Sack-cloth for a time and times and half a time In Chap. 13. We have the description of the false Apostatical Church from about Anno. 406. as is probably conceived from Honorius the Emperor and Pope Innocent the first his time set forth in a twofold beast wherein Antichrist and his followers are vers 1. described in their politique capacity as taking possession of the seat of the Roman Emperour in the West into which when the Dragon who was before dipossessed cunningly winds in that his substitute the Beast giving his power and place unto him under a new shape of Idolatry and so he riseth out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns expounded Cap. 17. having upon his horns ten crowns and upon his head the name of Blasphemy By the other Beast vers 11. he is set forth in his Ecclesiastical capacity making up one body with his Clergy so he is said to come out of the Earth of an earthly constitution having two horns of power Ecclesiastick and Civil like a Lamb but speaks like a Dragon But concerning the twofold Beast Christ the mighty Angel described Chap. 10.1 when he gave the Book to John containing the Beasts forty two moneths speaks vers 6.7 that his time should be no longer And to that end had his two Sack-cloth Witnesses prepared Cap. 11. The Pastours to feed the woman in her wilderness-condition 1260. days of years whom in a seeming disgraceful manner he sets up against this great Beast which in appearance is maxime impar congressus they being contemptible in the worlds eye and yet lets them know they should have all along such power that they shall by the spirit of Prophesie overcome the Beast with all his worldly grandure and greatness and by suffering and dying after the Lambs example at last totally and finally overcome him And yet all the while that false Antichristian Apostatical Church of spiritual Babylon that scarlet whore described Rev. 17. Sits as a Queen not onely bewitching the Christian world with her Sorceries but also making the Kings of the earth drunk with the cup of her spiritual fornications the true Church though in a wilderness-condition yet continues to sing a new song on Mount Sion with the Lamb and to follow him where ever he goeth while the destroying Angels by their judgments surprize the Whore Chap. 14. And therefore while the Whore in all her gay gaudery promiseth her self security that she should see no sorrow Christ hath his seven Angels with their seven last plagues or Viale to be poured out upon her bringing her inevitable destruction by degrees upon what ever was of worth in her accompt even to destroy the Kingdom Throne and Empire of the Beast and even to make those Kings which the Scarlet Whore riding upon the Beast had before made drunken to hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire And lastly as a mighty Conquerour Rev. 19. Christ overthrows in the Armagedon Battel all the Hosts of the Dragons substitute and possesseth his Empire there and in all other the Dragons dominious besides and casts the Beast and the False Prophet the Pope and his counsel into the Lake of fire and brimstone and then as the most puissant King of Kings and Lord of Lords lays hold on the Dragon Rev. 20. and binds him likewise with a great Chain and shuts him in his Dungeon the bottomless pit And sets up his own Kingdom Dominion and Soveraignty generally over all persons places and times of the seventh Trumpet and thousand years wherein by his word he declares he will reign with his Saints upon earth Rev. 11.15 and 19.20 where again all time will end And in this last period are set forth as Synchronals the binding of Satan the raign of Christ with his Saints a thousand years on earth The new Heavens and new Earth for the same space of time and the Tabernacle of God with men The new Jerusalem The pure River of water of life and the tree of life bearing the twelve manner of fruits whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations All which are to be during that happy time when the Kingdomes of the world are said to be the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ as was expressed Chap. 11.15 And when the Lord God omnipotent reigneth as the great multitude of his servants are taught out of the Throne to praise him so enlargedly Chap. 19.5 6. For as we noted before in all the Book of the Revelations where things are not said to succeed one another as the Seals Trumpets and Viols but one Table of Chronology is assigned to them all such distinct Visions are contemporaries as all that concerned the true and false Church in Antichrists time have the same measure though diversly computed by moneths days a time times and half So all these Visions under or rather after the seventh Trumpet have one Chronogical Table to compute their time viz. a thousand years all which particulars being by Christs special order so strongly asserted by the Angel and the antient and latter Prophets as earnestly called in for evidence hereunto for the stablishment of the Faith of Gods people herein since he the Lamb that had power to reveal them to his beloved Disciple Saint John hath likewise power to execute and fulfil them in their seasons till all be done which in his Office of Mediatorship is committed to him having therefore seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth whereby with his perfect wisdom and providence he will accomplish all that his undertaking Which Synchronismes in the last Period according to Mr. Mede in his Clavis Apocalyptiea are as a guiding thread which who so taketh and humbly and faithfully useth may greatly through grace be helped in passing through many otherwise inextricable labyrinths in many dark passages of this book for in this last period the said Mr. Mede hath gone contrary to the stream of Exposituours for many hundreds of years as others since him have done wherein for the substance there seems to be much clearness though the mysteries therein comprised are very high and intricate which in the ensuing and now neer approaching times will doubtless be much unfolded when the mystery of God shall be finished at the beginning of the sounding of the seventh Angel Chap. 10.7 and when likewise Gods Temple shall be opened in Heaven and there shall be seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament Chap. 11.19 Now seeing in regard of all Christs other actings past since his taking of the book of Revelation at his Fathers hand they have been mystically and spiritually executed though all most really and powerfully so I conceive the mystical manner of understanding his reign on earth the thousand years As I then apprehended seems in regard of the Symetry proportion and suitableness to what hath already been done is here to be understood
out how earnestly the Holy Ghost doth enforce the beleiving of what is set down in the last part of the Revelation strongly and frequently asserting the things in and about those times to be accomplished with calling in the Prophets Testimony 6. Since the Testimony of the Prophets is so earnestly called in for evidence of what is described to be to come in the thousand years in the three last Chapters of that book we shall endeavour to add some Prophesies suitable threunto and tender sundry Texts of the New Testament speaking to the like purpose 7. To make some profitable improvement of this Doctrine for all sorts of persons CHAP. II. Shewing how according to the eternal decree upon the fall of man the Office of Mediatourship was committed to the second person of the Trinity Jesus Christ the onely begotten Son of the ever living God to be executed in his three great Offices of a Prophet Priest and King not onely in respect of particular beleiving souls but in a general consideration more eminently in respect of the three great periods of the World 1. In his prophetical Office under the Old Testament revealing by his Spirit in his Messengers all the counsel of his Father concerning his Church 2. In His Priestly Office under the New Testament By offering himself an oblation for and after by making intercession for the sins of his people at the right hand of God And 3. will also execute his Kingly Office delivering them from all their enemies actually in this world at his appearing and in the thousand years unto the end of the world and thenceforth for ever THe first thing we named to be done See the quotations of Scripture added in the forerunner was the laying down of those Theses or positions agreeing to the holy Scripture and the Analogy of Faith that may make way for Doctrines of this nature which are these that follow First That as the infinite excellency of the nature and being of the Trin-Vne Dietie was everlastingly incomprehensible in it self saving onely so far forth as the same Divine essence hath been pleased to communicate any discovery of it self by word or works or both unto any creatures in Heaven or earth so hath the Trinity of persons in the Unity of the Divine essence both in the eternal decrees and in the execution of all joyntly in their order concurred and so will do from eternity through all times unto all eternity Secondly That all the glory of God the Father was by the eternal decree to be manifest in Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son the Lamb slain in the eternal decree of the Father before the foundation of the World was said and according to the said eternal decree the Holy Ghost one God co-essential and co-equal with the Father and the Son proceeds from the Father and the Son the Mediatour between God and man as the sole efficacious worker and accomplisher of all spiritual good in and for Men and Angels and all real good in all creatures which in their several orders and natures they were capable of receiving Thirdly Accordingly in the creation God made the world by his wisdom the eternal word Joh. 1. The Spirit sitting as it were upon the surface of the waters then covering the earth powerfully to produce the creatures then to be made and so both the Heavens with the Angels as Divines conceive and the earth were made the first day Gen. 1.1 as all that were made in the whole world afterward in the five following days which the word Elohim in the Plural number put with the Verb Barah in the singular number denoting the Trinity of persons in the unity of essence seems to declare whose concurrence in the making of man is likewise very remarkably exprest when God said Let us make man in our own image after our likeness c. Gen. 1.26 Fourthly The making of Angels in Heaven and man and all creatures in the world was in the execution of the eternal decree of the said incomprehenfibly glorious Trin-une Diety in their several orders natures stations and conditions Fifthly As no other but the holy and good will and pleasure of the infinitely glorious incomprehensible God was the reason and cause why they were all made absolutely as they were so that they should be for himself as his word witnesseth as their utmost end and no other inconsistent reasons or ends ought to be given or assigned by men Sixthly As the whole creation was all good suitable to the Author of it so the preserving ordering over-ruling and disposing of all creatures according to his good pleasure by his infinite wisdom power providence and goodness is not to be measured or judged by any scantling of any created capacity who will notwithstanding be justified in his saying and clear when he is judged there being in such his proceedings so many fathomless depths in respect of creatures which it is not lawful for any men to search into further then Gods word doth warrant them but in things not revealed or forbidden they are not to enquire Seventhly Since God according to his said eternal decree and good pleasure of his will at the fall of our first parents in Paradise revealed and testified his wonderful powerful grace That the blessedâ—eed of the woman should break the serpents head there is sufficient ground for ever to humble all mankind and for ever to exalt Gods free and rich grace therein and all men are thereby engaged to use all Gods means to obtain their part therein Eighthly According to the declaration of that wonderful rich and free grace of God for the salvation of his people and for carrying on of his great design therein as the Father Son and Holy Ghost by an eternal decree had purposed so to be wonderfully glorified in the powerful redemption and salvation of his elect people in such a way of free grace So in the creation of all things all sorts of creatures were made in a capacity to carry on that design and from that very period of their first being holily most wisely over-ruled and disposed of in reference thereunto and so ever since have been are and shall be most wonderfully holily and powerfully though many times secretly and unsearchably throughout all ages by the joynt concurrence of all the said three persons of the most sacred Triâ—ity in their order of working to the infallible perfecting and compleating of the said design decree and purpose Ninthly That the management and administration of the great work of Mediatorship between God and man ever since the said promised seed was revealed to our first Parents hath been committed to Jesus Christ the Son of God who in his Word commands all men to hear him by acknowledging receiving and obeying him Tenthly that the management and administration of Mediatorship between God and Man hath ever since been executed by Christ in his three great Offices wherein he and he onely is to appear most
Christs Kingdom upon earth And so likewise Psalm 24. where the King of glory is to enter as seems probable the everlasting doors of the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven c. The 45. Psalm is eminently of Christs Kingdom under the type of Solomon and in part applied by the Apostle Heb. 1.8 And Psalm 46. of the like nature and so likewise the 48th and also the first part of the 50th and the latter part of the 53. The 67th seems wholly to be prophetical of the time of Christs reign But the 68. Psal contains much of the glory and grace of Christ then to be manifested And the latter end of the 69th is to the like purpose Psal 72. Is a very glorious illustration of Christs Kingdom above what could be fulfilled either in David or Solomon or any other but the Son of God who shall be feared through all generations in whose days righteousness and peace shall flourish so long as the Moon endures and shall rule to the ends of the earth and all Kings and Nations shall serve him and his name shall continue for ever and as long as the Sun endureth c. The 80. Psalm contains an excellent prayer for Gods Israel to use for the coming of the Messiah to take his Kingdom In the 89th such promises are made to David and his seed that could not be wholly fulfilled in any but Christ and his Kingdom And the 96. is likewise prophetical of the Kingdom of Christ and the 97. to the like purpose and the 99. contains high expressions of Christs reign and also the 102. The 110. Psalm is an eminent prediction of Christs Kingdom and applied often in the New Testament The 132. evidently concerns the Kingdom of Christ And not to insist upon divers others where there are notable expressions that seem to tend to the same purpose take for a conclusion the 148 and the 149. which eminently relate unto Christs reign on earth according to what in many former Scriptures and prophets have been foretold thereof so from the beginning almost to the end we may observe how the Spirit of God stirred up the spirit of holy King David to set forth the glory and excellent greatness of the kingdom of Christ as his Antitype seed and Saviour in whom the greatest promises of God shall be fulfilled which could not have accomplishment in any other CHAP. VIII Containg other evidences out of the New Testament to wit of the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles besides what was occasionally spoken of Chap. 4. by the four Apostles Peter James and John and the Apostle Paul to all which Christ gloriously appeared ANd now to appeal to the last sort of witnesses having seen such clearness in the Prophets of the Old Testament and the Psalms we may in like manner consider the testimonies of the Gospellers in the New But here the like course might justly be taken with us men of this generation for I put my self in the number who have but even lately received the truth which our Saviour did with his Disciples going to Emaus Luk. 24.25 O fools and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have spoken concerning his suffering and entering intoglory so now of the beleeiving the things concerning Christs Kingdom to come onearth yea we might henceforth turn our argumentation into a vehement expostulation with our selves What was not the Angel Gabriel the first Gospeller we read of at the time of his annunciation before our Saviours conception by the Holy Ghost when he told the blessed Virgin of the holy glorious wonderful heaven-bred Babe that should shortly after that be born of her an evident witness of Christs Kingdom to come Or doth he to no purpose after he had informed the blessed mother of our Lord of many unspeakable glad tidings Luke 1.30 31. other ways then after adds verse 33. And the Lord shall give him the throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdom there shall be no end Surely this holy Angel well understood the meaning of the many Prophets yea of the Prophets of all ages before as being contemporary with them all along from the beginning to that time And did not that glad child John Baptist as one right bred of his beleeving mother Elizabeth upon this good news leap for joy in his Mothers womb when the Virgin came with it to her house whereupon good Elizabeth told the Mother of our Lord that assuredly there should be a performance of those things which were told her Verse 45. and was not this Kingdom of Christ one if not the main of them And that blessed Virgin her self in an holy rapture of Spirit breaketh out in no less then the Angel had foreshewed to her of this matter Vers 54 55. He hath holpen his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and his seed for ever beleiving all in that Covenant would be performed whereof the promised inheritance and Christs Kingdom therein was part And this again good Zachary though upon occasion of the Angels good news of his own son which at first he beleeved not he had been till then so dumb that both the Mother and the Babe acknowledged Christ before him yet when he had gotten the use of his speech again like a channel dammed up before the living waters of the spirit soon run in a stronger current from his beleiving soul then happily otherwise they would have done and very much concerning the Kingdom of his Lord and Saviour Vers 69. He hath raised up an born of salvation for us in the house of his servant David and this he confirmeth from the general successive Testimony of the Prophets which we in part set down in the two preceding Chapters Vers 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began And Vâ—â—â— 71. he declares how general the redemption was by Christ the mercy promised to the fathers the covenant with them the oath to Abraham as we noted out of Moses his prophesies to free them from all enemies and even from the fear of them Vers 74. which is the priviledge of Christs Kingdom on earth Again when the Angelimparted unto the Shepherds when Christ was born his very glad tidings of great joy to all people he tells them first of that that he was born in the City of David who by descent was the Son of David according to the flesh where also the Priests informed Herod that he should be born when under pretence of worshipping he thought to destroy him and thereupon made there many young Martyrs for him yet upon that occasion was found that great testimony of Micab Chap. 5.2 And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah art not the least among the Princes of Judah for out of thee shall come a governour that shall rule my people Israel Mat. 2.6 But the Angel tells
the Jews did poyson this dart so in Pilates sight and hearing that either it must kill Christ or greatly hazard Pilate after many clearings of Christ and offers to release him and propounding him or Barabbas a notorious offendor that Christ might escape which when he failed in he would know what he should do with the King of the Jews Yea when he had scourged Christ and suffered the Souldiers shamefully to abuse him as a King in scorn putting on him a Scarlet Robe a Crown of Thornes a Reed for a Scepter in his hand bowing the knee in mockage crying Hail King of the Jews and according to his wives admonition from her dreams and his own conviction to have freed Christ and lets the Souldiers bring him before the Jews in that garbe saying himself Behold the man as thinking probably all this would satisfie since he was innocent and knowing for envy they did accuse him as Mar. 15.10 Yet at last by that poysoned dart I say they would strike home If thou let this man go thou art not Cesars friend for whosoever makes himself a King speakethagainst Cesar and yet after that he bad them Behold their King and when they cryed Crucifie him He urges Shall I crucifie your King And when he was enforced still upon his Loyalty to Cesar and to avoid tumult having washed his hands as guiltless of Christs blood and the Jews taking it upon themselves and their children he delivered him to be crucified But after all to witness to all the world what Christ was and what was the accusation that carried the cause Mar. 15.26 against him First Pilate is over-ruled by God to write his Title in Greek and Latine and Hebrew Luk. 23.36 This is the King of the Jews as if the successions of the Greek Latine and Heorew Churches in order might read and acknowledge it till he took his Kingdom And when the Jews envied this â—itle and would have Pilate write He said I am God over-rules again and Pilate resolutely refuses with what I have written I have written and observe Pilate was too much convinced and netled and galld to mock in the matâ—â—er of that Title as a the other persecuters then did whom therein he did not then seek to please but resist c. And happily that earnest enforcement of that truth as our Saviour said to him before Joh. 18.37 when Pilate perceived that though he was not a worldly King yet he would not deny himself to be a King He thereupon urges him further in that respect Art thou a King then saith Pilate he Answereth with such a double asseveration and as if this was the main thing he had now to bear witness to and a main cause of his coming into the world saying For this end was I born and for this end came I into the world to bear witness to the truth which seems to be mainly the truth that he was a King and that of Israel us afterwards the Priests Scribes and Elders at the Cross called him Mat. 27.42 and King of the Jews as the Souldiers likewise then mocked vers 44. And after that above all not to insist upon many other passages take notice here of that wonderful Confessor if not first Martyr of and with Christ the formerly infamous but since famous good thief that when the world sought to cast the greatest ignominy and contempt upon Christ he most of all to their faces set forth his honour and even then by putting forth his right hand of a true faith upon the Cross to lay hold upon his last and best booty to steal unexpectedly the Kingdom of Heaven condemnes then both himself and his fellow-thief and the wicked world which condemned and crucified our Saviour and King in the lowest dejection of his present condition acknowledging then Christs Soveraignty and right to his Kingdom and power to give it to others yea even to himself when he was so vile and miserable in other respects saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom happily he had been before a well principled Jew but had for a time with-held the truth in unrighteousness but now by grace such good education breaketh forth with light of truth and comfort in him and he looks for no less then a Kingdom at the hands of a crucified Saviour and Soveraign here was a glory above the wonted brightness of the Sun when the Sun himself for shame hid his face in darkness from the then darkned and spiritually hardened world Thus the Kingly glory of Christ was even then so held out by the Spirit of power to the saith of Gods people so that from the first humiliation of Christ at his birth and even conception too all along to the very hour of his death his Kingly excellency was strongly attested by all sorts of Angels and men young and old high and low good and bad Creatour and creatures in Heaven and Earth the star at his birth the sun at his death the Rocks the Earth the Vale of the Temple the dead Saints that slept and rose again and went into the holy City Jews and Heathens enemies and friends what evidence in all respects could be more glorious in such an ebbe of seeming dejection of the true Son of God the true King of Israel till by his glorious conquest over sin death and Hell whereby it was impossible for him any longer to be held under he wonderfully at his resurrection declared himself to be a most powerful King and that all-conquering King that will set up his Kingdom in the world when he will yet further make his enemies to feel his Kingly power by making them his foot-stool as his Father had promised after the set time of his sitting at his â—ight hand when that shall be fulfilled Psa 110. th at he may triumph with his people in his glorious raign according to the promises and covenant made unto the Fore-fathers and recorded by the holy Prophets since the world began And once more after his resurrection he once again to his Disciples implyes no less having finished almost the forty days in speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1.3 when they would know of him whether at that time he would restore the Kingdom to Israel though he repels their curiosity in respect of the time which God then kept in his own power to make known verse 7. that it was not for them to know the time then yet he doth not at all gainsay the thing but in the next verse he shews they should receive power by the Holy Ghost which accordingly they did in that particular as appeared in James Peter Jude then in Paul being converted and last of all he gave to St. John the Revelation of things to come to the end of the world he sets down in the due place in the series of times ensuing when that his Kingdom should be set up namely under or af-the seventh Trumpet and in that
thousand years particularly specified Rev. 20. when he would raign with his Saints on the earth and when the new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of Heaven Rev. 21.2 By all which it may appear that in the whole body of the Book of God the life-blood and spirits as it were of the Scriptures concerning Christ seem cheifly to run in this vein to set forth the excellency of his kingly Office and that even the eminent use of Prophesie in the first period and the execution of Priesthood in the second do in a great part make way for and usher in the most eminent glory of his Kingly Office in the third Period whereupon Christs mediatorship will be perfected full reconciliation made with God and abundant enterance to the mystical body of Christ together with himself their head administred into eternal and perfect blessedness Thus having offered unto the consideration of serious and truly Christian Spirits all the forementioned evidences to confirm this glorious excellent truth wherein the main difficulty of the matter seemed to lye as respecting the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that most certainly the raign and Kingdom of Christ in the world eminently is to come as our Saviour hath made known to Saint John in the thousand years under or after the seventh Trumpet We should here proceed to the other part which concerns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things fore-promised to be enjoyed by Gods people in the time of such his reign And that both spiritually viz. Abundance of grace spiritual peace joy security large communion with God Christ and the holy Spirit Together with much benefit and comfort by the perfected Saints perfected I say in respect of their real happiness and the security of it Rev. 22.9 on such the second death shall have no power And also temporally viz. abundance of outward plenty peace security comfort in the enjoyment of the temporal blessings and good things of this life more then ever any ages of the world since the fall obtained whereunto the Scriptures likewise give large Testimony But because there have been in sundry Proofs already many things set forth to this purpose concerning the things of Christs Kingdom and in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or forrunner hereof already published as in a short abridgement thereof contained many great things of such nature from evident Texts of holy Scripture We shall not at present proceed any further therein but as the Providence of God may further lead thereunto But de modo now we shall add nothing fearing to be either too curious or peremptory therein onely at present resolving that either mystically or personally in case of a new dispensation that Kingdom of Christ will in its time appear that we may not gain-say such as have obtained more light therein nor seem to diminish from the glory of it or any ways resist the truth We should likewise in the last place adde some improvement of this to all sorts of persons which we shall only at present in two words as it were adjoyn First to warn all opposers to take heed that either by denying or opposing Christ Kingdome in Doctrine practice or project least when Christ comes in his Kingdom they should be found resisters thereof and fighters against it or particularly comes in wrath against any such in the interim by sending any swift messenger thereof unto them remembring his sentence against those old rebels the Jews Luk. 19.27 But those mine enemes that would not that I should rule over them bring hither and slay them before me For it is a desperate danger to be found fighters against Christ upon any account or engagement in the world whatsoever at any other time but more especially at that time when he shall come in his glory and will manifest his great power and wrath upon them Secondly To encourage all Christs over-comers to be valiant and resolute in fighting against and resisting of all Satanical frauds and Antichristian oppositions against Christ and his Kingdom and to plead Christs right for the strenghening of others to stand on Christs part but always according to Christs warrant and direction in the pleading of this his last clause in the last part of his New Testament-will left amongst us in special mercy to poor unworthy sinners And for their encouragement they may observe from his word that it seems not to be long before he will make it good Surely saith he I come quickly Rev. 22.20 and this is according to the order of things therewith described probable in its order to draw on very fast For Antichrists ruin will make way for Christs reign on earth in that his eminent Kingdome Office and Authority and to that end let both sorts seriously consider that excellent closure of the Prophesie of that Evangelical Prophet Esay Chap. the last vers 5. and so forward which seems very apposite to that purpose and seriously to be weighed upon sundry considerations both respecting the latter time of Anti-christ and divers matters concerning Christs Kingdom then to come And so we conclude with the Churches earnest request unto Christ for the hastening of his coming Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen Arguments for Christs Kingdom upon earth from the Lords Prayer First from the three first Petitions Arg. 1 VVHat Christ set down as the cheif rule and direction of the prayer and faith of his people shall surely be accomplished But that Gods Name should be Hallowed his Kingdom come his will be done on Earth as in Heaven is by him given as the cheif rule of their prayer and ground of their faith Therefore These things shall most surely have their accomplishment on Earth as in Heaven That is intra spheram activitatis quoad statum which in this respect is like to be remakable though corruption then be in the Saints yet will be then strongly and powerfully resisted the more grace the more glory to God then and after to themselves Arg. 2 At what time these are most-eminently promised and foretold to be in the world in that they shall be fulfilled and performed But in Christs reign on earth they are most eminently promised and foretold that they shall be Rev. 11. Rev. 20. Therefore In that time they shall be fulfilled and performed Argument from the fourth Petition Gods people may then pray most comfortably and confidently for daily bread when they find all such grace most inlarged on his Church unto which the entail of all needful temporal blessings is cheifly made yea and upon that account are in great abundance promised But such entail of needful supply of temporals or daily bread upon the abundance of spiritual grace in the time of Christs said reign upon that account is more strongly then made unto them yea and abundance of temporal prosperity unto the abundant measure of grace which then will be given Therefore Gods people will most comfortably and confidently then pray for it Argument from the
with glory to judge both the quick and the dead whose Kingdom shall have none end THose that acknowledge a Kingdom of Christ as Mediator after his first glorious appearance or coming to judge the quick and the dead plainly acknowledge his Kingdom of the thousand years But the composers of the Nicene Creed plainly acknowledge such a Kingdom of Christ after his first glorious appearance or coming to judge the quick and the dead Therefore The composers of the Nicene Creed plainly acknowledge Christs Kingdom in the thousand years This is proved from the quotation of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Title Page grounded upon the Prophesie of Daniel and after the thousand years Christ as Mediator will have no kingdom it being at the end of the world to be given up to God the Father c. Arguments from the Article of the Nicone Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and Giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son is to be worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets At what times the Scriptures foretell that the Holy Ghost who spake by all the holy Prophets will most inlighten his Saints and Servants in the right understanding of them and will most be manifest to be the Lord and Giver of spiritual life and consequently to be most evidently to be worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son all Gods faithful people are bound specially to believe in him in reference to the fulfilling of all such Prophesies concerning those times But the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures hath expresly and particularly foretold that such things shall be eminently fulfilled in the time of Christs said Kingdom upon earth when he will most evidently appear to be the Lord and Giver of spiritual life and consequently most eminently to be worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son Therefore All Gods faithful people ought specially to believe in the Holy Ghost in reference unto such eminent fulfilling of such spiritual promises concerning those times He first spake by the Prophets more rarely till Christ was come in the flesh namely only to those few special messengers from time to time whom he immediately inspired He was given more plentifully unto his Saints and Servants after Christ was glorified for so saith the Apostle Joh. 7.39 But after our Saviour commanded his Disciples to tarry at Jerusalem until they were indued with power from on high 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Phrase is Emphatical the same with Rom. 13.14 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and they were so soon after indued with the holy Ghost Act. 2. which in verse 33. St. Peter calls the receiving of the promise of the Holy Ghost hence the Apostles had a spirit of power 2 Tim. 1.7 and so had all the company of the beleivers that prayed with Peter and John Act. 4.31 when the place was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Ghost So was Steven Act. 6. and many others not onely Jews but Gentiles which then seemed strange to the Christian Jews Act. 10.45 47. but this held not long but for the first setling and ratifying the Gospel of Christ in such extraordinary manner which is by judicious men conceived to be as a preludium of the great fulfilling of the prophesies fully to be accomplished in the thousand years to the end which were applyed likewise for that time by the Apostle Act. 2. out of Joel 2. and Esa 44.3 unto which great fulfilling seems the applying Psa 8. in Act. 4.24 and Act. 2.25 in that prayer when the place was shaken vers 31. to the end both which places have reference mainly unto those times as Heb. 2. and the context of Psal 2. doth evidently make manifest then all Gods Saints will more evidently with open face behold the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same Image by the Lord the Spirit that Spirit of power that was in those first times sent down upon the Apostles and others extraordinarily And if Christ shed forth his Spirit so wonderfully at that time when he went to receive his Kingdom how will he pour it out upon all his Saints when he shall come gloriously to rule and reign in his Kingdom in a different and more eminent way then ever before manifest unto the world which will be executed every way irresistibly and prevalently towards enemies and his people of all sorts by his spirit of Power and Domination as Tremel upon 2 Cor. 3.18 who will then likewise be more fully and evidently manifest to be our God with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son is to be worshipped and glorified as the Niâ—ene Creed excellently For the glory of the whole Trinity will wonderfully shine out in that Kingdom of Christ upon earth when the Tabernacle of God is with men So Rev. 11.19 and the pure river of the water of Life shall run through the New Jerusalem come down from heaven which is the place our Saviour tells his Disciples Joh. 14.13 that he went to prepare for them when he would receive them to himself that they might be where he is as divers Scriptures evidence where he injoyns them that as they beleive in God they should also beleive in him and presently after in the same Chapter doth twice promise to them the Holy Ghost First to be a Comforter to them Secondly to lead them into all truth Vers 16. and afterwards again Vers 26. and so God the Father Son and Holy Ghost will be then made evidently manifest unto the Saints when they shall possess that place which Christ there promised to prepare for his Disciples c. even to all the faithful in their degree for they shall all then know him from the least unto the greatest Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.11 As for Testimony of Primitive Churches and Doctors take the evidence of the Nicene Council and therewith the Nicene Creed of whose Kingdom there shall be no end set down in the Title page with sundry quotations of Ancients and Fathers breifly set down in the Appendix following concerning which particular it is not needful here to be large because it is so plentifully learnedly and judiciously already performed by Dr. Nathaniel Homes in the first part of the Dawning of the day-star and in divers other parts of that Book whither the Judicious Reader may be referred in this point for abundant satisfaction therein whereby this Doctrine of Christs reign is abundantly vindicated from novelty and manifested to be purely primitive THE APPENDIX Wherein is breifly considered what Rev. 20. Chap. sets down concerning the thousand years but more especially voncerning the first resurrection verse 4 5.6 compared with the other parallel Text having reference to the same time Rev. 11.15 16 17 18. Setting forth divers reasons for such resurrection of the Saints bodies then spoken of in the said Texts with sundry
should not enter into that rest Yea Moses himself was so provoked by them that he spake unadvisedly with his lips and they so tempted Aaron the Saint of Lord as Psal 106.16 that neither of them came into the land of Canaan nor any other of the people save Josua and Caleb of all that generation above the age of 20. years that had been delivered out of the hands of Pharaoh yet in Gods own time he accomplished his promise in giving that people possession of that land Josh 23.14 When faithful and holy David was anointed to be the Captain of Gods people even he in fighting the Lords battels found the sheild of his faith so shattered that despondently once he said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul and thereupon ran himself upon dangerous rocks of temptation amongst Gods enemies from which notwithstanding God graciously delivered him and at last brought him into full possession of the Kingdom over all the tribes of Israel and Judah When Judahs 70. years Captivity in Babylon was almost expired they despise the day of small things and say the time is not yet come to build the house of the Lord Haggai 2.2 by whom God yet foreshewed that the great Mountain of strong opposition that stood before Zerobabel should become a plain and so it came to pass Yea when Christ himself the long expected Messiah came at the time in the place manner condition and in every respect as had been foretold he should come in the flesh how few even in Jerusalem or in Judaea acknowledged or regarded his wonderful birth his holy and wise demeavour and heavenly manner of life after all those divine witnesses of Simeon Zachary Anna Elizabeth c. or the very Angels before and at his birth or any thing afterward that set him forth to be wonderful before the time came wherein he openly manifested himself in the world and after that how was his person despised his doctrine and miracles though such as never man taught or wrought in the world before not only not regarded but even blasphemed by the great ones of those times and by their means likewise not owned by inferiours lest they should be cast out of the Synagogue and though some of the Preists believed in him they durst not confess him If Nicodemus a Mr. in Israel acknowledge and own him it must be in the night when he may not be seen and all the strange wonders before and at his death and resurrection and afterwards for the most part neglected and buried in silence So strangely in the worlds view and even in good mens too many times Gods greatest predictions and promises use to take place And have not since Christ the six first Seals of the Primitive times when Michael and the Dragon fought hand to hand as 't were whose worship should be set up and some of the Trumpets after wards been mystically sulfilled and passed according to the series of their several times which Mr. Mede on the Revelations very appositly applies How have those many Synchronisms of Antichrists tyranny 42. months with the two witnesses prophesie in sackcloth 1260. days of years Rev. 11. The Beast out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns according to his Politick capacity the other out of the Earth with two horns like a Lamb according to the Ecclesiastical capacity Rev. 13. lyen hidden from most mens eyes And hath not the woman the true Church though gloriously at first adorned Rev. 12. yet since as long been forced into the wilderness Rev. 14. where her place was prepared and all that while the Scarlet Whore the Antichristian or false Church sits as a Queen and not only bewitcheth the Christian World with her Sorceries but also with the Cup of her Spiritual Fornications makes drunk the Kings of the Earth till the will of God shall be fulfilled when they shall hate her and make her desolate and naked and eat her fiesh and burn her with fire Rev. 17.16 17. And how few take notice that the time of her recompence is near Rev. 18.6 7. How many of Gods Vials are already poured out upon her How far she hath done her utmost in killing Christs witnesses even few do seriously ponder And when the second Woe is past how soon may sound the Trumpet of the seventh Angel such who can delare And thence forth many other excellent contemporaries are reveased from Jesus Christ the faithful and true witness and set before us under and after the said Trumpet who as he is about wonderfully to glorifie himself in taking his Kingly power Rev. 19. When the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of our God and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 in a far different manner then they have been formerly So likewise how long the earth shall be blessed with that happy Dominion he as clearly sets before his people Rev. 20.4 namely for the space of a thousand years even near or until the last judgement Vers 7 11 12. c. And after the Chronology of the time and after the time of the said seventh Trumpet in the 20. Chap. vers 7. where first having set down Vers 1 2. the contemporary binding of Satan and casting him into the bottomless pit and sealing him up there during that time having also subdued before the powers of the wicked world while he himself with his Saints vers 4.6 will wonderfully gloriously and graciously more then before manifest his Kingly power in the world the said thousand years wherein in the said following Chapters he evidently and strongly informes his people in the substance of many other contemporaries As first of the new Heavens and the new Earth for the thousand years chap. 21.1 and the New Jerusalem descending down from Heaven vers 10. and the Tabernacle of God being with men for the same time vers 3. again chap. 22. there is set forth the pure river of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb vers 1. and the tree of life bearing twelve manner of fruits the leaves whereof are for the healing of the Nations through the same period Vers 2. for in all the Book of Revelations where things are not said to succeed one another as the Seals Trumpets and Vials but one Table of Chronoligie is assigned to them all such distinct visions are contemporaries as all that concerned the true and false Church in Antichrists time have the same measure though diverslly computed by Moneths Days and a times time and an half So all these Visions under and after the seventh Trumpet have one Chronological Table to compute their time viz. a thousand years all which particulars being by Christs special order so strongly asserted by the Angel and the antient and latter Prophets as earnestly called in for evidence hereunto as we shall endeavour by Gods assistance to point out afterward yet so Providence hath over-ruled and ordered that though the substance of all these
powerful wonderful gracious and glorious to his Church upon earth as her great Prophet Priest and King Eleventhly Christs execution of the said three great Offices is two ways to be considered 1. More generaly for his universal Church in respect of the several seasons wherein in order he was to execute them severally most eminently until his work of Mediatorship should perfectly be accomplished and full reconciliation made between God and all his elect people his mystical body the true Church being compleat in all the members of it and perfect union and communion attained with himself as their mystical head together with the Father and the Holy Spirit as also with the glorious Angels and one with another in most happy enjoyment of all good to all eternity 2. It is again considerable particularly and specially in respect of every truely beleiving soul in the particular application of the efficacy of those three great Offices to them by his holy Spirit making good means and ordinances effiâ—acious to every faithful soul so exhibiting himself to them 1. As their great Prophet inwardly powerfully and savingly teaching them all necessary truth and doctrine 2. As their great High-Priest in the like way evidencing their peace and reconciliation with God through that expiation he should or hath made for their sins 3. In the like-way also to evidence to them at one time or other that he is their powerful King and Protector that hath and doth and will subdue all his and their enemies and keep them in a loyal and good condition by Faith and Grace unto salvation Twelfthly Consider that the general more eminent and glorious execution of those three great offices for his universal Church more remarkeable in the world is in those three great periods of his manifesting himself in the world according to all that his father had given him to do 1. As the great Prophet of his Church by his spirit of wisdom and revelation in all his immediate Messengers till his coming in the flesh and so Christ is said to preach in the time of Noah to the Spirits in prison as St. Peter speaketh 1 Pet. 3.19 20. 2. As the great High-Priest in the second Period after his coming in the flesh where putting an end to all the types and shadows of his Priesthood he actually undertook in his person and executed the work and office of Priesthood as the great High-Priest having made a full and perfect attonement and satisfaction for the sins of all his people he ascended into the holy of holies the highest Heavens there sitting at the right hand of God the Father powerfully and gloriously there to execute and improve that office by making intercession for his people till his coming again 3. In the third great period of the world under or after the seventh Trumpet Christ will appear most eminently in executing the great office of a King in this general confideration in respect of his universal Church subduing wonderfully and manifestly in the world his own and his Churches enemies powerfully and graciously enabling his Saints to walk in the obedience of his laws taking away in a great degree the evil of sin and suffering with the causes of both by binding Satan and destroying the wicked powers of the world c. I say in a great degree though not then totally nor finally Lastly Consider how Christ hath and doth and will work in these three great Periods of the world In the first he wrought by his Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation making known the Will of the Father in all things for substance respecting Faith and Obedience In the second by his Spirit of grace and truth powerfully sanctifying his people more eminently and largely then in the former In the last when he will take to himself his Kingly power Rev. 11.15 and 19. He will work by his Spirit of Power and Domination Now from the former Theses duly weighed and considered these particulars ensuing or the like may be inferred viz. That 1. If the design of the Trin-Une Diety was to be eminently glorified in Christ the Mediator his three great Offices of being the great Prophet Priest and King of his universal true Church then that greatest glory must needs shine forth in the most eminent way of executing of them But the general performance thereof in the said three great periods is the most eminent way of executing them Therefore That design hath and will be therein most accomplished 2. If the drift and end of the great works of Creation Support and Providence in all things ever since time was and until time shall cease to be was in reference unto Gods glorifying of himself in such general management of these Offices of Christ for his universal true Church then in that respect he is most glorified But their drift and end is so in reference thereunto Therefore God is most glorified in such management of them 3. If such general execution of them in reference to the universal true Church be the foundation and securing thereof to particular beleiving souls or secondly in respect of any more special times or special conditions of the Church as will hereafter appear then all the good of the other is procured and secured by that general execution of them But such Christs general execution of these Offices it he soundation and securing of both the other Therefore The good of both the other is secured and procured thereby 4. If the great works of Creation Support and Providence have been all along ordered in reference to Chrifts carrying on of his great work of Mediatorship cheifly in those three great periods forenamed then such consideration of them is of great concernment to the true universal Church But all those said great works have been ordered all along in reserence to Christs carrying on his great work of Mediatorship therein Therefore Such consideration of these three great periods fore-named for the general managing of all the Mediators Offices is of great concernment to the true Universal Church 5. If such Christs general prophetical Office in the first great period hath revealed the substance of the whole counsel of God in respect of all to be done successively in such Priestly and Kingly Offices so generally considered in the other two succeeding great periods it shall so be done But it hath so revealed and in a great part hath been so fulfilled accordingly by suitable dispensations at all times hitherto Therefore What is so revealed for the future shall accordingly be fulfilled also 6. If according to Scripture experience hath manifested the glory of the Mediators office most eminently for what is past in such general consideration and doth witness the like for the time to come then in due time will be like execution for the general in regard of what remains to be done But according to Scripture it hath been so accomplished in experience in what is past Therefore According to Scripture it shall be so in the time to
attonement they expected to be accepted and so spiritually now Christ hath made all his servants in his true Church both the twenty four Elders and the four living wights Kings and Priests unto God and an excellent Kingdom by faith and grace they know they shall even upon earth injoy in due time as may appear in the next Chap. 5. Vers 10. We shall reign upon earth And so we have represented what is here said of Gods true Church under the Old Testament by the representatives thereof praising him as Creatour all which time it is to be observed that his holy Sabbath was kept in remembrance of God as creatour of Heaven and Earth and that he rested on the seventh day from his work of Creation which was by our Saviour in the New Testament changed to the first day of the week in remembrance of the work of our Redemption and for the honour of him our Redeemer who rose the first day of the week from the dead when he had finished that most glorious work c. A few things more I shall commend to your Christian consideration from the Old Testament before we come to speak of the fifth Chap. of the Revelation as to our forementioned purpose for whereas in the Vision concerning the Trinity of persons in the former Chap. the second person viz. God the Son to whom the great work of Mediatorship was committed being set forth as it seems by the Rainbow in sight like an Emerald which Rainbow plainly minds us both of the Flood and the Ark the Flood again holding out 1. Judgement to the Old World 2. Mercy to Noah and the new World Again the Ark both then and from Moses time evidencing Christs gracious presence with his people both in the Old and New world And the consideration of God the Sons execution of all the Mediatours great Offices as the great Prophet Priest and King of his true Church are so frequently set before Gods people in succession of times in the Church as the great thing to be eyed by them therefore besides the general respect of these three offices to the universal Church and the particular to every true beleiver in all times there seems a third respect to be much taken notice of in Holy Scripture of many special manifestations of the said three Offices of Christ in the several ages and conditions of his Church or rather of Christs so setting himself forth before his people in those several times in these three great Offices For as there hath been a most large time of his Prophetical Office under the Old Testament when Christ by a spirit of Wisdom and Revelation till his coming in the flesh revealed all his Fathers will And 2. According to his Priesty Office ever since And so 3. Will do in the third period under or after the seventh Trumpet in his Kingly office likewise as may happily be frequently observable in Scripture how by a remarkable divine hand there have been many shews hereof in many lesser periods First Even before the flood there were some shadowings of Christ in all his offices 1. Of Prophesie in that he revealed himself to the Holy Fathers of the first times by voyces visions dreams and the like what services would be acceptable to the Father 2. As a Priest in Enoch in that Enoch as Christ in the flesh came to do the Will of God in the body Heb. 5.10 Who as Christs type so walked with God he was translated as Christ when he had done his Fathers Will ascended into Heaven 3. As a King in Noah whom he fitted and inabled him so to preserve his Family and all them with him in the Ark when all his enemies were wonderfully and justly destroyed by the Flood Secondly Again after the Flood in Abrahams time Christ revealed his Fathers will to him as his Prophet calling him from his Fathers Idolatry teaching him to serve the true God as was agreeing to his will making him a King by subduing those Kings that had carried Lot captive and rescuing him and those that belonged to Lot yea in that he offered his Son Isaac he acted as a Priest and was blessed by Melchisedeck the Priest of the most high God who was likewise King of Salem of whose order of Priesthood Christ was to be who was without Father without Mother without beginning of days or end of life as the Apostle describes him Hebrews 7.3 But Thirdly more remarkably after God would have an instituted Church in the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to whom he had made and renewed his promise of Canaan and given them the Sacrament of Circumcision as a sign and seal of his free grace promised to them and had brought their posterity out of Egypt with an high hand and conducted them through the Red Sea to sacrifice to himself in the wilderness not as their Fathers had done formerly but as Moses told Pharoah as the Lord their God should afterwards teach them for they knew not how he would be served till they came into the Wilderness where he afterward appointed his instituted worship for till the making of that Covenant with Abraham and his seed the Sacrifices that had been used all along till then seemed as much to have had the nature of a Sacrament to strengthen and confirm the faith of the beleiving Antients in the Messiah to come for we read not of any other they had till Abraham as to typifie unto them that Christ was to dye for their sins But after Gods instituted Worship by Moses Ministry the said three great Offices of Christ seem to be frequently shadowed out Moses was his Prophet who is likewise said to be King in Jesurun and Aaron who was his mouth unto Pharaoh at first was afterwards actually the High-Priest the first type of Christ in that order and office but all along that Ministration till Sauls worldly Kingdom was set up in causeless discontent by the peoples corrupt will who would have a King instead of good Samuel and of God himself who told Samuel 1 Sam. 8. they had not cast off him but God likewise for they sought a King after their own corrupt will not seeking to know Gods pleasure therein which soon again fell when God had sought him a man even David whom God set up And when the Israelites were actually come out of Egypt and had miraculously passed through the Red Sea whereby was figured how by Baptism and spiritual Regeneration Gods people are brought out of the bondage of sin and Satan and so soon as they were come into the Wilderness which many ways shadows out the state of Gods people in the world c. then Moses as a Prophet makes known the Will of God to them Aaron as a Priest makes intercession to God for them and Christ himself as judicious Burgess proves as the great King gives his Laws in great Majesty and terrour for all things to be observed by his people though Moses was then
in the glory of his powerful grace and the confluence of such redeemed and saved souls Therefore Such reign of Christ remains still to be executed by him 7. If without such reign of Christ on earth the mystical body of Christ will not be compleated and that in the far greatest part of the members thereof then to come in then it must necessary come in its time to make his mystical body compleat in the members thereof But otherwise it will not be compleat in the far greatest part of the members thereof Therefore It must come in in that its due time CHAP. III. NOw let us come to consider in what manner it may or shall be wherein the great difficulty of the reign of Christ seems to lye which we shall endeavour to hold out two ways These Reasons were writ the contrary way in the Original Copy First In setting down some reasons which may seem to make against the personal reign in his humane nature And Secondly To shew that it probably may be understood in a mystical manner for that some way it shall be according to Scripture is not to be denyed but because that such as his raign shall be such will his coming be when he is to raign and take the Kingdom to himself and set it up in the world we shall therefore in reference thereunto by Gods assistance shew the several sences of his coming according to Scripture since his Ascention into Heaven and endeavour to open this particular sense of his coming to raign under or after the seventh Trumpet and to give some illustrations thereof The first of these we shall now endeavour under this head namely to offer some reasons against a personal reign in his humane nature which are these that follow Unto which upon more serious consideration I have added these ensuing Answers Answer to that But such as his reign shall be such will his coming be That though that may hold true in a general sense These Answers were added to the eleven Reasons in Apr. 1665. yet not in a special for though he will personally appear according to Scripture in the Clouds Visible to the sight of all at his coming yet it is not manifest in so much As I can discern that Christ will at least ordinarily be personally visible to any save those in the New Jerusalem the thousand years though the whole world will then be his Kingdom and at his pleasure he may then stay at or visibly enlighten that City of him the great King as it is called Mat. 5. and shew forth his glory there how and as long as he pleaseth or otherwhere likewise as to Paul Stephen or as in the story related by Mr. Mede in his Answer to Dr. Twisse his second Letter of his visible appearing on a purple Cloud and speaking to the Jews in a great contest with the Christians in the Kingdom of the Omerites about three hundred years after his Ascention for as he hath manifested his Kingly glory in the world in the time of his sitting at the Right Hand of God the Father in Heaven so may be as he and the Father pleaseth some way manifest himself personally Visible in the World though probably vailed save unto the raised Saints in the time of his reign upon earth Answer in general to all the Reasons First and in general to those seeming reasons against Christs personal coming and appearing at the last ruine of Antichrist which I first tendered according to my then present apprehension but afterward by a remarkable hand of God upon me was further resolved from his word as in the sequel may appear Whereupon is likewise considerably offered that in case of a new dispensation a great part of these Reasons will fall voide Answer First Because the Scriptures do not clearly affirm any such thing as his personal being upon earth before the last day of Judgement But since I have found many places of Scripture that sufficiently evince it as in the Fore-runner in the Paper Sep. 27. 1664. But to come to answer them particularly in order for the tendering of things contrary often occasion the clearing up of truth which I wholely herein aimed at or at least then groaped after for some time And thinking it more safe then to prove that such an appearance and reign of Christ should be then which in order of nature was first to be proved and onely offer things considerable at least in appearance why I conceived it to be in this or that manner as both before and after may be observed But the paper Sep. 27. 1664. in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may sufficiently shew my mistake in that seeming reason Secondly Because the interpretations to that purpose do not seem convincing Thirdly Because such interpretations do seem to gain-say some articles of the Christian faith and such interpretations are not to be given that have not Scripture warrant especially if they oppose the received Articles of Christian Religion Answer to the second and third Reasons That the interpreting of Christs coming or appearing to be personal and visible about the destruction of Antichrist and afterwards gloriously to be manifest at least to the raised Saints in the World is not contrary to Scripture but a Scriptural explication of an Article of Faith See in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter end of two papers of Dec. 7. and Sep. 27. Fourthly There seems to be no necessity of any such personal presence since the Scriptures witness how that by a wonderful powerful and glorious presence many great things have been accomplished effectually for the Church in former and latter times as all along when Israel came out of Egypt Christ wonderfully shewed himself to be their King in plagueing Pharâ—ah in destroying him and his Host in the Red Sea while Israel passed safely through it in conducting them wonderfully and graciously by a Pillar of a Cloud by day and a Pillar of fire by night all the time they sojourned in the wilderness as signes of his presence with them to guide them provide for them and protect them And when Christ so evangelically gave to them the Law on Mount Sinai Vide Mr. Ant Burg. Vin. Log. p. 145 146. as Divines do evidence thereby declaring himself their King and Law-giver with such Majesty and terror by thundring and lightning and burning of the Mount with shaking and trembling and a mighty voyce which made Moses himself exceedingly to tremble and quake and the people so affrighted c. And afterward appearing unto Joshua with a Sword in his hand he declared to him he would go with him to subdue the Canaanites saying he himself was the Prince of the Host of the Lord when Joshua likewise worshipped him as is recorded Josh 5.13 14. So Rev. 19.11 12. there is a glorious description how he goes against Antichrist at the Armageddon Battel when he will deliver his people from that spiritual Egyptian and Babylonian bongage
c. as in many other instances of the Old and New Testament which hereafter we may set down Answer 4. God in his own institutions and determinations is sole judge of what is necessary for the accomplishment of the whole work of redemption by Christ and as to that the holy Scriptures onely can resolve us and for what is alleadged in the fourth Reason concerning the Old Testament may be answered that such things then which were mystical though wonderful were more suitable to the Old Testament in that regard Christ had not then actually taken upon himself his humane nature and since his ascention I think none can considerately deny but be spake personally to Saul why persecutest thou me and was personally seen of Steven at his death if the Text be duly weighed and why not afterward when the Scripture is so evident yea Mr. Mede makes his appearance and speaking unto Saul at his conversion to be a type of the way and means of the conversion of the Jews in time to come And for that of the Armageddon battel it is to be considered as a prophetical Vision and revelation of what will be really performed hereafter Fifthly Christs bodily presence upon earth was onely so far forth necessary as made for the accomplishment of what his Prophetical Spirit did foreshew in the Old Testament wâ— aâ— hereby done as to his Priestly Office till the day of judgement inputting an end to all the typicall Sacrifices by the once offering up of himself for the sins of his people and to bring in an everlasting righteousness as the Prophet Daniel speaks until he come as the great Judge of quick and dead Answer 5. The Prophet Daniel doth as clearly speak of Christs personal coming at the destruction of Antichrist and Zachary of his being seen by every eye then as other Scriptures of the Old Testament spake of his coming to take our nature of the blessed Virgin and seed of David And for the day of Judgement this appearing will be the beginning of it as Mr. Mede aboundantly proves and then coming to be personally and gloriously as a King in the world will so continue while the world endures though how at all times in any place saving in the new Jerusalem we cannot so fully according to Scripture resolve Sixthly Ever since his ascention into Heaven he hath and will improve his perfect oblation of himself for the sins of his people at the right hand of God his Heavenly Father by making intercession for his people personally in his humane nature till the work of his mediation be fully perfected Answer 6. The improving of his Office of Priesthood at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven seems limited to the time of his appearing when he will begin eminently and visibly to make his foes his footstool as Psal 110. and if in another way by a presential intercession for his people when his Kingly glory shall more eminently shine forth he may then do what God hath appointed and in what concerns his Priestly Office accordingly what shall remain for the accomplishment of his work of Mediation and as God hath determined it shall most certainly be done but the holy Scriptures seems to limit his sitting at Gods right hand to that time Seventhly By his so remaining there to that purpose is really fulfilled in him the Antitype what was typified by the High-Priest in the Old Testament as the Apostle expounds it Heb. 9.26 27 28. As the High-Priest went once a year into the Holy of Holies to offer so he was once offered in the end of the world but not to appear bodily again till the Judgement having put away sin by that once offering up of himself which the High-Priest under the Law by offering the blood of beasts every year could not do as the Apostle shews Answer 7. What is there held out doth nothing contradict the former answer being considered in the Scripture sence for so he doth it till the time spoken of the day of judgement as was before said Eighthly While there is sin in the Saints upon earth there will be need of Christs personal mediation and intercession for them at Gods right hand for as this was done typically from Adams fall in Sacrifices and Oblations by Gods direction and more especially under the Ceremonial Law according to his special appointment in all particulars until his once offering himself in the flesh so it is by him alone who is able to save his people to the uttermost really and perfectly performed in the said Office of mediation and intercession and will be so till his mystical body shall be made perfect in all the members of it Answer 8. That it will be done for place and continuance whatsoever shall be needful for the accomplishment of Christs Priestly Office it is not to be questioned But in every thing how after his great and glorious appearing formerly spoken of that Office shall be executed happily we cannot yet fully determâ—ne But for the place of doing it at Gods right hand in heaven as before was said the Scripture seems to limit to that period of the eminent manifestation of his Kingly Office in the world Ninethly Because he promised when he was ascended he would draw all his Elect to him Joh. 12.32 which promise seems will not be fulfilled while any of them remain upon the earth or till the end of the world Answer 9. That he hath spiritually and evidently drawn all sorts of the Saints to him hath in all ages according to Scripture been abundantly manifest many ways to beleiving souls and that he will hereafter powerfully not onely draw but authoritatively and efficâ—â—iously command his people to be obedient to him their heavenly King by a more eminent manifestation of his Divine grace to them and more powerful conferring his spiritual grace upon them in that time of his glorious Kingdom in the world the Scripture is abundant in giving Testimony thereto as in many Promises and Prophesies in this Tract may appear Tenthly He is gone to prepare a place for all his Elect now the Apostle shews that none shall prevent one another so that the mystical body of Christ must be compreaâ— and perfect that an the members thereof may ascend into glory together at once with Christ Jesus their mystical head Answer 10. The Doctrine of Christs Kingdom the thousand years doth nothing gainsay what is therein alleadged neither shall the Saints prevent one another in the sence there intended but joyntly at the sounding of that last Trumpet at the end of the world shall be changed in a moment at the twinkling of an eye as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 15. and be rapt up to meet Christ in the air at once together and thenceforth ever be with the Lord. Eleventhly The glory of Christ in heaven is such as men in a mortal condition are not able to behold as the Apostle shews 1 Tim 6.15 16. Who saith he onely hath
immortality dwelling in the light which none can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see Now we may not conceive that Christ should again denude himself of his glory which he hath so dearly purchased by his former humiliation and sufferings or at least greatly diminish it to come to remain with men personally upon earth Ans 11. Though Christ shall not diminish his glory to be in the world and be seen of men when the Tabernacle of God is said to be with men Rev. 22. but rather accomplish the end of his sitting in glory with his Father in Heaven till that time namely to receive to himself a Kingdom and then to return as be himself speaketh Luk. 19.12 Yet at his glorious appearing he will manifest himself visibly unto men as vailing his glory with clouds for a time at least to be discernable by them And how often or how long he may do so being then in his Kingdom the World through whom even Abraham also is stiled Heir of the world by the righteousness of saith as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 4.13 I see no sufficient ground to determine And I beleive many things will then be done by him that we cannot yet apprehend neither are necessary for us to know but as he shall be pleased to reveal any of them as useful to his Church hereafter CHAP. IV. Wherein are set down six several sences of Christs coming recorded in the New Testament since his Ascention whereof the fifth is taken for his coming or appearing at the destruction of Antichrist which whether it be to be understood mystically or personally how-ever wonderfully diverse things are offered to be considered but left to the judicious Reader duly to weigh and determine as God by his Word and Spirit may direct onely resolving that most surely one way of the two it will be at that time and to that purpose many evident Testimonies are occasionally added from those four Apostles to whom Christ manifested his Kingly glory namely first to the three Discipls Peter James and John in the Mount and afterwrads to St. Paul at his conversion and in the last place are many considerable resolves many ways represented to such as may seem to reason again-such mystical Doctrine THus having briefly tendred some reasons against Christs personal coming and appearing in the time when his Kingdom shall be eminently set up in the world in the thousand years spoken of Rev. 20. The thing we shall now endeavour concerning it is to shew that it is to be understood mistically though it is probably wonderfully and gloriously and powerfully to be fulfilled when that time is come though in many respects it may not be understood fully till it be in actual being but to that end we may the better understand what the Scripture speaketh in reference hereto we shall endeavour to represent the several senses wherein the coming of Christ is taken in several places since his Ascention into Heaven First It is taken spiritually for his gracious coming unto his faithful and obedient Servants So it is Rev. 3.20 If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me Such shall find spiritual refreshment in Christs gracious approaches unto him Secondly Christs coming is taken for that glimps or shew of his glorious coming in his Kingdom when he was transfigured before his Disciples Peter James and John Mat. 16. ult When his face shined as the sun and his raiment was white as the light So Mark 9.1 c. Luke 9.27 Concerning which Saint Peter speaketh remarkably 2 Pet. 1.16 17. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eye-witnesses of his Majesty For he received from God the Father honour and glory when their came such a voyce to him from the excellent glory this is my well beloved son in whom I am well pleased and this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount Thirdly Sometimes the coming of Christ is taken for his visional presence as he fore-signified he would come to his Apostle John in vision John 21.22 If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Some thereupon conceived that John should not dye from those words which sense John denys there but it was spoken of his outliving the rest of his Apostles even to the time that he was banished by Domitian into the Isle of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus towards the end of the first century at which time Jesus Christ came unto him in vision under diverse appearances as Chap. 1. when he began to give the Revelation to him afterwards as a Lamb Chap. 5. afterwards as a Warrior on a white Horse conquering and to conquer Chap. 6. as a strong Angel Chap. 10. and as the Mighty King of Kings Rev. 19. and as the great Judge of all men Chap. 20. A fourth sence of Christs coming may be that of Saint James Chap. 5. the coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord draweth nigh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is And behold the Judge standeth before the doors which vers 8.9 seems to be meant of that special dispensative coming our executive coming to fulfil his sentence at Jerusalems destruction by Vespatian and Titus by which words the Apostle James writing to the twelve Tribes scattered viz. the beleiving Jews that were then Pilgrims from their own people for Christs Religion stirs them up to patience in regard Christ would fulfil his threatning against the obstinate Jews which as Josephus and others relate he then terribly did by fearful fights voyces and horrible desolation when an eleven hundred thousand were destroyed and cast in jakes c. in that populous wicked City besides above seventy thousand carried Captive and sold for slaves so this was a dispensative or executive coming at that time 5. It is taken again for his wonderful powerful appearing and glorious coming to destroy Antichrist and his adherents and deliver his people and set up his Kingdom at the beginning of the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11.15 to the end And Rev. 19 20. Set forth by those three Apostles that were at his transfiguration in divers expressions by his appearing and coming and the like and likewise by St. Paul to whom he appeared gloriously to convert him who very remarkably speaks of this coming at the destruction of Antichrist whom he first saith he shall consume with the Spirit of 〈…〉 his messengers and witnesses by testifying against his errors and from the word declaring his desolation shall first bring him low into a deep consumption by all the Vials to be poured out to his destruction but then again he will powerfully do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the appearance of his coming as a Learned Linguist renders it which our translation turnes with the
brightness of his coming but that it is the same coming Rev. 19. The Apostle here plainly shews concerning Antichrists destruction called the battel of Armageddon Rev. 16. The not well observing of this hath occasioned some otherwise learned men to conclude Antichrist should continue to the end of the world and Pareus often mentions the place in that sense which occasioned him to set down the thousand years Rev. 20. from the destruction of Hierusalem to Pope Gregory the seventh As Mr. Brightman from Constantine to Auno 1373. Though he speaks of a glorious Church of the Jews wherein the other doth not agree with him it is like upon the former account that the world should end with Antichrist from 2 Thes 2.8 which coming of Christs seems to be that that Saint John speaks of Rev. 1.7 where he saith he comes with Clouds which coming with Clouds seems necessary then to vail his glory too great for mortal eyes other wise to behold as St. Paul saith otherwise no man hath seen him nor can see him 1 Tim. 6.16 therefore Psa 18.9 11 12. speaks much of clouds to that purpose and every eye shall see him they ye also which peirced him which seems to be in reference to the promise Zac. 12.10 when his people shall mourn with penitent contrition though many others then mourn with bitter lamentation for the heavy judgements then upon the world and great distrinction of evil men c. of which again St. Paul speaketh very Emphatically 2 Tim. 4.1 Who shall judge hoth the quick and the dead at his appearing and at his Kingdom the wicked quick with temporal destruction the faithful dead with recompence as Rev. 11.18 for which he is there praised in a special manner by the twenty four Elders at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Vers 15 16 17. Sixthly and Lastly his coming is taken for the last great day of Judgement decyphered by St. John Rev. 20.11 12. when sitting upon a great white Throne from whose face the Earth and the Heavens fled away and there was found no place for them when all the dead small and grout shall stand before him Now the fifth sense of Christ coming since his ascention into Heaven is that we are to consider which seems to be set forth in Scripture by many expressions which coming of Christ was described to the Apostle John in that Vision Rev. 19.11 to the end where Christ as a most mighty and powerful King going to overthrow and utterly ruine his enemies that is Antichrist and his Complices at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet in the Armageddon battel which coming is sometimes expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the appearance from hence saith St. Paul 2 Tim. 4.8 There is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that love his appearing So the former place 2 Thes 2.8 but again very remarkeably 1 Tim. 6.14 15 16. applying the title then given to Christ Rev. 19.11 12 13. Until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which in his time he shall shew who is the blessed and onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords who onely hath immortally c. so again Tit. 2.13 waiting for the blessed hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ Sometimes it is set forth by his presence or coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15.23 afterwards they that are Christs at his coming the same word before 2 Thes 2.8 At the appearing of his coming Sometimes it is expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Revelation 1 Cor. 1.7 Waiting for the coming the word signifies the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the like purpose 1 Pet. 1.7 That the tryal of faith might be found to praise and honour and glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the appearing i.e. the Revelation of Jesus Christ which till it shall be revealed we shall not happily know many things concerning such his revealing and therefore we may not be peremptory de modo this way or that way though that such a reign and coming of Christ shall be is very evident as we hope to make appear from the Revelations where it is so frequently spoken of and so strongly asserted and confirmed and likewise from multitude of places in Old and New Testament therefore de modo I onely offer my reasons and say what may seem on the other part and what instances might be added in Scripture for such a mystical coming or raign may be easily conceived from many appearances of Christ to the Fathers Abraham Isaac Jacob to Gideon and Sampsons Parents to some of the Prophets and others in the Old Testament but in the New more to our purpose we have a glimps of Christs Kingly glory at his transfiguration when Moses and Elias talked with Christ and what a strang Revelation was that of Christ to Paul before a Jewish Persecutor at his Conversion by a light at Noon-day above the brightness of the Sun to strike him down and make him blind till miraculously healed by Ananias and by an audible voyce saying Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me What a wonderful Revelation was that of Christ to Stephen at his death for to strengthen his sight to see the Heavens open and Christ sitting at the right hand of God God our Saviour who is Lord and Christ can fulfil his pleasure any way he will and he will infallibly do it in that way his spirit hath foretold it though the weak understandings of men may not in some things or the inlarged capacity of Angels may not reach in every respect how God will fulfill his predictions as it was at the Birth of Christ in many particulars And that I may deal truly and ingeniously herein I was the more engaged in such a tenderness and moderation in this though greatly useful yet hitherto somewhat mysterious point of Doctrine in that when I had drawn up the substance of my Reasons against the personal reign in a foul copy by I know not what hand of Providence I suddenly and unwittingly fixed mine eye upon these words Rev. 10. where is said When the seventh Angel begins to sound the mystery of God should be finished which finishing I ever before that time conceived should not be till the last Judgement and then comparing that with what is said at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet chap. 11.18 where to the like effect it is said The Temple of God was opened in Heaven Now the Temple of old signified Christs body wherein the Godhead dwelled bodily and he Temple in heaven might signifie some appearance of Christs humane nature then which in the next words seem more evident And there was seen in the Temple the Ark of his Testament which phrase imports some evident demonstration of Gods grace in Christ de modo I determine nothing peremptorily And
further considering what is said Rev. 21.22 c. to this purpose of of the same time I observed Rev. 21. at the new heavens and the new earth the Tabernacle of God is said to be with men which may denote a near communion in a more unusual manner then formerly and in the new Jerusalem that came down from heaven the Lord God Almighty the Lamb are said both to be the light and the Temple thereof chap. 21 22 23. which may import some excellency both of worship and discovery then to be in the Church Again c. 22. the pure river of water of life out of the Throne of God and the Lamb which may note the abundant and constant overflowings of the graces of the Holy Ghost with power in that time proceeding from the Father the Son and so the tree of life by that river c. to note Christ will be gloriously and graciously present with his Church then to preserve it in that excellent condition as in Paradise if man had eaten of that tree and like to those in Ezekiels Visions in the nine last Chapters of the Temple the New Hierusalem the waters flowing thence and the trees there c. all which Texts seriously weighed occasioned me to apprehend some wonderful new dispensation of grace under the reign of Christ upon the earth which whether it may be some only mystical appearance of Christ glory and Majesty shining from Heaven upon earth either spiritually wrought or visibly apparent as the lighten-from one end of the earth to the other Mat. 24.27 or in what manner or how long that time only may manifest yet Master Brightman who is large upon a flourishing state of the Church of the Jews hath a learned and large exposition of the precious stones in the new Hierusalem applies them spiritually to such a Church to come in earth wherein Paraeus dissenteth from him upon the ground fore-hinted And that Text Psa 110.1 Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool which in the New Testament seems sundry times to have reference to the ruine of Antichrist and his complices seems to limit Christs sitting there to that season And St. Pauls five parts of the mystery of Godliness makes the last to be his taking up into glory as if in that was the finishing of that mystery 1 Tim. 3.16 as the Angel Christ Rev. 10.7 likewise speaks Antichrists time shall be no more But some Scriptures speaking of the end of the World Lo I am with you to the end of the World Mat. 28. ult and so the parable of the Tares the Harvest is the end of the world seemed to oppose any new way of dispensation but setting against those Texts the Angels viz. Christs swearing time should be no more Rev. 10. which some learned Divines expound of wicked Dominion at the end of the fourth Monarchy by the Popes perdition which agrees with a like vision Dan. 12.7 where likewise he swear for a time times and a half when he that is Antichrist figured before in Antiochus Epiphanes and here again spoken of shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all those things should be finished i. e. the Kingdom should be given to the Saints of the most high as before and Michael the great Prince stand up for Daniels people vers 1. which evidently agree with the times of the seventh Trumpet But for further resolution I considered Mat. 28. ult and Mat. 13. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the finishing together while the Tares and the Wheat grow together till all that offend be gathered out of Christs Kingdom of the age as Gods finishing his mystery Rev. 10. and in both those places appeared to be remarkably the same in sense with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often used for the present state of things till evil Dominion end as may be seen in many places of the new Testament as first for worldly men Luk. 16.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hujus seculi the Children of this world are wise in their generation so of the Devil 2 Cor. 4.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bujus seculi in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that beleive not So Ephes 6.12 The Rulers of the darkness of this world So Joh. 12.3 Stan is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince of this world So also John 14.30 which is onely until the same time and so in that sense those phrases seem to be taken till the end of the prevalency of evil men and Devils when Gods mystery shall be finished at the seventh Trumpet when glorious light of grace and truth will shine in the Church of God and for the Parable of the Tares where the Harvest is expounded to be the end of the world it seems manifestly to be meant of such a coming wonderfully at the setting up of his Kingdom where it is said he will then send his Angels to gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and the order of proceeding seems contrary to the last destruction for here the Angels must first gather the Tares and bind them in bundles and burn them before the Wheat be gathered into the Barn the true Church but at the last judgement when Heaven and Earth and all the works in them shall be burnt which is called then the destruction of the ungodly men Christ by a change before in an instant delivers the faithful then alive from that temporal destruction and the ruine of Antichrist seems agreeing with that of the Tares burning first in order by taking of that hurtful brood out of the way c. And in Luk. 17. The examples of the Flood in Noahs time and the destruction of Sodâ—â—m and Gomorrah in Lots time are instance in which were the taking away of ungodly men but not the destruction of the Universe so here 't is said all that offend and work wickedness shall be taken out of Christs Kingdome But as we hinted before of Christs giving the Kingdom to the Saints that it must be his certain gift to them not any mens daring attempts will carry it so if any new dispensations shall be which we but darkly guess at Gods present Institutions must necessarily be observed and prized till in such regard his will is clearly made known to his people for all such affairs are the flowers or jewels belonging onely to his celestial crown that none other may order but himself and in his own appointed time onely and it is a snare of Satan to concieve otherwise thereof and in case Satan know any such truth his malice of late is the more remarkable in his seduced followers who to their own and others mischeif have cryed down and rejected Gods sacred Ordinances in the times when they are most useful and needful for them and others Or by any other ways or means then to make them unprofitable or ineffectual If some Ordinances shall not continue in
a known tradition recorded by Jude in his Epistle concerning the said times of Christs Kingdom namely that of celestial Enoch both living and dying if at all he may be said to dye set forth by the said Apostle Jude 14. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints So Moses in his time gives Testimony to all Christs offices in their seasons 1. Of his being a Prophet saith he Deut. 18.18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my word in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command them which testimony delivered to Moses by the Spirit of Christ was applyed to Christ John 1.45 Act. 3.22 and 7.37 2. He foreshews Christs Priestly office in Melchisedecks and in Abrahams sacrificing of his Son besides all typical and ceremonial worship which was to cease when Christ the substance thereof was come and the records of his Kingly Office he first sets down in Jacobs prophesie Gen. 49. concerning the Tribe of Judah whence he was to spring according to the flesh and at what time though darkly yet really sulfilled in the season thereof and so of his Kingly Office in giving them laws and defending his people vers 10. whereby the great gatherings of people Israelites and Gentiles should be and that in the times of great prosperity in the promised Land abundance of Wine and Milk vers 11 12. which are the Viands which Christ affords his people Isa 55 1. And after expresseth his waiting for such salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—eptuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which his speaking of the last times vers 1. seems cheifly to have reference unto and as for the gatherings of the Jews and Gentiles together in the Apostles times seems but to be but the first fruits and preludium of what the Scriptures speak of neither was that in such a prosperous condition as it is there expressed and a like Prophesie Moses himself left concerning Judah Deut. 33.7 which seems to respect Christs Kingdom whom he prays the Lord to bring unto his people and that his hands may be sufficient for him and that he would be an help for him from his enemies which will be fully answered when Christ hath made his foes his foot-stool And the like he utters â—n Josephs blessing vers 16 17. for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush foretelling his glory and the bornes of his strength to push the enemies to the end of the earth which the greatness of Ephraim and Manasse were but shadows of and was to be really in Christ So diverse of his prophetical threatnings and tenders of mercy appear to have the force of prophesies as in other things so in things respecting the grace of God to the Jews in Christs Kingdom on earth As first Lev. 26. of the captivity of Babylon and their return from vers 30. to 43. but then with an emphasis he seems to speak of another captivity out of which he will deliver them out of free grace as being beloved for their fathers sake as Rom. 11. in the former he told them they should call and he would answer they should cry and he would hear Jer. 39. but this should be in regard of the covenant with their fathers as is remarkeably set down vers 33 34 35. and is applied by the Apostle to the general calling of all Israel Rom. 11. in an other such manner the Prophet Moses brings in a like promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 4.30 31. making likewise the Covenant with the Fathers to be the reason of such their reducement and saith expresly it should be in the latter days But a very large prediction of this nature is set down Deut. 30. from vers 1 to 11. where he speaks of the manner of their turning unto God with all their heart and all their souls vers 2. and how he would gather them from all the Nations of the earth vers 3. even from the uttermost parts of Heaven vers 4. and how they should have good and be multiplied above their Fathers which yet we read not to have been done as vers 5. and the ground of all Gods powerful grace upon their souls circumciting both their hearts and the hearts of their seeds seed vers 6. and then sets down their freedom from curses and the abundance of prosperity vers 7 8 9 10. c. And so likewise in that excellent prophetical Song which Moses was inspired to write and to command to be taught in Israel and left for posterity wherein are included sundry prophesies of Israels sins and sufferings and bondage and deliverances But the 39. vers seems to be a description of the last destruction of the Jews joyned with a prophetical prediction of their restoring where God saith he kills and makes alive as likewise he decyphers the destruction of all sorts of enemies in the latter days till Jews Jsraelites and Gentiles should rejoyce together for vers 40. alludes to Christs swearing Rev. 10. I lift up my hand to Heaven and say I live for ever and vers 41 42. follows the most terrible destruction of the enemies and vers 43. ends the Song with the joyful union of Israelites Jews and Gentiles Now as Gods appointing rules and laws for a King for his people as Deut. 17. though he never directed them to ask one but declared his displeasure telling Samuel they had not cast off Samuel but himself 1 Sam. 8. yet the giving those laws were vertually a prophesie of a King so the former propounding of threatnings and promises were vertually prophesies and so they have proved and will do and there are therefore of Christs Kingdom because they concern those most beloved Subjects the Israelites in such multitudes with the Gentiles their fellow subjects in Christs most prosperous reign on earth Secondly but Daniel the second eminent Chronologer of the holy Spirit speaks much more clearly who lived under the dominion of Satans second Babel 1. He expounds the Image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream to be four great worldly Monarchies which should successively pass away in the world before Christs glorious Kingdom should appear in the world the first was set forth therein by the head of Gold the then present Babylonian Monarchy The 2d By the Breasts and Armes of silver the Medes and Persians The 3 d. By the Belly and Thighs of Brass the Grecian The 4 th By the Legs of Iron and the Feet and toes of Iron and Clay the Roman Monarchy Mr. Mede first Heathen secondly Christian thirdly Antichristian as Dan. 2. from vers 30 to 44. where is explained Christs Monarchy which though it hath wrought long secretly from the eye of the world as it hath been regnum lapidis yet at last shall prevail over all and break the most terrible and long continued Roman power now under her last head and even ready to expire and as that had broken the
the Shepherds Luk. 2.8 that he was of Davids house a Lord as before Mat. 2.6 So in the regard of his present coming in the flesh he was born to them that day a Saviour Christ Moshiach the Messiah implying likewise his threefold annointing as Prophet Priest and King and also for all people Jews and and Gentles So the Angel before as this likewise now acknowledge and declare him the Christ the Lord the great Messiah the great Ruler though he was then a weak Babe in appearance in mean outward condition in the worlds view wrapped in swadling cloths having a Crath for a Cradle a Manger for a Couch being not received in the dwelling house but lodged in a Stable and that O prodigy of abasement at that time the most blessed Mother brought forth the most glorious infant King her Son and Saviour as was said of all people Yet even then a multitude of the heavenly host Genethlia celebrant and Carole loud and sweetly the happiness of his Nativity Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men Whereupon said an Ancient aptly Quis tam parvus tam magnus Infans jacens in praesaepi voce Angelorum celebratus What wonderful celestial Kingly glory in all that outward abasement at his birth is here by the eye of faith to be discerned the glorious Angels are the Heraulds to publish his Kingly dignity over and over again to set forth his Royal descent yea his Divine Majesty when he seemed only a despised weak new born babe and others and that a multitude too sing forth the high praises of his Nativity the Holy Spirit fills the hearts of old and young great and small poor and rich men and women with joy and inlarged Discourses of his Kingly excellence before and about his birth The Star and the Sages soon after with speedy course come out of the East to give this much more glorious day star yea Sun of righteousness a timely visit And to tender that glorious object to the unbelieving world that they might take a view with them of that King and Saviour even then new born to Gods faithful people and after their example worship him and bring their offerings to him And they make inquiry of the place of this new Kings birth Where is he that is born King of the Jews and such was their zeal towards him that no outward meanness hinders them from yeilding him all due homage and observance of worship with oblations of gold frankincense and myrrhe Thns God in his weakest estate of life in the world would have all sorts in heaven and in earth assist in some meet Equipage suitable to his Kingly Dignity And after that he is no sooner presented unto God in the Temple where his Mother as the badge of her present meanness of condition in the world offers according to the law a pair of Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons answerable to her poor estate though sprung from the lineage of David But even then old Simeon divinely inspired and spiritually inlarged with satisfying joy is now well pleased to sing his swan-like song to welcome death Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. and the main substance of his song or the highest strain in it is the Kingly glory of Christ on earth Luk. 2.32 A light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel answerable to the prophesie Num. 24.17 A star shall come out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel c. He had ground from many Prophets with such rejoycing to utter it Yea Simeon again blessing Joseph and Mary tells them That Child was set for the falling and rising of many in Israel First to that perverse generation He was a stumbling block as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1.23 for their falling to the future Israelites when he shall come to reign gloriously he will likewise be for the rising of many Old Anna in publique declares the like to all that look for redemption in Jerusalem and there it was in some respect too well known temporal redemption was expected as well as spiritual though they did it unseasonably for which they had sufficient Scripture ground though then misapplyed by them And though it was common amongst the Jews in those times to neglect the spiritual redemption by Christ and vainly seek to anticipate the temporal then long after to come by their great King the Messiah yet even then that true Israelite Nathaniel had learned better concerning Christ and made confession thereof unto him of both Thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel John 1.49 The mother of Zebedees children acknowledged no less though unwarrantably applyed when she would have her two Sons promoted The one at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdom Mat. 20.21 Yet afterwards our Saviour promiseth no less to them and the rest of his faithful disciples Luk. 22.29 30. I appoint unto you a kingdom as my father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And because that opinion much prevailed amongst the Jews then that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear Luk. 19.11 thereupon in the next vers and forward our Saviour resolves the matter by a Parable comparing himself to a Nobleman that was to go into a far Country and to receive to himself a Kingdom and to return Consider here how usual a thing it was among all sorts to stile Christ the Son of David the two blind men Mat. 9.27 Thou Son of David have mercy on us All the people say Mat. 12.23 when he had cast out the blind and dumb Devil Is not this the Son of David The woman of Canaan Mat. 15.22 O Lord thou Son of David So other two blind men Mat. 20.30 Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David And Chap. 21.9 The multitudes cry Hosanna to the Son of David The disciples themselves could not deny that the Christ was the Son of David Chap. 22.42 so Luk. 20.30 31. Christ being the King of the Jews was such a noted thing that when he was to dye it was mentioned either in scorn or earnest or attested by God and Men and Christ himself at every turn after he came before Pilate the chief Priests and Elders having examined him about destroying the Temple and his being the Son of God but the main accusation against him was his being a King which he never denied though they falsly added he thereupon forbad to pay tribute unto Cesar yet in that wherein the strength of the temptation lay he fairly resolved Pilate that his Kingdom was not from hence or of this world his Kingdom will be from God and not from men but besides that as ost as Pilate mentioned him to be the King of the Jews and asked him if he were so he never denied it Yea when
other Scriptures and instances both in the old and new Testament pertinent to that purpose And that the Doctrine of the resurrection which was all along in Scripture taught gradually before is most fully cleared by the two last Apostles St. Paul in his Epistles and St. John in the book of the Revelation NOw because that Matutina resurrectio which Mr. Mede speaks of called the first resurrection Rev. 20.4 5. By way of Antithesis to the last more general resurrection of the good and bad before not raised is of great concernment to the then living godly and Saints departed before let us confider what the Scriptures set before us concerning the same And because Christ hath more fully revealed to his Church Rev. 20. the pleasure of his father therein more then formerly was made known in the word for the Doctrine of the resurrection in diverse things in the Old and New Testament was revealed by degrees and St. Paul shews some mysteries of it and our Saviour there more Let us therefore in the first place consider the context of what is there said thereof Rev. 20. and then come to the verses wherein it is contained Vers 1 2. The Angel Christ lays hold on Satan and binds him a thousand years which thousand years by the most learned on all hands is agreed to be literally taken for many reasons Vide Parae on Rev. 20.2 besides the emphatical expressions after several times the mention of a thousand years the Spirit of God sets them out with an Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three times vers 3 5 7. as if he should say these thousand years before-mentioned indefinitely are now so often spoken of demonstratively punctually setting down what was done before what in and after them in all which the word clears the literal sence Verse 3. He shuts him up in the bottomless pit and seals or secures him there during that time but shews he must after the thousand years be loosed for a little season And the fulfilling of that his loosing is set down as this matutina or first resurrection is decyphered vers 4 5 6. For Vers 7. Shews when Satan is accordingly loosed out of Prison Vers 8. Shews how he prevails to gather his hosts of Gog and Magog in great numbers in all the four quarters of the earth Vers 9. Sets down their design to compass the camp of the Saints and their disappointment by fire from heaven that devours them Vers 10. Shews the judgement of Satan in the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and false Prophet were cast before the thousand years Vers 11. And so forward to the end is described the ensuing last judgement where the judge is set down in this 11. verse and his Throne he sat on Vers 12. the persons judged all sorts small and great the ways of their tryal by opening the books and according to their works Verse 13. How they came to the judgement The Sea and Death and the Grave gave up all the dead Vers 14 15. Shews who were cast into the lake of fire at the last namely Death the last enemy 1 Cor. 15. and Hell or the grave with all whose names were not written in the Book of life Now concerning this first resurrection it is largely described in many particulars Verse 4. In the first place are thrones and they that sate on them and judgement was given unto them which seems to be such eminent holy persons as the Apostles or great Prophets assessors with Christ then that as our Saviour promised should sit and judge on thrones at his Kingdom Luke 22.29 30. Secondly All other faithful Saints that lived and reigned with Christ the thousand years Vers 5. declares the different conditions of all others there called the rest of the dead that had not part in that first resurrection Vers 6. Contains the condition quality and priviledges of all the then raised Saints First they are blessed Secondly they are holy and therefore blessed Thirdly They are thereupon secured the second death shall have no power on them they are most safe from the judgement of the wicked that will come Fourthly the excellency of their promotion First to be Priests of God and Christ to offer praise c. continually Secondly Kings to reign with him the thousand years And this the Parallel Text Rev. 11.15 and so forward at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet doth likewise confirm where verse 15. is set down the beginning of Christs reign upon earth and the continuance for ever while the earth continues Secondly the praise of the Church thereupon namely the twenty four elders now without mention of the four beasts as formerly vers 16. Vers 17. There is the object of their praise Lord God Almighty which is and was and is to come and then reigned Secondly The ground of that their praysing him for taking his great power and reigning Verse 18. The occasion opportunity and advantage that Christ took then to take his great power and to reign First of evil unto the evil the Nations were provoked to anger and rage by the Devil against the Saints as also he will do to compass the Camp of the Saints when Satan is loosed Chap. 20.9 and here Gods wrath came upon them in devouring fire and destroyed them that destroyed the earth in the end of the 18. vers Secondly in the middle part of the same verse we have the advantage or opportunity Christ takes of good to the good First of the dead before that They should then be raised and they are of two degrees First Gods eminent servants the Prophets that should have suitable reward to their great service or sufferings or both And Secondly less eminent Saints Again good to the good then alive on earth such as fear Gods name small and great for the blessed and holy dead raised then will be above sear there perfect love as Saint John speaks hath cast out fear Lastly Vers 19. There is described the spiritual glory of the grace of God discovered in Christ above what was before so as peculiar to Jerusalem that comes down from heaven The temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the Ark of his Testament and on the other hand is set forth the terrour of Gods wrath manifest then against ungodly men to be horribly destroyed from the earth as is set down at this time So Psal 50 1 2 3 4 5 c. Dan. 12.1 which likewise referres both to the good and the wicked Now for the condition or state of the raised Saints it is probable to be like or suitable to what was in Christ before he ascended to his Father that appeared and disappeared as he saw good for his Disciples and sometime eat and drank with them as both the Gospel manifests Vide Mat. 26.29 compared with Luk. 22.18 19. one verse speak of the Passover the other of the Lords Supper and the Apostle Peter saith
of Antichrist as in the conversion of the Jews before the last judgement and the end of all things Again Page 5. he saith of this Text this I doubt not to aver doth principally belong to the Jews for to them pertain the promises saith the Apostle And the natural branches shall be grafted into their own Olive tree I shall onely add here that both terrible and comfortable Prophesie in Chap. 4.1 2 3. Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble c. Vers 2. But to you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings c. So that by all these evidences we may see what exceeding great reason there was or the Spirit of God to call in the Testimony of the Prophets of the Old Testament to give witness to the reign of Christ in the thousand years under or after the last Trumpet and concerning his new Jerusalem come down from God Rev. 20. 21. as we formerly observed and are here in brief set before the eyes of all such as are not resolved to shut them against them and when the excellency and priviledges of this Kingdom both spiritually and temporally come in their place to be considered much more may appear but these may suffice at present as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that such a Kingdom of Christ is to come in the thousand years whereunto the Spirit of God in the Prophets of all times hath had a peculiar respect as Act. 3.21 Rev. 10.7 and may much more appear in what further might from the Prophets be hereunto added CHAP. VII Shewing upon several enforcing consideration◠that David in many Psalms prophetically spake of the said Kingdom of Christ on Earth VVE come unto the last head of Testimony according to our Saviours own distribution concerning himself and those are the Psalms wherein David chiefly the man after Gods own heart and therefore more like to be a secretis one of his Privy Counsel as we may say and unto 〈◊〉 the Counsel of God concerning the Kingdom of his So I upon earth was largely revealed above many other and this might come to pass for divers reasons 1. Because the great promises made to David of his seeds succession to perpetnity he foresaw could not be fulfilled in any other but the great Messiah 2. That the said messiah and great King of Jerusalem was to come of his race and lineage 3. Should so have a right according to promise to rule the people of Israel 4. Because Davids Kingdom was a type of his from a low beginning in appearance to the worlds eye at first Yet God setting it up against Sauls it grew stronger and stronger but the other weaker and weaker So with the beginning and increase of Christs Kingdom Isa 9. Again as David was victorious at last over all enemies and had peace round about so will it be with Christs Kingdom in the world over Satan and all his wicked dominion in the issue And by the spirit of Prophesie King David hath declared much to this and the like effect in the book of Psalms above others and hence the following Prophets as in the preceeding chapter may be observed so often call Christ not onely the Branch the off-spring of Jess the Father of David but oftner by Davids own name and was foretold to sit upon the throne of David to be of the house and over house of David to build the Tabernacle of David and the like so it is no wonder to have Davids heart full of such matter and his tongue in this respect like the pen of a ready writter And the breathings of the Spirit of God in Davids Psalms seem to vent themselves much in such delightful harmony concerning the Kingdom of Christ who in all the former considerations spiritually foresaw him not only as his Antitype and seed but as the great Messiah and Saviour of him and his people in whom both the great promises both to him and the foresathers should both spiritually and temporally in due time have their full accomplishment And therefore if any persons by the guidance of Scripture and cheifly of the Revelation by the assistance of Gods Spirit consider such Texts it may evidently appear to such unprejudiced and serious teachable spirits that a great part of the Psalmody of holy David is warbled out according to such celestial Ditties as might magnifie and exalct Christ the Son of David yet so as he might also appear to be the root of David as Rev. 5.5 even the eternal Son of God and therefore so many expressions are used in the Psalms which are incompetible to himself or his meer natural seed So that all the gracious beams of Divine light that to such purpose reached any time unto Davids soul seem to be concentered in the Son of Righteousness from whom they had their original who may fitly be observed to be the Alpha and Omega of that Book of psalms To begin with the second Psalm which usually is acknowledged to be of the Kingdom of Christ though some will not acknowledge that Kingdom to come on earth though God there promiseth to set him his King upon his holy hill of Sion After Satan with his wicked worldly powers have done their worst yea and suffered their worst too at the destruction of Antichrist even as it was with their type also the Jewish Hierarchie that when he came in the flesh would not have him reign but would destroy him which brought their destruction about forty two years after but when the other go about to destroy his people they shall utterly be destroyed themselves by him and in both respects Yet saith God have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion And therefore he shall break his enemies with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces as a potters Vessel And likewise he hath verse 8. the Heathen promised for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession which then will be fulfilled when he shall set up that his Kingdom upon earth That the 8. Psal refers to Christs Kingdom the subject matter declares since he regains that soveraignty over the creatures which the first Adam lost besides the Apostles testimony Heb. 2. The 9. Psalm contains much of the great works of God against his enemies and for his people which will be fulfilled at the setting up of Christs Kingdom And so also Psalm the 10. toward the latter end and the 11. Psalm seems to be of the like nature But in Psal 18. holy King David doth largely sing of Christ under the type of his own Kingdom but in such a way as was not competible to it saving in reference unto that King of Kings And Psal 21. is very much of the same nature but far exceeding what could be applied to Davids temporal Kingdom The latter end of Psalm 22. is remarkably of