered by what he had already expounded So then IN THE DAYES OF THOSE KINGDOMES of the Gentiles signifies DURING THEM and in the latter part of them as the nature of the thing spoken of sufficiently argues which was to destroy the last Kingdome which had destroyed and swallowed the former three I mean the second swallowed or possessed the first the third the second the fourth the third and so in a sence by the destruction of the fourth the STONE destroyeth all the rest as contained therein For the stone smites neither the golden part nor the silver nor the brasse immediately but onely the feet of iron and clay and yet by that blow was the brasse the silver and the gold destroyed also in as much as they all came by succession to the iron I adde that the dissipation of the gold silver and brasse together with the Iron may bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 typi the comlinesse or conveniency of the type because the parts of the Image in the type could not succeed one another in time as the Kingdomes signified by them did and so the Image appeared to be dissipated all at once in vision though the Kingdomes were not so save only in the sence afore-named Thus Mr. Mede to whom I assent almost in all things I have other good company to goe along with me in this point upon this Chapter but I must first premise some things to make way for them You have in this second Chapter of Daniel from ver 36. to ver 46. the prophesie of this visibly-glorious Kingdome of Christ to bee on earth given by God to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream of a great Image ver 31. c. of foure Mettals in the foure parts thereof the Head being of gold the Brest and Armes of silver the Belly and Thighes of brasse the Leggs and Feete of Iron but in the feet a mixture of clay and to Daniel by the spirit of propheticall revelation to interpret it according to the true intent and meaning of Gods mind therein According to which in ver 37 38. Daniel tels Nebuchadnezzer that he the said Nebuchadnezzar is the first part of the first metal viz. the Head of gold in that the God of Heaven had given him a Kingdom or Empire viz. the Assyrio-Chaldean and power and strength and glory Why further hee is called a golden head wee shall annex more conveniently by and by In ver 39. Daniel tels him that after him shall arise an inferiour Kingdom which he applies to the Breast and Armes of silver mentioned afore in verse 32. which fitly resembles the Empire that next followed viz. the Medo Persian Which taking the said golden head when Darius Dan. 5. tooke Babylon added to it this breast of Empire with the two armes of Medes and Persians And therefore this silver Empie is called inferiour not in respect of power authority or Territory wherein it was greater by taking to it selfe that of the former and adding its own but in manner of Government as in relation to the Church being far more harsh to the Jewes till the last then the former The Jewes injoying golden dayes in comparison under Nebuchadnezzars Empire although he was the first that took the Kingdome from the Jewes Which is the reason why the sacred storie of the Jewish Churches foraigne State begins at Nebuchadnezzar calling him the head when as the Empire of Assyria and Chaldea was long afore him in being viz. the Scripture takes no notice of the Kingdomes of Heathens or of the world further then as they concerne the woe or weale of the Church This Nebuchadnezzar therefore beginning the desolation of the Church of the Jewes as to their Temple-worship and habitation in the injoyment of these in their own Land is called the head of that monstrous Image of Monarchy In the same 39 verse Daniel tells him that after that second Empire of silver shall arise a third of brasse which metall though otherwise not expresse intimates by the order and proportion of descention and degeneration in calling the silver one inferiour to the golden that this third brazen one shall be as much baser and worse if not more in the sence aforesaid then the second of silver as the silver was worse then the gold And this was to signifie the Grecian Empire or Monarchy Alexander the Great being the Belly that possessed it in whole and his two Commanders succeeding him are the two thighes or hips For though foure at first shared it yet all by their disagreeing and striving soon fell into the hands of those two Whereof one had the Northern moyety or half called therefore the King of the North the other the Southern called thereupon the King of the South as you have the matter at large by way of prophesie Dan 11. to which the best Histories since doe exactly answer But of this more after when we come to the eleventh of Daniel In ver 40 41 42.43 Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that the fourth Kingdome Empire or Monarchy shall be of iron and clay Thereby signifying a baser state then the former in the sence afore-explained And this must of necessity signifie the Roman Empire which next followed the Grecian conquering it as Dan. 9. prophesies and Histories since singularly shew the performance In the days of this Iron Empire Christ comes ver 44. Imperante Augusto natus est Christus Imperante Tiberio crucifixus is known to every School-boy that hath learned his Grammer He came in the time of the Roman Empire not in the time of the Grecian or any of the former And this Roman Empire is described by and called Iron because it was harder and hardier to breake the former and more cruell as wee afore intimated to the Church Witnesse the Vespasian-Titan cruelty prophesied by Christ Matth. 24.1 c. to come to
absolutely for ever 2. If any hanker and long after the sence that our translation hints as if the three former Beasts had a kind of life allowed them after their dominion was taken away to give these content we can give them this faire answer which may likewise be handsomely improved as to the illustration of the ruine of the fourth Beast and so of the glorious remaining of the fift Monarchy That though the three former monarchies were dis-robed of their Monarchicall paramount Emperiality the former by the latter yet those three divine providence permitting had continued unto them some degree of regality untill some good space of time that the fourth had been in being and power which is the more probable 1. Because how else could it bee said that the third trampled the second and the fourth the third yea all the remainder of the former unlesse they had some entiry or being to be trampled 2. Because the whole Image is broken by the ruine on the feet of the fourth and last And therefore probably there were certaine broken limbs of the three former remaining to be beaten into dust with the fourth 3. Because wee have some such account given us in the faithfullest humane Histories First For the Armenians part of Chaldea as some learned affirme had a King and Kingly dignity even unto the dayes of the Roman Monarchy Tigranes King of Armenia was subdued by the Roman Pompey and his Country made tributary and so stamped under foot But after a while even in the reigne of Tiberius the same Armenia was fortified against the Romans whom the Emperour rather pacified with promises then subdued with Warre who after got the staffe so far into their hands againe that in the reigne of Jovinian they were called Friends not Vassals to the Romans Secondly For Persia they had great power in the time of Antiochus the great and of his sonne Antiochus the vile of the Greeke Monarchy downe unto and farre into the times of the Roman Emperours Of whom Julian lost his life Valerian went under ransome and Jovinian put to the shamefull foyle of the losse of foure whole provinces Thirdly For the Grecian Monarchy after the Romans had trampled Egypt Anthony and Cleopatra being subdued by Augustus and their Countries reduced to Provinces yet after the Greekes did so far shake off the Roman yoake as that they withstood divers of their stoutest Emperours viz. Galienus Aurelian and Dioclesian And this last answer doth also well illustrate the prophesie That whereas somthing of the former Monarchies remained in the days of the later yet the fift should leave nothing of the fourth and so nothing of the former All being to be broken in the feet of the fourth So glorious should the fift Kingdome be Now let the reader take which answer he pleaseth § 11 Having cleared we hope this knot let us now goe on with Daniels visions wherein he having already shewed us towards the discovery of the Who and what that destroyed the fourth Beast the posture and Acts of the Session of Judicature next he represents to us the person or persons the Captaine and his Army that tooke from the fourth Beast the Roman Monarchy and all other Kingdoms into their owne hands of power and these are Christ and his Christians vers 13 14. Daniel saw in the night-visions fitly signifying the Antichristian darknesse that then clouded the Church one like the Son of Man come with the cloudes of Heaven This is Christ who relatively as a King and Captaine Generall as the Scriptures set him forth and Mystically as he is by union of the Spirit head of his Church doth infer as soon as he is come an Host of Christians at his heeles as part of his Session when hee sits all which must necessarily bee here understood as the 18 26 and 27 verses being of the interpretation of the vision give sufficient warrant vers 18. But the SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH shall take the Kingdome for ever Zech. 1.8 Heb. 2.10 Revel 19.11 12 13 14. even for ever and ever ver 27 28. But the Judgement shall sit and they of the Judgement viz. as it is in this vision the Son of Man and his ten thousand times ten thousand of all Nations Languages and Peoples that beleeve in him shall take away his the fourth Beasts dominion to consume and destroy it to the end And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven shall bee given to the PEOPLE OF THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all Dominions shall serve HIM Where most evidently Christ called here the Son of Man doth as a publicke person and a representative as the second Adam of all mankind that beleeve include and signifie all the sonnes of men that beleeve and they and he are so one mystically by faith and relatively as a corporation or united Emperiality that it is indifferent to the Holy Ghost to mention HIM or THEM to be the Ruler of this fifth Monarchy As for that his coming we mentioned but now Daniel expresseth it in the said thirteenth verse The Sonne of man came with the Clouds of Heaven Upon which words Mr. Parker saith thus The Sonne of man is Christ the Head including also his Body the Church as appeareth ver 26 27. He is said to come and this is his second coming in a large sence comprehending his coming to beare rule on earth by setting up his Kingdome breaking down the enemy and this is the space of forty five yeares and then his visible appearing at the Resurrection immediatly ensuing to finish the New Jerusalem begun in heavenly perfection And in this large description his second coming is usually taken in the Prophets He is said to come in the Clouds of Heaven that is on high above the glory and power of the Kingdomes of the earth in the supereminent Majesty of his Kingdom Rev. 11 12. Isa 52.13 Mat. 24.30 Thus Mr. Parker I only adde this that by the current and tenour of Scripture this phrase of his coming in the Clouds signifies withall that he shall visibly and really appeare in the natural Clouds at that his second coming but now mentioned as Christ himselfe and Saint John expounds the Prophets Matth. 24.30 Revel 1.7 Then shall appeare saith Christ in that twenty fourth of Matthew ver 30. the signe of the Sonne of Man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourne and they shall SEE the Sonne of Man coming in the CLOVDES of Heaven c. And saith John in that Revel 1.7 Behold he cometh WITH CLOVDES and every eye shall SEE him and they also that pierced him § 13 He is said in the same thirteenth verse both to come to the Ancient of dayes that is as he is Mediator to the end to obtaine the Kingdome for his Saints being removed from the enemy So the Lamb is said to approach to him that
have the mastery not their enemies But though the valley of Jehosaphat be here named by these names yet they are to be understood in intent and meaning appellatively in a larger sence as is most safe to signifie and typifie any eminent place or places where the Lord shall overthrow the incurable enemies of the beleeving Jewes For first Let any reasonable Hebrician looke into the original and he shall plainly perceive that the holy Ghost useth the name Jehosaphat onely as a Paranomasia I will bring them into the valley 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As if we should say in English I will bring them down to the valley of Jehosaphat and there I will Jehosaphatize them that is overthrow them as Jehosaphat did his enemies Secondly Let any rational man judge whether Jehosaphat as a proper name of a place in Judea doth signifie that there and there onely God will judge the enemies of the beleeving Jewes when as their enemies are scated in every place where the Jews are scattered and those enemies shall oppose them and the beleeving Gentiles that shall help in their returne where-ever they stirre to that end Yet I contend not but that that very place may be one where of some notable overthrow of some cheife enemies of the Jewes as of the Arabians Saracens and Turkes that shall enter into the Holy Land to hinder the Jewes sitting downe and settling there Now this clause of the Prophet Joel in this third chapter was never yet fulfilled since the first Assyrio-Chaldean captivity of Israel or Iudah For the Prophet gives us a sign that this is to be done after the Jewes are sold to the Grecians The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its first originall sence and use signifies to yeeld up and deliver up And so the Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which most commonly as the composition of the word requires signifies to yeeld up or to deliver up into another mans jurisdiction and power And this transmitting of the Jews from their Native Country to Graecia seems to be charged upon several Nations who handed them from one to another vers 2 3 4 5. But the Greeks came not to any considerable repute power and jurisdiction till above two hundred years after the beginning of the Second viz. The Medo-Persian Monarchy Since which time the Jews were never delivered according to the character of the Text viz. By a destruction of their enemies and to such an effect and degrees as that no stranger should pass through Jerusalem any more verse 12 13 14 15 16 17. For we know the contrary by History Experience and sight of our own eyes in our travells § 4 The opening of this destruction of the Jews enemies at their deliverance and the collation of their happy condition when delivered will yet further demonstrate that this prophesie of Joel in this third Chapter is not yet in the main to this very day fulfilled ¶ 1. The destruction of their enemy must be very formidable v. 14 15 16 19. Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision the Sun and the Moon shall be darkned and the Stars shall withdraw their shining The Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness c. ¶ 2. On the otherside the happy condition of the Jews shall be as glorious as their enemies destruction shall be miserable which is interchangably enterwoven within the same verses the better to minde us that they both concur to the same time and in that method that the ruines of the enemy is the rise of the Jews Vers 16. But the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of ISRAEL V. 17. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy Mountain then shall Jerusalem be HOLY and there SHALL NO STRANGERS PASS THROUGH HER ANY MORE V. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Mountains shall drop down new Wine and the Hills shall flow with milk c. V. 20. Judah shall dwell FOR EVER and Jerusalem from GENERATION to GENERATION You see here in this Chapter a corporal destruction of all the Nations that irreconcileably oppose the Jews You see the happy condition of the Jews following thereupon to be expresly both temporal and spiritual and you see it set forth with most ample extension both for latitude and length Need I now upon things so plain spend six sentences to declare this was never yet fulfilled to the Jews since their first captivity in Babylon to this day Surely if the succeeding Monarchy punished the preceding they did withal keep the Jews under their subjection and so from Assyrians to Medes and Persians from them to the Grecians and thence to the Romans and so to the Saracens and Turks to this time the Jews have been more or less under forreign power and not a free people much less so happy or their enemies so miserable as hath been described Lastly If we mark some references of this third of Joel made § 5 by the Apostles themselves in the New Testament we shall beyond all dispute of them that believe the New Testament clear it That the prophesies of this Chapter are not yet fulfilled ¶ 1. Consider how exactly the thirteenth verse c. of this Chapter of Ioel is repeated and applied Rev. 14.15 16 17 18 19 20. to the ruine of Antichrist Put ye in saith Ioel in this third Chapter v. 13. the sickle for the Harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for their wickedness is great And then follows expresly the destruction of the enemies of the Jews as we before repeated Sutably Saint Iohn saith in the said place of the Revelation An Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sate on 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 And he that sate on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the Earth and the Earth was reaped And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp sickle And another Angel came out from the Altar which had power over fire and cryed with a loud voice Cry to him that had the sharp sickle saying Thrust in thy sickle and gather the clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her grapes are fully ripe 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 and the Wine-press was troden without the City and blood came out of the Wine-press even unto to the horse-bridles by the space
That v. 11. and v. 19. Their shame shall be taken away and they shall be made a name and a praise in all lands where they have been put to shame and all they that afflicted them shall be undone Instead whereof the Iews in all lands are under great reproach and contempt and their enemies rather undo them then that their enemies are undone for their sakes Thus of Zephany SECT XLV § 1 NExt we come to the Prophet Zechary who prophesied within two months at the same time that Haggy prophesied Hag. 1.1 Zech. 1.1 and therefore is commonly accounted as a co-partner with Haggy Both prophesying after Judah's return from Babylon in the second yeare of Darius sonne of Histaspis For Haggai reproves them chap. 1. ver 2. for not re-building the Temple And v. 6. declares that the scarcity upon them was for that neglect Neither of which could have been rationall if they had been then in Babylon Zechariah likewise hints the same time in chap. 1. ver 6. in acknowledging that God had then fulfilled the judgement threatned upon them And expressely in the 16 verse saith The Lord is returned to Jerusalem with mercies and his house shall be built § 2 These being premised the first place we pitch upon in this Prophet is chap. 2. ver 6. c. to the end of the chapter Ver. 6. Ho ho come forth and flee from the land of the North saith the Lord. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the Heaven saith the Lord. Vers 7. Deliver thy selfe O Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon Vers 8. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts After the glory hath he sent me unto the Nations which spoiled you for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye Ver. 9. For behold I will shake mine hand upon them and they shall be a spoile to their servants and yee shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me Sing and rejoyce O Daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord. Ver. 11. And MANY NATIONS SHALL BE JOYNED UNTO THE LORD in that day and shall be my people c. Vers 12. And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land and shall chuse Ierusalem againe Of which words the introduction preceding in the § 1. leades us into this sence that they look beyond the two Tribes called Iudah unto the returne of the ten Tribes called Isreal § 3 It hath been often very grievous in my eyes to see how Authours commonly follow one another in expounding Scripture as if they were rather led by humain example then by divine reason And let this goe for one instance where they successively vote or dictate not demonstrate that that great call to the Jewes in ver 6. To come forth and flee from the land of the North c. relates to those of the two Tribes that tarryed behind when the rest of them returned I confesse as to wipe off singularity I am glad of the bare company in opinion of them that are learned but I had rather have one of their reasons if they give any then an hundred of their names Oecolampadius speaking for us saith Terram Aquilonis c. that is the Prophet calls Babylon the land of the North which is situated towards the Northern part Eastwardly And seeing that others were dispersed into divers parts of the earth according to the foure winds and others oppressed with other servitude all that are burdened are called c. And Pellican likewise voting for us saith the Prophet here foretels a double gathering of the Inhabitants and cals unto them for the dispersion of the faithfull was two-fold one of the people of Iudah in Babylon who are called together with Nehemiah unto the building of Ierusalem whom the Prophet exhorts to goe forth out of the province of the Babylonians and to beleeve the word of God and to restore the divine worship in the Temple The other was greater and more general of all Israel whom God had scattered into the foure quarters or climates of the world All which the prophet cals and desires to be congregated toward Zion c. But to leave men and words and come to reason ¶ 1. T is clear that this place of Scripture is a prophesie of future things by the language of it speaking all along from the fourth verse to the end of the chapter in the future tense that these and those things shall come to passe and such things and so God will do ¶ 2. And the exhortation in the sixt verse the thing in controversie is expresly there extended not only unto the Jews in the North viz. Babylon but to all of them dispersed in the foure quarters of the world as they are to this day Where marke the connexion For I will gather you from the four winds making this the meaning of coming out of the North. Compare also Zech. 8.7 a considerable place viz. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts behold I will save my people from the East Country and from the West Country and I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Accordingly the Septuagint reads this of Zech. 2.6 thus Ω 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Ho ho fly from the land of the North saith the Lord Because I WILL GATHER you from the foure winds of Heaven saith the Lord. ¶ 3. The said two Tribes had been even now when Zechariah preached this Sermon returned from Babylon into Iudea near this sixteen years For as the best Chronologers cast up the account they returned from Babylon in the year of the world 3435. And Zechary began his prophesie in the year of the world three thousand foure hundred fifty one A faire time for the most of the Jewes of the two Tribes to take heart to returne that are mentioned in the beginning of their deliverance by Cyrus to have lingered behind the rest 1 Chron. 4. if feare of the Kings sincerity in dismissing them had remorated them and to have been incouraged by their fore-runners prosperity in Iudea if any considerable number staid in Babylon for feare of successe And therefore doubtlesse by this time most of the people of Iudah were returned Iosephus boldly affirmeth * and Sanctius approves the account that there returned of the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin forty six hundred thousand Lib. 11. Cap. 4 and twenty eight thousand which may appear to have some truth in it if we compare Ezr. 2.61 62 63 64 65. and Nehem. 13.3 And truly the great work they did in re-building the Temple repairing the City wals and their bountifull offerings at the dedication speake aloud that they were a very numerous people And therefore t is very unlikely that the Prophet in that exhortation verse the sixt should mainly mind a gleaning of a few lingerers in Babylon ¶ 4. This exhortation ver the sixt calling for separation and to
come out of Babylon is carryed downe by the Apostles unto the latter if not to the last times of this world For St. Paul in the 2 Cor. 6.17 18 brings it down to his time which is far beyond any occurrences in Zecharies time who prophesied five hundred and eighteen yeares plus minus thereabouts afore Christs birth And Paul pens this Epistle at least fifty two years after the birth of Christ for about that year he wrote his first Epistle to Corinth his words are these Come out from among them and be yee separate SAITH THE LORD marke his quotation of the old Testament c. and I will receive you and be a father unto you Just to the same effect as Zecharie in the said sixt verse Come forth flee from the land of the North c. Deliver thy selfe O Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon c. Lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord. Thus far St. Paul extends it But St. Iohn Revel cha 18. ver 2 3 4. extends it much further and that in a propheticall way viz. to the time nearly preceding the fall of Babylon I saw another Angell come down from Heaven having great power c. and he cryed mightily with a strong voyce saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. i.e. shall surely fal And I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sins and that yee receive not of her plagues Which two last clauses being of a future tense and sence clearly shew that is fallen is fallen signifies it shall fall and that in regard thereof the people of God must timously come out thence ¶ 5. There are high straines annexed to this prophesie in this second of Zecharie which effectually evince that it is not yet fulfilled as that ver 5. I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her That is a fence about the Church consisting of Jewes and Gentiles of absolute defence to them and of a devouring offence to the enemy And that ver 8 9. Thus saith the Lord after the glory hath he sent me to the Nations which spoiled you For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye For behold I will shake mine hand upon them and they shall be a spoile to their servants And yee shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me That is after this glory of your famous return and rebuilt Temple the Lord hath sent me the Messiah to the Nations that spoiled you that is to your enemies who in touching you to hurt you did as it were thrust their fingers into mine eyes Therefore I the Messiah will shake mine hands upon them as Psal 2.9 To break them with a rod of iron and so to make them a spoile to their servants that is to you whom they rigidly made their servants Lastly that in vers 10 11 12 13. Sing and rejoyce O daughter of ZION for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of THEE saith the Lord. And many NATIONS shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and SHALL BEE MY PEOPLE and I will dwell in the midst of THEE and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee And the Lord shall inherit Judah in the HOLY LAND and shall chuse Jerusalem AGAINE Be silent O all flesh before the Lord Because he is awakened concerning the habitation of his holinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is a joyfull time is yet to come when the Messiah shall dwell in the midst of the Jewes they dwelling in the holy Land many Nations being joyned unto the Lord together with the Jewes into one Church he dwelling in the midst of them all for dwelling in the midst is againe repeated so that then they shall effectually know not only that this Prophet was sent of God to preach this to them but also that the true Messiah shall be at the appointed time sent to performe these things to them to the putting of all fleshly and carnall minds to silence that doubted or disputed against these thing I say to put them to silence by the appearance of Christ awakened and bestirring himselfe in the behalfe of his holy habitation or the habitation of his holinesse that is the Church in her pure state and worship Now when were these high straines these sublime expressions ever yet fulfilled We have a watch-word in the twelfth verse that we must looke for the impletion â—hereof far beyond Zecharies time For though he in his time of this Prophesie saw the returne of the Jews into the holy Land yet saith The Lord SHALL inherit Judah his portion in the HOLY LAND and SHALL chuse Jerusalem AGAINE Surely if wee keep the prophesie together as the Lord hath laid it and left it together there was never yet to this day since their return from Babylon that time and state of the Church that is here limbed forth to the life viz. that the Church should consist of Jews and Gentiles joyned to the Lord and owned by him as his people even while the Jewes possesse the holy Land and the Lord should be as a wall of fire protecting them and devouring their enemies and making the Jewes of servants to the cruell Heathens to be the spoilers of them c. and all these things to be carryed up to that height of glory that all spirituall hearts should sing and rejoyce and all fleshly hearts should bee struck dumb or astonished with silence We have before repeated usque ad nauseam foriè aliquibus very often how the Jewes ever since the return of the two Tribes have been little lesse or otherwise then in a captive condition under three Monarchies that when the Jewes a few of them imbraced Christ Acts second third and fourth chapters the Gentiles were not converted When the Gentiles began to be called the Jewes fell off Act. 13. Rom. 11. That the Maccabean conflict in regard of the catastrophe and event is not worthy to be named with this Prophesie And therefore this Prophesie is yet unfulfilled and requires by the circumstances of it a time of fulfilling before the ultimate universall resurrection SECT XLVI THe second place in Zecharie is in chap. 6. ver 13 13 14 15. which I need little more then name V. 12. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying behold the man whose name is the BRANCH and he shall grow up out of his place and HE shall BUILD THE TEMPLE of the Lord. 13. Even HEE shall build THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and RULE UPON HIS THRONE and he shall be a PRIEST upon his throne and the COUNSILL OF PEACE shall be between them both 14. And the Crowns shall be to Heâ—em and to Toâ—ijah and to Jedajah and to Hen the son of Zephaniaâ— for a
adequatly and answerably to that name described in the first verse to be a day that shall BURN AS AN OVEN which shall burn up the proud and wicked as stubble leaving them neither root nor branch Now observe ¶ 1. This cannot be extended to the ultimate day of judgment at the universal resurrection of all the wicked then cast into the lake of fire Revel 20.12 c. to the end of the Chapter for these Reasons First Because at this day if not according to the order of the prophesie after this dreadful and burning day in this first verse of the fourth of Malachi Christ the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings to them that fear his name and they shall GO FORTH and shall GROW UP AS CALVES OF THE STALL Ver. 2. Now this cannot be at that universal resurrection and ultimate judgement at which time Christ hath done healing hath finished his mediatorship and resigned up all his power to God the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26 27 28. and the elect have done growing Secondly Because ver 5. an Elijah must be sent BEFORE THE COMING of the GREAT and DREADFUL day of the Lord who shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers Which is not a work to be done at or near-upon that ultimate judgement but then he that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still then is a time of destruction not of conversion Thirdly Because it is added in the last verse of Malachi That Elijah must come and shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children LEAST the Lord come and SMITE THE EARTH WITH A CURSE Now at the ultimate judgement there is no other smiting and cursing of the Earth but with that judgement it self it swallowing up all other evils And whether all parents or children be converted or not converted that ultimate judgement will be â—ure to come for the elects sake As concerning who this Elijahs is we shall dispute it particularly by and by ¶ 2. On the other side this prophesie cannot be cut so short as to terminate in Christs first coming For then was no dreadful day of the Lord so burning as a fiery oven to burn up the proud and wicked doers root and branch Christs coming is set forth in Matth. 21.5 according to Isa 62.11 Zech. 9.9 compared with Matth. 11.29 Phil. 2.7 c. in all meekness meanness lowliness and lowness And although there were wonderful days at his incarnation or birth Luke 2. Matth. 2. at his passion Matth. 27. his resurrection Matth. 28.1 2 3 4. at his ascension Acts 1. and at his mission of the Spirit Acts 2. Yet these were not THE great and dreadful day in the singular number they being many Or if we call them DREADFUL especially that of the resurrection and passion yet these days destroyed none For it is observable what Christ saith He came to heal or help not to destroy And therefore though he cursed the fig-tree to warn men yet with all his power and miracles he never killed or crippled any man being infinitely injured he revenged not but rather healed Malchus and his enemies wounds and maladies Yet see by this time how streightly and strongly we are butted and bounded with these two Paragraphs that we cannot fall so short as Christs first coming nor launch forth so far as to the universal resurrection of all the wicked at the ultimate judgement § 5 Now therefore to answer the question distinctly when this time is We assert That no time can shape and correspond to the circumstances and characters of this prophesie but the time abutting upon the beginning entrance or prelude of the whole day of judgement containing a thousand years as Peter speaks 2 Pet. 3. and bounded out exactly Revel 20. with two physical or corporal resurrections as we have before amply opened * Book 1. Cap. 2. Sect. 1 2 3 4. This we shall endeavor to demonstrate by these Arguments ¶ 1. That burning of all the proud and of all evil doers as stubble leaving them neither root nor branch Ver. 1. And that trampling them under the feet of the Saints as ashes Ver. 3. must rather be referred to such a time set down in the Scriptures as most aptly answer to those particulars then left at random to the imaginary times in mens brains of which we never read nor heard to agree to their character But these things do most harmoniously concord with the times of the last ruining of the Antichristian enemies of the Church before the raising of it to her great restauration and restitution of all things Rev. 18. wholly and Rev. 19.11 to the end of the chapter compared with Rev. 20.1 2 3 4 5. Therefore thither are these things to be referred I hope the very setting down of the words will convince the ingenuous Reader where after a large and particular description with all manner of corporal circumstances of the BURNING of Babylon Rev. 18. There follows alike iconism or corporal characterism of the ruine of the rest of the Churches enemies by fire and sword Chap. 19. I saw Heaven opened and behold a white horse and he that sate upon him was called Faithful and True in righteousness he doth judge and MAKE WAR His eyes were as a FLAME OF FIRE c. and he was clothed with a vesture DIPT IN BLOOD c. And the ARMIES which were in Heaven followed him upon white horses c. 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 of the WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS And I saw another Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voyce saying to all the FOWLS that flie in the midst of Heaven Come and gather your selves together unto the SUPPER of the Great God 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 of them that sit on them and the FLESH of ALL MEN both free and bond both small and great And I saw the BEAST and the KINGS of the Earth and their ARMIES gathered together to make WAR against him that sate on the horse and against his ARMY And the BEAST was taken and with him the false Prophet c. these both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone And the REMNANT were SLAIN and all the fouls were filled with their flesh And I saw an Angell come down from Heaven having the keyes of the bottomlesse pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon c. which is the Devil and bound him a THOUSAND YEARS And cast him
and for Christ that he hath appointed to them a kingdome yea HIS kingdom ver 29 30 with which let the studious reader diligently compare Revel 11.18 Rev. 20.4 which tribulations or temptations all Converts that live on earth to any maturity of age to professe their godlinesse in life and conversation doe more or lesse undergoe on earth Act. 14.22 And therefore it is here promised that they shall be rewarded on earth as we have and shall abundantly demonstrate But if there be no such estate to be fulfilled upon earth but only a state of glory in the supreamest Heaven then all the Elect dying in their infancy to whom also the Kingdom of Heaven belongs Mark 10.14 who never indured any temptations c. shall have as much priviledge viz. the fulnesse of ultimate glory as those that have indured most and longest in temptations which seems contrary to the Text which holds forth a peculiar eminent prerogative to them that indure temptation with and for Christ compare Rev. 20.4 ¶ 2. Christ appoints unto them a kingdome as his father appointed unto him a kingdome But the father appointed unto Christ no kingdome in ultimate glory in the supreamest heavens which as on all hands t is agreed followes the ultimate judgement for then and there Christ layes downe all his Kingdomship Kingship or reigning 1 Cor. 15.24 28. And it is most improper to say the Saints the Members reigne when and where the head Christ himselfe a◠Christ doth not reigne Besides reigning in and over a Kingdome implies by an inference from relations that some are subjects to them in that Kingdome being brought under subjection to them but in the highest heaven there is nothing made subject to them If the Angels ministration be not at an end when the Church is perfected in glory yet they are said only to be servants for the Church but not subject under the Church at their command being subject under Christ alone Heb. 1.6.13 14. But if Christ according to that fore-quoted place 1 Cor. 15.24.28 doth then lay downe all his power and authority we cannot understand how the service of Angels should be thence-forward continued but in the glorious estate on earth the Saints have all the Creatures and men that truly beleeve not subject to them according to the many Prophesies afore alleadged and opened As for the Spirituall Kingdome of Christ beleevers were in that in all ages by past and therefore that could not be the meaning of this Promise and Prophesie given forth by our Saviour in this text Besides the Spirituall kingdome of Christ is the kingdome of patience as Saint John often intimates where the Saints indure those temptations Christ mentions and so cannot signifie the kingdome of reward which Christ promiseth to that induring ¶ 3. Eating and drinking are unsuitable expressions to signifie supernall eternall ultimate glory but very suitable to expresse Christs glorious Kingdome ou earth yet to come as we have before opened * Book 2. ch 2. sect 5. p. 91. ¶ 4. By the order of the words the Saints must first be in the Kingdome and then sit on Thrones and judge the Tribes of Israel But in the Spirituall kingdome of Christ they had not so done nor doth Christs speech relate to past but future and in the supreamest ultimate glory there is nothing to be judged neither persons nor things ¶ 5. Christ promising emphatically that the Saints should sit on Thrones in HIS Kingdome cannot be applied to the supreamest ultimate glory in which Christ hath no Kingdome but layes downe all 1 Cor. 15.24 25. Therefore this Kingdome here meant is yet to come before the ultimate Judgement and the state of glory is to succeed that SECT V. The fifth place in the New Testament is Acts 1.6 7. When they were come together they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel And he said unto them it is not for you to know or as it is in the Greek it is not of you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power § 1 WHat formerly hath been spoken on this text by others see before in Page 33. § 3. where they assert that the Kingdome here enquired after signifies a Kingdome to be on earth after Christs resurrection afore the ultimate Judgement § 2 And see it plainly in the text that though Christs Spirituall kingdome in the height of it by John and Christs ministry in a New Testament exaltation had been now in being these four yeares past before the putting of the question in the text and the Apostles were fully informed of the state of ultimate glory by the tenor of all the Scriptures yet they expect another kingdome viz. one to be restored to ISRAEL yea to the TWELVE Tribes of Israel for as much as at present only the two Tribes were at and about Jerusalem and they under the power of the Romans the other ten being in captivity in forreigne Nations § 3 Note further that Christ doth not deny the thing but only the manifesting of it and at this time even as he speakes in the present tence IS not not it SHALL not § 4 And therefore the Apostles then present were not by this beaten off from expecting it but rather went on preaching it Acts 3.21 largely opened afore pag. 96. Sect. 7. pag. 165. ¶ 3. and 2 Pet. 3. discussed Book 3. chap. 2. sect 51. § 2. § 5 Yea in processe of time after Christs ascension Christ did fully reveale to John the Apostle in severall Visions the thing and the time thereof Revel 1.1 the particulars whereof wee have abundantly discussed upon several Chapters of that revelation * See before on Revel 20. in 1 Booke 3 chap. Sect. 1 2 3. 4th on Rev. 1. p. 80 c. on Rev. 5. p. 73 c on Rev. 7. p. 204. on Rev. 9. p. 49. 87. on Rev. 10. p. 67. 96. on chap. 11. p. 58. 72 91. on chap. 12. p. 94. on chap. 13. p. 87. on chap. 14. p. 67 73 74. on chap. 16. p. 309. on chap. 17. p. 88 c. on chap. 18. See Book 3. c. 2. S. 45. S. 3. P. 4. on chap. 19. See p. 62. 74. 89. 56. 58. on chap. 20. See again p. 116 c. p. 55 56. 66 c. 226. on chap. 21. See p. 116. on chap. 22. see p. 94. and see after in this third Book Chap. 4. Sect. 12. and shal more hereafter ** Lastly if Christ had here meant either his Spirituall kingdome or the kingdome of ultimate glory he would not have been shye to declare those unto them having been alwayes free to preach and manifest them from time to time to all his Disciples See John 14. c. to the end of the seventeenth Chapter and often elsewhere SECT VI. The sixth place in the New Testament is Rom. 11.25 26 27. vers
FACE of Christ but hereafter upon the appearance of Christ at the coming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles and the call of the Jewes into one universall visible Church God will shine forth most gloriously through the WHOLE PERSON of Christ upon OVR WHOLE PERSONS so that we shall be like him in glory Phil. 3. 21. and we shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 we shall put off all corporall imperfections and shall apprehend him as well perfectly by our sences as by our graces as will appeare more by that which followes For ¶ 4. We shall behold him with open face or unvailed countenance or uncovered or unmasked persons as the Greeke comprehends all and this being spoken indefinitely and unlimitedly either to the beholder or thing beheld it is safest to take in both answerably opposing the two vailes afore so that 1. All we Jewes and Gentiles that shall partake of this glorious state on earth shall behold with uncovered sences with uncovered reason with uncovered graces Our eyes and mindes shall not be held as Luk 24. that our Phantasie should peirce no further then sence or that sence should apprehend extraordinary things in an ordinary notion And our reason shall not be covered nor cumbred with errour and mistakes and sensible desires and our graces shall not be blind-fold with inordinate carnall affections 2. Christ shall be beheld as altogether uncovered he shall not be covered as to be seene only in Aenigmaticall expressions as the Apostles phrase is in the Greek 1 Cor. 13. 12. or in typicall seales as in receiving the elements of the Holy Supper we are said to shew his death till he comes 1 Cor. 11.26 or in the heavens as now he is or in a personall state of humiliation as when he was on earth in afflictions and sufferings but he shall be wholly uncovered to be seene as he is in his great glory in that time of the Churches restauration on earth at his appearance as it is here said in the next particular ¶ 5. Beholding the glory of the Lord. At his first coming we beheld his ingloriousnesse Phil. 2. Isa 53. After at his transfiguration some two or three saw a glimps of a prelude of his glory After that a few saw at his ascension his entrance into supreame glory Acts 1. But here WEE ALL Jewes and Gentiles in generall whosoever and how many soever converted unto Christ shall behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THAT SAME glory of the Lord. ¶ 6. And so behold as to be changed into the same image A wonderfull and efficacious beholding which shall transforme the Embryon of the new Creature conceived in the wombe of the Soule into the glorious Image of Christ by beholding him in his glory in this state on earth The divine Plants of God in this new Paradise on earth shall so see the Sun of righteousnesse that they shal blossome and flower and fructifie into like colours stripes an rayes as are in that Sun We must as the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies be Metamorphosed from our corrupt and inglorious image into the glorious Image of Christ So this text So againe the same Apostle hath it 1 Cor. 15.51 52. The introductory both of the discourse and of the thing leading to this change in verse fifty one begins at vers 22. which we have laboriously opened afore but in the seventh Section immediatly preceding To which adde this memorandum that Paul expresly treates there only of the resurrection of Beleevers as that at Christs next coming When saith the Apostle we shall not ALL sleep but we shall ALL be changed The dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality then death is swallowed up And this change is said to be glorious vers 49. As we have borne the image of the earthly so we shall beare the image of the heavenly Adam viz. Christ Which suite to our present text in this 2 Cor. 3.18 That we shall so behold the glory of Christ that we shall be Metamorphosed transformed into the same image By which parallel ye perceive what the Apostle meanes by this transformation into the same glorious Image viz. to our glorious state on earth at the first resurrection of the Saints at Christs next coming At our first conversion we have some spirituall inward change Of this our Apostle made mention afore in this 2 Cor. 3. viz. vers 16. in that phrase of turning to the Lord. And vers 17. in those words where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty But in that clause in the last verse of Metamorphosing into the same Image some greater thing must be intended For ¶ 8. It followes we must be changed into the same Image from glory to glory which sounds of a future For from glory to glory must signifie more then a processe from one degree of grace to another as it is intended in Psal 84. from strength to strength and Rom. 1.17 from faith to faith for though that be the beginning and touched vers 16. 17. of this 2 Cor. 3. yet here the Apostle drives at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exaltation of a Saint to his height and must import that the former glory is suitable to the latter glory which is true of personall glory on earth at Christs next appearance that it is like to the latter viz. ultimate glory both glorifying the whole man whereas the glory of our imperfect sanctification doth glorifie only the inward man and that too but in part There is also a difference in the cause as it is in the last clause viz. ¶ 9. By the Lord the Spirit as we touched the Translation afore whereby it is plainly held forth that whereas our inward glory of Sanctification in all the processe thereof is from the inward power of the Spirit of the Lord our personall glory of soule and body at the said coming of Christ is from his personall presence transcendently and efficaciously radiating on our persons to a change and filling the earth with the beames of his glory Now weigh all together and see whether the whole minde of this text can be terminated in our conversion and sanctification or can be wholly extended to ultimate and supreamest glory Or can be fixt upon that unsuitable time of converting Israel at the day of the ultimate Judgement And if not then it is yet to come before the ultimate generall day of Doome SECT IX The Ninth place in the New Testament for the glorious state of all things on earth at Christs next appearance is Phil. 2.9 10 11. God hath highly exalted him Christ and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in the earth and thing under the earth and that every tongue should confesse that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the
generall Judgement because then is a totall destruction not an appearance for conversion of them that are found in unbeleefe Then is the Saints full enjoyment of utmost glory not their striving with the Nations Then Christ layes downe all power 1 Cor. 15. therefore doth not put power into the hands of his people SECT XI The eleventh place in the New Testament is Revel 3.21 To him that over-cometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also over-came and am set downe with my Father in his Throne § 1 VVHat can we make of this Text unlesse we understand the Saints viz. sincere Soules and cordiall Christians that persevere to the end reigning with Christ on EARTH As it is by and by added chap. 5.10 which the foure Animals and twenty foure Elders expresse in a Song of praise to Christ Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall REIGN ON EARTH On which our New Annotations confesse That this may signifie the PROSPEROVS TIMES OF THE CHURCH UNDER CHRISTIAN KINGS AND EMPEROVRS Dan. 7.27 which place as we have largely afore demonstrated * Pag. 126. S. 4. p. 127 c. Again p. 249 Sect. 36. c. doth plainly signifie the glorious state of the Church on earth yet to come Psa 37.11 But the meek shall INHERIT THE EARTH Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall INHERIT THE EARTH Thus they which must signifie a State to come as the expression is in the Future tence and experience shewes us that in past times the meeke have not in the generall INHERITED the earth but in all Ages have been sorely disturbed and distressed That state of Christs Kingdome hath not yet come for it followes in this text deeply to be considered that § 2 It is granted here by Christ himselfe that as he is God and Man he hath not hitherto sate upon his owne Throne but upon his Fathers Throne the highest heaven of glory should seem is the Fathers Throne as it is oft expressed in the Old Testament Psal 11.4 Isa 66.1 c. And there Christ is now Coloss 3.1 but the time is yet to come according to the future expression of the text long after Christs Ascension that Christ must have a Throne of his owne on which together with him those that overcome shall sit § 3 Now this must needs be on earth because after the Judgement Day on earth Rev. 20.11 c. to the end of the chapter Christ layes downe all his power 1 Cor. 15.24 28. SECT XII The Twelfth and last place in the New Testament which we shall urge for this particular under consideration is Revel the 18. 19. chapters § 1 THe Prophesies whereof are not yet fulfilled to this day so long since the Ascension of Christ ¶ 1. Note that ver 2. of the eighteenth Chapter where it is said Babylon is fallen is fallen for whether wee understand New Babylon figuratively so called viz. Rome described by her seven Hils and seven sorts of Government and the ten Kingdoms under the seventh Rev. 17.9 10 11 12. or old Babylon properly so named viz. where the Jewes were held captive neither of them since this Prophesie are so fallen as is described in the following Verses of this Chapter of which by and by but stil the Popish Antichrist possesseth the one and the Turkish the other and both in the ruffe to this very day ¶ 2. Nor is that in the fourth and sixth verses yet fulfilled wherein the People of God are commanded saying Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works and the cup which she hath filled fill to her double for the people of God have not yet rewarded her either old or new Babylon single but as ver 7. Shee glorifies her selfe and lives deliciously yea and oppresseth the people of God ¶ 3. Nor is that yet fulfilled vers 8. That her Plagues have come in one day viz. Death and Mourning and Famine and utter burning But she both elder and younger stands in great glory to this day ¶ 4. Nor is that yet fulfilled ver 9. That the Kings of the earth that have committed Spirituall fornication and lived deliciously with her shal bewaile her and lament for her seeing the smoake of her burning But generally they rejoyce with her and for her glory in which she is at this day ¶ 5. Nor is that yet fulfilled mentioned from verse eleventh to the end of the nineteenth of the mourning of the Merchants over her destruction by fire standing afarre off crying Alas alas But contrariwise they flocke to her trade with her and admire her glory It is true the Gothes and Vandals have conquered new Babylon and spoyled her as we mentioned afore but not she nor old Babylon is yet totally destroyed by fire that there should be no Candle seen or Milstone heard in them ver 20. 22. but both flourish with great glory in their dominion over the people of God ¶ 6. Nor is that in the twentieth verse yet fulfilled that the holy Apostles and Prophets have yet since this Text was penned ever rejoyced in the destruction of either Babylons but both Babylons doe yet triumph in their owne prosperity and power over the Nations and among them over many Saints vers 7. yea the rejoycing of the Apostles and Prophets over Babylons destruction doth signifie one would thinke the triumph of the Church over their enemies on earth at the first Resurrection of which wee have so largely spoken afore For when else possibly can the Prophets and Apostles rejoyce over the destruction of Babylon § 2 ## For so it followes in the nineteenth Chapter and first seven Verses spoken over foure times Hallelujah that is as it is englished in verse the fift Praise yee God which praise is given to God by the foure Animals and twenty foure Elders and of a great multitude Why because Gods Judgements are righteous and true Wherein Because he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the earth and hath avenged the bloud of the Saints at her hand And he the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth and the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her selfe ready ¶ 1. Which last clauses cleerly relate to the first Resurrection wherein all the Saints rise so that the ruine of Babylon and the raising of the Saints immediatly concurre with the sorrow of the one and the triumph of the other But these have not been fulfilled to this day as the contrary face of things gives evident testimony ¶ 2. Nor is that fulfilled from the eighth verse of the nineteenth Chapter to the end of the Chapter of the glory of the Church of the glorious appearance of Christ and of the corporall destruction of all whatsoever that take part against Christ and his Church largely discussed afore more then once out of this Chapter But these things as sure as Christ is the
and female The Rabbins further say that his body was full of light or lightsome and was of a goodly stature Therefore out of doubt when Adam shall rise again for he saith the Rabbi shall be raised first he shall rise according to his first form and stature Yea moreover his body shall then be far more lightsome diaphanous or transparent According to that of the Ancients * In Midras a-Nehelam in Paras Veycra Elau 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. R. Levi saith The soule whiles it is in its glorious estate sustaines it selfe with a superiour light and is cloathed with it when it shal returne to its body in the world to come it shal returne with the same light and then the body shal shine as the splendor of heaven accordinng to that of Dan. 12. They that understand or the intelligent shal shine as the brightnesse of heaven And because saith R. Menasse in that New world SINNE SHALL HAVE ☜ NO PLACE as we shall demonstrate in that which is to follow therefore by good consequence the body shall alwayes remaine in the same glory and splendor and so the whole world to bee restored into the same state wherein it was before sinne entred Mean time note that this renovation of the Lord shall in my judgement differ from the state of the first Creation 1 This world was made of nothing but that to come not of nothing but of the things already created being endowed with a new disposition and better quality 2 At first this world was made in seven dayes But the other shall be new-formed in one day 3 This world began with night the other shall begin with day according to that in Zechary Chapter 14.7 At evening it shall be light There are that wil have all that we have hitherto said to come to passe in the time of the Messiah and to that they think doth belong that saying of the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. prepared to come But if any rightly weigh what the Ancients have said as was afore hinted * Viz. In cha 2. of the third Book of R. menasse is the whole matter at large especially that in Midras a-Nehelam he shall finde that these things are to be understood of the New world which begins with the resurrection from the dead The summe of which matter is this That unto the comming of the Messial say the Rabbins is knit on as immediately subsequent the resurrection from the dead Now it is worth the weighing what space there may be of the former to the beginning ☜ of the latter Observe this In the Sanhedrim Chap. 11. divers opinions are propounded R. Eliezer maketh the space to bee foure hundred yeers R. Elhazar Ben Hazaria maketh it to bee seventy yeers R. Elhazar forty yeers These all differ and yet were not altogether rash in their opinions For R. Eliezer computed according to the time of the Egyptian Captivity four hundred yeers R. Elhazar Ben Hazariah according to the Babylonian Captivity seventy yeers And R. Elhazar forty yeers according to the time of the Jews peregrination in the wildernesse And all three of them each to confirm his own opinion bring that of the 90. Psalm v. 15. Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeers wherein we have seen evil For the Rabbins affirmed afore that after the Jews shall be brought back by the Messiah to their owne land they shall be very much troubled by Gog and Magog of which space of time I conceive is the present dispute among these Rabbins but now quoted In Midras a-Nehelem wee finde it written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. THAT THE CONGREGATING or GATHERING TOGETHER OF THE ☞ CAPTIVE Jews shall ANTICIPATE or PRECEDE THE RESURRRECTION OF THE DEAD THE SPACE OF FORTY YEERS And saith R. Menasse if this last opinion bee received and delivered by the Ancients it may be soundly admitted because it implyes no contradiction nor doth it contain any difficulty * Thus R. Menasse out of the Rabbins But I think that it is neer the matter in the sacred compute of the holy Scripture Dan. 12. v. 11 12. if carefully computed and compared with v. 1. Touching the troubles at the time when Michael shall stand up to deliver his people together with v. ult touching the resurrection of the dead Thus wee hear why R. Menasse would refer the glory afore spoken rather to the New world then to the dayes of the Messiah Now hear him go on in this sixth Chapter and that in a way of condiscention of referring it if any will to the dayes of the Messiah If saith R. Menasse it so seem good to any he may refer the glorious things aforesaid in some sort unto the times of the Messiah because both times are connexed the one on to the end of the other as we shewed afore Again because the end of the resurrection is that the raised may enjoy the happinesse of that age therefore they may be taken for one and the same time Those admirable verses of the Kingly Prophet David Ps 104. do not a little serve to our purpose as they seem to me viz. v. 27 28 29 and 30. All wait or hope upon thee Thou givest them their meat in due season c. Thou hidest thy face they are troubled Thou takest away their breath they dye and return to their dust Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are CREATED and thou RENEWEST THE face of the earth Where the Prophet saith that after death the soule the second time returns to the body and then the earth is renovated ¶ 7 In the 7 8 9 10 and 11. Chapters these questions are put and resolved chiefly 1 Whether then shall be the day of judgement To which the Rabbins answer is out of many Scriptures and allegations of Antiquity That after the world shal be made new and the dead raised then shal be a day of judgement In part God judged afore the living in the war of Gog and Magog EXCEPTING A THIRD PART OF THEM †☞ So that according to the Rabbins also a part of Gog and Magog as was said a little afore are reserved who in all probability are they that shall make head at the end of the thousand yeers Rev. 20. v. 7. And after he shall come to judge the dead 2 Whether then shall be the restauration of the place and parts of worship and a settlement of the fruition of the holy land To which it is answered yea 3 Whether there shall be the use of food and prolification to which Gerundensis answers that then shall be no other then a spiritual life though some other Rabbins are of another minde 4 Whether they that are raised shall dye any more To which the § 4 general answer of the Rabbins is negative Thus far you have heard the opinion of the Jews concerning the glorious state on earth yet to come
by and by at that denyed the Resurrection ☞ and held that the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob was not ☞ the father of our Lord Jesus Christ This was the reason Irenaeus maintained it in his Book contra omnes hareses against all heresies and â—erâ—uâ—â—an against the Marcionâ—â—es Chapter 3. Eusebius who sound out one Gaius to father it upon Cerinthus deserves no credit He was a party and one of those which did his best to undermine the autherity of the Apocalyps Not did any know of any such Gaius but from his relation And if there were any such he should seem to be one of the Alogi who denied both Jesus Gospel and Apocalyps as is testified by Epiphanius And their age jumps with the age which Eusebius affignes to Gaius Yet I deny not but some might maintaine very carnall and intollerable conceits about the Regnum Kingdom of a thousand yeers as the Mahumetans doe about their Paradise But these are not to be imputed unto those Primitive Fathers and Orthodox Christians The censure of Ferom S. Jerom was a chiefe Champion to cry downe this opinion and according to his wont a most unequall Relator of the opinion of his adversaries what credit hee deserves in this may appeare by some fragments of those Authors still remaining whom hee charged with an opinion directly contrary to that which they expresly affirmed And yet when he had stated it so as it must needs be Heresie and Blasphemy whosoever should hold it he is found to say he durst not damne it because multi virorum Ecclesiasticorum c. i.e. because many Ecclesiastical men and martyrs said the same things Comment on Jer. 19.10 So that S. Jerome is a man of no faith with mee when he describes the opinion of his adversary which whatsoever it were he would set it forth as odious as possibly he could He was a man that cared not what hee said so it might disparage his adversary This appears sufficiently in the cases of Vigilantius and Jovinian Yea but he lived the same time Answ So doe we with those we differ from and yet we see the experience daily that scarce any one will relate the opinion of his adversary candidly Yea but I cannot deny that Lactantius was for the abounding of meats and the satiating of the belly and appetite c. Lactantius cleared But what if I can His words only are these lib. 7. cap. 24 Tunc inquit qui erunt in corpore vivi c.i.e. Those who then shall be alive viz. he means at Christs second comming shal not dye but for those thousand yeers shal generate an infinite multitude and their off-spring shal be holy and dear to God But those that shal be raised from the dead he means at the first resurrection they shal be over the living in manner of Iudges And then presently addes The said Regnum or Kingdome to be the thousand yeers of a celestial Empire in which righteousnesse shall reigne throughout the world But of satiating the appetite c. I finde no word unlesse you thinke it must needs follow upon the taking away the curse off the creature and the restitution thereof to the perfection it lost through mans sinne For Lactantius means no more but that such as then lived should live the life that Adam should have done in Paradise had he not sinned But those that should then rise from the dead should live in a far more heavenly and Angelical condition even the life of the blessed spirits in heaven But S. Jerom is wont to relate the opinion as if those who rose againe should generate and give themselves to feasting and gormandizing You say that Saint Austin intimates that some held some such carnal Beatitude I answer so he intimates that some did not and that himselfe was once of that opinion and that to hold so was tolerable His words are * De Civit. Dei l. 20 c. 7. Quae opinio esset ut cunque tolerabilis c. i.e. which opinion however would be tollerable if any spiritual delicacies or dainties should in that Sabbath be given to the Saints by the presence of the Lord Christ For we also sometime have thought the same But where can I shew Cyprian to be a Chiliast Cypriar Headged He shews himself plainly to be such to such as know the mystery of that opinion In his book of exhortation to martyrdome in the Presace whereof he speaks thus Desiderasti Fortunate charissime c. i.e. Thou hast desired most dear Fortunatus that in regard the weight of persecutions and pressures is now incumbent upon us and the insesting time to be in the end and consummation of the Antichristian world now begins to approach that I should compose some encouragements out of the holy Scriptures to prepare and corroborate the minds of the brethren whereby I might animate the souldiers of Christ unto the heavenly and spiritual combate Six thousand yeers are now almost compleated if the Devill shall sinde the souldier of Christ unready c. But he that thus expected that the comming of Antichrist should be at the end of the six thousanth yeer which he supposed then neer at hand did yet thinke the world should last seven thousand yeers viz. a thousand yeers after the destruction of Antichrist as appears by his eleventh Chapter in these words Quid vero in Maccabaeis septem fratres c. i.e. What mean the seven brethren in the Maccabees most like in condition of birth and vertue making up the septenary number of compleat perfection Even as the first seven daies according to divine disposal so the seven ☟ ☟ brethren adhering in martyrdome Irenaeus alleadged at large lib. 5. c. 28. c. 30. coutra Heref. do containe seven thousand yeers that a lawful summe may be made up This to him that knows Chiliasme is plain Chiliasme which Irenaeus will make plain Quotquot diebus hic factus est mundus c. i.e. Look in how many dayes this world was made even in so many thousands of yeers it ends â—or if the day of the Lord be as a thousand yeers and in six dayes were sinished the things that were made it is manifest that the end of them is in the six thousanth yeer When Antichrist reigning three yeers and six months shall devastate or lay waste all things in this world then shall THE LORD COME FROM HEAVEN IN THE CLOUDS IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER casting HIM and those that obey him into the lake of sire but procuring or bringing with him unto the just ☟ the times of the KINGDOME The great Council of Nice alleadged for our opinion that is a Rest that is the great SABBATH the seventh day sanctified and restoring to Abraham the promise of the INHERITANCE c. Adde to all as MOST REMARKABLE That the GREAT COUNCIL OF NICE called by Constantine the Great besides the definition of faith and Canons Ecclefiastical did set forth
at first created being at length RENOVATED or made new it shall put on a face that shall be far more pleasant and beautiful All which is understood of a stare and time on earth afore the ultimate judgement For the next Question following in that Catechisme is concerning that Q. Deinde autem quid superest But after that what remaines A. Ultimum generale judicium the ultimate and general judgement for Christ shall come c. ¶ 2 Touching certaine parts and circumstantials of our opinion as that there shall be yet afore the ultimate end of the world a glorious time of the universal call of the Jews was the judgement of Chrysostome Orat. de vocat Judaecorum Paragraph 7. Hilary Austin Ambrose and Jerome whom for that Dr. Prideaux quotes and consents with them * And touching the coming of Elijah before the next coming of Christ was the general opinion of the Fathers as Dr. Iohn Alsted quotes and asserts ¶ 3 Of later Writers touching parcels of our opinion wee might quote many 1 Wendelinus in his natural Contemplations 2 Hieron Zanchius on Hof 3. 3 Functius his Chronologie 4 Rivetus on Hos 3. 5 Peter Martyr in his Common Places Class 2. cap. 4. and cap. 16. 6 Pareus on Rom. 11. Explicat dubiorum Johannes de Comb is compend Totius Theolog. Lib. 7. cap. 13. Alphonsus Conradus Of Mantua in his Commentary on the Revelation doth superabound upon the main point I will give you but some few special touches in his Commentary on Rev. We may see saith he that diverse hold that between Christs comming in the flesh and comming in Majesty there is a middle comming of spiritual power and force to destroy the great Antichrist and to reforme the Church This comming they say shall be in the end of the sixth Millenary or thousand yeers of which comming they make Enoch and Elijah the fore-runners They say that Antichrist shall bee destroyed by their preaching and his Kingdome abolished After which down-fall peace shall be granted to the Church and Satan shall be bound so that hee shall not bee able to disturbe the tranquillity thereof Now this peace and happy progresse of the Church they say shall last for the whole seventh Millenary till the last time of her troubles by the persecution of the Nations Gog and Magog because of Satan who they say shall then bee at liberty stirring them up against the godly These words quoted by Dr. John Alsted in his Treatise of the thousand yeers inferres this From hence it appeares saith Alsled that our opinion concerning these thousand yeers is no new and unheard-of thing As for Alsonsus Conradus his owne opinion heare a little of that First in his Preface This one thing perhaps saith he may offend the eares of some because I seem to promise a more plentifull peace to the Church then that likenesse of the crosse will allow of in which in this world the Church must be made conformable to Christ its head But let them bethinke themselves that this is not so contrary to the Scripture that it should bee objected against mee or laid to my charge as fit to bee reckoned in the number of those which are termed either impious or absurd Especially when as I cannot perceive by what meanes that happinesse which John writes the Church shall injoy Satan being bound can be made good except wee acknowledge some rest of the Church her enemies being overthrowne which I thinke indeed ever happened as often as the enemies of Gods people have been removed out of the way Now because the enemy John tells us shall be removed is more dangerous then all that ever yet infested Gods people it ought not to seem strange to any one if hee being once overcome the Church injoy a more plentifull peace then usuall Secondly in his Comment on Rev. 20.1 God being about to bestow saith Alsonsus a more plentifull peace on his Church then heretofore it sufficeth not him to have removed out of the way the BEAST and those Kings of the earth with an horrible slaughter except also he restrain Satan the beginner of all these mischiefes so that he may not raise any more those usuall strifes among them Wherefore the Angel comes down from heaven who repressing the fury of Satan shutteth him up as long as he pleases not to have the Churches peace to bee taken away So hee shutteth him up for a thousand yeers i.e. for that whole time that he will not have the Churches peace disturbed So far Alsonsus 9 There is a touch also in Matthew Cotterius in his Contin demonstrâ—expos of the Revelat. on Chap. 20. of this thousand yeers of which we speake onely he begins his thousand yeers a hundred and odd yeers too soon At which time as Alsted well observes is but the Praeludium 10 Adde to these the words of John Piscator an Author of esteem common among us in his Comment on the Revelation The happinesse of the faithfull who shall live upon earth after the down-fall of the Papacy is their great security from the hostile invasions of the wicked for a thousand yeers The singular happinesse of the Martyrs of Christ who before those thousand yeers indured persecution is their resurrection which shall be before the general Resurrection And in a Treatise hee wrote afore his death of which Dr. John Alsted had the perusall the said Piscator wrote much more of this our point which the said Alsted transcribed as he confesseth into his Treatise of the thousand yeers Give me leave to borrow but a little more of your patience and I will give you much in few words Many Writers of the former and this present age have published many things concerning Elias the Artist who is to come of the Lyon of the North who is neer at hand Of a fourth Northern Monarchy Of a great Reformation Of the conversion of the Jews c. See Theophrastus Paracelsus Michael Sendivogius in his Treatise of Sulphur Stephanus Pannonius of the circle of the works and judgements of God where among other things he writes thus It shall come to passe that the pure Gospel shall bee preached to the Americans before the end of the World That nothing is more sure then that the reformation of the East and South drawing on some famous Emperour whose types were Constantine and Theodosius both entituled the Great shall openly shew himselfe and granting liberty of Religion to them who professe the name of the holy Trinity shall do some great matter in the world for the glory of God for the re-building up of the Church and for the down-fall of Antichrist The Eastern Christians fired with the zeal of Christ shall make their way into ASIA it sâ—â—e and provoke the Jews to jealousie Rom. 11. And the spiritual babyâ—on shall be a prey to all Nations A resining of the Souldiers of God whereof is mention Zech. 13.8 9. i.e. Temptations and trials shall goe before this
the Orthodox But to imprison Satan in the bottomlesse Pit there binding him with a great chaine and shutting him up in the said Pit and setting a seale upon it that hee should not deceive the Nations any more for a whole thousand yeers must of necessity signifie a full and entire restraint of Satan from all manner of deceiving the Nations or else all those mightily emphatical expressions of fast-securing Satan are to no purpose The Martyrs would have little glory of reigning if only heathen open universal persecution were staid but others should break in upon them And the Church should have little notice of the binding of Satan for a thousand yeers Now all the particulars of Doctor Prideaux his Discourse to uphold his lapsing Minor Proposition is to that effect that long since Satan was Debroned from his Monarchicall Emperial Majesty so that since the fall of the Heathen Roman Monarchy by Constantine he never had any universal Pagan Monarch to manage a general persecution against all Christianisme or Christianity whatsoever All which conceit of the Doctors is nothing to the fulfilling of the Revelation Chap. 20.1 2 3. where the devill must be bound not onely as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satan an open adversary and a publike devouring Dragon but also as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Devill a Calumniator and secret deceiver and a cunning Serpent after the forme of his deceit of old towards Eve And therefore upon this account all the Doctors Fabrick fals to the ground as weshall see more in our particular answer § 4 Secondly our particular answer must be by parcels according to the particulars by him alleadged and urged afore as ¶ 1 He said that the words Rev. 20.3 are Satan shall not seduce It is not said saith he that Satan shall not tempt shall not act in secret corners and wayes It is not said he shall not make his Depths his refuge to which we answer 1 To the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred in English to deceive but the Doctor to seduce it signifies to wander or make to wander in a point of Religion or to turne aside by an opinion from the right truth and to mistake ones way in point of judgement And therefore the Criticks in Greek say it is taken from Travellers that are in wrong way going by guesse From it the Planets have their name which move excentrically And the Greeks and Latines hence call a deceiver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Planus The Scripture applies this word to a mistaking of a false Christ for a true Matth. 24.4 Mark 13.5 or to take the true Christ for a false Joh. 7.12 others said He deceiveth the people or to a teaching of false doctrine or receiving false doctrine 2 Tim. 3.13 Seducers shall grow worse deceiving and being deceived yea it is applied to a mistaking or mis-conceiving of ones owne spiritual condition So in 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves And 1 Joh. 3.7 Let no man deceive you viz. about your spiritual condition He that doth righteousnesse is righteous he that commits sin is of the Devil Adde Tit. 3.3 We were deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures Where it is applied to a deceiving by way of temptation to follow sin and pleasures In all these places the Theam or root is the same with that of S. John Rev. 20.3 viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that you see that the word is used to signifie farre more things and things that are not so grosse and worldly as to seduce to an open warre as the Doctor would limit it viz. any kinde of spiritual deceiving 2 To that clause that it is not said he shall not tempt we answer By that which follows the Dr. means effectual tempting when an active tempting becomes a passive temptation or temptednesse Now we must say that herein also the Dr. is mistaken For we have Scripture that the state of the Church for the thousand yeers wil be such as wherein shall dwell only righteousnes 2 Pet. 3.13 And into this estate shall in no wise enter that thing whatsoever it be that defileth or worketh abomination or maketh a lye So that there will be no temptation passive viz. no temptation received by any of the Church and therefore we cannot conceive that the Devill will actively tempt viz. attempt 3 To that of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the depths of Satan and his secret wayes and corners of cunning we answer That besides that of the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it signifies all manner of mistakes open or secret and therefore Satan is bound from both we adde That to be gulled with the Depths of Satan in a spiritual self-deceiving way is worse then those that seduce to a grosse fact which a man will sooner see and condemne So Christ asserteth Publicans and Harlots enter heaven before Pharisees And God joyes more over one sinner then over ninety nine that are righteous in their own eyes Therefore sure Satans binding must signifie his limitation from the greatest hurting And therefore though in the time of the Church of Thyatira among the then present and past things of the Rev. Chap. 2.18 to 25. the Christians were gulled with the Depths of Satan yet in all that which is said of the future estate of the Church after the fall of Antichrist the binding of Satan the settleing of the Jews of the descending of New Jerusalem not an hint that I know of Satans prevailing by open or secret wayes for the whole thousand yeers And to answer to all the three particulars altogether our Answer is That the first second and third verses of the twentieth of the Revelation hath so many emphatical expressions of the full binding of Satan that as we said of necessity we must understand Satans full restraint both from secret and open prevailing on men for the thousand yeers namely that an Angel comes downe from heaven hath the Key of the bottomlesse Pit and a great chaine in his hand layes hold on the old Serpent Dragon or Divell Satan Bound him for a thousand yeers cast him into the bottomlesse pit shut him in and set a seale upon him And is all this adoe and all these high expressions onely to signifie Satans restraint that he seduce not to open Warre but not from secret and cunning seducing to errours and false doctrine and tempting to sin Sure then this might have been expressed in fewer words Then is this strong text made weak Then is Satan fast and loose In the bottomlesse Pit and out chained and not chained sealed and not sealed Hee is bound from a lesser endangering not from a greater He is bound from the effect viz. War not from the cause viz. erring in judgement about matters of Religion ¶ 2 To the next particular Paragraph of the Doctors proof of the minor viz. that it is not said that the Devill should not
thousand that is to the universal Church who are verse 14. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming or about to come out of tribulation not come out They were washed afore in the bloud of the Lamb ever since their beleeving but that was from sinne but they are not yet come out of great tribulation but that shall bee ere long So that that which follows to the end of the Chapter cannot now bee applyed to their persons viz. That they shall hunger no more nor the Sun light upon them any more And God shall wipe away all tears which are spoken in the future Tense as of things to come And it cannot be applied to their future state in heavenly glory For the Heathens that knew but the immortality of the soule never dreamed of hunger or thirst or feare to befall good men in the world to come Nor did the Philosophers thinke that the Sunne did shine above the highest of the orbs of the material heaven Therefore there is no probability in the least that this is a description of everlasting glory but of a state on earth where the Sunne hath smitten and there hath been hunger and thirst and have been tears So that still I minde you this Chapter is but a parenthesis of comfort put there by way of anticipation For it is put between the sixth and seventh Seal between which must be a methodical succession The sixth Seale is in chapter 6. which is most terrible obscuring heaven shaking the earth terrifying the sonnes of men And the seventh Seale is in Rev. 8. verse 1. In which eight Chapters whiles Christ intercedes over the prayers of the Church in regard of some slaine as it is in Chapter 6. The seven Trumpets appear in order to sound at their time Rev. 8.6 c. so that the calamities of the world goe on in the world upon earth and from hence forward till Antichrist be downe As for the 11 Chapter it is plaine that it is but the summary of all that which John prophesies of the more Ecclesiastical state of things in his ensuing Book of the Revelation as in the former he had prophesied of the more Political I say a summary For there is set down the more pure state of the Church v. 1. and more corrupt verse 2. And of the two witnesses in sackcloath one thousand two hundred and sixty yeers and their lying dead in the grave three yeers and a half as well as rising and ascending And there is Babylon falling viz. The tenth part of the City c. as well as Babylon trampling and triumphing over the Witnesses So that unlesse we will jumble all into a confusion this 11. Chapter is but the summary of what follow in the whole book of the Revelation And in the 12 Chapter there is as much for the loosing of Satan as for binding For the 13 Chapter it plainly sets out the time of Satans power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two and forty months or a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes viz. yeers which power he hath not when his master Satan is bound as we have and shall heare For the 14 and 15. Chapters the Churches triumphant songs of victory over the Beast are but in hope of a thing to come Another Parenthesis of comfort proleptically inserted For before and behinde their song in Chapter 15. is mention of the Angels having the seven last plagues to fulfill the wrath of God viz. The pouring out of the seven Vials as it follows Chapter 16. I need goe no further in my Antithesis to the Doctors instances ¶ 2 We answer to his Antecedent or first Proposition that if indeed as Doctor Prideaux would have it from the 6. Chap. of Rev. to the 20. Saints are in their reigning condition and Satan is bound according to St. Johns true intent Rev. 20. what means all that while all that adoe against the enemies of the Church of seven Seals Chapter 6. and 7. of seven Trumpets Chapter 8. of seven Vials Chapter 15. and 16. and in 17. is described the sin and the judgement of the Whore and in Chapter 18. the manner of her utter destruction and Chapter 19. the destruction it selfe And then and not till then in Chapter 20. S. John speaks of binding of Satan so as the Saints may be said to reigne indeed After which no Seals Trumpets or Vials onely there is a proleptic or anticipation of the ultimate day of judgement mentioned verse 11. of Chapter 20. because it is the period of the thousand yeers but the state of times in Satans binding and the Saints reigning is after described in Rev. 21. and 22. Chapters ¶ 3 We answer to his said Antecedent or first Proposition That by the Doctors tenet and proof that Satan is bound from Rev. 6. to Rev. 20. for he saith that the beginning was in Constantines time that the Saints began to reign And John tells us that the thousand yeeres doe end at the ultimate day of judgement Rev. 20. it will follow that from Constantine M. which the Doctor puts in three hundred yeers after Christ to the day of judgement is but a thousand yeers For the Doctor in his stating the question confesseth that the thousand yeers must be taken properly and precisely But wee and most Nations doe compute from three hundred yeers after Christ to this yeer one thousand three hundred fifty three and yet the day of the last judgement is not come No nor the War of Gog and Magog which precedes it No nor the fall of Antichrist and Babylon which precedes that c. Next we come to answer to the Argument or Consequent or last Proposition § 3 To the Proposition it self That therefore all this while the Saints reigned wee say that though they reigned over sinne which is no more priviledge then every Saint hath had since the beginning of the world yet they reigne not on earth over their corporall enemies as the fifth Monarchy or power which is the minde of the Scripture as we have before abundantly proved ¶ 2 To his first proof viz. So are they Kings as they be Priests But they are Priests spiritually Therefore c. We say to the major and minor ten Millinary yeers that they shal be Priests on earth therfore joyntly they shall be Kings on earth And they shall in body sensibly offer up sacrifices on earth of praises and Hallelujahs Rev. 11. Rev. 14. Therefore they shall in the body sensibly reigne on earth The notion is changed but the place and thing is the same Therefore it is said Rev. 5.10 He hath made us Kings and Priests unto our God AND we shall reigne on earth And Rev. 20.4 shall reigne with Christ a thousand yeers The time and place sheweth what reigning it shall bee even such as to whom Kings and Nations shall bring their honour Rev. 21. But in heaven the Saints enjoy but not reign with Christ because Christ as Christ doth not there reigne as we have
family in heaven and earth is named There is Bethel even where God in special appears which special appearance is in the person of Christ And lastly where ever Christ is with us wee are with him so as that for that time is heaven to us therefore the Apostle Paul desiring a state in the world to come Phil. 1.23 calls it a being with Christ not heaven So that yet still it remaines to bee proved that Christ shall not appear to his people before the ultimate day of judgement or that Christ hath no place of refreshing his people for a time before the ultimate day of judgement but onely the highest heavens after the ultimate day of judgement SECT II. Mr. Baylies second Argument § 1 AS to his accusation of coyning new and false senses to many Scriptures wee say it is a begging of the Question And we retort it For Mr. B. opinion for many generations hath so allegorised upon all the Prophets speaking of the state of the Jewes and of the universal Church to be on earth afore the ultimate day of â—udgement that I confesse I was thereby for a long time kept in the darke so that I could make no use of the Histories and Prophesies of the Old and New Testament in relation to these things but onely here and there by way of morall observations and allusions § 7 But let us heare his Argument Christ sits at the right hand of God till the last day therefore he comes not to reign on earth a 1000 yeers before the last day To which we say that this argument thus far hath been argued and answered in effect in the first argument yet because there are some fresh proofs we are contented againe to answer it and to discusse them And for answer we deny the Antecedent taking the last day in Mr. Bailyes sense for the ultimate day of judgement But if we take the last day for that day in 2 Pet. 3. which shall be a thousand yeers then Mr. Baily concludes nothing against us But Mr. Baily will prove the Antecedent that Christ doth sit at the right hand of the Father till the last day meaning the ultimate day of judgement viz. the evening of our last day For so I suppose he means his proof is his major Proposition in Ps 110.1 Christ sits at the right hand of God till ALL his enemies be made his footstool Whence he assumes this minor But all his enemies are not made his footstool till the last day For till then Satan death and all wicked men are not fully destroyed therefore c. To this major Proposition out of Ps 110.1 Mr. B puts in a word of great consequence to serve his own turne which in divine arguing from a text is very foule play viz. the word ALL. For as it is not in our English Translation so nor is it in the Hebrew text where it is onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thine enemies indefinitly And the Apostle having an infallible spirit to know the mind of the Scriptures quoting this place Heb. 10.13 renders it that Christ sits there expecting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. putting no ALL in But suppose it be said ALL all his enemies this is sufficiently fulfilled when Christ overcomes all all his enemies are so subdued yea visibly in themselves or in their effects that they shall never hurt the Church more which shall come to passe when the Iewes are settled at the beginning of the thousand yeers as many Scriptures afore shewed And to speake according to St. Iohn in the Revelation then as in Chap. 19. Antichrist and all his adherents shall downe then as in Chapter 20. Satan shall downe then as in Chapter 21 Sinne shall downe And for death this is destroyed Chapter 20. For if all the Saints then live and reigne a thousand yeers then is this a state of immortality of their bodies And for the ultimate day of judgement then is not a destroying of death but a reviving of the worst death sc the second death to the worst of men so that the wicked live onely to dye that death Rev. 20.12 to the end It is said that the last enemy of the Saints that is destroyed is death 1 Cor. 11. Because so St. Iohn names the enemes in order First all the wicked Rev. 19. Then the Devill Rev. 20.1 And last of all death v. 4. and all these orderly at the beginning of the thousand yeers at the beginning of the seventh Angels sounding his Trumpet I say at the beginning thereof And to make all our answer plainer When it is said All shall be under Christs feet the meaning is not that all shall be annihilated For after the ultimate day of judgement there shall be viz. in hell sinne and devils and wicked men and the greatest death viz. the second death i. e. eternall condemnation therefore the meaning must bee that all shall be so under Christs feet that they shall no more mischiefe the Church Satan shall not seduce them Sinne shall not touch them Death shall not dissolve them But at the end of the thousand yeers Satan and the hypocrites in the corners of the world shall begin to make an head and this immediately draws downe Christ to the ultimate day of judgement who raiseth all the dead wicked and takes them and the wicked that are then alive and passeth everlasting condemnation upon them Rev. 20.7 to the end of the Chapter SECT III. Mr. Bailyes third Argument § 1 ALL the godly at Christs comming from heaven doe rise immediately to a heavenly glory ergo none of them doe arise to a temporall glory for a thousand yeers upon earth § 2 Answ We might deny that wee call the Argument you call it the consequence because Mr. Baily doth not say to glory in heaven much lesse the highest heaven For their state on earth a thousand yeers is not onely an heavenly glory but the state is called Heaven Rev. 21.1 c. 2 Pet. 3. But that we shall fix our answer upon will be the denying of the Antecedent and expounding of the proof Mr. Baily brings for proof of the Antecedent 1 Cor. Chap. 15. vers 22.1 Thess 4.14 Matth. 25.31 Joh. 6.39.40.44 Heb. 9.28 ¶ 1 To the two first we answered afore For the third place of Matthew it concludes nothing to the said Antecedent For Christ separates the sheep from the goats notably at the beginning of the thousand yeers when the open wicked then alive generally perish Revelation 19. and all the Saints alive are set in a glorious condition Chap. 20. ¶ 2 To the fourth place viz. in Joh. 6.39.40.44 I will raise it up at the last day We answer this doth not infer any thing in behalf of the Antecedent For lo this thousand yeers is truly the last day For as it is in 2 Pet. 3. before it are the last dayes in which men shall say Where is the promise of his comming And it is after said A thousand yeers
beleeved and reported by Eusebius But by the best Antiquity Cerinthus is quitted Gaius doubted of and suspected Dionysius blamed and Eusebius reproved And to make these things good against them we produce Irenaeus Tertullian and Epiphanius And to conclude wee give you there Mr. Medes answer to the said Gaius Dionysius and Eusebius Thus we have repeated the more lest some should not take the paines to read the fore-quoted places But let us leave the tayle of the Argument and wound the head and heart of it and then the heels will easily fall ¶ 1 To the major Proposition and first to the first clause that The conceit of the thousand yeers makes Christs Kingdome to be earthly We answer It no more it makes earthly then to say the Church of Christ on earth makes the Church of Christ earthly because all this while it hath been on earth which notwithstanding is called heavenly Gal. 4.26 Heb. 12.22 Again the Angels businesses are with the Church on earth and about earthly things in relation to the Churches welfare Heb. 1. Dan. 10. yet it follows not that they are therefore earthly To the second clause of the major It makes Christs Kingdome most observable for all worldly glory Answer Though this Kingdome shall have observable for outward glory according to Rev. 21. Kings and Nations shall bring their honour to it yet it doth not follow that we say it shall be most observable for that But for the speciall manifestation of God and the Lamb and all the spirituall beams irradiating from them Rev. 21. dispelling all uncleanness and spiritualizing every thing so that though they injoy the earth upon earth yet not in an earthly manner Sure then shal that be much more verified in 1 Cor. 10.31 and Phil. 3.20 Their conversation is in heaven and doe all to the glory of God ¶ 2 To his minor Proposition First to the first clause But the Scriptures makes it to be spiritual without all Worldly pomp I Answer words are as they are intended In English pomp and vanity are much of the same sense But if by pomp Mr. B. means outward glory Christ hath promised it abundantly in many places of the old Testament before alleadged And also in the new Testament in many places of which afore and particularly in Rev. 21. throughout To the second clause of his minor Neither doth the word of God make the Kingdome of the Mediator of two kinds and of a different nature We answer As all orthodox Divines do distinguish the Church of the Mediator into visible and invisible yet do say and Mr. B. can see it as well as I that they doe not distinguish the Church into severall kinds so it is in this As notwithstanding that in Heb. 1.1 The Church and Word are still of the same kinde and nature in Essence To the third clause of his minor The Word makes the Church one uniform from the beginning to the end We answer This word Uniform is variously used by Prelates and Presbyters which variety doth arise from Diocess and Classes But we thinke if we distinguish of an internal and an external form we shall satisfie the objection The Church is one Uniforme Church in the internal form which is union in and with Christ and through him with one another Eph. 4. And yet this doth not hinder the Church in several ages to have several external formes In Adams standing it was outwardly most glorious as well as inwardly perfect In the ten Fathers time afore the Flood it was in Families with a mean outward glory In the time of Tabernacle made by Moses and of the Temple built by Solomon it had a world of glorious types and abundance of pomp i. e. outward glory In the New Testament in the first 300 yeers it was mean in Constantine M. c. a great deal of outward glory But again of late times in many places very mean yet still wee truly confesse one universal Church in kinde nature essence and internal forme why therefore should it make an objection that when Christs time shall come that is greater then Constantine the Great then Moses then Solomon then Adam that HEE shall make the Church as internally and spiritually most exact so externally glorious If there be any outward glory on earth it shall not be in the hands of the foure Monarchies or any part thereof but in the hands of the Saints considered as the Church not as the world For then the world shall bee Churched Christ not Bishops Christs Spirit not their Liturgy or Letany or Collects shall Church her and give her an Hallelujah for her safe delivery and fulfill that neither the Sunne of worldly power nor the Moon of worldly things shall fright her any more For that Psalme is meant of the Church ¶ 3 To his proofs of the minor viz. That the Scripture makes the Kingdome of the Mediator to be spiritual without all worldly pompe and that neither doth the word of God make that Kingdome to be of two kindes and of two different natures but one and uniforme from the beginning to the end I say that proof he brings for this will be too short by many rounds to reach all this pompe of words in which he dresseth forth his minor Proposition Let us examine his proofs by particulars First that in Luke 1.32 The Lord shall give him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reigne over the house of Jacob for ever Now we aske the question Doth this make out all the straines of Mr. B. minor Nay we have largely shewed this place mightily confirmes our opinion and overthrows the contrary See before Book 3. Chap. 4. Sect. 2. page 383. c. I am loath to spend time and paines in repetition and so to swell this Treatise with unnecessaries I will onely aske Mr. B. where or when yet was fulfilled this same SHALL And WHERE is DAVIDS THRONE now And how doth Christ reigne over the HOUSE of JACOB in any part or in any manner in inward and outward glory To his second proof 1 Cor. 15.25 He must reigne till he have put all things under him We answer first by a question doth this place prove all the clauses of his minor Is here one word to say that in Christs Kingdome there is but one way of ruling that there is but one Kingdome meerly spiritual and in no wise worldly Yea doth not this Text speak the contrary whâ—n it faith all his things as Mr. B. alleadgeth it must be put under his feet Surely this intimates a great alteration of the world that the world shall submit to Christ for the good and service of the Church as many places in the Old Testament doe gloriously inlarge Mr. B. quips us with a Socino-remonstration But sure it is plaine Familisme to turne plaine places into Allegories To the third proof in Luke 17.20 The Kingdome of God commeth not with observation Neither shall they say Lo here or lo there
And accordingly John shews it us Chapt. 11. Chapt. 12 Chapt. 13 Chap. 19. Chap. 20. Lastly Mr. Baily confutes himselfe as hee propounds his argument For hee saith our Doctrine makes the day openâ— when we say The day shall be either one thousand six hundred and fifty or one thousand six hundred ninety five Surely this is not to make the day so certaine or the yeer For saith the Philosopher qui indefinite c. He that answers indefinitely answers nothing Beside we cannot for our lives count so exactly but we may misse at least one yeer if we did absolutely pitch on any one account that were never so right in the footing For my part I shall affirme what is most probable about the account when I come to the seventh and last Book SECT VII Mr. Bailyes seventh Argument THe reward of the Martyrs is everlasting life in the heavens promised to them at Christs comming to judge the just and unjust therefore it is not temporall in an earthly Kingdome of a thousand yeers The Antecedent is proved Matth. 5.10 2 Tim. 4.6 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9 10. which without doubt is not before the last judgement else the Martyrs would be in a worse case then the soules of other Saints continuing in heaven injoying the Trinity yea a punishment to them being brought downe to the earth to returnâ— to a body not like to the glorious body of Christ nor yet unto these incorruptible immortall spirituall bodies which yet are promised to the least of the faithfull at their resurrection 1 Cor. 15. But unto such a body that eats drinks sleeps fights delights in fleshly pleasures and converseth with beasts and earthly creatures in such a Paradise whereof the Turkish Alcoran and the Jewish Talmud doth speak much But to a godly soule is very tastelesse and to a soul that hath been in heaven exceeding burthensome Answ first We deny the consequence of the Argument For Gods rewarding his people on earth doth not anticipate heaven nor the reward in heaven cut off the rewards on earth See Mat. 19.29 shall receive an hundred fold and shall also inherit eternall life And this in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Creation as the word signifies And when they sit on Thrones according to Dan. 7.22 which is according to our Text of Rev. 20.4 Secondly we say that those places Mr. B. brings for the proof of his Antecedent doe prove our assertion viz. of an happinesse of the Saints on earth as well as in heaven As that in 1 Tim. 4.6 7 8. For verse 8. it is said At that day and particularly at Christs appearing To understand which see verse 1. And remember our arguing upon those words Shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome Compare Rev. 19. latter end with Rev. 20.3 4. Likewise that which Mr. Baily urgeth out of 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9.10 plainly proves a reward on earth as well as in heaven It is a RIGHTEOUS thing c. It is mercy to the Saints but righteousnesse chiefly appears upon the wicked that are punished And this appears more to all the world being done on earth To you that are troubled REST WITH US The Apostle aims at a Rest first on earth compare Heb. 2.5 and Chapter 4. verse 9. Rest when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from HEAVEN Not in Heaven And the flames of fire are expresse Rev. 17 16. and Chapter 18. verse 8 and 9. and Chapter 19 two last Lastly It is said in that 2 Thess 1.9 They shall be punished from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power But Christ hath no power in heaven at the ultimate day of judgement but then layes downe all 1 Cor. 15.24 As for Matth. 5.10 there is no mention of the place but in the word Heaven not expressing which of the three heavens as Paul distinguisheth Now St. John calls the â—â—te of the thousand yeers Heaven Rev. 21.1 And in this place of Matth. 5.10 The adjoyning the word KINGDOME to Heaven clearly imports a state on earth For in heaven above nor Saints nor Christ have any Kingdome at the ultimate day of judgement Yee see now how truely Mr. B. saith without doubt the reward in these places is not till the last day of judgement As for M. B. words The Martyrs would be in worse case c. They are grounded on a mistake For all the Saints both the deceased and living shall then share in the same glory on earth For those words It would bee a punishment c. These all flow from ignorance of what the Scripture hath said in this point viz. that their bodies shall in the thousand yeers bee immortall and glorious and conformable to Christs body as we have shewed afore For that Mr. Baily concludes of fighting in the thousand yeers c. let him affirm it when he can without contradicting himself he affirming it a time of all corporall pleasures and when we affirme it And for Turkish Alcoran and Jewish Talmud we have nothing to do with any thing but what we are convinced is according to Scripture But it is the Scottish manner to dispute by branding with reproaches But sure their contrary opinion tends to Familisme SECT VIII Mr. Baylies eighth Argument § 1 THe opinion of the Millenaries supposeth the restauration of Jerusalem and of the Jewish Kingdome after their destruction by the Romans But the Scriptures deny this Ezek. 16.53.55 When I shall bring againe the captivity of Sodome and of Samaria and her daughters then will I bring again the captivity of thy Captives c. The Jews saith Mr. Baily are never to be restored to their ancient outward estate much lesse to a greater and more glorious Kingdome Jerusalem was to be re-builded and the spirituall glory of the second Temple was to be greater then the first And in the end of the same Chapter the restitution of the Jews after the Babylonish Captivity by vertue of the New Covenant is promised But the outward estate of that people was never to be restored to its ancient lustre more then Samaria or Sodome As Amos speakes of Samaria Chap. 5. 2. The Virgin of Israel is fallen and shall no more rise And Isa saith of Jerusalem The transgression thereof shall be heavy and it shall fall and not rise againe According to the prophesie of Jacob Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come Importing saith Mr. Baily that the Tribe of Judah should ever have some outward visible rule till the comming of Christ in the flesh but thereafter the Scepter and Power of the Church shall be onely spirituall in the hand of Shiloh the Messias He was the substance and body of all these types the restauration of Jerusalem and the erecting of the Monarchy in Judah § 2 Answ The Scripture doth not deny the restauration of Jerusalem but affirme it and that most strongly as we have shewed in many
spirit shall be removed farre away from the Church Zach. 13 2. Thirdly For the rest of the dayes works of Creation as in them were created the dry-land the Plants the Fishes and Fowls and Animals c. So in this New creation there shall be a perfection of all those then in being for of a resurrection of irrationals I know nothing and they shall be freed and set at liberty from all danger and hardship Isa 11.6 7 8 9. Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. I speak now short to these things because I am not yet come to the qualifications of this future glorious estate into which this Head would sometimes faine draw me but I will not be anticipated ¶ 4 This future glorious estate on earth is a creation in regard of the end viz. that as man was created last of all most perfect in soule and body as the subordinate end next under God for which God made it viz. that man might have the possession and use of all and dominion over all Gen. 1.26 So in this New creation Christ restores all things to their perfection and every beleever to his to that end that all beleevers being raised or changed as afore described may joyntly and co-ordinately rule over the whole world and all things therein next under Christ their Head I say All and not apart onely as some unwarily publish And I say joyntly not one part of the Saints to usurp authority over the rest as many dream And co-ordinately All upon equall tearms not some Saints to rule by Deputies made of the rest of the Saints as the practise of men seem to interpret And all to be true Saints not seeming Thus we read in Dan. 7. verse 14. and 27. And Rev. 20.4 And Chap. 21. verse 24.26 Study the places well and you will easily picke it out CHAP. III. Measuring out the DIMENSIONS of this glorious estate to be on Earth afore the ultimate universal Judgement § 1 HAving done with the Creation of it we come next to the Dimensions Quantity or Extent of the glorious Kingdome of Christ on Earth yet expected viz. That as the other foure Monarchies did over spread all the inhabited world as it is said of Nebuchadnezzars Assyrto-Chaldean Monarchy Dan. 2.37 that he was King of Kings and that WHERESOEVER THE CHILDREN OF MEN DWEâ—T the Beasts of the field and fowles of the Heaven GOD HAD GIVEN INTO HIS HAND and had made him RULER OVER ALL and of Caesars Roman Monarchy Luke 2.1 That there went out a decree from him that ALL THE WORLD should bee taxed So this fifth Monarchy of the Saints reigning on earth under Christ must be as large as those Monarchies as large as the whole world for ample Dominion though not for sincere conversion That is the generality of men in the time of this Kingdome being converted into true Saints they shall rule over all the whole world of men swallowing up the other former Monarchies So that if there be remaining a secret seed of hypocrisie in â—ome which shall at last God so foretelling Rev. 20.8 breake out in the Gogican War at the end of our THOUSAND yeers shall yet mean while all men all the time of the thousand yeers shall be demurely subject to the Dominion of the Saints Touching the latitude and largenesse of this Holy-Kingdome read Dan. 2.34 35. The stone cut out without hands smote the Image on his feet that were of iron and of clay and brake them to peeces Then was the iron the clay the brasse the silver and the gold broken in peeces together and became like the chasse of the Summerthershing floore and the wind carried them away so that NO PLACE WAS FOUND FOR THEM and the stone that smote the Image became a great Mountaine and FILLED THE WHOLE EARTH Dan. 7.26 27 And the judgement shall sit and they shall take away his the preceding Monarchies Dominion c. And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN shall be given to the people of the Saints c. And Rev. 10.7 St. John having said In the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angel when he shall BEGIN to sound the mystery of God shall be finished he goes on in the 11. Chapter verse 15. saying The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voyces in Heaven saying The KINGDOMES of this WORLD are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever That is no Monarchy shall ever be on earth after his Adde Isa 2. In the second verse c. whereof yee have the propagation of the Gospel of Christs Kingdome and mens obedience to it In the 11 verse repeated againe verse 17. yee have the Lord Christ exalted and his overthrowing all worldly powers prostrate before him in these words The lofty lookes of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the LORD ALONE shall be exalted Which words though covertly for feare of provoking worldly Monarchs are alleadged by the Jewes to the same end as you have heard afore at large To the same effect of the largenesse of Christs Kingdome is that notable place in Isa 24. verse 21 22 23. In that day it shall come to passe that the Lord shall punish the Host of the high ones that are on high and the Kings of the earth UPON EARTH and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall be shut up in the prison and after many dayes they shall be visited Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall REIGNE IN MOUNT SION and in Jerusalem before his Ancients gloriously His Ancients are his ancient people the Jews And as the material Sunne and Moon shall be then nothing in comparison of the light of Gods presence as afore-shewed so the metaphorical Sunne and Moon for the same Scripture may have two subordinate senses Rev. 17.9 10. I say the metaphorical Sunne and Moon of higher and lower humane Majesties shall be confounded with shame So Jacob a Prince in those times and his wife are called by the name and interpreted to be the meaning of that name of the Sunne and Moon in Josephs dream Gen. 37.9 even as we had but now in that 24 of Isa both name and thing metaphor meaning expressed And by the same rule and proportion we may admit of others annexing a metaphorical sense to that Revelation 21. verse 23 24. that in Christs Kingdome to come upon earth there shall be no need of the Sunne or Moon i. e. of Emperial Royal or Princely Potentates to keep the peace as we have expounded it also in a litteral sense of the obscuring of the glory of all the Stars by the paramount glory of Gods presence For God and the Lambs presence shall be in stead of and more then the Sunne and Moon in both senses One both learned and godly doth likewise to the
same purpose apply Hag. 2.21 22. By shaking heaven and earth once more saith he the Prophet seems to mean in part that there shall be a change not onely of the customes of the people which are the Earth but also of Kingly powers and humane Majesties which are the Heavens Which place of Haggai the Apostle applies to the Kingdome of Christ Heb. 12.26 27.28 29. of which application though part may comport with the Kingdome of Christ as spiritual which hath ever been yet the rest seems to â—ooke as farre as Christs Kingdome to come on Earth For since Haggais or Pauls time God never so shook the material heavens of Orbs and Stars or the metaphorical of Royalties and Majesties that the Kingdome succeeding as the Text plainly intends could not be moved Even as the close exhorting to serve God acceptably because he is a consuming fire is most like to Peters exhortation 2 Pet. 3. to bee holy in conversation because after the destruction of the world by fire we shall have new heavens and a new Earth The place seems to allude to and to Prophesie from Gods shaking of Mount Sinai that as at that time God shook his people out of Egypt and separated them by divine Lawes from all the Nations of the earth to be a Royall Church by themselves so he will shake all the world of high and low ones when he sets up his last kingdom viz. Christs visible kingdom on earth and therewith makes all new For saith my Author that same Once more signifies the removing of all former old things in Earth and Heaven viz. of Customes of People and Crownes of Kinglyhoods and makes all new with sanctity and spirituality in the quality though men and creatures shall be in substance extant upon the earth according to their species or kinde and his Sovereignty in paramount glory ruling all Just as Zachary hath it Chap. 14. verse 9. And the LORD shall be KING over ALL the EARTH In that day shall there be ONE LORD and his name one That is as some learned expound There shall be no more Lords but the Lord Christ and his Dominion shall be greater then ever any was Which the Prophet Malachy doth notably surveigh Chap. 1. verse 11. in these words From the rising of the Sunne even to the going downe of the same my name shall bee great among the Gentiles c. CHAP. IV. Concerning the Qualifications or Qualities of this Kingdome of Christ Viz. Negatively it is a State that is Sinless Sorrowless Deathless Superiorless c. Temptationless Timeless Positively it is the Restauration of the Creation Perfection of all Qualities Confluence of all Comforts Preface to Eternity With several other Qualifications by a natural and necessary consequence flowing from these SECT I. It is Sinlesse § 1 ANd no wonder For it is not imaginable that the deceased Saints should be raised and the living changed to injoy this glorious state on earth in Christs Kingdome with the least tincture of sinne either of their owne or others This were to bring the deceased Saints to their losse And the changed state of the living would not be freed from sinne which would bee their greatest sorrow which as the next Section demonstrateth cannot consist with this glorious state It would be a misery not a felicity for the soules of the deceased to come out of supernal glory into a body of sinne or for them or the changed to be mixed with the society of gracelesse men A meer regenerate estate not yet perfect lamented that condition so long since as Lot and David 2 Pet. 2.7 Psal 120.5 yea the latter complained of society with men of faire outsides flattering with their lips and eating bread at his Table but were not right at heart And our Saviour warns his Disciples as of a danger that they should bee among men that outwardly seem to be sheep but inwardly were Wolves which this glorious state will not admit So then the huge augmentation of this Kingdome or fifth Monarchy shall not as in worldly Monarchies cause pollution and corruption This shall bee Status optimus maximus the biggest and best state that ever was or shall be on earth all suitable to a resurrection The places of Scripture asserting the sinlesseness of this time are very many and very cleer so that I need but repeat them to convince the ingenuous Reader ¶ 1 Adam we know was created sinlesse according to the Image and likenesse of God to have Dominion over all and to rest on the Sabbath now this state of Adam is applied by David Ps 8. to a future state of man which the Apostle Paul accommodates to our estate and rest in the inhabited world to come Heb. 2.5 and Chap. 4. verse 9. as wee have afore demonstratively expounded those places If there be any difference it is in this as the Apostle sets it forth 1 Cor. 15. that our estate shall be better then his ¶ 2 Num. 30.5 6 8. The Lord thy God wil bring thee into thine owne land and the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and thou shalt returne and obey the voyce of the Lord and do AL HIS COMMANDEMENTS Which was spoken of and to the Jews long since deceased being never yet so fulfilled to them or any of that Nation succeeding them and therefore according to the truth of God must be fulfilled to all the elect of them and of their posterity ¶ 3 Isa 11.6 The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb c. and they shall not hurt c. For the earth shall bee FULL OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA which whether we understand of men or beasts it argues a restauration to an estate like that of innocent Adam And the reason adds the glory of the cause as the thing is a most glorious effect That this innocent time shall follow upon an ocean of divine knowledge ¶ 4. Isa 59.21 This is my Covenant my WORD AND MY SPIRIT SHALL NEVER DEPART from thee for ever ¶ 5. Isa 35.8 There shall be an high-way and it shall be called the way of holinesse THE UNCLEAN SHAL NOT PASSE OVER IT ¶ 6. Isa 60.21 Thy people shall be ALL RIGHTEOUS ¶ 7. Jer. 32.40 41. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good But I will put my feare into their heart that they shall not depart from me Yea I will rejoyce over them to doe them good and will plant them in this Land assuredly WITH MY WHOLE HEART and WHOLE SOUL See this great promise must be fulfilled when the Jewes are settled in their owne land ¶ 8. Ezech. 36.23 to verse 30. I will gather you from all Countries and bring you into your owne land and I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and you shall be cleane from ALL
HARD BONDAGE Observe both to what persons and what time these high expressions relate before largely opened and we shal easily conclude this Text was never yet fulfilled and therefore according to the truth of God must bee fulfilled before the ultimate day of judgement for with that time this Prophesie cannot agree ¶ 6 In Isa 25.8 we have it plenissimè planissimè most fully and plainly That in that day viz. of the great restauration of the Church and ruine of their enemies verse 5 6. The Lord will WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM ALL FACES And the rebuke of his people shall hee take away FROM OFF ALL THE EARTH for the Lord hath spoken it Which was never yet fulfilled and therefore is yet to come at the time we treat off as hath been before demonstrated ¶ 7 Isa 54.13 14. is also very high in expressions Thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children In righteousnesse shalt thou be ESTABLISHED thou shalt be far from oppression for thou SHALT NOT FEAR and FROM TERROR for it SHAL NOT COME NEER THEE You see the expressions are exceeding high and they are evidently spoken concerning external rest as well as internal and wee see it by experience that this place was never yet fulfilled therefore it is yet to come as we have cleered it afore ¶ 8 In Isa 60.14 c. it is thus written The Sonnes of them that aâ—flicted thee shall come BENDING TO THEE and all that despised thee shall BOW THEMSELVES DOWN AT THE SOLES of thy feet Whereas thou hast been forsaken I will make thee an ETERNAL EXCELLENCY violence shall be NO MORE heard in thy land The dayes of thy mourning shall be ENDED Which place relates to our Thesis as is before demonstrated The expressions are far too high for us to acknowledge they have been fulfilled therefore we must expect them yet to come before the ultimate day of judgement for that will be no fit time for this Prophesie ¶ 9. Isa 65.19 is likewise very full to the particular in hand though in few words viz. I will joy in my people and the voyce of weeping or crying shall be NO MORE HEARD IN HER. Let the Reader judge whether this was ever yet fulfilled ¶ 10. Isa tells us Chap. 66.12 Thus saith the Lord I will extend peace to her the Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles as a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream I leave it likewise to the Reader to consider whether hee hath not reason to expect this as yet to come ¶ 11 We come to the Prophesies of Jeremiah Chap. 23.3 4. I will gather the remnant of my flocke out of all Countries c. and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed Which expressions are a great deal too high for our knowledge of Scripture of history or of experience to acknowledge them to have been fulfilled to this day And therefore our faith must be on God for the fulfilling of them and that before the ultimate day of judgement as the nature of the things require ¶ 12 We have in the same Prophet Chap. 30. verse 10. Jacob shall returne and shall be in rest and quiet and none shall make him afraid ¶ 13 Place is in Jer. 46.27 28. to the same effect ¶ 14 Place is in Ezek. 28.24 There shall be no more a pricking briar unto the house of Israel nor any grieving thorne of all that are round about them ¶ 15 Place Mich. 4.1 2 3. The same with Isa 2. v. 2 3 4. It s added here in verse 4. They shall sit every man under his owne vine c. and none shall make them afraid ¶ 16 Place Zeph. 3.13 14 15. They shall feed and lye downe and none shall make them afraid Sing O daughter of Zion rejoyce with all the heart the Lord hath taken away thy judgements he hath cast out thine enemies The Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evill any more This and all the rest have been proved to mean the time intended in our Position § 2 Adde in the New Testament ¶ 1 Matth. 19.29 Shall receive an hundred fold and inherit eternal life of the large opening of this place see before in the third Book ¶ 2 That in 2 Thess 1.7.9 10. To you REST as Heb. 4. when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed FROM HEAVEN his enemies being punished from the presence of the Lord as Chap. 2. and from the glory of his POWER ¶ Rev. 7.16 17 They that are sealed c. serve him day and night in HIS TEMPLE he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more for the Lamb in the middest of the Throne shall feed them and wipe away all tears from their eyes ¶ 4 Rev. 21.4 St. John speaking of the state of the Church in the thousand yeers saith God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more sorrowing nor crying nor paine Every verse of this Chapter shewes it cannot bee meant of everlasting happinesse in the highest heavens Let the close of this Section be to encourage us to patience Patience in perseverance and patience in sufferance Now is Christs Kingdome of patience But anon his Kingdome of peace Twice it is said of the present state of sufferings Here is the patience of the Saints Rev. 13.10 and 14.12 Once it is said Keep the word of patience Rev. 3.10 But after a while comes the Kingdome of peace therefore Christ seales up all the Bible and all the Revelation almost with this Rev. 22.11 12. He that is righteous let him be righteous still He that is holy let him be holy still and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me Then in the last verse save one sc 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Amen Then to that end Iohns prayer closeth all as I close in verse 21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen SECT III. § 1 THus you have seen it is a sorrowlesse condition Next follows it shall be a deathlesse condition The Elect once raised at the beginning of the thousand yeers shall dye no more much lesse those alive and changed For if those alive shall not prevent them that are asleep given by the Apostle as an answer to an Objection against this Resurrection much lesse shall they that are alive being the patterne to whom the dead are promoted bee sent to death as to give place to the Elect dead that are raised And if all the Elect are raised to what end or use shall they dye that are alive If it be the priviledge that the other Saints shall be alive at Christs comming why shall they dye when here in soule and body they may behold him which is a fuller injoyment If this time of Christs appearance at the beginning of the thousand yeers be the Kingdome of Saints the prefacing beginning of their full
texts of Isa 25.8 and Hos 13 14. to be then fulfilled doth clearly import a state on earth of a visible glory of the Church when the Jewes shall be called For the said Prophesies mainly had an eye to the restitution of the Jews As the Apostle extends them to Jews and Gentiles attained by Christ And speaks in this Chapter all along of the resurrection of Saints which John Rev. 20.5 calls the first Resurrection and doth not speake of the generall Resurrection of the wicked ¶ 3 Adde to the three former places to prove that this time we speake of shall be a deathlesse condition another most evident place sc Rev. 21.4 I have diverse times demonstrated that this Chapter cannot bee meant of everlasting glory in the highest heavens And once I runne over the whole Chapter to that end And now you may cast your eye upon 1 2 3. verses which lead to the fourth now quoted New heavens because the old passe away But the highest heavens are never old nor passe away And a New earth which cannot import Heaven No more Sea This in no wise can belong to a description of glory in the highest heavens I saw New Jerusalem the holy City comming downe from God OUT of Heaven not going up to Heaven The Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwel with them Then it follows v. 4. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine So that the taking away of all tears as is here expressed is the same with Isa 25.8 And in both places the taking away of death and of sorrow are conjoyned ¶ 4 So that in Revel 7. the last verse relates to the same place of Isa 25.8 And intends fully the taking away of death though not so fully mentioned ¶ 5 The last place to prove this deathlesse condition is Rev. 22.2 3 It is evident that this 22 Chapter relates to the same state as Chapter 21. witnesse not only v. 14 15. But v. 1 2. of the Fountain of water and Tree of life which signifies a state on earth Now in relation to our Point by reason of their partaking of the Tree of life it is said in v. 3. There shall be no curse i. e. No death For that was the original curse to Adam if he did eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and evill If he did not he might have eaten of the Tree of life and lived for ever Hee should never have dyed but beene translated So now shall it bee in this State § 3 Thus you see the grounds that make it most probable that this time shall be a Deathlesse time A kinde of beginning of immortality If men say the contrary it is by presumptuous interpretation and with a bold THAT IS But these places speake so plaine downe right that I must leave them as I finde them and not dare to alter them If any one intimation in other Scriptures may be found they must for ought I see be accommodated to these The plainer must make the darker comply To deal faithfully with you There is onely one considerable place that I know of relating to the time I speake that hath something of an intimation of mortality to be in these times and that is Isa 65.20 It cleerly relates to the time we speak of v. 17. Behold I create New Heavens and a New earth c. which Peter refers to this time 2 Pet. 3.13 in relation to the promise in that Isa 65. Now the 20. verse our Translators have rendred thus There shall be no more an Infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes For the childe shall dye an hundred yeers old but the sinner being an hundred yeers old shall be accursed Now as far as I can see into Languages and the context these words For the childe shall dye an hundred yeers old may be more fitly translated That the childe should dye an hundred yeers old For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew is exceeding often used yea and so rendred by Translators to signifie THAT as wee have here rendred it As for turning shall into should it is not worth the mentioning before a Grammarian that knowes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so rendred will infer that the verb speak subjunctively Now read the words so easily altered in the English and without the least violence to the native acception of the Hebrew and the meaning will be quite contrary to any intimation of the mortality of the Saints in this glorious time of the thousand yeers For according as we have translated the sense will runne cleerly thus There shall be no more thence or from that time viz. of the beginning of the thousand yeers of the New Creation an infant of dayes or an old man that hath not filled his dayes that the child or young man should dye at an hundred yeers old So that here is no mention of the mortality of the Saints but of their immortality Which for further clearing of the Text may bee made out two wayes ¶ 1. Thus Hee that is an hundred yeers old in those dayes is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in the Text but a youth or young man as our old Translation renders it For as a youth hath but the tenth part of that age which many men live in these dayes So an hundred yeers are but the tenth of this Millenary time of life to the inheritors thereof Againe as in the first age of the world wherein Adam lived one of an hundred yeers old was but a young man to one at his full age in those dayes as Gen. 5.4 Adam lived an hundred and thirty yeers and begat a sonne But Adam after that lived eight hundred yeers so all his dayes were nine hundred and thirty neer a thousand Even so in this Millenary age of the New creation one of an hundred yeers old is but a young man to the thousand yeers that hee shall reigne with Christ on earth So that the sense of the Prophet may fairly be taken to be this That in the time of this New creation the thing a type at least of the highest glory and the time a preface of eternity as the young man must not have his dayes cut off so the old man must fulfill his dayes And how are both these accomplished in this New creation but by both their living on earth a thousand yeers old and young all Saints reigning on earth a thousand yeers When I speake of old and young you must understand those Saints that are found alive at Christs comming which anon after are changed for all the deceased Saints are raised to an equall perfection and absolute maturity of age and nature even as the other are changed into the same exactnesse though at Christs first appearance different in age c. So that we may well understand the Prophet to allude to the age of
they but we our selves who also have the first fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body See creature and the Saints are still distinguished The Text is spoken to them that have the spirit yet still they groan with the whole Creation for a restauration of all as for a thing not yet come to passe And this cannot be in the supreamest Heaven The Creation cannot groan for that Nor can it groan for a dissolution at the last day of judgement therefore let the wise understand these things § 4 Lactantius saith of this Restauration When the thousand yeers come the world shall bring forth fruit alone and the Rock shall distil dew and no creature shall live upon prey The dog shall not hunt and the childe shall not be affraid of the Serpent I adde If in these corrupt times the Beast knowes his Master sure then all creatures shall bee most kinde to Saints and Saints shall know more perfectly all the creatures and be more kinde to them The lowest of this state as I have oft told you and proved shall be according to that of Adams innocency and therefore as all creatures came tamely before Adam and Adam gave them all names Gen. 2.19 so all now shall be tame toward man And if after that in that corrupt time of the old world Noah and the creatures were saved together in one Arke then now also shall all the creatures in their kinde injoy the liberty of the Sonnes of God as we heard afore in Rom. 8. § 5 And if this knowledge shall be between man and the creatures how much more between man and man I know no reason but that all the Saints shall know one another by former relations of Husband Wife Father and Childe brother and Sister It being joy to them to see them in the same happinesse yet shall not misse or moan for any wanting because God is glorified by them other wayes Adam in innocency saw Eve and knew shee was his wife and yet without sin In the Transfiguration Moses and Elijah are known The Disciples know Christ risen And Lazarus after hee was raised Then in the intent and meaning Dives shall see Lazarus in Abrahams bosome And some Jewes shall see Abraham and Isaac in the Kingdome and they themselves cast out therefore Saints much more shall know one another Wee shall know Christ and so all the members of Christ § 6 But this of knowing falls in but by the by The thing is the Restauration of the Creation And to what end That the Saints may enjoy all in their perfection that all things in their perfection may be restored to their right Owners Jure in equity all now is ours that believe 1 Cor. 3. the three last verses But then de facto in act Rev. 21.7 They shall inherit all things Till then the great ones of the earth take almost all from the Saints As in Dan. 7. first eight verses the fourth Beast took all But at the time wee speak of it shall be that Dan. 7.27 And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High Which relates to the time we speak of as hath been proved SECT VII A Timelesse state THe next Quality is That when this visible glorious state of Church shall come TIME shall be no more Rev. 10.6 Time is a Quantity But no more time refers also to Qualities Note two circumstances of this assertion First It was spoken after the sixth Trumpet had sounded Rev. 9.13 therefore this looks toward the seventh Trumpet viz. to the time of the Churches visible glory Secondly It is spoken Rev. 10.1 by a mighty Angel comming downe from Heaven cloathed with a cloud and a Rain-bow about his head His face as the Sun His feet as a Pillar of fire and had in his hand a little booke therefore this was spoke in relation to the time of Christs appearing for Hee comes down from Heaven and cloathed with a cloud at his appearance Chap. 1.7 And the Rain-bow signifies that he comes as the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 Rev. 4.3 Sun is also the description of Christs comming Rev. 1. verse 16. and Malach. 4.2 so his feet as Pillars of fire Rev. 1. And the little Booke Chapter 5. And a mighty Angel sc Michael Dan. 12. i.e. Who is as God called Gods-fellow Zach. 13.7 Phil. 2.8 All these signifie the manner of Christs appearing Which appearance is at the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11.15 And here after he had cryed and caused the seven thunders hee swears Time shall be no more therefore this of Non-time refers to this time of the Churches visible glory Now Christs swearing it and with such solemnity standing on the Sea and Earth and lifting up his hand to Heaven swearing by himselfe who liveth for ever and made all things doth import some great matter I may import these five things ¶ 1 Most likely there shal be no more motion of the heavens which is the cause of time The stars shall rest Isa 60.20 Rev. 21.25 ¶ 2 There shall be no more changes Tempus edax rerum Time makes old and at last dissolves Time causeth Summer and Winter and so causeth much alteration in all bodies and the alteration of mens bodies much reflects on their spirits Now there being no more cause of changes there shall be no more changes However the Elect once for all at Christs appearing at the beginning of the thousand yeers are raised or changed to an essential perfection therefore no change from better to worse ¶ 3 For if no more time then Eternity is begun and therefore all must stand fixed in their perfection like Eternity not well to day weak to morrow cheerfull to day and melancholly to morrow but the Saints shall be stable and all things stable about them Friends creatures c. shining in beams of love and standing in a streight line of constant service All things that can passe away all old things and all that can waxe old are gone and all become new Rev. 21 1-4 5. As New Jerusalem comes out of Heaven so it shall be like Heaven No change No other Alpha and Omega first and last but Christ himselfe so is the close of former things gone Rev 21.6 Now he is the everlasting God afore all and after all and still the same Heb. 13. The man that changes changeth first and chiefly in his head Eccles 12. His haire white His eyes dim His cheeks wrinkled But our head cannot change There shall bee no sad remembrance that we were so happy but now we are worse but our Motto is semper idem i.e. Alwayes the same ¶ 4 No more time signifies There shall be no more time for abusers of time No time for the things that have caused sorrowful times to the Saints There shall be no more time for any kinde of evill
in these comparisons As the Summer Sunne rising ascending and setting differs from the heavens continued into one whole Sunne whereby it would be alwayes day and alwayes glorious Summer And as a River differs from a Sea of sweet waters the River exists by succession the Sea is still the same fixed So in this state we speake of Every injoyment and injoyer shall bee as full at first in perfection and joy as at last CHAP. V. THus of Qualities now wee come to Priviledges sc That which Saints had afore either in common with others or in an ordinary degree they shall now have in a way of special Priviledge and preheminence SECT I. First Priviledge The fulfilling of most things that before were but foretold § 1 THe Mysteries and Prophesies which before they had but in the Word now they shall have in the thing ¶ 1 For Mysteries See Rev. 11.19 The Temple of God was opened and there was seen in his Temple the Arke of his Testament This cleerly relates to the time we speake of as it is evident in verse 15. The seventh Angel sounded c. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven By comparing this with Rev. 21. verse 22 the thing is plainer And I saw no Temple therein but the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb was the Temple And this also relates to the same time See verse 1. I saw New Heaven and New Earth Verse 2. And I saw New Jerusalem This Prophesie plainly foretels of a kinde of Temple in those dayes of which we speak In Ezek. wee have much of the measures of the Temple So Ezek. Chapter 41. and 42. c. cleerly relating to a New Testament time by St. Johns exposition Rev 21. And Malachy tels us Chap. 3. verse 1. The Lord will suddenly come to his Temple And John saith Rev. 7.15 The Saints serve God day and night in his Temple Chap. 11.1 The Temple is measured Chap. 14 15 17. Angels come out of the Temple Chap. 15.5 The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in heaven was opened Chap. 16.1.17 Voyces come out of the Temple And in the Text wee alleadged Chap. 11. v. 19. The Temple of God was open and the Arke was seen Now what is the meaning of all Surely a Temple equivalently they shall have But no Temple properly as it is said Rev. 21. v. 22. I saw no Temple But God and the Lamb was that equivalent Temple yea that super-eminent Temple And the presence of God in Christ shall bee such with them that as Rev. 11.19 that spiritual Arke shall not be hid as was the material Ark in the Old Testament Temple but shall be seen In the Ark was the Table of the Law and the Pot of Manna Christ the end of the Law Rom. 10.4 And Christ and his word is the Manna Rev. 2. The Arke was in the holiest of Holies which was seldome seen and onely when the High Priest went in But now this spiritual Arke in this glorious time is commonly seen Observe That the Arke typified Christ and his Word As the Temple was a pledge of Gods presence as before that the Tabernacle was So that the meaning is That now Gods presence shall be such in and through Christ to his Church that the glory of Christ and the mystery of his word shall be far more plain unto them There shall be no material Temple but there shall be the equivalent Temple the Antitype Gods presence in Christ gloriously manifest And his Word more open and plaine then ever since the New Testament All mysteries relating to this time foretold shall be revealed Now shall bee fulfilled that Dan. 12. Knowledge shall be increased And that Isa 11. The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea All that men had before in the ear now they shall have in the eye their science shall be turned to experience ¶ 2 All Prophesies relating to the best of Times of the Saints welfare shall now be fulfilled The Saints shall not have these things onely in types visions or knowledge but in possession and happy injoyment The Revelation is the summe of all the Prophets This is declared to John by Christ Rev. 1. sc in a representation And therefore it is said Rev. 22.6 The Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the sayings of the Prophesie of this Booke The intent and meaning is That the Lord God that spake by the Prophets and spake of these things by the Prophets sent by his Angel to explain those things delivered by the Prophets concerning these times of which we speak Now this Book of the Revelation though it be far plainer then the Prophets yet it is not fully and wholly plain to us therefore called A sealed Booke that Christ must open Rev. 5. This opening is by the events Rev. 6. c. which will be compleatly done in this visible glorious time of the Church as we may perceive by the light now at the dawning afore the Sunne of righteousnesse doth arise Christ is the Yea and Amen of all the promises 2 Cor. 1.20 therefore when he appears again all will appear fulfilled As the woman of Samaria said Joh. 4. so it shall be sc when the Messiah commeth which is called the Christ he shall tell us all things yea restore all things Act. 3. Therefore is Christ called the WORD of GOD and the Heire of all things because he will declare and perform all things § 2 What Mr. Bolton saith of everlasting glory in the highest Heaven shall be proportionably true now in this thousand yeers We shall perfectly understand all Physical or natural and spiritual things what is the number of the Heavens The essences of the creaures How we shall know and behold God in Christ c And then shall bee fulfilled all the prayers of Saints put up for the welfare of Church and Saints from the beginning of the world Then shall Sem and Japhet dwell together Then those prayers that gave God no rest till he made Jerusalem a praise shall be answered and all the glorious things that have been spoken of the Church the City of God shall appear in their colours and be given in in great glory As it is said she is the Lords portion Deut. 32.9 His pleasant portion Jer. 12.10 His inheritance Isa 19.25 All people are the worke of his hands but his Church is his Inheritance Again the Church is called the Dearly beloved of his soule Jer. 12.7 His love his dove his undefiled all faire c. Cant. oft His Treasure and peculiar treasure Ex. 19 5. The Lords house of glory Isa 60.7 Yea His glory Isa 46.13 and THE glory of God Jer. 3.17 Nay the Throne of his glory Jer. 14.21 Nay the Crowne of his glory Isa 62.3 Nay the Royal Diadem Ibid. Againe the Church is called The ornament of God the beauty of his ornaments the beauty of his ornament in
Majesty Ezek. 7.20 Yea the Church is called Christs body Christs fulnesse presented without spot Eph. 1. Eph. 5. Now all these in the thousand yeers must be fully fulfilled Rev. 21. throughout SECT II. The Second Priviledge is A superabundant pouring out of the Spirit § 1 THe Saints ever since they beleeved have had the Spirit in some measure sc as a Spirit of Adoption and Sanctification so these are in Rom. 8. viz. v. 10. and v. 15. But now they shall have it in a more exceeding abounding manner and measure both for gifts and graces § 2 Joel 2.28 Afterwards I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions and also upon the servants and upon the hand-maids in those dayes will I poure out my Spirit I did before in the Quod sit prove First That this did relate to the time we speake of Secondly That that pouring out Act. 2. was but the first fruits sc Spirit was abundantly poured out but upon some few And Dan. 12. verse 2 3 and 4. it is prophesied of this time Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake c. and they that bee wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the stars for ever and ever And knowledge shall be increased The demonstration of this place to belong to this time we speake of you have heard afore SECT III. The third Priviledge A wonderful returne of prayers § 1 ISaiah 65.24 It shall come to passe that before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will heare That these words are within the body of a maine Prophesie of the visible glory of the Church in the time we speake of we have abundantly proved afore And you your selves may see by weighing verse 17. afore sc I create New Heavens and a New Earth c. compared with 2 Pet. 3. and 25. after The Wolfe shall dwel with the Lamb c. they shall not hurt nor destroy in all the holy mountaine And this same verse sc 24. which I urge Mr. Archer also urgeth to the same purpose in his Book of Christs Reigne on Earth page 31. saying That at this time there shall be a full and present answer to all their prayers At this time the reversion of all the prayers of all former ages will come into the Churches hands the effect of all those will flow in upon the Church unto a sea of happinesse And if this Church at present makes any prayers they shall have a present answer The Text saith Before they call The Hebrew is rendred both by the Latins Greek Syr. and Arab. Before they cry out So that before they pray as men in extremity or distresse God will answer which is plaine by that which follows For whiles they are speaking even in their hearts whiles they are but thinking prayer their desires shall be fulfilled Mr. Bolton saith that whiles the Saints are but thinking the desire of moving from one place to another from one company of Saints and Angels to another whether in heaven or on earth or both for most probably heaven and earth in common shall at last be the Sea of blisse both being made equally glorious they shall move thither even in an imperciptible time that is very suddenly Now every thing must bee compleated in its prime and therefore whatsoever requests the Saints may then make as comporting with that state it shall bee to use Christs words which then must be fulfilled to purpose But ask and have It is true this state shal be a state of perfection but it doth exist on this side the last loosing of Satan the rising of Gog and Magog and the ultimate general judgement What requests the Saints may then make we cannot affirm But sure if they make any they shal be without sinne or sorrow as before we have largely intimated The word prayer in Scripture comprehends praises and praises prayers as David calls his Psalmes Thillim Praises though they contain many Prayers That in this state the Church shall abound with praises the Revelation doth often hint as Rev. 11. Rev. 14. Rev. 19. And even as Christ layes not downe his Mediatorship till the end of the thousand yeers in divers respects of which afore so perhaps the Saints may make some kinde of prayers As for the exercise of their communion with God the use of their graces the receivall of reciprocall impressions for the continuation of their present state though God hath assured them it shall not faile prayer being the conduit of the fluxive River-like flowing in of it And for the finishing of their present state to the utmost supernal eternal glory I tenderly propose these things wherein my light is dim Most probably Adam in innocency should have spoken to God in some way of prayer And the Angel made a request to Christ Dan. 12.6 But I cease SECT IV. Upon those there former Priviledges followes this that in this glorious time the Churches Ordinances shall be in an higher Key either in Quality or Degree § 1 CHrist still holding his Mediatorship not to be laid downe till the end of the ultimate day of judgement 1 Cor. 15. and hee appearing in his glory to the Church as the great ordinance of Ordinances shall by speciall communion with the Church manifest to it the mind of God So that as God spake to Adam in Paradise and gave him the Ordinance of that seale the tree of life so here is this second Paradisian state of the Church there shall be a special manifestation and communication of and through Christ who is the maine tree of life Rev. 22. The Saints shall have such manifestations of the presence of God through Christ that now mainly is that fulfilled they shall be all taught of God as Adam was instructed in Paradise § 2 They shall have the high Ordinance that Angelical Ordinance of praise to God Rev. 11. Rev. 14. Rev. 19. Praise is as well an injunction as Prayer and as formerly Fasting was an extraordinary worship in misery so now praise in time of all mercies § 3 Their meditation which is an injoyned Ordinance I say their meditation and contemplation of God shall be as a vision of God or sight of his face Rev. 22.2 3 4. In the midst of the street and on either side of the river was the tree of life yeelding fruit the participation whereof comes not in without meditation acting or receiving and there shall be no curse there but the Throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him which sure must be by meditation minding what they doe and THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE So that their meditation and contemplation of God shall be as in a continuall vision of God Glorious sights cause meditation and meditation takes in
by ascention to possesse the Kingdome of glory there to be installed into this on earth That being the originall of this or that being the Emperiality to which this the Tributary or Province Or Heaven being the Metropolis this below the Territories Sure enough expresse it is that he went away into a far Country which can be no other but heaven Christ having never travelled bodily out of his owne Country Secondly that though hee were before his going a Noble-man and had the Regiment or Government over a Royalty he had servants he had the command of imploying them as he listed And had the power of rewarding or punishing as he pleased so that the unprofitable servant that improved not his Talent he cast into utter darknesse where was weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 25.30 All which in that Matth. 25.14 c. is called the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Kingdome of Grace as appears in the former Parable of the Virgins the same in sence v. 1. c. Yet thirdly it is said this Noble-man went into a far Country to receive for himselfe another Kingdome and to returne vers 12. where as his receiving the Kingdome is put before his returning So on the other side it is said He returned receiving a Kingdome vers 15. * Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Arias renders in redire ipsum accipientem regâ—um where his returning is put before his receiving the Kingdome so that both Kingdomes must be here meant viz. Christ receiving the Kingdome of glory afore his returne and his Kingdome of visible power of reigning on earth after his returne For meerly his Kingdome of glory in Heaven cannot be here understood because touching his reigning there it was in vaine unpossible and altogether unlikely for his enemies to send an ambassage after him saying They would not have him to reigne over them And meerly his Kingdome of grace cannot bee here understood because that is otherwise expressed under the comparison of Talents compare Matth 25. And moreover it is here distinctly set downe that he is to goe into a far Country and then actually to receive another Kingdome partly before he returned and partly after he returned even as there is a diversity of actions In that Kingdome of Grace there is mentioned onely the neglect of improving the Talents but in this Kingdome of visible power received after his returne there is an high affront offered they send a message that they would not have him to reigne Again there is diversity of names The former are called Servants The latter are called Enemies Adde that there is a different dispensation of justice The unprofitable servant is put into a darke prison but the enemies must bee slaine AFORE HIM Therefore of necessity here must be hinted the Kingdome of Christs visible power That was it the Jewes expected yea and the best of them viz. the Disciples as we have heard afore and therefore to that Christ here speaks And for that Christ did not set up this at his coming in the flesh delivering them from the Romans therefore his Citizens his enemies hated him and sent a message after him They hated him as in relation of having him to be their visible King or King of visible Dominion when they cryed at his arraignment They had no King but Caesar And they sent an embassage after him when after his death in opposition to that kingly-hood they were angry with Pilate for writing in the Title set over him in Hebrew Greek and Latine THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWES § 5 There are also severall other passages in this Parable for Christs visible appearance and setting up his visible Kingdome of power on earth yet before the ultimate day of judgement As first His giving to the improvers of their Talents to one the rule over ten Cities to another the rule over five Cities And the Talent of him that had improved nothing to him that had improved much all which compared with the preface of the Parable touching the appearing of the Kingdome cannot in any thing well relate to the state of meer supernall eternall glory in the highest Heavens 2 His causing his enemies to bee slaine afore his face suits not to Christs meer Kingdome of grace whose Dominion precisely considered is in the power of the Gospel Nor doth it comport and comply with the ultimate day of judgement when instead of slaying enemies there is a making them alive And instead of punishing them before Christs face there is a sending them away from the presence of the Lord into eternal judgement But these extremely well agree with Christs appearing to set up his visible Kingdome of power For then Christ shall destroy his Antichristian Jewish and Gentilish and mixt Turkish enemies with the brightnesse of his appearance as hath been opened upon 2 Thess 2. in Sect 4. of this second Book And shall slay them corporally Revelat. 19. latter end § 6 Indeed the whole Parable appears to them that can leave the commonr ode of Tradition and wishly minde and ingeniously weigh the passages and preface thereof to aime at Christs next coming to set up such a Kingdome as shall not onely perfect the spirituall deliverance of the Gentiles but also to performe the temporall deliverance of the Jewes from their dispersion and corporall miseries For the naturall current of the Parable runnes thus Christ being neer Hierusalem the Jewes thought the Kingdome of God would immediately appeare Doubtlesse it was far from their thoughts in the captive condition they were now in to expect the appearance of the Kingdome of glory in Heaven For the hundreds of promises of their deliverance from the corporall captivity were not fulfilled And for the Kingdome of grace these men little minded And the better sort viz. the Disciples and Beleevers had seen it appeare already therefore it is the other Kingdome of Christ viz. that of his visible power and rule to deliver them from their corporall enemies that they supposed would immediately appeare Now to this saith Christ It will not immediatly appeare but I must saith he first goe into a farre Country viz. into Heaven and there be instated and Crowned King and after that come againe and actually and visibly reigne the meane while you to whom I have given Talents that is have endowed with gifts must imploy them and at my return as a signe of my visible actuall power I will take account of you and cause mine enemies that oppose my visible reigning to bee slaine afore me § 7 Now at the ultimate day of Judgement Christ receives no Kingdome but resignes all his Kingdome Power and Dominion 1. Cor. 15.28 CHAP. III. Of five places out of the Old Testament to prove the visible appearance of Christ to the Church on earth at the time of her restauration SECT I. The first place is out of Dan. 7.11 to end of the Chapter § 1 THis place we put first because it doth give much light
without consideration of Gods hand in it and should manage the rod with insolent cruelty to the Jewes that God will bring destruction upon the Assyrian for deliverance of the Jewes The confirmation of this deliverance as is the manner of God in the Prophets hath its foundation laid in the sending of Christ Chapter 11. The promise whereof and description of whose person we have set forth and characterised in the first five verses There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse c. and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdome c. and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes but with righteousnesse shall he judge c. So that although in Hezekiahs time wherein Isaiah prophesied the host of the Assyrians were destroyed to the number of one hundred eighty five thousand by the Angel of the Lord 2 Kings 19.35 And againe in the time of Judahs captivity in Babylon they were overthrown with a mighty destruction by the Medes and Persians Dan. 5.30 yet these are not the ALL of the Threat of this Prophesie against Assyria for the Threat is carried on still in Zach. 1.15 to the end of the Chapter though at that time Judah was returned And to keep to this our Text of Isa according to the length of the foundation of this Prophesie must the superstructure be extended viz. to the comming of Christ which coming of him being not restrictively determined to his first coming in his incarnation must be left at large to reach to his second coming at the great Restauration as the Text doth seem to require in mentioning his judging v. 3. his smiting the earth v. 4. c. For we must know to give you Mr. Medes notion Alicubi as neare as I can That the old Prophets for the most part spake of the coming of Christ INDEFINITLY and in GENERALL without that distinction of first and second coming which we have more cleerly learned in the Gospel For this reason those Prophets except Daniel who distinguisheth those comings and the Gospel out of him speake of the things which should be at the coming of Christ indefinitely and altogether which we who are now more fully informed by the Revelation of his Gospel of this distinction of a twofold coming must apply each of them to its proper time Those things which befit the state of his first coming unto it and such things as befit the state of his second coming unto his second And that which befits both alike may be applied to both Which notion of Mr. Mede is the more to be acknowledged in that it may appeare by many instances from the Creation hitherto that the grand promises of great deliverances have their successive and graduall fulfilling from their first promulgation unto the end of this world as daily experience produceth fresh testimonies Calvin on Isa The context saith Isa 10.24 c. Thus saith the Lord O my people that dwellest in Zion be not affraid of the ASSYRIAN Hee shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staffe against thee after the manner of EGYPT For yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger IN THEIR DESTRUCTION c. And in that day his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder c. Now in Hezekiahs time the Assyrian did not smite the Inhabitants of Zion but were smitten by the Angel of the Lord as afore mentioned Nor was the burden of the Assyrian taken away from off the shoulder of the dwellers at Zion at their returne from Babylon by a destruction on them under whom they were then in captivity For the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus their King voluntarily to let them return as we well know the story in the second of Chron. Chapter last and Ezra Chap. 1. And further the Apostles do bring downe many passages of this eleventh of Isaiah unto the Transactions of their times and downwards applying them to the coming of Christ yea to the coming of Christ after his ascention For example ¶ 1. First that in verse 1. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse c. is applied by the Apostle Act. 13. v. 22. c. to v. 42. to Christ as the eminent seed of David of the seed of Jesse conjoyning a quotation out of Psal 2. Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee which with other passages in that Psalme as hath been demonstrated signifies Christs visible Kingdome on earth yet to come And a quotation out of Isaiah 55.3 Touching the sure mercies of David And one other quotation out of Ps 16. That his holy one saw no corruption of purpose to prove that though David himselfe be dead yet Christ lives to be the sure mercies of David and to keep off his seed from seeing corruption that in him the ever-living seed of David may reigne to the end of this world and that in some peculiar way priviledge and relation and proportion to David or else the dint and vigor of Isaiahs and the Psalmists Text and the Apostles Commentary is made to languish Which priviledge peculiarity relation and analogy to David what can it bee but a visible Reigning or Kingdome of Christ For Christs Kingdom purely spirituall by his Word and Spirit what doth it more relate to David then to other Christian Kings and Princes of the Gentiles converted from Heathenisme or how more over Davids people or Kingdome more then over all Indians and Heathens where the Gospel is spread and received ¶ 2 Again that in verse the tenth of this eleventh of Isaiah There shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the GENTILES seek the Apostle Rom. 15.12 draws down to Christ then ascended and gives us this sense of the Prophet That Christ is not onely the OBJECT of faith to the Gentiles but that the Gentiles shall be his SUBJECTS he reigning over them How reigning over them Marke curiously the Apostles words and you may perceive something Againe saith the Apostle There shall be a root of Iesse and he that shall RISE to REIGNE over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust His reigning as in relation to David doth not commence from his Incarnation but he shall RISE to reigne spoken by the Apostle after Christs Resurrection and Ascention and rendred as you heare by our Translators under a future notion He shall rise to reigne Yea follow the words yet closer even home to the very doores of the Original and you will see I thinke yet more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There shall be a root of Iesse and he shall RISE AGAINE to reigne over the Gentiles or stand up AGAINE to reigne over them Christ had before the Apostle penned that risen the first time viz. from the grave of the earth But now that he hath ascended long since up into heaven and there as it
were had been in the opinions of most men buried in oblivion and his glory covered he must rise againe from that obscuring himselfe from men to reign over them Which the Prophet Daniel c. 12. calls His standing up as a great PRINCE to deliver his people which shall begin saith the Angel one thousand two hundred and ninety dayes that is so many yeers from the ceasing of the daily sacrifice and shall bee five and forty yeers in finishing ere all the Iews enemies shall be thrown down After which immediately begins the great Restitution of all things the Resurrection of the Saints Daniel standing up in the lot ¶ 3 So that this Text of the 11 of Isaiah is most cleerly to bee extended beyond the Iewes deliverance out of Babylon unto Christs personall coming and on the other side cannot be confined stinted and terminated in Christs first personall coming in his Incarnation but must be carried on far beyond that as these arguments following will evince First after the Prophet had in the first of verse this 11 of Isaiah prophesied of Christs coming and verse 2 3 1 Arg. of his qualification with gifts and graces then in the fourth verse he prophesies that Christ with righteousnesse shall judge the poore and reprove with equity for or in behalfe of the meek of the earth and shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his mouth shall he slay the wicked But Christ did not reprove in the behalf of the meek nor slay the wicked at his first coming in the flesh But it is extended by the Apostle 2 Thess 2. after Christs ascention unto future times when Christ shall destroy Antichrist who was not revealed when the Apostle wrote whose destruction is the introduction to the future Restitution as hath been afore demonstrated upon that 2 Thess 2. c. in our second Book Secondly when the Prophet had prophesied of Christs coming and the excellency of his person and gifts in the 1 2 3 4 and 5 verses 2 Arg. before he comes to the maine of the Prophesie whereon I shall chiefly insist in verse 10 11 c. he inserts between in the 6 7 and 8 verses a Prophesie that the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye downe with the Kid c. meaning the restitution of the creatures from the enmity of the curse by Adams fall according to Rom. 8.19 20 21 22 23. For which saith the Apostle not only the Saints but the creature it self earnestly expects and the whole creation groaneth to bee delivered from the bondage of corruption and vanity to which it is now subject and to be put into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God Which yet never was nor can it be imagined to be at the ultimate day of doom and therefore is yet to come I know full well that divers understand this part of this Prophesie metaphorically of men by nature fierce as beasts to be made tame and loving by the power of the Gospel at Christs first coming Too common a fault in Writers through lazinesse or blindnesse to take the sent and cry of the former and to run with full mouth after them But if this be a sufficient argument to assert the sence of a place of Scripture we can produce both Jewes and Christians averring that this place is to be understood literally of the change of the nature of the wilde Beasts at the restitution of which we speake The Jewes take this according to the Letter as if the Prophet should say In the time of the Messiah the Wolfe the Leopard the Lion and the rest of the wilde Beasts shall be made tame and shal no more hurt just and good men And thus much is acknowledged by Alapide upon this place Calvin * Unde sequitur eum formare ipsis fidelibus ingenia caelesti suo spiritu quanquam longius spectat Prophetae oratio Perinde enim est acsi promiiteret BEATAM MVNDI REPARATIONEM c. Calv. in Isa cap. 11. v. 6. 7. also doth in his owne judgement assert hence the change of the nature of wilde Beasts and the restitution of the Creation as at first Hence saith he it followes that God will forme the spirits of Beleevers by his holy Spirit Howbeit the speech of the Prophet lookes farre beyond this For it is all one as if he should promise that there shall be a blessed REPARATION of the world For he describes what was that order from the beginning before that unhappy and sad subversion or disorder befell us by the fall of man under which wee now groane c. Surely there had been no disagreement between the Creatures of God if they had stood in their first and perfect originall c. Seeing therefore when Christ shall come he shal by abolishing the Curse reconcile the world to God the INSTAURATION OF A PERFECT STATE is not impertinently ascribed to him As if the Prophet should say THAT GOLDEN AGE shal returne in which before the fall of man full felicity flourished Thus Calvin with much more to very good purpose to our point which I forbeare to repeat or quote other latter Writers * Mair c. of the same opinion because I may have occasion in that kinde to speake more to this Text upon the WHAT this glorious RESTITUTION shall be Meane while I attaine what I aimed at that if some Learned men be opposite to us in their giving the sence of this place we have other Learned men to ballance them and that as I conceive grounding upon Divine reason upon a better account For to that the Analogie of other Scriptures concurre Rom. 8. ver 19. c. Psal 8. compared with Heb. 2. fully opened afore To that also agrees that full enumeration of all the worst and most hurtfull Creatures whereas a lesse reckoning or a shorter expression would have served to signifie an agreement among men by the power of the Gospel Which whiles some so peremptorily defend to be the full meaning of this place they had done themselves much right and given us some satisfaction if they had shewed us that effect of the Gospel at Christs first coming answerable to the minde of this Prophesie viz. That it should exceed that agreement and peace that was in the Nationall Church of the Jewes afore Christs coming and that since Christs coming that hath been as better so more generall But alas this they cannot doe and therefore we cannot imbrace a sence that cannot be found out For as Christ himselfe at his first coming said I came not to bring peace but a sword and to set those of the same family one against another so we know by the Histories of the foure Evangelists and of the Acts of the Apostles that great Oppositions mighty Tumults hideous Persecutions followed upon Christs first coming and so continued from Age to Age the streame of a deep torrent of bloud running