to the Flood on the Old World and the Fire and Brimstone on Sodom the very same day that Noah enter'd into the Ark and Lot went out of Sodom Luke 17. 27 28. The Conflagration must be a Conflagration before the Judgment or Instantaneous with the Beginning of that Day and so I suppose is the Judgment of all Divines 7. The Wicked Alive shall be speedily by this Fire brought into the same Condition with the Dead Wicked Raised to share in the Common Perdition For the Heavens and Earth that now are are Kept in Treasure for the Day of Judgment and the Perdition of Vngodly Men. 2 Pet. 3. v. 11. 8. Seeing the Apostle Expresly teaches v. 13. That we Look for New Heavens and New Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell It is most according to Scripture that the New Heavens and New Earth should come as a Vessel out of the Refiner's Fire and Righteousness dwell therein So that the New Heaven and the New Earth immediately Come out of this Fire All this I look upon as so Agreeable to Scripture and the most undoubted Sense of it that whoever keeps Inviolate this Form of Sound Words cannot fall into any Great Error I then making a Solemn Profession that I am Fully perswaded of all these Things even to a Plerophory of Assurance and supposing All Sober Christians herein to Joyn with me I pass forward with Greater Assurance 9. The particular Precise State of the Kingdom of Christ as in this Judiciary State shall be deliver'd up at some Time to God and to the Father and so the Kingdom and State of Eternity succeed I do also suppose is the Universal Faith of Sober Christians Although the New Heavens and New Earth may be suppos'd to continue for ever as They are by Mr. Baxter and as I Remember by that so excellent Interpreter Calvin on the aforenam'd Text and very probably by many other Great Theologers and Scripture-Interpreters Now from all these Principles lay'd together several Points are Allowed upon the Consideration of the General Doctrine of the Day of Judgment that are ready to be charg'd as Unreasonablenesses or Antiscripturisms on the Doctrine of tho Thousand Years Kingdom which compar'd with what is taught universally of Christ coming to Judgment will be as a Load taken off from it 1. Seeing the Day of Judgment is a middle State of the Kingdom of Christ between the present State and the State of Eternity It is hence undeniable There is a middle Kingdom or middle State of the Kingdom of Christ. 2. When a Dispensation or Oeconomy for the Divine Glory as for Judgment Requires it It is no dishonour to Christ to come from the Right Hand of God where He is Exalted above All Heavens into the Lower State of the World much less Degradation from present Glory for Saints to Come with Him 3. Nor does Christ suffer any diminution of Glory when He Goes back to Heaven the Business of such Oeconomy as of Judgment being dispatch'd 4. There is sufficient Security in the midst of the Conflagration for the Bodies of Saints whether Risen or Chang'd though we cannot define how 5. Nor shall the Bodies of the wicked however punish'd be consum'd in these Flames 6. There is no Absurdity on Scripture Account to suppose a manifold Change of Body according to the Variation of States 7. There will be Found Room for the Bodies of all both Risen and Changed Saints as also of all the wicked according to the General Doctrine of the Day of Judgment 8. A New Heaven and a New Earth and by Consequence a Restitution of All Things are in the very Letter to be Expected according to Scripture Now whatever may according to Scripture and without any Contradiction to the Great Principles Notions and Sense of it be suppos'd for a Lesser or so much as Any Time may be suppos'd for a longer Time even for so long as Scripture gives us any Reason to extend it unto seeing There is no Scripture Inconsistency in the Fundamental Possibility And now there being such a Foundation lay'd in that which is Agreed among all Christians if there shall be Any Inducement from Scripture to do it we may Build upon this Foundation 1. That seeing Christ shall Appear from Heaven with his Saints in a Kingdom of Triumph and Glory over his Enemies and that there is no Signification of the Time of duration Contradictory to that of a 1000 Years and at least one Great Signification It is a 1000 Years Why may we not Conclude the Kingdom is a Kingdom of a 1000 Years 2. Seeing there shall be a New Heaven and a New Earth that shall come forth as a Vessel for the Finer out of the Conflagration and that there is Great Reason to think That They shall be both inhabited Why may not the Saints of the Resurrection Equal to the Angels Inhabit the New Heavens and the Saints Chanâ—'d who are so peculiarly called twice the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Living the Remaining as a most peculiar Generation of Saints that Christ so Holds in his Hand as that They can no more Fall as may be Surmized then the Saints Above who are as Angels confirm'd Inhabit the New Earth as Adam should have done a 1000 Years Especially seeing It is supposeable It shall be Inhabited and we Know not Any who shall Inhabit it God knoweth only who shall Inhabit it Except these Living Remaining Saints 3. Seeing it is Agreed The Administration of the Kingdom as at the Day of Judgment shall not Last to Eternity and that Christ and All his Saints Ascend up to God and that Kingdom of Judgment Ends Why may not this be the Sense of those so Weighty Words of the Apostle concerning the Son's delivering up the Kingdom of his being Subject and of God being All in All or what else is so likely as this of the Son 's Resigning up that Illustrious Appearing visible Glory that He shall be invested with during that Judicatory Kingdom seeing it is a Kingdom of Triumph and Victory that is so Deliver'd up And why should it not be the Kingdom of a 1000 Years Seeing the naming a Kingdom though of a 1000 Years yet because It is but of a 1000 Years Implys It shall end And as the Apostle makes plain in that it is a Reign till All his Enemies are put under his Feet It is a Kingdom of Victory and Triumph Beginning and Ending in putting down Enemies as Judgment must needs do and then Given up to God And thus there is an easie Slide from the Acknowledged and most General Doctrine of the Day of Judgment into what the Scripture says of a Kingdom or Reign of Christ for a 1000 Years For it is expresly said There were Thrones as of a Kingdom and Judgment was Given to Them that sat upon the Thrones the very word proper to thâ—t Day and â—hey that Sate upon the Thrones must needs be Christ and his Saints For They Lived and Reigned
with Christ a 1000 Years Rev. 20. 4. And then It is anew said Blessed and Holy is He that hath part though not the Principal viz. either as Saints Rising though not Martyrs or as Living Remaining Saints on such the Second Death hath no Power And then as at the End of the Judgment according to the General Doctrine Christ Resigns up that Judiciary Kingdom and Returns to God And as the Apostle says having Subdued All Enemies He Gives up the Kingdom even so the 1000 Years Kingdom must be Given up because it is a Kingdom only of a 1000 Years And thus the Kingdom of Christ Begins with a Judgment viz. of determining who are Those his Saints who shall Appear in the Glory and Blessedness of it even of that First Resurrection as Saints Rais'd or as Saints Living and Remaining but Chang'd and who as Enemies shall lye at the Footstool of Christ's Feet Slain with the Sword of his Mouth and as the Dead and yet in Visible Bodies under Contempt and Dishonour and as the Trophies of the victorious Wrath of Christ And this Kingdom Ends with a Judgment even the Giving up all this Saints in perfect Immortality and Incorruptibility to his Father to Enjoy him for ever and with that perfect Subduing All the Wicked Angels and Men which the Apostle callâ— a Catargesis or destroying and the Apocalyptic Apostle a Casting into the Lake And because This is Final and Consummate therefore He Represents the whole Judiciary Proceeding and sets out the Dead as Gather'd from all the Receptacles of Death from whence They Came and were Judg'd at the Beginning of the 1000 Years which Judgment is Affirm'd and Ratified and Fill'd up at the End of the 1000 Years and the Execution also There being this only Difference between the Beginning and End of the 1000 Years in Relation to Them that They are at the Beginning and during the whole Space of the 1000 Years made the Footstool of the Feet of Christ and afterwards under the Final destruction of being Cast into the Lake This therefore takes away the Objection of the New Earth having such an abundance of Wicked in it For They Lye as Captives and Slaves of Justice that can neither Annoy nor defile that State So that there is a Glory of the Kingdom of Christ in and with his Saints above and below during the whole Time of the 1000 Years and a Government every way Agreeable and no difference between the General Doctrine of Christians concerning the Day of Judgment and what I Affirm except the duration of the 1000 Years For who can but say That Day shall be a Day of Glory to Christ and his Saints both Rais'd and Chang'd as in visible Bodies of Glory of Horror Dishonour and Punishment to the Wicked in visible Bodies of Contempt and Shame That they can neither Trouble nor Pollute that Day nor State any more then They do the Kingdom of Eternity though They are never so many in their own place or Hell That these visible Heavens and Earth shall be so chang'd by the Glorious Coming of the Judge and his Saints That They shall be New Heavens and a New Earth That there must be Room for all Good and Bad in whatever shall be suppos'd to be the Pretorium the Hall of Justice at that Time That Christ and his Saints come from the highest Heaven for that purpose That Wicked Men come from Earth and Hell And that Christ and his Saints Return this Glorious Administration being at an End to that Highest Heaven to God and the Father with this Judiciary Kingdom Given up to Him and Sathan and All the Wicked Cast to the Lake So that I say again here is no difference but only of the 1000 Years Continuance And to the Proof of that I now proceed And I will do it in greatest Brevity in this Method 1. I will propose the Scripture-Model of this State which it self will shew the Rationality of it self and as in a State of duration 2. I will super-add to the Arguments I have given new Ones That there is such a State to be and of a 1000 Years duration and no more and Answer the most Formidable Objections more Fully 3. I will Argue against any Hypothesis or Scripture Model that can be given in Bar of what I now give I Begin with the First the Rationality of the Scripture-Model 1. There shall be an Exaltation of the Humane Nature of our Lord Jesus in visible Glory in opposition to that unrevealed State wherein the Heavens Now contain Him and also in opposition to and Recompense of the Depressions and Humiliation it was under in his first Coming Philip. 2. 9. c. that every Knee may bow to Him and every Tongue confess that He is Lord to the Glory of God the Father Every Eye shall see Him every Mouth of his Servants shall praise Him and none of his Enemies be able to gain say The Lowest Creation Things in Earth and under the Earth shaâ—l as They can Bless Him This Appearing is the Sign of the Son of Man that shall be seen in the Clouds That All this shall be at the Day of Judgment no Christian will deny I lengthen it out the 1000 Years 2. There must be an Appearance of the Glory of the Redemption of Christ in its full Lustre To this End the Saints of the first Resurrection must be seen in Robes wash'd white in his Blood as Kings and Priests to God and the Father and Reigning over rather then upon the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over not upon many Things will I make thee Ruler Revel 5. 10. with Matth. 25. 21. They have Palms of Victory in their Hands The Bride the Lambs Wife is Adorn'd and it is Granted to Her to be Arrayed in Linnen White and Clean which is the Righteousness of the Saints The Armies of Heaven that is These Saints follow Cloth'd also in Fine Linnen White and Clean They have the Name of the Lamb in their Foreheads even as of God Revel c. 19. c 20. The Saints Living and Remaining who partake of the First Resurrestion are Priests also not only of God but of Christ and Reign with Him a 1000 Years And from this Glory of Redemption It is impossible for the Saints either of the First Resurrection or the Living Remaining partaking of the First Resurrection to fall as it is for the Redeemer himself to fail as I always assert particularly in my last Answer For the Second Death else might but never can never shall have Power over Them And for the Appearance of this Glory of Redemption the Saints of the First Resurrection shall have Bodies of that Spirituality Incorruptibleness and Immortality as to be equal to the Angels so that in the Nature of the Thing as it shall then be Founded by God They cannot dye any more being the Children of God and of the Resurrection And this is given first to the
Mystery which we must not hope perfectly to Understand till we see the Blessed Accomplishment of it I could not but Transcribe a Paragraph worthy of Letters of Gold Not because suitable to my Sense of small Account but because so Agreeable with Sense of Scripture if I can be sure I see or know any Thing And yet how little taken notice of To conclude the Argument The Thousand Years are made by God the Emblem and Hierogliphick of the Perfection of Time and do litterally express that very Time God hath Ordain'd to be the Fulness of Time and the Perfection of it And so I come to the Third Thing propos'd to consider any other Hipothesis or Model of Things in Bar of this propos'd And I find these Two 1. That All this Kingdom of Christ with its New Heaven and Earth are suppos'd rather to Fit the Kingdom of Eternity Against this I Argue 1. The New Heaven and the New Earth the Scripture speaks of Revel 21. v. 1. are certainly the very same that Fly away from the pure Crystal Throne of Eternity and from his Face that Sate upon it Ready to Deliver up the Kingdom to God All in All. This is certain because the New Heaven and New Earth are Concurrent with the New Jerusalem as is most Clear by the Conjunct Vision John had of Them Revel 21. 12. I saw a New Heaven And v. 1. And I John saw the holy City When he Saw the New Heaven c. and the New Jerusalem The first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away So then the Heaven and Earth that were with the New Jerusalem were not the first Heaven and Earth but the Heaven and Earth that were at the same time with the Holy City And they fled away as is most Evident by the close Connexion and Order between the Compassing the Holy and Beloved City which cannot be suppos'd to be any other then the New Jerusalem call'd by the Name of the Holy City as c. 20. 9. so c. 21. 2. and the Beloved City because the Bride For after that Assault that was after the 1000 Y. Satan was cast into the Lake that had the Power of Death And then immediately the White Throne was seen and Heaven and Earth fled away which must be the Heaven and Earth Cotemporary with the New Jerusalem and so with the 1000 Years and seeing as was said just now They must be new Heaven and New Earth Therefore the New Heaven and New Earth continue not to Eternity For I cannot see where there can be any Doubt in the Connexion or Order the Divine Prophecy hath so taken care Sathans casting into the Lake must needs be after the 1000 Years therefore after the New Heaven and Earth the Heaven and Earth that Fled must be Those that were at the Judging and casting the Dead into the Lake Can we suppose then that this White Throne the Judging the Dead and casting the Dead into the Lake was before the 1000 Years and so the Heaven and Earth flying also and then indeed They must be the First Heaven and First Earth and not the New Ones But All that cannot be because whatever was not Written in the Book of Life was then cast into the Lake And it is certain Sathan was not Written in the Book of Lâ—fe therefore he Could not be out of the Lake at the Time of Death and the Dead being cast into the Lake But he was not cast into the Lake till the 1000 Years were past So that this whole Transaction upon Death and the Flying of Heaven and Earth were all after the 1000 Years and therefore the New Heaven and New Earth which Run along with the 1000 Years were the Heavens and Earth that Fled away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was the Thing to be shown and is shown For if such a Connexion as this will not prove nothing can be prov'd by Consequence from Scripture 2. Those Three Expressions of the Apostle The Kingdom shall be deliver'd up by the Son The Son shall be subject God shall be All in All so strongly sway with me that no distinction of Acquisition and Fruition can weigh against them but that such a State as of the New Heaven and New Earth and a Kingdom of Christ proportionate to it cannot be the State of the Kingdom of Eternity Especially when I Joyn to it those Words of our Lords Mediatory Prayer John 17. That They may be one in us and that They may see my Glory and that Glory was the Glory Christ had with the Father before the Foundation of the World So that the Glory of the Humane Nature of Christ and of the Elect Angels and Saints being first confess'd All the State of Glory is Brought to the nearest that can be to that State of Glory before the World began and so not of New Heaven and a New Earth and what is Agreeable to the Creation 3. A Delivery up of the Glory of the Judiciary Kingdom or of that proper to the Day of Judgment to the Father and the Son 's being subject that is laying down that Lustre of Appearance proper to that Administration cannot be denied And that and no other which is always Attributed to the Son of Man and to the Man Christ Jesus and the delivering up that Kingdom and no other is what I plead for and no otherwise then so far as is necessary for the making Good of what the Apostle hath said That the Kingdom is to be deliver'd up that the Son is to be subject and God to be All in All From which as having some Higher Deeper and more Substantial Sense then the distinction of Acquisition and Fruition can Comprehend I cannot depart 4 The Superlative unexpressible Excellency of the Divine Glory from Eternity hath so Great a Command upon my Understanding together with that Expression of the Apostles of God's being All in All that altho the Humane Nature of Christ as united to the Divine though the Humane Nature of Christ and his Saints the Union of Saints to God by Christ be Free and wholly Grace and were not indeed from Eternity yet Joyning the so often mention'd Assertion of the Apostle Paul with our Lords of the Glory before the World began Assures me that the State of Angels and Saints is Brought to the highest Nearness Created Nature is capable of to that Glory before the Foundation of the World even as the Humane Nature of Christ is so Advanc'd and that that Objectition viz. that the Humane Nature of Christ had not an Existence in that Glory before the World Argues to me the more strongly that All this is so For it speaks that Humane Nature it self therefore drawn more out of all Created Glory into the Glory of the Eternal Word and that the Divine Nature of the Eternal Word is our Object and not the Humane Nature of Christ all the objective Glory of Christ in his Humane Nature and of Angels and Saints being
concerning Christ having his Palace of Glory not on this New Earth but in the New Heaven concerning the Wicked Dead Rais'd In which Points I perceive my Self to differ from Him but as I Hope on Great Scripture Grounds Now to Conclude All This Kingdom is the Great Practical Doctrine which when It shall be Vniversally Preach'd by the Everlasting Gospel shall Bring in all the World Jews and Gentiles to Christ And besides the Blessed Effusions of the Spirit that shall go along with it How must it needs in Reason prevail For what would the Great Value and purchase of but a 100 Years in the Vigors and All Affluences of Life be and in such a Heaven and Earth as are now and if Men were so enclin d in all wise and vertuous Converses Of what Inestimable Value then to every serious Considerer even now the offer of so much a Higher and Longer 1000 Y. of Life as is propos'd on so Great Scripture Grounds How may it satisfie that Appetite Implanted by Creation into our Natures which is that very Olam or World set by God in the Heart of Man Ecclâ—s 3 11. the Desire to see the Glory of God in his Visibly Glorious Creation for a perfect Duration of Time But how much stronger will the Impression be upon an Enlightned Convinced Awaken'd World under that Everlasting Gospel Preach'd when that shall be Fully declar'd and â—â—liev'd that Few will now Believe though it be never so plainly Told Them In the mean Time seeing we All profess to Believe Fully the Apostle Peter s Doctrine of Looking for New Heavens and a New Earth according to his Promise wherein Righteousness shall dwell Let us Resolve what Manner of Persons we ought to be in all that Holiness and Godliness of Conversation and let us Grow in Grace and the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ beyond the Beginnings of his Doctrine Going on to Perfection and so unravel the Apostasie where it Began in not so doing and above all Let us Give All Dilligence that we may be Found of him in Peace without Sâ—ot and Blameless and by Him be so Presented before the Presence of his Glory And let us consider the Day is near Approaching Concerning the Truth of which I make Appeal to Him to show by his Arm made bare in unquestionable Evidence of Fact and Event every Thing in its proper Time And I am now waiting at this Time when the Kings are preparing to Go out to War for a Dawn of thâ— Morning Star on the Suffering Witnesses of the yet Afflicted Thyatyra the French and Vaudois and that the Rod of Iron should begin to Break tâ—at Potters Vessel whom patience hath yet spar d from being a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what ends will be seen who with a more then Herodian Insolence and Cruelty hath nâ—â— only let Rest on Him as Herod but even Hunted for such Attributions as to a God and not to a Man and so Inhumanely Vex'd so many of the Church of Christ to please a Sacrilegiously Flattering Jesuitic Order Now to the only wise God be Glory for ever Amen A REPRESENTATION OF THE Thousand Years Kingdom OF CHRIST Endeavouring to Reconcile it to the General Confessions of the Faith of Christians and particularly to the Judgment of the Eminent Servants and Ministers of Jesus Christ with a Vindication from Further Objections I Can Sincerely Appeal to the Searcher of Hearts I am in all the Substantial and Essential Points of Christianity of the Judgment of all the Wisest Soundest and most Universally Approved Ministers of the Gospel and Christians in the Faith at once Deliver'd to the Saints and have no By nor Secret Opinions in Reserve either concerning the Person of the Great Media or God and Man or concerning his Kinâ—dom as if it had not been from the Beginning or were not to be for ever in such Explications of it as the Churches of Christ most Agree in according to Scripture I make the same Appeal concâ—rning my Belief of the Eternal Happiness of the â—aints with and by Christ in the Distinctness of Humane nature Spirits in Bodies of Glory united by Him to the Father and yet each one in his own proper Personality and so made Truly Equalâ— to the Holy and Elect Angels and of the punishment of the wicked in their Spirits and Bodies together with the Devil and his Angels even throughout a Strict and proper Eternity a Parte Post as They speak or for ever Except therefore my Doctrine and Affirmation of the Kingdom of the Thousand Years can be shown in a perfect Amity and Conciliation with this Gospel and Form of Sound Words I Acknowledge It ought to be Rejected I therefore Attempt in very Brief to shew it to be in such a State of Agreement and to vindicate it from Exceptions to it I observe therefore one Great Complex of Articles of Faith wherein All Christians are as much as in any Point of Christianity at One and They may be thus Given 1. That there shall be a Day or Time before the State and Kingdom of Eternity wherein Jesus Christ shall Come from the Right Hand of the Father to Judge the World and this as Man Acts 17. 31. 2. That Jesus Christ shall Come in the Glory and Power of the Father to this Judgment and that It shall be a most Illustrious Appearance of his Kingdom that was not before nor shall be after For He comes in his Kingdom and the King shall say c. Matth. 25. and He Sits on the Throne of his Glory v. 3â— v. 34. 3. That at the same Time There shall be a Glorious Resurrection and Appearance of his Saints with Him as Sharers in the Glories and Triumphs of that Day 4. That the Saints that shall at that Time be living and Remâ—ining upon Earth shall not Dye but at the very same Time be Chang'd so as that They also may have their part in the same Glory and Resurrection 5. That there shall be a Resurrection of the Vnjust and of Those that have done Evil to the Condemnation to the Dishonour and Contempt and to the Punishment that shall at that Day be Executed upon Them 6. That the Heavens and Earth that now are are Reserv'd for Fire at that Day and that Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks 2 Thess 1. 7 8. shall be Reveal d in Flames of Fire taking Vengeance and that as the Apostle Peter says The Day of the Lord Cometh as a Theif in the Night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a Great Noise and the Elements melt with Fervent Heat and the Earth and the Works that are therein shall be Burnt up 2 Pet. 3. 10. and again v. 12. Looking for and Hasting unto the Day of God wherein the Heavens being on Fire shall be dissolv'd and the Elements shall melt with Fervent Heat Now seeing the very Revelation of Christ is in Flames of Fire as Lightning and that our Lord compares his Coming
least Shadow of any Favour to the Horrid Anticristianisms of Popery in the sudden Resolve to be a Papist if one Humane Angel or Governour over all the Christian Churches could be suppos'd to be the Institution of Christ For certainly if such a Love of Pre-eminence had not been Cursed by God as making Preparation for the Man of Sin to sit so High in the Temple of God and to let into it the Desolating Abomination That might have been the most pardonable Errour in Popery Especially according to even Protestant Episcopal Principles For They beginning at Deacons as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or First Degree that the Apostle intended go up to Priests from Priests to Archdeacons or Deans from them to Bishops from Bishops to Archbishops and why not to Patriarchs as Primitive And why not from thence as All Heighth would Culminate to One to the Pope as the Head of Vnity and Order the Vicar of Christ the Successor of Saint Peter who is Nam'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if a Scandal were laid into that Philoprotensia if I may so call it that Primating Affectation But All Sincere Protestants though most Episcopal Abhor the Dreadful Consequences from such a Primacy as the Papaoy Claims not only over Consciences but over Princes and Civil Powers in Ordine ad Spiritualia or to Infamous Ends call'd Spiritual which Spirituality I am very prone to suspect was Foretold in the Holy Spirit 's Choice of that Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 11. 8. and that it does not only signifie Spiritually viz. Mystically but is also Prophetick of that Great use Anticbrist should make of that Word Spiritual On which Account I cannot but pray All Protestants might get from under the Fathality of that Word any way Secularly Apply'd as also from any Primacy Allied to the Feet of Clay I have so Great an Honour and Love for many who stand so high in as They are call'd Spiritual Dignities who I am bound to hope are yet in their Truly Chief Scituation Stars in the Right Hand of Christ But the Chief Reason I make this Digression is that I may observe how far One may be from such Portentous Consequences that may seem yet to have some Ground Such are charg'd on me on Dr. Crisps Account All which I detest with Greatest detestation as I Fully Believe he did but minded only to Give the Full Consolation to Consciences Arising from Christ being an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom in our Steed a Sacrifice a Surety and Sin for us and designing All his discourses of These Things to be Confin'd to the Elect only who shall All be brought in by Christ and Receive an Efficacious Spirit of Holiness and Perseverance But to Return to the Thousand Years which I have Affirm'd to be the Perfection of Time Because It is the Fulness of Times or of All Times to which the Scripture therefore Sets up as Pillars Two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or It is Done It is Done One of Destruction to the Wicked One of Salvation to the Saints Therefore I Avouch a Scripture Line of Time from the First Sabbath to this Great Sabbatism in Express either Historick first or afterwards Prophetick number'd Nambers And because This is a Divine Chronology It is not subject to the endless Contrasts and Feuds of Greatest Chronologers never to be Reconciled by Persons of Greatest Learning Reading and Judgment much less by Me less than the least of the Sons of Learning not Worthy to be Nam'd among Them Yet by the Grace of God in this Matter I Am what I Am and hold in my Hand the Unerring Clew of His Word THE END Some small Errata The understanding Reader will pardon and mend I only note page 9. line 16. for Believ'd read Beloved p. 13. l. 24. for pro. read premises p. 28. l. 35. for Effec Read Affection p. 29. l. 30. read that before Kingdom A POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER Concerning the Thousand Years further Cleared SInce the Finishing of the Fore-going Discourse as I was in Earnest Thought about the Clearing the Due Assignation of the Thousand Years To the Saints of the First Resurrection Reigning with Christ To the Wicked Raised but not Reigning with Christ and so not Living And to the Saints the Living and the Remaining or Left under a Guard of Life Secur'd from the Sword of Him that Sat on the Horse and so never Dying To every of which Classes the Thousand Years are plainly and without any violence in the Threefold mention of the Thousand Years Vers 4 5 6. Assign'd It yet seem'd a Doubt to Me Worthy of a further Illustration Where the universality of the Raised Saints Concerning which the Apostle is so clear That Christ brings Them with Him should be plac'd Because They could not with such Satisfaction be Repos'd either with the Martyrs and Non-Worshippers of the Beast c. Nor with the Partakers of the First Resurrection who though Chang'd are not â—aught up till a Thousand Years after which I never yet see Disprov'd Although because Scripture is so Positive All the Dead in Christ rise first They must have been Included in One of those Two And I did accordingly in the foregoing Treatise Incline to place Them among the Martyrs page 30. line 1. But yet a Desire of a further Explanation remain'd with me And I hope I may say without vanity God hath helped me And I Found Their Seat is distinct and in the First Place viz. In those words I saw Thrones and They Sate upon them and Judgment was given to Them most Agreeable with Daniel's Prophecy Chap. 7. v. 26 27. Who therefore are the They who Sate on Thrones I know it may be said No More was meant but that the Thrones were Sat upon as They shall require thy Soul Luke 12. 20. and They may Receive You Chap. 86. v. 9. But considering the following words Judgment was given to Them cannot be thus any fair way Expounded I conclude The They must Relate to some Persons spoken of before and who should They be but Those Signified by the Armies of Heaven Chap. 19 14. who Followed Christ on white Horses in Linnen white and clean Most Admirably Agreeing with the Prophet Zechary The Lord my God will come and All Thy Saints with Thee Zech. 14 5 With the Apostle Paul 1 Thess 4. 14. Those that Sleep in Jesus will God bâ—ing with Him With the Epistle of Jude Reciting Enoch's Prophecy v. 14. The Lord cometh with Ten Thousand of his Saints c. Whâ—n therefore the Prophecy had Disposed of â—he several Enemies of Christ as the Beast and false Prophet Chap. 19. Cast into ehe Lake and the Remnant Slain with the Sword of Christ's Moâ—th and Satan the Dragon bound c. Then it gives Account of the Armies of Heaven that were with Christ in this Victorious Dispose And of Them It says I Saw Thronâ—s and They Those Armies Sate upon them and Judgment was given to Them And so being in the Fore-Front or First Set on the Thrones must needs Reign with Christ the Thousand Years Allowing therefore not only the Scripture-way of giving Account of Things not in such a Method as Humane Writings observe and much more allowing for the Secrecy of Prophecy This is to Me a Full Satisfactory Account and I hope it will not be unworthy the Consideration of All who are Serious Considerers of these Things Then follows the Account of All Suffering for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God Surely from the Beginning of the World but with an especial Reference to the Roman way of Punishment of such Offenderâ— shewing a Direct Eye upon Roman-Martyrdoms by Beheading as John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul said to be But most particularly the Non-Worshippers of the Beast who are so particularly Recorded for Three Reasons 1. Because hereby the Judgment upon Them as Hereticks and Rebels to the Government of Christ as Antichrist pretended is as an Attainder by an Illegal Power Signally taken off 2. That the Prophecy all along before Insisting upon the Beast his Image c might have the Due Honour given to it by placing a peculiar Remark upon the Principal Subjects of it So that it is most Admirable how any Rational Considerer of the Prophecy can suppose Pagan Rome Falling about 300 Years after Christ s Resurrection should Take up such a Prophecy against so manifest Assurances that it must Run on to the End of the World That even the Wisest Papist cannot Deny it But what Violence must They use to it that Believe the Papacy to be the Beast and yet so begin the Thousand Years That they must be long ago before Him Finish'd Could such a Prejudice be brought from this Prophecy or Scripture in general against my Doctrine of the Thousand Years Kingdom or such a Proof against me as I have given of the Flying away Revel 2â— Of the New Heavens and the New Earth I would be so Retracting indeed as Immediately to Retract and even to Recant In the mean Time as I have Stated Things I fear no Accessions to Mahomet by My Doctrine of the Kingdom of Christ.