and carriage and see what we contribute to this great design Christ is gone forth upon Do ye so dispence Justice and Judgement so administer Gospel-Ordinances Word and Sacraments so act your Faith so Pray so Fight as may help to shake out the remaining Vials of wrath faster and faster upon them There is never a man or woman in this Congregation but may carry the matter so as when Christ hath got the day and conquest may without lying or vanity of spirit say Through the goodness of God upon me I was a weapon a poor instrument in the hand of Jesus Chirst for the effecting of it when Rome is all on a flaming fire may say I was one that helped to set it on fire when Babylon is fallen I was one that helped to pull it down which if thou hast done not Jehu-like out of pride and for thy own ends but as service due to Jesus Christ and for the bringing in of his Kingdom doubtless thy seed shall be blessed upon Earth and great shall be thy reward in Heaven Vse 4. The last Use is to you who in reason may live to this great day of Romes ruin when you shal see the great Earthquake shaking their Politicall Heavens and Earth all to pieces and the greatest temporall glories now in Christendom brought down laid low and trodden under foot let it not trouble you at all for let me tell you those in Rev. 18. That shall tament her burning are none of Christ friends but carnal wretches and indeed his enemies Your duty upon it is of a clean contrary nature Rev. 18. you read of Babylon fallen as when a milstone is cast into the bottom of the Sea of the smoak of her burning and that in one hour she is made desolate saith the Holy Ghost Rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her Rev. 19.1 After these things that is after Rome burnt and laid in ashes I heard a great voyce of much People in Heaven in the true Church of Christ saying Allelujah salvation and honour and glory and power unto the Lord our God ver 2. For true and righteous are thy Judgements for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand ver 3. And again they said Allelujah and her smoak rose up for ever and ever ver 5. A voyce came out of the Throne saying praise our God all ye his servants ye that fear him both small and great It was one of S. Austins three wishes that he could have rejoyced greatly in to have seen Rome in her glory though but heathenish but I am confident were he upon earth now one of his greatest wishes wherein he would most please and solace himself would be to see Rome all on a flaming fire and burnt to ashes O quam pulchrum spectaculum And truly there is cause why you should rejoyce in it with exceeding great joy 1. When the Witnesses were dead in the streets you know what was their carriage Rev. 11. They rejoyced over them made merry sent gifts and God will have you to tread forth the law of retaliation as they rejoyced over your misery so Gods tels you t is an equal thing and he requires it as a duty of you to rejoyce greatly over their miseries 2. You know what postures they stand in in reference to Christ and his Church they provoke God daily with the highest hand that ever any did as I have shewed you they wrong Christ strangely keeping him out of his just rights they are the proudest enemy the cruellest enemy and enemy of the longest continuance the most hopeless of ever being brought in by repentance that ever the Church had any and therefore if ever the people of God might rejoyce in the downfall of an enemy you may certainly in this 3. Consider the sequel of their ruin which will be this A Kingdom that cannot be shaken as the Apostle speaks Heb. 12.27 28. and if the Text be rightly understood it speaks to this very time and business Out of the ruins and ashes these wars shall make Christ will bring the most glorious frame of Government that ever the world saw and let men and States do what they can it will not be brought forth till then but then it shall and can any Saint but rejoyce in that which ushers in those good and blessed times Scripture is so abundant in promising which shall be the subject of the ensuing discourse THE REIGN OF CHRIST By Ed. Hawghton LONDON Printed for Francis Tyton 1652. TO THE READER I Would not have any one think that I am able no nor any man now alive to set forth the so-much-expected Kingdome of CHRIST in the true worth and glories of it let it suffice if I give you some rude draughts of it The Prophets of old did speak very clear and excellent things concerning the Messiah his Birth Life Miracles Doctrine Death Resurrection and what was to follow thereupon insomuch that Isaias is usually called by Divines the Evangelical Prophet But when John was come our Saviour saith of him Mat. 11. He was the greatest of those that had been born of women meaning in respect of his knowledge of the Messias nay that he was was more then a Prophet i. e. he had more abilities to speak of Christs nature offices and excellencies of his kingdome then any or all the Prophets that had been before him But yet sayes he The least in the kingome of God is greater then John the Baptist After the ascension of Christ and descension of the Holy Ghost the meanest Minister of the Gospel was able to hold him forth in all points more excellently then John the Baptist was To bring this home to the present businesse We that now speak concerning this great this blessed Kingdome of Jesus Christ onely as Prophets yet not by any private spirit but groundedly from the Word may speak very clear undoubted and in their eares especially to whom this subject is somwhat strange and new very wonderful things almost incredible but when Rome shall come to be buried in its own ashes and after that the great Battel of God Almighty fought and finished and Christ hath his Kingdome actually upon the Anvil hammering and working it out those whose lot it shall be to stand forth Ministers of the Gospel then and be eye witnesses of Christ so at work of them it may be said They are the greatest of those that have been born of women in respect of their distinct knowledge of the Kingdome of our Lord nay more then Prophets men far more accomplish'd to speak of the parts government glory of his Kingdome then any or all the most holy learned men that have been before them who saw it only at a distance through the Prospective of the more dark and general Promises and spake of it by way of
Vial into their hands and poured it out upon Episcopacy to some purpose Then came the Parliament of England and rooted up Episcocal Government by the very roots and in both Nations it was done with a great deal of Judgement Wisdom Courage Piety And his Kingdom was full of darkness So our translation but the Greek imports but this his kingdom was darkned what Scotland had done in a judicial way and the Parliament of England had done in a judicial way I say when the news thereof came to the Popes ears to the ears his Cardinals Jesuites and all his religious orders and Churches in Europe can you imagine less but it was black and sad news to them and news of a dangerous consequence and a shrewd persage to all the lovers and upholders of that Government what a deal of Popish lustre and glory was there in the three Nations by reason of Episcopacy East Host Altar Tapers Copes Surplesses dressing up of Chappels with the Pictures of Christ Virgin Mary Apostles Adorning Church-Widdows with the stories of the Bible in time to have become Laymens books Altar-adoration Sacrament-adoration Organs Singing of service that travellors from beyond Seas when they saw the posture of things would say one to another we are at home were but the service in Latine as t is in English And what great hopes had the Pope of the reconciliation of these Kingdoms to himself again and all by means of that height of Episcopacy amongst us But when a Vial full of wrath was poured out upon it according as you have heard how was the popish lustre and glory in England Scotland and Ireland quite put out and a very considerable degree of loss sorrow and darkness brought in upon the Popes whole dominions so as made them generally bite their tongues for madness and blaspheme The sixth Vial is poured out upon the great river Euphrates Euphrates must be here taken mystically for that which is the maintenance and defence of Rome Antichristian as that river was anciently of old Babylon There are five streams of baseness that run into one and so make up this great Euphrates Saint John mentions them Rev. 9.20 21. Images Murthers Sorceries Fornications Thefts by these Rome hath encreased her wealth and by these Rome hath been upheld and secured Now when the ten Christian Kings or Supream Powers shall be so far converted to God and have the eyes of their understanding so far enlightned as to see all this their perverting of Religion and these gross abuses out the Christian world their hearts will then rise against her so as to dry up and withdraw these streams of base revenues by which they have been so enriched and defended They 'l pull down Images whereby the simple people have been deluded severely punish their Sorceries whereby they have so awed and terrified the World their fornications and whorish stews whereby so many have been daily drowned in sensuality and undone eternally they 'l put an end to their Inquisitions whereby so many precious Servants of God have been cruelly murther'd an end also to their spiritual Thefts and Robberies when they perceive the merits of the Alsufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ is held forth to them freely for the remission of sins according to that Isaiah 55.1.2 They 'l refuse to trade with them any more for their rotten creature-righteousness their Pardons and Indulgences shall bring in no more treasures into the Popes Coffers they 'l part with no more monies to have the souls of their departed friends prayed and sung out of Purgatory and will cast all their Trumperies out of their dominions And thus shall the great river Euphrates be dryed up That be way may be prepared for the Kings of the East that is that the ten Kings or Supream powers now finding in the eye of reasons the ruine of Rome feasable may encourage one another to the work and dispatch it they are called Kings of the East in allusion to Cyrus who came East from Babylon and took it Or thus that way may be made for the Kings of the East i. e. for the briging home the People of the Jews who are here called Kings You may see another notable interpretation of this Vial in Mr. Reynolds Sermon preaced before the House Aug. 28. 1644. page 41. The seventh and last Vial is poured out into the Air. The Air in which the Antichristian world lives is the smoak of the bottomless Pit Rev. 9. or the darkness of Ignorance for out of this came their Locusts all their hellish Doctrines and Worship Upon the pouring out of this Vial the Glory of the Son of Righteousness and of Gospel Ordinances doth so break forth as quite prevails against that Infernal Darkness and Spiritual Ignorance which bred Papacy and in which Papacy had so long breathed and lived and so the Antichristian Air being destroyed they fall a gasping and the pangs of Death come upon them for immediately there comes a voyce from Heaven saying T is done there 's an end of the Pope and his Kingdom and all the Mystery of iniquity Let me speak a little to the following verses Verse 18. There were voyces and thunderings and lightnings and as it were the sound of Trumpets upon mens Spirits that make their hearts quake and tremble within them and also a great earth-quake such a one as was not since men wer upon the earth so mighty and so great These will be sad days with the Antichristian party such thunderings voyces lightnings from above such an earth-quake from beneath them the face of things threatning as if Heaven and Earth would come together Do you marvel if at their Worlds end they be at their Wits end The effects of these lightnings thunders earthquake follow verse 19. First The great City was divided into three parts But by this Great City I understand Rome it self which was shaken into three factions and so became weak that it could not defend it self against the Besiegers There have been three factions amongst us I call them Factions onely because each have so esteemed of other peradventure it will run upon a threefold Party of Faction to the end of the War Then the Citits of the Nations fell i. e. fell off from her and left her dosolate of all former help and comfort and so Babylon the great came into remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the feirceness of his wrath See how this is expressed Rev. 18.8 Her plagues come in one day Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire The latter end of that nineteenth verse doubtless looks as far as the great battel of God Almighty the issue whereof is set down Rev. 19 20. the Beast was taken and with him the false prophet and were both cast alive into the Lake of fire burning with brimstone Yet all this contents not Christ he still goes on to pursue his Victory Rev. 16.20 Every
Kinreds of the Earth shall wail because of him even so Amen That this cannot be meant of the day of Judgement is evident because the mourning here spoken of is a penitential mourning and is taken out of Zach. 12.10 at the last day all the Saints shall rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory all the wicked shall be hardned in impenitency and though they may howl over their own misery yet not mourn after Christ there will be no penitential mourning in that day and therefore Christ will appear in the clouds before that day and every eye shall see him especially the people of the Jews I could give you other Scriptures that speak to the same effect But yet these as express as they are with the rest which look that way are not fully convicing as I conceive for 1. I find often in Scripture what 's carried on by Instruments ascribed to God as if the had done it personally without the use of any such Instruments Rev. 16.456 The third Angle poured out his Vial upon the Rivers and Fountains of Waters and they became blood and they say unto God Thou art righteous O Lord who hast judged thus and thou hast given them blood to drink All grant that this Vial was poured out as were also all the rest by men holy and spiritual men yet they speak to God and say thou hast judged thus thou hast given them blood to drink 1 Chron 16.13 Let the heavens be glad and let the Earth rejoyce and let men say among the Nations the Lord reigneth ver 33. The Trees of the Wood shall sing out at the presence of the Lord because he cometh to judge the Earth Ps 22.28 The Kingdom is the Lords and he is governour among the Nations Isai 33.22 The Lord is our judge the Lord in our Law-giver the Lord is our King but none of all this immediately by himself or personally but in the use of Instruments So that thought it be sayd he shall destroy Antichrist with the brightness of his coming at which time also he 'l set up his Kingdom and raign yet may it well enough be understood of a coming in those ten Kings or Supreme powers that Scripture saith shall hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and he may as well set up his kingdome and reign also in and by them and such like 2. How can a circumscribed body as Christ hath be personally visibly in all and every of his kingdoms at once When he shall reign visibly personally on mount Sion or at Jerusalem he cannot at the same time reign personally and visibly here in this Nation but must rule it and all others by his Deputies therefore t is safer to let him keep his place at Gods right hand in heaven then bring him down to sway an earthly scepter seeing he may do it in his Spirit by some special Instruments and comparatively in respect of those he hath formerly ruled in it may be said that Christ himself reigns not personally upon earth but after so eminent and wonderfull a manner in certain select servants as he never reigned in the world before 3. Christ will usher in his kingdome with the most glorious conquests over earthly powers that ever were known I have spoken much to this already it was the subject of the last point yet for method sake give me leave to speak a word to it here Rev. 6.12 to the end I beheld when he opened the sixth seale and lo there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of haire and the moon became as blood and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as figtree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind And the heaven departed as a scroll when t is rolled together and every mountain and Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great men and rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every bondman and every freeman hid themselvs in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sits upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand The most and best reformed Expositors do with one mouth tell us that upon the opening of the sixth Seale Christ in Constantine did pull down Heathenisme set up Christianisme and the victories were so great so terrible that by their description you would think them to be the end of the world The terrors of Jesus Christ were so upon the spirits of Kings Captains mighty men as that had the earth shaken under them the mountains and Islands moved out of their places had the sun turned to darknesse the moon to blood stars fallen from heaven had heaven and earth come together and the world been at an end there could not have been greater feares greater outcries to the rocks and mountains to be hid from the wrath of the Lamb some poysoning some hanging some drowning themselves some flying and fell by the sword all at their wits end Thus Christ set up Christianity by Constantine But as I shewed you at large it soon degenerated into Antichristianism or Papacie the most Politique and strongest consitution against Christ that ever any was the very foundation-stones whereof the must and will pluck up that so he may build up himself a sure throne and kingdome But you will say 'T is impossible Christ should bring in his worship and kingdome with greater and more terrible conquests over the Kings of the earth then those he got over the Heathenish powers Let me tell you Nothing is impossible to the Lord God omnipotent He tels us he 'll bring in his Reign with far greater Rev. 16 17.18 When the seventh Angel poured out his Vial into the aire there were voices and thunderings and lightenings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon earth so mighty an earthquake and so great To the same purpose understand that of Dan 12.1 At that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered These matchlesse troubles should be at that time when Daniels people the Jewes all the twelve Tribes that are now lost in the dust should be sound out and delivered which Scripture tels us in places enough shall be upon the breaking of Antichrist Dan. 2.44 And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdome which shall break in peeces all these kingdomes i. e. all these kingdoms of the world putting all rule and authority that is carnal and stands in opposition to this designes under his
feet Many and mighty victories you know make a Kings reign glorious why Christ himselfe never got such victories over men in this world as then he 'll doe Fourthly Scripture sets it forth as the day of his marriage solemnity The Lord God omnipotent reigneth so my Text the next verse expresseth it thus The marriage of the Lamb is come and v 9. They who are called to have a share in this kingdome are blest of God being called to the marriage supper of the Lamb to a continual and the most sumptuous Feast that ever was You may be sure that Christ on that day will appeare in no mean royalty and glories which may be gathered from the description of the Bride for 't is said v. 7. She hath made her self ready araied finely v. 8. In Solomons time she was brought in raiment of needle-work nay her cloathing of wrought gold so the King did greatly desire and delight in her beauty Ps 45. But the Bride is described upon the fall of Antichrist at a higher rate Rev. 21.2 I saw the holy city New-Ierusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Not dressed with needle-work or cloth of gold things here below of the earth earthly but she 's prepared and dressed as if she had dropt out of heaven cloathed with the glories of heaven and this onely to fit her in some measure for the Bridegroom If the Church shall be so glorious in that day shal not the King upon the throne in the height of his state and government be more exceeding glorious in all eyes Fifthly His reign will be wonderfull and unparallel'd in respect of the extent of his domination Rev. 10.1 2. And I saw a mighty Angel come down from heaven and he set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth Earth and Sea make up the whole Globe thereby signifying that he would when time served take possession of all the world the power and majesty of his throne and scepter should be extended over sea and land Psal 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Psal 72.8 He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth Rev. 15.3 4. Thou King of Saints who shall not feare thee All nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest viz. upon the Pope and his kingdome Isa 2.2 And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hils aod all nations shall flow unto it The generality of the Nations shall come flocking in as Doves to the windows First those Ten Kingdoms that had given their power to the Beast all ties all bands of peace and amity between them shall be strangely broken and dissolved nay such a spirit shall come upon them that they shall hate the whore and even burn her flesh with fire Rev. 17. This you must confess is a great eminent coming in and giving up themselves to and for Jesus Christ Secondly He will find out and bring home to himself his old dear people Rom. 11.25 26 I would not brethren that you should be ignorant of this mysterie that blindnesse in part is happened to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodlinesse from Iacob I like their interpretation best who by fulnesse of the Gentiles coming in understand the fulnesse or most part of those Nations that had given themselves to Popery when then eyes shall be opened to see what they have done and then giving themselves to Christ in an holy indignation shall set Rome on fire yea quite destroy Pope and Popery this will mightily work upon the hearts of the two Tribes in time on the ten Tribes The fulnesse of the Gentiles being thus come in then all Israel shall come in and be saved as 't is written There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodlinesse from Jacob Now Iacob you know comprehends all the twelve Tribes for the twelve Patriarks from whom all the twelve Tribes descended came out of Iacob's loines Isa 11 11 12. And it shall come to passe in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Islands of the sea He shall gather together the dispersed of Iudah and assemble the outcasts of Israel from the four corners of the earth God had gathered them from all the nations from all the places whither he had caused them to be carried away captive once before as you may see Ier. 29.14 He had fetch'd them out of Babylon and out of all the Provinces round but this is a second time and he 'll gather together the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed to Iudah which since their great division 2 Chron. 10. he never yet did and make them one as you have it Ezek. 37.19.21 22. Thus saith the Lord behold I will take the stick of Ioseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the Tribes of Israel his fellowes and will put them with him even with the stick of Iudah and make them one stick and they shall be one in my hand And thus saith the Lord behold I will take the children of Israel from among the Heathen whither they be gone and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land And I will make them one nation and one King viz. Christ shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all This hath not been yet fulfilled but will be in the day of Christs kingdome Take one place more Hos 1.10 11. And it shall come to passe that in the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people as at this day we know it is there it shall be said unto them Ye are the sons of the living God Then shall the children of Iudah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head and they shall come up out of the land i. e. out of every land where they haven been lost for great shall be the day of Iezerel Iezerel signifies both scattered and the seed of God Great shall be the day of Iezerel i. e. great shall be the day of bringing in the scattered the scattered people Or thus Great shal be the day of Iezerel i. e. great shall be the day of the seed of God of springing up of
feet of his Will Set up as much of Christ and his Kingdom in thy Family as thou canst suppress sin in it as far as thy power will go set up Duties of Religion in it bring all under the power thereof Oh that Magistrates would not stand consulting chiefly what sutes best to the Interest of the State but what sutes best to the Interest of Jesus Christ and will most help on his Kingdom Certainly setting up standing by and countenancing in Spiritual Powerful Ministery not suffering Sabbaths and Ordinances to be prophaned and affronted good Learning and Holiness maintained in the Universities and other inferiour Schools Judgement and Justice executed without respect of persons I say doubtless these things would contribute much towards the enthroning of the great King of kings Oh but some man will say I am a poor wretch I can do noting towards the hastening this Kingdom you speak of That 's strange Canst not thou go into thy chamber or Closet and there lament the Antichristianism that is in the present Governments of the World tell God that he 's Omnipotent and so is able to remove whatsoever stands opposition to the Kingdom of his Son minde him of his many promises that he will do it Ask him if he should fail what would become of his Faithfulness of his great name Jehovah and then cry Lord let thy Kingdom come Lord how long yet Lord when shall it once be Be assured of it God may be stirred up much by fervent praying to hasten his Work You have a very notable place for this Psal 102. ver 13. to ver 19. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof So the Heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. What shall be written for the generations to come what shall the People which shall be hereafter created praise the Lord for Why this that when the Lord shall build up Zion and so appear in the glory of his power and grace as to make the heathen and all the kings of the earth to fear his name he will therein have regard to the prayer of the destitute The word that is here translated destitute signifies arbusculum nascentem in deserto a poor shrub in the wilderness which every beast is ready to bruise or tread upon a poor shrub that is low and mean and despicable When the Lord shall appear in his Glory and build up Zion in its Glory he will do it in reference to the prayers and sighs and wrestlings of such poor shrubs as the weakest and meanest of you are and therefore says the Prophet Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence give him no rest till be establish till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isa 62.6 7. q.d. You that are Saints indeed and make mention of the name of God in prayer follow him hang about him let him not have a quiet day when argument fails yet importunity may do much till he have broken Antichrist and all the powers of this World that stand in the way of the Gospel till he have set up the Kingdom of his Son made his name great and glorious in all the earth You poor of the flock may do more toward this work then you are aware of Wherefore I beseech you stand fast in the faith pray without ceasing quite your selves like men Oh! but I shall not live to see it nor share in the joy of Gods People and glory of this Kingdom My Answer to thee is thus 1. If God take thee to Heaven before thou canst be no great looser by that thou shalt drink there at the Fountain-head of glory when those thou hast left behinde must drink but of the streams of Grace at a far greater distance 2. The News of this Kingdom set up will be quickly brought to heaven and spred all up and down there thou mayest as well enjoy the comforts of it there keep a day of thanksgiving there and sing thy Hallelujahs with the spirits of just men made perfect to Him that sits upon the throne 3. Get upon mount Nebo however and thence look into the Canaan that flowes with milk and hony setting an eye of faith upon the Prospective of Promises thou mayest bring it very near to thee and have a very clear view of it Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen v. 13. These all dyed in the faith not having received the promises i. the matter of them but having seen them afar off were perswaded of them and imbraced them Though the great things promised were far off from them yet by saith and strong perswasions of the truth of them they brought them very near so that they took them in their arms and saluted them as the word in the original imports Abraham though he lived many hundred years before Christ yet he rejoyced to see his day He saw it and was glad Joh. 8.56 he could improve faith and promises to as much comfort and joy of heart as old Simeon did the very taking him up in his arms it applies it self I remember what Jacob when he lay upon his death-bed said to his son Joseph Gen. 48.21 Behold I dye but God shall be with you and bring you to the land of your fathers Thus when thou liest upon thy last bed thy children and friends coming with blubber'd cheeks and heavy hearts to take their leaves of thee thou mayest tell them Behold I dye but this is the support and comfort of my heart God shall be with you God will let you see the good dayes he hath spoken of in his word even from generation to generation I dye and must never see the glory of Jesus Christ in his Churches upon earth yet Posterity shall see it the Saints of God in after-ages shall enjoy the comforts the blessednesse of it and that 's life to me in the midst of death I rejoyce in that and glory in that with joy unspeakable FINIS Reader I Would have thee rest thy heart assured of this That the 21 22 Chapters of the Revelations are a Description of a State of a Church here below yet in allusion to Heaven Amongst many reasons which might be given for it take these three 1. It is called the New Ierusalem coming down from God out of Heaven And behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them chap. 21.2 3. The Church triumphant is taken up from the earth into heaven and the spirits of just men made perfect may more properly be said to dwell with God then God with them 1 Thess 4. Then shall we for ever be with the Lord. 2. It 's said the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it v. 24. Into the Church of Christ on earth for the further completing of the Churches happinesse We all know the glory and honour of earthly Kings is of no esteem in heaven can adde nothing there 3. It is said The leaves of the Tree Rev. 22.2 are for the healing of the Nations meaning the Spiritual sores and wounds of hte Nations But surely there are in Heaven it self neither whole Nations nor persons that stand in need of any healing whatsoever VVherefore it may safely be concluded the 21. and part of the 22 Chap. of that Book are a Description in high expressions and metaphors of the State of a Church here upon Earth E. H. * Thursday Lectures at Horsham in the county of Sussex * Ann. Christi 66. Ann. Neronis 11. In this as also in many other Prophesies Evangelical matters are clad with legal and old terms * Though under Legall terms * Some judgment or destruction that all must acknowledge to be from God
and greatness withheld them but when the hand of Providence took them out of the way then they became Popes and manifested themselves to be the seventh distinct Roman Government the last head of that beast Thus you see how both Saint John and Saint Paul were guided by one Spirit when they describe Antichrist to point the finger at the Popes of Rome Take it thus He that succeeds the Emperors in the Government of the Roman State or he that is seventh head of Daniels fourth beast he is the great Antichrist but the Popes of Rome succeed the Emperors in the Government of the Roman state or they are the seventh head of the fourth great beast therefore the Popes of Rome are the great Antichrist Secondly Antichrist is the man that sets himself above all Rule and all authority 2. Thes 2.8 then shall the wicked be revealed that 's our translation but the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lawless man v. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God How must men forfeit their Intellectuals to fasten all this anywhere but upon the popes For first they are Church-men their seat is in the Temple or reputed Church of God The great Turk let his pride and domination be what it will yet he sits not in the Temple he 's no Church-man but the Pope is Secondly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lawless man PopeGratian in his decrees reckons up several Laws publike private Laws the Laws of Nature and Nations written and unwritten Laws civil and canonical the Laws both of God and man but the conclusion of all he makes is this that they are all subject to the Popes interpretation and dispensation and that he is the spiritual man who judgeth all things and himself is judged of none He allows such marriages as God hath forbidden You all know he allowed Henry the eighth of England to have his brother Arthurs wife which God expresly forbids Levit. 18.16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brothers wife And when the sinfullness of it was discovered he would not untye the knot or allow a divorce though it got him nothing and so justified the sin of uncleanness and the trangression of Gods Law He absolves people from the Laws of obedience to the Powers that God hath set over them contrary to that Let every soul be subject to the High powers so the Greeks or the Powers that are set up on high Rom. 13 To kill a Protestant is no murther to blow up a Parliament is meritorious nay though he carry plures animarum currus ad tartara none may say unto him cur ita facis Thus he puts all Rule and Law under his feet Thirdly He apposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is Worshipped meaning all civil Powers and Rulers of this World the beast hath lift up his paw at them all yea and fetched them under too Rev. 17.12.13 The ten horns are ten Kings those have one mind and give their power and strength to the beast i. e. he had conquered them and they yeilded themselves his slaves their power their strength their all should be at his service vigorously to promote his designs Bellarm in his fifth Book de Rom. Pontif. hath these words Omnes Imperatores Pontifici Romano debent suum imperium all Kings and Emperors owe their Crowns and Scepters to the Bishop of Rome And hereupon the Pope stiles himself Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium King of Kings Lord of Lords and 't is not bare words but he acts accordingly in deposing Kings and giving away their Kingdoms Pope Innocent the third deposed King John of England and gave this Land to Philip Augustus King of France but at last he absolved him upon condition he would hold his Kingdom in Fee of the Church of Rome and that he should pay yearly a thousand Marks of silver in token of his subjection Pope Alexander the sixth gave the West Indies to the Spaniard the East Indies to the Portugal and set them their Limits Pope Pius the fifth pronounced the sentence of degradation and deposition against Queen Elizabeth The Monks whipt Henry the second of England upon the death of Becket and when he spoke some angry words to them Domine say they noli mirarii nos enim nullas minas timemus qui de tali curia sumus quae consuevit imperare Regibus Imperatoribus never threaten us we fear no threats we are of such a Court as ruleth our kings and Emperors I think I could have furnished you with a hundred stories of like nature Fourthly he sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Non ait dicens sed ostendens says one hoc est operibus signis miraculis nitens ostendere quod sit Deus He doth not say it in words at length that he 's God but his carriage and the prerogatives Royal he claims are such as if he were God himself This they stick not to speak out idem est dominium Dei Papae the Rule of God and the Pope are the same Jus ecclesiasticum est jus divinum their ecclesiastical Law is Divine and must bind the conscience as well as any Laws of God Hereupon one expounds it meethinks very well in templo conscientiarum he sits in the Temple of mens consciences He forgives sin as God doth he makes Articles of faith as God doth he takes to himself the Names and Titles that God doth the Councel of Lateran stiles him tu es alter Deus in terris another God upon Earth Dominus Deus noster para our Lord God the Pope he takes Divine worship to himself as God doth they bow before him and kiss his feet which an Angel of heaven would not receive of John Rev. 22. see you do it not Worship God Nay he takes upon him to do that which God will not do to dispense with Laws moral and natural as I said before to give Indulgences to sin for time to come there have been Leases granted for years Schoolemen affirm Deum non magis homini indulgere posse ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sese gerat quam justitiae suae ordinem overtere seipsum negare God can as soon destroy his order and course of Justice yea deny himself as give men Indulgences to transgress his Laws to walk disorderly but the Pope hath not so bound his own hands he can be Dominus Deus and yet upon good consideration and advantages indulge men to violate any or all the laws of God and Nature He takes upon him to deliver souls out of Purgatory to Canonize Saints at his pleasure so that what is said of God is said of the Pope and more also Take the summ of all thus He who is the great Churchman above all Law and above all Earthly
from them leaving them still to the mercy of Popish racks and torments Know assuredly that Pope and Jesuites by any thing that is in their Religion are not nor can they be but skinners over at the best slight healers of the wounds of Conscience miserable Comforters Physitians of no value the Lord in mercy keep all his own out of their hands Vse 3. The next Use is exhortatory that every one of us would admire and bless the Lord and his goodness that he hath brought us forth in such a juncture of time and cast our lot in such a place that we are not constrained to receive the mark of the Beast in our hands or in our foreheads I desire to bless God every day that God did not bring me forth in Spain or Italy but that I am born an English man and at such a time when Popery is not the Religion of the Nation but the light of the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ shines amongst us and into us Troubles I confess we have seen and felt but put them all together with their utmost aggravations so far as concerns the outward man and they are not worthy to be compared with the exceeding great happiness we enjoy in our deliverances from the Egyptian darkness and bondage of popery especially if you take in the light and comforts of Christs blood and Gospel-truths we walk in What would have become of thee poor soul hadst thou lived in times wherein the Sea of Ordinances were no better then the blood of a dead man The Lord grant every one of us to know our Gospel-happiness and priviledges to rejoyce in the light and work the works of him that sent us while we have the light even comfort and Salvation to our selves glory to Christ advancement to his Kingdom and all this by receiving the truth in the love of it and holding forth the word of life Vse 4. Is the Pope Antichrist and Popery Antichristianism Why then let it not trouble you when ever or where ever you see Christ and his Armies in the greatness of their strength and fury marching out against them The Pope hath long time been Apollyon a destroyer of others even of the Church and People of God but he himself shall be destroyed Filius perditionis the Son of perdition 2 Thes 2.3 That day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the Son of Perdition IN the former Treatise I held forth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also both the Rise and full Growth of Antichrist It remains that I now shew you his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ebbing or declination of that proud Tide the many several paces and degrees whereof from first to last do make up his total ruine and give him his name Filius Perditionis the Son of Perdition Taking him in his largest capacity the Point will be this The Pope and his Kingdom are appointed of God to most remarkable destruction First God hath foretold and threatned it Rev. 13.9.10 If any man have an ear let him hear He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints God hath proclaimed it to all who have spiritual ears to hear that he hath captivity and a killing sword in store for those who have been such cruel enemies to his People And he would have all his Saints act their faith in believing this threat and their patience in waiting the full Execution of it Secondly Christ into whose hands all power in heaven and Earth is committed hath sworn it I say God hath not onely threatned it but Christ hath sworn it Rev. 10.5 6. The Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven And sware hy him that liveth for ever who created Heaven the Earth and Sea with all things that are therein that there should be time no longer The Angel of the Covenant set one foot upon the Sea the other upon the Land Sea and Land you know make up the terrestial Globe whereby is prefigured his throwing Antichrist out of all and taking possession of all the World himself He lifts up his hand the ancient ceremony of an Oath The thing he swears is this That there should be time no more not simply but for the Man of sin to reign havocking and destroying his Church Look upon the structure of the Church of Rome the power and policy of its constitution and Government and who could in reason conceive that Babylon should ever be destroyed Says Christ you have my word for it you have my Oath for it it shall shortly come to pass that the time of their domination shall be no more I will certainly ease you of her God willing more abundantly as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6. to shew unto the Heirs of promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things his Word and Oath in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation in the assurance of Romes headlong downfall Thirdly The Holy-Ghost brings it in as fully performed as either sayd or sworn in the Gross or Lump and also in the Particulars of it First in the Gross and Lump Dan. 12.1 At that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy People and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy People shall be delivered You have a Parallel to this Rev. 16.17.18.19 The seventh Angel poured out his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne saying 't is done And there were Voyces and Thunders and Lightnings and there was a great Earthquake such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great And the great City was divided into three parts and the Cities of the Nations fell and great Babylon came into remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the feirceness of his wrath Such an Earthquake will God raise under them such showers and storms shall God send down upon them as t is in the last verse of that Chapter There fell upon men a great hail out of Heaven every stone about the weight of a Talent that made them curse and blaspheme for the plague thereof was exceeding great I say such terrible Earthquakes and plaguing Storms of troubles will befall them as never any Kingdom in the World felt or heard of Rev. 14 19 20. And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth the Church of Christ is a Vine of Heaven its root is in Heaven all its fruitfulness is from Heaven and for Heaven
shall deliver him I find upon search That when Christ is going in good earnest to set up his Kingdom in the name and glory of it there is a great hazard I may say downfall of Kings I shall make this good to you from four scriptures The first of them is Psal 2. ver 2. The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take councel together against the Lord and against his Christ This Peter saith was fulfilled at Christs apprehension tryal and death Act. 4.25 26 27. Herod Pontius Pilate the Chief Priests and others consulted and set themselves against him when he had but given out some hints of his Kingship This was that which stirred them up so against him Tell us art thou the King of the Iews And when Pilate was minded to let him go they cryed out He that makes himself a King speaks against Caesar whereupon Pilate went and passed Sentence upon him When there was but some talk that Christ would set up a Kingdom they presently band themselves against him and he dyes for 't and so they think they have broke the Cordes of his Government asunder as t is vers 3. In the 4. verse God laughs at them being wroth verse 5. Speaks that which vexes them Yet or notwithstanding all their combined powers and policies against him have I set him up King of Sion verse 6. And says God I will declare the decree thou art my son this day have I begotten thee verse 7. This was fulfil'd in his raising him up from death to life Act. 13.33 God hath passed an Eternal Decree concerning his Son That when they should kill and bury him he would the third day bring him forth out of the womb of the grave and own him for his Son and set him at his own right hand there to intercede and his intercession should not be in vain Ask of me says the Father to him and I will give the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession ver 8. As if he had said I will set thee in possession of thy inheritance which shall have the uttermost parts of the earth for its boundary according to that Psal 72.8 He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth For God to declare the Decree is to act it for Dei discere est facere When the time is at hand he must be thus set in actual possession of all the Dominion and Greatness and Glory that God hath promised him if the Kings of the earth did set themselves and the Rulers took councel together against him when he did but speak somewhat of his Kingly Office how much more will they do it then when they see his throne a building and his Kingdom a going up to the no small prejudice of their Interest Revel 11.15 17 18. When he begins to put forth and act his Great Power and do something towards taking the Kingdoms of this world into his own hands and reign then the Nations are angry at him that is they act against him in their anger wherein Kings are chief as you may see Rev. 16.14 16. But do they carry it no and thy wrath is come Rev. 11.18 Christ in his wrath fights the battel with them in Armageddon that is where he gives them a most remarkable overthrow and destruction which this 2. Psal expresses plainly Thou shalt break them with a rod of Iron and dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel v. 9. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth v. 10. as if he said look You well to your selves be his servants without Complement and rejoyce with trembling when he comes about this work v. II. Kiss the Son with kisses of Reverence kisses of Obedience lest he be angry and then a little thing will provoke him and so ye perish in the mid-way in the mid-way of your plots enmities oppositions of him for if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all those those Kings and Rulers especially that have Wisdom and Faith to get interest in him and be of his side those that have not the fire of his wrath will certainly consume them ver 12. The second Scripture is Isaiah 24. ver 18.19 20. Marlorat who professes to have taken the marrow and substance of his Comment out of Vatablus Luther Musculus Calvin Oecolampadius Pagnin c. hath these very words upon the latter end of the eighteenth ver pertinet autem proprie hic contextus ad Papistus nostros Christ in this Prophesie says he chiefly intends the Popish State Upon a following verse he hath these words ' hoc vaticinium proprie ad Christi regnum pertinet this other part of the Prophesie doth chiefly respect the kingdom of Christ he means his glorious kingdom expressed in the last words of the Chapter The Popish and Gospel-opposing World is here set out by the Earth as it is also in diverse places of the Revelations Rev. 14.19 Chap. 16.1 Here is mention of heavy transgression according to Rev. 18.5 Her sins are reach'd up to heaven The transgression is sayd to be so heavy upon it that the foundations of the Earth shake reel to and fro yea are utterly broken down fall and rise no more the same you may read Rev. 16 18 19. and Rev. 18.21 And it shall come to pass in that day that is in the day of the Earthquake that the Lord shall punish the Host of the high ones that are on high Who are they I take the next words to be Exegetical why the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth ver 21. The most of the Kings and high Ones of the Earth will be Engaged aganst him enough to make an Host whom Christ will fall upon and punish upon the Earth with temporal judgement according as you have heard when he is abought to Raign before his Ancients gloriously as 't is ver 23. If this Prophesie have been at all fulfilled it will doubtless be much more fulfilled in that day for Prophesies many times have a gradual fulfilling The third Scripture is Psalm 110. Sit on my right hand till I make thy Enemies thy footstool ver 1. Concerning those Enemies you may get some light out of Luke 19. ver 14. the Citizens hated him and sent this message after him We will not have this man to Raign over us and ver 27. Those mine Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them c. The Father speaks of those who were Enemies to Christ as a King Enemies to his Raigning When Christ had cast down heathenish Idols and Government Rev. 12. in all reason he might have expected in Constantine and following Emperors and ages to have set up his Kingdom but then upstarts the Pope that Beast with his ten horns or Kings who by their smiting and pushing keep Christ out of all Whereat to speak after the manner of men Christ
certainly dye Now when God shall empty his last and hottest Vials of wrath upon her and all her plagues come in one day Rev. 18. Death Mourning Famine and she 's set all on a flaming fire not to be quenched for t is sayd her smoak goeth up for ever and ever those who shall then wonder why God deals so hardly and severely with her God may answer them are not my wayes equal have I done unto her without cause all that I have done unto her have not her sinnes reached up to Heaven Do not you know that I am a just God and reward every one according to their works judge I pray you between me and my enemies if I have not done the thing that 's right Vse 2 The Second use shall instruct us in a point of wisdom this to hear and obey that voyce Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues This is the voyce of God in all the streets of the great City that is in all the ten Kingdoms especially that either now do or formerly have submitted themselves to the Beast Come out from amongst them my People Oh we are no Papists I but art thou none of the Popish Faction is not thy heart with those that have joyned hands with Papists in one common cause if so in Gods interpretation thou art a Papist and if thou dost not come out from amongst them expect a share in their plagues And as for thy not going to Mass t is true I think thou dost not love a Latine Mass but peradventure thou lovest an English Mass but peradventure thou lovest and English Mass with all thy heart How welcom would the old Common prayer Mumpsimus be to thousands and Millions in this Nation before any minister of Christs-praying or worshipping in the Holy Ghost as Saint Jude expresses it And dost not thou love and allow thy self in some sins lying is a Popish sin Swearing Blaspheming are popish sins Apostacy from Christ and the faith to follow our own Fancies and Delusions a Popish sin Pride and self-conceitedness a Popish sin hating and fighting against God and his Saints a Popish sin sleighting the power and purity of Ordinances and profaning the Lords day theft or any known dishonest gain the sin of Uncleanness Adultery Fornication and Impenitency all these yea many more that might be named are Popish sins The Israelites though they went out of Egypt yeat took too much of Egypt along with them their sins in the Wilderness were indeed Egyptian sinnes We of the reformed Churches though we left Rome behind us yet we brought too much of Rome along with us most or all those vile sins that are practised amongst us our Ancestors found and learned them in the bosom of the Romish Church and though they did let go their Doctrines and forms of worship in a great measure yet they held fast very much corruption of manners which we have inherited and improved I fear to a greater pitch and stock of Impiety by far then when t was left us the Eternal God be mercifull to us I say if these or any other Popish sins be found amongst us God will put little difference between us and Papists these Popish sins if they be not put away from amongst us will surely bring Popish plagues on us sooner or later In this late Earthquake amongst us many because they were of the Popish Eaction and Popish sins were found in them were shaken all to peices and as much of the Vial fell upon them as did upon Papists themselves But perhaps thou'lt tell me thou hast escaped as many others also have I advise thee then sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee repent or else believe it that wrath which is due to a Papist will one day find thee out Therefore friends let all of us have our ears and hearts open to this voyce from heaven and come out from amongst them those sinnes any Papist lives in do not thou live in especially the wayes a Papist walks in let not us walk in that party or design a Papist ever did or will own let us hate and disclaim as we love our selves and so we shall not onely escape their Plagues but share in the Peace of God and blessings of his own People Vse 3. The third Use take thus I remember what comendations the Holy-Ghost gives the men of Issachar 1 Chron. 12.32 That they were men who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do O that this could be truly affirmed of us that we did but know the times and what we have to do that we could come once to understand our true Interest and prosecute it vigorously all of us according to our places and power The grand Interest of all the People of God this day in Christendom is the ruine of Pope and Popery till that be done I dare deliver it Firm and Blessed Peace and Happiness in any Church or State there will be none 1. In this great quarrell of the times between the Zealous Protestant and Popish Faction hate that wise indifferency and neutrality of some men Judg. 8. ver 4 5 6 7. And Gideon came to Jordan and passed over he and the three hundred men that were with him faint yet pursuing them And he said unto the men of Succoth Give I pray you loaves of bread unto the people that follow me for they be faint and I am pursuing after Zeba and Zalmunna kings of Midian And the Princes of Succoth said are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunna now in thy hands that we should give bread unto thy Army And Gideon said therefore when the Lord hath delivered them into my hands then I will tear your flesh with the thornes of the â—ilderness and with briers You may read ver 12. He took the two Kings discomfited the whole Hoast and by a guide he lite on came to Succoth learned out the Princes and ver 16. It s said He took the elders of the city and thornes of the wilderness and briers and with them he taught the men of Succoth He taught them how to stand Neuters when the Cause was a disputing between the People of God and the Common Enemy Judg. 5.23 Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Meroz did not help the mighty against the Lord nor yet help the Lord against the mighty but would be wise and save their own stake what way soever the game went But the Angel of the Lord the Lord Christ did curse and curse and curse them bitterly effectually and gave all his People a charge that they should pray down curses upon them because of their Neutrality Let me tell you this quarrell that now Christ is engaged in t is of the nearest
world to be the true Melchisedech not only King of Righteousness as I but now shewed you but also King of Salem i e. King of peace ruling all the Kingdoms of the world for the generality of them will be his in external peace Isa 9.6 7. To us a Child is born to us a Son is given he shall be called the Prince of Peace of the increase of his government and peace i. e. his government of peace or peace of his government there shall be no end and that this be not limited to internal peace it follows upon the Throne of David to order and establish it but Davids Throne and government of peace was external therefore so also shall Christs be Isa 2.2 It shall come to pass in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established upon the top of the Mountains and all Nations shall flow unto it ver 4. He shall judge among the Nations and rebuke many People and they shall beat their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into pruning hooks and National shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more Isa 11.6 7 8 9. The Woolf shall dwel with the Lamb the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid the Calf the young Lion and the fatling together and a little Child shall lead them The Cow and Bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together and the Lion shall eat straw like the Oxe The sucking Child shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned Child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea The Prophet goes on in the 10 11 12. verses concerning this Kingdom and sayes he ver 13. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off Ephraim shall not envy Iudah Iudah shall not vex Ephraim Isa 60.18 Violence shall be no more heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within by borders and therefore is it ver 11. Thy gates shall be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night And sure such a City who never shut their gates take themselves out of all possibility of danger This 11. ver S. Iohn quotes Rev. 21.25 The gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there i. e. no night of darkness caused by enemies wars sorrows oppressions for saith Christ I will make all thine Officers peace Isa 60.17 There were no end of giving you Scriptures that must of necessity be understood of the peace of this Kingdom Rev. 21.2 3 4. Ezek. 34.24 25. My servant David meaning Christ shall be a Prince amongst them And I will make with them a Covenant of Peace and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the Land and they shall dwel safely in the wilderness and sleep in the wood i. e. without fear or danger which is unusual and unknown Ver. 28. They shall no more be a prey to the Heathen neither shall the beasts of the Land devour them but they shall dwel safely and none shall make them afraid He gives you light ver 29. when this shall be And I will raise up for them a plant of Renown and they shall be no more consume with hunger in the Land neither bear the shame of the heathen any more This place cannot be fulfilled yet since Ezekiel spake it for they have been a prey to the heathen beasts have devoured them they all bear the shame of the Heathen at this day But when the time comes that this promise shal be fully made good to them these things shall never befall them more but there shall be peace to him that comes in and to him that goes out they shall have peace extended to them like a River as the expression is Isa 66.12 He speaks to our present purpose as the context there clearly gives it Ninthly His Reign will bring wonderful plenty and outward prosperity to his Subjects Isa 30.23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed that thou shalt sow the ground withall and bread of the increase of the earth and it shall be fat and plenteous in that day shall thy cattell feed in large pastures ver 24. The oxen likewise and young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan There being such plenty they will not grudge it them they may well afford them clean provender The two following verses I quoted under the sixt Head they speak of the abundance and increase of Blessings Spiritual all which says the Prophet shall be in the day of the great slaughter Rev. 19.20 And when God shall binde up the breach between the two Tribes and the ten then there will be plenty of all things not only for the soul but also for the body Isa 60.16 Thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck the brests of Kings you must take special notice of this all along that the great and glorious Promises of this Kingdom are made primarily and chiefly to the Nation of the Jews the Nations of the Gentiles not excluded they also shall share in them according as they shall come in to Christ ver 17. For brass I 'le bring gold for iron silver for wood brass and for stones iron I will also make thy officers peace and thy exactors righteousness They shall not bee impoverished by those that bear rule amongst them Ezek 34.26 I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing and I will cause the showre to come down in his season and there shall be showers of blessings ver 27. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit and the earth shall yield her increase Rev. 21.24 The Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into it ver 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it Time was and in part yet is that the Kings and Kingdoms of the world brought the glory of their power and wealth and laid it all down at Antichrists feet to enrich him to make him a pompous pamper'd Beast but the days are certainly comming wherein they shall make as much haste to lay down all the feet of Jesus Christ and his People according to that Dan. 7.27 the kingdom and dominion and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High and all dominions shall serve and obey him Tenthly The setting up of this Throne of his will make such a change from bad to good in all points that in Scripture t is called a new world Rev. 21.1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were past away viz. The Political Heavens and Earth
of Popish wordly powers they vanished and new ones came up in their place According to this Text must divers others be understood Isa 66. from the 18. verse to the end of the Chapter the Prophet Treats wholly of this Kingdom In the last verse he bids you look on the carcases of the men that had transgressed against Christ how remarkably and everlastingly they are destroyed In the 18 19 20. verses you have the Calling of the Jews and Nations of the Gentiles In the 21. and 23. verses you have the Ministers and Ordinances of the Gospel set forth and verse 22. all this called new heavens and new earth In the Margent of this Scipture there are divers quotations I would commend two of them to your notice One is Isa 65.17 For behold I create new heavens and new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into my minde That which God will do is so strange so mighty a Work that in comparison of Gods former Works of Providence t is called a Creation of new Heavens and new Earth which cannot be understood concerning the material Heavens and Earth for 't is a Prophesie of something to come that then was not but there was as much yea the very same Heavens and Earth properly taken then as there is now or ever will be there will be no change in the now Visible or Material Heavens Earth but the same Earth Sea Sun Moon Stars to Christs last coming Therefore the Prophet means and calls them new in respect of former ones as t is in the Text the former shall not be remembred Honoris gratiâ The Political Heavens and Earth as I said before of the Pope and Popish worldly Kingdoms these shall pass away and Christ shall set up new Heavens viz. a Heavenly King and Government over all the World Heavenly Officers to rule under him Thy exactors shall be righteousness heavenly Ordinances heavenly gifts and graces shall shine forth heavenly Pastors and Discipline and a new earth of external peace and external plenty the following verses of that 65. of Isaiah will force your thus to understand it The other Scripture the Margent quotes is 2 Pet. 3.12 13. Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God c. Nevertheless we according to promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness q.d. though I bid you look for and hasten to the great day of God wherein all shall be set on fire yet nevertheless take special notice how that word nevertheless v. 13. comes in do not fear that you shall lose that glorious Kingdom upon earth that your hearts are generally so much set upon Act. 1.6 7. Lord wilt thous now restore the kingdom to Israel That the Messias would do it 't was commonly known and believed of all the Jews and by these taken for granted our Saviour denyes not the matter of their Quaere suffering them to go on in their Faith of the thing it self only gives check to their curiosity It is not for you to know the times and seasons the Father hath put in his own hands Fear not say Peter before the great and last burning we groundedly from a promise expect that God will make and give us in our Posterity new heavens and new earth in which shall dwell none of that base ungodliness the present heavens and earth of the Kingdoms of this World are full of but in which shall dwell Righteousness as t is Rev 9 8. He names the chief thing in Christs Kingdom which will bring with it all the rest I have spoken of to you If we that live now who have taken notice of the present state of things might be raised out of our graves and have a full view of the Kingdom Christ will set up everywhere certainly there would be no more spirit in us we should cry out here is noting of that World that was when we were upon earth we see none of the old Kings and Queens old Rulers old Governments old Sins and Sinners old wayes that formerly were all the old things are gone and behold all is become new Here 's a new King and new Officers new kinde of Preachers new Ordinances new Discipline new Saints new Church new State all 's become new Why this is not the World that was when we were alive behold here 's a new World that the Lord Christ Omnipotent hath Created Lastly This Kingdom shall be of no small continuance Surely Christ will not be at all this care cost pain to pull down to set up to make a new World of it and all this but for a day or a year Antichrist had a thousand two hundred and threescore years to play Rex in now indeed 't is pitty Christ should not have as long a Reign in the World at least It is not for us to know the times and seasons the Father hath reserved in his own hands But I le tell you what Scripturer saith to it Isa 65.17 he had promised as I told you to create new Heavens and new Earth and lest you should mis-understand this new Heavens and new Earth what they are he tels you ver 18. I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy that I mean but when shall this be Why ver 19. When the voice of weeping and crying shall be no more heard in her which must needs point at a time after the destruction of the Temple for then there was weeping and crying enough amongst them viz. upon the now so much expected Calling of the Jews and setling of them again in their own Land at which time ver 22. They shall not build and another inhabit as it had been often formerly with them they shall not plant and another eat but they shall dwell in their own houses and eat their own labours But for what space shall this joy and settlement of theirs be It follows Mine elects shall long enjoy the work of their hands they shall enjoy their new heavens and new earth a long time Rev. 20 2 3 4. The angel laid hold on Satan and bound him at thousand years and the Saints lived and reigned with Christ successively generation after generation a thousand years T is very likely this is a certain number for an uncertain but whether it be more or it be less questionless this expression of a thousand years assures us of a very long time Isa 60.15 I will make thee the joy of many generations not a few but many generations I leave it to your judgement what number of years in this case are to be accounted many the Saints shall enjoy this blessed this glorious reign of Christ for many generations But that which goes immediatly before is this I will make thee an eternal excellency speaking of the Church The word eternal here being to be understood comparatively to other great Kingdoms that have been set up and in time fallen must import a duration as great