Rock Christ Jesus that cannot be moved and sure provision shall be made for him And he shall see the King in his beauty The Lord Jesus who shall then appear in his glory and his excellent beauty as I shall shew by and by shall this mans eyes behold and these new heavens and new earth that shall then come which in the Prophets days was very far off shall this mans eyes see which land is described vers 20 c. Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken and the inhabitant shall not say I am sick and the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity But to proceed Of this terrible day that shall come upon wicked men there is a large description in the whole 24 Chapter of Isaiah but I shall mention but some of the passages of it as vers 1. Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste and turneth it upside down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof Here the Prophet shews how the Lord will depopulate the earth making it as it were empty so great will be the slaughter of wicked men and then he shews what changes and mutations he will make in the earth in that he will turn it upside down make it appear no more as it was before but make it a new make new heavens and a new earth But how shall this be done That the world shall be made new and emptied of wicked men Doth the Prophet declare as Peter doth that it shall be done by fire Yes At vers 6. The earth is defiled therefore hath the curse devoured the earth and they that dwell therein are desolate therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left Thus the Prophet speaks of the destruction of the wicked of the earth by fire There are several other expressions in this Chapter that shew the dreadfulness of this day as vers 19. The earth is utterly broken down the earth is clean dissolved the earth is moved exceedingly As Peter expresses himself Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons c. so doth the Prophet here say The earth is clean dissolved c. But if any should ask the Prophet Why what is the meaning of all these expressions in the declaration of what shall come upon the earth What is to be done Wherefore will the Lord do all these things The Prophet at the first verse tells ye and says That in that day the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth upon the earth So that this is the time when he shall wound the Heads over many Countries when he shall strike thorow kings in the day of his wrath when he shall rule them with a rod of iron that will not stoop to the golden scepter of his grace Thus terrible and dreadful will this day be to wicked men And if it should be said to the Prophet Who shall live when God doth this He tells ye in the midst of this declaration of the desolations that are to come upon the inhabitants of the earth vers 16. We have heard songs even glory to the righteous implying that this great day which is the day of wicked mens greatest distress shall be the time of the Saints greatest glory joy and exaltation Now is the time of their singing for joy of heart come But again there is another description of the terribleness of this day in the 50 Psalm which Psalm is a clear Prophesie of this day wherein God will call that wicked crue that have nothing to do to take his Word into their mouthes to an account where the Prophet speaks in the same language with the Prophets and Apostles already mentioned and says vers 4. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestous round about Here also is this day represented to the terrour of wicked men But at the same time the Psalmist says that to him that ordereth his conversation aright he that is the Lord will shew the salvation of God Such a man shall be saved when the wicked shall be devoured Again the terribleness of this day is set out in several other Scriptures But having produced so many already I shall onely mention one more and proceed to what I have further to say and that is Isai 30. 30. The Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard and shall shew the lighting down of his arm with the indignation of his anger and with the flame of a devouring fire with scattering and tempest and hail-stones Thus the Prophet here sets out the terrour of that day when the Lord shall at last be fully avenged on his enemies he shall then shew the lighting down of his arm it shall then appear to be his arm indeed by which his enemies shall be overcome And he shall cause his glorious voice to be heard and manifest his indignation and anger against the enemies of his people with a flame of a devouring fire with scattering and tempest and hail-stones But who shall live when God doth this The Prophet vers 26 27. tells us that this day shall be the day when the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound and that in it unto them the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days So that though it shall be terrible to their enemies yet it shall be the most glorious and happie day to his people that ever was since the beginning of the world and because it shall be so it 's said Isai 24. forementioned that they shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord they shall glorifie the Lord in the fires even the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the Isles of the Sea And thus I have laid down that description which is given in several Scriptures of this great day of the Lord wherein he will by fire and by his sword and by tempest and hail-stones manifest his indignation and wrath against the enemies of his people so as multitudes multitudes shall be slain So as the earth shall be emptied of them So many shall be slain as there shall be few men left And that when it 's thus the earth shal be turned upside down and there shall be new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness For the wicked and the wickedness of the Earth shall be so burnt up as in that respect iâ— shall become a new earth and new heavens wherein righteousness shal remain and flourish And now having thus done I should now proceed to shew that immediately upon this day when
hundred and ninety but to the one thousand three hundred and five and thirty days So then the full and compleat deliverance of the Church when this great day will come when all the enemies of the Church will be subdued will be at the period of the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days Now if to the yeer 0366 there be added 1335 it makes up just 1701 And in this year or neer this yeer one thousand seven hundred and one I am perswaded that day will be having my ground of this perswasion from this Scripture as I have laid it down which I leave to the consideration of prudent Christians I shall now proceed And now I come to speak of those things which are to follow immediately upon this great day of which first a word in general and then I shall descend unto particulars But in general thus Immediately upon the ruining of the enemies of Christ and his Saints in the manner we have spoken of and upon the passing away of the old Heavens and the old earth shall be fulfilled that which is spoken in Rev. 21. 1 2 3. And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth and the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea And I John saw the holy city new Jerusalem come down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband And I heard a great voice from heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God c. That which I take notice of in these verses of which to speak a word in general before I descend to particulars is this That the new Jerusalem here is said to come dome down from God out of Heaven This glorious state and condition in which the Saints shall be put after this great day is to be here on Earth and therefore it is said to come come down from God out of Heaven First in that it is said to come down it argues that it is not above but below for it is to come down from above And secondly In that it is said to be from God out of Heaven it speaks plainly that it is not to be taken for that Glory which the Saints shall have in the * By the Heavens above I mean that place which is far above all Heavens to which the Apostle saies Jesus Christ ascended Eph. 4. 10. Of which Heaven the Lord says it is his Throne and the earth his footstool Isa 66. 1. The height and glory of which place the thoughts of men are alas too shallow to apprehend But the Heaven above it is called in respect of the height and transcendency of the glory of it above the earth that now is or above the new Heaven and the new Earth that shall be in the time we are speaking of which shall come down from God out of Heaven from that inaccessible glory and that unapproachable splendor that none eye hath seen or can see in the beholding of which the Angels do veil and cover their faces 1 Tim. 6. 16. Isa 6. 1. Heavens above to all eternity with God but a glorious estate which comes down from God out of Heaven unto them which they are to injoy for a thousand yeers here below in which time the Tabernacle of God shal be with men and they shall be visibly seen to be his people and God himself shall be among them and be their God and the effects therof shal be glorious as appears by what follows But this onely is that in general which I here take notice of that this new-Jerusalem-glory is to be on earth when there shall be a new molding and a new making of the Heaven and of the earth and of the particular mutations and changes that there shall then be I shall now speak Of the personal appearance of CHRIST And Of the Resurrection of his Saints to Raign with him on Earth ANd in the first place I shall speak of the personal appearance of Jesus Christ and the Resurrection of his Saints to raign on earth with him That Christ shall personally appear is a point that is I know much controverted and is very much doubted by many Saints who are eminently godly and whom I do very much honour and reverence who yet are confident that he will very gloriously appear in the treading down his enemies in the ruining of the Beast and the setling of his people in peace and filling of them with his Spirit but they question whether our Lord Jesus shall any otherwise appear then to be their spiritual eyes and then as now for now they spiritually discern him in his present footsteps in the world And it being thus dubious to many I was inclining to be silent in it but that the light shining so clearly to me in the following Scriptures which I shall mention hath such power and force with me as I cannot but hold it forth leaving it to the more serious consideration of intelligent Christians And the Position that I shall lay down is this That our Lord Jesus Christ having subdued his enemies shall personally appear on earth and shall raise up the Saints before departed out of this world to come and reign with him on earth To prove this we have several Scriptures and I shall begin first with that known clear place Revel 20. The description of the total overthrow of the Beast and all the Armies that were gathered together with him to make war against Jesus Christ and his Saints being laid down in the preceding Chapter in this Chapter follows a declaration of what things will succeed it and that which is to this purpose is in the 4 5 6 verses And I saw thrones and they sate upon them and judgement was given unto them And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the beast neither his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeers But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand yeers were finished This is the first resurrection Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection 〈◊〉 such the second death hath no power but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand yeers In these verses this is laid down That the Saints of God which had been Martyrs and sufferers under the Beast should be raised from the dead and be advanced to sit upon thrones and judgement should be given unto them and they should live and reign with Christ a thousand yeers But though the Saints should be thus raised that yet this is not the General Resurrection wherein all the just and unjust shall be raised no for
the resurrection from the dead and they that slept in the dust should awake and sing and the earth should cast out the dead and this should be a joyful and comfortable time which should make amends for all their sufferings And about this time he speaks of the Lords coming out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity and for all the blood of his Saints which they have spilt as appears vers 21. And it 's certain that the raising of the Saints to live and reign with Christ will soon follow upon this Again of this appearing of Christ it is that the Prophet speaks Isai 33. 17 18. when he speaks of him that is fire-proof that shall dwell with devouring fire and everlasting burnings and says he to such a one Thine eye shall see the King in his beauty This is the time when he shall appear in his glory and beauty indeed and his Saints shall visibly see him and then their eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation c. as it follows in that Chapter And further of this visible and corporeal coming of our Lord Jesus doth the Angels speak Acts 1. 10 11. when that our Lord being with his disciples upon the mount called Olivet while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight and saith the text While the disciples looked stedfastly toward heaven as Jesus went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel and said unto them Why stand ye looking up into heaven this same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven Now they visibly and corporeally saw him go into heaven and in the same manner did they and we are to expect that he shall come again And what but this doth our Saviour himself mean when he says to Philip who wondered that he should know him when under the fig-tree Thou shalt see greater things then these for I say unto you Hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man Certainly there is a truth in all these things and we shall see greater and more glorious and admirable things then yet we have seen And though the time be not yet come yet certainly it will come Again in Act. 3. 19 20. 21. Peter tells us that when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord which time Saints have long waited for that he shall send Jesus Christ whom the heavens must receive until the time of the restitution of all things That is until he make new Heavens and new Earth restore all things The Heavens says he must retain him until these times which were spoken of by all the holy Prophets which have been since the world began But then Jesus Christ shall appear in that presence which the heavens now do retain which is his corporal presence for it cannot be said of his spiritual presence which is alway with us for which appearing his Saints wait And thus have I laid down the several Scriptures which do cleer this truth wherein it is abundantly proved by several testimonies whereas two or three Scriptures might have been authority sufficient to prevail But the Scripture is full in speaking of it and indeed it was much in the hearts of the Saints in the primitive times as appears by their frequent expressions of it upon all occasions even of this coming of Christ As 1 Thes 5. 23. And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And 1 Tim. 6. 14. I charge thee to keep this commandment without spot unto the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ which in his time will appear who is the onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords c. And 2 Cor. 1. 14. Ye also are our rejoycing in the day of the Lord Jesus And 1 Thes 1. 9 10. And how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come And 1 Thes 2. 19. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rijoycing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming And 2 Thes 2. 1 2. We beseech you by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that you be not soon shaken in minde c. And 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing Thus these Saints had much in their eye the day of Christ the coming of Christ the appearing of Christ And the Apostle makes it a principal piece of Religion For speaking of the Thessalonians when they were converted he says They turned from Idols what to do To serve the living and true God and what To wait for his Son from heaven Though that day was far off as the Apostle himself elsewhere informs them yet they did so firmly believe this his coming from Heaven and their being gathered unto him as they might truly be said to be waiters for it Of the manner of the coming of Christ and his Saints and with what bodies they shall come But now this Question may be propounded It being granted to be an undoubted truth thaâ— Jesus Christ shall personally appear on earth and that the Saints departed shall be raised from the dead to raign with him in that day With what bodies shall Christ and his Saints come And how shall they be raised up Doth the Scripture say any thing to that I answer Yes For hitherto I have quoted the Scriptures that speak onely of his coming and the Saints being raised but there are other Scriptures which speak of the manner how as that Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him c. And Luke 21. 26 27. For the powers of the heaven shall be shaken and then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory And Mat. 24 30. 31. And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and and they shall gather together his elect c. And v. 27. As the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be So that it is cleer that as the Angels told his disciples when they saw a cloud to receive him out of their sight that he should so appear out of the clouds in like manner as they
had seen him go into Heaven and as Angels then attended him so will Angels much more at his appearing attend him and he shall come with power and great glory Now we know that as the Apostle says of the Resurrection of the body that it 's raised spiritual it 's sown a natural body it 's raised a spiritual body it 's sown in corruption it 's raised in incorruption it 's sown in dishonour it 's raised in glory it 's sown in weakness it 's raised in power So we know was the body of Christ after his resurrection it was not a natural body but a spiritual it was not corruptible but an incorruptible it was not mean nor weak but glorious and powerful and being thus a spiritual body and incorruptible c. it was quick in motion upon a sudden appearing to his Disciples and suddenly gone from them again And it was passable to all places it appears to the Disciples when the dores are shut and asccnds up into the Heavens in their sight These things a natural body cannot do but a spiritual and a glorious can And therefore he is said to come as the lightning that quickly shineth from one end of the Heaven to the other so can the body of Christ when he appeareth quickly pass from one end of the Heaven to another to be visibly seen of all his Saints to their joy but to the terrour of their enemies and so he will come in the clouds and every eye shall see him with power and great glory And as the Scriptures speak thus of Christ in his coming so there are Scriptures which speak of the Saints in their appearing with him As Col. 3. 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Thus the Saints then were fully perswaded of the appearing of Jesus Christ and spake often of it and knew that at his appearing as he should appear in power and great glory so they should appear with him in glory And so again 1 Joh. 3. 2. Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And so again Phil. 3. 20 21. For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Thus in this manner shall the Saints that come with him appear with him in glory and their bodies being raised shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body And now I shall conclude all that I have said touching this glorious appearing of Christ on earth and the Saints raigning with him on earth with that precious Counsel of our blessed Saviour worthy the dayly observation of all Saints as the use which is to be made of all that which is in Scripture spoken of this appearing and kingdom of Jesus Christ which we have Luke 21. 36. Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and stand before the Son of man Knowing what he hath said Rev. 22. 20. He which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus Of the ceasing of wars and the perfect peace and tranquility that shall be enjoyed for a thousand yeers I now proceed in the further description of this new world the new Heavens and the new Earth which is to follow upon that great day we have spoken of And in the next place shall shew how that after this time and during this thousand yeers of the Saints raigning with Christ on earth all wars shall cease All the enemies of the Church being thus gloriously overcome as hath been shewed there shall be no enemy left that shall ever stir so much as to prepare to make war against the Saints any more And this is cleer Micah 4. 3. and Isa 2. 4. Where it is said that in the last days when the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains that then they shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more There shall be such peace and tranquility and this peace so firm and they so certain of the abiding of it as that they shall see that they shall have no need of using swords and spears any more And therefore they shall beat these instruments of war which they shall no more use into instruments of husbandry which they then living in peace shall have occasion to use For they shall sow seed and reap it and plant vineyards and drink the fruit thereof And therefore Micah thus expresses the peace they shall have Mic. 4. 4. They shal sit every man under his vine under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid They shall have no fear of war none shall make them afraid Such peace shall they have And Isa 33. 20. the Prophet speaking of these peaceful times speaks thus Thine eys shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be broken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken Which fully manifesteth what security or rather what stability there shall be in these times of peace Again Isa 32. 18. the peace of these times is thus exprest And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places And Isa 60. 17 18. it is further exprest thus In that day saith the Lord to his Sion I will make thy officers peace and thine exactors righteousness violence shall no more be heard in thy land wasting nor destruction within thy borders thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise Thus with full and emphatical expressions is the peace and tranquility of the Church in these times set forth There are many other passages to this purpose but these being sufficient I shall adde no more in this place but proceed Of the binding of Satan for a thousand yeers And the next thing I shall speak of as that which is to be done immediately upon this great day of the overthrow of the Saints enemies and the setling of them in peace shall be this That not onely the external and visible enemies of the Saints shall be subdued and put under the * Mal. 4. feet of Christ and his Saints but that also their internal and invisible enemies shall be chained up for now the Saints wrestle not onely with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places and now their adversary the devil goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour
holy one and the Just and kil'd the Prince of Life whom God had raised from the dead by faith in whose Name the lame man was healed hee addes Now brethren I wot that through ignorance yee did it as did also your Rulers but these things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophets that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled repent you therefore and be converted that your sins may bee blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send Jesus Christ which was before preached unto you whom the heavens must receive untill the time of restitution of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began Peter here preaching to those that had been the actors of that most unjust and most unrighteous act that ever was acted by the most wretched and most sinfull of the sons of men he charges it home upon them ver 12 13 14 and 15. and having done so he is guided by the wisdome of the Spirit lest they should in the sense hereof be driven to despaire to mitigate the terrour of of it though the sin was so hainous by these two considerations First their ignorance verse 17. sutable to which is that passage of Paul 1 Cor. 2. 8. Secondly by the determinate counsell of God which he then fulfilled in that act of theirs which was in it selfe so hainously sinfull as it came from them And having thus done he presses them to repentance and to an embracing of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom he preaches peace notwithstanding their great sin against him telling them that upon their being converted unto him their sins should be blotted out and tels them withall that though they had crucified him and he according to the counsell of God had suffered death of which all the Prophets had spoken that yet there was a time comming when that Jesus Christ which had been crucified who was gone to heaven and must there remaine untill that appointed time even that Jesus Christ should come again and v. 21. restore * Restore all things that is to restore to his Saints a comfortable and free enjoyment of all the comforts of the Spirit of grace and of all the comforts of the whole Creation and when the Apostle here saies he shall restore all these things he meanes he shall restore them to those that are converted to his Saints only and not to all men as some would have it for that is directly contradictory to other Scriptures that speake of this same time as Isa 65. 13 14. 15 20. Isa 51. 22 23. Jer. 30. 23 24. Rev. 21. 8. Chap. 22. 15. besides many others to this purpose that are as cleare for if this were true then may it be said in this case as Paul in another said if so c. Saints are of all men most miserable in that they suffer sharpe afflictious and drinke many a bitter cup from the hands of wicked men because they will not do as they do and say as they say because they are more righteous and for righteousnesse sake but they it suffer because they know that the righteous Judge of all the earth will quickly come and reward every one as his work shall be Rev. 22. 12. even to them who patiently continue in well doing eternall life but unto the ungodly workers of iniquity indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Rom. 2. 6 7 8 9. all things and pardon their sins and refresh v. 19. comfort them and this is that time saies Peter which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy Prophets which have been since the world began and this doubtless is that which is spoken of by the Prophet Daniel in this passage we are treating of And this is that which Paul also speakes of Rom. 8. 18 19 c. in these words The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us for the earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God for the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope because the Creature its selfe also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God for we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth together in paine untill now and not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves groane within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies Here the Apostle speaking of this exalted condition of the Saints in these latter daies doth illustrate it in these 5 particulars by which he sets out what the condition of saints shall be and by six particulars in which he speaks to the condition of the whole Creation The particulars wherein he speakes to the condition of the Saints are these First That the condition of the Saints untill that time come whatever their enjoyments are and how comfortable soever it shall be yet in comparison of that it shall be a sighing a groaning a sorrowing condition for so he saies even we our selves we that are Saints and have the first fruits of the spirit which are exceeding precious to us and in which we have so much joy and peace as Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4 5 11. we groan within our selves are in a sighing sorrowing condition waiting for the Adoption or Redemption of our bodies untill when we shall sigh and indeed so it must needs be for besides outward troubles we meet with from wicked men we the best Pauls Cephas's and Primitive Saints which are indued with the most eminent gifts are also troubled with sin that dwels in us so that when we would do good evill is present with us But Secondly He tels us that at that time the condition of Saints shall be such as that their bodies shall be redeemed from the servitude and slavery in which they have been subjected to men in that over their bodies other Lords have had dominion for that must needs be his meaning in those words Waiting for the redemption of our bodies What shall our bodies have redemption from else but that And that is also the meaning of those words The glorious liberty of the children of God They have not been in their bodies free nor in liberty but in bondage and subjection but then comes the redemption of their bodies and they shall be at liberty And Thirdly They shall also be freed from the power of corruption within as well as from the outward slavery and subjection of wicked men and this is exprest in these words The glory which shall be revealed in us present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the
that are done unto them and loving their enemies and doing good to them that hate them These things may they do and yet ought they not to leave the other undone But this may by the way bee considered that there hath been times when there was never a good Magistrate in the world and then was it the duty of Saints to bee wholy passive and observe the forementioned rules of patient suffering But when providence so orders it as to place in authority godly men then wee see it cleer that they should neglect their duty if they should not protect those that do well from the wicked cruelties of evill doers and thus the objection is answered and it is cleer that it is lawfull in Gospel times for Saints to fight against such as would murther and destroy them as the Associates of the Beast would Nay it is not onely lawfull to do it but it would bee their sinne if they should not doe it Godly Magistrates would sin if they did bear the sword in vain and did not punish evill doers and godly subjects would sinne if they should not obey the Magistrate when hee requires them to do this lawfull thing which is to bee assistant to him in punishing of evill doers and thus have I answered this sufficiently if I should not adde any thing else in answer But secondly in answer to such as make this objection that though it be true that the Apostle saies that those that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution and it was a truth in the Apostles time and hath been so for almost this sixteen hundred yeeres since that the Saints have suffered persecution either from the Roman Beasts the Emperours or the Roman Beasts the Popes or those that have acted by authority from them yet it doth not follow that this will alwaies hold a truth that the saints shall be alwaies sufferers but the contrary is cleer and I know none that deny it but that as the Saints have had a suffering time so they shall have a time of deliverance and freedome from suffering and the rod of the wicked shall not alway rest upon the lot of the righteous but God will though he have borne * Luke 18. 7. long at last avenge the quarrell of his people upon their enemies and though for this 1500 or 1600 yeers God having appointed his people thus long to a suffering condition he never called his people to do justice upon their enemies as hee did his people of old oftentimes under the Law as in the time of Joshua and of the Judges and David c. Yet it followes not out that hee may do it now For it is no where said that now in the latter daies when the time of the Saints deliverance commeth that they shall not by the sword as Israel of old did subdue the enemies of God which are also their enemies I say it is no where said they shall not so do but in severall places it is said that they shall so doe as in that knowne place in the 149 Psalme which never was yet so eminently fulfilled as it shall be in these latter daies Where the Psalmist in expresse termes saies that the Saints shall execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishment upon the people and bind their Kings in chaines and their Nobles in fetters of iron and execute upon them the judgement written And doubtlesse the time is comming wherein the Saints in a most glorious manner shall have the honour to doe these things And this is cleer likewise in the 110 Psalme where the Psalmist speakes expressely of the time when the enemies of Christ shall bee made his footstoole as appeares in the first verse The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Now Jesus Christ when he ascended up to Heaven is said there to sit at the right hand of God Mark 16. 19. and there he sitteth and there hee must sit untill the time come that all his enemies be made his footstoole saies the Psalmist And in the fifth verse speaking of that time when they shall be made his footstoole he speakes thus The Lord at thy right hand that is the Lord Christ at the right hand of God shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath and he shall judge among the heathen and fill the places with dead bodies and wound the heads over many Countries This is a great work that he will doe wound the heads over many Countries strike through Kings in his wrath but what instruments shall the Lord Iesus use in doing these things he being at the right hand of God that is answered in the second and third verses The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion and thy people shal be willing in the day of thy power Here it is cleer that the sons of Sion are shal be the Lords instruments the rod of his strength and they shall be willing in this day of Christs power Another very cleer place to this purpose wee have Esa 54. 15 16 17. The whole Chapter is a Prophesie of the happy estate of the Church in these latter daies But that which is observable to this purpose is in these words In righteousnesse thou shalt bee established thou shalt bee far from oppression for thou shalt not feare and from terror for it shall not come neer thee But how shall this be shall they have no enemies at all to oppresse them nor terrifie them yes they shall have enemies but they shall have no power to oppresse them nay they shall not so much as be any feare or terror at all unto them such confidence shall they have that they shall overcome them for so it follows in the next verse Behold they shall gather together but not by me whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake and no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. Thus its cleer that though the Church in these times have enemies and though these enemies doe gather together and rise up against them yet Saints shall not feare them nor at all bee terrified by them Why The Lord hath promised that all their enemies shall fall before them and though they make weapons and fight against the Saints yet they shall not prosper But the Saints shall overcome them in all the battels they fight Againe that the Saints shall in these latter daies be the instruments of Christ in subduing his enemies is cleere as in the fourteenth and sixteenth verses of the seventeenth of the Revelation and in the nineteenth Chapter so also in the sixth verse of the 18 Chapter where the Lord gives an expresse commission and command to his people to execute his just vengeance upon
also of which Paul speaks Heb. 12. 26. And therefore this is called Joel 2. 31. The great and terrible day of the Lord. But who shall live when God doth this When the Heavens and Earth shall shake c. Why it 's answered in the same 16. vers But the Lord shall be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Of this day also Paul speaks 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9. Where he says that the day is coming when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Thus doth Paul render this as a most terrible day and as the Prophet Isaiah in the forementioned place says the Lord will then render his anger and his rebukes with flames of fire So Paul here says that the Lord Jesus shall in flaming fire take vengeance on them that know not God c. punishing them with everlasting destruction from his presence But who shall live when God doth this The Apostle tells us that then the Lord Jesus shall come to be glorified in his Saints to be admired in all them that believe in that day v. 10 The Saints shall then live and glorifie him and admire him Of this day also speaks th Prophet Malachi Chap. 4. 1. For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch But who shall live when God doth this It follows in vers 2. 3. But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall And ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this saith the Lord of hosts Thus in a terrible manner is this day here also represented being a day that shall burn as an Oven Of this day also speaks the Apostle Peter and represents it in the same terrible manner 2 Pet. 3. 7. But the Heavens and the Earth which are now saith he by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men or as Isaiah says the day in which the Lord will plead with all flesh rendering his rebukes with flames of fire But says Peter vers 10. This day will come suddenly upon men as a thief in the night And indeed this numerous Army that shall be gathered together against the Saints shall little dream of such an overflowing scourge as shall overtake them but rather promise themselves a victorious overcoming of the Saints but alas Miserable creatures this day of their destruction and perdition says Peter shall come as a thief in the night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat The whole world shall be on fire about their ears on a sudden and there shall be an utter destruction of them and their corrupt and filthy courses shall perish with them The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up And vers 12. The Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved But what might some say shall the Elements melt with fervent heat and the Heavens being on fire be dissolved and the Earth with the works that are therein be burnt up Who shall live when God doth this Peter in the very next words seems to prevent this question and says Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness As if he had said it is the perdition and destruction of ungodly men onely that I speak of take notice of that And this day that shall burn as an Oven shall burn up onely such as do wickedly but it shall not in the least manner touch nor trouble the Saints But we when these wicked men are burnt up shall have new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness It shall be a new time to us when these corrupt men shall be burnt up And this we have a promise for And this promise they had in Isa 65. 17. where this day is spoken of the promise runs thus For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy c. And so he goeth on to declare the happy estate that Saints shall live in in these new Heavens and new a rth But this terrible day to wicked men is again mentioned Isa 33. 14. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Here are the same expressions or expressions to the same purpose with those we have already mentioned where Malachi says The day that cometh shall burn as an oven and Paul and Peter speak of the Lords taking vengeance in flaming fire on wicked and ungodly men The Prophet having this in his eye cries out Who shall dwell with devouring fire who shal dwell with everlasting burnings When the Lord comes to render his rebukes with flames of fire who shall dwell in those flames But lest the Saints should be discouraged he presently addes That though the sinners in Zion are afraid and fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites yet verses 15 16 c. he that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he that despiseth the gain of oppressions that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes that stoppeth his ears from hearing of bloods and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil he shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty they shall behold the land afar off c. Thus the righteous upright man that is free from dissimulations is no hypocrite that will not oppress though he may gain much thereby is so far from so doing as he disdains he despises such gain and he that not onely refuses a bribe when it is offered to him but when it 's put into his hand will not keep it shakes his hand from holding of it and he to whom the cruel and corrupt courses of men are irksome even to hear of it or see it and therefore he stops his ears and shuts his eyes from it This man shall hold proof in these times and he shall dwell on high he shall have as sure a defence in these times as the munitions of rocks for he is fixed in the
spring as the grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish It is that they may be destroyed for ever but thou Lord art most high for evermore A new AND MORE EXACT MAPPE OR DESCRIPTION OF New Ierusalems GLORY when Jesus Christ and his Saints with him shall reign on earth a Thousand years and possess all Kingdoms WHEREIN Is discovered the glorious estate into which the Church shall be then put both in respect of externall and internall glory and the time when And also What hath been done these eight yeares last past and what is now a doing and what shall be done within a few years now following in order to this great work Wherein also That great Question whether it be lawfull for Saints to make use of the materiall Sword in the ruining of the enemies of Christ and whether it be the mind of Christ to have it so is at large debated and resolved in the Affirmative from clear Scriptures and all others answered By M. Cary a servant of Jesus Christ Rev. 22 6 7. And he said unto me These sayings are faithfull and true and the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angell to shew unto his Servants the thing which must shortly be done Behold I come quickly LONDON Printed by W. H. and are to be sold at the sign of the Black spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1651. A description of new Jerusalems GLORY when Jesus Christ and his Saints with him shall reign on earth a thousand yeares and possesse all Kingdoms Dan. 7. 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given unto the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him THe Spirit of God in the former verses having declared the rise actions and end of the little Horne that was to afflict the Saints and shewing how that at last the Saints should overcome him Saies expresly They shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end and then saies in this verse that the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high c. The assertion which is laid down in these words is plaine and cleare and needs no explanation at all which is this That not only this Kingdom of England and some few others but all the Kingdomes and Dominions in the whole world shall in a more peculiar and more eminent manner than yet they have been be subjected to the Lord Jesus Christ and by him given to his Saints to possess This same truth likewise is positively asserted in the 13 14 18 21 and 22 verses of this Chapter in the 13 and 14 verses where the Vision it self of which these verses are an interpretation is declared there it is thus exprest I saw in the night vision and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of daies and they brought him neere before him and there was given him Dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed So that this is clearly asserted here also that the Dominion not only of some but of all people Nations and Languages should be given to the Lord Jesus Christ who is here exprest by this appellation The Son of man by which he is often exprest in the New Testament and this is to be done after the Beast is destroyed as is here exprest And what is in these verses said to be given to the Lord Jesus Christ is in the 18 20 21 and 27 verses said to be given to his Saints for in the 18 verse it is said that the Saints of the most high should take the Kingdome and possesse the Kingdome for ever even for ever and ever and in the 21 22 verses that the Horne prevailed against the Saints untill the Ancient of daies came and Judgement was giuen to the Saints of the most high and the severall beasts having had the Kingdomes of the world for their appointed times the time then came that the Saints possessed the Kingdome and in this 27 ver that the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heauen should be given unto the people of the Saints of the most High Thus what was in the 18 verse said to be given to the Lord Jesus there called the Son of man is in these severall verses said to be given to his Saints The truth is that which is given to the head is given to the members that which is given to the Husband the wife must partake of for there is nothing that he possesses which she hath not a right unto And the Saints of Christ are the members of Christ they are the Lambs wife and having given himselfe unto them he will not with-hold any thing that is his from them but when all the Kingdomes and Dominions under the whole heaven are given to him they shall possesse them with him Thus is this assertion that is laid downe in this verse confirmed in severall other passages in this very Chapter namely That all Kingdomes all the Nations and Languages and People under the whole heaven shall be in a more peculiar and a more eminent manner than yet they have been be subjected to the Lord Jesus and by him be given to his Saints to possesse And as it is cleare here so there are very many other Scriptures wherein it is as clearly asserted severall of which Scriptures I shall here produce that out of the mouth of many witnesses it may be confirmed against all contradictions which I shall the rather do because this Doctrine is so much despised by profane men who jeering at Saints say these are the meek that must inherit the earth But first let me premise That though it be unquestionably true that the riches of this world which hath been hitherto equally dispensed alike to all shall in a very short time be abundantly given to the Saints of the most High as Canaans Land was to Israel of old which was but a shadow of what shall come to passe in the latter daies that yet First they that are indeed the Saints of the most High and that walke most with God will be the least seekers of this worlds wealth and Secondly They that seeke it least and least desire it shall have more than they that seek it eagerly and also shall injoy it most comfortably and with greatest joy in God Thirdly that those saints that God will most honour though they shall have abundance of the world yet they shall not set their hearts upon it but shall prefer the least degree of the flowings of the spirit of God which
And that when that time is the Saints must possesse the Kingdome and reigne on earth so Dan. 7. 22 27. and Rev. 5. 10. The first of these passages mentioned in the Revelation is that Chap. 5. 9 10. which runs thus Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reigne on the earth These words are a part of a song sung by Saints wherein they praise the Lambe and herein they have in their eye as matter for which their hearts are ingaged to honour and glorifie Christ both that which he had already done for them and also that which he had not yet done but would doe for them That which hee had done for them in these words Thou wast slaine and thou hast redeemed us and thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and that which should bee done for them by Christ in these words and wee shall reigne on the earth this being that which they knew hee would doe hee having declared it by the mouth of all his Prophets therefore they sing it out we shall reigne on the earth The other passage which is Rev. 11. 15 16 17 18. runnes thus And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever and ever and the four and twenty Elders which sate before God on their seates fell upon their faces and worshipped God saying We give thee thankes O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned and the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that feare thy name small and great and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament and there were lightnings and voices and thunderings and an earthquake and great hail This Scripture being so pertinent unto the present purpose and having already in another Treatise opened the former part of this Chapter from the first to the 15 verse I shall therefore be the more copious in opening of this part which is from the 15 verse where I left unto the end of the chapter Verse 15. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the kingdoms of this world are become c. The declaration of this truth that the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord Christ is here held forth unto us to bee that great and glorious part and portion of the providence and counsell of God that is to be manifested under the sounding of the seventh Trumpet which brings in the seventh and last and greatest judgement of God upon that wicked as the Apostle termes him or that man of sinne That great Saint opposer the Roman Papall Beast and his adherents For by the seven Angels which were to sound the seven Trumpets is to be understood 7 severall remarkeable and great judgements that in so many severall periods of time by so many severall passages of the providence and purpose of God should be brought upon that beast and his associates whereby they should bee gradually ruined The first of them being one degree of bringing them down and the second bringing them lower then the first had done and the third bringing them lower then the two former and the fourth breaking down another part of their greatnesse and glory which was not broken by the three former but the three latter are to bee more terrible and dreadfull unto them then any of the former and therefore they are said to be three great woes which were to come upon that crew Chap. 8. 13. which are there stil'd the inhabitants of the earth for all along in this Prophesie they are cal'd the earth to distinguish them from the Saints who are all along cal'd heaven and as these are said to be woes so they prove woes indeed unto that miserable crew but it is to them and them onely and not to any others As for the Saints all the seven Trumpets produce matter of joy to them because therein Christs enemies and their enemies are from time to time brought low And indeed these seven Trumpets or seven severall judgements of God upon the Beast and his adherents were obtained from God in a great measure by their prayers being offered up by the Lord Jesus their blessed Mediator who perfumed them with the incense of his own righteousnesse and worthinesse in which they are acceptable For upon the offering up of the prayers of Saints with that incense these Judgements were powred out upon the earth that is upon that crew and these angels prepared to sound as appeares Chap. 8. 2 3 4 5 6 c. So that the Saints had cause to rejoyce when these judgements came upon that faction and they indeed did rejoyce and their hearts have been made glad in all these severall Judgements which have come upon them As in that their Doctrines and Doctors Bishops Jesuits and Priests and much of their power and authority which they had over the people have been brought down and laid in the dust in those six severall Trumpres sounding or glorious dispensations already past wherein that party have been troubled perplexed and pained at the heart and now this great and glorious dispensation we are treating of is to bee the seventh and last which is of greatest terror to them and greatest joy to the saints as it followes And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the kingdoms c. There were great voices in heaven that is there were many in heaven that is in the Church or among the Saints that in the Prophesies of this Book are stiled heaven that did trumpet forth sound forth or clearely hold forth and confidently speake out this truth that the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever They were voyces it was not only the single voice of one but they are voices it is the voice of many in heaven many among the Saints And they are not the whimsicall notions of unsound and rotten men but they are voices in heaven voyces of reall Saints Great voyces in heaven Being great voices argues first that they are not some poore weak suppositions or may be 's Nor secondly are they some weake faint sayings but they are great that is effectuall convincing and unquestionable speakings such as shall be heard and be received and be beleeved among the Saints they shall be spoken with such
have done or suffered doth merit a reward but he will freely give them a glorious reward for all that they have suffered and done for him And shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth This being the time in which he comes to do righteousness and justice in the earth he will render a just reward to the enemies of his people and cause his wrath to go forth against them to their destruction but this is further spoken of in the 19. verse as it follows And the temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the Arke of his Testament and there were lightnings and voyces and thunderings and an earthquake and great haile This verse containes a declaration of two great effects the first of which concernes Saints and the latter concernes the enemies of Christ and his Saints That which concernes Saints is in these words And the Temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in the Temple the Arke of his Testament and that which concernes the enemies is in these words And there were lightnings and voyces and thunderings and an earthquake and great haile of this latter effect of the sounding of this Trumpet I shall speake by and by in its place but first of the first effect mentioned in this verse which concernes the Saints which is contained in these words And the Temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Arke of his Testament The Temple and the Arke of his Testament are both Old Testament-phrases and for the opening of these things we must first enquire what is meant by these phrases here in the New Testament Now this may be made cleare by comparing Scripture with Scripture for the spirit of God ordinarily cleares that in one Scripture which he leaves more doubtfull in another Now generally in the New Testament our Lord Jesus Christ and his Disciples to whom he opened the * Luk. 14. 22. Scriptures of Moses and all the Prophets do make use of such phrases as the Temple and Jerusalem and Sion and the Priesthood and the Sacrifices and the like to expresse those things by them which the outward things in use under the law did type out and they never spake of these things as they are litterally understood as to be so understood in the times of the Gospell but as being now abolished and those spirituall things which they typed out are alwaies to be understood by such phrases in the New Testament and so the spirit of Christ in the Apostles expresly declares as for instance the Churches of God are now said to be the Temple of God as 2 Cor. 6. 16. for ye saith Paul to the Church of the Corinthians are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people and so also the Church of God is in the New Testament called the heavenly Jerusalem and Sion as Heb. 12. 22. and Gal. 4. 26. and Rev. 21. 2 3. and in the New Testament the title of High-Priest is given to Christ as Heb. 8. 1. and the title of Priest is given to Saints as Rev. 1. 6. and the spirituall services of Saints are termed sacrifices for with such sacrifices saies the Apostle God is well pleased So that these words in this verse The Temple of God and the Arke of his Testament are to be mystically understood and not literally since such things are abolished Now by the Temple of God we are to understand here the Church of God the Saints the people of God which in the New Testament are stiled the Temple of God And as the Arke of the Testament was of old that wherein the Book of the Law was put in the Temple of old so in this New Testament Temple that is to say in the Church of God there is the Arke of his Testament there is the new and spirituall Laws and Ordinances of God contained Now then this follows upon the sounding of the seventh Trumpet That the Temple of God is opened in heaven that is that the Church of God which before seemed to be shut up and to lye in obscurity now it shall be opened that is be more fully discovered and manifested openly it shall no longer remaine shut up and in obscurity but it shall be visible and in it is seene the Arke of his Testament among the Churches the saints of God is to be seen the Law and Ordinances of God set up in Majesty and purity I say it is to be seen it no longer remaines in doubt what the Laws and Ordinances of God are but in his Temple in his Church they are to be seen under the sounding of this 7th Trumpet Thus much concernes and is peculiar only to saints but that which followes concernes the enemies of Christ which is in these words and there were voices and lightnings and thunderings and an earthquake and great haile these words are to expresse terrible things to come upon the opposers of Christ the like words are used Rev. 8. 5. To expresse the terrible Judgements of God that were to come upon his enemies in the sounding of the trumpets in answer to the prayers of Saints which are there mentioned to be presented before God and wee know that thundrings and lightnings and haile is usually very sad and dreadfull weather and earthquakes and voices are very sad and amazing things Now such terrible dreadfull and amazing things doe come upon Antichrist and his adherents upon the sounding of the seventh Trumpet which will prove exceeding dreadfull distracting and destructive to them and this shall be when the saints shall be in greater freedome and liberty and glory and splendor then ever they were and when nothing shall disquiet them for these tempests must come upon the wicked To them there will be earthquakes but there shall be none among the Saints no earthquakes in heaven the Saints and their societies are heaven but Antichrist and his crew and conclave is earth and upon these come these stormes and these earthquakes but the saints are above the reach of them And thus much for the opening of this latter part of the eleventh Chapter of the Revelation which I have the more fully and distinctly opened as it now came in my way in the cleering of this truth in hand because I have already opened all the former part from the first verse to the fifteenth where I now began so that now I have opened the whole Chapter And now in all these thirteen severall Scriptures which I have produced and opened as there was need is this truth which in this twenty seven verse of this seventh of Daniel is asserted or made as cleare as the Sun And having thus cleared this truth in generall which I have done the more fully to be a foundation to what I have in the following part of the discourse to discover There are
his and their enemies in these words Come out of her my people and reward her even as she hath rewarded you and double unto her double according to her workes in the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double how much she hath glorified her selfe and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her And thus much in answer to this objection Thus have I shewne that the Lambe having raised his Saints hath in part overcome and is going on to overcome the ten Kings in which he will make use of his saints as his instruments And now I am to go on to declare * How the ten Kings shall so imbrace Christ as they shall hate the whore that as the ten Kings or Kingdomes for it is not the Kings alone but the Kingdomes also that hee will overcome shall be subdued by the Lambe and his saints So will he so poure out his spirit upon the people of those Kingdomes as they shall not unwillingly I meane many of them or at least such a part as shall rule the rest in those Kingdomes but willingly yeeld obedience to him that hath subdued them and that in love to him And this appeares in the sixteenth verse * Rev. 17. And the ten hornes which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and shall burne her with fire Thus those that were once one with the Beast when they are overcome by the Lambe shall have such cleer light given to them to discover truth and shall be so freed from the smoake of the bottomlesse pit which is in the Beasts Kingdome and shall have such cleere light given to them as they so cleerly see the delusions and the abominable filthy practises of the Babylonish crew as their hearts shall rise against them and they shall loath and hate them and then shall willingly and freely yeeld obedience to the Lamb that overcame them and ruine that cursed City Rome which is stil'd the Whore the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth Of this destruction of Rome I shall speake more fully in its place But first I must declare what things must precede it for about these daies when the Kings or Kingdomes are thus overcome and also converted and enlightned and before the ruine of Rome the Gospel shall be preached universally unto all Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and People which doubtlesse will bee effectuall to the bringing in of multitudes both Jews and Gentiles the manner of which I should here proceed cleerly and particularly to describe but before I proceed any further therein I shall make a little necessary digression For first I must make it to appear * Jesus Christ in the yeare 1645. began to take his Kingdome that Jesus Christ in the yeare 1645. began to take his Kingdome and this I shall cleare to the end we may the more orderly proceed in describing what is to follow Now that it is so appeares Rev. 11. where it is said that when the witnesses are raised that then the seventh Trumpet was sounded and then it is expresly said that the kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Thus expresly is it said to be done upon the resurrection of the witnesses and before all his judgements are powred out upon his enemies some of which are mentioned in the following verses And so in this 27. verse of this seventh Chapter of Daniel it is said that when the time times and halfe a time are come to an end and the little Horn is overcome by the Saints that immediately upon this the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all Rulers shall serve and obey him But it may be objected how can this be said to be so seeing that we see the great Monarchs of the world or the toes of the 4 Monarchs mentioned Dan. 2. among whom the world is divided do yet possesse most of the severall Dominions under the whole heaven these only of England and Ireland excepted and they do not any of them stoope to the Scepter of Christ nor to his Government but they do exclude it wholly and rule according to their own tyranicall wils and pleasures To this I answer That although we see not yet those many Kingdomes and Dominions of the world subjected unto Christ yet this may be true notwithstanding and will appeare if we consider that the Kingdome of Christ in the beginning of it in the second of Daniel is said to be a stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands that should smite the Image upon his feet and breake them to peeces which stone was to become a glorious Kingdome and fill the whole earth by which it appeares that the beginning of this Kingdome should be so small as it should not appeare whence it came it should be a stone cut out of the Mountaine it should not appeare to be any Mountaine but to be a stone at first but afterwards to become a great Mountain and fill the whole earth Againe at first it should appeare as a stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands it should so miraculously appeare at first as it should seeme to be done without hands without the power or strength or help of the Kings Princes or Monarchs of the world and when the witnesses were first raised what help of the strength and power of the Kings and Monarchs of the world had they What hands assisted them Were they not a company of poore weake despised people in the eyes of the world that were indeed but as a little stone cut out of the Mountaine of the whole world without hands and yet this little stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands must and undoubtedly shall smite the Image upon his feet and break in peeces the Iron and the Clay and the Brass and the silver and the Gold together and not cease untill its selfe become a Mountaine filling the whole earth Jesus Christ having begun to take to him his great power and to reigne will not cease untill he have subjected every Dominion to his Royall Scepter and made them to serve and obey him which he is going on apace to do and will doubtlesse go on swifter yet and the neerer he is to the end of his worke the swifter is his motion like to be Thus have I digrest from what was in hand being to describe the manner of bringing in of multitudes to the obedience of Christ to this end that notice might be taken of this along as I go that what Christ doth herein is in order to the becomming a great mountaine according to the phrase of the Prophet but now to return I was shewing * When the Gospell must
be preached to all nations how that when the Lambe had overcome the ten Kings that then before the ruine of Rome the Gospell should be universally Preached unto all Nations and this is cleer Rev. 14. In the five first verses of that Chapter we have a declaration of Jesus Christ his standing upon mount Sion his appearing for to own his people and of his peoples being gathered unto him which are described to be pure and undefiled and redeemed ones to God and to the Lord Jesus and they are said to be the first fruits and to follow the Lambe wheresoever he goeth implying that they are the first of those that were called to waite upon the Lambe in the services that he hath to do for them in order to the setting up of his Kingdome They were brought in to him before the everlasting Gospel was generally preached and before the fall of Babylon They were the first fruits Now who are these first fruits that now stand upon mount Sion with the Lamb and follow him whithersoever he goeth Doubtlesse those whom he hath now called forth to follow him and those that he will call out of the rest of the ten Kingdomes Well what follows In the 6 7 and 8. verses And I saw an Angell flye in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospell to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his judgement is come and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters and there followed another Angell saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City c. Here we see that before the fall of Babylon and yet after the first fruits are come in to the Lambe the Gospell must be preached to all Nations and doubtlesse glorious and wonderfull will be the proceedings of Jesus Christ in the world now that he hath begun to take the Kingdomes and Dominions thereof into his possession he hath done great things in some Kingdomes already and he will do the like in others shortly and will powre out his spirit withall upon them and so cause the light to appeare unto them as shall effectually discover unto them the basenesse the viciousnesse the filthinesse and the abominablenesse of the cursed Doctrines of the Beast and the whore and cause them to loath them and to publish and manifest their dislike and hatred of them to all the world and with much zeale and fervency of spirit will all such as shall bee enlightened and thereunto qualified preach and publish the cleare truths of the Gospell in opposition to the false Doctrines of Antichrist in all parts of the world and unto all nations discovering also unto them the glad tidings of the Gospell to the saving of their soules and the turning of them from Idols and vanities to serve the true and living God Of the Jews Conversion ANd by this meanes way will be made for the bringing in of the Jewes who are at this day earnestly expecting of and waiting for the comming of the Messias Christ the anointed to bee their King their Saviour and their Prophet But before the ten Kings doe hate the Whore and before they manifest to all the world a detestation of her they cannot come in but then shall the everlasting Gospell be preached to all Nations Jewes and Gentiles and a spirit of zeale for Christ will bee then upon the Saints so as they shall not bee able to withhold from preaching the Gospel more generally in all the world But if now any faithfull and able Minister of the new Covenant which is the Ministration of life and the Ministration of the Spirit should goe and preach Jesus Christ unto the Jewes and publish glad tidings to them and tell them that the Messias is come and that Jesus Christ is he who will bee their King and Lord and Prophet and Saviour and will save them from all their sinnes if they beleeve in him and that he will restore all things to them and do glorious things for them alas they would scarce now say of such Blessed is hee that commeth in the Name of the Lord and why because they cannot beleeve that the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we beleeve and rejoyce and glory and who is our light and life and peace and joy and strength and all in all is indeed the Messias and the Saviour of all the ends of the earth as we know and beleeve he is and why cannot they beleeve it because that great Whore the City of Rome who pretends to have power over all that are called Christians is such a filthy abominable hatefull strumpet such a mother of harlots and abominations * What is the present let of the Iewes cunversion Whereas the Jewes keep close to the Old Testament and to the Law contained therein which is holy just and good And they know and are assured in the Old Testament that when the Messias comes hee will turne away ungodlinesse from Jacob he will cleanse them from all their corruptions and all their waies that are not good and that they that are his shall be a holy people a people taught of God and therefore they cannot beleeve him to be the true Messias whom such polluted openly profane and impudently filthy creatures as the Romanists are professe to bee their Saviour For besides many others there are five things especially which the Jews take offence at in the practises of that cursed crew as First their worshipping of Images and statues and crosses and crucifixes and such like trumpery Secondly their loathsome hatefull and excessive giving up of themselves unto uncleane lusts tolerating and allowing themselves and others in them as in fornication adultery sodomie and beastiality practises which the very heathen abhor and yet these abominable sins the Popes Cardinals Bishops and Priests and others of all ranks are frequent in the practice of granting liberty to all that are under their jurisdictions to live in the practice of them if they do but purchase a pardon with mony from the Pope for them Thirdly frequent murthers teaching it to be no sin to murther an Hereticke and tolerating such as are murtherers Fourthly Their tolerating of drunkenness and oaths Fifthly Their allowing of sorcery and witchcraft most of their Priests being sorcerers For these things especially but for many others also are the Jewes offended and cannot beleeve him to be the true Messias that shall be the Saviour of such prophane persons for they are assured that such persons cannot be the people of God They know that Adulterers and Idolaters and Sorcerers and Murtherers and Swearers and Lyers shall not enter into the Kingdome of God None shall come into his holy * Ps 15. 1 2. and 24. 2 3. Hill saies David but such as have cleane hands and a pure heart and this they know and therefore do
them in deceiving of them as he did Eve that he will it's likely perswade them to believe that they shall by their power overcome the Saints and as he perswaded Eve to believe that in eating the forbidden fruit they should be as gods knowing good and evil so he will perswade these that in making war they shall overcome the Saints though Jesus Christ be with them Thus this old deceiver and lyer shall deceive the unconverted miserable people among the Nations of the world who during all the time of the thousand yeers will be quiet and never dare to attempt any such thing and yet then they shall gather togetner against the Saints and think to overcome them but when they shall attempt to do it the Saints shall then have no need of swords nor spears to defend themselves against that brunt that one assault for the text says Fire shall come down from God out of heaven and devour all these wicked men Thus is declared what will be done after Satan is loosed and what his reward for this work shall be is declared vers 10. And the devil that deceived the nations was cast alive into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever And now comes to be declared what shall follow immediately upon this and that follows in vers 11 12 13 14 15. And I saw a great white throne and him that sate upon it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire In these verses is declared that immediately upon the ruining of all the wicked of the Nations the last and general day of judgement is to follow When comes the Resurrection of all both just and unjust I say the last and general day of judgement and resurrection of all for in this twentieth chapter of the Revelation it is cleer that here is a mention made of two Resurrections and the one to be a thousand yeers before the other and the first is treated of in the 4 5 and 6 verses and is there called the FIRST RESURRECTION and the second is laid down in these verses where it is said that the Heavens and the earth are then to be annihilated to flie away at the presence of the Lord who upon his white throne of righteousness after these thousand yeers are finished is to appear and to judge all the dead small and great who are to stand before him being all raised out of the Graves and out of the Sea and all places where the dead have been laid and to be judged righteously according to the Gospel and according to their works and they being so judged it will follow that whosoever is not found written in the book of life shall be cast into a lake of fire And this general day of judgement here treated of is also treated of in several other Scriptures as in Mat. 25. 31 32 c. Where our Saviour thus describes it and says that in that day he shall sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was c. And then shall he say also unto them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels for c. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal Thus in this Scripture is this general day of the final judging of all spoken of also wherein to every one is to be rendred according to his works Again another Scripture to this purpose is that in the first of the Corinthians at the fifteenth chapter where Paul more largely discourses of the doctrine of the Resurrection in some particulars of it then it is any where else in Scripture treated of where in the first part of the chapter he makes it his work to prove the certainty of the Resurrection of the body against those Pharisaical spirits that denyed it And having proved the Resurrection by many undenyable and unanswerable Arguments he comes to declare at the twenty third verse and so on in what order the Resurrection shall be he having before said that all shall be raised But says he it shall be every man in his own order Christ the first fruits and afterward they that are Christs at his coming Here is the Order of the Resurrection Christ the first fruits Well Christ was to be raised first in order of time and that was done already Christ was raised when the Apostle writ this Epistle But who are to be raised next The Apostle tells us It must be they that are Christs And when must they be raised The Apostle answers At his coming Afterward they that are Christs at his coming This is the first Resurrection wherein the Saints must at the coming of Christ be raised to reign with him spoken of Revel 20. 4. But then the general Resurrection and the last great day he speaks of in vers 24. 25. and 28. Where he says Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the Father when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet the last enemie that shall be destroyed is death And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all Here he declares that Jesus Christ being come and having received his kingdome and his Saints being raised at his coming to reign with him that after his coming and reigning and ruling and putting all enemies under his feet and death it self Then cometh the end when he shall deliver up the kingdom to his father and the Son also himself shall be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all That is there shall be a cessation of the