word as they infer from the text but what say you to the words of the Prophet Ezechiel 34. 14. And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the Countrys and will bring them to their own Land and feed them upon the mountaines of Israel by the Rivers and in all the inhabited places of the Countrey As also the Prophet Ieremy 33 and 26. For I will cause their captivity to returne and have mercy on them Silv. It greives me to see the Ignorance and yet boldnesse of many Ministers amongst us who erre for want of reading the Scriptures for the very literall expression might teach them better then to tell us that from these two testimonies is declared the calling of the Iews from their dispersed and scattered estate to the belief of the Gospell in this last age of the world For both these Prophets writ within few years one of another Ieremy a little before Ezechiel and both of the Babylonish Captivity and of their returne againe into their own Land which according to the word of the Lord was performed above two thousand yeares ago for their returne was in the days of Ezra the Scribe some years after the Prophet Daniels death And if you read the second chapter you cited with a searching affection you shall find the Prophets both of them speaks of also the deliverance of Sion the whole house of Israel from all their Captivities Therefore will I save my flock they shall be no more a prey I will judge between cattel and Cattel and I will set up one shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their shepheard and I will be their God and my servant David a Prince amongst them In those days Iudah shall be saved and Ierusalem shall dwell safely and this is the name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse But this deliverance we will more largely open hereafter Hym. Master Cotton in new England doth much preach of these things of the calling of the Iews and of the flourishing estate of the Church of the Gentils and sence I came to London I heard a preacher say if the two last Chapters of Esay were not to be understood of the glorious estate of the Church before the comming of the Lord to Judgement I do not know saith he what is meant by chose Scriptures Silv. By what he saith I believe he doth not understand what is meant by those Script for the Proph. words are these Behold I create new Heavens a new Earth the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be thou glad rejoyce for ever in that which I creat for behold I creat Ierusalem a rejoyceing and her people a joy And I will rejoyce in Ierusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voyce of crying and there shall be no more thence an infant of days c. In which the Prophet speaks as clearly to my understanding as words can expresse it of the world to come after the Resurrection the salvation that brings Gods chosen people Jerusalem from above into the same perfection againe which by sin we lost and fell from in the day of our transgression and this agrees with Saint Peters and Saint Johns exposition the two most excellent and beloved Disciples and Apostles Saint Peter speaks directly of the end of this world the dissolution of this present Heaven and Earth in these words But the Heavens and the Earth which are now that is now present by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Iudgement and perdition of ungodly men And so proceeds to other arguments and proves that the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up and the Heavens and the Elements shall be dissolved concludes with notwithstanding or neverthelesse we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth in which dwelleth righteousnesse First the time when these things shall be fulfilled is twice spoken to be in the day of the Lord which throughout the Scriptures notes unto us the day of Iudgement as the time of his second comming Secondly the manner how it shall be when righteousnesse shall dwell in the Earth which must needs be understood of the world to come for in this world righteousnesse is a Pilgrim a stranger and a sojourner and Saint Iohn transcends in his expressions of it after the generall Iudgement in order after the Resurrection of just and unjust saying And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more sea and I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a great voyce out of Heaven saying behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away The former things are the corruptible things and the things that shall take place are the new created things of God which are all good for nothing can proceed from him but what is very good the words are so plaine that they need no exposition The other proof they do bring to prove their mistaken opinion are these words As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Ierusalem and when you see this your hearts shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herb and the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants and his indignation towards his enemies for by fire and by sword will the Lord plead with all flesh And the slaine of the Lord shal be many for any man to think that the Prophet in these words speaks of any time of the Churchs sufferings in this life doth as much as if he should tell me it was his own foolish conceit and that he did not at all search the Scriptures noâ— labour in the word and doctrine for Saint Paul to the Thessalonians to me doth directly comment upon this place of the Prophet saying it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and
King in this glorious Kingdom And lastly what are the subjects and inheritors thereof Hym. The names that the Scriptures give unto the eternall estate are very many and excellent and your method very good therefore I pray proceed Silv. The time of the Churches deliverance to the estate of perfection is at the end of this world when he that ascended shall descend as saith the Scripture whom the heavens must conteine and receive untill the restitution of all things forespoken by all the holy Prophets hath been since the world began which things therefore the world might not be ignorant of which are testified by so many witnesses for so saith the spirit every one that have spoke have spoke of these things but the cause of mens ignorance in this as in many other truths of God is in regard people do not labour with God to understand and know the Scriptures for although every one for the most part hath a Bible yet generally they are as ignorant of the intent and meaning of the Scriptures as he that never saw the written word of God at all but no more by way of digression And that the time of the Lords glorious Kingdom and the Churches deliverance shall be at the end of this world is clear by our Saviours own words in parable The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the Angels As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that do offend and them which do iâ—iquity as also in that Scripture where the question is made by the servants to the house-holder whether the tares the envious man sowed amongst the good seed should be pluckt up the Master answers nay let them both grow together untill harvest and sheweth what shall be done then both with the wheate and with the tares saying at his glorious comming shall be gathered before him all nations and he shall sever the Sheep from the Goates c. Then the King shall say to them on his right hand comeye â—lessed inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the woâ—ld and to this agreeth the Angels words to Daniel Go thou thy ways Daniel at the end of the days shall the end be and thou shall stand up in tâ—y lot meaning thou shalt then be raised to shine as the brightnesse of the Fiâ—mament amongst them that have turned many to God even to shine as the Stars for ever and ever There is none in all the world but the Child of God the heires of salvation have the benefit of the Prophet Ieremies exhortation in these words Ier. 31. Refraine thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from teares for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord and they shall come againe from the Land of the Enemy there is the returne from captivity of the naturall Israel and there is hope in thy end saith the Lord that thy Children shall come againe to their own border there is the deliverance of the sâ—irituall Isâ—ael at their Resurrection as the Patriarks have exprest their hope as is more clearly proved in the next particular the place where the bride shall for ever enjoy her bridegroome the King of glory his gloriouâ— Kingdom which the holy Ghost calleth the earth in these worâ—s Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth And so saith our Lord Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Their inheritance is their recompence then and not before shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the Seas which must needs be understood of the new earth promised and to come such an earth as the Lord shall make when he will make all things new for the contrary is most true now here in this old cursed earth that ignorance fills this earth as the waters cover the Seas Hym. This is not understood in these days for I never heard these Scriptures so applied before Silv. To make it more plaine we will first cite the Testimonyes of the Prophets our Lords and his Apostles and then I will shew you how plainly and clearly the heires of the promise have particularly declared her hope and confidence in it Job had the true knowledge and comfort of it which ravisht him and made him thus to cry out as if he were out of himself Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a book that they were graven with an Iron Pen in a Rock for ever for I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for my self and my eyes shall behold and not another In which he clearly expresses that the place of his blessednesse after the resurrection shall be in the earth where his Saviour shall stand that is shall rule and raigne for ever David a man after Gods own heart excells in this Faith and hope what man is he that feareth the Lord saith he him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose his soule shall lodge in goodnesse and his seed shall inherit the earth And againe Let all the earth feare the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in aw of him for evill doers shall be cut off but those that waite upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth and though it be but a little while and the wicked shall not be saith he and his place shall not be found yet the meek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the aboundance of peace for such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off And so he singeth Psa. 48. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the mountaine of his holinesse beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion And also in another place The Heaven even the Heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the Children of men So testifieth the Prophet Esay saying Thus saith the Lord that created the Heavens God himself that formed the earth and made it he hath established it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited I said not saith the Lord to the seed of Iacob seek you me in vaine I the Lord speak righteousnesse I declare things that are right And the same Prophet makes proclamation Behold saith he I create new Heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind and as the new Heavens and new earth which I shall make shall remaine before me saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name remaine Which clearly shews the intent of the promise to the Patriarks and so accordingly they understood it as shall be proved hereafter The Apostles Peter and John both testifie to this truth without question as before I have briefly shewed and that it may be out of question here what Saint Iohn
he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child for although in those days the bloud of the Saints was the seed of the Church and the more there died the greater number were brought to live yet the Divell still continued his persecution by the hands of the Christian Emperors for though they were Friends to the outward State and name of Christianity yet they persecuted the inward grace and power of it and from the primacy of the Emperiall Church of Rome grew up the abominable supremacy of the Church therof and the Divell then went into the false Prophets and began to play the Christian and to distinguish between the Christian Emperors and the governement and rule of Antichrist the false Prophet the holy Ghost saith And I saw another beast comming up from the earth and he had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the Dragon by which the Apostle discovers the Mystery of iniquity whereby the Divell would turne himself into the shape of an Angell of light and as Daniel saith by policy or deceipt prosper or prevaile pretending Christ the Church the truth and all the names and titles which belong to the true Spouse there in putting Christs coat upon Iupiters back cunningly turning the worship of God into Paganisme marke but the description the holy Ghost makes oâ— his person that in outward shew is the very cognizance of the Lambe the Law and the Gospell his own two hornes wherewith he doth save and kill but the dâ—scription of his doctrine is the voice of the Dragon that when they did open either to teach the Law or preach the Gospeâ—l they taught like the Priests of Iupiter teaching and preaching to the children of the world that they ought to worship the God of heaven as the Dragons Priests had taught their Fathers to worship the Gods of the Heathen and by Sycophanticall Princely Priests under colour of promoting the Lambes affaires should cunningly clap Iupiters coate upon the Lambes back and bestow all the ceremonies and rituals of Idolatry upon Christ as in stead of their idolatrous bloudy sacrifices Antichrist must have their abominable Masse as the Heathen had Idolis so Antichrist hath Images and as their Temples were dedicated to their Idolls so Antichrist must dedicate Churches to he Saints and she Saints so that earthly minded men were so strongly seduced that they verily thought the mystery of iniquity fore-spoken by Daniel to be pure and undefiled Christianity In this respect only it is said the Devill is bound that is all the time of Antichrists reign which shall be 1260 years pretending Christianity and working by deceiptfull meanes yet all that receive not the mark of the beast in their hand or in their fore-head are killed and slaine by him Hym. But it follows in the Text And after that he must be loosed a little season Silv. That is as our Saviour Christ saith Immediatly after the tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkned and the Moone shall not give her light and the Starrs shall fall from Heaven the powers of the Heaven shall be shaken Where by the days of tribulation he meanes the time in which the Divell should work by the false Prophet and in the expiration of those days he should come out of him as out of prison as it is in the Revelation And I saw three uncleane spirits like Froggs come out the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are the spirits of the Divels working myracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and the whole world to gather them to the battel of the great day of God Almighty By the Kings of the East and the whole world is meant the Turks and the Divell entring into them doth thereby inlarge himself againe into his former libertie as in the heathen in setting himself in open hostility against Christ and the profession of his name for so much is intimated And the Sun shall be darkned now if Christ be denied to be the light that inlightneth every one that comes into the world then all man kind that is resembled by the Moone must lose their light for she hath none other light but from the Sun then the Starrs that is all ministers and professing Christians shall fall from their professing of Christianity that are not faithfull indeed to believe in the false Prophet Mahomet as the holy Ghost saith Revelations 6 12 13. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seale and loe there was a great Earth-quake and the Sun became black as sackcloth of baire and the Moone became as bloud and the Starrs of Heaven fell unto the Earth And in the next words expounds Saint Matthew saying Even as a Figg tree casteth her untimely Figgs when she is shaken of a mighty wind meaning by untimely Figgs untimely Christians that is such as are outward only and in name amongst ministers and professors and not inward truly and spiritually even all such as have not true grace shall fall off from Christ to receive the false-hood and abomination of Mahoumisme and that this wicked inlargement of Sathan in his cruell persecution and oppression of the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ appears in this that the Elect then shall cry day and night and more certainly shall God heare his own Elect to avenge them then the unjust Iudge the importunate widdow neverthelesse our Lord makes this question by reason of the great persecution that shall be in those days When the Sonne of man comes shall he find Faith on the Earth The consequence of the question is this there will at my comming be scarce a faithfull man found on the Earth and that this last Enemy shall continue till the comming of the Lord to Iudgment we need no other proofe then Saint Johns Testimony in Revelation 20. verse 7. and so to the end And when the thousand years are expired Sathan shall be loosed out of his prison And shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the foure quarters of the Earth that Gog and Magog fore-prophesied by Ezechiel the Prophet and as it followeth to gather them to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea Therein declaring the multitude of the Enemy the Turk to whom there is none of the earth like for multitude nor for power as followeth And they went on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the Saints about and the beloved City By the Saints and the beloved City is meant the Elect of God called and sanctified which Saint Matthew calls The shaking of the powers of Heaven And when the Devill by his last battel shall think to accomplish his envious ends utterly to destroy Christ and all that are his then shall Christ the Lord arise and scatter his enemies in these following words And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them
saith of the Testimony of the foure and twenty Elders praising and lauding the lamb their Lord and they sang a new song saying that art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us unto God by thy bloud out of every kâ—ndred and tongue and people and â—atiâ—n and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth Which Scripture without explanation is a full answer unto all such thoughts that concerne this inheriting the earth may be in â—his life in a Mystery all which agrees with â—ur Lords words to the Apostles at his parting from them let not your hearts be troubled c. In my Fathâ—rs house are many mansions and I go to prepare a place for you and if I go an prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my self that wheâ—e I am there you may be also Now our Lord is gone into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father where he is preparing the blessed and glorious estate for us as the Apostle Peter saith Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undâ—filed and that fadeth not away reserved in the heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time of which last time and revelation of the glory S. Iohn speaks where â—e saith and I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea In that he saw no more sea he declareth that the great oppressors of Gods Church consisting of heathen as open enemys or Christians as secret and cunning enemys shall all cease there shall be none to hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine saith the Lord And S. John goes on and declares the place where the Lord shall be with his at his returne and I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming down from God out of heaven prepaâ—ed as a bride adorned for her husbanâ— And I heard a great voice â—ur of heaven saying the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and thâ—y shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and so goes on in describing the perfection of that condition thaâ— there shall be no more death sorrow crying and paine and as it follows after no more curse This is the glorious condition of Christ comming againe to his own people according to his promise and that he will abide with them forever in the new things which he shall create that it may appear unquestionable that the Saints shall inherit the earth after the Resurrection heare Gods promises to the Patriarks and their understanding of and hoâ—â— and expectation in them and first we will begin with Abraham where it is said and the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said unto thy seed will â— give this Land and againe I will give unto thee thy seed after thee the Land wherein thou art a stranger all the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God Noâ—e here that the Lord promiseth the possession of the Land to Abraham himselfe to his owne person as well as to all and every one of his spirituall seed and so witnesseth the Author to the Hebrews saying That Abraham was called to go into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance Marke it is said he that is himself not others for him as some unwarily have affirmed in these last times and 〈◊〉 this sence â—nly Saint Paul calls Abraham the heire of the wâ—rld by promise and grace included in Gods promise above and I will give unto thee c. So the the Lord Almighty engages himself to Isaack that he would performe the oath that he sware unto his Father Abraham saying unto thee and thy seed will I give all these Countries and God appeared to Iacob his chosen at Lusse in the Land of Canaan saith to him the Land whereon thou lyest to thee will I givâ— it and to thy seed and their seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be â—…essed Hym. Most Christians understand that â—hâ—se promises were fulfilled by Ioshua when he divided the Land of Cannan by lot â—or a possession to the Tribe of Israel Silv. But had our Ministers and Christians read and laboured to understand the Scriptures they would have been of the Apostles mind who affirmes and clearly sheweth that Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the faithfull and holy servants of God ever understood thereby the everlasting inheritance and possession to them and their seed for ever when they in their own persons that never enjoyed it yet shall inherit it for the holy Ghost saith by the testimony of faithfull Stephen the Martyr That Abraham had no inheritance in Canaan no not so much as to set his foot on yet he that is God promised that he would give it him for a possession and to all his spirituall seed which the aforesaid Apostle to the Hebrews in the eleventh Chapter proves beyond all exception to be the heavenly Countrey and the temporall Canaan no other or further neither in promise nor possession of the following seeds nor otherwise I say then that it was a speciall representation a tipe figure and shaddow preaching and teaching unto them the spirituall heavenly holy new and everlasting Land wherefore thus saith the Apostle These all dyed in Faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far of and were peâ—swaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrims on the earth for they which say such things declare plaiâ—ly that they seek a Countrey and truly had they been mindfull of that Country from whence they came out they might have had opportunitie to have returned but now they desire a better Countrey that is a heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City which City new Ierusalem is that before spoken of even that new and heavenly City that comes with our Lord at his descension to the earth where and in which he will dwell for ever Hym. I did not think the Scriptures had been so plain for this matter as now I see them I pray
one place more which proves all that hath been said of the time the place and the King and that is shewed in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel when it shall begin to sound there shall be time no more the mystery of God shall be finished there 's the end of the world the time and the voice he sounded saith the Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ and he shall raigne for ever and ever there 's the place and the King both as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets Hym. To me the consent and harmony of the Scriptures thus applied give great satisfaction and is very comfortable I pray Friend make good your promise in the other particulars Silv. The next thing I promised was to consider what the Scriptures declare concerning the Subjects of this glorious King and Kingdom for the Prophet saith the Lord shall build up Sion when he shall appear in his glory by Sion we are to understand Gods faithfull people and by building them up a restoring of them to an estate of perfection according to his promise Now because the Subjects of the world to come in a generall respect is the whole creation for so intimateth the Apostle not only we saith he but every creature also waiteth for the glorious Liberty of the Sonnes of God therefore we will consider them in their order and first for the Angels to prove they shall be subject it is written and let all the Angels of God worship him Angels saith the Apostle they are ministring spirits sent forth c. that is Subjects or Servants and the reprobate Angels they are included in the generall dimensions of the Prophets and Apostles before mentioned Now in the next order of creatures we will consider man-kind first the Saints then the wicked And that the Saints shall feare and serve their Lord the King is clear by that Oath which he swore unto our Father Abraham witnessed by Zacharias the Priest that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in righteousnesse and holinesse before him all the days of our lives and these of all other the Prophet David calls the most free faithfull and loyalst Subjects in these and other words O come let us worship and bow down let us kneele before the Lord our maker for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and againe Praise ye the Lord sing unto the Lord a new song and his praise in the Congregation of Saints let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the Children of Sion be jâ—yfull in their King for the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation let the Saints be joyfull in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds And Saint John hee joynes in the Angels with all the Saints saying And I beheld and heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the holy Beasts and Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice Worthy is the lambe that is slaine to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and the foure Beasts said Amen and the foure and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever so David calls upon the house of Israel the house of Aaron and the house of Levy Yee that feare the Lord blesse the Lord blessed be the Lord out of Sion which dwelleth at Jerusalem praise ye the Lord I find foure things in Scripture that doe set forth and declare the excellency of the glorious estate of the Saints in light first by a chast spouse for purity and beauty Secondly to a goodly City for glory and safety Thirdly to a high Court of commission for authority wisdom and Iudgment and fourthly to a curious planted garden for pleasure and delight and all these are subject and subordinate to their King and that the Saints in their glorified estate are set forth by a bride or chast Virgin is plain ful and admirably described in Scripture the Prophet Esay is very elegant in this speaking of the Churches glorification saith thou shalt also be a Crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a Royall Diadem in the hand of thy God thou shalt no more be termed forsaken neither shall thy Land be any more termed desolate but thou shalt be câ—llâ—d my delight is in her and thy Land married for the Lord delighteth in thee and thy Land shall be married for as a yong man marrieth a Virgin so shall thy Sonnes marry thee and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee Isa. 62. So the Apostle speaks to the Corinthians that his ministery his labour and Godly jealousy over them was to present them a chast Virgin unto Christ and they that sung before the throne as it were a new song which no man could learn but the hundred fourty and foure thousand which were redeemed from the Earth these are they which were not defiled with women faith the holy Ghost for they are Virgins and so also this holy Apostle saith And I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heaven prepared as â— Bride adorneá for her husband So also she is called the Lambs wife and againe Let us rejoyce and be glad and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her selfe ready And to her was granted that she should bee arrayed in fine Linnen cleane and white for the fine Linnen is the righteousnesse of the Saints in the time of her temptation and sufferings shee was the Kings daughter and all glorious within but now in her exaltation and nuptialls she is also all glorious without excelling in ornament and perfection and in that shee is the Lambs wife she hath right interest in all his glory that is honourable above all Lords and Kings being their Lord and King for shee is flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone And as her chastity and purity excells so doth her beauty so that the Lord her Bridegroom calls her the the fairest among women glorious as the morning faire as the Moone cleare as the Suâ—ne My beloved saith the Church spake and sayd unto me Rise up my Love and faire one and come away for loe the winter is past the raine is over and gone the flowres appeare in the earth the time of the singing of Birds is come the Figge tree putteth forth her green figs and the Vines with the tender Grapes give a good smell Arise my love my faire one and come away which place shewes plainly these speeches of love and beauty are spoken to and of the Church in her perfection and restauration and what speeches can exceed for love and beauty these expressions Secondly
shall be subjected now the principall enemies to God Christ his truth and his children are the Devill and these hard hearted stif-necked rebells his Children that as their Father so are they implaceable and unreconcilable and as he so do they resist the holy Ghost and will not have this man to raigne over them that is the Lord Christ but they do and will break his bonds and cast his cords from them and as they have always done so they do now and will continue till he comes to raigne in power and Majesty professe themselves sworn enemies and adversaries to him and his but when this world shall come to an end and that world is come of which our Saviour saith his Kingdom is of then even shall he take and slay before him all those his enemies Slay them before me saith the Lord then shall the head wholly prevaile and triumph over him that ever hath so exceedingly bruised mortified and persecuted his heele then he shall so subdue and break in sunder Sathan and his Children by his invincible power and regall authority that he shall undo frustrate and make void Sathans whole plot and work and the Scripture then shall be fulfilled which saith and he that is Christ shall break his head then the Devill that hath deceived mankind ever since the world began shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimston and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Then there shall not be one knee amongst all the reprobate Angels and men but shall bow nor any tongue but shall confesse to the glory of God the Father that Iesus Christ is both Lord and King and although now they rage and take Counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed and invent lyes and mischiefs against the Lords truth and all his faithfull servants yet he that sitteth in the Heavens doth laugh at them the Lord shall have them in derision for the begotten of God the King of Sion shall rule governe and subdue those heathens yea he shall break them with a rod of Iron saith the Prophet and dash them to pieces like the vessell that the potter makes of clay as was before mentioned and as the Lord so shall all that are his have dominion over all the out-cast heathenish hard hearted and unregenerate gentilish generation for such names the Scripture gives them all and therefore thus saith the Lord himself he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron c. even as I received of my Father that is they shall execute the same power my Father hath given me to this agreeth that Scripture which saith All nations shall feaâ—e and obey him And againe the Children of those that afflicted thee shall be sold for slaves unto thee And againe With thee will I break in pieces Captaines and Rulers the old and yong man and maide Kings subjects none exempted of what language sex estate or degree whatsoever Finally the last particular is that the whole Creation that is to prove all other Creatures besids men and Angels they shal for ever serve that is magnifie set forth and further the glory of the great King and his Kingdom for ever without any opposition cruelty savagenesse or evill whatsoever and therefore it s conteined in Scriptures that every creature that is in Heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying saith Saint Iohn blessing honor glory and power be to him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever this proof is so generall as it takes in all places Heaven and Hell the whole Earth and the Sea and all that are within them are heard by the Apostle to praise honour obey the Lamb and this truth the Prophet David declares excellently where he saith What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the Sonne of man that thou visitest him thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels thou hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have Dominion over the work of thy hand thou hast put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen yea the beasts of the field the foules of the aire and the fishes of the Seas which makes the Prophet cry out in admiration and wonder O God our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Now the Apostle to the Hebrews declares this that David spake of Christs Kingdom the world to come as hath before been described and therefore saith he for unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection the world to come whereof I speak but one in a certain place testified rehearsing the very words before repeated of the Prophet David so that if any man say the Prophet is not so to be understood the Apostle himself makes answer and gives us an assurance so to believe and this doctrine he preaches for truth without exception to the holy Romans where he saith for the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God and he gives the reason cleare and plaine because saith he the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious Liberty of the Sonnes of God for we know saith he speaking as if it were so well known to them as certain as their hoped for inheritance that the whole creation that is every creature groaneth and travaileth in paine together untill now note how exact and elegant he is he expounds the whole creation to be every creature that all these by a speciall instinct of nature are like a woman in travel that nothing in the world can prevent her bringing forth so it shal be with the whole creation in its restitution to its perfection lest it should not be clear enough the Apostle goes on and in particular and apart speaks of the adopted of God the heires of the world to come the inheritance of the salvation saying and not only they but our selves also which have received the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies the words are so plaine they need no exposition proving the restauration of the whole creation as well as the Saints which is further confirmed by that knowing Evangelist Saint Luke who saith And he shall send Iesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began which truth in times past was well known unto men although now the world through ignorance understand it not for the Lord saith by a holy Prophet that his covenant with Sun and Moon day and night is for ever
favour by falling on his neck and kissing him such kisses of love as there is none to be compared to them as appears by the multiplyed following favors by clothing him with his own best robe by putting a ring on his hand and shoes on hâ—s feet yeâ— what is this all but to be clothed with the compleat and perfect righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and what more certain assurance then to eate Christs flesh and to drink his bloud this was the fatted calfe the lambe without spot who is the only food to eternall life and on whom whosoever eateth and believeth cannot but rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Hym. But is all justifying Faith an assurance Silv. Yes it is a full assurance for as much as it is witnessed to our spirits by Gods spirit and an assurance cannot be so true from any witnesse as from the spirit of God that beares witnesse with our spirits saith the Apostle that we are the Sonnes of God and so to the Hebrews he exhorteth in these words Let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinckled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water That which makes the heart true or good is the breaking it by repentance and the purifying it by Faith which Faith ariseth from the bloud of Christ shed abroad in the heart expressed by sprinkling and the same Apostle beareth witnesse that Abraham believing the promise was fully perswaded Ro. 4. Hym. But what say you of the Church of Christ which was our first discourse Silv. The regenerated man before declared is the matter of the true Church Of these precious living stones is built Gods spirituall house and of this heavenly nature is the whole building being all begotten from above of water and the holy Ghost As Saint Peter speaketh of these new born babes and calls them Stones and so he calls their Lord also to whom comming as to a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious use also saith he as lively Stones are built up a spirituall house a holy Priest-hood to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ And this is the same Apostle which our Lord spoke to when he said thou art Peter or a Stone and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it In which Scripture our Lord acknowledgeth himself confessed by Peter to be but the chief foundation and corner-stone and the whole building to consist of such spirituall living stones as Saint Peter was Hym. I pray expresse in manner how they do become a Church Silv. The power of God as I have shewed before doth by repentance cut these stones out of the Quarry of this world that is out of the estate of nature and thereby cuts squares and fits them for this building and the power of God by justification and acceptation layes on these stones on the lively building the spirit of God which proceeds from the Father and the Sonne Cements and soders all together by ingrafting or joynting them with the bloud of Christ the love of God poured out on them all and this is the holy Catholique Church the Communion of Saints as the Creed confesseth Agreeing with that of Saint Paul to the Corinthians The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the holy Ghost be with you as also to the Colossians The head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred knit together increaseth with the increase of God this is Christs body his spouse the lambs wife who though they be many Graines yet make but one loafe Hym. What authoritie and priviledge hath this Church Silv. Great authority and many priviledges in this present suffering estate of hers for of these our Lord saith if two of you shall agree in earth as touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven And also where two or three are gathered together saith our Lord in my name there am I in the middest of them where by name he meanes his spirit so that none can be so congregated but such as are led by the spirit of God these have the priviledge to be called the Sonnes of God even such as believe in his name which were borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God these onely are the house of the living God the ground and pillar of truth these are as it were Gods privy Counsell on earth the Scripture stiles them the keepers of his truth and his dwelling place as say the Prophets Though the heaven of heavens cannot containe me yet will I dwell with him that is of a contrite spirit God dwelling with them teacheth them and declareth his will his mind and purposes to them as he did to Noah Abraham and Moses to these doth the Lord that hath the key of David that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth give the power and authority of the keys of the Kingdom of heaven yea I say againe that great power and authoritie to bind and to loose to remit and to reteine sins by a decree intailed on them till time shall be no more in these words whose sins you 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 whose sins you do reteine they are reteined this is the commission of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings who by his own words hath bound himself thus to be with them to the end of the world Hym. I pray tell me how may a man know this Church Silv. None can truly know this Church but they that are of her for as they are spirituall themselves so they are spiritually discerned as the Apostle saith the spirituall men discerne all things even the deep things of God Yet I will briefly declare some of her excellencies and some of her miseries by which she is manifested for may a candle burne and not bewray her light may the Sunne shine and not shew his beauty can a City built upon a hill hide her face from the passer by or may a sacrifice salted convey his seasoning from the mouth of the taster and if these creatures could forget their natures yet cannot the true Saints in whose heart the eternall covenant of love is once ingraven forget to burne with like affection first towards God that first hath loved them with love of God as the sap puts forth this fruit as the Apostle saith We love him because he hath loved us first And none can love the Lord with all his heart with all his strength and with all his soule as Moses speaketh but such only whose booken heart the love of God hath comforted refreshed and healed So also loveth hee his neighbour as himselfe hee sorroweth rejoyceth lamenteth and is comforted wanteth and aboundeth with him as the Apostle saith
And the Iudgement of the enemie follows And the Devill that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and Brimston where the beast and the false Prophets are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever And so the holy Ghost goes on in the description of the generall â—udgement by describing first the Iudge himself in these words And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no more place for them And so proceeds to describe them that are judged And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened That is all those meanes were manifested and those severall ways by which the Gospell and way of salvation had been preached to them whether they had the Scriptures or the Creatures or only the more secret dictates of conscience all which preached the word of grace and although it prove a Savour of death to some yet to others a Savour of life by every of those books as it followeth And another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were writen in the books according to their works c. There needs no Paraphrase the Scripture is so clear to prove the thing intended Hym. It doth appear to me that the Millenaries opinion hath no ground in the Scriptures they alleadge yet I must tell you plainly in my judgement the Resurrection is past already proved by your self in your description of the first Resurrection Silv. That was an old error which S. Paul condemns in his 2 Epistle to Timothy where he taxes one of your name saying their word doth fret as doth a gangrene of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus who concerning the truth have erred saying the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some Hym. Shew me how that doctrine may be said to overthrow the Faith Silv. This doctrine is the Religion of Homo-novus or of the new-man falsely so called in plaine termes the Familists doctrine who turne the whole Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ into an allegory affirming Christ to be a quality saying righteousnesse is Christ and sin is Antichrist teaching that all the Articles of the Creed are fulfilled in every one of their illuminated ones and that now they themselves are dead and buried raised and ascended set at the right hand of the Father descend and come and judge the world the quick and the dead that they are the holy Catholique Church that they only are the forgiven people and have the Communalty of the Saints and enjoy life everlasting infinitely succeeding one another in this coedified condition affirming also that God is cohominified with them and so this estate and condition even this present evill world to continue for ever saying that as we come from God so againe we return to God at our death affirming no other Resurrection then from that sinfull estate to be illuminated in which illumination they say they are conceived of the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary c. Hym. You know the Apostle speaking of two seeds of Abraham one born of Hagar the bond woman the other of Sarah the free woman and he saith that by them another thing was meant Silv. As at the first I told you that Christians when they speak they ought to speak as the word of God that is according to the meaning of the Scriptures for though Saint Paul say the two seeds are an allegory in regard of the two Covenants that either stood in the one thereby the child of death the other the child of life Yet he doth not as you do make them nothing but an allegory turning the person of our Lord Iesus Christ into a quality and the person of Antichrist into sin which is no substance but a privation of good take heed of this Hymeneus for it calls to my mind the Apostles words who saith that such doctrine to the soul is as dangerous and destructive as a gangrene is to the body which is inevitably destructive for nothing can prevent the saving of the next member but the death the cutting off of that which is but infected Hym. I am sure if I be mistaken in my opinion yet that which you have delivered in other respects concerning the short time of this worlds continuance crosses most Ministers opinions both in new England and here too Silv. What is that which they teach that I have said doth oppose their Tenents Hym. They almost all with one consent hold the nationall calling of the Iews and that there shall be a great and glorious estate of the Church both of Iews and Gentils alleadging all the Prophets that speak of the deliverance of Syon from all her Captivities and bring the Jews into their own Land out of all Countries whither they have been disperst and scattered Silv. What Scriptures do they bring to prove that the Nation of the Iews shall be called and brought out of every Countrey into their own Land Hym. The 11 Rom. in these words I would not Brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest you should be wise in your own conceits that blindnesse in part is hapned to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentils be come in And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written c. Silv. In these verses there is not one word of the Nationall calling of the Iews but shews that the Apostle declared to the believing Romans a Mystery to take off their vaine boasting of themselves who thought that God had forsaken the seed of Abraham wholly and therefore he secretly reproves them and saith It was but a part of the seed that was hardned or blinded as in the seventh verse he clearly distinguisheth between the Elect part and the rest what then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the Election hath obteined it and the rest were blinded or hardned and in this verse he saith They shall be hardned untill the fulnesse of the Gentils be come in that is for ever Agreeing with the Prophet lâ—t their eyes be darkned and bow down their backs alwayes thus God putting no diffâ—rence between the Iews and the Gentils extends his free grace to both for the calling of the full number of his Elect in all the world and so all Israel shall be saved that is the whole house even every one fâ—reknown and chosen of God shall be câ—lled sanctified and saved both Iews and Gentils throughout the world and this word saved hath respect unto the estate of perfection in the world to come according to the Prophet Esays words Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation he shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end That is all Gods Elect wheresoever of all kindreds tongues nations and people Hym. In this Scripture it doth not appeare there is any
now proceed to the third particular the King of this new and heavenly world Silv. The King of Sion is her Saviour and the Scriptures call him the King of Glory and that title that was written on his Crosse in his humiliation in Latin Greek and Hebrew that is the title of his Crown and Dignity in his Exaltation This is the King of the Iews And as himself saith for this end was I born and for this end came I into the world and so testifies the Angell unto the Virgin Mary and tells her that her Sonne Iesus should be great and called of all the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall raigne over the house of Israel for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Thus that great favourer and much beloved of God the Prophet Daniel speaking by the holy Ghost of Iesus the Lord he calleth him the Sonne of God and in the spirit of prophesy saith that there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all people nations and languages should feare him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed The same Prophet in another place saith In the days of these Kings meaning the great oppressors of the earth from the beginning of the world to the end In their days as before I told you of the Kings of the East and the whole world For although there be many differing powers as of gold and silver c. yet they all make but one enemy one adversary as it is said of Rome in her shall be found the bloud of all the Saints and Prophets and of all that were slaine upon the earth It is so said because all persecutors make but one generation and it follows and in the days of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever For David saith though the heathen rage and the wicked people imagine vaine things yet saith the Lord I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion who shall speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore dispâ—easure his Dominions is from Sea to Sea from the River to the ends of the earth they that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him saith the Prophet and his enemies shall lick the dust How full doth Almighty God prove this himself it s more clear than the Sun in its full light In these words thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy inheritance the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession thou shalt rule them with a rod of Iron and break them to pieces like a potters vessell Thus reasoneth the Apostle for unto the Angels he hath not put into subjection the world to come whereof we speak but unto the Sonne he saith Thy Throne oh God is for ever and ever a Scepter of righteousnesse is the Scepteâ— of thy Kingdom thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet and of that subjection more hereafter And thus speaketh another of the Prophets the Lord is King for ever and ever and againe the Lord sitteth King for ever for the Lord most high is terrible and he is a great King over all the earth And againe sing praises with understanding for God is the King of all the earth fâ—r all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him so long as the Sun and Moone endureth Oh worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse feare before him all the earth say amongst the heathen that the Lord raigneth the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved he shall judge the people righteously and governe the nations on the earth These Scriptures are so plaine they need no exposition therefore let the Heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad â—et the sea roare and the fulnesse thereof let the field be joyfull and all that therein is then shall the trees of the wood rejoyce before the Lord and the reason the holy Ghost giveth in these words following for he cometh for he cometh that is the Lord cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with his truth Oh sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marveilous things his right hand and his holy arme hath gotten him the victory for its the Lord that sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse it is the Lord that reigneth over the heathen And another saith the Lord shall be King over all the earth and in that day shall there be one Lord and his name one And the Apostle calls him the everlasting King Iesus who is the faithfull witnesse and first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth who alone is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings thus one all the messengers of salvation say unto Sion thy God raigneth and the same language the Lord himself speaketh Thus saith the King of Iaâ—ob the Lord the King of Israel who is thy redeemer even the Lord of hosts I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God and aâ— another time he saith all power is given unto me of my Father both in Heaven and earth great and speciall things do the Scriptures declare of this Kingdom of its power and glory of which our Saviour acquainted his servants Within these fourty days speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God which made them so desirous of the injoyment and possession of it that before his descending from them their generall request was unto him in these words wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel just like the Mother of the two Sonnes of Zebedee in the behalf of her Children Lord saith she out of a true affection of that perfection she desired that her two Sonnes might sit the one at his right hand the other at his left in his Kingdom and truly now may we say for thine is the Kingdom power and glory for now we see it is the Lords only and if all what hath been said will not satisfie we have Gods own oath for it saying by the mouth of the Prophet I have sworn by my self and the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall sweare and the Apostle affirmes it from the Prophet that at the name of Iesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth and that every tongue shall confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father I will adde
the eternall glory of Gods people is set forth under the name of a City And so saith that holy Prophet Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God yea even as a City stately builded gloriously ordered impregnably fenced prudently governed soundly and fully taught and instructed safely kept and watched the beauty and lustre of whose building astonishes and amazes all that passe by which consider and behold it For thus saith the Lord Looke upon Sion the City of our Solemnitâ—es thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken downe not one of the starks thereof shall be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken and the inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall bee forgiven their iniquities And I will saith the Lord make thy Officers peace and thy exactions righteousnesse Violence shall be no more heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy Walls salvation and thy Gates prayse And be you glad saith the Lord and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy and I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in thee nor the voyce of crying for from henceforth shall no more come into thee the uncircumcized nor the unclean none shal enter into this City but such only which are both in heart and in flesh circumcised as the Prophet Ezeck saith And the holy Citizens of this heavenly Citie the Sun shall no more burn them by day nor the Moon by night they shall neither suffer hunger nor weeping nor sin nor dye more saith the Lord Wherfore awake awake saith the Prophet put on thy strength O Syon puton thy beautifull garment O Ierusalem the holy City This is the City of the great King wherefore arise and shine for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee For thus saith the Lord I will extend peace unto thee like a River and the glory of the Gentiles as a flowing stream As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem This is Sion whom the Lord hath chosen he the Lord hath desired her for his habitation this is my rest for ever saith the Lord here will I dwell The glorie and safety of this Citie is so amply set forth by the Apostle when he saw her in a vision where he saith And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountaine and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious and describes the great City in her glorious building her walls great and high having twelve Gates kept by twelve Angels and that she had twelve foundations so precious for the matter of it that it exceeds pure gold and all pretious stones and pearles magnificent for form the length the breadth and the heighth of it equall upon the twelve foundations were written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof the Nations of them that are saved shall walke in the light of it and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth c. Here is both the glory and safety of this happy City described this is the City that God prepared for the Patriarchs the City with foundations before shewed which all the faithfull expected and looked for whose builder and maker is God And upon one and all the Citizens of this City I will write upon him saith the Lord the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is new Ierusalem which commeth downe c. And these faithfull Subjects of God the holy Ghost calls by the name of the City it selfe speaking of the evill reigne and time of Antichrist And they shall saith he tread the holy City under foot forty and two moneths but when those dayes of the Cities desolation shall be ended then she shal have a Commission under the great Seale of heaven to tread her enemies under her foot for so faith the Apostle The Saints shall judge the world And now we are come to the third particular The commission of power and authority that the Saints shall have with their Saviour which the Scriptures doe largely declare And thus the Lord saith to prove it He that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne There is the commission and authority too even as I have overcome and am set with my Father in his Throne and so promiseth our Lord to his Apostles and assures it with an asseveration Verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration when the sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel and what in this he said unto them he said unto all And this the Prophet David well knew when he sung this song Ierusalem is buildeá as a City that is compact together whither the Tribes goe up The Tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord for there are set Thrones of judgement the Thrones of the house of David And so in another place Let the Saints be joyfull in glory let the high prayses of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishment upon the people to binde their Kings with chaines and their Nobles with fetters of Iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all the Saints praise yee the Lord And thus saith the Lord to the Church of Thiatira To him that overcommeth and keepeth my word to the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron As the vessells of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father So likewise doth he speake to the Angel of Philadelphia Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Sathan which say they are Iewes and are not but doe lye Behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and they shall know that I have loved thee So speaketh Solomon in his Proverbs the prudent are crowned with knowledge the evill bow before the good and the wicked at the gates of the righteous then shall it be most true in the world to come as hereafter shall be shewed So the Lord by the Prophet Ieremiah speaking of Israel The rod of the Lords inheritance saith thou art my battell Axe and Weapons of warre for with thee will I break in pieces the Nations and with thee will I destroy Kingdomes and with thee
will I destroy old and young and with thee will I break in pieces the Chariot and his rider And I will render unto Babylon and to all the Inhabitants of Chaldea all their evill that they have done in Sion in your sight saith the Lord And when thine eyes shall see this thine heart shall rejoyce as I have shewed before Sing O daughter of Sion shout O Israel be glad and rejoyce with all thy heart O daughter of Jerusalem for the Lord hath taken away thy judgements and hath cast out thy enemy the King of Israel is in the midst of thee thou wast humbled but now thou art exalted thou wast oppressed but now thou art delivered thou wast judged but now thou art freed thou wast of low degree but now thou art raised Ierusalem is set up the praise and Iudge of the whole earth According to this speaketh the Prophet Micah to the Church concerning her deliverance from sufferings to reigning Behold at that time saith the Lord I will undoe all that afflict thee and I will save her that halteth and gather her that was driven out and I will get them praise and fame in every Land where they have been put to shame At that time will I bring you again in the time that I gather you and I will make you a name and a praise amongst all people of the earth when I turn back your captivity befoâ—e your eyes saith the Lord Hym. I am much beholding to you for this excellent discovery of Gods servants condition in the world to come I pray declare to me the fourth particular you promised Silv. I said that the state of perfection the Scriptures did well illustrate by a Garden for pleasure and delight And in this the Prophet Isaiah is very fluent in speaking of the perfection of Gods people saith for the Lord shall comfort Sion he will comfort all her waste places and he will make her wildernesse like Eden and her desert like the Garden of the Lord joy and gladnesse shall be found therein thanks-giving and the voyce of melody And so in another place he saith And the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soule in drought and make fat thy bones And thou shalt be like a watered Garden and like a spring of water whole waters faile not So saith the wise King Solomon in the person of Christ A Garden inclosed is my sister my Spouse a spring shut up a fountaine sealed thy plants are an Orchard of Pomegranets with pleasant fruits Camphire with Spikenard Saffron Cinamon with all trees of Frankinsence with all the chiefe spices Awake thou North-wind come thou South blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow out And the Church saith again let my beloved come into his garden and eate his pleasant fruits All which expresse nothing but pleasure and delight in reciprocal affection between Christ and his Church the King saith the Lord dwelleth in the garden and the Lord him selfe saith I have chosen Sion to dwell in her The beauty and excellency of this Church in her perfection was shewed to Balaam in a vision And made him thus fall into admiration yea how goodly are thy Tents oh Iacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel as the vallies are they spread forth as gardens by the River side as the trees of Ligna aloes which the Lord hath planted and as the Cedar Trees by the waters And there is a great deale of reason that the holy Ghost in the testimony of the Prophets should set forth the estate Eternall the estate of perfection by a pleasant Garden for so God created it at first in that perfect condition in which it stood where he gave his holy man Adam Dominion over all over the Fish of the Sea and over the Fowle of the Ayâ—e and over every living thing that moveth upon the Earth And just so it shall be againe in the Restauration the second Adam the Lord from Heaven shall have a never fading and a perpetuall Dominion as the Apostle speakes for unto the Angels hee hath not put in subjection the World to come whereof we speake But one in a certaine place speakes which is David admiring what was prophesied of Christs Kingdome breakes out in a Question being amazed at the great Glory and Dominion prophesied of and asked What is man O God that thou art so mindfull of him or the Sonne of man whom thou so visitest to give him Dominion over the Worke of thy Hands Thou hast put all things in subjection under him And this the Apostle understands the Prophet speakes of Christ and his Kingdome That holy Scribe Ezra being largely shewed the glorious estate of the Churches Deliverance in the World to come sayth For unto you is Paradice opened the Tree of Life is planted the Time to come is prepared plenteousnesse is made ready a Citie is builded and Rest is allowed yea a perfect Goodnesse and Wisedome O happy are they that have thus the Lord to bee their God happy are the peohle that are in such a case Arise shake thy selfe from the dust arise from trouble and sit downe in quiet Oh Ierusalem enter into your Masters joy Him Good friend seeing the glory is so great of such as shall be saved which are willing and obey and therefore eate the good things of the promised Land what shall become of such as perish Silv. They that would not in their life time learn obedience by mercy shall be constreined after death by paine its true that Hagars generation the bond-womans Children shall be cast out from inheriting with those that are free born of Sarah for so directly speak the Scriptures by a doubâ—e witnesse the Lord himself and one of his servants Cast out this bond-woman and her Son for the Sonne of this bond-woman shall not be heire with my free born Sonne even my Sonne Isaac Where its plaine and without all question that this generation shall not inherit that is shall not participate of the glory in the world to come whereof we speak with Sarahs free born Children but that they shall serve and be subject to their King and his Saints for ever and this appears plainly by Scripture thus speaks Noah by the spirit of prophesie Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren and Canaan shall be Shems servant and againe the Lord saith in another place the elder shall serve the yonger and that the yonger shall be Lord over his brethren and then as all things shall be made new so righteousnesse and judgement shall have the victory and then shall Esay serve Iacob Ishmael Isaac and Cain Abel and although in their former life time they hated persecuted scorned disdained and killed them even serving themselves of them whom they ought to have served if truth had taken place yet at the returne of the Lord as all his enemies shall be subdued to him and brought under his feet these enemies amongst the rest