in the Porch of Solomon's Temple called Boaz in its strength and is not at all shaken by what is said against it 4. Another argument may be taken from 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall that wicked one be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lawless one that will be above all Laws and not Subject to any The Cannon-Law tells us who this Law-less one is even the Pope who is Solutus ab omni Lege humana not bound by any Humane Law nay not by Divine Laws neither for he dispenses with those and binds and looses them at his pleasure now this Lawless one must be removed out of the way It may be well said of him what the Jews wickedly said of Paul away with such a fellow from the Earth for it is not fit that such a Lawless one should live God judgeth so of him and therefore hath said The Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth that is by the Preaching of the Gospel The Word shall consume him and cast him into a bed of Languishing and at last he shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming that is at the day of Judgment as our English Annotators say well when Christ shall appear personally so that Antichrist will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's Personal appearing Is it so and must not the Church have Being in the World long after the destruction of that Wicked One and be in that glorious pure and peaceable Estate of which the Lord hath spoken so much by the Mouth of all his Prophets since the World began Most evident it is that it must And shall not Christ then Reign upon Earth at that time The Scripture saith so The Lord shall be King over all the Earth 5. The last Argument which I shall now mention shall be taken from 2 Thess 1.5 where the Apostle speaking of the Saint's Persecutions and Sufferings comforts them with this It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire and with his mighty Angels Now this must be meant of his Personal coming in that his mighty Angels shall come with him which argues a Personal coming as we see Matth. 25.31 The Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Angels with him And when he shall thus come then and not before shall the Church on Earth so long persecuted afflicted and tost with Tempests and not comforted have rest and freedom from persecution The Church must have a peaceable and glorious Estate upon Earth but this will not be till the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire to recompence tribulation to those that trouble the Saints and to the troubled Saints rest So this shall be at the revelation and appearing of Christ And observe farther what the Apostle saith Rest with us with us Apostles and with the Prophets that went before What doth this hint but that then the Apostles and Prophets and all the dead Saints shall be raised and come with Christ and then the living Saints the Church so long under persecution and trouble in the World shall have rest with them And thus I have endeavoured by Scripture to clear this Truth and little from Scripture 't is which I have urged against it but Reason steps in and declares its dissent from and dislike of it fancying some great Absurdities that will attend this Opinion and some Difficulties which will press it Shall Heaven come down and be upon Earth saith Reason But as the Apostle saith Who art thou O man that repliest against God So who art thou O man what is thy Reason that it should argue against God Doth not the Scripture say That Christ shall come from Heaven and all the Angels with him and the dead Saints shall be raised and come with him If this be for Heaven to come down and be upon Earth then so it must be for thus much is agreed upon on all hands All the difference is about the Time of Christ's Abode how long he shall continue some say but a day and that in that short time he shall dispatch all the Work of the last Judgment Others do conceive this will take up longer time and it may be well agreed If Christ and all the Angels and Saints may leave Heaven and be here on Earth one Day why not as well many Days and if Days why not Years and if Years why not a thousand Years as the Scripture saith Certainly Reason hath as much ground to argue against his câ—ming at all as against a longer stay upon Earth than one Day when he shall come Nay Reason may argue strongly from what hath been done that Christ may come and appear to his People on Earth For the second Person the Son of God came to Abraham and appeared in a humane shape and talked with him and told him he should have a Son And may we not as well conceive he may as well appear to the Seed of Abraham when they shall be called He went also to Sodom and led Lot out thence and destroyed Sodom by Fire and Brimstone And may he not as well come Personally to save his many Lots and destroy his Enemies as he shall at Armageddon And consider we farther that the first coming of Christ was foretold in the Old Testament Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son whose Name shall be Immanuel And he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and to be cut off Now if these things should be weighed in the Balance of Reason what would it have said but as Reason did in Mary How can these things be and yet we know that all came to pass Now this may be well concluded that Reason might have more colour to have pleaded against the Prophecies of Christ's first coming and suffering death than it can have now to plead against his Personal Reign upon Earth But He came and suffered death and Reason may now argue If he came to be Humbled on Earth why may he not come to be Exalted on Earth If he came to appear in the form of a Servant upon Earth why may he not come and appear in the form of a Lord and of the King of Kings And if he was some years upon Earth in his state of Humiliation why may he not be for more years here in a state of Exaltation If he did come to suffer upon Earth why may he not come to reign upon Earth And 't is to be observed when Christ spake of his Death Peter 's Reason withstood it for Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Now I would not suffer my Reason to argue against his personal coming and reigning which the Scripture gives such great ground to
all did meet in him So then his Sin-offering might be for himself as made Sin but in the benefit of it for the People of the Land Christ gave himself for himself in this respect even to discharge himself from that guilt which he had taken upon him that so he might save the People of the Lord from their sins Thus much concerning the Temple Concerning the Frame of the City represented in this Vision Consid 1. THis City is the same with that which was shewn to John Rev. 21. even the Holy City New Jerusalem of which such glorious things are spoken by the Prophets This will appear by comparing Ezekiel and John Ezek. 36.27 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean Chap. 37. There is a promise that Judah and Israel shall be one Nation and one King shall be to them all even David who is Christ And observe how Ezek. 37. agrees with John My Tabernacle also shall be with them Rev. 21.3 The tabernacle of God is with men The Gates of Ezekiels City chap. 45.31 have the Names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel upon them so also John's Rev. 21.12 And the Vision of the Waters is alike in both as is to be seen by comparing chap. 47.12 with Rev. 22. In Ezekiel 't is said Vpon the bank of the river grow all trees the fruit being for meat the leaves for medicine Rev. 22.2 On either side of the river was the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and that every moneth and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations Observe Ezekiel saith all trees John the tree of life the Tree of Life is indeed all Trees Consid 2. There is a City of God partly on Earth and partly in Heaven Partly on Earth Heb. 12.22 Ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the city of the living God Mount Sion is the Church on Earth said to be the Joy of the whole Earth the best part of it the Saints therein being the excellent ones of the Earth and partly in Heaven Ye are come to the Heavenly Jerusalem 'T is said that Jerusalem in the letter was distinguished into the higher and lower City this is Mystical Jerusalem and as Eph. 3.15 we read of the whole Family in Heaven and Earth a part of it being on Earth and a part in Heaven which make one whole Family so the Church in Heaven and the Church on Earth make one whole City And upon this account the Saints on Earth are said to be come to the Heavenly City because the Church on Earth and in Heaven make one City Gal. 4.26 Jerusalem which is above and the mother of us all Heb. 11.16 He hath prepared for them a city that is for those that died in Faith verse 13. Those that die in Faith who had here peace by Believing enter into the City prepared for them which is the Ierusalem above and there they have the Vision of Peace In the Ierusalem above is Jesus the Mediator and an innumerable company of Angels and the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect with those that have been raised and changed all these being associated make one body mystically and an heavenly City and this is the Mother of us all 1. Of particular Saints in that they are born from above for as this City is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above so are Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from above born of the Spirit which is given forth from this City 2. This is the Mother of Churches on Earth the Metropolis or Mother City and Churches on Earth are her Daughters Rome would be the Mother Church which is a Mother indeed but of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth Jerusalem above is truly the Mother Church out of it came Laws and Ordinances to be observed on Earth The baptism of John was it from heaven or of men Ordinances from Heaven coming out of this City from Jesus the Mediator who hath all power in Heaven and in Earth are to be received and observed Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Hence is the Power of the Keys and what is done in Churches on Earth is examined in Heaven and there ratified when there is a due execution of that Power which is from above Consid 3. That Ierusalem which is now above shall come down out of Heaven and so the whole City and Family of God shall be on Earth Rev. 21.9 10. 't is twice affirmed to shew the certainty of it I saw the holy city new Ierusalem coming down from God out of heaven Which we may understand thus 1. Those that are mentioned Heb. 12. as making up this City shall come down for Christ shall come down Zech. 14.5 The Lord thy God shall come down then the innumerable company of Angels shall come down with him Matth. 24.31 He shall send his Angels and they shall gather the elect Dan. 7.10 Thousand thousands ministred to him c. And lastly all the Saints shall come with Christ The Spirits of just men shall be united to their raised Bodies for them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 2. These shall descend as a City I saw the City descending They shall come as a Body Politick The whole Heavenly City shall come together Christ the holy Angels and all the Saints with him and so shall be on Earth For the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour into it and the Nations of them which shall be saved shall walk in the Light of it and Gog and Magog shall gather against it to their own utter ruine and not to the least hurt of the Saints Like the Men of Sodom who compassed the House round where the Lord was who first smote them with blindness and after rained Fire and Brimstone upon them from the Lord out of Heaven Even so will these compass the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City and then shall be destroyed by Fire from Heaven which evidently shews that the New Jerusalem shall be then on Earth And Saints coming down from Heaven lose no Glory thereby because Christ will be with them and they with him to behold his Glory Yea there will be rather an addition to than a diminution of their Glory For 1. They shall have opportunity of doing some Works on Earth which they have not in Heaven They shall be as the Angels ministring Spirits for the good of Saints And as Christ after his Resurrection spake of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God so may the raised Saints 2. They shall reign upon the Earth exercise such a kind of Dominion which they do not in Heaven 3. The Saints of the New Jerusalem shall know and acknowledge the Saints in their Portions in the Land and those of the saved Nations which cannot be said of the Saints in Heaven Isa 63.16 Thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us c. But when Abraham shall be
Lord is there and this shall be its Name from that day Which doth intimate such a Presence of Christ with the Saints which was not before He hath been present in Spirit from the beginning of the Gospel-Church but at this time the Church shall have another kind of Presence even his Personal Presence Here 's a new Name for a new Presence the Name of it from that day shall be The Lord is there Chap. 43.2 The glory of the God of Israel came from the East his voice was as the noise of many waters and the earth was lightned with his glory Haec Dei gloria est Christus saith one Surely this Glory of the Lord is no other than the Lord of Glory who is the brightness of the Fathers Glory Solomon's house was filled with the glory of the Lord that was a typical House and had a typical Glory that is some glorious sign of Gods Presence and his owning that House Here will be the true Temple into which the King of Glory shall come The Ark was a sign of Gods presence with the Iews which is therefore called the Lord Josh 3.11 Behold the Ark of the Covenant even the Lord of all the earth c. As the Jews had the typical presence so when they shall be called they shall have the true presence of the Lord in the New Ierusalem Rev. 11.19 In the Temple was seen the Ark that is the Lord of all the earth typed by the Ark. This Temple shall be the place of Gods Throne and of the Soles of his Feet chap. 43.7 Now he is upon a Throne in Heaven but when Ierusalem shall come down in it shall be his Throne Ier. 3.17 At that time they shall call Ierusalem the throne of the Lord. At what time When all the Nations shall be gathered to the Name of the Lord to Ierusalem and when the House of Iudah shall walk with the House of Israel verse 18. Observe also what is said verse 16. They shall no more say The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to mind The presence of the Lord with the Israelites is no way to be compared with that his presence which is to be in the New Ierusalem for the Ark shall not then come into mind 'T is well observed by Cornelius à Lapide Hoc nomen valde congruit cum illo quod Christo imponitur Isa 7.14 Immanuel This Name hath very near affinity with the Name Immanuel God with us now as Christ was Immanuel by a personal presence on earth so the City will be called Iehovah Shammah from his Personal presence Now for the better clearing of this great truth of Christs personal Presence and Reign and of the Saints reigning with him two things are to be done 1. Scripture-Arguments for it shall be produced 2. Objections against it shall be answered For the first As Christ took our Nature and therein did execute his Prophetical Office by teaching and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and also his Priestly Office by offering himself without spot to God so he hath a Kingly Office also which as he hath been executing providentially and spiritually he shall so do it personally and where he preached and suffered there will he reign and execute justice and judgment even in the earth Arguments to prove the Personal Presence of Christ in the New Jerusalem and his Reign upon Earth Arg. 1. REv. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me on my throne as I overcame and am set down with my Father upon his throne Christ was at this time in Heaven sitting upon the Fathers Throne which is his also as God He reigns as Mediator but sits on the Fathers Throne where he must sit till all his Enemies be made his Footstool Psalm 10.1 Sit at my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool We may observe that there is Christs sitting at the right hand of God upon the Fathers Throne and his sitting at the right hand of God upon his own Throne In the former respect he sits upon a Throne in Heaven in the latter he shall upon Earth The Scripture gives ground for this distinction for the former see Heb. 8.1 Who is set at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens that is at the right hand of the Father upon his Throne in Heaven Heb. 12.2 And is set down at the right hand of the throne of God Then for the latter his sitting at the right hand of God upon his Throne see Zech. 6.13 He shall sit and rule upon his throne His as distinct from his Fathers And he shall be a Priest upon his Throne two things are here manifest First as he sits and rules upon his Fathers Throne so he shall sit and rule upon his own Throne Secondly as he is now a Priest upon the Fathers Throne so he shall be a Priest upon his own Throne and there make Intercession and whilest he is a Priest making Intercession he is at the right hand of God Rom. 8.34 Who is at the right hand of God making intercession for us Thus we see that there is the Fathers Throne and Christs own Throne but where is the place of his Throne Not in Heaven for there he sits on the Fathers Throne therefore it must be on Earth of which we have a clear proof Mat. 25.31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory then and not till then upon his own Throne and his own Throne is that which is called the Throne of his Father David Isa 9.7 Luke 1.32 33. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David and he shall rule over the house of Jacob. First he shall rule over the House of Jacob which he did not at his first coming for then the House of Jacob rejected him Secondly when he shall reign over the House of Jacob his Kingdom will be of long continuance of his Kingdom there shall be no end his Kingdom shall not be destroyed as those that go before it This Kingdom over the House of Jacob is doubtless that which the Disciples thought should immediately appear and 't is observable that Christ doth not deny the appearance of it in its time but the immediate appearance He shall sit upon the Throne of David David was in the old Jerusalem where he had his Throne and Christ who is David shall be in the new Jerusalem and have his Throne in it Then shall that Prophecy of Daniel be fulfilled Dan. 7.13 I saw one like the son of man which is expounded to be Christ verse 27. All Dominions shall serve him He came in the clouds of Heaven which in Scripture sets forth his personal coming and there was given him Glory and a Kingdom which is meant of a Kingdom on earth for it 's given him that all People Languages and Nations
should serve him so as that the Lord shall be King over all the earth and his Kingdom shall be the stone which shall break in pieces the great Image and become a great Mountain and shall fill the whole Earth Thus Christ shall reign sitting on his own Throne Next let it be considered how the Saints shall sit with him upon his Throne and reign with him This is not meant of the state of Glory in Heaven for Christ doth not there sit upon his own Throne and therefore they do not sit with him upon it but behold his Glory Consider the Saints own sense Rev. 5.10 The four beasts and four and twenty elders say We shall reign upon the earth This is the sense of the Saints in Heaven and shall any on the Earth contradict the sense of Heaven This is confirmed Dan. 7.26 The Judgment shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it to the end and then the Greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Saints Rev. 2.26 To him that overcometh will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron even as I received of my Father The Saints shall judge the World and govern the Nations yea the Saints shall judge Angels also Mar. 16.17 In my Name shall they cast out Devils This Paul did Acts 16.18 I command thee in the Name of Jesus that thou come out of her Such a power some have had in the time of the Old Heavens and Earth much more may it be conceived of the Saints of the New Heavens and Earth And as the Saints have been cast into Prison by Satan Rev. 2.10 So why may not Saints have power to cast him into Prison suitable to that promise They shall take them Captives whose Captives they have been and rule over their Oppressors And therefore as Saints shall have this honour to bind the Nobles of Babylon with Links of Iron so it 's possible they may have a farther honour eved to bind evil Spirits with Chains and to clear the Earth and Air of them and to command them in the Name of Jesus out of the World into the bottomless Pit and there shut them up and keep them close Prisoners during the One thousand years Observe farther this promise was made to the overcoming Saints in John's time They must rule the Nations and be raised to reign Arg. 2. It 's most evident from Scripture that the Church shall have in the last Days a very Peaceable and Glorious Estate upon Earth The Prophesies concerning it are so many and so manifest that it can't be denied Isa 54.11 and Isa 60. It 's also evident that this State will be of long continuance Peace so long as the Moon endureth Mine Elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands As the new Heavens and new Earth shall remain before me so shall your Seed and your Name remain Isa 66.22 It 's also evident that Ancichrist must be destroyed the Beast and the false Prophet must be taken and Satan bound up before the Church shall have its Liberty and Peace for whilst they have power they will be troubling the Saints Lastly It 's evident that there will be a personal coming of Christ when these things shall be accomplished For 1. There will be a personal coming of Christ when Antichrist shall be destroyed 2 Thess 2.8 The Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth and destroy him with the Brightness of his coming Which is not meant of a Spiritual coming for this is included in the former expression of consuming with the Spirit of his Mouth therefore it must be meant of a Personal coming 2. When this Glorious time shall begin Christ will come the second time This is evident from two places the first is Matth. 24.30 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the Sun shall be darkned c. What tribulation is this v. 21. There shall be great tribulation such as was not since there was a Nation This is the great Tribulation spoken of by Daniel and Zachary now when this Tribulation shall end and the Glorious State shall begin then shall they see the Sign of the Son of Man and immediately after the Son of Man himself From hence it 's most evident that the second coming of Christ will be at the beginning of this blessed time For immediately after the tribulation of those Days Christ comes So that if there shall be a quiet and peaceable estate of the Church as 't is most evident there shall be then the personal Presence and Reign of Christ must be acknowledged The second place is Acts 3.19 20. Repent that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. This is his Personal presence In the worst of times the Saints have had refreshing from his Spiritual presence but the great refreshing times will be from his Personal presence and the following words do evidently set forth this sense For as he is now in Heaven so shall he be on Earth The Heavens receive him personally and therefore when the times of Restitution come the Earth shall receive him personally 3. When Christ shall come his Kingdom shall come 2 Tim. 4.1 Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and Kingdom Then a King shall reign in righteousness Isa 32.1 Arg. 3. When the time of the Marriage of the Lamb shall come then the Lamb himself shall come the Bridegroom must be present at the Marriage Hence we find mention made of the Bridegroom 's coming and their going in with him to the Marriage who shall be ready Matth. 25.6.18 which must be understood of his Personal coming Here four things are to be considered 1. Who is to be the Bride the Lamb's Wife Now the New Jerusalem-Saints will be the Bride Rev. 21.2 I saw the holy City New Jerusalem prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband So those that shall come with Christ and be gathered to him at and after his coming shall be the Bride the Lamb's Wife 2 Thess 2.1 I beseech you by the coming of Christ and our gathering to him That is To be with him in the holy City Then that will be fulfilled Two shall be in the Field one shall be taken and the other left And the raised Saints and those that shall be taken into the holy City will be the Lamb's Wife 2. What is meant by the Lamb's Marriage For this we may consider that when any are converted they are espoused to Christ and take him for their Husband and Christ loves and cherisheth them No man hateth his own flesh but loveth and cherish it as the Lord the Church Ephes 5.29 So all true Saints on Earth are espoused to Christ in Heaven 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one Husband that is Christ But though espoused 't is to an Husband absent from them As for this
and and Government This Kingdom will come with observation For as the Lightning shineth from one part under Heaven to the other so shall the Son of Man be in his day Then Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets shall be seen in the Kingdom of God and they shall come from the East and the West and North and South and shall sit down with them in that Kingdom Matth. 13.28 29. which hints a Kingdom on Earth for the East West North and South-parts of the Earth are not so called in relation to Heaven but with reference to some place on Earth For the farther clearing of this we may observe That there are in the Government two eminent prefigurations of this Kingdom The first is Christ's riding in triumph into Jerusalem Matth. 21.8 The Multitude spread their Garments and cut down Branches from the Trees and cried Hosanna to the Son of David blessed be he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Mark 11.10 Blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David that comes in the Name of the Lord It came then in a small degree of it And when Christ shall come in his Kingdom at last then the Jews shall see him and say as the Multitudes did then Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Matth. 23.39 And that which Christ did then seems to foretell two things which he shall do at his coming 1. He shall purge his Temple When he rode into Jerusalem he went to the Temple of God and cast out those that bought and sold in it Christ will throughly purge his Temple when he comes and make it the House of Prayer The Church shall be a Mountain of Holiness and that new World the Habitation of Justice 2. Christ will heal Infirmities v. 14. The Blind and the Lame came to him in the Temple and he healed them At his first coming he healed all manner of bodily Infirmities At his next he will heal not only bodily but spiritual Infirmities more eminently than at his first coming The second prefiguration of Christ's coming was his transfiguration of which we read Mat. 17.2 Christ said Chap. 16.28 There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom And we may observe to whom Christ spake this It was to his Disciples v. 24. Jesus said to his Disciples and so continues his Speech to them till he spake these words Now although Mark saith that he called the People to him with his Disciples yet he directs his Speech to the Disciples especially and therefore we may conceive that when he said there be some standing here c. he means some of his Disciples and not all of them and then it follows After six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John So they were the same here meant And his transfiguration before them was a type of his coming in his Kingdom This sense hath a great confirmation from 2 Pet. 1.16 17. We have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty As if he had said the power and coming of Christ was that which was shewn us for when we saw him on the Holy mount with his Face shining and his Rayment glistering we saw his power and coming and the glory in which he shall appear This is meant of his second coming of which we read Chap. 3. where he speaks of the Scoffers that should ask where is the promise of his coming Many look upon this glorious truth of Christ's coming to reign upon Earth as a cunningly devised Fable but saith Peter it is not so for that which we have seen with our Eyes declare we unto you How and when did they see it When they were with him in the Holy Mount and saw him transfigured before them Then they saw it in a Praeludium of it So when Peter spake of the power and coming of Christ and of the new Heavens and new Earth 't was that which he was an Eye-witness of at his transfiguration Hence three things may be concluded 1. When Christ shall come he shall come in his Kingdom 2. The raised and changed Saints shall then appear with him in glory of which the appearing of Moses and Elias was a type 3. When Christ shall come in glory and the raised and changed Saints shall appear with him in glory then there shall be other Saints in an inferiour state who may sometimes see Christ and the glorified Saints and have some converse with them Thus was it when Peter and James and John saw as Christ so Moses and Elias and why may it not be thus after the coming of Christ We may the better conceive it seeing those Saints which shall be in an inferiour state to the glorified ones will be much better capacitated for converse with them than Peter and James and John were at that time Arg. 6. The last argument shall be taken from Rev. 20. where Satans binding Christs reign and the resurrection of the dead Saints to reign with Christ and all for one thousand years are plainly declared Take the particulars in their order 1. The binding of Satan for one thousand years Concerning which observe First the description of him that shall be bound who is set forth under several names He is called the Dragon to set forth his cruelty being full of rage and wrath and the old Serpent to note his subtilty and cunning craftiness to deceive then the Devil a caluminator the accuser of the Brethren and lastly Satan the adversary the great Enemy of God and godliness of Christ and Christianity the hater of all men but especially of the houshold of faith 1 Pet. 5.8 Your adversary the Devil Now from this variety of Names we may conclude that this binding will not be partial and in some respects onely as they say who hold that he was bound at Christs Passion or at Constantines time but total and absolute from deceiving or doing mischief in any kind whatsoever He shall be bound as a Dragon and not be able to devour persecute cast into Prison or to cast a flood out of his mouth to swallow up the Saints He shall be bound as a Serpent and not tempt or beguile As a Devil he shall not accuse the Brethren and as Satan for though he shall continue an adversary yet he shall not be an adversary going up and down as a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour In a word he shall be bound up as God of this world and Prince of the power of the Air and as a spirit working in the Children of disobedience This total binding will appear by considering Secondly the manner of his binding and the restraint which will be put upon him He shall be bound and cast into the bottomless pit and a Seal set upon him his Prison will be made sure he shall not break Prison
God may suffer a false Prophet to withstand him even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses And as Elias shall perswade the Elect to follow the Lamb so this false Prophet shall seduce the Vessels of Wrath and draw them after the Beast And that Elias which shall come may have the gift of working Miracles and then as the Magicians of Egypt did seemingly some Wonders which were done by Moses and Aaron so may this false Prophet do somewhat in appearance like the Miracles of Elias 3. This Beast and false Prophet will have a most remarkable and strange Judgment executed upon them Rev. 19.20 These both were taken and cast alive into the Lake of Fire that is Hell Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and the false Prophet are So the Lake of Fire is Hell and these both were cast into it Which doth not only shew that the Antichristian State and Kingdom and so the Antichrist and Man of Sin shall be destroyed but it shews that the particular Person which shall then have Supream Power and Command in the fourth Kingdom and shall stand up against the Prince of Princes and that false Prophet which shall then be so active for the Beast even these two persons shall be cast alive c. Now that we are to take the Beast and false Prophet for two Individual Persons may be gathered from Rev. 20.10 The Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and false Prophet are This is above one thousand years after the taking of the Beast So that when the Antichristian State and Kingdom shall be wholly abolished the Beast and the false Prophet will be in torment Now this being cleared we may observe farther that they are said to be cast alive into this Lake That is destroyed Body and Soul in Hell For as this will be such a Beast as never was since there was a Beast causing such trouble to the Jews as never was since there was a Nation so he and his false Prophet shall have such Judgment as never was before Korah Dathan and Abiram went down quick into the Pit Numb Chap. 16. ver 30. For the Earth opening swallowed them up and so they were buried alive But this Beast and false Prophet shall be cast alive into Hell For at this time God's fury will come up in his Face Ezek. 38.18 And the anger of the Lord will be so exceeding hot against them for their most daring wickedness in standing up against the Prince of Princes a greater Sin than that of Korah's standing up against Moses and Aaron that he will not respite their full torment till the resurrection of the wicked above one thousand years after but then immediately shall they be cast Body and Soul into Hell and be under full torment in both And as Enoch and Elias persons so eminent for Godliness were translated that they did not see Death and were carried alive to Heaven so this Beast and false Prophet persons so eminent in wickedness shall be cast alive into Hell This sense is somewhat favoured by what follows The remnant were slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rest therefore these were not slain by a bodily Death but both in Soul and Body were under the power of the Second Death Thus much of these two Beasts 4. The Day of Judgment and the Worlds perishing by fire For the better understanding of what we find in Scripture concerning the Day of Judgment take notice of two things 1. Christ will begin the work of Judgment at his next appearing 2 Tim. 4.1 The Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom When Christ shall appear and the New Jerusalem shall come down and Christ shall take to himself his great Power and Reign then he shall judge the quick and the dead Q. What shall Christ then do as a Judge or what shall be his judging-work at the beginning of the thousand years A. 1. The dead Saints shall be raised and judged at this time which is evident from Rev. 11.15 The seventh Angel sounds his Trumpet and there were Voices saying The Kingdoms of the world are beeome the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ This is at the beginning of the thousand years Now observe what is said verse 18. Thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged And what dead are meant the following words declare And that thou shouldest give reward to thy Servants the Prophets to the Saints and to all that fear thy Name small and great So by dead in this place are meant the dead Saints and all the dead Saints even as many as fear God's Name All these shall be judged by a sentence of Absolution and shall receive he Kingdom which was promised to them 2. Christ's work at this time as a Judge will be to destroy them that destroyed the Earth Rev. 11.18 Whence we may gather that this will not be the time of raising the Wicked but of destroying them not of raising them out of their Graves but of sending them to their Graves Which is also evident from 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and Earth whieh are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men Here the day of Judgment is mentioned and this will be a day of perdition of ungodly men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of killing not of making them alive again And lastly The Heavens and Earth which now are shall then perish by Fire And here I shall insist a little upon these words and shew what we are to understand by the Heavens and Earth which now are and how they shall perish by fire and by this we shall see farther what the judging work of this day will be Consider then The Heavens and Earth which are now do signifie the World which now is both with respect to that which was before it and perished by Water and also to that which shall be after it and is to come even the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell And if we consider what World it was that perished by Water we shall the better know what World it is that shall perish by Fire Now the Heavens taken in a proper sense did not perish neither did the Body of the Earth perish but all the Men upon the face of the Earth perished except those in the Ark and all other living Creatures without the Ark in whom was the Breath of Life and also the Fruits of the Earth 2 Pet. 2.5 Bringing in a Flood upon the world of the ungodly This World of the Ungodly perished by water And together herewith there were Analogical Heavens and Earth which also perished by water Analogical Heavens there were which perished and those both Political and Ecclesiastical 1. Political Heavens that is the Superiour Sovereign and Ruling part of that World for as
sixth Seal and lo there was a great Earthquake and the Sun became black and the Moon as Blood and the Stars of Heaven fell and the Hevens departed as a scrole when it is rolled together By Heaven is meant the Roman Empire as heathenish and under the Power of Heathen Emperours 'T is well observed by Mede that Vniversitas Romana hic à spiritu sancto assimilatur systemati mundi c. That great and large Empire of Rome is likned to the frame of the World Heaven Earth and Air are the parts of the World in the Heaven are Sun Moon and Stars and here below Sea and Rivers Now the Roman Empire had its Political Heaven of Power and Sovereignty and Sun and Stars in it and all these were rolled together as a scroll the Heathenish Power did pass away And that Empire which at first was Heathenish is now Antichristian and must pass away as the former did This World must Perish by Fire For 't is observable that the Roman Empire both as Heathenish and Antichristian is called the World in Scripture Luke 2.1 There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should be taxed that is the people of the Roman Empire Rev. 13.3 All the World wondered after the Beast Here 's an Antichristian World And this World even the fourth Kingdom as now under Antichrist must pass away The Sun Moon and Stars all the Host of this Heaven must perish by Fire and all the Elements thereof must melt with fervent heat For the Plagues of the Vials shall be poured out upon the Antichristian Earth Sea and Rivers and Fountains of Waters and upon the Sun so that the World wondering after this Beast shall perish And the last Vial being poured into the Air shews the utter destruction of Satan's Kingdom who is Prince of the Power of the Air. And then the great City Babylon falls and with it the Cities of the Nations and every Island must flee away and the Mountains shall be no where found neither Mountains of Pride nor Mountains of Prey Thus we see it manifest that there are Heavens and Elements both Civil and Ecclesiastical which must perish Heavens the Sovereign part of the Antichristian World Earth the Subjected part all are to be burnt up In the next place it is to be considered by what Fire For there is as Natural so Fire in an Analogical sense Now. 1. It 's not to be doubted but that Fire in a proper sense will be made use of to help forward the Judgment of that great day For as the old World perished by Water so the World which now is must by Fire Babylon which is the Seat of the Beast must be utterly burnt with Fire Rev. 18.6 Reward her as she haâ—h rewarded you Giue her blood to drink for she is worthy give her burning for she is worthy Give her blood for blood burning for burning For as she hath destroyed many of the Saints by Fire so therefore let her perish by Fire as she is spiritually called Sodom so let her be consumed by Fire like Sodom And as Elijah called for Fire from Heaven so Fire will be called for from Heaven to destroy those that destroyed the Earth And thus as Analogical Heavens perished by Water so may Heavens and Earth both Political and Ecclesiastical perish by Fire 2. Analogical Fire will be made use of for destroying the Heavens and Earth which are now And so the Fire of the Word and Spirit and judicial Fire First the Fire of the Word and Spirit Of which we read 1 Cor. 3.13 The day shall declare every Mans work of what sort it is and it shall be revealed by Fire The Gold and Silver and precious Stones shall be revealed by Fire and the Wood and Hay and Stubble shall be burnt up Antichristian Doctrine Discipline Ordinances Traditions and Forms of Worship shall be all burnt up The Tares shall be known Hypocrites shall be discovered and gathered out of the Kingdom of God and there shall be neither persons nor things in it any way offensive to any of the sincere Servants of God Secondly Judicial Fire The great Judgments of that day will be a consuming fire to the Enemies of Christ the Light of Israel shall be for a fire and his Holy one for a flame and shall consume the Bryers and Thorns fury and fiery Indignation shall then devour the Adversaries Heb. 12.29 Our God is a consuming fire In that great Day of Judgment he will so appear And then Angels as Instruments in executing Wrath will be as fire to burn up the wicked Psa 104.4 He maketh his Angels Spirits his Ministers a flame of Fire These flames of fire will be at work to burn up as the wicked ones of the Earth so their works in the Earth at that day Thus Fire in each of these kinds will help to dissolve the Heavens which are now and to burn up the works of the Earth So that we are not to restrain or limit the Fire here mentioned to any one sort but to take it in the largest and most comprehensive sense For as there will be work for Fire in each of these kinds so all will be at work in that Day of Perdition of ungodly Men. And when the Heavens and Earth which now are shall be dissolved then will new be created wherein pure Religion and Righteousness shall dwell which will constitute that World to come which is ordained for Christ to reign in And what shall be done with these Material Heavens and Earth after the thousand years and the finishing of Christ's Judging-work none is able to determine I shall conclude this particular of the Worlds perishing by Fire with some thoughts which I have had upon Rev. 15.2 3. I saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and them that had gotten the Victory over the Beast c. stand upon the Sea of Glass having the Harps of God and they sing the Song of Moses c. As the Plagues of the Vials are foretold in the general verse 1. So in the next place is shewn what great Joy will be amongst the People of God because of the great and marvellous works of God in destroying their Enemies by these Plagues and delivering them from the greatest trouble and danger that ever they were in And then follows a particular description of the Plagues of the Vials and the order in which they are to be poured out Now the second and third Verses shew that the Saints were represented to John in this Vision as being in the like condition with the Israelites when they beheld the Egyptians dead upon the Sea-shore and rejoyced over them For when the conquering Saints are said to stand upon the Sea of Glass and to sing the Song of Moses what doth this singing the Song of Moses intimate but that such a wonderful deliverance will be wrought at last for the People of God as that of the Israelites
HEAVENS AND THE NEVV EARTH ALSO OF The Earnest Expectation of the Creature to be delivered from its Bondage into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God TOGETHER With some Hints wherein it will consist Gathered out of Holy Scriptures AS ALSO A Guess at the Time wherein it may probably be expected Together with the Profitable Uses to be made of it As in 2 Pet. 3.14 By WILLIAM ALLEINE Now with the Lord. LONDON Printed for Benjamin Harris 1679. Some Discovery OF THE NEVV HEAVENS AND THE NEVV EARTH IN the former TREATISE the passing away of the Old Heavens and Earth was handled and their perishing by Fire And now I shall adde somewhat concerning the New Heavens and the New Earth which are to succeed them as we read 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to his Promise look for New Heavens and a New Earth c. And certainly 't is not a state of glory in the Heaven of Heavens where Christ is and where the Spirits of just Men made perfect are which is here meant For the New Heavens of which Peter speaks are not yet in Being but are Promised we according to his Promise look for New Heavens this Promise is in Isa 65.17 Behold I create New Heavens and a New Earth these are yet to be created Isa 66.22 As the New Heavens and the New Earth which I will make shall remain before me c. I have not made them already but I will make them And the time is hinted when they shall be created Isa 65.13 my Servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty my Servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed c. And the former troubles shall not be remembred this Promise hath not been already fulfilled for the People of God have not been yet in such an estate as to leave all their troubles behind them and to forget them but such a time shall be for saith the Lord I creat New Heavens and a New Earth A New Earth as well as New Heavens which Intimates a great change here below Neither is it the Gospel-state of the Church which was to succeed the Legal state which is all here meant for this was in Being when Peter wrote but the New Heavens and Earth were lookt for And lastly These New Heavens and New Earth must be created when the World which now is shall perish by Fire and that will be at the day of Judgment 2 Pet. 4.12.13 Thus we see what we are to rest in as meant by the New Heavens and the New Earth In the next place to shew what they are consider in the general those words of Peter 2 Pet. 3.15.16 As our beloved brother Paul hath written unto you as also in all his Epistles speaking of these things What things Doubtless the New Heavens and Earth are these things for of these Peter last spake therefore when Paul speaks of the manifestation and glorious liberty of the sons of God and the creatures earnest expectation of it Rom. 8. and also of the Saints judging the World 1 Cor. 6.2 These are the same things of which Peter speaks but most plainly the New Heavens and New Earth are spoken of in the Epistle to the Hebrews and because Peter saith Paul had written of these things this is conceived to be one of the best Arguments to prove that Paul was the Author of that Epistle now Heb. 2.5 he speakes of a World to come the same with the New Heavens and the New Earth and Heb. 12.26 27. of a Kingdom which cannot be moved and of the removing of things which may be shaken and in relation to the purifying and consuming work of that day 't is said Our God is a consuming Fire And somewhat might be gathered out of every one of Pauls Epistles touching these things except that to Philemon Thus in the general Now to come to a more particular unfolding of this Mystery we are to consider that the Heavens and Earth may be taken these three ways First in a Natural secondly a Civil thirdly in an Ecclesiastical respect 1. In a Natural respect And thus we may conceive that all things below the Heaven of Heavens which is the Throne of God and Seat of the Blessed are to be in some respect made new Indeed the Heaven of Heavens is called the high and Holy place and no change was made in it by Mans sin it is so Glorious already that we have not ground to conclude it will be made better but as for the inferiour Heavens and Heavenly Bodies in them as Sun Moon and Stars there is this to be said concerning them As they sometimes send down some malignant and hurtful Influences upon this inferiour World which may be reckoned amongst the Fruits of Adams sin so in the times of Restitution these shall cease I shall mention some places of Scripture which afford us some ground thus to conclude it Psa 11.6 there is this promise The Sun shall not smite the by day nor the Moon by Night when 't is said The Sun and Moon shall not smite this doth intimate that sometimes they do smite Men and surely 't is Sin which hath been the cause of this smitting And if this promise of their not smitting shall be made good to any in the time of the Old Heavens and Old Earth then much more shall it be made good in the times of the New Heavens and the New Earth The Sun did once beat upon the Head of Jonah that he fainted and wisht in himself to die Jonah 4.8 Certainly it shall not be thus in the times of restitution and refreshing the Sun shall revive and strengthen and not cause fainting and make Men wish to die Deut. 3.3.28 His Heaven shall drop down Dew Whilst Israel did keep Covenant with God the Heavens were his Heavens much more when all Israel shall be called and saved the Heavens shall be their Heavens the Sun Moon and Stars shall be theirs so as that their influences shall not be hurting and smiting The Stars in their courses shall not fight against them as once they did against Sisera Their Heavens shall not be as many times now they are Brass over their Heads but shall drop down Dew and the former and the latter Raine that is Rain in season shall descend and there shall not be a Sweeping Rain which shall leave no Food behind it And 't is not at all to be doubted that when the Jews shall be all effectually called and enter into their rest Joseph's Blessing shall be the Blessing of all the Tribes of Israel and that in a more ample and eminent manner than when Joseph had his Lot in Canaan Deut. 33.13 c. of Joseph he said Blessed of the Lord be his land for the precious things of Heaven for the Dew and the deep that coucheth beneath and for the precious Fruits brought forth by the Sun and for the precious things put forth by the
of the Flesh and as the Devil suggested so Adam and Eve thought to be thereby as Gods knowing good and evil there was Pride and as this Sin brought in all others into the World so we see how the Off-spring resemble their Begetter and how all Adams Children by generation do beare the Image of the Earthly Adam Again see Jam. 4.3 Ye ask that ye may consume it upon your lusts Lust is a great Devourer what great Estates are many times consumed by it This is a bondage to the Creature which would serve mens Necessities but not their Lusts And the Apostle calls such a dulterers A dultresses The Creatures are defiled and defloured by mordinate love to and sinful abuse of them And lastly consider Luke 16.9 where Riches are called the Mammon of unrighteousness 't is a Bondage to them to be so they would and should be the Riches of righteousness now they are the Mammon of unrighteousness When they are gotten by righteousness Hab. 2.9 Wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousness or gaineth an evil gain Achan's Wedge of Gold was evil gain Naboth's Vinyard was evil gain to Ahab Judas his Thirty pieces of Silver were evil gain to him they are also the Mammon of unrighteousness when not made use of for Mens own good or the good of others which are in want many have Riches but not a Heart to use them not like Christ who accounted giving best But they account having and keeping best Lastly they are the Mammon of unrighteousness when employed to promote and carry-on an evil and mischievous designe Haman's Ten thousand Talents which he would give to promote the work of destroying the Jews were the Mammon of unrighteousness 4. The Creatures bondage consists in a subjection to Satan Adam lost his Dominion in the Creation and Satan hath usurped it who by Divine Permission hath sometimes power to make Creatures his Instruments in his evil designs By Fire he destroyed Job's Sheep and the Servants which kept them By Wind he overthrew the House where Job's Sons and Daughters were Sometimes he makes Creatures his alluring Baits to draw men to sin Now the Creature groans under this bondage to Satan and longs for the time when he shall be bound and cast into the Bottomless Pit 5. In being so much in bondage to men which are God's Enemies The Creation groans under an Antichristian Yoke and as the Souls under the Altar cry How long O Lord dost thou not avenge our blood So the Creatures cry How long O Lord dost thou not avenge our bondage on them that oppress us They long for the Fall of Babylon and the Destruction of the Man of Sin and as when Babylon shall fall the Heavens and holy Apostles and Prophets shall rejoyce over her so also shall the whole Creation which now groaneth and travelleth in pain Thus much of the Creatures bondage in which we may see the evil nature of Sin whereby not onely Men but the whole Creation hath been brought in bondage to corruption As in things which God hath made His Eternal Power and Godhead His Wisdom and Goodness are seen So in them as made subject to vanity we see what an evil and bitter thing Sin is when Achan sinned he brought Ruine upon himself his Sons and Daughters Oxen Asses Sheep and Tent and all that he had Here consider 1. The Creatures forbid these Abuses and cry out against those that abuse them As God complained once that he was press'd as a Cart laden with Sheaves so the Creation complains of being press'd with Man's Wickedness Covetousness Pride Luxury and Drunkenness which are a burden to the Creation And as the dumb Ass reproved the madness of the Prophet so the dumb Creatures reprove the Wickedness of Men when they love them inordinately and serve them and their Lusts by them What is their voice but like that of the Angel to John See thou do it not we are thy fellow-creatures worship God 2. The abused Creatures will cry against those that abuse it Hab. 2.11 The Stone shall cry out of the Wall and the Beam out of the Timber shall answer it When a Town is built by blood and a City is established by Iniquity then the Materials do as it were cry for Vengeance on such Builders Jam. 5.12 Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you your riches are corrupt your Garment Moth-eaten You will rather let Moth and rust corrupt them than amploy them to any good Use and this Rust shall be a Witness against you 3. 'T is mercifulness to Creatures to use them well and cruelty to abuse them those that do thus are cruel to their own Souls and to the Creatures Sinners are cruel to the Creation Saints are pitiful to it when they use and do not abuse Creatures Thus much of the Creature 's Bondage 3. What the Creature 's Liberty is into which it shall be delivered 1. There shall be peace in the Creation As Christ makes peace betwixt God and Men betwixt holy Angels and Men and will in the time of the New Heavens make peace betwixt the Saints so will he also makes peace in the Creation and that Promise in Isa 65.25 may be fulfilled in a literal as well as a mystical sense The Wolf and the Lamb shall feed together and the Lion shall eat Straw like the Bullock but Dust shall be the Serpent's meat upon it the Curse shall remain 2. The Creatures shall be again very good and not vanity and vexation of spirit They shall recover their lost Vigor and Beauty Acts 3.21 There shall be a restitution of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est restitutio in pristinum statum A bringing back to the First State Matth. 12.13 He stretched out his hand and it was restored whole like the other And thus the Earth shall be so restored as to have a new State and Face It shall not be Iron under men's feet through want of Rain in the season of it Neither shall it be barren and unfruitful What Elisha did at Jericho might be for a Type of that which shall be done in the times of Restitution 2 King 2.21 The men of the City said The ssituation is pleasant but the water is naught and the ground barren then Elisha went forth to the springs of water and cast salt therein Thus saith the Lord I have healed these waters there shall not be any more from thence death or barren land And 't is remarkable what Josephus writes of this healing of the waters of Jericho by Elizaeus's Bell Jud. lib. 5. chap. 4. This Fountain which before was the cause of Famine and Sterility was now the cause of Plenty and Fertility and so it watereth the ground that where a little of it cometh it doth more good than all other waters which lie long upon it There are goodly Orchards and many sorts of Palm-trees growing by Brook's-sides and the fattest being prest
Thess 5.2 is affirmed of Christ's second coming and when the Battel of Armageddon shall be then Christ shall come as a Thief Rev. 16.15 and lastly the passing away of the Old Heavens and Earth and consequently the creating of the New will be at the day of Judgment v. 7. The Heavens and Earth are reserved to fire against the day of Judgment and all do grant that Christ will come personally at the day of Judgment and when he comes all the dead Saints shall be raised and appear with him Now put all these things together The Old Heavens and Earth must perish new must be created Saints and Righteouss Men must after this dwell in the New Earth and at this time will be the day of Judgment Therefore there must be a Visible and personal presence and reign of Christ upon this New Earth then to be called Beulah and Christ will not marry it and be presently after a day divorced again but as the Saints shall dwell in it so Christ with them If any shall Object that the Judgment shall not be till after the one thousand years and the destruction of Gog and Magog for then 't is said Rev. 20.11 Christ shall sit upon a great White Throne and the dead small and great shall stand before him and why may not this be the day of Judgment spoken of by Peter For answer to this I shall say that if this of Peter and the 20. Rev. be well considered and compared together it will evidently appear that there will be a day of Judgment begun at the time of Antichrist's destruction and the final fall of Babylon and the perishing of the World which now is which is called by some the Morning of that great day and will be at the beginning of the one thousand years And a day also after the end of them called the Evening of that day And as for the Judgment the Scipture gives evident ground to state it thus even by considering it in a threefold step or degree of it 1. There is a particular judgment which passes upon all Souls at their separation from their Bodies Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Soul shall return unto God that gave it The Souls of all men do at their Death return to God but in a different manner some fall into the hands of the living God and that is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of revenging justice and wrath others having before committed their Souls into the hands of God are carried by Angels to Heaven where an hand of mercy receives them 2. There will be a Farther work of Judgment at Christ's second coming even at the beginning of the thousand years which as it is spoken of by Peter so by Daniel 7.26 When the Son of Man comes in the Clouds of Heaven then the Judgment shall sit and we may consider what shall be done by that Judgment then sitting in relation to the Wicked The Dominion of the little Horn will be taken away and so Antichrist's Kingdom will be wholly destroyed for the Judgment shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it even to the end And then also it will be as Peter sayth a day of Perdition of ungodly Men even of those who shall then be found standing up against the Prince of Princes And Farther in relation to the godly it shall be a day to give reward to them and what reward this shall be we see Dan. 7.27 The greatness of the Kingdoms under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High and all Dominions shall serve him they shall be judged to reign with Christ This we see also Mat. 25.15 and Luk. 19.17 What shall be said to those that improve their Talents and Pounds Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord so as to reign with him Be thou Ruler over five Cities be thou Ruler over ten Cities At this time the Saints shall be judged to have an Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ as it is distinct from the Kingdom of the Father of both which mention is made Ephes 5.5 3. The last step which Christ will take in the Judgment will be after the ending of the thousand years and this is that Judgment mentioned Rev. 20.11 Then the wicked shall be raised and brought to Judgment even such whose Names are not written in the Book of Life as there 't is said and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire At this time also there will be a Farther work of Judgment in Relation to the Godly For they shall be then judged to an inheritance in the Kingdom of the Father At the Judgment mentioned by Peter they shall have Judgment for an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and at that spoken of Rev. 20. Judgment for an inheritance in the Kingdom of the Father Mat. 25.31 When the Son of Man shall come in his glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he shall have come and so after the time of his coming in Glory he shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and all Nations shall be called before him and he shall set the sheep on his Right hand and the Goats at his Left hand and now although it hath been Stated thus that at the beginning of the Thousand years he shall set the Sheep on his Right hand and after the End of them the Goats at his Left hand yet it seems more agreeable to the expressions there to conceive that both sorts shall be set in this posture together and shall thus stand before Christ the Judge and then the wicked shall be judged to go away into everlasting punishment and the righteous into Life eternal in the Fathers Kingdom And thus as at Peters day of Judgment Being the Morning of it the Saints shall be the blessed of Christ and receive an Inheritance in his Kingdom and reign with him so at Johns day of Judgment or at the Evening of that day they shall be the blessed of the Father and be admitted to the enjoyment of their Inheritance in his Kingdom Hence 't is the King shall say to the Sheep on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom that is take your Inheritance in my Fathers Kingdom 2. 'T is most evident from Scripture that there will be a time in which the Jews shall be called and delivered from their spirituall Captivity which is upon them by their blindness and unbelief and the vail which is upon their Hearts shall be taken away They shall be delivered from their outward Captivity and also be in a state of freedom Rest and Power and in this estate must long continue even for many generations as hath been shewen in the former Treatise Now that there shall be a personal
coming of Christ when the Jews shall be thus redeemed from their Captivity is most evident Luk. 21.23 24. c. There shall be great distress upon the land and wrath upon this people and they shall be led away Captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be Trodden down of the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled The Gentiles Captivating the Jews and treading them down were the Romans these Gentiles have their time set how long they shall Reign The Roman Monarchy which did Tread down Jerusalem in the Letter and doth now Tread down the Mystical Jerusalem that is the Church as we Read Rev. 11.2 hath a period set to it thus far shall it come and no farther thus long it shall continue and no longer that is at the end of fourty and two Months reckoning them from the beginning of the latter treading down mentioned Rev. 11. Rome the seat of this Monarchy shall be destroyed And then will the Jews deliverance from their long Captivity begin Now what shall happen when these times of the Gentiles shall be very near their end This we see v. 25. there shall be Signes in the Sun In the Moon and in the Stars and upon the Earth distress of Nations Mens Hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things that are coming upon the Earth for the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken and these shew the day of their redemption to be drawing nigh v. 28. Now when these times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and there shall be such a shaking to remove quite away the power of the Gentiles that is to destroy for ever the Roman Antichristian Kingdom and State then at that time v. 27. they shall see the Son of Man coming with power and great Glory which is his Second personal coming If any deny this they will gratify those Scoffers much which Peter spakes of in giving up so clear a proof of Christs Second coming 3. A Third Argument may be taken from Mat. 24.29 Which hath been a little toucht but now shall be farther urged Immediatly after the Tribulation of those days that is when Tribulation comes to this height to be such as never was c. the Sun shall be darkned c. and then shall appear the signe of the Son of Man in Heaven and the Tribes of the Earth shall Mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory This shall be Immediatly after the Tribulation of those days what Tribulation this is the last Tribulation of the People of God which is said to be such trouble as never was since there was a Nation This is from the Devil when he shall have great wrath because his time is short 't is the Tribulation that Gog and Magog mentioned Ezek. 39. shall cause the same with those Kings of the Earth and the whole World which shall be gathered by the Beast and his Emissaries to the Battel of that great day of God Almighty This being the last Tribulation when this shall End then will the year of Christs redeemed come and the Saints will have rest and peace and shall sit under their Vines and fig-trees and have none to make them affraid Now if there shall be such a time here upon Earth that all the Saints troubles shall have an End and they shall enter into a state of rest and peace which shall have no End which if any will deny they must Write Apocrypha over a great part of that Scripture which was given by Inspiration of God I say if such a time shall be then Christ will appear personally at that time for immediately after this Tribulation shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven and this his personal coming for at this time the dead Saints shall be raised v 21. He shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather the elect c. that is the dead shall be raised 1. Cor. 51.52 1. Thess 4.16 The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised and Observe by the way that at this time only the elect shall be raised for they shall gather the elect and besides 't is that coming of which Christ said none knows the day of it v. 36. which certainly is his second personal coming If the Church therefore shall have a glorious time on Earth Christ shall come personally even at the beginning of that time To this argument it hath been answered that this is the Tribulation which Gog and Magog shall cause after the thousand years shall be Ended But that this is not the Tribulation here meant these particulars sufficiently declare 1. At the time of this Tribulation there will be a great Apostacy of Men professing godliness For the love of many shall wax cold v. 12. and false Christs and false Prophets shall arise and deceive many v. 24. and the Stars shall fall from Heaven c. Now no such thing shall happen after the thousand years for the Devil shall only deceive the Nations Gog and Magog not any among the Saints and saved Nations much less any in the beloved City Shall the Sun in the New Heavens be darkned shall any of the Stars of that Heaven fall no certainly for Isa 60.20 Thy Sun shall no more go down and as the New Heavens so the Stars of those New Heavens shall remain 2. At the Tribulation here spoken of the powers of Heaven will be shaken which is not to be said of the New Heavens for these can't be shaken Heb. 12.26 yet once more I shake Heaven and but once This shaking will be of the Antichristian Kingdom and Heaven to remove it quite away that so way may be made for the New Heavens Gog and Magog when they shall gather at last shall not at all shake the New Heavens For the shaking is to remove the things that may be shaken But the New Heavens shall not be removed but remain Isa 60.22 Yea the Apostle saith plainly these cannot be shaken Heb. 12.27 That those things which cannot be shaken may remain wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken c. The Mount Sinai Kingdom was shaken and removed that the Mount Sion Kingdome might be set up which is not to be shaken but stands fast for ever this is the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel which shall continue till the coming of Christ and then grow up to its perfection and then all the Enemies of it shall fall before it and be the Foot-stool of Christ and he shall be King over all the Earth and this his Kingdom is not to be shaken and removed It 's most evident then that this Tribulation will immediately precede the Thousand years and then Christ will come the second time to salvation and put an End to it And thus the Argument here stands like that Pillar
believe lest it should be said as to Peter get thee behind me Satan In a word 't is to be observed that the arguing from conceived absurdities against any truth was the great way of the Sadduces in opposing the Doctrine of the Resurrection They tell a story of a Woman that had seven Husbands successively and ask whose wife she should be of the seven in the Resurrection Questions like to this have been askt and more may by such as are in this matter not knowing not searching the Scriptures for if the Scriptures were well searcht enough would be found to put to silence the ignorance in this thing of many in other respects wise Men. Thus much of the Government which will be Theocratical even a glorious reign of Christ 3. There will be a Change in the Ecclesiastical State Now seeing much hath been written before to set forth the great and happy Change which will be made in the Church which the business of unfolding the Mystery of Ezekiels Temple did lead to therefore I shall adde but a little upon these three following Heads The glorious Light the great Purity and the glorious Liberty which the Church shall have in the times of Restitution 1. The time of the New Heavens will be a time of breaking forth of great and glorious Light For the Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun sevenfold as the Light of seven days Isa 30.26 And this Light will be a discovering Light and a healing Light First a discovering Light Light makes manifest Good and evil truth and error will be made manifest by the Light of the New Heavens The Gold and Silver wherewith some have been Building the Wood Hay and Stubble wherewith others have been building will be seen in that Light Pilate askt What is Truth Then a full answer shall be given to this question and it shall be known What is Truth and we may in particular observe that those two great Gospel-truths will have then a clear manifestation and discovery Christ as Righteousnes and Christ as Lord Christ as made Righteousness for the justification of Men to cover their sin and to keep the shame of their Nakedness from appearing and Christ as made Lord Lord of Faith and Lord of Life Lord of Soul and Spirit of Conscience and the whole Inner-man and Lord of Body also and of the whole Outward-man Now I ground this upon that Promise Jer. 23.5 6. Jer. 33.14 15. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and execute Judgment and justice in the Earth and in his days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness Christ shall then appear as the Churches Lord and righteousness yea shall account it his glory to appear for so he shall own this for a Name and Title In the other place there is the same promise only with this variation This is the Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness As Christ shall owne this for a Name so shall the Church too In the former Name we see how Christ is offered even to be Lord and Righteousness In the latter how the Church receives him that is to be her Righteousness and to be her Lord. In the former we see God in Christ not imputing sin but imputing righteousness without workes In the latter we see faith in Christ justifying through laying hold on and applying Christs righteousness as that alone by which the Church shall account her self righteous but together herewith submitting to be guided and Governed by Christ as Lord so we find These two great truths in these Names The righteousness which justifies is not our own at all but only Christ's and this and this alone is sufficient to justify no other is nedeed no other is required For observe 'T is not the Law our righteousness 't is not love to Christ and evangelical Obedience flowing from it which is our righteousness but the Lord himself our righteousness not any thing we do as Servants but what the Lord of the Law becoming a Servant to it hath done By this it 's evident the gross Popish Doctrine of the Merit of mens works and justification thereby will not be the Doctrine taught or received in the New Heavens New Jerusalem-Light will shew the Vanity of this Doctrine And as for that more refined and Spiritualized piece of Popery and therefore the more dangerous which is but of Yester-day up amongst us and is owned by such who have the persons and parts of the propagators of it in admiration and therefore are so ready to own their pernicious Paradoxes viz. that Evangelical obedience is to be taken in as that Righteousness by which we are to be justified for so they understand James when he saith a Man is justified by works although James himself gives ground enough for another sence when he sayth shew me thy faith by thy works I say this Popery nay this Socinianisme will be quite shut out of the New Heavens also and shall pass away as a Morning Cloud before the New Jerusalem-Light For this shall be the Churches Name then as well as Christs The Lord our Righteousness And this New Doctrine then will be found amongst the Old things which must pass away And amongst the works of the Earth which are to be burnt up And then also Christ shall appear as Lord and Saints shall say other Lords have had Dominion over us but now will we make mention of thy Name Isa 26.13 and will henceforth call thee by this Name The Lord our righteousness and will account this our glory to be called by this Name The Lord our Righteousness This Name implies thus much as given to Christ He that hath made Christ Righteousness hath made him also Lord and in that the Churches of the New Heavens shall be called by this Name it shews that all of that Church shall take Christ as for Righteousness so also for a Lord. Christ shall be called by this Name and therein God joyns these two together Christ as Righteousness and Christ as Lord. And what God joyns together his People will not put asunder for they shall be owned and called by this Name The Lord our Righteousness taking Christ for Lord as well as for Righteousness Thus the Light of that glorious day which is to come will be a day discovering Light 2. 'T will be a healing Light and that in Saints and among Saints First in the Saints that is in their hearts and Consciences All Wounds made there will be healed all horrors all disquieting thoughts and fears there will Vanish before that Light which shall shine into the heart For as 't is foretold Mal. 4.2 The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his Wings The full and compleat accomplishment of this
Promise will be at Christ's Second coming as is evident from what follows Ye shall go forth that is from your bondage and Tread down that they shall be ashes under the Soules of your feet which was not done at his first coming Now observe this Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his Wings what are the Wings of this Sun the Beams of this Sun are its Wings which coming into the Heart shall heal it of all its Wounds which the killing Letter shall make which the Conviction of Sin especially against Christ in Piercing persecuting slighting Christ shall have made So we find concerning the Jews when Christ shall first appear they shall remember their piercing of Christ which will then pierce through their own Souls and shall cause them to mourn and be in bitterness as for a first-born Zach. 12.10 and Rev. 1.7 The first effect of Christ's appearing will be a great mourning and wailing but quickly after this comes healing for the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings and will restore health and heal all these Mourners of their Wounds I shall mention two places of Scripture for the clearing of this one is Jer. 31.18 c. I heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thou hast chastised me and I was chastised turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God This is a Prophecy of the calling of the Ten Tribes none can say that the fulfilling of this Prophecy is past already for no such thing hath been yet done amongst the Ten Tribes Now when Ephraim shall thus bemoan himself what shall the Lord say That we see verse 20. Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him And thus the Lord will quickly comfort Ephraim and give the Oyl of Joy for Mourning The other place is Isa 33.24 When Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down When the Jews shall say The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King as verse 20.22 Then at that time no inhabitant of Jerusalem no man walking in the light of it shall say I am sick for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquities Sin shall be forgiven and every Saint shall know it and have assurance of it as is evident from that Promise None shall say I am sick Surely if there be knowledge of Sin and no assurance of Pardon the Soul will be sick with Sin guilt remaining in the Conscience will trouble it so long as 't is there but no Inhabitant shall say I am sick therefore all shall have assurance of the forgiveness of their sins and this assurance shall continue with them Secondly 'T will be a healing light amongst the Saints many Rents have been made in the Church Saints by their divisions have made wounds amongst themselves through divisions there have been great thoughts of heart great heart-burnings and thence have they come to that Paul complains of amongst the Galatians Chap. 5.15 even to biting and devouring one another Now the Light of that Great Day of the Lord will heal all Wounds which have been made amongst the Saints by Rents and Divisions for Christ will spread his wings even the beams of his light which shall then most gloriously shine forth and he shall gather all the Saints under his wings as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and so will restore health to them and heal them of their wounds This we have set forth Zeph. 3.8 9. Wait ye upon me saith the Lord till the day that I rise up to the prey for my determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdomes to pour upon them mine Indignation even all my fierce anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealously We may observe what an admirable harmony of Prophecies there is This is the same in substance with that Prophecy of Gog and Magog in Ezek. and also with that great gathering of the Nations to the Battel of Armageddon Now consider what great mercy God will at that time bring forth to his People Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the Lord to serve him with one consent There shall be one Lip and Language and that a pure one and so there shall not be divisions amongst the Saints but they shall all speak the same things and be perfectly United together of the same mind and the same Judgment 2. The time of the New Heavens will be a time of great purity this we see foretold Ezek. 36.25 c. Great Promises are made to the Jews to be fulfilled in the latter days and amongst other things 't is promised that they shall be made a very pure and holy People Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean and from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you a new spirit will I put within you and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes God promises that this shall go with their outward Mercies verse 33. What time I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities I will cause you to dwell in the Cities and the desolate places shall be built up Psa 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness What is meant by the Beauties of Holiness the Church is meant hereby this is an ordinary Periphrasis of the Church say our Annotators the Sanctuary was so called Psa 29.2 Worship the Lord in the beauties of holiness that is in the Sanctuary the true Church is always holy but then it shall be much more eminently holy it shall be even the Beauties of Holiness that is very beautiful and glorious in holiness yea it shall be the beauties of holiness having variety of Graces even all meeting together and appearing in their beauty without spot or wrinkle or any such thing As the Sanctuary was called the beauty of holiness even the typical Sanctuary so then tho true spiritual Sanctuary shall be called the beauty of holiness and be as perfect and exact in true holiness as the worldly Sanctuary was in ceremonial and typical holiness Isa 35.8 There shall be an high-way and it shall be called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it But it shall be for those the wayfaring-men though Fools shall not err therein There hath been an high-way of Prophaneness an high-way of Superstition of Antichristian Idolatry and great multitudes have gone in this way and the ways of Sion have been desolate very few have gone in these but at last that high-way of Prophaneness Idolatry c. will become desolate and the way of Holiness and Godliness will be the great
high-way and the wayfaring-men that go in this way shall have an unerring Spirit to guide them in it for the wayfaring men though Fools shall not err therein Isa 54.11 12. They shall be a holy flock Ezek. 36. ult I will lay thy stones with fair colours and thy foundations with saphires I will make thy windows of agates and thy gates of carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones What doth this signifie but that there shall be a Church at last exceeding pure which shall be called the beauties of holiness Isa 60.2 The Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee The Light of the Glory of the Lord shall shine to the Saints and shall shine from them both for the glorious Works of God wrought for them and upon them and in the Works wrought by the Saints in which the Image and Glory of God shall be seen upon them Rev. 22.4 They shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads Their Professions their Lives their Actings and Conversations shall be a discovery of God Vpon the bells of the horses shall be holiness to the Lord much more upon the foreheads of his people 3. In the time of the New Heavens and New Earth the Sons of God shall have Glorious Liberty And this brings me back again to Rom. 8.21 The Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Now for this we may consider that there is Gracious Liberty and Glorious Liberty there is a Liberty wherewith Christ hath made the Saints free as Gal. 5.1 and a Liberty wherewith he will make them free as in this place which is also called the redemption of the body There is a redemption of the Soul from sin and of the Body from sufferings It hath been for the most part with the Saints as Christ said to Peter Another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not But in the time of Glorious Liberty it shall not be so Gracious Liberty is a Liberty from Evil and a Liberty in relation to that which is good Liberty from Evil is from the evil of sin and of punishment Liberty from the Evil of Sin is when a man is made free from the Reigning power of sin as in regard of the Outward committing so from the inward love of it Rom. 6.18 Being made free from sin ye became servants of righteousness There is a Liberty also from the Evil of Punishment Rom. 8. 1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus There is now correction to them and therein God dealeth with them as with sons but no condemnation to them they meet with crosses but have escaped the curse die they must but the sting of death is taken away As they look not for life from the Law so they need not fear death by the Law There is a liberty also in relation to that which is good Saints have liberty to go where they are sure to receive that good which they want they may go and that boldly to the Throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in a time of need They can go to Christ to receive of his fullness grace for grace Jam. 1.17 Every good and perfect gift is from above some gifts are good but not perfect others are good and perfect and able to make those perfect who have them Creatures are a good gift for every Creature of God is good but Christ is a good and perfect gift Knowledge is a good gift but the Spirit of wisdome and grace of love and fear of supplication and adoption is a perfect gift Earth is a good gift Heaven is a good and perfect gift Now what a precious liberty is this to have free access to him who gives liberally good and perfect gifts to those that ask them and upraideth not There is a liberty also to the doing of good though there is not free will and power in Nature to do that good which is acceptable to God yet there is by grace when any are made free from sin thereby those that are partakers of the Divine Nature and have the seed of God in them will be free ready and willing to do good I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou shalt inlarge my Heart Jam. 25. the Law is called the Law of liberty to men in the flesh 't is a Law of bondage to men in the Spirit 't is a Law of liberty The Law in the Head only may be but a Law of bondage so the Law in the Lips but the Law in the Heart which hath the Law of the Spirit with it is a Law of liberty I go bound in the Spirit said Paul 'T is gracious liberty to go bound in the Spirit both to the doing and suffering the will of God and to be constrained by the love of Christ to live to him Thus much of Gracious Liberty for some introduction to what is to be said of Glorious Liberty And as for Glorious Liberty that the spirits of just men have in Heaven going to God the judge of all to Jesus the Mediator to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born But the glorious liberty mentioned by Paul is that which the Saints shall have in the New Heavens and the New Earth For 't is that which the Creatures long for and look to have some benefit by and therefore is not meant of the State of Glory in Heaven Now that some discovery may be made of this let some few particulars be observed 1. To be free from War and the evils and mischief that attend it is a Glorious Liberty And this shall be the Saints happiness at last when all things shall be made New Isa 40.1 Comfort ye Comfort ye my people speak comfortably to Jerusalem tell her that her Warfare is accomplished In the times of restitution after the destruction of the Man of Sin and the calling of the Jews there shall be no learning of War any more Isa 2.4 but swords shall be beaten into plow-shares and spears into pruning-hooks Now there is War Nation against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom And Saints are called to sight the good fight of faith But when the Beast and false Prophet shall be taken God will make all Wars to cease to the ends of the earth 2. Glorious Liberty will consist in being free from temptations Adam was at first free from sin but not from temptations There shall be at last a better Paradise for the Saints than that in which Adam was placed in which there shall be no Serpent to tempt Satan is now following the Saints with his temptations and he hath his Messengers to buffet them but in the time of Glorious Liberty he shall be bound and cast into Prison and never suffered to tempt one Saint any more for when he shall be loosed out of his Prison he shall deceive the Nations Gog and
gracious so Glorious Liberty In like manner the Woman the Church of Christ and his faithful Witnesses go into the Wilderness for Gracious Liberty and prefer that before buying and selling in the great City Babylon and these must come up out of the Wilderness leaning on their Beloved and stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion and at last they shall have Glorious Liberty in the great and Holy City Jerusalem And thus having handled Peter's Doctrine of the New Heaven and the New Earth let the Use which he makes of it be in the next place considered by us and put in practice this we have 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Here are two things to be observed 1. Saints in the Primitive times did and Saints now ought to look for the New Heavens and the New Earth 2. Those that look for these things should with all diligence look to this that their present state and carriage in this World be suitable to the hopes of such glorious things in the World to come For the first we shall do well to consider that the Doctrine of the New Heavens and New Earth was Apostolical Doctrine and the looking for them was an Apostolical practice In the Primitive times this Doctrine was more taught and better known than now it is Saints at so much a greater distance from these things did more generally expect them than now they do when they are so much nearer And we have not onely an Apostolical example and practice for it but if we look higher even to Heaven we shall find a Pattern there which calls for our imitation for as we should do the will of God as 't is done in Heaven so we should expect the accomplishment of the Will and Word of God as 't is expected in Heaven Let 's consider then what example Heaven doth afford us now this is the example of Christ himself Heb. 10.12 13. This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool When Christ was upon Earth he expected Glory in Heaven which he hath and being in Heaven he expects Glory on Earth which he shall have He looks to have all his Enemies made his Footstool and to be King over all the Earth and to have the Saints reign with him Christ knows that thus it shall be and the thoughts of it are pleasing to him Isa 63.4 The day of vengeance is in mine heart and the year of my redeemed shall come Christ knows that day and hath it in his heart 't is a day of joy and gladness in his heart And thus as the Creatures have an earnest expectation of that day so hath Christ himself and he hath been expecting it ever since he went to Heaven for 't is said From henceforth expecting that is from the first time of his sitting down He is upon the Father's Throne in Heaven and expected to be upon his own Throne in the New Jerusalem which shall come down out of Heaven And Christ will expect till it be done For as 't is from henceforth even ever since he went to Heaven so till his Enemies be made his Footstool Now seeing Christ expects these things ought not we to expect with him 2. The Angels do expect these things for if Christ doth then we may conclude the holy Angels do also seeing they are to come with him wich they do well know for they understand Scripture-Prophecies and the time also which is revealed in Scripture for the fulfilling of them for an Angel made Daniel understand a Prophecy and the time of its accomplishment Dan. 9.22 As there are things which the Angels desire to look into so also which they look for as the passing away of the World which now is and the creating of the New Heavens and the New Earth 3. Saints in Heaven do expect these things Saints on Earth do long to see these things of Heaven and the Saints in Heaven do long to see the things of the New Heavens and the New Earth For if it be not beneath Christ to expect them then it is not beneath glorified Saints to look for them Now that glorified Saints do know and expect these things we may conclude thus We read Luke 9.31 that Moses and Elias being with Christ on the Holy Mount they spake of his Decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem Now if his Decease was known by them before its accomplishment we may as well conceive that his Victory over his Enemies the New Heavens and the New Earth and his Kingdom in them are made known unto them and expected by them and not onely the Things but the Time also when all shall be done My ground is this Both their Things and the Times are revealed in Scripture as we see by the several numbers of years mentioned in Daniel and the Revelations Now what is revealed in Scripture concerning Christ the Saints in Heaven do know as in particular the things concerning the Kingdom of Christ and the time of its coming which I conclude from 1 Cor. 13.12 Now I know in part then shall I know as I am known That is I shall know that perfectly then which now I know in part This is an evident Truth the Saints know that of Divine Mysteries perfectly in Heaven which here from the Scriptures they know in part and so we may suppose that they know when the 1260 Days began and when they will end Thus we see how these things are expected in Heaven by Christ by the Angels by the Saints and it being so these things follow hence 1. The things which are to be done on Earth are very great things the subduing of all Christ's Enemies will be a very Glorious Work for Christ hath a great earnest and constant expectation of it the New Heavens and the New Earth will be very glorious for they are the expectations of Heaven Isa 11.10 't is said His rest shall be glorious and when shall this be verse 11. When the Lord shall set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his People c. The first recovery was from Babylon this second will be when the Jews shall be called and when the Outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah shall be gathered from the four Corners of the Earth 2. The expectations of Christ's Enemies on Earth are but a vain thing for there are expectations in Heaven quite contrary to these and which think we shall be performed surely the expectations of Heaven Babylon expects to continue in her Pomp and Power and looks that Sion shall be her Footstool but Christ expects till Babylon be made his Footstool I sit a Queen saith Babylon but what saith the Lord to her Come down and sit in the dust there shall be no more Throne I am no
Widow saith Babylon but thou shalt know Widowhood and loss of Children saith the Lord. I shall not see sorrow saith Babylon but what is the Word of the Lord concerning her How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment of sorrow give her Rev. 18.7 3. If these things be so much expected in Heaven how much more should they be expected on Earth If where there is no sin nor sorrow but perfect holiness and happiness then sure the Saints here in this present evil World have great reason to be much in the thoughts and expectation of these things As therefore 't is the duty of Saints to look for these things so let me give a few Directions for the right performance of this Duty 1. Expect the same things which Christ expects He expects till his Enemies be made his Footstool he expects the Fall of Babylon he expects to be revealed from Heaven and to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe And these things should the Saints on Earth look for even the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Thus we are sure our expectations shall not perish because they are Christ's also but the expectation of his Enemies shall perish and their hope shall be as the Spiders Web. 2. Expect because Christ expects he knows what he expects and hath sufficient ground for his hope and hath power to make good his own expectations Now when the Saints want some Stay and Support for their hope and their Hearts like Moses his Hands are heavy they should look to Christ's Hope and this will be to their hearts as Aaron and Hur were to Moses his hands they stayed them up and so they were steady till the going down of the Sun and till Amalech and his People were discomsited by Joshua with the edge of the Sword 3 Expect as Christ expects Hopes on Earth should bear the Image of Heavenly Hopes there 's no fear no taking thought in Heaven Hope deferred doth not make any heart sick there but there is joy of hope As Christ expects that his Enemies be made his Footstool so he laughs at their Imaginations and Contrivance against him and hath them all in derision Such should the Saints hope be here and so they shall be able to say of Babylon the Man of Sin and all that give up their power to him as Isaiah did of Sennacherib when he besieged Jerusalem Isa 32.22 The Virgin the Daughter of Sion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee The Power and threats of the Romish Beast with all that take part with him should not shake the hearts of the faithful Witnesses but they should shake their Heads at him and laugh him to scorn Surely there is little cause to fear those who shall very shortly be Christ's Footstool Christ expects also with Constancy and Perseverance there is perseverance in the hope of Heaven Christ expects till his Enemies be made his Footstool Christ's hope is like himself The same yesterday to day and till all be accomplished which he hopes for Nothing on Earth weakens the hope of Heaven no changes no scattering of the Power of the holy people no Death of the Witnesses make any the least alteration in the hope of Heaven Now such should the Saints hope be on Earth even the same in all changes they should hope when the Beast kills the Witnesses and those that dwell on the Earth rejoyce over their dead bodies as well as when the Witnesses have power to shut Heaven and to smite the Earth with all Plagues as often as they will they should hope not onely when a deadly Wound is given to the Beast but when that deadly Wound is healed and when Babylon triumphs and glorieth most then may Sion hope the more and rejoyce most of all in her hope For when Babylon saith I sit a Queen am no widow and shall not see sorrow then her plagues shall come in one day Rev. 18.8 That is a very short time after this her vain triumph For when having been under great Fears and these passing away she saith The bitterness of death is past and comes forth delicately like Agag then if the Sauls that should do it will not some Samuels will be found that shall hew that great Whore in pieces And secondly when her plagues come quick dispatch will be made with her even in a day as it were yea in one hour so great riches and glory will come to nought Thus we see what the expectations of Heaven are which do call for such hope on Earth as that which Peter exhorts 1. Pet. 1.3 Be sober and hope to the End For the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ And thus we see 't is the Saints duty to look for these things and how they should do it Q. But here it may be askt as the Disciples did of Christ When shall these things be Seeing we are to look for them we would gladly know when we may expect them at least when the time is near A. For answer to this it may be said as Elijah did to Elisha Thou hast asked a hard thing 'T is indeed a hard thing to tell when the time will be yet certain it is that the time is revealed in Scripture when the Jews shall be called when Babylon shall fall and the two Beasts shall be destroyed and why is it revealed but that first or last Men might come to the knowledge of it Daniel understood by Books the number of the years of the Jews Captivity in Babylon though it was but a very short time before the expiration viz. in that very year in which Babylon was taken Dan. 9.1 and why may we not hope it may be given to some beloved ones to understand by books the number of the years of the Churches desolations some little time at least before the accomplishment of them We may observe three numbers in Daniel and one in the Revelations which concern the times when these things shall be brought to pass The first is Dan. 8.14 How long shall be the Vision of the daily Sacrifice and 't is answered unto Two thousand and three hundred days that is years for so the rest of the numbers are interpreted and why should not these days be so taken also The other two are mentioned together Dan. 12.11 12. From the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up shall be One thousand two hundred and ninety days Blessed is he that cometh to the thousand two hundred and five and thirty days The fourth number is Rev. 11.2 3. Forty and two months and a thousand two hundred and sixty days being the same time Now it is upon good ground conceived that the 2300 days and 1335 will end together and that the 1290 days and the